North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 09/30/1996

Or do you. It's Monday September 30th. Tonight the University of North Carolina wants to hear from you as it selects its next president and North Carolina now. Right right. Good evening Henri. Thank you for joining us as we

start a new week and close out the month of September here on North Carolina now. Tonight we'll profile a North Carolina farm family which is struggling to maintain a way of life that is quickly vanishing. Also down on the farm Shannon victory takes Mr. Rayford to visit a special place for young people and the young at heart. And former Governor James wholes Hauser will be here to tell us about the search process which is currently under way for the new president of the 16 campus U N C system. The selection committee is seeking your thoughts on what type of man or woman should be charged with leading you and see into the future. But we start tonight in the town of Tillery. The last decade has not been an easy one for small family farms. Since 1981 the United States has lost more than a half million farms. And North Carolina leads the southeast in that decline for African-American farmers. The statistics are even more grim. Producer Robin minea has our report. We got you in 1947.

Yeah I knew where we were that year from seed and about 20 of the 30 above all else. Seventy seven year old Matthew Grant is a farmer. So is his son Richard. I've been family dad and entire town except two and a half years in service. We were up around a thousand to eleven hundred acres in the 60s and early 70s. And then after I got out of service I started farming on my own and with him. But in 1976 after three declared farm disaster years the grants among many others fell behind on their loans. The Farmers Home Administration a government agency moved to foreclose for 20 years while their equipment sits idle and their farm sink into disrepair. Matthew and Richard have fought to keep their property when they can and home to heal. We're also foreclosure we lost our way ally

or I would create a credit means to produce crops. The grants are not alone according to many experts. Minority farmers are on the road to extinction. Minority farmers said losing their farms and at the rate of over. Three point to five times the rate of white farmers African-American farmers in particular their numbers have dropped from nine hundred and seventy thousand one to twenty two. Approximately 20000 as of today. That's right the United States in North Carolina. The statistics are equally appalling. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that during the 10 year period from 1978 through 1987 the number of black operated farms dropped by 55 percent. Cary Grant knows these statistics by heart. He knows what they mean to his brother and father and he knows what they mean to the predominantly African-American

population of Tillery. The small farm town in eastern North Carolina where he and his family live. So if you're going to distribute in the Wilton area and she's going to distribute it. It does make you as director of a small nonprofit organization called Concerned Citizens of Tillery. Gary has spearheaded efforts to stem the loss of black owned farmland in Tillery. He's also worked to document the history of this African-American farming community. I think it's important that the people in this community be validated. I think that it is important that African-Americans in this country be validated that the real history and struggle of what has actually happened here and be validated so that we all share in the rich history that is the history of this country teller a share of that history is remarkable for more than a century. The land was dominated by plantations African-Americans work the soil first as slaves then after the Civil War as sharecroppers.

In 1935 Tel re became a part of one of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal experiments in 100 Worrell areas across the country impoverished farm families were given free access to land in an effort to break their dependency on large landowners Tillery was one of only eight projects that included African-Americans. It was an opportunity for African-Americans to own property to actually not be dependent on the large white plantation owners to for their livelihood. It afforded them an opportunity to be independent. It afforded them an opportunity to set direction for their own lives. At its peak the Tillery resettlement farms spread over 18000 acres and was home to 200 black families including Garry's. But the legacy has not made it to a second or third generation. And how many of those families are still farming that land. Interesting Lee enough not well.

Racism is a part of our life it's always played a role in everything that we deal with. Heywood Harrell is an agricultural extension agent for in S. State University he works with minority and low income farmers. We work through hardships financial difficulty farm planning future planning and things like that. Howell knows that many black owned farms fail for the same reason some white owned farms fail. But he has also witnessed the insidious role that racism plays in the defeat of many African American farmers. You need equal access to capital. You need opportunities and you need to be treated as an all individual trade. But it is sad and they say it this really haven't happened that way. What's at stake according to David Harris is nothing less than the future stability of many African American communities. When you look at communities it has been the land owners have been the pillars of the community.

