Although He Missed Top Seat, Raleigh’s
Lightner New Mayor ProTem
N alive Os
City Is
Selected
BY CUR ETON .TomnsON
W' ***:~Jwi m
•A s@Bs
CLARENCE LIGHT NER
Clarence Everett
Lightner was born and
raised in Raleigh. Aft
er 49 years of getting
to know this town, he
has been selected to
serve as mayor pro
tem for the next two
years by the Raleigh
city council.
At 9:30 Monday morning, the
council held a ceremonial meet
ing for about 10 minutes to con
firm its decision last week.
Thomas W. Bradshaw, a 32-
:*ar old second termer was
unanimously elected mayor
while Lightner, who at 49 is
entering his third term, was
given the nod as mayor pro tem.
Sitting alone at the moon shap
ed council table before most
people arrived, Lightner gazed
dowm at scattered papers. He
looked more like a man about
to win a consolation prize, rath
er than being named Raleigh’s
first black mayor pro tem.
(See LIGHTNER. P 2)
Head Os US Morticians
Grants Exclusive Talks
BY CUR ETON JOHNSON
Clarence Lightner is Raleigh's first black mayor pro tern
and has certain ideas about his past, present and future.
In an interview at his funeral home, he made the follow
ing frank comments to questions from this reporter.
Question: Mr. Lightner, how do you feel about being e
lected mayor pro tern of Raleigh.’
Lightner: Being elected mayor pro tern is an honor in
itself. As I understand it, this is the first time that a
black man has been so honored. However, I feel that when
you look around at the present council structure, you’ll
find that I have as many qualifications for mayor as any
one else, so naturally 1 was primarily interested in be
coming mayor.
You have to have the votes though; I had three and I need
ed four. But I hope to live up to the honor for which I was
selected.
Question: What are the duties of the mayor pro tern?
Lightner: The mayor pro tern assists the mayor in
jecting his programs and presides over meetings in his ab
sence. In addition to this I will continue to serve as chair -
mafi of the Law and Finance Committee, a very important
position in the council organization.
Question: As you said, you’re the first black man to be
honored this way. Do you see this as symbolic of chang
ing attitudes in Raleigh?
Lightner: I certainly hope so. This is the onh glee that
I could come up with about being placed in this position--
rather than being mayor. Certainly I hope this is a be
ginning since I also have to consider the ones who will fol
low me.
Naturally I would like to have beqn the mayor, and I HOPE
THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN THE EMPHASIS WILL
BE PLACEp ON THE MAN AND HIS ABILITY RATHER THAN
ON RACE. This has historically been a problem in Ameri
ca and we must all work to end this very bad sickness that
r exists in our country.
Question: Is there anything in particular that you would
like to see improve or take place during your upcoming
term in office?
Lightner: The past administration, I felt, under the lead
ership of Mayor Jones, worked very hard to get Raleigh off
of a “dead center" position, and began programs to enhance
the opportunity of all citizens. In the Southside project,
we have what I think is an effective program to create bet
ter housing and more job opportunities.
I am also Interested in the new code enforcement program
that we’re trying to get off the ground. This would enable
homeowners to receive grants up to SISOO to improve their
houses. If it takes more than this, the program will provide
long term loans up to about $30,000 at three per cent inter
est. This will cut down the number of houses t>elng demo
lished and prevent a mass exodus of people from their com
munities.
Question; Do you think the time will come when black
people will have more than one representative on the city
council, or will this require a restructuring of the present
city government system?
Lightner: No, I don’t think it requires restructuring. I
was very hopeful that we would be able to have someone
else this time. We came very close, but it’s a matter of
coordination, cooperation and getting enough support through
various factions in the community. I think there is a possi
bility any time in the future if we can continue to get men
who are willing to make the sacrifice. We need people to
get in the North Carolina state house and on the county com
missioners.
Question: What set the stage and opened the curtain on
your political life.
Lightner: Well, 1 remember when my parents used to take
me to the polls with them. My father then ran for commis
sioner of public safety and later my brother ran for the city
<««• MORTICIANS', P; *y
City Subdivision Os
Kingwood Forest Seeks Park
THE CAROLINIAN
VOL. 30, NC. 32
Neighbors Wouldn’t Answer, So Man
Burns Couple s Apt.
XKs3*xJ-S!-
NAACPCouldLose
W e Are
Taxed:
Pickett
H. B. Pickett, repre
senting the Kingwood
Forest Community As
sociation, Inc., argued
before the Raleigh City
(See KINGWOOD, P. 2)
North Carolina s Leading Weekly
RALEIGH. N. C. WEEK ENDING SATURDAY. JUNE 12. 1971 ~~TiNGLE COPY 15c
Day Care Center In Durham
MM. V, SECTARY Otmit . .BEER vh.se, St,
City Police lead 24-year-old Alva John Holmes from the
seventh floor Veterans Service Office Tuesday afternoon after
holding a secretary hostage at gun point for about 45 minutes.
