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’s 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’s 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: “Today 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’s 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 “Rex” 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’s law career came to a halt. It began in the mid 1980’s, when one of Frazier’s clients filed a com- plaint against him. The client, described as an “elderly black man”, claimed that Frazier failed to collect $750 for ajudgment won against a neighbor who cut down the client’s 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’s 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’s 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 “uncollectible judgement”. This is due to the fact that the neighbor charged with destroying the client’s 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’s 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, “If 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. “We 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’s two black representa- tives in Congress, testified he couldn’t 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’s redistricting, which created two districts in which blacks are the majority population. Watt is one of the state’s 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. “This is clearly North Carolina’s 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. “My 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’s Kids and 1993 President’s 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’s 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’s 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’s 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’s Convention Center from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. with the topic being “A Call to Disarm.” Many schools came to participate in the conference. The conference held special attention on the issue of “Sustaining and Enhancing Minority Communities: A Chal- lenge to Eliminate Handguns.” Dr. William Harvey, President of Hampton University said, “There should be concrete action of developing a strategy to defect handguns.” “I look forward to the day when we can all say, the mad- ness has seized,” pronounced Harvey. “Reverend 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. “For 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, “The 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. “So 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, “Who 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, “How many of you have told or would tell on a drug dealer? “Your 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. “Today we kill more than the lynching in our coun- try,” pronounced Jackson. “Blacks kill Blacks, Whites kill Whites, the poor kill the poor,” state Jack- son. “Put down the guns,” repre- hended Jackson. “We are condi- tioned to except violence as a way of life, it’s time for re-examina- tion,” declared Jackson. Jackson explained, “Three strikes and you re out is a quick fix but not a solution.” “The solutions are in programs dealing with pre- natal care, headstart and access to college, early intervention, not delayed reaction,” expounded Jackson. “We 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. “There is nothing more powerful in the world than amade up mind,” stated Jackson. “Put 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. “As 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, “At Risk, Clinton was at risk, now he’s in the White House.” “Use 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, “those who make babies have an obligation to. raise babies. We must raise the babies that we make!” “I leave these challenges with you: A. Take your child to school, B. Meet your child’s 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’ voice Newspaper salutes the Clerk of Cotrt - Mrs. Carolyn A. White. Cee ee, eee ee ee Meet ig i el