Newspaper Page Text
NAACP calls
for boycott of
Holiday Inn,
other hotels
. SPECIAL so AUGUSTA FOCUS
. Richmond Free Press
* In what amounts to a national vote-with-your
* dollars campaign, the NAACP is boycotting Holi
‘day Inn, Best Western and other leading hotel
' chains, assailing the lodging industry’s record in
the hiring and promoting of African Americans.
The boycott is the first step in a broader effort to
maximize Black buying power in corporate America,
. NAACP president Kweisi Mfume said recently.
“African Americans spend more than $4 billion
annually on travel and lodging, with much of this
_going to the lodging industry,” Mfume said. “The
lodgingindustry has an abysmal record of including
African Americans in all aspects of its operations.”
" Mfume urged people “to immediately exercise
“personal responsibility and use our consumer guide”
‘when planning business trips and vacations. he
further emphasized, “A selective boycott, yes. It
means exactly that. Punish, quite frankly, our
enemies.”
In Richmond, Virginia’s NAACP executive direc
tor Linda Byrd-Harden said the Mfume plan is the
“first unified effort in the country to get African
Americans to understand their spending power.”
She said the Mfume plan enhances the group’s
ongoing policy of researching companies before
doing business with them.
“We ask for statistics in areas of employment,
minority contracting, internship programs, adver
tising and community involvement, she said. “Isa
company does not want to give their EEQ informa
tion, that’s not a company that wants our business
bad enough,” she said.
Management of the Richmond Marriott, where
the state and local NAACP hold major affairs —
including the Richmond branch’s Freedom Fund
Banquet — said the downtown hotel is strong in
minority participation.
“In our little weorld here at 500 E. Broad St., we
are well represented with African Americans,” in
cluding at least 25 percent African American repre
sentation in its management ranks, said Bill Walsh,
general manager.
Like Walsh, other hotel representatives in re
sponsetoquestions, defended their company’srecord
on hiring African Americans, and said that they
were not enemies of the NAACP.
A majority of the 10 targeted chains had declined
to co@er?te with the group’s survey of Black em
ployees and managers. :
Craig Smith, a vice president for Holiday Inn
public relations, said the refusal to give detailed
information about hotel operations had nothing to
do with alack of commitment to equal opportunity.
“We support the work and spirit of the NAACP
but politely declined to give them that data,” Smith
said. “We don’t provide data on our operations to
anyone.”
“We have a good story to tell,” said Anne Curtis
of the Choice Hotels International.
“The NAACP is hurting people they say they
want to help,” said Ann Rhode of Doubletree Ho
tels, Inc.
Mfume said the call for a boycott was supported
by 55 primarily Black organizations and represent
a membership of more than nine million. They
include the Congressional Black Caucus Founda
tion, Inc., the National Urban League and National
Council of Negro Women.
Sixteen national companies were sent a four-page
questionnaire seeking general information such as
the number of properties, number of rooms and
number of Black employees in executive, manage
rial and professional positions. It also asked whether
the companies used minority advertising outlets
and Black firms as vendors and whether the compa
nies supported charities that serve the Black com
munity.
Of the 16 companies, none answered the entire
survey and only six received passing grades.
Marriott International and Hilton Hotels Corpo
ration both received a “C,” the highest grade
awarded; Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Adam’s Mark
Hotels and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Corporation
were graded a “C-minus,” and HFS Inc., operations
of Days Inns, got a “D.”
Ten firms with lower grades were targeted by the
boycott. Two of them, ITT Sheraton Corporation
and Promus Hotel Corporation, which runs the
Embassy Suites chain, answered some questions
but withheldinformation dealing with employment
and property ownership. Each received a “D
--minus.”
Mfume said seven firms notified the NAACP that
they would not participate: Westin Hotels, Best
Western International, Radisson Hospitality World
wide, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, Choice Ho
tels International, Holiday Inn Worldwide and Omni
Hotels. All got an “F.”
Doubletree gave no response at all. In response,
the NAACP notified a Doubletree Hotel in Little
Rock, Ark. that a March regional conference would
be moved elsewhere.
