RALEIGH, N.C.,
THURSDAY.
VOL. 49, NO. 34
MARCH 22, 1990 ft
N.C.’s Semi-Weekly
DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST
SINGLE COPY QC
IN RALEIGH
ELSEWHERE 300
“DEF By Temptation”Brings
Talented Stars To Triangle
Page 18
CIAA Delivers Promising,
Outstanding Performances
Page 19
Office In Transition
Laodicea Pastor Leaves Church In April
n. mnaim, jn.
Staff Writer
George C. Hawkins, the 46-year-old
pastor who headed Laodicea Church
since I960, will be leaving the church
in April to assume duties within the
national organization of the United
Church of Christ.
Hawkins will assume duties within
the UCC Board for Homeland
Ministries in its Division of
Evangelism and Church Develop
ment where he will be secretary for
local church finance services.
“I think Laodicea is one of the great
churches within our denomination. It
has the spirit and visionaries who are
committed to living out the gospel not
only on Sunday morning but in all
areas of church life in the communi
ty,” he told The CAROLINIAN.
The national office Hawkins will be
assigned to is in New York, but the
national headquarters is in the pro
cess of moving to Cleveland, Ohio.
The move began in the fall of 1989 and
is expected to be completed in June
1991, he said.
In the meantime, Hawkins already
has been elected to the office of
secretary and is scheduled to assume
the duties on May 1.
Because the office is in transition, it
will give Hawkins the opportunity to
remain in Raleigh until 1991. During
his time he will commute to New
York and Cleveland, according to the
duties of the office, he said.
Hawkins’ last Sunday to preach at
Laodicea is April 29, he said, adding
that he handed in his resignation in
February.
During his time at Laodicea,
Hawkins has been able to get the sup
port of Girl Scouts in the communtiy
and Laodicea was one of the first
churches in the area to conduct
teenage pregnancy programs.
The church was also instrumental
in getting day care services off the
ground and was responsible for the
..—_
40-unit development near the church
that is set up for the elderly and
disabled.
Hawkins came to Raleigh from
Alabama, where he served at First
Congregational Christian Church of
the United Church of Christ. He serv
ed there 10 years before coming to
Raleigh.
(See GEORGE HAWKINS. F. 2)
Trooper “Within Law”
Questions Loom In Bowen Death
Community
Expresses
“Concern”
An FBI investigation is continuing
into the shooting of a black Columbus
County man by a white state trooper.
A Columbus County grand jury last
week found that there was no pro*
babie cause to charge Trooper A.E.
Morris in the shooting death of Sidney
Bowen, 42, a former mayor of Bolton.
Bowen was shot Feb. 27 in his front
yard as Morris was trying to arrest
him on a drunken driving charge.
Morris told investigators that the
killing was in self-defense after
Bowen began beating Morris with a
flashlight. An 18-member jury
agreed.
After the finding, Bolton residents
protested, holding marches and ex
pressing concern to local and state of
ficials that the shooting was racially
motivated.
Morris was at least, however, ac
ting within the law, although Bowen
was shot at least five times in several
areas of his body, including his chest,
hands, cheek and head.
According to State Highway Patrol
regulations, when a subject is coming
at a Highway Patrol officer with in
tent to harm, the officer is allowed to
shoot until the suspect stops coming,
said Graham Wilson, director of
public affairs with the department’s
Crime Control and Public Safety Of
fice.
The regulations also state that
Highway Patrol officers are not
allowed to shoot warning shots and
that the only time they are to remove
their guns from their holsters is with
the intent of firing it or having it in
spected by a superior officer.
Questions blacks are asking con
cern whether the trooper fired in self
defense after the attempted arrest of
(See TROOPER, P. 2)
Myw£4P
I |^t ut car
MEETING THE CHALLENGE-Dr. David Shannon,
professor of OM Testament Interdenominational Thootagicat
Confer, Atlanta, 8a., was ana oftha spaakars during the
17th annual pastor’s conference at Shaw Divinity School.
Tlw them* for th# conforonco was “Tha Church and Social
Utuat In tha Decado of tha Ms: ChaSango for Pastoral and
Lay Laadorshlp.” (Photo by TaM SaUr-CaKoway)
Off Helping Children Get "Ahead1
Twenty-five years ago, President
Lyndon B. Johnson, as part of his
"War on Poverty Program,” signed
the bill that would provide funds to
begin a program of preschool learn
ing centers for underprivileged
children. This program was titled
Head Start, a name which expressed
what the program hoped to do: give
underprivileged children a head start
in learning.