Holmes reportedly fired three shots at Police. . .as they
rushed the baricaded office door. The hostage, 24 year old
Mrs. Sandra Dorr was released unharmed. Policeman in riot
gear is Sgt. W. C. Dees and at right rear is Detective W. L.
Jackson, both of the Greenville Police Dept. (UPI).
‘Nam Soldier Donates
Church ‘Killing Pay’
NEW YORK - “Here is my
combat pay for a month which
NYU Honors
Morehouse’s
President
ATLANTA, GA. - Dr. Hugh
M. Gloster, president of More
house College in Atlanta, re
ceived the honorary degree of
Doctor of Humane Letters
from New York University din -
ing Commencement exercises
held in Madison Square Gar
den on the morning of Mon
day, June 7. Dr. James M.
Hester, NYU president, con
ferred the degree.
A member of Phi Beta Kappa,
Dr. Gloster also holds the
B. A. degree from Morehouse
College, the M. A. from At
(See NYU HOXORS. P. 2)
X ir« The Sweepstakes X
| SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK |
§ CARIEIGH FURNITURE CO. f
X Quality Furniture, Moderate Prices, Satisfaction A
When more merchants begin
to advertise on the Sweepstakes
page the S weepstakes Promotion
is expected to be renewed in the
very near future.
Even though the promotion has
been halted for the time being,
was given for helping kill peo
ple in Vietnam. Please use it
to help people to stop some of
the feelings and beliefs of man
kind which allow us to kill each
other.”
This message and a money
order came from John F. Watts
to the United Methodist Board
of Missions, and was given
May 27 to the Many Races
Cultural Foundation for work
carried on by the Rev. Fred
erick Douglas Kirkpatrick and
his associates. A check was
presented to Mr. Kirkpatrick,
known as “Brother Kirkpa
trick," by the Rev. Randle B.
Dow, New York executive sec
retary of United Methodist
Voluntary Service, at the
launching of the “Martin 1 oth
er King Hopemobile” at St.
Gregor\’s Church in Manhat
tan.
The Hopemobile will distri
bute free books, films and art
(See SOLDIIiR, P. 2)
we Invite you to continue to
patronize the fine businesses on
that page.
Continue to read this column
weekly to see when the promo
te SWEEPSTAKES. P. 8)
-Cl-fc-vl-tt
Newspaper
I sed By
J
% rsonist
Appu gently angered
because his neighbors
i .vi isod to let him ent
er their apartment in
the wee hours of the
morning, a 27-year
oki man allegedly set.
fire to it.
(See ARSONIST, P. 2)
SIO,OOO Is
Needed For
All Repairs
DURHAM - The executive
committee of the Durham
Branch, NAA CP, meeting
Tuesday night, found itself in
a dilemma as to what steps to
take in operating a Day-Care
Center in the abandoned Crest
Street School. This came about
after it was reported that ap
proximately $10,000.00 would
have to be spent to put the
building in shape to begin op
eration.
The operation was slated to
have begun at least two months
ago shortly after the Board of
Education granted the use of
the building to the NAACP.
Representatives of the organi
zation visited the building and
found that many ofthe windows
had broken panes that would
have to be replaced at a cost
of more than $4,000.00. This
damage was believed to have
(Sic COULD LOSE, P. 2)
CRIME
BEAT
EDITOR'S NOTE Tl.!s eolttSE
or feature is product in the pub-,
lie interest with an aim towards
eliminating its contents. Numer
ous individuals have requested
that they be given the considera
tion of overlooking their listing
on the police blotter. This we
would like to do. However, it is
not our position to be judge or Ju
ry. We merely publish the facts
as we find them reported by the
arresting officers. To keep out of
The Crime Beat Columns, merely
means not being registered by a
police officer in reporting his
findings whtle on duty. So sim
ply keep off the “Blotter” and
you won’t be in The Crime Beat.
“FINGERS” Bui FKIEND
Miss Barbara Chavis Lee, 21,
9 Edgecombe Terrace, told Of
ficer J.s. Hedrick at 6:08 a.m.
Sunday, that she had a quarrel
with her boyfriend, Walter Mon
tague, age unlisted, who lives
“somewhere on Bledsoe: Ave
nue. She said Montague cut her
during a fight in the 1200 block
of E. Martin Street. The woman
said she would sign an assault
with a deadly weapon warrant
against Montague. She suffered
a cut on the left side of her
neck.
(See CRIME BEAT, P, S)
LESLIE W. HOLLY
Holly On
Board Os
education
TAR BORO - Through a spe
cial enabling act promoted by
Edgecome County officials
and secured in the N. C. Le
gislature by Representative
Larry Eagles, Edgecombe
County swore in the first Ne
gro member of the County
Board of Education at the regu
lar monthly meeting held in
the County Administrative
Building Monday morning,
.Tune 7.
