RALEIGH, N.C.
THURSDAY, I
NOVEMBER 28,1!
VOL. 51, NO. 2
Semi-Weekly s“250
EDICATED TO THE SPIRIT Of JESUS CHRIST' ELSEWHERE 30«
BY CASH MICHAELS
Contributing Writer
Several Raleigh Sty employee*
believe that because of an alleged
lack of workplace safety precau
tions, the same type of tragedy that
occurred in Hamlet last September
can happen here. Those feelings
were expressed at a workers' rights
forum held at the Richard B. Harri
son Library last Saturday.
The forum was sponsored by the
Hamlet Emergency Response Ad
Hoc Committee, a Raleigh-based
organization formed after 25 people
lost their lives in a chicken-process
ing plant fire on Sept. 3. Reportedly,
several of the fire doors were locked,
and exits blocked, trapping the vic
tims inside.
After listening to Willie Baldwin,
a former third shift employee at the
now-closed Hamlet plant, comment
on the bad Working conditions there
and the fear that many of the em
ployees had of losing their jobs, sev
eral members of the audience who:
identified themselves as Raleigh
city employees stood up and alleged
that they, too, work under unfair
and hazardous conditions that noth
ing is being done about.
One man who said he worked for
the Raleigh Parks and Recreation
Department charged that he was hit
by a car while working in the street
last February only one week after
complaining that there were inade
quate precautions to slow traffic
down.
"I told my supervisor a week be
fore I went out there to put some
body out there... a flagman. He told
me you got lights, signs, all that
•tuff; I was out of work until Septem
ber of this year.”
The man, who is not identified for
his own protection, added that he
has also heard complaints from
sanitation workers about unsafe
conditions. “Once they speak out
theyVe going to be fired. We know
this. They (city supervisors) have
transferred people out of my depart
ment because they spoke out.”
The man also alleged that workers
in water and sewer are regularly
overcome by fames when they work
underground, yet little has been
done to safeguard them. It is
charged that a majority of the water
and sewer workers are black.
Another speaker who said that he
works ir Water and Sewer charged
(See HAMLET, P. 2)
U. C. C. National Body Asks
C. Boyden Gray To Resign
CLEVELAND, Ohio—A rational
body of the United Church of Christ
Nov. 22 called for the resignation of
PresidentBush’scounsel, C. Boyden
Gray.
The call came in a resolution
passed by the 17-member director
ate of the United Church of Christ’s
Office for Church in Society, meet
ing at the denomination’s central
offices in Cleveland.
The resolution called upon Presi
dent Bush to request Gray’s resigna
tion, citing Gray’s attempt “to
mount a new attack on affirmative
action” even as Bush prepared for
liis Nov. 21 signing of the Civil
Rights Act of 1991.
The resolution referred to a presi
NEWS BRIEFS
COUNCIL TO MEET
The Central Carolina Black
Nurses’ Council, Inc. will
hold its second annual
luncheonon Dec. 7 at the
North Car line Central Stu
dent Union from 10:30 a.m. to
1 p.m. The topic for discus
sion will be Substance Abuse
Crisis in the African-Ameri
can Community. There will
be a panel preeentation by
local experts on substance
abuse.
BACK-A-CHILD
CAMPAIGN GAINS
SUPPORT
Recently, Lawrence Bra
dley, chairman of the Garner
Road Family YMCA Baok-A
Child Campaign, gave the
first report for 1681-82.
“The campaign goal for
1801-88 is $10,000, and to date
we have raised $8,940,” said
Bradley.
The Baok-A-Chlld Cam
paign’s objectivs is to offer
memberships to financially
disadvantaged youth. These
youth will be exposed to ath
letie events, arts and crafts,
cultural activities, field trips,
environmental and social is
sues workshops, public serv
ice projects, recreational
leagues and tutoring.
SICKLE CELL PROG.
MARKS 10TH YEAR
The Comprehensive Sickle
Cell Program at the Univer
sity of North Carlina at
Chapel Hill marks its 10th
year of service this foil to
North Carolinians with
sickle cell disease.
The multidisciplinary pro
gram, which is housed at
UNC Hospitals, offers medi
cal and psyohosocial care to
more than 380 adults and
ohildren with sickle oell and
related blood diseases.
These hereditary diseases
affect about 8,000 blaoks in
North Carolina and about
80,000 blacks throughout the
United States. One out of 10
blaoks has sickle cell trait, an
asymptomatic condition
caused by the inheritance of
one gene for sickle cell dis
ease.
