RALEIGH, N.C.,
THURSDAY,
JULY 16,1992
VOL. 51, NO. 68
DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF
Dept ot Cultural Library
ReS0,UrCf innesStreet
109 East Jones
«/. W. Ligon Class Of’57
Celebrates 35th In City
Page 11
NAACP To Unveil Anti-Crime
Presentation At Convention
Page 5
Census Reports N.C. African
Americans 100 Years Behind
As African-Americans in Raleigh
and North Carolina strive to
achieve economic and educational
parity with their white counter
parts, sobering news has recently
come from the U.S. Census Bu
reau: It will take more than 100
years to happen.
According to the latest figures
from the 1990 Census, North
Carolina African-American me
dian income in 1990 was approxi
mately 63 percent of white median
income. The good news is that the
figure is up three percent from
1980. But the bad news is that de
spite current efforts, an analysis
shows it would take 117 years for ]
African-Americans to close the
gap. i
In education, the picture is just i
as bleak. ]
Census figures show that when 1
it comes to high school, 42 percent i
of African-Americans age 25 and i
older didn’t finish in 1990, com- :
pared to 27 percent of whites. In
higher education, only 10 percent <
of African-Americans have com- i
pleted four or more years of col- i
lege, as opposed to 20 percent of
whites. ]
Many observers point to poverty ■
figures as a key reason for the dis- ■
>arity.
Twenty-seven percent of Afri
:an-Americans in North Carolina
ire in poverty, compared to nine
jercent of whites. Though there
las been a two-percent improve
nent since 1980, analysts esti
nate that it would take almost 92
rears for this gap to be narrowed.
The reasons why this drastic
rendition for African-Americans
sxists differ according to who you
isk. Some, like NAACP state
^resident Kelly Alexander, Jr., say
•acism is still a key reason why
African-Americans are unable to
retch up, though racism has taken
a more subtle, institutional form.
That “institutional” racism, or
organized racial barrier, may have
been the reason why African
Americans could not access those
resources to help their cause, some
say. According to Dr. Audreye
Johnson, a social science professor
at UNC-Chapel Hill, that access
was blocked during President
Ronald Reagan’s term because his
economic policies helped only
those who already had wealth and
resources. Thus, there was much
more economic growth in the white
community than in the black.
(See 100 YEARS BEHIND, P. 2)
fXtei iHPi
COMINSilOMB—(Top left) Bob Jones (center), a renowned local visual artist,
is shown explaining vendor sites to Cynthia Rice of Finest Ice Cream and Dumala
Jack of Ethnic Wear Unlimited. Jones said of the event, “Things went well
Dorothy Shaw Thompson gave an extraordinary roast of Elizabeth Cofield and
Leroy Trice, our chief chef, prepared a wonderful African American cuisine for the
banquet Thursday night at tne civic Center." (Top right) Spectators, shoppers and
vendors turn their attention to (Bottom right) dancers from Heritage Park who
performed African American dance and song. ‘Coming Home’ of the Raleigh
Wake-Triangle was a three-day celebration to bring African Americans together
for a united family reunion and show support to black businesses in the
community. (Photos by James Giles)
NEWS BRIEFS
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD
SHOT
A Durham youth was
shot in the thigh when two
groups of men from New
York and Miami began
shooting at each other in a
Durham housing complex
Monday night. Police ar
rested a man they identify
as “John Doe,” and charged
him with assault with a
deadly weapon inflicting
serious injury. Police say
the shooting was part of a
turf war between factions
of New York and Miami
drug gangs.
WIDOW SAYS
EVANGELIST STOLE
A Florida widow bound
to a wheelchair testified
this week that she did not
give more than $900,000 to
TV evangelist Jim Whitting
ton. The North Carolina
preacher, along with four
associates, are standing
trial in federal court in New
Bern for allegedly bilking
74-year-old Valeria Lust of
cash and assets in 1987.
Whittington denies the
charges. When asked if she
signed a check for $20,000
to Whittington, Lust asked
the federal prosecutor if he
was drunk, sad claimed she
never wrote the oheck.
(See NEWS BRIEFS, P. 2)
BY CASH MICHAELS
Staff Writer
The political talk of the town
this week has been how state Sen.
