4-THE CAROLINA TIMES SAT MARCH 3, 1979
The Sure Way . .
RETICENCE TO SEIZE THE
initiative tooroanize mMcomutumss
vimmsm school of social mm, is a major
fACTOWtWAUmPORTAItT factor contrm
rm to m conwtirms' umevbloped
STATUS?
politican workers
businessman community organizations
BOCrOOS SOCIAL HOOKERS ENGINEERING
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FINANCE ARCHITECTURE
COMPUTER SCIENCE.
LAWYERS
ARTISTS
TEACHERS COMPUTER SCIENCE. nt AriaoCCC.
Ministers institution aqmini$traton 0LACH rHkJV
Issues Versus Personalities
What a powerful force black
people will become when we learn to
stand together against a common
enemy contrary to our own personal
pettiness, selfishness and ego. We will
get results that are astounding.
There are several organizations in
this city purporting to represent the
best interests of the race. We've
heard dissenting rumblings coming
from all of them which do not
augur well for the needs of the total
group. The serious issues facing black
people today dictate that these
groups get together and iron out
their differences "in the back room"
and come out together.
Down through the ages, we've
fought each other, sold each other
out, stabbed each other in the back.
We seem to have a difficult time
dealing with issues above personali
ties. We can no longer afford the
luxury. If progress for all is going to
be realized, then we are going to
have to begin to suppress our needs
for ego trips and deal solidly with
issues.
Half Truths Are Dangerous
It has been said that a half truth is
worse than a lie.
The Housing Division of the
National Urban League this week
has called on the carpet a report of
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development that "describes
the extent of the displacement of
the poor in urban areas by more
affluent individuals as minimal"
The NUL assessment that the
HUD study is "especially dangerous
to poor people because it will be
used by HUD to formulate recom
mendations to Congress for dealing
with the displacement problem" is
very valid.
It is just one example of how
decisions are made in Washington
which affect you and me on the
basis of misinterpretations of
information and half truths.
Take it a step further.
It is one small example of why it
is so necessary that each individual
vote for representatives who will be
responsive to their needs; that we
read and keep aware of decisions
being acted on which affect us; that
we write letters to our representa
tives to register our opinions before'
they vote. Its no skin off the backs
of the representatives if HUD dis
places a- lot of poor folks. But they
do sit up and take notice if those
poor people's votes help put them
in office and those poor people are
letting them know their desires.
"Despite the HUD report," says
Tom Gale, Director of Housing of
the NUL, "which was based on the
skimpiest of data, displacement is a
significant problem for hundreds of
thousands of families and not one
to be so lightly dismissed."
Certainly, citizens of Durham and
other cities and towns affected by
earlier HUD decisions and programs,,
know firsthand the devastating
effects of decisions made by a few
who stand to profit while the many
suffer.
Each of us should resolve right
now to stay on top of issues on
which someone else is going to vote
which affect our daily lives. We need
to know the whole truth and we
need to make representatives ac
countable to us. Then, we've got to
work to keep our representatives
representing us and not some few
fatcats who stand to get richer.
Nation Needs More Minority By Vernon Jordan
Scientists
Tnings You Skild Know
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL URBAN
LEAGUE I
T1 r " '1'
II . -
1 he economic future of this nation is direct
ly tied to its ability to make technological
breakghroughs and exploit them. Everyone
agrees that expanded research and develop
ment is central to an expanding econpmy. And
everyone agrees that the United States, once
the unchallenged leader in this area, has been
lagging in recent years.
Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans pro
bably account for twenty percent of the pop
ulation, but make up less than two per cent of
PhD's in science and engineering. Blacks are
seven times less likely than whites to become
scientists and twelve times less likely to become
engineers.
It' minorities entered the scientific and en
gineering professions in proportion to their
numbers, our nation would, have a much larger
pool of skilled, creative manpower to launch a
technological revolution for the good of all.
