REP. DAN BLUE
Black Pupils'
Achievement
Needs Upgrading
North Carolina's 140 school
districts should improve their
records on black student achieve
ment and should be subject to
state intervention if they don't.
That was just one of the
statements coming from black
leaders at the two-day North
Carolina Conference for Educa
ting Black Children, held Friday
and Saturday in Raleigh.
The conference was an
outgrowth of the 1986 National
Conference for Educating Black
Children, which produced a docu
ment called “Blueprint for Ac
tion.'' The blueprint outlined
goals and specific actions to im
prove education for black
children, whose academic
achievement continues to lag
behind that of whites.
Participants said the con
ference’s main purpose was to
stop talking and start acting on
the solutions. Black leaders and
educators from across the state
worked to set priorities and
develop action plans.
"This (blueprint] was not
prepared as a waste of paper,”
said Pennie Battle, a Gates Coun
ty School Board member who
’moderated one of the panels. “We
are'Just a tiny beginning, but we
are going to make a difference.”
State Sen. William N. Martin,
D-Guilford, who spoke at a panel
session about setting policy, said
the 1989 legislative session would
be a year for legislation to help
black students.
Both Martin and state Rep.
Daniel T. Blue, Jr., D-Wake, said
the state should require school
systems to meet specific goals in
improving the achievement of
minority children.
School systems that fail to meet
those goals. Blue said, should be
subject to some kind of state in
tervention. “Now, we really don’t
have any direct authority to say
we don’t think you’ve
performed,” he said.
stpt
' " 2?e/i
“Don’t Retreat On Civil Rights”
Court Urged To Exclude nu<;ism
»«<
BY CHESTER A. HIGGINS, SR.
NNPA Niwi Editor
WASHINGTON, D.C.-When the
United 8tates Supreme Court lait
April bye vote of M voted to reheere
cim involving e black woman, Bren
da Patterson, veraus a North
Carolina credit union, to consider U
an earlier 1976 ruling should be over
turned, civil rights organisations
were appalled.
Last week civil rights and opposi
tion lawyers and groups swarmed to
Capitol Hill and the august halls of
the -- - * ———- ■
heard oral arguments for and againi
reverting the key ruling, Runyon vi
McCrary. Julius L. Chambers, al
t school* from discriminating on the
. basis of race, would weaken decades
. of "joint congressional and judicial
The intent of the 1866 law in the
Reconstruction era was to correct pervasive
practices by private individuals that had the
effect of putting blacks back into slavery.
torney for th« NAACP Legal Defense
Fund, argued brilliantly that revers
ing Runyon, which prohibited private
•(forts to rid this country of racial
discrimination."
Ho declared that the court had cor
The Carolinian
RALEIGH, N.C.,
MONDAY
OCTOBER 24,1968
NC's Semi-Weekly
SINGLE COPY AC
IN RALEIGH £0$
DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST
Tawana Brawley
Case Triggers Debate
Prosecutor
Pushes For
More Power
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)-State At
torney General Robert Abrams may
have found a trio of unwitting
allies—the advisers to Tawana
Brawley—in his efforts to make
changes in state laws to aid criminal
prosecutors.
Actions by Rev. A1 Sharpton and at
torneys C. Vernon Mason and Alton
Maddox, Jr. throughout the pro
tracted Brawley investigation have
provided impetus to efforts to
toughen penalties for hindering pro
secution and to allow the filing of
defamation suits on behalf of dead
people, said Abrams aide Nathan
Riley.
The seven-month grand jury in
vestigation also may resurrect a
debate over changing state laws
which grant blanket immunity from
criminal prosecution to those testify
ing before grand juries.
Riley said there’s “clearly going to
be a strong interest in legislation" in
light of events this year surrounding
Brawley, a 15-year-old resident,
whose story ef being sexually
assaulted by up to six white men in
1987 was labeled a sham by a special
state grand jury in Poughkeepsie.
