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Durham, N. C
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In actual life every great enterprise begin
with and take its first forward step in faith,
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VOLUME 53 NUMBER 45
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY. DECEMBER 6. 1975
PRICE: 20 CENTS
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by Sherwood Ross
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The disclosure that the FBI sent a letter to The Reverend
Dr. Martin Luther Kingi Jr. urging him to commit suicide is
another fresh proof of how the Federal government Is
becoming the greatest menace to the life and liberties of the
American people.
From the FBI to the IRS, and from the CIA to the
Pentagon, agency after agency of the Federal government is
committing acts of illegality and wrong-doing that are worthy
of a totalitarian society.
In the case of Dr. King, since it now appears
incontrovertible that the . FBI urged him to kill himself, the
question must now be asked whether the FBI played any role
in his murder in Memphis in 1968. Far-fetched, you say?If Dr.
Xing had taken his life at the instigation of the viscious letter
mailed to him by the FBI, the FBI, at the least, would have
been an accomplice in the killing. And the Bureau certainly
tried. As Sen. Frank Church (D.-Idaho) said, "That was
certainly no Christmas card.'
Qinsnoti
MUST NOW BE
ASKED
Moreover, the FBI's letter was pot an Isolated incident. It
committed 25 separate acts of harassment, all of them illegal,
in its systematic campaign t bring Dr. King down. When
these acts failed, Dr. King' was 'mysteriously murdered.
Moreover, the FBI considered planting stories that Dr. King
was patronizing a white-owned hotel in Memphis. Such stories,
conceivably, might have influenced Dr. King to stop at the
popular black-owned Lorraine Hotel, where he was in fact
murdered by a sniper's bullet fox .the high crime of stepping
out on his balcony. W
Not only did the late J. Edgar Hoover hate the popular civil
rights deader, but under Hoover the FBI waged a war of
disruption and Incitement to violence against a number of
black protest groups, including Chicago's Blackstone Rangers
and Jersey City's Black Panthers. The FBI also- despite
advance warnings that James Meredith was going to be shot on
June 6, 1966, in Mississippi -. failed to guard him to prevent
the shooting even though its agents were just five minutes
X
if Molsh6user
from the scene.
The FBI crusade against Dr. King, using tactics of deceit
and treachery . that would have done justice to the Russian
secret police, brings to mind other examples of FBI
wrong-doing. (Exhibit No. 1) was the FBI's failure to notify
the Warren Commission that alleged assassin Lee Harvey
Oswald had been, at the least, contacted by an FBI agent
shortly before President Kennedy's murder, and was perhaps a
paid FBI informant. (Exhibit No. 2) was the FBI's efforts to
make Blackstone Ranger chief Jeff Fort think members of his
own party were attempting to kill him. The FBI apparently
hoped that Fort might stroke first.
It's time for the American people to ask some hard
questions:
What role did the FBI play in the murder of Dr. King? Why
wasn't he protected by the government, instead of harrassed?
What is the true role of the FBI in the murder of President
Kennedy? (Continued on Page if.
v i
KING
i
Gets Petitions Urging
End: To Death Row In N. C.
V
is,
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FIRST DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL ISSUES CONVENTION - LOUISVILLE, KY. (L-R): Ssn.
Philip Hart Congresswoman Barbara Jordan; Keith Holler, convention director; Leonard Woodcock,
president of United Auto Workers; and Joseph Duffey, planning chairman sit .on panel answering
reporters questions as the first Democratic National Issues Convention got underway. (UPI).
LILLINGTON - During a
People's Tour, Governor James
Holshouser received the
hundreds of petitions urging
commutation of the. Death
Sentences of all persons now on
Death Row in Raleigh from
members of the Task Force on
Criminal Justice, Pilgrim United
Church of Christ, Durham. The
petition has been circulated
throughout the state through
religious, civil rights and campus
grounds and has been signed by
bout 13,000 persons.
Governor Holshouser in
receiving the petitions spoke to
J0K1T: CE1TER-C
Calls November Election Disastrous
For Black Candidates
Capital Punishment Case of
Fowler to not act as Governor in
this area, at this time.
t Persons speaking for the Task
Force pointed out that the
major religious denominations of
the state such as the Baptist
State Convention, the
Methodists and the
Episcopalians have publicly
stated their opposition to
Capital Punishment. They also
noted that Death Row inmates,
by and large, represent the
poorest and least powerful
members of society.
Holshouser indicated that
While he wisheH tn listen tn the
the group of his past record of group, he also was hearing from
opposition to the Death Penalty the many proponents of the
when he was a member of the N. Dea th Penalty. Task Force
C. State legislature. He noted members replied that sometimes
again that he feels compelled by. public official had to act from
the pending iUSvSuprsme'isclence rather, from public
Court actio regarding the feelings. ....,.",. .......
One Task Force member
expressed concern over the
power which the governor has
over the life of another person.
