i,
2A
NEWS/Olt Ckarlant $M2
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Will uptown embrace us now?
Continued from page 1A
Tire staff, even though they
were decked out in North
Carolina Central tee-shirta,
weren't exactly friendly My
friend and 1 had dinner
befOTe heading to the bar
because we had a hankering
for something other than hot
wings and fries However,
feeling the rveed to ii\ject a
few dollars in the bar’s pock
et, we ordered a couple of
soft drinks When we were
told that we couldn’t get
refills because we hadn’t got
ten any food, we were willing
to let the issue drop JCSU
was in a tight game against
Bowie State and we were
glued to the TV But in the
middle of a scoring series.
here comes the waitress and
her manager, who felt the
need to explain the refill pol
icy again
We told him we were cool
and he could go away Right
then, I remembered exactly
where I was, uptown
Charlotte where many black
people don’t go to party ’The
city did a good job of laying
down the red carpet. The
businessee uptown, for the
most part, did their duty to
welcome the overwhelming
ly Afiican American crowd I
heard more hip hop coming
firm places like the Dixie
Thvem, Grand Central
Station and other clubs than
I have on a regular weekend
in Uptown Charlotte.
But this rang false to me
Then again, these are things
that we do when we have
company However this
weekend, it’s back to the sta
tus quo.
Another friend said he
epjoyed watching the games
and seeing old friends from
other CIAA schools, but he
wasn't participating in the
uptown parties. The atmos
phere felt fake to him and I
have to agree
If you can welcome black
party-goers one weekend a
year, why not every week
end?
Then again, why didn’t we
head out to Club Tbmix) to
party? It’s black-owned and
caters to the “grown and
PHOTO«AROtD TYSON
By Han)ld M. Tyson iind Rosalind Bennett
/ OR iin: ai.\Rimn: post
The Duke Energy Minority Professional
Association held its tenth annual scholarship
banquet and fund-raiser Feb 28 at the Hilton
Charlotte Center City
Dr. Beqjamin S. Carson Sr M.D was the
keynote speaker for the event He is director of
pediatric neurosurgery and a professor at the
John Hopkins Medical Institutions in
Baltimore '
Carson shared the story of his childhood with
the audience - raised by a mother who had
only a third-grade education and being regard
ed by classmates as a “dummy” until the fifth
grade when his mother decided to put an end
to the bad grades he was bringing home.
With a particularly soft-vdee and dry but
sharp wit the story of his intellectual meta
morphosis was humorous and poignant He
conveyed how his mother transformed him
into the man now recognized as the first sur
geon in the world to successfully separate
Continued from page 1A
through the King Center each
year That’s a lot of people to
have to clean up after and
maintain the facilities for
They take care of the presi
dential libraries There is no
other black institution like
this one in the country”
“When we moved to this
location, we moved in debt-
fiee. We will maintain our
independence If we didn't
think we could, we wouldn’t
even consider it,” he added.
Farris said he wanted to
also clear up the belief perpe
trated by the media that the
King family lives off of funds
raised by the King Center
“We’re not trying to raise
money to support the King
family,” Farris said. “None of
the money we raise goes to
the King family Only Dexter
and I get a salary because we
are on staff working But, it’s
not like that’s a whde lot cT
money”
News reports place both
salaries are in the mid-
$100,000 range "
With the recent death of
founder Coretta King, the
board and the children are
faced with the task of capital-
8exy”-preci8ely what the
CIAA crowd is.
Many of the “unofficial”
CIAA parties were held in
places that have a reputa
tion for being a little less
welcoming to Charlotte
blacks.
Either we’re going to
change the face of uptown by
heading out there and show
ing the businesses there that
we have money to spend aU
year round or we’re going to
party where we’re welcomed
and respected
Last week was cool to have
places like Merts and The
Coffee Cup open later than
normal It was even cooler to
see so many smiling faces
fi-om cops to bus drivers. But
now company’s gone and it’s
back to normal. The red car
pet has been folded and
placed in the closet Guess
well have to wait until next
year to get that feeling back.
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Gayle Sims (left) director of the United Way of the Carolinas Million Dollar Circle and Erica
Johnson of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pose with Dr. Benjamin Carson during a book
signirvg after he keynoted Duke Energy’s Minority Professional Association’s scholarship
banquet at the Hilton Charlotte City Center.
Neurosurgeon shares intellectual
evolution at Duke Energy banquet
Siamese twins joined at the back of the head
and also the first to successfully separate
Siamese twins joined at the top of the head.
Tliese accomplishments among numerous
others resulted in him being named by CNN
and Time Magazine as one of the nation’s 20
foremost physicians and scientists in 2001. He
has also authored three books, “Gifted Hands,”
“Think Big,” and “The Big Picture ”
The Min(Mity Professional Association was
* formed in 1996 as the brainchild of J Wilfi^
Neal and Carl D. Davis to help attract, nurture
and retain a diverse work force, with a prima
ry focus on employee development and com-
tnunity service. Receiving enthusiastic sup
port fium Duke Elnerg>’’s management team -
including Christopher Rolfe and Richard
“Stick” Williams among others • the oi^aniza-
tion has raised approximately $600,000 to fund
the education of 27 area college students
Through the banquet and silent auction held
this year, the association raised more than of
$67,000. The MPA Scholarship Fund is man
aged by The Foundation for the Carolinas.
Rift over center may be ending
Mark your calendar for lEljc Clinvlottc
People of Prominence (POP) Awards as wc
honor:
Emma Allen
First Charter
Larita Barber
(Charlotte Bobcats/Charlotte Sting
Angeline Clinton
Duke Energy
Raichelle Glover
Bank of America
Linda Lockman-Brooks
Lockman Brooks Marketing
-'•1
-’I
izing off puUic outpouring
sympathy and respect.
During the three days
Coretta King laid in-state,
tens of thousands waited in
line at times up to three hours
to pay their last respects to
the woman erften referred to
as the “First Lady” of the civil
ri^ta movement Many trav
eled fium around country
to do so.
Young, who had tried to qui
etly negotiate an agreement
between the diff^ing siblings,
supports the park service
assuming control of the
grounds and buildings.
May 4, 2006
Spirit Square
345 North College Street, Charlotte
6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
$75.00/person
Proceeds benefit (Cfjarlotte IpOSt Foundation.
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