Doubletree spokesperson Ann Rhodes, said
NAACP officials had agreed to give the company
until early 1997 to get the requested information
because of an impending merger. She added that
theLittle Rock Doubletree that islosingthe NAACP
conference has 65 percent Black employees and
more than one-third of them are in management.
At Choice Hotels International, which also got a
failing grade, a spokeswoman said the. NAACP
undergoing an o?neuhlp change. '
“They asked at the worst possible time,” said
mem giving the requested information if the
CP asked again.
Shakur witnesses no help to Las Vegas police
LAS VEGAS
Two men who said they may be able to identify
suspects in the killing of rap star Tupac Shakur have
met with police, but didn’t offer any information that
could advance the case, police said.
Las Vegas police Sgt. Kevin Manningsaid Friday that
detectives met with bodyguard Frank Alexander and
rapper Malcolm Greenridge, both of Southern Califor
AR Ay o YRR oetSleßSeo ST AR Bet daßs & o Jhe s~‘ 'mé,’;;:'g’:, _;
tionß W 0
al) T S
IVE A" ' _,.a?f —:”
RE 2 3 ‘#' est . W
g o) P SRR TR A YRR YR SO TNN oet RPN eA(NoB gi el eA ) e B BRI 00 M v Rl o e e e I be ot PYCUES WSUSHOT Th GRT SROWGOM: o7aßof he Golaily. | ‘
_EY L € * NEW 97 COROLLA ok
s 9 b 3 r
' O\NN:.’ ¥ pe NS ~ YOUR - '
BIS WE MAKE " : DA L S OICE ' i
i nUR 17 PAYM e / : i oo - it : B
»ry : P T W A P P B
T T T e - B OV K o ’ !
END LEASE. $228.7 MONTHLY PAYMENT BASED OK A $0 CAP. . 8 ' r
T U R TR I ; 4 las ‘ : :
EXCLUDES TAXES, TAG AND TITLE, WiTH APPROVED CREDIT. ~ - 74 N/ - , S
e Nl sias |
AN e ARy e Automatic, Ajr Condition, Pwr Windows, Locks, Deluxé ' i
"4 £NO OF Tehw, £4 OF TeAM DISPOSTION teL O Sast | STEreo Cassette, Rear Window Defroster, Value 7 ' , . 3
APPLIES Factory Rustproofing Pkg & much, much more 8 -
: g
G * NEW 97 CAMRY ¢ o U'a
? ) . DO y
YOUR YOV DRy Sy 7 : PLus WEWN &
T CHOICE Setter Then Eos. : PUR 15 pa AKE
- . e //‘ =" . . " AYMENpI :
"\",\'“ ./" - ;‘,,:.f.‘i"‘ y y - i . ; b )
4> 33 TO 2 e ¥
: / - 2
' i ' & ;
‘ 1 {{?r\ B Soy T ]. F
Automatic, Air Condition, Deluxe Stereo Ca;sette, Pwr Windows & Locks, Tilt, Cruise, Tinted r
Glass, Factory Rust Proofing Pkg, Dual Pwr. Mirrors & much, much more .
'N St 9T'wm
60U
I § GREAT DEALS AREN'T MADE THEY'RE BOURNE
1 1989 MERCURY GRAND
2f MARQUIS LS 40r, Auto, VB, AC,
S P/S, PAW, PAL, Tit, Cruise, Cass, Alloy. #P2490
% 4954
g 1990 MITSUBISHI
=8 ECLIPSE 48K, 5 Spd, AC, P/S, Tilt,
9( Cass, Alloys, Like New. #74888
= 953
s 1996 MITSUBISHI GALANTS
=44 Dr, A/C, Pwr Steering,"Cassette, Alloys,
[VERR Spoiler, #7940A, Like New, 19,000 Miles
E} $12,497
28 1992 PONTIAC GRAND
&‘ AM SE COUPE Auto, AC, P/S,
Tl P, PA, Tilt, Cruise, Cass. #7957A |
a 7888
| <o ] 42 ¥BM i T T RN T ATNRR iSt e raittss Wsoo b e mor s eaOAOA fL B VO% 5% & P%¥o9 S 5 | g
. bod
‘;fi = o.