As part of its voluminous report,
the grand jury made several recom
mendations for changes in state laws
dealing with prosecutions and in
vestigations. Abrams, special state
prosecutor in the Brawley case,
echoed the suggestions and made a
few of his own.
(See TAWANA BRAWLEY, P. 2)
Black Males Declining
In College Enrollment
More in Prisons Than In Colleges
BY SHIRLEY REED-BLASH
NN'PA Stiff Writer
The alarming disparity between
black female and male college
graduates in the state of Maryland
has prompted the Montgomery Coun
ty Branch of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple to form a special task force to in
vestigate the problem, an effort that
may have a widespread impact.
Roscoe Nix, president of the Mon
tgomery County NAACP, said at a re
cent news conference that the task
.- mm
BLACK CHILD CONFERENCE - PMHp
McAdoo, i itudent of SwiNwni
Alamance High School. WM a
participant In IN Educating the Mack
Pnnlannfil ' Mod flMlAOAd Id#
VnRQ IHWIilinW ■INI iVWIVI INI
axpcrlancai and fraotratlans af daaBng
with an unretpantlva school system
and dassmatas who lava become
mirod In that system.
force was sparked by a report releas
ed last spring by the Maryland State
Board of Higher Education, which
revealed that 70 percent of the
degrees awarded to black college
graduates in 1967 went to females.
Less than one-third of the graduates
were black males. This represents a
10 percent drop in 10 years. In 1977,42
percent of the college degrees award
ed went to black male students, ac
cording to the report.
"If black males are not reaching
their potential, you are sowing the
seeds for an underclass that is in
creasingly hostile,” said John Diggs,
chair of the task force and the Mon
tgomery College Board of Trustees.
His remarks were underlined by the
revelation that, in Maryland, more
college-age black men are in prison
than in college.
A variety of reasons for the decline
in black male enrollment, including
deterioration of the family structure,
failure of teachers to encourage black
males to excel academically and
media stereotypes that portray them
as “pimps, football players, basket
ball players and entertainers,”
asserted Nix, who added, “but that’s
speculation.”
Nix said that if his organisation is
able to identify concrete answers to
the questions posed by the report, it
could have major national implica
tions. “Our state is not unique. We
hope that we dan come up with
something that could serve as a
model for other communities in our
nation.”
The 19-person task force formed to
study the decline in black male
enrollment In Maryland is comprised
of black male and female profes
sionals—some of whom are from
disadvantaged backgrounds, accor
ding to a report.
The number of black students (71
percent) enrolled in Montgomery
County schools who elect to pursue a
(See MALES DECLINE, P. 2)
WHAT A RIDE—One of the meet thridog adventures at the North Carolina State
Fair la daring to take an exciting ride. Those taligeers soon to bo enjoying it.
(Photo by Talib Sabir-Calloway)
Judge Orders Minister
To Aid King Observance
GREENSBORO (AP)-A Baptist
minister charged with making
harassing telephone calls to the
NAACP offices in Greensboro was
ordered to participate in observances
of Martin Luther King’s birthday and
Black History Month.
Guilford County District Court
Judge William A. Vaden ordered the
Rev. David Mabe, pastor of the
Lighthouse Baptist Church in Plea
sant Garden, to perform 100 hours of
community service at the Hayes
Taylor YMCA and the Salvation Ar
my shelter. He also was ordered to
participate in 20 hours of programs at
N.C. A&T State University in
January and February com
memorating Martin Luther King’s
birthday and Black History Month.
The misdemeanor charge will be
dismissed by prosecutors if he fulfills
the requirements of the first
offenders program.
“The hope is that, by having the op
portunity to work with and get to
know black people, he will change his
opinion," said Carolyn Coleman,
director of the NAACP’s Southern
Voter Education Project.
Mabe declined to comment on the
sentence. He said he did not make all
the calls he was accused of making.
NAACP officials said they began
receiving harassing calls in January.
