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HOVEVPTHWCHSOaSTY. - Q A jtH
Weir V
W I .. .. Ug?-
IVe Cannot Afford Dropouts
The alanningly high rate of drop
outs in the public schools or our city
(and nation) calls for drastic measures
if a trend is to be reversed.
Just as industry retools to meet
changing conditions and needs, so must
our schools.
Public school administrators and
faculties need to get to work designing
and providing courses to prepare itu- -dents
for roles in tomorrow's occupa- ,
tions, as?well as;to assume their.places
as;:consurnen;and future parents. 5tu
dent input could be extremely valuable
if the adults concerned would so some
active listening and not be so ready to
theorize negatively oh new idea&Many, ; ;
good things are now going on in our
schools, but the increasing dropout rate
signals that some other things going on :
are not good enough.
;, Projected trends indicate j that
A Heeded
A reprimand or the official and
public censure this week of. the five
Durham policemen for their admitted;
actions against a prisoner is due them.
Brutality by police officers has long
been a blight on most communities and .
any number of alleged suspects have,
raised the issue. ' ' , - '
Excessive emotional vbehavior; by
any policeman toward a suspect or pri
soner should "not be excused. ' ' :
It was revealed during thelxourt
testimony that certain policemen had
become so emotionally charged ijthat
they were unable to function properly.
However," the fact that they claimed
the were responding t to a v fellow
THE
By Dr.
t
1 ""j
:;v:;.. .. ,
: J:
WILL ROBOTS REPLACE
PEOPLE?
By 1980 the Bell Tele
phone system anticipates the
installation of a new computer
control electronic switching
system, to automatically enter
billing Mormation. Coupled
'with remote telephone trunk
arrangements for automated
long distance coin telephones,
it will reduce the need for
4300 operators at a net
annual company saving of
' $530 mQlion.
There it a mechanical
robot, capable of moving its
arms In three directions; tight
ening a screw, and generally
assembly line work. The cost it
$25,000. It comes to work on
. tjma and takes no coffee
breaks.'.
A computerized ' self
ticketing robot machine has
been installed ' in major ; air
ports. . It dispenses passenger,
tickets after credit card inser
tion; and obeys instructions
either typed by the traveler on
the machine's video screen, or
by telephonic request. Tickets
are processed in ; about 60
seconds. -''"",
A GUARANTEED JOB
In Japan, an' einployee
once hired is guaranteed a life
time job. Similar employment
protection is assured New York
and New Jersey longshoremen.
Their union contract guaran
tees compensation for 2,080
hours of work per year, until
reaching retirement age.
The Ford automobile
. labor contract of 1976 Intro
duced the four day work week.
The United Automobile
SUBURBIA
TWIJ IrUTnw
nearly ; one-third of this year's freshmen
will not finish high school Of those
who do finish and go on to a four year
college or university, only four out of
ten will graduate. During this same
period, many adults will be thrown out J
of work because they have not kept
pace with changing technology and
other reasons.
- , Education, management arid labor
must come to grips with the problem.
Through cooperative efforts, . more ;
afld maybe different Hnmiai oppbr.
tunities can help reverse' trie increase in
dropouts and unemployed; Such efforts
could not only give a boost to the total
economy but also help to increase the
new pitifully meagre per capita income
in our state.
We can no longer afford to waste
the untouched talents of many of our
youth,.
At
Reprimand
, officer's death at' the hands of the pri
soner did not give them license to take
things into their own hands and inflict
their emotional assaults upon the re-
' strained prisoner. Two 'wrongsT do not
make a 'right'. Further, it sets an ex-,
tremely bad example for the public,
which by law, policemen are expected
, to serve.
We hope that the public reprimands
and censures will serve as a deterrent to
similar actions by the policemen in the
future.
