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. There's an evil lurking among us black folks that manes ur struggle in mis country impossible to win. " The evil is negative thinking. For reasons totally beyond my comprehension, many of us insist on thinking negatively, promoting our lack of progress, and generally feeling sorry for ourselves in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. We've come, a long way in this country, not because the pressures of progress have grown lighter, but because we are a great people, the best the motherland produced. But now in the name of resting on our laurels, and because for a chosen few, protesting our condition has become a very profitable profession, we seem willing to acquiesce to our reinslavement. We are a great people. There should be no question in our minds, but obviously there is, so let me prove it. If one believes the popular theory of "selection of the fittest," and "only the strongest survive," then Mother Africa has produced none better than those who now call ourselves American blacks, or Afro-Americans. When the slavers ventured into the African interior to steal persons strong enough to carve out the new land, they didn's pick the weak and the sickly. They stole those who appeared to be fittest. Those stolen souls who crumbled on the grueling march to the ocean were left to die. Those African chieftans, warriors, maidens, etc. who weakened in the slave pens waiting for the ships were left on the seashore. During the middle passage, when hundreds of human beings were packed like sardines in the dank, dark holds of slave ships, only the strongest survived to reach America's shores. So those Africans who became America's foremost labor force had undergone a selection process more str ingent than ever imposed upon a people. 200-year-plus sojourn in America hasn't been con ducive to survival of the weakest. Thus I conclude since we're still around, thriving in an environment of cons tant struggle, it speaks to our, rather that the enemy's, greatness. For I contend that the American system never intended to include us in that great American melting pot, but rather planned to destroy us once our usefulness was ended. We've survived. Thus we're a great people. Our greatness is even more graphically illustrated by . .- i r-. If nilTON JORDAN V our contributions to America. We have given our best to this country despite the fact that while Americans often didn't want our best, have often refused to credit us for our contributions, and have even more often stolen credit for themselves. But perseverence has been our mainstay. We have fought every step of the way from a people who owned nothing to become a major part of a con sumer market that is the ninth largest in the world. As a consumer market, according to D. Parke Gibson, presi dent Of D. Parke Gibson International, a public rela tions firm, and author of "70 Billion in the Black," blacks and other minorities outrank 114 member coun tries of the United Nations. Andrew Brimmer, a nationally known economist, says in 1977 black businesses in America grossed bet ween S13 and $14 billion. Brimmer also says: -The black community as a whole has been slowly in creasing its share of total money income in the United States. -With rising incomes, an increasing proportion of the better-paid black families is migrating out from the cen tral city neighborhoods to suburban areas. Other data also reflect the growth trends of blacks in this country. For example: -A decade ago, two percent of the South's black families earned $15,000 or more annually. Today, that figure hovers near twenty percent. -College enrollment has increased more rapidly for 1 black students than for whites. Between 1970 and 1974, a 56 percent growth in college enrollment was noted for blacks, whereas white enrollment increased by only fif teen percent. -In May 1975, 3,503 blacks were holding office in 45 states and the District of Columbia. This represents an increase of 1,643, or 88 percent since 1971. In 1979, the figures are even more impresssive, with more than 6,000 black elected officials in the country. These data don't contradict or deny the figures on black unemployment, the fact that even with all our progress we still are underrepresented in most areas proportionate to oiur population. The question, quite frankly, is which date should we as a people promote. Should we talk about our accomplishments more than we talk about our shortcomings" I feel we should brag just a little. That seems to me to be a much more positive approach to our situation in this country. It is no more difficult to say "Yes, I Can," as Sammy Davis, Jr. did in his autobiography some years ago that it is to say "No, I Can't." If we promote our shortcomings we breed the crippl ing apathy, the pervasive lethargy and the constant "woe is me" attitude among our people. Our approach to our struggle in this country must be much more balanced. In balancing our approach, there are certain facts we must face. -Race and racism are only as significant as we allow them to be. -Success, or failure aren't necessarily moral issues, 5 -THE CAROLINA tl3 SAT, APRIL 27,127 and it's difficult to discuss them on that levd. ' -A non-yielding dedication to excellence to the key to progress, and we must pay the price ourselves because a system dedicated for two centuries to our destruction just isn't going to finance our development. With these facts in mind, we must proceed to wage twin battles in this country. One battle is to encourage and motivate America to change. But the most impor tant battle, in my estimation, is to succeed in this coun try whether it changes or not. It is this last battle that calls for a more positive view of things, for negative thinking cripples our struggle for success. So let's unlock our minds and soar to the incredible hights of our awesome human potential. Here are just a few examples of how to view ourselves more positively: -The ultimate equality is that we all have 24 hours a day to work with. Let's use more hours better and get farther. -There aren't any justifiable reasons to be poor in a nation that comprises just one sixth of the world's population but controls about ninety percent of the world's wealth. -We can work together, no matter what anyone says, and blacks don't lie, steal, cheat or whatever anymore than do other human beings. Our history goes much further back than American slavery, or the African end of enslavement process. We are the' progeny of kings and queens, conquerors, statesmen, scientists, inventors and people to whom making major contributions was a joy. Finally, if being second class wasn't a part of our beginning, there's no reason for it to be a part of our current or future heritage. So wake up black America, stand up, get your head up, perk up, and dedicate ourselves not simply to a game of catch up, but let's resolve to lead America out of this wilderness of self-deceit and self-destruction. We can do it, because we are a great people. Besides, if not you, who0 Next