Tile calls became more frequent in
March and continued through
August. The caller usually would
hang up or say nothing. On some oc
casions, the caller used profanity and
made racial slurs.
New Prison Unit
Dorm To Be
Opened Soon
The number of beds completed
under the largest prison construction
program in the state’s history will
pass the 1,400 mark when new dor
mitories and support facilities are
dedicated at the Rowan County
Prison Unit and the Mecklenburg 1
Prison Unit on Oct. 27.
State Correction Secretary Aaron
J. Johnson will be the featured .
speaker at the dedication of a 50-man
dormitory at the Rowan County
Prison Unit starting at 10 a.m. At 3
p.m. that same day, Secretary
Johnson will join other state and local
officials in the dedication of a new
50-man dormitory and a refurbished
68-man dormitory (nearing comple
tion) at the Mecklenburg I Prison
Unit.
These facilities are being built as
part of the 928.3 million Emergency
Prison Facilities Development Pro
gram authorized last year. It is an
ticipated that<most of the 2,554 beds
and support facilities authorized in
that appropriation will be completed
See DEDICATION. P.2)
Mabe denied be ever used profanity
or racial epithets. He said he was
pushed into making the calls after he
began receiving harassing and
threatening telephone calls. He said
he was unable to identify positively
who was making the calls.
C.C. Draughn, executive director of
the local NAACP chapter, said he was
not aware of anyone in his office mak
ing calls to Mabe.
(See MINISTER. P. 2)
recuy interprets tne intent nr tne
post-civil War law whs it ruled for
Ms. Patterson who charged the North
Carolina Credit Union with racial
harassment. The intent of the 18N
law in the Reconstruction era was
“meant to correct... pervasive prac
tices by private Individuals" that had
the effect of "putting blacks back into
slavery. We are not working on farms
now. We are working in credit
unions," Chambers pointed out, "but
the law’s intent Is the same." He
urged the court not to retreat in the
struggle to eliminate "the badges of
slavery" in society.
At Issue was Patterson vs. MoLean
Credit Union, which seemed to be a
hm
M>. Pat
terson, a black employee of tha North
Carolina Cradit Union, could aua for
naiiiintfUfjiifnt nndar a i action of
the 18M law that says that all paopla
hava tba aama right "to make and a*
font contracts... as is enjoyed by
whlta dtisons.” Tho court votad to
rahasr tha Patterson casa to deter
mine if tha MW Runyon dootoion,
which Is baaed on the poat-Civil War
law, i' ™ ^
sarvatlva maJority-CWaf Justice
William H Rehnuulst: Justices
(Mas court, r. »>
Campaign 88: Candidates
For Local, National Office
Begin Final Election Push
The race for Superior Court judge
between Judge George R. Greene, a
Democrat, and Carlton E. Fellers, a
Republican, is of statewide interest
and particularly for District 10A
Voters should be aware that it is a
choice between these two judges on
election day, Nov. 8. Both are running
for Superior Court and you can only
vote for one.
President Ronald Reagan gave
Republicans a boost in North
Carolina last week when he paid a
visit to Raleigh and delivered a
The race for
Superior Court judge
is a contest between
two former lawyers,
George R. Greene and
Carlton E. Fellers.
Voters should be
aware that it is a
choice of voting for
only one of these
judges on Nov. 8.
message at the Raleigh Civic Center.
The president’s visit precedes Gov.
James Martin’s three-day campaign
tour of the state by train, known as
the “Martin Express.” The tour will
begin in Asheville on Oct. 84 and end
in Morehead City on Oct. 86. ,
The train will consist of three AM
TRAK passenger cars and will travel
along the Norfolk Southern line. The
train will stop in 23 cities along the
way and approximately 100
passengers per day will be aboard the
train. The majority of the passengers
are volunteers. NASCAR driver
Richard Petty and entertainer Jim
my Dean will be aboard the first day.