Both majority and minority high school
students evidence a desire for careers in the
technical fields. But minorities tend to be track
ed away from those goals. Minority college
students are disproportionately in two-year
community colleges and those in predominately
white institutions attend schools whose track
record indicates relative ineffectiveness in
encouraging blacks to complete scientific
careers.
The Centers would be rigorous in their pur
suit of excellence, and with substantial numbers
of minority students and faculty, would pro
vide an atmospehre conducive to integrated
education.
In addition to serving a first-class graduate
school in the sciences, schools selected as
Centers would be responsible for strengthening
the education of science students at communi
ty colleges in their regions, enabling them to go
on to graduate-level work. They would be
scientific resource centers for the region.
They would also implement programs to
involve high school students and parents and
teachers in considering science as a viable career
opportunity.
There are other elements to the plan, but it
seems to me a good one that deserves support.
A first step towards this goal was taken in
1978, as the Atlanta University center was
funded for a four-year program. But there is
still need for additional centers at minority
universities.
A well-funded program to increase the
numbers of minority scientists would be good
for minorities, putting blacks and others in the
mainstream of America's economic vanguard.
But it would also be good for the black
colleges, good for all education, and for all citi
zens, who would benefit from the influx of
trained minority scientists.
The predominately black colleges hard
pressed, underfunded and often lacking equip
ment and resources, have a far better record for
this regard. Almost three-fourths of black
PhD. scientists got thier B -A.'s from black col
leges. This suggests that a major national effort to
attact more minorities to science careers should
focus on the black colleges. Traditionally, white
scienteists have gone to undergraduate schools
with strong graduate science departments and
then continued at those schools to get their ad
vanced degrees.
Since the black colleges appear to be doing
a better job of stimulating their students to
center careers in science, it is logical to help
equip those schools with graduate facilities to
increase the production of minority scientists.
One creative way in which more minority sci
entists should be educated is the suggesiton that
the present underfunded "Minority Centers for
Graduate Education" run by the National
Science Foundation, be expanded.
The National Organization of Black
Chemist and Chemical Engineers suggests the
name be changed to "Resource Centers for the
Science of Engineering", to remove the stigma
currently attached to minority programs, and
to emphasize that the program should not
merely create minority enclaves in selected,
schools.
7r O
Congressman Hawkins' Column
Prisons May Be Out of Date
As a modern, humane, society, we pride our
selves on our ability to utilize the most progres
sive techniques to answer difficult, compelling
problems.
In many ways, we are successful in respond
ing to a whole host of social .concerns; we are
continually striving to better education, health
care, social service delivery, programs for our
senior citizens, and so on. :
We are proud of our innovativeness in
building buildings, constructing freeways, de
signing safer cars, and developing a whole host
of things to make our lives better and more
comfortable. '
We are? trying desperately to improve our
selves in so many ways. '
I only wish we lived up to this kind of
promise in our handling and incarcerating of
those people we call criminals (some of whom
are not criminals at all).
We lock up a lot of people, on the primise
that they've committed a crime, and imprison
ment is the answer. :
We, in essence, manufacture criminals.
We're not even very selective in the process.
What we do is imprison the non-violent in
mates in with the violent ones.
And the best experts on this subject say
that no more than 51 5 per cent of those pre
sently in prison need to be there for the safety
and protection of the public anyhow. '
The question is what is happening to the
thousands of inmaes who are not dangerous,
and yet must share the same fate as those that
are dangerous.
We used to make criminals out of alcoholics.
Most states now have decriminalized drunken
ness .- thereby cutting jail populations by '
about 25 per cent. They have also cut unneces
sary costs saving !9me;'iax.!i in their'
efforti. But more importantly, what they have
recognized is that some anti-social behavior
needs a hospital bed, not a prison bunk. '
We need to further this goal of decrimina
lizing what appears to be delinquent behavior,
by examining our views on drug use and addic
tion, prostitution, gambling, truancy, and the
plight of the run-away child. '
We need to stop seeing crime where crime
does not actually exist.
