•
Couzens, p -
� nn Thomas,
By NATHANIEL SCOTT
pee I to tM Mlchlfl!n Cltl� n
DE1ROIT-Sixty venye rs
old ce Mae Robinson and the
other members of the Robinson
Singers, daughter, Lucille Ni­
mox, grand on La and his wife
Diane Robinson and Pearl Mat­
thews celebrated the group's
IDA DUBOSE
LACE MAE ROBINSON
..
82nd anniversary at New Pro­
priety Baptist Church, Sunday,
August 1.
The pastor of New Properity
is Reverend P.J. Ruckes.
Lace Mae formed the family
group a number of years ago
when two female members of a
different group failed to "show
up for an engagement," the
grandson said.
Lace Mae, according to he
grandson, is legally blind in one
eye and a part of her t timony
By TERRY KI NEY
A •• ocl.� • W'lte' _
( )-Whenth
Rev. mon Lynch III became
p tor of e P Bpi
Church three y ago, he
right ay th job ould ui
mo ban p ching piritual
alv tion.
"I didn' w, n to
th eoholi m p ch r," id
Lynch. "But hen we I med
th t there ere sto in the
neighborhood that only opened
for. th fi t 15 days ofth month,
then we knew w were being
used."
Everywh Lynch looked in
the low-income, high-crime
neighborhood, he saw bars and
beer-carryout stores ca ering to
the predominantly Black and
Appalachian population.
Lynch said ome carryout
store sold 0 candy, beer,
wine and cigarettes, and closed
during the eoond half of the
month - after money from gov­
ernment assistance checks ran
out.
His fight for fewer inner-city
beer and liquor licenses resulted
in United: Churches Active in
Neighborhoods (U:CAN), a coa­
lition of 20 Cincinnati church
with about 15,000 members.
U:CA GROUP
around Ohio are lobbying the
Department of Liquor Control
and the Legislature for changes
that would base the allocation of
beer and liquor licenses on
neighborhood popul tion rather
than an entire city's population.
Leadership for Equality and
Action in Dayton is comprised of
16 churches with congregations
totalin about 0 000 Ie..
Toledoans United for Social
Action encompasses 16 churches
with congregations totaling
about 10,000,
Fledgling groups from Cleve­
�and and Columbus are joining
in.
Former state liquor control
Director John Hall toured
Lynch's neighborhood as well as
a Dayton neighborhood where
six people were killed in a shoot­
ing spree in D mber and an
inner-city Toledo neighborhood.
But Hall retired recently,
Lynch said.
"We were making some pro­
gress with Hall," Lynch said.
"WeVe met with his successor,
Michael Akrouche, but he
wanted to play hardball He's
not our target anymore. We're
going over his head. "
turn a
DID not re­
call for com-
Sunday was: "Th doctors want
to operate on my eye but God put
it on my heart no to (have the
operation). "
ANDTHATDECISIO ,ac­
cording to many who know, love
and respect her, is final.
Lace Mae is approximately
four feet four inche tall but
when she sings, what the lis­
tener hears is a reminiscence of
the late Sister Rosetta Tharp.
There is the similar old fash­
ion way of singing gospel -
fused with tambourine - which
he plays and the constant shuf­
flingoffeet, lifting of skirt (mod­
estly) and joyfully praising the
LULA BELL HENDERSON
Lord.
"Yeah, I have a tambourine.
I got two. I can bet my tambou­
rines too," Lace Mae said. "I
love old fashion songs. When
they sing the old fashion way,' I
am ready."
LACE MAE HAS A reputa­
tion for telling the truth or, as
some would say, "telling it like
it is," and is r pected by many.
When she say , ."When I first
statedsingingI wasn't saved but
I wasn't doing anything wrong,
that I·, know of," it is food for
thought.
Aside from her eye ailment,
LaceMa also has a h rtcondi­
tion too.
She was born in Macon, Geor­
gia and proclaims: "Ain't no one
person can stop God's work."
She and her husband Eddie
Robinson, who is partially para­
lyzed form a trok I njoy prais­
ing th Lord.
ment.
The church ctivi want to
ch nge he 1 w that d fines how
alcohol nni ar allotted.
OBITUARY
o
CLARA ODELL
ON THE 0 endofth
cale, uburban Indian Hill h
one of th high family ver­
age incom in the state and cov­
ers 19.5 square miles but has
only thr liquor lice , all at
private clubs. The entire com­
munity is zoned for single-family
residences, and th are no
tail busi of any ort.
D HO , an or-
ganizer for LEAD in Dayton,
. d that city' eommi ion has
begun nding no i -of liquo
li renewals.
She . d the tate liquor eon­
trol d rtment bas offered to
end it attorney to teach
LEAD how to effectively object
to permits.
Fighting li ren w
more important than ev r, h
sid.
"Th Christmas killings made
people aware of too much liquor
being sold to minors," Ms.
Howard said. "We' 'had nu­
m rous killings that have tran-
By ROBBIE CRUMP-MCCOY
Services of love and sacred
memory were held on Wedn -
day evening and Thursday
morning for Rev. Parree Porter
Sr., at the Lomax TempleAME
Zion Church, 17441 Dequindre,
where he was pastor for 13
years.
The Rt. Rev. Enoch B. Roch­
ester, presiding prelate, Mid­
west Region, l Oth Epsicopal
Area of the AME Zion Church,
delivered the main eulogy; and
Rev. Earle E. Johnson, pr id­
ing elder of the Detroit District,
presided,
Rev. Porter became involved
in the welfare of the community
upon his arrival in Detroit to
pastor, and paid a visit to th
community newspaper that
same week to say that he truly
wanted to be involved, nd
wanted Lomax Temple to do th
same.
His d ire to th m ro-
politan area become mor in­
volved in the cum nical
movement paid off, which
brought persons from all walks
of life to hi funeral and many to
participate.
ee
UTHO VE id
the ome of the victims
killed because they knew about
the ot hootingB and one may
have n killed for her
o
Charlotte R. Starn ,spo as-
oman for Toledoans United for
Social Action, said he is encour­
aged that her group has the en­
do ement of City Council.
"We have some very bad ar­
eas," he said. "Oversaturation
is our problem. But we're getting
10 of support. "
e·
REV. PARREE PORTER, SR.
zer Al\1E Zion, r cognition banquet, the Lomax
Community Action Program,
the opening of a food-clothing
pantry through the LCAP; pur­
cha ed additional parking,
dd d ntral air and worked
clo ly wi h Mayor Coleman
YOl1J1 , , 11 whil rving an
ffic r of th Michigan Confer­
n