The Democrats will hold a youth
rally on Oct.. 16 as a kickoff to mast
the candidates and the “1666
Democratic victory season.” The
Fourth Congressional District unity
tour and rally begins at 6 a.m. in
Hillsborough at the courthouee. The
schedule: Pittsboro, 10:46 a.m.;
Chapel Hill, at the Pit on the UNC
campus, 1:10 p.m.; Chapel Hill
Democratic headquarters, 3:10 p.m.;
Louisburg at the courthouse, S p.m.;
Raleigh at the Fayetteville Street
Mall with a rally at 6 p.m.
The rally will feature Lt. Gov. Bob
Jordan, state Son. Tony Rand, U.S.'
Sen. Terry Sanford, and Rep. David
Price. Council of State candidates
Rufus Edmistan, Bob Etheridge,
Lacy Thornburg, Jim Graham, Ed
Renfrow, John Brooks, Harlan
Boyles and Jim Long will also be
there.
Etheridge, a Democrat running for
state superintendent of piNk in
struction reported to The CAROLI
NIAN that his “priorities are the
same as during the primary cam- >
paign. First, we must raise the level
of achievement of all students. Se
cond, we must lower the dropout rate.
I am deeply troubled by the fact that
North Carolina students score so
pnnrly «n mHmu! ttttl
I am also concerned that nearly
23,000 students leave high school each
year without a diploma... We must
focus more upon results of our
schools rather than regulations and
red tape which stifle creativity and
innovation”
In Connecticut, Democrat Mirhaol
S. Dukakis compared tactics with the
Watergate scandal ip accusing
Republican George Bush of distorting
his record.
“Above all, the truth Hi mid—tlw
a lot in a presidential campatgs.
because, as we learned in Watergate,
it matters a lot in the Oval Office,” he
said. He said that in the Bush cam
paign, as in the Nixon White House,
(See ELECTION YEAR, P. 31
Prison Overcrowding Emergency
Sets Some Inmates Free Early
Because of a continuing rise in the
rate of prison admissions, state Cor
rection Secretary Aaron J. Johnson
last week informed Gov. Jim Martin
and state Parole Commission Chair
man Sam Wilson that special powers
designed to reduce prison over
crowding have been triggered for a
fourth time this year.
“Once again we are faced with the
prospect of the early release of con
victed offenders from prison because
of overcrowding,” Johnson said. “It
is the price that must be paid for the
past neglect of North Carolina’s cor
rectional system.
“Although great strides have been
made dining the past three years,
this latest emergency is a reminder
of the great work that remains to be
done,” Johnson added. “The con
struction of new prisons, combined
with the community-based alter
natives suggested by Gov. Martin 2Vi
years ago, continue to be the only
viable solutions to the problem of
overcrowding. ”
Special provisions of the Emergen
cy Prison Population Stabilisation
Act were triggered last week when
the prison population remained above
the legislatively mandated “ceiling”
or “cap”’ of 17,460 for a 16th con
secutive day. As of 12:01 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 19, the population of
North Carolina’s 87 prisons stood at
17,665. The law requires the Parole
Commission to take steps to reduce
the prison population to no more tha
17,280 on or before Dec. 17.
To reduce the prison population,
the law states that the Parole Com
mission can only consider inmates
eligible for parole. However, during a
population emergency, the pool of
eligible inmates expands to include
Fair-Sentencing Act felons nine mon
ths before their release date (instead
ment agencies were so notified tael
Wednesday. Although the law als<
gives the secretary o{ correction tin
authority to return short-term mlsde
meanants already in the state priaot
system to local confinemenl
facilities, this step has not beer
necessary in the past and will to
avoided during tne present popula
i Uon emegency, the secretary said.
The triggering of thsee special pro
visions cemff less than one. mouth
after the expiration of the last prison
population emergency on Sept. 11 and
can be attributed to die continuing
(ties PRISON, P. 2)n