RALcjIuh, N.C.,
THURSDAY.
DECEMBER 28.1989
VOL. 49, NO. 10
t N —
N.C.'» Semi-We kly
DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST
SINGLE COPY QC
IN RALEIGH
ELSEWHERE 300
As we herald in a new decade, we offer our
wish for a bright, prosperous future for all.
Role Of Army
Sparks U.S.,
Panama Tension
The fate ot ousted Panamanian
leader Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega
may be determined by U.S. officials if
the accused drug dealer decides for
any reason to leave the Vatican Em
bassy, where he is currently trying to
gain political asylum under the pro
tection of the Holy See.
Although Noriega bas been
defeated, a major question of
fashioning a security force to replace
bis command is causing friction bet
ween the U.S. military and die new
Panamanian civilian government.
Both sides agree there, is a pro
blem.
There are other problems also. Top
U.S. military officials are continuing
negotiations with Vatican officials
over the fate of Noriega amid reports
that the Catholic Church will not
grant the ousted leader indefinite
refuge in its diplomatic mission in
Panama.
The Bush administration says it
will arrest Gen. Noriega, who is
wanted in the United States on drug
charges—the minute he steps out of
the Vatican Embassy.
It was reported earlier this week
that 10 people had been seen leaving
the Vatican Embassy, which was sur
rounded by U.S. troops, then taken to
a nearby helicopter.
U.S. officials would like to see
Noriega tried in Florida, said
spokesman Marlin Fitzwater. “We
want to get Noriega back. We went in
for that purpose and that purpose re
mains the same.”
(See PANAMA, P. 2)
\IE\/*/Q Q o ICT f'C
i Vl £5 if itzro
CAB METERS
ROCKY MOUNT—I* a special
(Main “committee of the whole”
meeting, the Rocky Mount City
Connell approved proposals
rescinding a mandatory tax
imeter deadline and eliminating
mnndatory driver manifests.
United Cab Co. accepted the pro
posals by the city council’s taxi
committee. Josh Munden and
Leonard Wiggins.
CONTRACT TALKS
Amalgamated Transit Union
Local 1328 held a picket line
around the downtown bus ter
minal recently, protesting what It
said was management’s unfair
labor practices and contract
violations.
PERDUE FARMS FINED
Perdue Farms, Inc., was fined
94MM recently for health and
safety violations at Its Lewiston
and Robersonvllle plants. The
North Carolina Occupational
Safety and Health Admlnlstra
• Han cited Perdue for “willful"
violations that affect most pro
duction workers.
JOBDISEASE
The Job disease of the lists is
what Repetitive Motion Inturtes
(SM NEWS BRIEFS, P.2)
Politics, Culture, Heritage To
Be Focue Of First Kwanzaa Event
BY TRACEY HALL
For the flnt time In Raleigh,
African-Americana will be able to
celebrate Kwaniaa, an African
American feetival observing the
various aspects of African-American
culture and politics.
Founded in IMS by Dr. Maulana
narenga, a young visionary living on
the West Coast, Kwansaa was
cron ted to become the only "in
digenous nonheroic black history
celebration acknowledgement in the
United States."
Kwansaa, a Swahili word meaning
"first," is part of the phrase “Mstun
da Ya Kwansaa" ("first fruits").
MU ii - - - —— -
ISiPiiiS*
According to eaaine uuiahunt, who
ia » co-founder of Freedom Bookstore
in Raleigh, Kwanzas first became
popular in the 1960s and grew out of a
need for political consciousness.
“It should not be seen as an alter
native to Christmas,” said Dillahunt.
Although Kwansaa is celebrated
from Dec. 36-Jan. 3, it is not a
substitute for Christmas. Those
African-Americans who celebrate
Kwansaa also observe Christmas.
There are several groups who
celebrate Kwansaa. A Raleigh group
composed of individuals from the
Freedom Book Store, Black Workers
for Justice, and Concerned Citizens
for Educational Equity, form a
Raleigh-based group which will
observe Saturday, Dec. 30, as their
celebration day.
In Durham, Kwansaa will be
celebrated by a group called Umoja.
The Umoja group has been observing
Kwansaa for at least four years.
Their celebration is scheduled for
Sunday. Dec. 31.
During the week-long observation,
Kwansaa-goers can enjoy their
favorite foods, hear their favorite
music from the best reggae artiste,
(See kwaNXaa, H. 3)
Dawning Of The 21st Century
Our Heritage: A Look Back At 1989
BY W. MARTIN, JR.
Special Te The CAROLINIAN
Aa Analytic
1989 was a very impressionable
year for African-Americans. It
precedes 1990, the year of new begin
nings. A new decade. The dawning of
a new century.
But what did 1999 teach us?
