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Eastern North Carolina's
Minority Voice
What You See Is What You Get, What
You Read Is What You Know & Save
THE 'M' VOICE
North Carolina
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA'S MINORITY VOICE - SINCE 1987
Arrington named 1994 Presidental
Awards to be
presented at White
House Ceremony
Marvin Arrington has been
named one of 21 winners of the
President Ts Volunteer Action
Awards. Chosen from more than
5,000 nominations nationwide,
Marvin Arrington will be honored
by President Clinton at a White
House ceremony.
In 1987, Marvin Arrington and
his wife, restaurant owners in a
low-income neighborhood known
for substance abuse, crime and
violence, noticed that children of-
ten wandered aimlessly after
school cutside his business with-
out supervision. Out of concern for
the children Ts safety, he began
inviting them into the restaurant
for help with homework. In 1986,
he established the Little Willie
Center, a tutoring and mentoring
program which provides an alter-
native for children to being home
or on the streets alone. Approxi-
mately 45 children ages 3 to 18
participate daily in this program
administered by more than 60 vol-
unteers who serve as tutors and
supervise educational and recre-
ational activities.
President Clinton firmly sup-
ports volunteer community ser-
vice as the promise of our Nation
and the positive force that binds
us together: oToday we are taking
a stand in this country for the
proposition that if we challenge
people to serve and we give thema
chance to fulfill their abilities, more
and more and more we will all
understand that we must go for-
ward together. �
The White House ceremony will
take place during National Volun-
teer Week April 17-23. Since 1974,
National Volunteer Week has
given nonprofit organizations, cor-
porations and Volunteer Centers
across the country the opportu-
nity to thank the 94 million people
who volunteer over $176 billion
worth of time every year, address-
ing serious social problems such
as homelessness, hunger, AIDS
and child abuse.
The awards program is co-spon-
sored by The Points of Light Foun-
dation and the Corporation for
National Service, which adminis-
ters the President Ts national ser-
Vice programs.
The final judges include Robbie
Callaway, assistant national di-
The plight of Frazier
The North Carolina State Bar
has declared him as perhaps the
leading african-american trial law-
yer in the state. Ironically, this
same man has been targeted for
disbarment which led to his finan-
cial and professional downfall. His
name "Reginald Frazier.
Reginald oRex � Frazier, who has
practiced law for 30 years, is the
first african-american to compete
and contend for political power in
running for Lt. Governor. Frazier
also made history as the first
african-american to seek to cam-
paign statewide for the North Caro-
lina Supreme Court. However, 3
years ago, Frazier Ts law career
came to a halt.
It began in the mid 1980 Ts, when
one of Frazier Ts clients filed a com-
plaint against him. The client,
described as an oelderly black
man �, claimed that Frazier failed
to collect $750 for ajudgment won
against a neighbor who cut down
the client Ts collard plants with a
lawnmower. The client, who re-
portedly paid Frazier a $300 fee to
represent him, took the complaint
to another lawyer who then took
this complaint to the North Caro-
lina State Bar.
Subsequently, the state bar took
this complaint as one more mark
against Frazier Ts record. Frazier
also added that the bar initiated a
complaint against him which
charged Frazier with attempting
to induce his client to sign a state-
ment that was untrue. With these
complaints on Frazier Ts record, the
North Carolina State Bar deemed
it necessary to disbar him - leaving
him with no employment and a
shattered reputation.
Frazier, known as an advocate
for african-american civil rights,
later explained that the $750 judg-
ment was labeled as an
ouncollectible judgement �. This is
due to the fact that the neighbor
charged with destroying the
client Ts property could not be found
under the name given by the cli-
ent. According to Frazier, the cli-
ent later confessed that someone
who is a member of the state bar
paid him $300 for his testimony
against Frazier.
The director of the state bar,
who reportedly initiated this ac-
tion against Frazier, was himself
disbarred in 1993 for embezzling
$1 million over a period of 16 years.
Frazier said that he hopes to use
this evidence (bribery) to show that
there was a personal vendetta in-
volved and that the bar Ts decision
to disbar him was unconstitu-
tional. currently, Frazier is wait-
ing for a $3 million resolution out-
side of Federal Court. He said that
$3 million would cover the finan-
cial losses he suffered while being
disbarred.
Surprisingly, this case is not an
isolated one, Only 2 1/2 percent of
all lawyers in the state of North
Carolina are Black. According to
Frazier, fifty percent of all disbar-
ments is suffered by black Law-
yers.
Frazier said, oIf they doit tome,
they can do it to them. � He contin-
ued to say that the african-
american kids who attend law
schools will always suffer the brunt
PICTURED HERE ARE Reginald Frazier, Jr. aand Reginald
Frazier, Sr.
of racial prejudice "which is what
we have been trying to eliminate
from the political structure.