Our most . extensive looking at the problem,
F. Hawkins
however, must focus on the prisons themselves,
and in this process we must examine the pur
poses for which prisons are supposed to serve
society. '
I am talking to a lot of people these days
who are telling me that prisons as a rehabilita
tive tool, have failed, and failed miserably. '
That what we have done, is provide a base
from which the serious offender, teachers the
first-timer the rudiments of real criminal
behavior. 1
Some offenders need imprisonment.
What we need to figure out is how to
separate those offenders that can be saved,
from those- that caa'tbe saved. If we can figure
these out, then maybe most offenders' need
never go to prison. ' "'
Some people are calling for a moratorium on
prison construction, until we do .some deep
thinking on these issues, and come up with
some reasonable alternatives to incarceration.
A moratorium might be a good idea, because
it could allow the implementation of some
reasonable alternatives.
I'd be willing to see how well the alternatives
worked.
What about you?
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BUSINESS IN THE BLACK
The Black Connection
BY CHARLES E. BELLE
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If business development and full .employ
ment are interrelated, we then must ask why
unemployment continues to rise among black
Americans in an up economy? Latest U.S.
Bureau of Labor statistics data declares 65,000
more black Americans unemployed, while
whites obtained 49,000 more jobs in November
1978.
Thus, the black' unemployment gap grows
'deeper as black Americans unemployment rate
rose from 1 1.4 in October 11.8 in Novem
ber,, in the face of a falling rate for whites from
XJ0RN IN ClNCINNATI,0HI0H won
HIS M.S.DE-GREE AT CINCINNATI UNIVERSfHT
n'd.
INI892.AFTER A SHORT EXPERIENCE . 8fr
5
Turn
1867-1923
TEACHING 8I0L0GY, HE RESUM- ED STUDIES;
ST UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGOWINNING H'
PH.D. WITH HIGHEST HONORS I HE DID
i EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND MADE MANY
INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN A FIELD
OF BIOLOGY SO ADVANCED AND COMPLEX
THAT ONLY A FEW EXPERTS COULD FULLY
APPRECIATE THEIR WORTH !
5.1 to 5, effecting the steady major media
published rate of 5.8. It is painfully clear that
the "Lawd helps those who helps themselves"
To create a strong eocnomic base for black
America, finances must be found for the
community. In addition to internal sources' of
.funds, external aid may be available from the
mother country. Concerned voices of two
leading black American organizations have
called for financial investments by . African
nations, meaning Nigeria.
Nigeria is the second major supplier of
imported petroleum to the United States. U.S..
Department of Commerce figures reflect that
17 of U.S. crude oil imports approaching 2.4
billion barrels in 1977 were supplied by Nigeria
This netted Nigeria over $5 billion that year,
given its premium priced petroleum.
It's not surprising that Tom (Joines, the new
president of the National Bankers Association
(NBA) which represents about 80 of the
nation's minority-owned banks, wants to
establish a connection with African and Arab
depositors. Nigeria alone has over three times
the cash flow of the total $2 billion in assets
of NBA members.
Any infusion of Nigerian oil dollars would
couple cash with clout for theWeck American
community. .
Nigeria supplies a significant amount of
petroleum to several of the seven sisters of the
'oil kingdom. Texaco has just recently expanded
us operations in Nigeria, and British Petroleum
and Gulf get over 13 of their petroleum
supply from secure Nigeria.
Because of the interruption of Iranian oil
supplies, both British Petroleum and Gulf, as
well as the other oil sisters, will be seeking even
more of Nigeria's black gold in 1979. Minority
contracts, management assistances and money
for community programs could pop up a lot
easier from these qfl sisters at the mere sound
"oF petroleum barrel movement to companies
on the affirmative action road.
Dr. Carlton Goodlett, past president of the
National Newspaper Publishers Association -Black
Press of America - has already called on
the Honorable Brigadier J. Garba, Commission
er of External Affairs, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, to establish a Nigerian-American bank.
Both Dr. Goodlett's and Mr. Goines ideas
need stroking for a stronger black American
business community.
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