(See NEWS BRIEFS, P. 2)
—^
aenuai directive, araitea ny uray
and made public laat week, that
would have ended the use of prefer
ences for minorities and women in
federal hiring. The directive
brought criticism from members of
Congress and civil rights leaders on
Nov. 21 and Bush rescinded the
directive that day.
“While we celebrate the signing of
the Civil Rights Act of 1991,” the
resolution said, “We are deeply die
turbe4 that the signing ceremony
almost became the occasion-for a
new presidential directive negating
the cornerstone of affirmative action
enforcement.”
The resolution also blamed Gray
“for leading the charge to label the
Civil Rights Act of 1991 a ‘quota
bill,’ ” for “doing everything in his
power to block any compromise on
that lull over the past two years” and
for suggesting that Bush open his
1992 presidential campaign with an
attack on affirmative action. ,
“We are disturbed by the raaygfl.,
evident in the political system in the
United States,” the resolution
states.
"President George Bush has used
racially divisive strategies in his
presidency, including his often
stated claim that the proposed Civil
Rights Act of 1991, before its recent
passage, was a 'quota bill’ that
would be unfair to white Ameri
cans.”
The resolution also said White
House Counsel Gray reportedly
advised the president to rescind the
Uniform Guidelines on Employee
Selection Procedures—an action
civil rights leaders say would create
chaos in civil rights enforcement.
Also, “Had President Bush fol
lowed the advice ofhis legal counsel,
he would have begun the 1992 presi -
dential campaign with a frill-scale
attack on civil rights, thereby adopt
ing the racially divisive appeal he
condemned in the recent Louisiana
gubernatorial campaign of David
Duke.
Citizens Still Question
'
Options For
Action
Reviewed
JBY GASH MICHAELS
yi ? : - OMltlbetl.* Writer ;it>|
The relationship between the city
of Raleigh and its African-American
community is at its lowest point in
recent history, and concerned citi
zens plan to do something about it.
That was &e sentiment at a special
meeting held last Saturday at the
Richard B. Harrison Library in
Raleigh, called by members of the
Raleigh-Wake Community Forum
to discuss the recent police shooting
of Ivan Ingram, among other issues. ’
IfrgfWn W& ltmed oy Officer Vin -
cent Kerr during a drug raid on Nov.
8. He had no weapons or drugs in his {
possession.
With about 30 people in atten
dance, several options for action
were discussed and considered, in
cluding a petition drive, a selective
buying campaign, and even the crea
tio of a community-based citizen
complaint review board.
According to Rev. David Foy, the
convener of the meeting, in addition
they've done this a second and third
time,” said Rev. Foy, encouraging all
citizens to join the students. Two
innocent black citizens and one sus
pect have been shot by Raleigh po
lice this year. Ingram was the only
(See POLICE SHOOTING, P.2)
~.V •jt s ; > . > •••■
1
i
• 7
▼▼iivii ova v*i«ywn oi warren
County atop* up to tho microphone
to announce her candidacy for the
newly created Firet Congressional
District on Dec. 3, she will set into
motion events that could make his
tory. She could become the first
minority representative since Re
construction to represent North
Carolina in the U.S. Congress. Ironi
cally, the state’s first black in Con
gress was also from Warren County.
John Hyman served from
1876-1877.
In a tour that spans the First Dis
trict from Elizabeth City to Durham
and culminates in Henderson, Clay
ton will set the pace for what she
promises will be a hotly contested
race. Her initial stop will be an 8 a.ip.
breakfast at the Elizabeth City Holi
day Ip. At 11:80 a.m., Clayton will
greet supporters at the Gretnvflle $
Ramada for brunch, then it’s off to
Rocky Mount to rally in front of City
Hall. The Clayton campaign will
meet citizens of Durham on the
County Courthouse steps at 6 p.m.,
then take off for a gala celebration at
the civic center on the campus of
Vance-Granville Community Col
lege from 7-9 p.m.
“The First District is one of great
diversity and.strengths,” she says.
“In addition to being blessed with
grant universities and colleges,
small businesses, manufacturing
giants and the finest family farms,
we also face great challenges in our
high rates of unemployment, sub
standard housing and crime.
“I plan to build a broad-based coa- 1
lition of citizens who can make a i
difference, ard 1 can do that by being i
: (Sec tfVA CLAYTON, F. 2)
HIGHEST AWARD WMNER - Rev. Late H. Suivan
(center) wet one el 10 distinguished recipients el the
United States' highest chriae award, the Presidential
IVIBQ8I ul riBBuOIVli pfoSBIlrafi By PilllOvnl MO Mn*
George Gush at a recent White House ceremony
f. Rev.
xwm *
Suivan was honored tar baing a “vlgoraus leader fur civil
rights and freedom tbreughaut the latter half of this
cantary.” Ha was the founder of the OK movement and
Initiator of the SuMvan Principles, which were designed to
expand equal opportunity tar black South Africans
Reverend Leon Sullivan Presented
Nation’s Highest Civilian Award
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rev. Leon
Sullivan, the founder and leader of
he OIC movement in thie country,
ras been presented the nation's
ughest civilian award, the Presi
lential Medal of Freedom.