Leslie Warren Holly, a youth
ful looking sixty-year-old
prominent farmer, turkey
raiser, merchant, who ran for
the post two years ago, was
sworn in by Clerk of Superior
Court Don Gilliam Jr., with a
delegation of black school
principals and civic loaders
present. The ceremony was
under the direction of Edge
combe Supt. of Schools Lee R.
Hall and board chairman Zeb
Earpe Brinson.
This marks the first black
on the Edgecombe School
Board since the turn of the
century.
Girl, 8,
Slain At
Goldsboro
GOLDSBORO - An 8-year old
black girl was the victim of a
brutal slaying at the O’Berry
Center for retarded children
in Goldsboro Sunday morning.
The young girl, who is con
sidered retarded but capable
of being trained, evidently slip
ped away from supervision
early Sunday morning. She was
supposed to be under constant
watch due to a severe case of
retardation.
According to Dr. Vernon
Mangum, superintendent ofthe
O’Berry Center, no decision
has been made on transfering
the 15-year old white boy who
has admitted committing the
crime.
"We have him in custody
here,” Mangum said.
‘•We’ve been in operation
here for 14 years and this is
(See GIRL SuAi.n, *». <)
BISHOP SHELTON
* — ——*
GIVE SELVES UP AFTER £APE CONVICTIONS » WASHINGTON; Two black American soldiers
who escaped from Germany after being convicted of attempted rape by a German court gave
themselves up at the Pentagon June 8, complaining of shoddy treatment from both American and
German authorities. They are Pfc. Nathaniel Holmes, 22, es Winfield, L*« (left) and Pvt. Bernard
Tucker, Si, of Hampton, Va. They surrendered ip the office of Frank W. Render n, a Negro
deputy asst. Secy.
UGON’S SHOWN TO
POST AT ST. AUG.’S
H. E. Brown, principal ofthe
J. W. Ligon Senior High School
of Raleigh, lias been appointed
Assistant to the Director of
Development at St. Augustine’s
College, according to an an
nouncement made by Dr. Pre
zell Robinson, president ofthe
college.
Brown received his B. S. de
gree from A & T State Univers
ity, his M. A, degree in admin
istration from New' York Uni
versity and has done further
study at U.N, C. Chapel Hill.
In his new job, he will work
closely with the development
officer in promoting and ad
ministering the college's
830,000,000 Capital Campaign
Fund. Brown will begin his du
ties at St. Augustine’s on July
1, and will attend a one-week
Development Workshop at
Southwestern College in Mem
phis, Tennessee from July 12-
16.
Purdie Anders, director of
development, stated that he
was very happy to be able to
acquire a person of Mr.
Brown's stature, maturity and
knowledge of administration.
I -,*. _- .
RAVAGES OF HUNGER, DISEASE - CALCUTTA: Suffering
is very real In the West Bengal State where thousands of
refugees from East Pakistan battle hunger and cholera in
epidemic proportions. Indian officials continue to watch for
further cases of cholera among the refugees in the Calcutta
area. Reports from outlying areas continue to push the toll
upward although the outbreak appeared to be on the decline
in the hardest hit border areas. (UPI).
National Church Body
In 11 th State Meeting
WILSON - The Church of The
Lord Jesus- Christ presents
the 11th North Carolina .State
Convention. This convention
has been in progress all week
from Monday, June 7, and will
continue through Sunday, June
13. Termination ofthe conven
tion will bo in Wilson, with the
Honorable Bishop s. McDowell
Shelton as speaker. This re
nowned Bible analyst will be in
person to expound the "Perfect
Plan of Salvation.” That’s Sun
day, June 13. Also in Durham,
on Thursday, June 10, Bishop
Shelton will again appear for
services. Then on Friday, June
11, in Rocky Mount, His Ex
cellency will appear and will
conduct “Divine Healing Serv
ices”. Come out and see how
the power of God operates in
His people. Hear the testi
monies of those who have been
healed and delivered.
To give you a brief history
of the Epoch of Truth moving
into Wilson, it was in July,
Brown came to Ligon in 1937
and served as principal for 14
years. He was also principal
at Tar Heel Elementary School,
Tar Heel, for six years, Hert
ford High School, Hertford, for
five years and Central High
School in Whiteville for
(See LIGON'* BROWN. If. 2)
HERBERT ELLIOTT BROWN
1950 that the founder, Bishop
S. C. Johnson, made his first
personal appearance in the city
of Wilson. During that time,
Rishop Johnson put up a tent
to hold services. Many came
out to see and hoar this Great
Man of God. After Bishop John
son died in February, 1961,
this movement fell to the
leadership of Bishop S. Mc-
Dowell Shelton. During this
same year, the very first North
Carolina .State Convention was
held.
These were the humble be
ginnings of a part of the state
of North Carolina. The entire
state has grown and Is now the
largest state diocese in The
Church of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
It may be of interest to know
that the Church claims an
overall membership of about
five million with an attendance
of about or a membership of
about 5,000 in Philadelphia,
(See CHURCH BODY, P. 2)