We learned that in North Carolina,
more than 44 percent of AIDS victims
are black, although blacks make up
only about 22 percent of the state’s
DODulation. Yet as a race, we con
tinue to ignore the fact that AIDS has
affected us. Wake County is second in
the state in reported AIDS cases.
Next year, someone we are close to
will get AIDS. Someone we know will
soon die from AIDS.
We learned that strong black
men—those who don’t have AIDS or
are in prison or are on drugs or have
psychological problems—are on the
decline. Sixty percent of black
students on college campuses are
women, the highest female ratio of
any racial group. While total college
enrollment grew by more than one
million students between 1976 and
1986, enrollment of black men fell by
34,000 or 7.2 percent. These men
aren’t disappearing. They’re enroll
ing in our nation’s prisons. Yet, as a
race, we continue each day as if it
were someone else’s problem.
We learned that our young black
boys are being destroyed in our
public schools because they are
denied knowledge—the source of
their strength and power. Yet as
parents, we don’t do anything
because we feel like there’s nothing
we can do. We decided that taking an
afternoon to visit our child’s school is
out of the question. It’s only our
children’s future in jeopardy.
Then we learned our name. Are we
black? Are we Afncan-American?
Are we Negroes? Are we niggers with
attitudes? What shall we call
ourselves? And while we try to figure
out what to call ourselves, the
Impaired Drivin,
Ignition
Interlock
Program
The new breatn analyzer designed
to keep drunks from behind the steer
ing wheel operating a vehicle may be
one of the most effective weapons in
preventing human loss and suffering
on the streets and highways.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
may also find this an effective tool for
prevention. Kim DiNubila, state ad
ministrator for MADD, said, “We
think it is a great idea and could
possibly save fives. We have seen it
demonstrated. It lodes good. You
have to be trained to use it. We’re
hoping this pilot program saves lives
and deters people from drinking and
driving.”
Officials of the North Carolina
Department of Transportation will be
studying its effectiveness over the
coming months.
The new "weapon" is a deep-lung
breath analyzer connected to a vehi
cle’s ignition/electrical system that
prevents the driver from starting the
engine before he or she has passed an
alcohol breath test. The relatively
new technology, called ignition in
terlock, is already in use in 16 other
states.
Secretary of Transportation
Thomas J. Harrelson said that the
department’s Division of Motor
Vehicles will begin the ignition in
terlock program on Jan. IS, 1990. Har
relson will name a committee to
evaluate the program and report its
findings at the end of the 12-month
project.
Gov. James G. Martin called Har
relson’s action part of the state’s con
tinuing efforts to “stop the senseless
and preventable aleohol-related
death and injury on our highways.”
“We hope the ignition interlock
device will prove to be a valuable tool
in keeping the drunk driver off of the
highway," Martin said.
MADD says its mission mobilizes
victims and their allies to establish
the public conviction that impaired
driving is unacceptable and criminal,
in order to promote corresponding
public policies, programs and per
sonal accountability.
Drunk driving crash victims—both
(Saa INTERLOCK, P.2)
tut.
ShaMa Nadar chairoaraon h out (no authority* s board of
commisaieMrs; Larry J. Parker, manager, HUD Breensbere
•Htoe; and Ms^Jcatlt Copeland, vlce-cltairpersoo.
UNCF Continues Commitment While
Seeking Support With Classy Act
BY TRACEY MALL
Staff Writer
This year the “Lou Rawls Parade
of Stars” telethon benefitting the
United Negro College Fund, is gear
ing up for a star-studded evening, not
to mention the very important cause
it represents.
Kenneth Wilkins, who is chairman
of the Raleigh-Wake campaign, said
that the main goal this year, like last
year, is “to surpass our goal and
raise more money than we have in the
past.”
Since the telethon officially began
in August, several activities have
taken place including a dinner which
honored Dr. Robert Bridges; the
UNCF Weekend, which featured
various events such as the annual golf
tournament; a fashion show; and an
art auction held at the state
fairgrounds.
This year’s telethon will be held at
the NCAE Building and will air from
7 p.m. to midnight on WTVD-TV11 in
Durham. There will be live music
from local jazz artist Reggie Jeffries,
a wide-screen television for those at
tending to view the telethon, and an
opportunity to view firsthand a UNCF
telethon in the making.
The goal for this year is 9125,000,
and with as many proceeds and spon
sors lined up to support the many
UNCF institutions, the Raleigh-Wake
organization is expecting to surpass
that figure.
A local radio station, WLLE-AM
570, will be broadcasting the telethon
on their talk show featuring Margaret
Rose Murray.
According to Wilkins, the majority
of the telethon’s proceeds will come
from the corporate community and
local churches.
Another major sponsor of the
UNCF telethon is Harris Wholesale,
Inc. xms distributor of alcoholic
beverages has been a force behind
the telethon for many years and has
played a part in the functioning of the
event each year. The Raleigh-Wake
campaign especially appreciates
their support.
