TUESDAY
Soulful Sounds
Diva extraordinaire Patti LaBelle brings a
live tour to Hardee’s Walnut Creek
opt of Cultural ‘ ‘ T,,Ur 99 at 8 Pm- to perform
Dept of Cultural
fc N C. Slate Library
109 East Jones Street y
Raleigh NC 27601
Race Relations
World Jewish Congress hailed Jesse
Jackson’s speech on anti-semitism at the
Democratic Convention as a symbolic step
toward closer relations between blacks and
Jews after years of mistrust.
Page 7_
This Week
In the 1984 Census Bureau report, it
was found that 29 percent of black
households in the United States were
middle-class, compared to 44 percent of
white households. It also eported 25 per
cent of black and white households were
working-class, but a smaller percentage
of white households were considered
poor. _
The Carolinian
RALEIGH, N.C.,
* VOL. 51, NO. 67
TUESDAY, JULY 21,1992
N.C.’s Semi-Weekly
DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST
biNVaLt ourr rjgr
IN RALEIGH ^30
ELSEWHERE 300
DEMOCRATIC NOMMEES-M Clinton and Ms running matt, San. Al Sara i
Tannassat.
N. C. Black Democrats Need Strong
Clinton Turnout To Win Election
BY CASH MICHAELS
An Analysis
Now that last week’s Democratic
National Convention is history,
and Bill Clinton and A1 Gore have
received their marching orders to
. do battle with George Bush and
Dan Quayle for the presidency, the
question remains: Will African
Americans come out this fall in
meaningful numbers to support
the ticket?
The answer is... They’d better,
or else there will be a bunch of
black North Carolina Democratic
candidates that might be left at
the campaign altar come Novem
ber, wondering why.
f The equation is not only clear,
but historic. Weak national ticket,
local/state candidates either lose
or just squeak by. Strong national
ticket, everybody wins, unless
there’s just that bad.
So Ralph Campbell is not guar
anteed to become state auditor,
Eva Clayton may not represent
the First District in Congress, nor
Mel Watt the 12th, unless the Af
rican-American community gets
excited about the Clinton-Gore
ticket.
If a presidential ticket isn’t
strong enough to get black voters
out to the polls, then you know the
local/statewide races won’t do it.
That will ultimately hurt black
Democratic candidates, who’ve, for
better or worse, tied their political
fortunes and futures to the allure
of the babyface governor from Ar
kansas, and his sidekick for vice
president, the senator from Ten
nessee.
That’s why, despite the reported
soft African-American support in
the polls for the Clinton ticket, the
flap with Jesse Jackson, and the
blatant wooing of white Reagan
Bush Democrats and refugees
from the Ross Perot campaign, you
will be hearing black Democrats
singing the praises of Clinton
Gore, and they will be singing
hard.
Consider the following: White
Democrats, long ago exposed for
their willingness to take the black
vote for granted in time of crisis
(which has been for the last 25
years), want the White House
more than bad. It’s been 16 long
years since a president had a don
key after his name. Coincidentally,
it’s also been that long since a
white Southerner has been called
‘commander-i n -chief.”
Now, not only do national Demo
crats have a chance to oust George
(See DEMOCRATS, P. 2)
Missing Principal’s Wife Says
She Is Not A Suspect In Case
BY CASH MICHAELS
Staff Writer
The wife of a missing Wake
County school principal says she is
“devastated” by allegations that
she may be a suspect because she
tried to have her husband declared
legally dead shortly after his dis
appearance last January.
Estell Estes, wife of West Cary
Middle School Principal Irmis
Estes, says she filed a court claim
less than six weeks after her hus
band vanished on advice of her at
torney. Reportedly, the claim, once
granted, would give her control of
her husband’s assets. Ms. Estes
said that was needed in order to
pay bills and keep his medical pay
ments up.
But both the lawyer in charge of
Irmis Estes’ estate and the Wake
Sheriff’s Department say it is pe
culiar for a family member to
move so quickly to have a loved
one declared dead after a disap
pearance.
It was six months ago on Jan.
19, when anyone last saw 42-year
old Irmis Estes. Reportedly, he
stayed home ill as the rest of the
family went on to church. When
Ms. Estes and their two young
sons returned later that day, he
was gone. Investigators found his
1984 Monte Carlo five miles away
near a trailer. There was no trace
of Estes.
All of the family members were
questioned, but according to Capt.
Max Pickett of the Wake Sheriff’s
Department, Ms. Estes was the
only one who refused to take a
polygraph test. Capt. Pickett re
fused to say whether this makes
Ms. Estes a suspect in her
husband’s disappearance, but he
made it clear that trying to gain
legal control of his assets so soon
after is something authorities
can’t overlook.
According to attorneys The
CAROLINIAN has spoken to, usu
ally it takes seven years before a
spouse or loved one can be
awarded the assets or estate of a
missing person under the pre
sumption of death. The fact that it
takes seven years doesn’t mean
the spouse cannot petition the
court sooner, and a judge can be
asked to consider special circum
stances if such a claim is made
sooner.