They have been the political leaders they have been the ones who've been able to stand up to Jim Crow discrimination and leave the church so to speak to make changes in the law. So there's also been a persons who have been able to educate their children to become teachers doctors and lawyers. They went two or three years you would think but really they did people willing speak to me. Richard Grant's children will have to find another way to build their future. Their father will not allow them to take up farming. I think that his father the passage of time has done little to soften the determination that got Matthew Grant started with 40 acres and two mules back when Richard Grant are still fighting to avoid a foreclosure but they are nearing the end of their appeal process. We'll keep you informed. Well coming up a bit later on North Carolina now the search for the new leader of the University of North Carolina. You want to make sure that you grab a piece of paper and a pen because during our interview segment we will give you information about how you can give your input

about the selection process for the new you and the president. But before we get to that we're going to turn it over to the news desk and Michel Louis for a look at the day's statewide news events. Good evening Mitt. Thanks Zoraida. Good evening everyone. Topping our news water officials have no idea as to how much damage the northeast Cape Fear River has sustained from sewage and other runoff from Hurricane Fran. Residents along the river are worried about pollution from septic tanks and animal farms that washed into the river. One resident says the water smelled so bad that his wife went to stay with relatives and Greenville until conditions improve. In the meantime health officials are urging residents near the northeast Cape Fear River to update their tetanus shots and boil water. Senate candidate Harvey Gantt is unhappy about being excluded from a meeting today while his opponent Jesse Helms was speaking. Democratic candidate Harvey Gantt and Republican Senator Jesse Helms were both invited to make remarks to a meeting of the North Carolina retail merchants association as Helms addressed the crowd by telephone Gant was kept from

entering the room until after Helms had spoken. Kent said he didn't think the terms of a previous agreement meant he would be denied access to the room while Helms spoke. The president of the Merchants Association said Gant was grandstanding when he complained the Durham attorney who successfully challenge North Carolina's minority Congressional District before the Supreme Court is bringing his case to the state fair. Robinson Everett has a range for space at the upcoming Fair where he will hold a contest to redraw the state's 12 congressional districts. If you draw the winning district you'll win $1000. The competition will be judged by a panel of academics those interested in entering the contest can make an appointment to use the General Assembly's public access computer to practice the real redistricting will be done next year by the General Assembly. Residents living in the state's far western counties fare poorly in a number of health related categories. A study looking into various health issues found people living in Cherokee clay and Graham counties are

less healthy than their neighbors. The findings also indicated they are more likely to be overweight and less likely to have health insurance. The report was made possible by a consortium of health care providers in the three county area and was funded by the Duke and Dow mint and fire swept through an old casino building in Cherokee today. The fire damaged the old gambling house and some craft shops just a quarter of a mile from the new casino currently under construction. Officials say there were no fatalities but two firefighters suffered serious injuries. Investigators are looking into the possibility of arson as the cause of the blaze. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather. Temperatures ranging in the cool 60s will spread across the entire state for Tuesday. The western half will see highs in the lower 60s while the eastern portion will range from the mid to high 60s count on needing an umbrella as cloudy conditions with the rain likely. Our forecast throughout the day tomorrow. And in business news AT&T and BellSouth are now in arbitration to settle a number of key issues as they prepare to

compete for local telephone service in North Carolina. Three members of the North Carolina Utilities Commission will serve as go betweens in the talks on the table are items such as freight charges to AT&T access to the existing local service system and which company's operators will handle costs. Now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. Your input is being sought in the selection process of the next president of the University of North