Since that day, the Head Start pro
gram has grown and expanded to a
point where it serves the 50 states as
well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands, the Pacific Territories, and
is part of a governmental American
Indian program and Migrant Pro
gram.
Head Start is unique because,
although it is not a solution to the
poverty problems this nation faces, it
offers an alternative to many people,
parents as well as children, other
than staying in the welfare system.
Today, Head Start is one of the
social welfare programs that Presi
dent Bush is supporting. He has pro
posed that Congress add $500 million
to the program’s national budget.
“Head Start has been called the
most successful social program since
Social Security. The program has
consistently demonstrated success in
preparing disadvantaged preschool
children for school and for life. Presi
dent Bush, Sen. Sanford, as well as
many other national and state
leaders have recognized the tremen
dous savings to society by providing
children with a positive preschool ex
perience. As a result, they have
recommended full funding for Head
Start. This would mean that every
eligible child would have an oppor
tunity to attend Head Start," com
mented Betsy T. Thigpen, president
of the North Carolina Head Start
Association.
“Head Start is not just a child
oriented program,” stated Patricia
B. Locklear, Lumbee Regional
(See HEAD START. P. 2)
W. Terry Sherrill, a rising star in
Charlotte’s legal community who
resigned from the bench amid drug
charges, said his one regret was hav
ing to give up his law license.
Sherrill, who at 35 had been a judge
for seven years, was arrested March
10 when a police officer on routine
patrol smelled a strong odor of mari
juana coming from his pickup truck.
Inside the truck, police found a
marijuana cigarette, a small bag of
white powder and drug parapher
nalia.
The arrest of the promising young
judge has shocked and saddened the
legal community in a state where it
may be the first incident of its kind.
Mecklenburg County Superior
Court Judge Sherill was relieved of
his court duties pending the outcome
of the charges but will continue to
receive his $7l,000-a-year salary,
Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Ex
um said.
Dallas Cameron, assistant director
of the Administrative Office of the
Courts, said he cannot recall another
North Carolina judge ever being
charged with drug violations.
State Eep. Dsn Blue, D-Wake, a
former chairman of the Black
Legislative Caucus, said, “To have
won a statewide election, to be so
"Soldiers” In Drag War Planning
Marches For Impact & Awareness
From CAROLINIAN Staff Report!
Rev. Frank Summerfield of the
Word of God Fellowship continues his
crusade against drugs and alcohol
and is issuing a "call to battle.”
Dr. Summerfield, Word of God
Fellowship and friends will stage a
march in “drug-ridden inner-city
Raleigh” at 1 p.m. March 24, to pro
mote civic awareness about the drug
problem.
“Maybe you missed the last pro
voking march,” Summerfield said.
“The battle of overcoming the drug
war rages on. This march promises to
make a big impact in drawing sup
port from all city officials, who have
been contacted in writing and by
phone, and all civic-minded citizens,”
he said.
About three months ago, Dr. S>un
merfield, who is former superinten
dent of recreation for the City of
Raleigh, former associate professor
at Campbell University, current ad
junct associate professor at Shaw
University, alqpg with other
minis! and members of t Sieral
congr sions, staged a march un the
state pitol with police escort The
eve heightened community
awa-tweas- He will don his ec
clesiastical robes for the march on
March 24.
The march will start on the corner
of Oakwood Avenue and Tarboro
Road right in front of the St.
Augustine’s College sign and campus
entrance. It will proceed east down
Oakwood Avenue, passing the
borders of the college campus all the
wy to Will Street, where drug traffic
is prevalent.
From there, the march will turn
left onto Hill Street and proceed past
Washington Terrace Shopping Center
to Booker Street, then turn right onto
Booker <>nd proceed down to
Washington Terrace Apartments,
stopping at Fisher Street and turning
around to head back up to Hill Street,
Oakwood Avenue and left onto
Oakwood for a return to the St.
Augustine’s entrance.
"Red, yellow, black, and white
from all areas of life should do their
part in helping overcome the drug
war," Rev Summerfield said. “We
see our action*, as hand-to-hand com
bat and it will take all of us uforUng
together calling as much attention as
possible to this drug war that all may
get involved to the best of their own
personal ability We are confident
that as we call attention to this war,
we will see the results of a world set
DR. FRANK 8UMMERHELD 1
free from drugs and establish good !
moral living principles for all
mankind.'
From CAROLINIAN Sufi Reports
The Martin Luther King Committee officially launched a “Buy-A-Brick”
drive while putting the final touches on the King Memorial Gardens last
week.
