Who's in first? Head coach Jay Lapidus* mea's tennis team tops in the ACC after stomping North Cai THE CHRONICLE Una, 6-1. See Sports for more details. Showdown Baraka: Referendum must expected determine blacks' future By NISHAN FERNANDO cans were still not asked what A long-time poet, activist, play­ their relationship should be in at UNC wright and professor spoke the country, he said. Wednesday night on The issue of self-de­ By DAVID DROSCHAK the importance of self- termination will notbe Associated Press determination and resolved until a na­ CHAPEL HILL—Students self-respect among Af­ tional referendum is staging a weeklong sit-in at the rican Americans. held among African nation's oldest state university Amiri Baraka ad­ Americans on their fu­ said Wednesday they hope hun­ dressed a packed ture relationship with dreds of students will greet the crowd of about 150 in America, Baraka said. school's chancellor upon his re­ the Bryan Center's "We have a right to turn from his Final Four trip. Von Cannon Hall. decide." The student protesters want Baraka's speech "Ac­ Baraka argued that University of North Carolina at tivism in the 90s: A almost all blacks live Chapel Hill Chancellor Paul Literary Approach" Amiri Ba in just 26 cities along Hardin to commit to a particular was the first in a se­ the East Coast. The size and site for a new free-stand­ ries of lectures sponsored by the "black belt," an area 1,800 miles ing Black Cultural Center. Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity to long and 600 miles wide, includes "He could care less exactly what address African-American issues. states such as Georgia, the Caro­ we're doing right now," said Sean Baraka emphasized the lack of linas, Virginia, Alabama and Mis­ Denan, a freshman from Char­ self-determination blacks have sissippi. lotte. "He'd be willing to let 20 had throughout their history in Baraka hoped to see a referen­ students stay in here throughout America. "We were brought here dum where African Americans the summer session. It's a joke to against our will," he said. "We are could voice their opinion on the him right now but when the num­ DORENE KEWLEY/THE CHRONICLE the only people who did not want future of the black belt. Some bers come I think he's going to to come here." may want total independence change his mind. Talk to your plants Even after 200,000 slaves, while others would want to see a "He's going to come in here Anita Greenhill, an assistant horticulturist, attends to her freed by the Emancipation Proc­ federation, Baraka said. During [Thursday morning] like any work En the Department of .Botany. lamation, defeated the South and the question and answer session See BCC on page 3 • won the Civil War, African Ameri­ See BARAKA on page 3 • County commissioner to rehabilitate alleged 'crack houses' By CHRISTIAN GROSE ers and landlords have to vacate department's housing rehabili­ rehabilitate abandoned houses citizens and law enforcement of­ County commissioner Mary their property because of drug tation specialist. "She appears in the community, but currently ficers, said Rosalind Bell, execu­ Ann Black took steps this week problems." to be making an attempt to deal lacks the funds to do so, he said. tive director of the Edgemont to renovate two of her properties In response to residents' com­ with this," Reels said. The mayor and the city man­ Community Center in Durham. that officials allege are being plaints, city officials began to Citizens in Few Gardens hous­ ager are currently working to "The residents have been ex­ used for drug trafficking. notify property owners several ing district complained to police increase the $59,000 funding ap­ tremely receptive and the event Black talked with city officials weeks ago that abandoned that about 20 vacant houses were propriated to rehabilitate con­ was very successful," Bell said. and made plans to rehabilitate houses near the Few Gardens being used for drug-related pur­ demned property in Durham, The community day was a col­ the two abandoned houses that housing complex were being used poses, said Captain G.B. Beard Reels said. laborative effort ofthe Durham she and her husband own. There as "crack houses," sites for drug of the Durham Police Depart­ Residents and city officials are Housing Authority, the is a possibility that one house sales and consumption. ment. cooperating in other ways to im­ Edgemont Community Center may become a drug rehabilita­ Black said she was disap­ The citizens' complaints were prove the Few Gardens area for and other governmental agen­ tion center for the area, Black pointed in the negative publicity forwarded to the Housing Inspec­ the neighborhood's