Carolina current president CDs Spangler has announced that he will retire on or around June 30th. In the meantime a massive search is underway to find the man or the woman capable of becoming the new leader of the 16 campus university system. Part of that search will include ideas from the public on what qualities they believe are important for the next president of the University of North Carolina. The man heading up this search committee is someone very familiar to all of us he is the former governor of North Carolina James Holmes Hauser Jr. governor wholes Houser Welcome to the North Carolina now. I'm glad to join you. Well it's great to have you here. Let's talk first before we get into the nitty gritty of the selection process to talk about the presidency of the University of North Carolina. How important of a role is this. Maybe the most important role in the study I've always believed that there are universities public and private are what sets North Carolina apart. And a lot of our sister states. A lot of our people don't really

realize it but the University of North Carolina system has a reputation is the best university system in the country. And I know we're going to have a lot of applicants as a result. But it puts it puts a tremendous responsibility on the person who leads it and to the extent that they do well or don't do wail. It affects us hundreds of thousands of students and the state's reputation. So it is a very important responsibility. And coming from the mouth of a former governor to call it one of the most important roles in the state that really puts an emphasis on how big of a job this is it is it is a huge job and her choir's someone of tremendous tenacity a thick skin and a lot of vision. There is a very tedious process that is in place now to select the next president. And it's formed in two I believe three different committees that will be going through. Why don't you take us through the process of this selection.

The first thing that we felt was important and I say we the Board of Governors of the university that was important was to have as much input as we could from the people the state from the leadership of the state but just from people off the street as well but obviously from people on faculties from our students administrative people across the system to talk not just about the next president. Also the university itself where they see us to be and where they want us to go in the next 10 to 20 years and then to look at what kind of person they think will help lead us in that direction. I see so you're going to define the future of the system first and then look at the person that can lead you in the direction that you want that to go. That's correct. And the the responsibility of this first committee the leadership statement committee has to listen to the people of North Carolina where setting up public hearings across the state. And we'll also have interviews with many of the state's leaders as well.

Before writing a statement sort of a job description at that point for the kind of person we want to lead the university in this neck of the next decade to two decades now the public hearings I believe that there will be seven held on the campuses throughout the system. Is that correct that's correct and I hope that this station and other stations will be letting the public know about that they there will be three on the the evening of October 2nd. Another three on that the evening of October 15th and then a final one on the 18th. They'll be in Charlotte. Once inside Durham Greenville Wilmington and Elizabeth City. So you're certainly going all across the state to get people's input. Let me ask you what kind of input do you think that you would get from a student or an average citizen that maybe you yourself are members of the board may not bring to that selection process. Well I think I think that we want to hear what

people outside. The administration so to speak and we consider ourselves to be part of the administration. How people perceive the university is it doing what they think the university should do for the state in terms of educating our young people for the future and whether they perceive us to be doing way o or just fire and where they see us having some challenges that we need to meet that that will require some particular talents in the future. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Bill Friday a week or so ago the president emeritus of the U.N. system and I asked him what he thought would be important qualities to bring to the role having himself been in that role. And he mentioned quite a few different qualities but but at the very end he says and hopefully they'll be a UN S. Grant. Is that something that's going to be important do they have to have that UN see connection. Well we when I look back in history I can't remember a leader of the university or the university system

however you want to call that title. Who hasn't had ties to North Carolina one way or the other. I doesn't mean it won't happen this time. But we have found throughout the history of our institutions of higher education in North Carolina that the person at the top starts off with a with a leg up so to speak. If they already knew about North Carolina and who we are and where we want to go what about any of the chancellors from the individual campuses or any of them being considered for this role. Well nobody's being considered right now because the Until the leadership statement committee finishes its hearings and walks up that job description so to speak. The door is not open yet for that process to be let me rephrase the question is that a door closed to any of those and to us it's not closed to anybody. And I would I would want to make that a especially emphatic in that we expected to be

a very very inclusive process in terms of who we look to to lead the institutions. You know recent history the President of you and see is had maybe more of a business background and background in academics is that a trend that you're going to continue in the future. We see that trend happening nationwide I think. It's not it's not impossible to have both. In the same person. A little bit a little bit hard to attain. Certainly certainly Dick Spangler had a strong business background when he came to the position but he had also had a post-doctorate postgraduate degree an MBA as part of his academic background. And I think I think regardless of the person's background they have to have some experience with with dealing with all of the different kinds of constituencies that the pros and the University of North

