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Thursday, April 20, 2006
Expanding Y leadership
Blacks taking on
larger role
Continued from page 1A
Deval said
Deval has been with the
YMCA for 24 years He
worked 17 years in Chicago
and six in Charlotte. Deval
was recruited to work at the
University YMCA as the
branch executive. “I woidd
hke to believe I am a lifelong
YMCA professional. I would
like to be a chief executive
officer of a large urban YMCA
in an urban city hke
Charlotte, I am happy in my
current role.”
The history of African
Americans’ involvement with
the Charlotte YMCA dates
back to the Second Street
branch built in 1936 and stiH ‘
stands today
Another’ was built in 1950
at Third and Caldwell
streets, which is now the
McCrorey YMCA, named
after Henry L. McCrorey a
former president at Johnson
C. Smith University African
Americans could not attend
the Central YMCA (now the
Dowd YMCA) until 1965. In
recent years, there has been a
push for black leadership in
non African American ne^r-
borhoods.
Law spent his childhood
hanging out at the Dowd
YMCA, which sparked an
mterest in the organization.
Tbday his job includes imple
menting a diversity plan for
stafr volimteers and mem-
bras.
“1 am a little biased because
I actually grew up at the Y,”
he said.
“I feel it is a privilege to be a,
leader in an organization hke
the Y. It ahgns me with my
personal position, which is
helpir^ others.”
Law has implemented Y
programs for children to
seniors. “My first job created
was actually called Y Pals,”
said Law, who has a back-
gr’oimd in social work. “The Y
Pals is hke a Big Brother Big
Sister program, except work
ing with comt-involved kids.”
He has implemented
Success By 6 now called
Strengthening N eighbors,
preschool programs, and a
program entitled (Cood
Neighbor's at the Johnston
and McCrorey YMCAs.
This program is for mothers
with multiple preschool pro
grams at the Johnston and
McCh'orey branches.
Law’s ultimate goal at the
YMCA is to hold a CEO posi
tion or a (chief operating offi
cer).
“I am interested in growth,”
he said. “I could care less
about the money, it’s about
the growth. Tb often people
are focused on getting a title
for the money and I corrld
care less.”
Grassroots groups gear up for
Saturday vote in New Orleans
By Hazel Trice Edney
SAT70SAL XICWSHAPER PUBUSHERS ASSOClA'nOS
WASHINGTON — After weeks of candidate
debates, a march for voting rights, several vot
ing rights lawsuits and a week of pre-election
voting, grassroots groups are steppir^ up thefr
outreach to displaced New Orleans voters lead-
ir^ up to this Saturday’s election.
“I think the turnout is going to be a surprise.
"You take a look at what has happened in early
vote as well as absentee ballots that have been
sent in, they seem to be above what election
officials had anticipated,” says displaced New
Orleans community activist, Wncent Sjdvain,
New Orleans’ coordinator of the Rebuild Hope
Now Campaign of the National Coalition on
Black Civic Participation,
At the beginning of this week, more than
10,500 voters had cast early ballots in 10
Louisiana communities. In addition, 15,000
voters had requested absentee ballots; about
3,000 have been returned.
Syivain ejqDlains, “There seems to be genuine
interest and a great interest fiem those who
are invested in the community - property own
ers, those who were employed working in New
Orleans, as well as residents of public housing
who feel that some injustice has taken place in
the fact that the Housing Authority of New
Orleans has not opened. This is going to be the
first time that the citizens of New Orleans are
going to have an oppoi’tunity to express their
outrage and maybe, in some cases, their sup
port of the elected officials who are in place.
WeT know the outcome of that on the 22nd.”
Although people, displaced by Katrina, are
spread across the nation, concentrated mostly
in other parts of Louisiana, Atlanta, Ga. and
Tfexas, Syivain says he doesn’t beheve distance
or stratification wlU. stop determined votem.
Tt makes it challenging and it makes it diffi
cult and it makes it, different, but what you’ll
probably have workir^ this time is more self-
motivation perhaps. Or a greater i-eason for
the voters to feel that they need to be a part of
the political process,” says Sjdvain. “We are as
hopeful as many of the candidates that that in
itself will be enough to encomage votem who
would otherwise would not vote in a normal
election.”
Thei’e had been widespread concern that
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