I feel the law should have been off
the books to start with. Evidently
this senator is studying things to
protect himself. He should be more
people-oriented.
Clr/a//n/f ■ N.C. state Sen. Joe
Itly* j0fin80n (D) sparked
controversy by citing a 205-year-old
law granting legal immunity to legis
lators to dodge a $25 traffic ticket for
failing to wear a seatbelt and further
more demanded the firing of the two
police officers. Although the senator
has since apologized for his actions,
his behavior hew caused citizens to
look upon him in an unfavorable
light. Should Sen. Johnson have had
to pay the fine f
MOHAM
I really believe he should pay. I
think everybody should have to.
m
m
ERIC TUCKER
I feel he should have had to pay.
Who he is isn’t an excuse. I’m sure if
it was me I would have had to pay.
LORENZO MCMILLAN
Of course. He is human like every
body else.
LOCAL TALENT—Only together nine months, Hy filrtz,
residents of Heritoge Pork have been In demand te perform
Afro-American song and dance. Performances include
Saint Augustine’s College 125th year celebration, Rounion
■ Sr
I
HK' TBEt
In thn Grown and most rocontly “Coming Homo.” Tho
troupe ranges In ago from 12-16 years, and Is being
nurtured by I ya Yetunde (mother has returned) shown
standing center. (Photo by James GNos)
Garner Family s Gravesite round
Safe From Housing Sub-Division
BY CASH MICHAELS
8UfT Writer
Faced with what could have
been a devastating family tragedy,
all Alice Graves could count on
was the “help of the Lord.”
That help came last Wednesday.
Wake sheriffs investigators
found the African-American ceme
tery that many had first thought
was buried beneath a Garner
housing subdivision off Mt. He
brom Church Road. It was located
approximately half a mile from
where Walter Perry, the home
owner who first claimed it might
be on his property, said it could be.
Though the headstones had in
deed been removed, the plot of
land was safely nestled near some
trees.
“We’re very relieved,” Ms.
Graves said with her husband,
Willie, at her side. Ms. Graves is a
descendant of the Banks family,
one of two African-American fami
lies believed to have been buried
on the property ever since the turn
of the century. A white doctor
named Dr. Buffaloe allowed sev
eral African-Americans to bury
their dead on his land, but after
his death, the property changed
hands several times.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
GOLF TOURNEY
The Raleigh Jaycees will sponsor the Eric Reid Memorial Golf Tour
nament for golfers ages 13-18 years old. The tournament will be held on
Aug. 10 at the Pine Hollow Golf Club in Clayton. Deadline for entry is
Aug. 1. This tournament will benefit the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center. For
more information, call 859-4808.
JAYCEES TO MEET
The Raleigh Jaycees meet at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays
of each month at the N.C. State Faculty Club, 4200 Hillsborough St. Foi
more information, call 878-9378.
PULLEN ARTS CENTER OFFERS CLASSES
The Pullen Park Arts Center is offering the following classes:
Aug. 3—CAMP (Children’s Art Magic at Pullen). Ages 3-5, Monday
through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to noon, $37. Ages 6-9, Monday through Fri
day, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., $69. Ages 10-15, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., $69.
Aug. 3—Beginning Painting, siges 16 and up, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., foui
weeks, $33.
Aug. 5—Go for Gold, ages 8 and up, 3-4 p.m., $5.
Aug. 5—Faces on the Wall, ages 11-15, 3-4 p.m., $6.
Aug. 6—Collage... Assemblsige... Multi-Media, ages 6-12, 4-5:31
p.m., 6 weeks, $36. Ages 16 and up, 7-8:30 p.m., 6 weeks, $36.
(See CALENDAR, P. 2)
Because the last member of her
family to be buried there was in
1969, neither Ms. Graves nor
other members of her family were
aware of what happened to the
gravesites after the property was
developed for homes in the 1980s.
When Perry, who purchased his
home in October 1991, was told by
a neighbor that he could not build
a swimming pool in his backyard
because there were “graves under
his home,” Perry panicked and
called authorities.
(See GRAVESITES, P. 2)
St. Aug’s
Health Plan
To Aid Poor
In an era of escalating health
hazards and staggering medical
cost, the nation and specifically
the city of Raleigh are crying out
for a low-coat “preventive medi
cine” alternative that will be open
to all the area residenta wishing to
monitor, maintain and improve
their physical, psychological and
emotional well-being.
The old adage “History has a
way of repeating itself,” haa never
been closer to the truth, with re
spect to St. Augustine’s College’s
more focused approach toward bet
ter community service and allied
health care.
St. Augustine’s planned on-cam
pus Student Activities Health and
Wellness Center, coupled with the
) Division of Allied Health, will,
close the circle which began with
(See ST. AUG.’S, P. 2)