Joseph Johnson (D-Wake) was
able to skirt a traffic ticket by
quoting an obscure 205-year-old
state law to the Wake District
Attorney’s office. On top of that,
Johnson demanded that the two
Raleigh police officers responsible
for the ticket be fired for violating
that law. There is no indication
that the officers will lose their
jobs.
The perception that Sen.
Johnson was trying to place him
self “above the law has caused the
phones at radio stations, the
Raleigh Police Department, and
especially the state Legislature to
ring off the hook with complaints.
Ultimately, that was all it took
to get lawmakers in both the Sen
ate and House moving on repeal
ing the 1787 law the exempted leg
islators from arrest while travel
ing to and from the General As
sembly on state business. They say
it should not have applied in
Johnson’s case.
Johnson was reportedly going to
a party when he was stopped twc
weeks ago on Atlantic Avenue and
given a ticket for not wearing his
seatbelt. What makes the situ
ation more ironic is that Johnson
was one of the senators whc
pushed hard for passage of the
seatbelt law in the Legislature.
African-Americans recall that
this isn’t the first time Johnson
has switched gears for political ex
pediency.
In 1987, while the bill establish
ing a state paid holiday honoring
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was
being voted on in the Senate,
Johnson voted against it. When
African-American political leaders
saw his vote, they went back to e
videotape of the 1986 Raleigh
Wake Citizens Association Candi
dates’ Forum, where Johnson was
one of the participants running for
re-election.
On the tape, when asked if he
would vote for the King holiday,
even if it meant replacing a cur
rent holiday, Johnson was clearly
seen answering that he would.
But when called by The CARO
LINIAN after he voted against the
King holiday, and reminded of his
pledge, Sen. Johnson denied mak
ing it. Even after having a tape re
cording of his remarks played over
the phone, Sen. Johnson said he
still “didn’t remember” making
that pledge, and that even if he
(See SEN. JOHNSON, P. 2)
Crowd Chants ‘Rodney King’
In Greensboro Confrontation
GREENSBORO (AP)—An angry
crowd of about 75 people shouted
“Rodney King” and pummeled a
police car—and two Greensboro
police officers—with rocks, bricks
and bottles early Saturday after
they arrested a 19-year-old outside
a loud party, police say.
The car-bashing incident got a
teenager thrown in jail, caused
$2,500 in damages to one police
car and soured police relationships
with some residents living in the
apartment complex where the late
night party occurred.
The two officers weren’t injured.
Thomas Andre Potter is accused
of pushing Officer C.H. Fox and
resisting arrest after fox and Offi
cer D.L. Taylor arrived about
12:30 a.m. to investigate a loud
party.
“Potter approached the officer,
advised he was having the party
and became hostile,” Officer A.A.
Amaker said.
Potter was charged with assault
of a law enforcement officer and
delaying and obstructing a law en
forcement officer.
He is in the Guilford County Jail
in lieu of $100 bond.
But eyewitnesses said Potter
didn’t push the police officer. Pot
ter was thrown to the ground,
handcuffed and taken to the police
cruiser, said Gregory X, who is an
apartment resident. That
prompted the comparison to Rod
ney King, a black motorist at
tacked by a group of Los Angeles
police officers.
“This is not going to be tolerated
any more,” said Gregory X. “People
have seen what has gone on
around the country and they’re not
going to stand around and see
someone thrown to the ground.”
NEA Reports Little Hope Of
Minorities Or Men Deciding
On A Teaching Career
< Ar;—tar Heel educators say
they have little reason to think
that significant numbers of mi
norities or men will decide to be
come teachers in the near future.
A report this week from the Na
tional Education Association
shows about 28 percent of the
nation’s teachers are male and 13
percent are minorities. Blacks are
the largest minority at eight per
cent.
Only 19 percent of North
Carolina’s teachers are male and
17.5 percent are minorities. Blacks
also are the largest minority in the
state at 16 percent.
Although the percentage of
black teachers in North Carolina
is almost double the national rate,
their percentage has steadily de
clined since 1980, when it was 21
percent.
Less than three percent of the
state’s teachers are black men.