The quarter-million-dollar park is now under construction on the comer
of Rock Quarry Road and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Southeast
Raleigh.
According to released plans, area citizens, churches, businesses and
organizations will have their names etched on bricks and permanently placed
in the memorial Wail surrounding the life-size bronze statue of Dr. King.
“Our original desire in developing the
gardens was for it to belong to the peo
ple. In the early stages it was somewhat
difficult to conceptualize just how the
gardens would look. On April 4 everyone
can come out and see firsthand what
we’re trying to do...”
—Bruce Lightner
On Wednesday, April 4, the 22nd anniversary of King’s death, the com
mittee will host its “Buy-A-Brick” day from 4-6 p.m. Families and organiza
tions are being invited to come to the gardens and witness how the project is
developing, see the other names in the wall, view the King statue and make a
deposit on their own brick. Dr. W.B. Lewis and Councilman Ralph Campbell,
Jr. will make remarks.
During the initial phase of the drive, the committee released the names of
130 individuals and families who have already reserved a brick for the King
Memorial Wall. Bruce Lightner, co-chair of the committee, stated in an inter
view with The CAROLINIAN, “Our original desire in developing the gardens
was for it to belong to the people. In the early stages it was somewhat difficult
to conceptualize just how the gardens would look. On April 4, we will be at the
point where everyone can come and see firsthand what we’re trying to do.”
Two years ago when the project was first introduced, it met with some
skepticism from some who questioned its location and design, and wondered
if the community would financially support the idea. However, based on the
project’s official financial report, $39,484 has been raised from individual
grassroots contributors, $67,450 from businesses, $48,290 from churches and
foundations and $20,840 from civic clubs, organizations and public officials,
for a total of $176,000, leaving $74,000 needed to complete the project. The
(See KING GARDENS, P. 2)
young, indicates the level of poten
tial.”
Sherrill was appointed to a District
Court judgeship when he was just 28.
In 1986, he ran in one of two contested
Superior Court judgeships and
defeated his Republican opponent by
nearly 48,000 votes.
“In his campaign for that
judgeship, he didn’t lack any en
thusiasm for it,” said state Rep. H.M.
Michaux, D-Durham, the Black
Legislative Caucus chairman.
“Everywhere I went, Terry was
there or had been there. He knew how
to make contacts and the people to
talk to. Politically, he could have
gone anywhere he wanted to go.”
A Morehead scholar at the Univer
sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Sherrill was arrested after police
passed what they called a “smoke
filled” 1987 silver-blue Toyota pickup
truck on a residential street.
Officers said they found Sherrill
alone in the truck and could smell a
strong scent of burning marijuana as
they approached. The truck was sear
ched, and officers said they found a
marijuana cigarette, a pipe that con
tained what they said is cocaine
residue and a plastic bag with a «»■»
amount of white powder.
Sherrill's arrest appeared to be
happenstance; police were not in
vestigating him.
We had never heard anything at
all derogatory about him," «»ih
Cmdr. Bruce Treadway, chief of in
vestigations. “He was 35 years old
and already a Superior Court Judge.
He had everything going for him."
Sherrill has no prior record, and
police said he was cooperative when
irrested. Sherrill is free on his own
recognizance until a hearing set for
\pril 2 in Mecklenburg Superior
Dourt.
He is charged with possession of co
:aine, which is a felony, misde
neanor possession of marijuana and
>ossession of drug parapher
talia—the pipe—also a misde
neanor.
In the early 1970s, Sherrill who a
(See JUDGE SHERRILL. V. 2)
MOTLALEPULA CHABAKU
Anti-Apartheid
Activist Gives
Powerful Speech
Kev. Motlalepula Chabaku, a
United Methodist minister serving
three churches in Catawba County,
delivered the keynote speech for the
National Women’s History Month
program at North Carolina State
University this week.
Rev. Chabaku is from South Africa,
and has traveled extensively in the
United States speaking, preaching,
and teaching. She is also a member of
the African National Congress, the
National Council of Women, the
Women’s International League of
Peace and Freedom and a founder of
the Black Women’s Federation of
South Africa.
Pat Caple, actress and director
with the Black Repertory Theatre,
delivered the “Sojourner Truth
Soliloquy" during the program,
whose theme was “Courageous
Voices Echoing In Our Lives—Past
Present, Future."
The program, held in Stewart
Theatre, included presentation of the
Panhellenic Outstanding Women’s
Awards with Melea Lemon Bryan,
(See REV. CHABAKU, P. 2)