residents. cies, she said. said. that she has received for not re­ tions Department of City-County "They are concerned for their chil­ A major focus ofthe event in­ Black «a*cHsheiiHt not know alizing that her property was Planning. The department then dren," Beard said. volved educating children in the that the two houses were being being used for drug purposes. sent inspectors out to the area in The first phase featured a po­ neighborhood about the dangers used for drug activity. Her hus­ Despite the fact that the proper­ question and condemned many lice sweep of the neighborhood associated with drug use. "It was band purchased the two proper­ ties were mainly her husband's, of the houses, Reels said. last month in which more than something for the younger ones— ties in his business dealings and "I've been brought into [the con­ The owners of the condemned 110 arrests were made. it gave a good message," Bell she co-signed with him, Black troversy]," she said. houses were notified of their con­ A community day in Few Gar­ said. said. The Housing Inspections De­ dition and asked to either demol­ dens was held this Saturday in Residents of Few Gardens have "I cannot be held responsible partment has been working with ish or rehabilitate their prop­ order to keep residents informed a sense that their neighborhood for what society does," she said. Black and all other owners ofthe erty, Reels said. and educated about efforts to is becoming safer and additional "It's too bad that the property is condemned houses in the area, The department would like to clean up their community and to residential efforts are being made so bad in that area that the own­ said Ralphele Reels, the do more to either demolish or provide friendly contact between to clean up the community, she said. Former Miss America, incest victim shares past GREG CHAPUT speech, Atler asked audience Instead, she said that she ing her older sister, during a pe­ Marilyn Van Derbur Atler re­ members to stand if they had ever flashed "an effervescent smile" to riod of 25 years. members being five years old. been sexually abused. About 60 the world, but in private she was Atler kept her story quiet, how­ That was the year her "night people stood. tormented physically and psycho­ ever, even after her father died in child" was born. The evening was sponsored by logically. 1984. Until she was 18 years old, she the Women's Center Sexual As­ In the late 1970s, more than 20 She first revealed her past was a victim of incest, she said. sault Support Services and the years after the abuse, Atler fi­ openly to the public two years But only in 1991,30 years after Durham Committee for the Pre­ nally confronted her father. Be­ ago. She built up her confidence finally leaving her childhood vention of Child Abuse. fore she could finish talking to by talking in small support home, has this 1958 Miss America After she won the Miss America him, he left the room and re­ groups, but after the Denver me­ finally been able to "puncture the pageant, Atler toured as a public turned holding a gun, she said. dia made her past a front page concrete wall" that kept her se­ speaker, winning an award as He told her that if she revealed to story, she decided to dedicate her­ crets hidden from the world. the Outstanding Woman Speaker anyone else what he had done, he self to educating the public about Atler shared her story Wednes­ would commit suicide. the her childhood sexual abuse. PAUL ORSULAK/THE CHRONICLE in America. But this outspoken day night in a packed Griffith womannever toldthepublic about Atler said that her father vio­ "My father had let my child Marilyn Van Derbur Atler Film Theater. Following her her past. lated six other children, includ­ See ATLER on page 10 • THE CHRONICLE THURSDAY. APRIL 3,1993 World and National Newsfile Cuomo removes self as high court choice no sense that I had been eliminated." MiSSing tapes?: The FBI de­ A senior White House official who re­ nied Wednesday that a rift has de­ ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Mario Cuomo of quested anonymity said Cuomo "took him­ veloped among law enforcement New York said Wednesday that he had self out of consideration at a time when he agencies over claims that members asked President Clinton to remove him hadaconsiderableexpectationthathe would of a religious cult destroyed evidence from consideration for an appointment to be chosen, although it wasn't a lay-down from their shootout with agents at the U.S. Supreme Court, saying he wished hand." the Branch Davidian compound. to continue serving New York while the Another senior Clinton administration state was on the cusp of economic recovery.