
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, July 17, 1990                   TAG: 9007180395
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: EVENING  
SOURCE: ROB EURE POLITICAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WRITE-IN CANDIDATE SAYS RACE WILL BE ISSUE

A Roanoke security guard who says he would work to abolish affirmative action and other government policies that promote integration announced a write-in campaign against Rep. Jim Olin, D-Roanoke, Monday.

"In South Africa, it's whites over blacks," said J.C. Watkins, 41, a motel security guard. "Here, it's getting to be blacks over whites."

Watkins, who said he moved to Roanoke about 18 months ago, said race "is an issue, but I don't believe the motivation [of his campaign] is one of racism."

Watkins said at a news conference that integration should be voluntary and that government programs promoting interaction and equal opportunity are harming race relations.

"I don't hang out with kids because we don't have anything in common. I don't hang out with people who are 60 because we don't have anything in common. Blacks and whites don't always have things in common."

Watkins, who is white, said he has spoken to about 15 blacks who support his stand and expects support from minorities. But, he admitted that he has "very little" chance of winning or raising money to campaign on.

Watkins said he plans to stop filing state and federal tax returns, stop paying sales taxes and stop paying fees for licenses and decals for his car until governments stop affirmative action and equal opportunity programs.

Watkins said he believes black and white children should go to school in their own "friendly neighborhood environment."

He said he plans to walk 11th Street Northwest Saturday night at midnight with Shaheed Omar. Omar, a Moslem, is an avowed anti-drug crusader who is accused of shooting a man in the neck in April.

Watkins said the purpose of the walk is to "show that the major elements in those areas are mainstream."

This morning, however, Omar said he had not agreed to walk 11th Street with Watkins.

Olin, an eight-year incumbent, has no major-party opposition this fall. Besides Watkins, another Roanoker, Gerald Berg, has filed to be an independent candidate on the ballot. Berg is a follower of political extremist Lyndon LaRouche.

***CORRECTION***

Published correction ran on July 18, 1990\ Amplification

Shaheed Omar said Tuesday that he has no plans to join with J.C. Watkins on a walk down 11th Street Northwest Saturday night. A story in Tuesday's editions about Watkins' write-in bid for the 6th District Congressional seat quoted Watkins saying he and Omar would walk together through the site of several recent beatings and rock and bottle-throwing incidents.

Memo: CORRECTION

by CNB