President and Mrs. George Bush
>resented the prestigious award to
lev. Sullivan at a White House cere
mony oh Nov. 18. Rev. 8ullivan was
me of 10, in the president’s words,
‘extraordinary individuals (who)
were pioneers in thsir own right...
»ach a monument to individual
ichievement.”
’fhe other recipients were: Tho
rn nsP. O^Neill, Jr., former speaker of
the U.S. House of Representatives;
Russell E. Train, chairman, World
Wildlife Fund; Prof. Friedrich Au
gust von Hayek, historian/author;
fed Williams, Hall of Fame baseball
itar; Gen. Vernon A. Walters, mili
tary leader and statesman; Betty
ford, former first lady who inspired
he founding of the Betty Ford
Health Clinic for treatment of drug
ind alcohol dependency; Hanna
Holbom Gray, historian, humanist
ind college educator and leader;
Villiam F. Buckley, Jr., columnist,
tuthor and public affairs commenta
or; and Luis A. Ferre, industrialist
md patron of the arts in Puerto Rico.
•in his remarks on Rev. Sullivan,
President Bush said, "Clergyman
and: civil rights leader Rev. Leon
has been a voids of reason
throughout the latter half of this
dhfurf. A, vigorous proponent of
squal rights for all, Rev. Sullivan
ounded Opportunities Industriali
sation Centers of America, one of the
world's largest self-help and job
raining programs. Mode recently,
se has worked hard to develop closer
lies between this country and Af
ica. Reverend, we salute your lead
ership in one o'"the great movements
of o\ir time, here and throughout th<
world: equal rights under the law.”
The formal citation said: “The Rev
Leon Sullivan, a civil rights leadei
and pastor emeritus of the Zion
Baptist Church in Philadelphia, hai
devoted his life to the causes of lib
erty and justice. Rev. Sullivan
founded the Opportunities Industri
alisation Centers of America, one ol
the largest and most prestigious job
training organisations in the world,
He later founded the International
Foundation for Education and Self
i Help. In 1971, Leon Sullivan was
elected to the Board of Directors of
General Motors, becoming the first
black American to participate in the
direction of a U.S. auto company.
America honors this man of prin
ciple, who in word and example has
shown so many people the way to
freedom."
Rev. Sullivan was accompanied by
members of his fiunily: his wife
Grace; a eon, Howard; and two
daughters, Julie Sullivan-Johnson
and Hope Sullivan-Hurley.
Collegiate Contribution Spurs
Boycott Of Family Dollar
•given pennies in
said Family Dollar needs
Reports
An activist group across the state
and in South Carolina has joined
together ar^| aimed a boycott at a
major regioiml discount chain, cit
ing Ihsensitlvity toward custom
ers."
Cititens Advancing Reconcili
ation and Reciprocity, a federation
of organizations and individuals,
met at an incubator in Charlotte
recently to promote an effort to in
creased visibility to get Family Dol
lar Stores to increase contributions
to African-American educational
institutions, according to Melvin
Whitley
The 1,700 family Dollar stores
across the South are mainly located
in urban centers, low-income Afri
can-American neighborhoods, said
activist and Raleigh
ve a lion’s share
m African-Ameri
anc
cans
apprsci
Whit
to show the same sensitivity toward
the customers they serve as they
have shown toward Duke Univer
sity in giving them $10 million.
L. Jezreel Toliver, in a letter to
Leon Levine, chairman of the board
and chief executive officer of Family
Dollar Stone, said, “Some African
Americans are convinced that recip
rocity does not characterize the rela
tions between our two communities.
“You have heard the complaint
befon about shopkeepers ir urban
neighborhoods who take frt.a the
poor and who fail to help the poor.
Well, that same complaint is now
being leveled at Family Dollar
Stores. And, fortunately or unfortu
nately, knowledge of your generous
donation to Duke University has
provoked some people to express
their feelings of victimization,* Lev
ine, who lives in Charlotte, said.
In a media release, CARR said,
“More specifically, the explication
of the black community by Family
Dollar Stores must come to an end.
'"Family Dollar has built its su*.
cess by marketing to poor and work
(See BOYCOTT, P. 2)