; We believe that policemen should
f, be respected and supported by the
public, but they, too, should - and
can - earn that respect.
rv
(T)) THE
Q.E.A. Toote
Workers three year contract
provides 12 paid days off in
addition to normal , holiday
leave.'"',; ..v.;
the United Steel Workers
will propose for this yearscon
tract a life time employment
guarantee at full pay.
UNEMPLOYMENT COST:
The right to work can no
longer remain subject to cor
porate or governmental capri
ciousness. Much of the cause of
the fiscal crisis facing federal
state and city budgets is the
high cost of sustaining the ;
unemployed through welfare
program funding or unemploy
ment benefits.
World War II was the first
time our- nation achieved full
employment. The automated
industrial plant of tomorrow,
will have people jobs per
ToDod
Hnamiinpiu
toy Affirmative Action Ruling Dug
Sometime this year the Supreme Court will ,
- hear a case of crucial importance to blacks and '
' other minorities. It's the old reverse discrimina- j ;
tion" vs. affirmative action argument, and the
. Court's ruling will have a major influence on uni-
versity admission and employment policies.
- The issue came before the Court two years
''' ago. in the De Funis case, but the Court ducked '
it, refusing to give a definitive ruling. .-.
Now it's back; with a white California, Allan
Bakke, suing the University of California at Davis
for twice turning down his application for medi
cal school reserving " 16 out of its 100 open
ings for disadvantaged applicants.' '
The University says it has over 3,000 people
applying for admission, and reserves those 16
slots to help integrate the school and the pro
fession, and to fulfill the compelling need for
more minority doctors.
Nationally, only about two per cent of all
doctors are black, a situation that is clearly the
, result of racial and economic discrimination. As
a result, black - and other minority - communi
ties suffer denial of medical services and equal
access to medical care, as well as being deprived
' of role models, civic leadership, and sympathetic
' professional assistance.
And the University isn't just taking anyone
for those reserved slots; the students are all quali
Conorossaan
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DlacEt
America received another shock to its al
ready reeling domestic crisis recently in the shape
of the Hanafi Moslem physical take-over of three
major Washington, D. C. institutional structures.
The take-over also included some 130
hostages. .
. The situation was grim and charged with the
tensions of the unknown. One person lost his
life. Some others were physically brutalized.
Fortunately the tragedy ended with the
surrender of the hostages by the Hanafi Moslems,
due to the leadership effected by three Moslem
Ambassadors, District Government leaders, and
law enforcement officials. ? y
A fairly happy ending to a story which was
fraught with the potential for great; violences
Now that its qver though, most of us will re
i am to business as usual. ; ; . y. rf.,'4.t-J., ,
-T But dut of the depths pfthaf human dramaf
the real drama never strfaced because some of
us have become toe insensitive and immune to its
workings. .. J."-1 'S
- What I'm talking about are the conditions in
... this nation that are the actual root causes for the
,; . . . (" - .'
Cenjomin t. fJoofis
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Too Uuch Time On The Playing
like a broken record, in speech, sermon,
writings, private chats, press interviews - what
ever I have continually harped on this theme:
Black youngsters spend too much time striving
to be star singers, entertainers, and super athle
tes, and not enough time in study, trying to
acquire knowledge.
Some folk nave got mad at me when I said
this, and when I chastise TV and radio for seek
ing out the star singer entertainer, super-stud
1lur1Ht
formed by. machines of compu
ters. There are more people
seeking work that there are
jobs. There are more people
entering the labor market than
leaving it? ;. '
We have turned off the
senior citizens i thoughts of
early retirement, by the shabby
way we force them to live on a
fixed income, and preclude
their working to supplement
their retirement benefits. Even
marriage to another social
security beneficiary is at the
cost of loss of fixed income. .
EXECUTIVE ROBOT "
The office of the President
and the control of Congress
rests with one party There can
be no excuse . for lack of
cooperation between the Exe-
cutive, ', ; Administrative and
Congressional branches ' ' of
government.;, -'.