J g BRIDOES :
151 YDt ME THEY'RE BOURNE GREAT DEALS AREN'T MADE THEY'RE BOURNE GREAT DEALS AREN'T MADE
& | TUNEIN
TOM ,Y R , |
The Tom Joyner
Morning Show
Weekdays 6 a.m. - 10 a.m.
nia, this week.
Alexander viewed a mug folder of suspect photos at
an Orange County restaurant, but could not identify
the shooter, Manning said. Greenridge told police at
the Compton police station that he never saw the
shooter and did not wish to view the photos, Manning
said.
“They were not able to add any information that
1989 MERCURY TOPAZ
GS 4Dr, Auto, AC, P/S, Cruise, Cass.
#P2495, Clean
671
1989 HONDA ACCORD LX
4 Dr, Auto, AC, P/S, P/W, P/L, Tilt,
Cruise, Roof, Alloys. #P2422
$5730
1992 CHEVY LUMINA
EURO SPORT Auto, AC, P/S, PW,
PA, Tilt, Cruise, Cass, Alloys, Spoiler. #BOI4A
5772
1992 HYUNDAI SCOUPE
LS Auto, AC, P/S, P/W, Roof, “36K”.
: #7864Y, Mint
$5667
'NEW 97 TACOMA
GHEA’I‘ 1)1 A AREN’T MADE THEY.'RI'-: BOURNE E I
1994 HONDA ACCORD LX
4 Dr, Auto, A/C, Pwr Windows, Locks &
Mirrors, Tilt, Cruise, Cassette, #8136A
$13,205
1995 PLYMOUTH NEON
HIGHLINE 401, Auto, AC, P/S, Tilt,
Cruise, Cass, 39K. #7601A
9239
1994 FORD PROBE SE
Auto, A/C, Pwr Windows & Locks, Tilt,
Cruise, Alloys, #BIBIA
$10,197
1993 FORD PROBE GT
V 6, 5 Spd, AC, P/S, P/W, P/L Tilt, Cruise,
Cass, Alloy’s, #79402
$9322 |
would enhance the investigation,” he said.
Shakur was shot near theLasVegasStriponSepb
7. He died six days later in a Las Vegas hospital. N
suspects have been arrested.
Earlier, Greenridge and Alexander, who were mem
bers of Shakur’s entourage, told the Los Angeles
Times they might be able to identify suspects, but that®
Las Vegas detectives never requested interviews. "
1993 FORD ESCORT LX
WAGON 5 Spd, AC, P/S, P/B, Stereo
Cass, #8214A
1996 TOYOTA AVALON XL
Auto, A/C, 15k miles, Loaded, Loaded,
Loaded, Almost New, #P2523
$22,112
1993 TOYOTA PASEO
2 Dr, Sporty White, Auto, P/S, AC, Cass,
Spoller, #8206A, 1 Owner
93-96 TOYOTA
CAMRY’S 21 TO
CHOOSE FROM
DA ING A D 477
96, 9’@\Z
\./
AUGUSTA FOCUS APRIL 3. 1997
os]
1989 MITSUBISHI e}
GALANT GS DOHC ac, ps, P, =
P/S, Tißt, Cruise, Cass, Spoiler, Alloys, # 7719 g
$5266 m
1994 CHEVY $-10 LS 2WD R
PICK-UP 2:Tone, 5 Spd, AC, P/S, =
AM/FM, R. Slider, #7607A i
ALMOST NEW ~
1994 FORD TAURUS GL [
WAGON V 6, Atuo, AC, P/S, PW, P, B
P/M, Tilt, Cruise, Cass, 3rd Seat, §79628 Mag
$11,816 2
18 93-96 TOYOTA [
COROLLAS TO '2
CHOOSE FROM B
STARTING A 23188
13A