Frazier has filed a petition to
enlarge a record on federal district
court (Eastern District) to show
the federal court that this is an
action of racial prejudice. also,
Frazier stated that he wants to
show that racism should have no
place in the justice process.
oWe the black community can-
not allow racism to exist because it
will stop us as a group and indi-
vidually, � said Frazier. He con-
cluded by issuing a challenge
african-americans. The challenge
~is this "that we participate in the
electoral process and become en-
trepreneurs because it is our re-
sponsibility and our duty to take
advantage of our rights
Watt says new district
vital to election
By Estes Thompson
Associated Press Writer
Rep. Mel Watt, one of North
Carolina Ts two black representa-
tives in Congress, testified he
couldn Tt have gotten elected with-
out a new district that favored
minorities.
Watt, who represents the 12th
District, testified before a three-
judge federal panel hearing achal-
lenge to the state Ts redistricting,
which created two districts in
which blacks are the majority
population. Watt is one of the
state Ts first two black congressional
representatives elected this cen-
tury.
*I really never contemplated
(running) until the districts as they
are currently configured were cre-
ated, � said Watt, a lawyer who
managed local and state cam-
paigns before running for office
himself.
oThis is clearly North Carolina Ts
urban district, � he added. Watt
said the urban communities in the
district that snakes from Gastonia
to Durham share many interests
to be addressed in Congress, such
as housing, affordable credit, jobs,
transportation and banking.
The trial adjourned after final
rebuttal witnesses, including a
former Republican legislator who
tried to influence redistricting.
Closing arguments are scheduled
to begin at 9 a.m. April 18 and the
judges will rule later.
Watt testified that he has offices
in Durham, Greensboro and Char-
lotte that are staffed by local resi-
dents and that he has roving rep-
resentatives that visit constituents
in other towns.
oMy thinking was this was a
_ congressional district of people who
feel like they have not had good
(Continued on page two) f
Te ee eee ne ee
rector of Boys and Girls Clubs of
America; Lin Dawson, Center for
Study of Sport in Society; James
Joseph, president of Council of
Foundations; Leroy Keith, presi-
dent of Morehouse College; Zoe
Mikva, Advocacy Institute; Frank
Pearl, chairman of Rappahannock
Investment Company; Lynda
Johnson Robb; Beatriz Salazar,
director of Bea Ts Kids and 1993
President Ts Volunteer Action
Awards winner; Deborah Szekely;
Rolette Thomas, SEA fellow.
The awards are presented in four
categories: Human Services; Edu-
cation; Environment; Public
Safety.
Funders for the President Ts Vol-
unteer Action Awards program
include: Ford Motor Company;
W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Aid As-
sociation for Lutherans (AAL);
Avon Products Inc.; GTE Founda-
tion; Knights of Columbus Su-
preme Council; Ryder System, Inc.
Founded in 1990, The Points of
Light Foundation is a nonparti-
_ an, nonprofit organization dedi-
cated to motivating leaders to
mobilize others for community ser-
vice directed at solving the most
serious social problems facing so-
ciety today.
The Corporation for National
and Community Service, estab-
lished by the National and Com-
"APRIL S 9- 15,15 1994
Award Honoree.
munity Service Trust Act of 1993,
combines two independent federal
agencies, the Commission on na-
tional and Community Service and
ACTION, the federal domestic vol-
unteer agency.
In 1987, Marvin Arrington and
his wife, restaurant owners in a
low-income neighborhood known
for substance abuse, crime and
violence, noticed that children of-
ten wandered aimlessly after
school outside the restaurant.
many were unsupervised because
their parents had low-paying jobs
that did not allow for the expense
of child care. Out of concern for
their safety, he began inviting
them into the restaurant to get
help with their homework, play
video games and receive personal
guidance when needed.
Mr. Arrington formalized his
efforts to care for these latch-key
children by establishing the Little
Willie Center, a tutoring and
mentoring program. Located in a
building near the restaurant, the
Little Willie Center, a tutoring and
mentoring program. Located in a
building near the restaurant, the
Little Willie Center is open Mon-
day through Friday from 2:30 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m. eighty percent of the
45 children are from single-parent
families; nearly all the families
are low-income.
The Center is run by volunteers;
parents are asked to volunteer two
hours per week in lieu of paying a
fee for their child Ts care. More than
60 volunteers including parents,
teachers, local church members
and students form East Carolina
University, work with the children,
who range in age from 3-18.
Each afternoon, groups of three
to five students work with tutors
on their homework. If the student
do not have homework, the tutors
make assignments in their areas
of academic weakness. The young-
sters are also encouraged to read
at least 15 minutes each day. After
an hour of tutoring, they partici-
pate in recreational activities or
crafts projects and receive a nutri-
tious meal. The volunteers who
serve as mentors, working and
playing with the children, are re-
quired to adhere to strict rules of
conduct. Several of the children
haveimproved their school grades;
most are at least maintaining their
grade point average.