The viewing area for the telethon
this Saturday will include Raleigh,
Durham, Chapel Hill and Fayet
teville.
Nationally, the telethon, which will
be hosted by Grammy Award
winning entertainer Lou Rawls, in
conjunction with his “Parade of
Stars,” promises to continue its tradi
tion of providins spectacular enter
(SeeUNCF TELETHON, P. 2)
smarter race is deciding that it
doesn’t matter what we call
ourselves. It’s knowing who we are
inside that counts. We are a race of
proud and powerful people. When we
realize that, we’ll know what to call
ourselves.
Let’s not forget drugs and the ABC
television program “In Black
America.” That’s when we learned
that even the oushers in the ghetto
unaerauuia what’s going on. Drugs
destroy minds. Someone’s trying to
kill us folks. Why would anyone want
to destroy African-/American
peoples? Because we are the original
people? Because we have the domi
(See 1969 REVIEW, P.2)
Recount Proves
Douglas Wilder
Wins Election
Elected Governor;
First U.S. Black
BY LARRY O’DELL
RICHMOND (AP) —Democrats
and Republicans now agree that L.
Douglas Wilder was duly elected the
66th governor of Virginia, but they
disagree on how well the state’s elec
toral process works.
Republican J. Marshall Coleman
gained only 113 additional votes in a
recount certified Thursday by a
three-judge panel, prompting the
chairman of the state Democratic
Party to declare the exercise a vic
. tory for “the accuracy and integrity”
of the electoral process.
But the Coleman camp claimed it
uncovered evidence that thousands of
felons voted illegally, indicating a
need for election law reform.
The bottom line of the recount,
however, was that Wilder defeated
Coleman 896,936 votes to 890,195 votes
to become the nation’s first elected
black governor. The difference was
6,741 votes, making the gubernatorial
race the closest in the Virginia
history.
In the tally first certified by the
State Board of Elections on Nov. 27,
Wilder won by 6,854 votes.
William H. Hurd, a lawyer for Col
eman, said the GOP nominee would
not pursue his challenge through the
Democratic-controlled General
Assembly.
Coleman issued a statement con
ceding that “the outcome of this hard
fought contest is no longer in doubt.”
“As an individual and as the
nominee of my party, I cannot deny
that it hurts to come so close and yet
fall short,” Coleman said. “But the
system has worked, the people have
(See DOUGLAS WILDER, P. 2)
RJR Designs New Cigarette Aimed
At Black Smoker In Test Market
(AP) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco plans
to test market a jazzy new cigarette
brand, aiming its promotional blitz
primarily at blacks in slick ads sug
gestsing glamour, high fashion and
nightlife.
The campaign is slated to begin
Feb. S, 1990 in Philadelphia, Pa., but
it is already under fire from anti
smokers and blacks.
The Winston-Salem-based com
pany is using blacks as “guinea pigs
for something that will kill them in
huge proportions,” said Joanne
Schellenbach, a spokeswoman for the
American Cancer Society.
“If you are a black person walking
around the neighborhoods being bom
barded with those kinds of messages,
it’s hard not to be affected by them,”
she said.
But Reynolds said that kind of
thinking is paternalistic and
blacks—just as women and white
males—have a right to a brand that
suits their taste preferences.
Reynolds also hopes the menthol
brand, called Uptown, will carve out
a niche in the cigarette market,
which overall is shrinking and
becoming more segmented.
“We expect Uptown to appeal
strongly to black smokers,” said
Lynn Beasley, Reynolds vice presi
dent of strategic marketing. “Black
smokers show a strong preference for
menthol brands.”
Seventy-five percent of all black
smokers prefer menthol brands, ac
cording to the U.S. Office of Smoking
and Health in Washington, O.C.
Among Mack smokers, Newport,
manufactured by Lorillard, Inc., is
the most popular. Brown and
Williamson Tobacco’s Kool brand
and Reynolds’ Salem are in second
and third place, respectively.
But Reynolds says it hopes Uptown
will boost the company out of third
place.
“It has a very upsoale image to it,"
Ms. Payne said.
The promotional campaign will
feature people enjoying a city’s
nightlife in an ad that will read, “Up
town. The Place. The Taste.”
The standard-priced brand will
come in slick gold and black packag
ing designed by a Greensboro com
pany ana wui oe avauaoie ir
menthol-boxed and loft-pack style* 01
20 cigarettes.
It will be supported in Philadelphia
by newspaper, magaiine anc
billboard ads, in addition to non
advertising promotions.
Philadelphia was selected as the
test grounds because of its large
black population, accounting to
nearly 40 percent of the dty’i
residents, and distribution network,
said Reynolds spokeswoman Maun
Payne.
But if the campaign goes national,
it could stir up the cinders of the ongo
(Ses CIGARETTES, P. I)