She said, "This is a terrible
burden on anyone, to have the
life of another person in one's
hands.' The governor agreed,
stating that he will have to live
with his decision for the rest of
his life, no matter what that
decision was. But, he concluded,
he hoped that he would not have
to be put In the position in the
months to come where he would
have to respond to this issue.
The members of the Task
Force indicated, at the end of
the interview, THAT THEY
WOULD CONTINUE
WORKING in opposition to the
Death Penalty in the months to
come.
Contact Durham - 488-9817
for further information. r-
LAST RITES HELD HERE
TUESDAY FOR
WASHINGTON - The
showing by black candidates in
this falls municipal office
elections, especially the
November 4 races, can be
summed up in one word,
"disastrous," according to a
statement released here today by
the Joint Center for Political
Studies.
Joint Center President Eddie
N. Williams said: "While our
preliminary analysis of the
November election results shows
that there were some minor
gains registered by blacks in
various state legislatures, these
limited successes . in no way
balanced the losses sustained in
municipal, primarily mayoral,
elections. We have been pleased
to note and report progress
made by blacks in previous
elections. We must not hesitate
to also note and report setbacks.
These setbacks saw the ranks of
black mayors dwindle from 143
at the start of the Fall elections
to 130 when all results were in.
' There has not yet been time
for an in-depth analysis of each
election result where black
candidates were involved, but it
is clear that the mayoral results
were disastrous, in the short run,
to attempts by blacks to play an
active, constructive leadership
role in making our cities more
livable and more responsive to
the needs of all citizens. We will
be examining some of the
underlying reasons for the
results during the Third National
Institute for Black Elected
Public Officials to be held:
December 11-13 in Washington's
Sheraton Park Hotel."
The Joint Center statement
noted that 20 Incumbent black
mayors vacated their seats as a
result of defeats in primary or
general elections or by not
running for reelections. Seven of
these mayors were replaced by
other blacks and 13 were
succeeded by whites. Nine of the
20 mayors did not seek
reelection; 11 campaigned for
reelection and lost. Eight of the
11 lost to white candidates, the
remainder to black candidates.
Black challengers contested
white incumbents in ten mayoral
elections in eight states
(Alabama, California,
Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland,
Michigan, Ohio and
Pennsvlvania). All lost. Nine
incumbent black mayors,
including three in the South,
won reelection.
On the plus side, a survey of
five states (Mississippi, New
Jersey. Kentucky, Louisiana and
Virginia) showed a net gain of
two black state legislators. Most
significant in the state legislative
category were the three new
seats won In Mississippi which
now has four black state
representatives--the largest
number since Reconstruction.
In the five states, 20 black
incumbent state senators and
representatives sought
reelection. Seventeen won; two
were replaced by other blacks
and one yielded to a white
challenger.
The upcoming Institute for
black elected officials will look
at such issues as voter
motivation, registration and
turnout rates, mass media
relations to black politicians,
coalition politics and
assessments of whether or not
black elected officials make a
real difference in promoting the
economic and social progress of
their constituents. Some 1500
black elected officials and
invited observers are expected to
attend the three-day Institute
sessions.
Institute sponsors are the
Joint Center for Political
Studies, which is also acting as
Coordinator; the Congressional
BLack Caucus; the Judicial
Council of the National Bar
Association; the National
Association of Black County
s f
Final rites were heldTuesday,
December 2, for Theodore
Roosevelt 'Ted" Stroud, at the
White Rock Baptist Church.
Rev. Lorenzo A. Lynch, pastor,
officiated.
Born in Cary. the son of the
late Atkins and Mary Blackwood
Stroud, the family moved to
Chapel Hill. He was educated in
the public schools of Chapel Hill
and attended what was then the
National Religious Training
School. He finished the high
school department and later was
among the first graduates of
North Carolina College for
Negroes,
Ted wu appointed In 1932 to
the oosition of bookkeew et
the Mechanics and Farmers Bank
by the late R. L. McDougald and
held that post until his
retirement in 1970.
He was a member of White
Rock Baptist Church where he
was a trustee, the
Moore-Kennedy Bible Class, and
was treasurer of the church's
Miles Mark Fisher District. For
many years he was active in local
and national programs of Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity Surviving
are his wife; one sister, Mrs.
Lucy Craig, Chapel Hill; one
brother, Samuel, Frederick,
Maryland; one nephew, Charles
Craig, Chapel Hill and one niece,
Mrs. Doris Hargraves, of
Durham.
Courtesy of Scarborough and
Hargett Memorial Chapel and
Gardens.
vv ; -, -
Mm
STROUD
CLEAVER CALLS lllilG
"TRAGIC JAM"
NOT "HERO"
TAKING THE OATH OF OFFICE
DURHAM CITY SCHOOLS'
ELECTED D0ARD SWORN
FIRST
IN
The late Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. was described as a
"tragic man" but not a "hero
tw Black Panther leader Eldridee
Cleaver, who surrendered to U.