“We would certainly do better if
the pay were raised,” said Dixie
Spiegel, assistant dean of students
for the School of Education at the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. “Most males are still
concerned about supporting their
families, and most females just as
sume they are going to be the sec
support ror Clinton
Ticket Soft Among
African Americans
Throughout Nation
BY CASH MICHAELS
Staff Writer
At the Democratic National Con
vention in New York this week,
there was no doubt about how Af
rican-American Democrats with
the North Carolina delegation felt.
“[Clinton-Gore] is an exciting
ticket. Well win in the fall,” said
Bernard Allen, N.C. lobbyist, to
Peter Jennings of ABC News. Be
hind him, Mary E. Perry, chairper
son of the Wake County Demo
cratic Party, joined other African
Americans in the North Carolina
section waving Clinton-Gore signs.
Last Friday, when she was getting
ready to leave for New York, Ms.
Perry told a local television station
that she was all for the “all-South”
ticket.
Other prominent N.C. African
Americans like former Charlotte
Mayor Harvey Gantt and Wake
County Commissioner Abe Jones,
have voiced unbridled support for
Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and
Tennessee Sen. A1 Gore to be the
next president and vice president
of the United States.
But polls show that beyond
those African-Americans directly
involved in Democratic politics,
support for the “Bubba Ticket” ol
Clinton-Gore in the black commu
nity is soft, and observers say the
reason for it is simple: black is
sues. No one is addressing them.
According to a recent survey
conducted for a Charlotte newspa
per, Clinton is getting the least
support of any Democratic candi
date for president in some time.
' Key Democratic black leaders
(See SUPPORT, P. 2)
ond income.
Many other careers offer better
working conditions, more decision
making chances and more respect,
said Bobby Etheridge, state super
intendent of public instruction.
“Sometimes I think teachers are
the closest thing we have to mis
sionaries,” Etheridge said. “You
really have to love your work to
stick with it.”
About 32 percent of North
Carolina’s students are black, 66
percent are white and less than
three percent are Asian, Hispanic
or American Indian.
“There are so few role models,”
said Nathan Burton, who will
graduate from Western Carolina
University as part of the state’s
Teaching Fellows Program. “I am
always encouraging other minori
ties, and especially males, to get
into the classrooms because we are
a breed that is falling fast.”
A few teacher recruitment pro
grams have shown some promise.
One called Project Teach is cred
ited with attracting the highest
percentage of males and minorities
ever recruited in this year’s group
of 400 teaching fellows.
Gladys Graves, director of the
Teaching Fellows Program, said
23 percent of the students are mi
norities and 29 percent are men.
The program offers teachers free
college education in exchange for
four years of service in the state’s
public schools. Project Teach
works primarily with minority stu
dents, encouraging them as early
as middle school to consider col
lege in general and teaching in
particular.
CRIME
BEAT
Editor’s Note: This column, a
fixture of The CAROLINIAN in
years past, has returned to our
pages in hopes of deterring
crime in our community. The
information contained herein is
taken from public arrest rec
ords and does not necessarily
mean those mentioned are
guilty of crimes.
STOLEN PROPERTY
Thirty-seven-year-old Allen
Tinsley of 511 Peyton St. was
charged with possession of stolen
property. Police say Tinsley was
allegedly caught with one DMV
inspection sticker, one 12-gauge
sawed-off shotgun, and one locking
blade pocket knife.
STRONG-ARM ROBBERY
Roy Lee Hill, 23, (no address)
was charged with common law
robbery. Police say Hill robbed a
woman at 300 W. Lane St., damag
ing her prescription glasses valued
at $200.
STEALING CIGARETTES
Twenty-five-year-old Beverly
Teresa Faison of 1600 Poole Road
was charged with misdemeanor
larceny. Police say Ms. Faison al
legedly stole seven packs of ciga
rettes from a supermarket at 1100
Raleigh Blvd.
ASSAULT
Ernest Lee DuBois, 42, of 23158
Mayview Road, was charged with
assault with a deadly weapon and
assault with a firearm. Police say
DuBois assaulted Dwayne
Hedgepeth of 1104 Parker St.
Hedgepeth was taken to Wake
Medical Center for a laceration to
the elbow.
COCAINE
Markus Dootez Chavis, 21, of
327 Dacian Road, was charged
with felony possession of cocaine.
Police say Chavis was arrested
with a plastic bag containing .08
grams of a rocky substance that
tested as cocaine, and another
plastic baggie with three “rocks”
weighing .50 grams.