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Orange County Commisioners Presentation <br />April 17, 1990 <br />TO IGNORE IT. WE HEARD FROM A TEACHER WHO URGED US TO GET INTO <br />THE LIBRARY AND LOOK AT BOOKS YOUNG CHILDREN READ. HOW MANY <br />BLACK CHARACTERS ARE IN THEM? HOW MANY HEROES IN STORIES <br />(FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, DOCTORS) ARE BLACK? BLACK <br />CHILDREN NEED TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THEIR HEROES, SHE TOLD US. <br />IN JUNE CAME TESTIMONY ON EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION. WE RECEIVED <br />A LOVELY SPEECH FROM THE ECOMONIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. SHE <br />DESCRIBED HOW HARD SHE AND HER STAFF WERE WORKING TO BRING IN <br />GOOD JOBS, NOT JUST MORE JOBS. SHE TALKED ABOUT INFRASTUCTURE <br />PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING THE MORE RURAL AREAS OF THE COUNTY. THEN <br />SHE TOLD US THAT YOUNG BLACK WOMEN WORKING IN FAST FOOD <br />RESTAURANTS DIDN'T WANT PROMOTIONS INTO MANAGEMENT BECAUSE THEIR <br />BOYFRIENDS OR HUSBANDS DIDN'T LIKE FOR THEM TO "MAKE TOO MUCH <br />MONEY ". IT WAS THIS "ATTITUDE" PROBLEM, NOT DISCRIMINATION THAT <br />KEPT WOMEN FROM ADVANCING TO MANAGEMENT, WE WERE TOLD. "THEY <br />JUST DON'T WANT THE RESPONSIBILITY..." SHE TOLD US. SHE WAS <br />CHALLENGED REPEATEDLY ON THIS STATEMENT BY JAKI SHELTON- GREEN, <br />THE HEARING'S CHAIR. SHE REITERATED IT. ANNE FISHBURNE, <br />DIRECTOR OF THE WOMEN'S LEGAL PROJECT OF N.C. EQUITY, INC., <br />REPORTED THAT WITHOUT A LOCAL ORDINANCE, MOST WOMEN WORKING FOR <br />SMALL EMPLOYERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ACTION IN CASES OF <br />HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES. THE ORDINANCE WOULD <br />GIVE THEM A MORE SOUND LEGAL BASIS FOR LEGAL ACTION. <br />THEN CAME OCTOBER. OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR SEPARATE, DRAINING <br />EVENINGS, WE LISTENED. WE LISTENED TO TED MOORE DESCRIBE THE <br />SYSTEMATIC DEHUMANIZING AND EVENTUAL BRUTAL MURDER OF DAWN JOLLY, <br />