S. authorities after seven years
abroad.
In an interview to be
published in the January- issue
of Oui magazine, Cleaver also
said he no longer believed that
the U. S. is a "Babylon" that
ought to be "destroved."
Cleaver said it was his Intention
udoii returning to the U. S. to
(8m Pm 6)
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PHILADELPHIA A $25,000 grant has been awarded to the Opportunities Industrialization Centers
(OIC) by the Gulf Oil Foundation. In making the award to Rev. Leon Sullivan, right QIC president,
Dr, Alexander Lewis, left. Gulf Foundation president, applauded the programs of' the vocational
development organization. ' We feel this grant has particular significance because It will provide the
national organization with seed money to develop and test pilot programs which will have multiplier
effect if introduced to the more than 100 local OIC'i throughout the country," Dr. Lewis said.
The five members of Durham
City Schools' first elected Board
of Education were sworn in
Monday morning in ceremonies
held in the board room of the
Fuller School Building.
Alton Knight,' clerk of
Durham County Superior Court,
administered the oath of office
to Dr. Theodore R. Speigner,
incumbent chairman of the
formerly appointed board, Dr.
Thomas D. Bass, who has
Erevlously served on the board,
Irs. Josephine D. Clement, an
Incumbent from the appointed
board, John D. Lennon, serving
his first term, and Harry E.
Rodenhizer, an incumbent from
the appointed board.
In the past, the Board of
Education was appointed by the
Durham City Council, but by act
of the 1975 General Assembly,
the posts became elective.
Under specifications of the
act passed by the General
Assembly, the five members
were elected in a non-partisan
election for terms of four years
each. All candidates were
required by the law to reside '
within the Durham City Schools
District at the time of filing and
to remain residents of the
district countinuously during the
term of office.
Members ol the board are to
receive compensation of $25 per
meeting, not to exceed three
meetings per month, and $0.15
St mile traveling to and from
e place Of meeting.
Dr. Speigner, retired
professor and chairman of the
nlinauencv. and is an nonorary revolutionary.
member of the Sheriffs Cleaver said he preferred the
Association. late Malcom X's stand on
Dr. Bass previously served on "self-defense" to Dr. King's
(Continued on Page 71. position on "non-violence.'' He
Y
V
Department of Geography at Committee to Combat Juvenile come back only as an 4 armchair
- . . . . . 1, ...J 1. an hnnnrirv "
North Carolina central
University, was appointed to the
school board in 1964 and has
served continuously since.
In 1970, Dr. Speigner was
appointed to the North Carolina
Good Neighbor Council by the
governor, and also to the North
Carolina State Advisory
Committee on Public Education
by President Richard M. Nixon.
He has served on the Governor's
Commission on Agriculture
Migrants, and the Mayor's Good
Neighbor Council.
Dr. Bass, a Doctor of Dental
Surgery, is past president of the.
National Howard University
Dental Alumni Association, the
Howard Club of Durham, the
Durham Academy of Medicine,
the Clty-wide P. T. A. Council
and the Old North State Dental
Society.
He has been affiliated with
the U. S. Army, the U. S. Air
Force, the American Dental
Association, the National Dental
Association, the Old North State
Dental Association, the Howard
University Alumni Federation
Council, and Doric Lodge No,
28-Durham Consistory No. 128.
Also, the National School
Boards Association, the
Education Committee of the
Durham Committee on 'the
Affairs of Black People, the
Board of Directors of John
Averv Bo '8 Club, Omeaa Psi Phi
Fraternity, the' policy-making
board of Operation Head Start,
the Durham City Board of
Education, the Mayor's
added: "I don't regard Malcolm
as a tragic figure; I regard
Malcolm as a hero and a
triumphant figure-whereas"
Martin Luther King I regard as a
tragic man. A good man. A man
who made a gigantic
contribution-a gigantic moral
contribution. He also made a
gigantic political contribution
but not of a kind that's still
valuable as an example.'
Cleaver continued: 'The
collapse of segregation in the
South and in the North is due to
the work of Martin Luther King.
There is no doubt about it His
contribution was unique and
second to none. But as for his
philosophical contribution; here,
(Continued oa Pag .f
v
.
lit
m
TOP N. C. TEACHER - Chosen as North Carotina Teacher of the Year", Mrs. Ruby Murahisitt
(second from left) Is flanked and congratulated by soma of the hundreds of Fayetteville citizens who
honored the Junior High School instructor of language and arts. Giving Mrs. Murchison a smiling
congratulation are (L-R) W. T. Brown, Assistant Superintendent. Fayetteville City Schools; Dr. C. K
Edwards, Chairman, Board of Education, Fayetteville City Schools; and Joseph Pillow, President
local NAACP Chapter.