Carolina has to has to contend with almost every day. Well cover Holshouser we've run out of time but I want to thank you very much for being here this evening and we will certainly let our viewers know about the public hearings that are coming out. And I will talk about this I'm sure between now and June were you we hope that people are going to take this opportunity to come out and and let us know the kind of person that that they want to lead the university and where they think the university is and where they want to go. I want to thank you. Thank you. And here is the list of those public hearings there will be three held on Wednesday October 2nd all time so from 6:30 to 8:30 PM hearings will be held in the blue auditorium in the Brody building on the campus of these Carolina also in Room 3 0 2 in the Owen Hall conference center on the campus of u and C Asheville and the public hearing will be held in room 105 of CAMERON HALL auditorium on the campus of you and C. Wilmington. Again those are the public hearings for Wednesday October 2nd. Now public hearings for Tuesday

October 15th. All times will be between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. They will be held in the criminal justice building auditorium on the campus of NC Central. Another hearing will be held in room 113 in the frac well building at USC Charlotte and another will be held in Dillard auditorium on the campus of Winston-Salem Winston-Salem State. And the last of the public hearings is set for Friday October 18th in the main auditorium on the campus of Elizabeth City State. And that hearing will be from 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. Keeping alive the traditions of life on the farm is the story behind our next feature.

Reporter Shannon victory paid a visit to the sunbeam petting farm in Raiford where one woman has found a way to share the life that she cherishes with her own children and so many others as well. Michelle Patterson bought this farm vine years ago with the dream of raising her six children here. However she quickly learned that the find a close wouldn't be enough to support her family. We just couldn't do anything that we could make a living with. We didn't have enough land to grow something. There was nothing we could make money with. But before giving up Michelle decided to try another idea. I was spending a lot of time at school talking about farm animals and realizing that you didn't know anything about farming. And the more I did it the more introverted. Today Michelle has turned what once was a cotton farm into a petting form where children can come and visit more than 104 Manama.

No going to go in here is like milking a cow. Have any of ya'll are enough to care for many of these first graders from up to elementary school. This is the first time they've seen a goat much less milked one. Yeah right. Well if you let Martin last year more than fourteen hundred kids visited the farm to help feed the baby goats and learn how to shear sheep be a Michelle says she hopes the students get a hands on feel from life on the farm. In the short time they visit the American farmers is dying. And kids today and teachers have no idea what the importance is of farming and and what we get from Farm years. Something Michele is trying to change with the petting farm.

Ultimately when I finish rebuilding everything I'm going to build a museum and I'm going to just farm stuff in it and sell probably like crafts that people make from around here enough and I'm not going to ever go commercial. And the minute I'm In It For The Money I'm going to get it. What. Learning about going on the kind of lesson Michelle says can only be learned right here on the farm were schools that either can't afford to come out to the farm or are too far away. Michelle will load up many of her animals and take them to the schools. That does it for tonight's edition of North Carolina now before we head out of here tonight we want to alert you to the fact that the Commission on Presidential Debates has finally established its debate schedule the first presidential debate will be held this coming Sunday October 6th at 9:00 p.m. It can be seen right here on you and see TV. The debate will be moderated by Jim Lehrer host of the PBS television program The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer. In order to help you become more

prepared in watching the debate we have a viewer God that we would be happy to mail to you if you would just give us a call at 9 1 9 5 4 9 7 1 3 0 you will get a recording and you'll have to leave a message make sure that you leave your name address phone number and how many copies of the view of God that you would like to receive. Also if you're hosting a debate watching party make sure to let us know. Again that number is 9 1 9 5 4 9 7 1 3 0. So we have time for tonight. Have a good evening. Can I if I.