- My suggestion is that if
Congress and the President failv
to act with deliberate speed, to ,
assure employment for all,
then the American people ,
should replace them with
robots who know how to think
and follow instructions.
3
AMEN
3
fied. While they may have somewhat lower test s
scores than the white applicants, for the majority
84 entrance slots, such scores often reflect cul- '
tural bias and aren't accurate predictors of later ,
- sUccessr;ii":';S7:T ;:y
" : In choosing to give added weight to an appli-
cant's disadvantaged background,' schools and
employers recognize personal attributes not re- '
fleeted in test scores that suggest professional ,
success. For a poor black or Chicano to get to a
certain level indicates he's got ability, drive and
perse rverance. So a little extra boost to help him
compete with advantage persons for such scarce
goods as professional school admission makes
sense. , , -c - . ' lt ,,,
That's the principle too. behind such pre
ferential treatment as yeterans points on civil
service exams, and. all institutions have long
histories of special favored treatment for alumni,
friends, and others, as well as long histories of
outright negative discrimination against blacks
and other minorities. f; ; .
It is hypocritical for society to finally ack
nowledge that-past discrimination was uncon
stitutional and then refuse to take adequate
steps to remedy the effects of that discrimina
tion through reasonable positive racial considera
tions on the grounds that would be "reverse
discrimination."
llaivfibs' CoIcdd
Misfortunes Still
desperate acts that blacks are sometimes forced
to commit in order to survive.
The Hanafi Moslems are black; and as all
blacks jn this society, they too are constantly
searching for ways in which their continual
deprivations can be addressed and resolved.
These deprivations usually come in the form
of discriminatory actions by the majority
society, designed to keep blacks at the lowest
end of the spectrum in all things concerning the
social order.
If you want tragic recounting of what
these things are, read the just released National
Urban League's publication, "The State of Black
America 1977".
t In the report you 11 find that there's a crime
being perpetuated against black America - and
t no one's going to jail for jtf : J; 7:; r .
'. ; In brief the NjUL f epbrt fayi:
? "In the context of the recent past no year
has been more destructive to the progress of
Blacks that 1975.
The facts spoke for themselves. The growing
income gap between black and white, the de-
athlete to discuss weighty matters of state and
country while ignoring blacks more qualified to .
address these subjects - doctors, lawyers, socio
logists, economists, teachers, etc.
This is not elitism but awareness of what this
is doing to us. I would be the first to applaud the
super athlete and star singer or attaining their
elevated status. I, for one, also enjoy their pen
formances. But 1 think things should be kept fat
perspective. ;-v
I believe that our, youngsters are spending
entirely too much time trying to become star
basketball, football, baseball players; or singers
and dancers and entertainers, to the detriment of
acquiring knowledge, a must in this complex
world. . ;, , , , " . .
Now comes strong support for this position
in the person of none other than Arthur Ashe,
the super star professional tennis player, who
happens to be black. ' .
In a recent column that appeared in the New
York Tunes, Ashe, Wimbledon and Forest Hills
title champion who is a native of Richmond, Va.,
says: - -
"Since my sophomore year at the University
of California, Los Angeles, I have become con
vinced that we blacks spend too much time on
the playing fields and too . little time in the
libraries." ;
Begging us to listen further, Ashe says "I
don't have children, but I can make observa
tions. -I strongly believe the black culture ex
pends too much time, energy and effort raising
and praising and teasing our black children as to
the dubious glories of professional sport.
v "ADchildren need models to emulate -parents,
relatives or friends. But when the child
starts school, the influence of the parent is
shared by teachers and classmates, by the lure of
1 books, movies, ministers and newspapers, but
most of all by television. 1 . .. ..
"Which televised events have; the greatest
viewers? - Sports - The Olympics, Super Bowl,
Masters, World Series', pro basketball play-offs,
Forest Hills ." . . So your child gets a massive dose
of 0. J. p Simpson,' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Muhammad All, Reggie Jackson, Dr. J. and Lee
Elder and other pro athletes (including Ashe).