Mr. Arrington, whom many of
the children look to as a father
figure, helps with the youngsters
basketball team each Monday.
Because many of the children have
asked to attend the Little Willie
Center of the weekends and holi-
days, he has organized weekend
recreational and educational ac-
tivities.
~Stop the Violence �: The
black family conference
By Jackie Ruffin
Hampton University held it Ts
16th annual Black Family Confer-
ence March 23-25, 1994. The key-
note speaker for March 23 was the
Reverend Jessie Jackson. The
meeting was held in Hampton
University Ts Convention Center
from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. with the
topic being oA Call to Disarm. �
Many schools came to participate
in the conference. The conference
held special attention on the issue
of oSustaining and Enhancing
Minority Communities: A Chal-
lenge to Eliminate Handguns. �
Dr. William Harvey, President
of Hampton University said,
oThere should be concrete action
of developing a strategy to defect
handguns. � oI look forward to the
day when we can all say, the mad-
ness has seized, � pronounced
Harvey. oReverend Jackson is a
role model for justice, a role model
for movement, � complimented
Harvey.
Reverend Jackson began his
speech with emphasis on the vot-
ing rights issue. oFor the right to
vote two Jews were bull-dozed to
death, for the right to vote a man
named Jimmy Jackson was shot
and killed in cold blood, for the
right to vote a white woman was
called a nigger lover, for the right
to vote Medgar Evers was killed,
for the right to vote four babies
were killed in a church, exclaimed
Jackson.
Jackson affirmed, oThe youth
should put hope over dope, give
life and peace a chance, exalt val-
ues, turn pain into power and move
on tohigherground. � Jackson said.
oSo much bleeding, suffering and
dying, self inflicted wounds, self-
ish behavior has caused man to
become sick.
The majority of the students
stood when Jackson asked, oWho
knows of someone at school who
sells drugs? How many of you know
somebody on drugs? How many of
you know someone witharms? How _
many of you know someone who
has killed someone? � Few students
stood when Jackson questioned,
oHow many of you have told or
would tell on a drug dealer?
oYour silence is a covenant with
death, your silence allows drugs to
incubate, mature and explode in
your face, put your life in death, �
exclaimed Jackson. oToday we kill
more than the lynching in our coun-
try, � pronounced Jackson. oBlacks
kill Blacks, Whites kill Whites,
the poor kill the poor, � state Jack-
son. oPut down the guns, � repre-
hended Jackson. oWe are condi-
tioned to except violence as a way
of life, it Ts time for re-examina-
tion, � declared Jackson.
Jackson explained, oThree
strikes and you re out is a quick fix
but not a solution. � oThe solutions
are in programs dealing with pre-
natal care, headstart and access to
college, early intervention, not
delayed reaction, � expounded
Jackson.
oWe shall be transformed by the
renewal of our minds, � stated Jack-
son. The Shadow Senator (Jack-
son) of Washington, DC said there
was a need for more recreation for
the youth in Washington, DC and
throughout America. He also be-
lieves that recreation can enhance
the attitudes of the youth. oThere
is nothing more powerful in the
world than amade up mind, � stated
Jackson. oPut the weight on you to
stop the violence, because slave
masters do not retire, those who
manufacture drugs will not give
up, we must have the power to
dismiss them, power in the mind, �
said Jackson.
oAs long as the media can focus
on the police, there is no space to
discuss health care, scholarships
and jobs, � claimed Jackson. The
Civic Activist said that African-
Americans should register to vote
because they will have more power
in the legal system.
Jackson explained how there is
an existing fallacy in reaching
goalsin Amenica, oAt Risk, Clinton
was at risk, now he Ts in the White
House. � oUse what you got and
move on to higher heights, reiter-
ated Jackson. Social influences
such as, Gangster Rap, has be-
come a part of the senatorial
agenda. The Shadow Senator was
in disagreement with the social
communication in the lyrics of
Gangster Rap, othose who make
babies have an obligation to. raise
babies. We must raise the babies
that we make! �
oI leave these challenges with
you: A. Take your child to school,
B. Meet your child Ts teacher, C.
Exchange phone numbers of par-
ent and teacher, D. Turn off your
(Continued on page three)
rhe} ro ¥ ei: . ry
sister Chreky A White and fer rhonand at a i for black
professionals, Sister White who is running for re-election in
May 3 Primary urges everyone to go out and cast their votes
for the candidate of your choice. Utilize your rights to promote
a better Edgecombe County. The ~M T voice Newspaper salutes
the Clerk of Cotrt - Mrs. Carolyn A. White.