And it is only natural that your child will dream
of being a pro athlete himself.". . (.
Well, the child also gets huge doses of enter
tainment - singing; dancing, acting. He identifies ;
with the outstanding performers of this medium,
as wen. But not everybody can be a star singer or
dancer or entertainer or actor-actress. Everybody '
can't be a Walt Frazier, Elvin Hayes, a Jim Brown
or a Sugar Ray Leonard. Nor can they be a
member of the The Jacksons, Archie Bell and the
Drells or be a Billy Davis or Marilyn McCoo, an
-V
'
t vc:::i l ran
EXECUTIVE PIXECTCX,
HATIOiM U1IAH
LEAGUE I
The outlook , is troubling. Lower courts
- ruled in Bakke's favor, saying that the program's
goals and classifying applicants by race are Tin-"
constitutional, but that the University's system1
of racial preference violates the equal protection
clause of the Constitution. ..'. - "
And there is suspicion that the University
'. wouldn't mind losing the case. It's not the
strongest example of affirmative action that
might have come up, and America's educational
establishment has never been very keen about
expanding opportunities for blacks and other
" minorities. ' "' -
And there's little, reason to expect much
from the current Supreme Court, whose civil
rights rulings have marked a retreat from earlier
decisions. But one ray of hope comes from the
Court's recent decision upholding a New York
legislative redistricting law that used racial
composition as a key factor in drawing districts
line for the legislatureThere, the Court realized
that the effects of racial discrimination cannot be
remedied without resort to such racial considera
tions. At stake in the Bakke case is not just one
special admissions program at one school, but the
future of special admissions programs to uni
versities and many affirmative action employ
ment programs as well.
On The Rise
pression level of unemployment in black commu
nities, deteriorating public school systems, the in
difference of the national Administration to the.
problems of minorities' and the poor, and to the
plight of the cities. '
In cold statistic' as spelled out in the pro
ceeding pages, the overall position of blacks did
not materially improve in 1976, and indeed in
some areas - most notably affirmative action
- blacks suffered further setbacks". '
The Report then goes on to observe:
"In its totality: the Bicentennial Year was
not a time of celebration within Black America.
The problems spawned of . racism and neglect
were still too much a part of everyday life to
permit the majority of blacks the luxury of
venerating the past. For them, the present was
what mattered.1 For many, life war reduced to
the basic issue of survival from day to day"; ?
Blacks are hurting badly in this great demo
cracy, and if we fail to put that together with the
Hanafi Moslem acts, then we truly don't under
stand the grief we are headed for as long as
Blacks still remain sitting in the "back of the
bus". ' f , .
KC
CoRtpissicner
Field
Aretha Franklin, a Barry White or a Natalie Cole.
Ashe offers some interesting facts: "For the
major professional sports of hockey, football,
baseball, golf, tennis, and boxing, there are
roughly 3,170 major league positions, available
(attributing 200 positions to golf, 200 to tennis
and 100 to boxing). And the annual turnover is
small." There are fewer positions for super star
entertainers - actors singers to occupy at any
given time. In sports Ashe figures your child has
less than;one chance in 1 ,000 of becoming a
pro. In entertainment, he or she has far less than
those monumental jobs.
Ashe says his grandmother was more proud
of the degree he acquired at UCLA in 1966 than
all of his subsequent awards and glories achieved
on the pro tennis circuit.
And, he ends with this very sane observa
tion: "We have been oi the same roads - sports
and entertainment - too long. We need to pull .
over, fill up at the library and speed away to
Congress and the Supreme Court, the unions and
business world. We, need more Barbara Jor
dans, Andrew Youngs, union cardholders, Nikki
Giovannis and Earl Graveses. Don't worry: we
will still be able to sing and dance and run and
jump better than anybody else!"
To which I say; Amen.. ;
L E. AUSTIN
Iditor- PubUshervl927-1971
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