week, I'll discuss the supposed threat of the Klu Klux Klan resurgence in this state and around the coun try, and reveal the slick trick in all of that. See you then. IDI'S MISTAKES The rambunctious Idi Ami, the vanishing president of Uganda, may have had some big dreams for his people, but he seems to have made a number of mistakes, say the Washington wise ones. The first was the nationalization of the business and agricultural properties of British colonials and some 40,000 Indians, leading the latter to creat an immigra tion problem for hard-pressed England. The next, and perhaps the biggest, was giving sanc tuary in Entebbe to the highjackers of an Israeli airliner, placing him firmly in the enemy camp of Jews and the West. Finally, there was his initial mistake, as his country's army chief, of overthrowing the government of Presi- President James Earl Carter earns $250,000-a-year plus $50,000 in expenses. Governor Jerry Brown earns only $49,100 in total. But Governor Brown made no bones about closing down the nuclear plant in Califor nia when advised of its potential danger. Nuclear radia tion will kill you. President James Earl Carter is a lot more conversant on nuclear energy than Governor Brown because he is an engineer by training. Thus, he should readily see the similarities of sin in the same design of the seven nuclear reactor energy plants built by the same company. There can be no room for error where human lives are at stake.! BJack, Americans live too near too many of these Other near unsafe nuclear reactors. ' In addition to trie near nuclear disaster plant in Penn sylvania, and Rancho Seco in California, a twin to the cripple reactor is Three Mile Island No. One, similar cooling systems are installed at Oconee Nos. One, Two, and Three near Greenville, South Carolina, Crystal The 'Black Side off WosliisigtfoM BY SHERMAN BRISCOE NNPA dent Milton Obote. who fled with his followers to neighboring Tanzania to bide his time and help build an army in exile that would one day return. That day seems to have come. And Yusuf Lule, Obote's right arm, will be the new president of troubled Uganda. A STRENGTHENED EEOC Within a few weeks, 22 district directors of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will be in place in the major cities throughout the country to keep a sharper eye on employment discrimination. They will replace the seven regional directors. Fortunately, nine of these $44,000-a-year directors will be black. They will wield their power for equal job opportunities in these areas: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte. Cleveland. Indianapolis. Los Angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. Seven whites and six Hispanics will watch the rest of the country. ACTION MAY BE IN TROUBLE Sam Brown, director of ACTION, got away with fir ing Dr. Carolyn Payton, but he was not so lucky with Ms. Lillian Garnes. She took him to court on a racial discrimination charge and won. Hopefully, as a result, there will be closer compliance with the agency's EEO regulations. And the so-called liberal Clevelander, Richard F. Celeste, may not succeed Dr. Payton after all. Congress is taking a second look before it approves him. DUSItlESS IN THE DIACK BLACK'S NUCLEAR SACRIFICE By CHARLES E. BELLE River No. Ihree at Crystal River, Florida; Arkansas No. One at Russellville, Arkansas and Dav-Bsse near,, heavily black Cleveland j Ohio. South Carolina is so populated with black Americans that they have elected eleven black mayors in that state. A major disaster was averted at the Three Mile Island No. Two nuclear power plant. This plant and seven others, including the Rancho Seco plant in California, were all built by Babcock and Wilson Company, a sub- ... sidjary of southern bassed J. Ray McDermott Co., Inc. y. AnJlS.lT,, jfobqock.and, Wilson earned 32.5 per cent or $61 .8 million. Incident, last year, Jl Ray McDermott Company pleaded no contest to Federal Grand Jury charges that they conspired to allocate contracts and rig bids submitted to customers for marine construction projects. They were only fined $1 million while private damage suits are likely to follow charge of price fixing. Carter, a peanut farmer from Georgia, has caused for concern regarding the country's energy shortage. Iran has focused sharp attention on the U. S. source of petroleum supply. Some mix of solar, hydro, coal, oil and even nuclear needs to be determined in a highly con trolly master plan. Nuclear especially needs sharp controls. Especially if power plants are placed near people of color. Carless or criminal work in this area is apt to lead to death to able bodied men, women, and children. As of June 30, 1978, the U. S. had 71 nuclear reactors with operating licenses, 89 reactors with construction permits, four reactors with limited work authorizations and 42 reactors on order, representing a. total xf 206 nuclear reactors committed for the country. Clearly, All of America, especially black America, must keep a keen eye over government shoulders on the controls and locations of these future nuclear catastrophic catalysts while James Earl Carter is Presi dent of the United States. THE DLACK PE0PIE OF DUItHAH COUNTY NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON DISTRICT ATTORNEY DANIEL K. EDWARDS, JR By Attorney Shirley d. Dean Co-Coordinator Durham County Chapter N.C. Black Women's Political Caucus This writer believes that District Attorney Daniel K. Edwards Jr. is attempting to use the black people of Durham County. For sometime now, I have observed Mr. Edwards in an effort to ascertain what his position is with respect to the black community and my conclu sion is that he has no respect for the the black communi ty at large. I believe that Mr. Edwards' attitude toward the black community is clearly evidenced in his employ ment practices. Unless the law has changed, under the General Statutes of the State of North Carolina, the Of fice of the District Attorney Durham County is authorized one district attorney and six assistant district attorneys. The statute also authorizes the "temporary appointment of a qualified attorney to assist the district attorney when criminal cases accumulat e on the dockets of the superior or district courts of a district beyond the capacity of the solicitor and his full-time assistants to keep the dockets reasonably current." Daniel K. Ed wards' neglect of the black community is reflected in his hiring practices. At the present time, Mr. Edwards has on his staff three white males serving as full time assis tant district attorneys (Strickland, Chaney and Nyfong) in addition, he has two white females, McGowan and Taylor serving in full time assistant district attorney positions. With a one-third black population in Durham County here is only one black attorney on the staff of the office of the district attorney and that is Darryl Smith. Of the attorneys presently employed in the Of fice of the District Attorney, four of them have been employed since Daniel Edwards took over as District Attorney, after the departure of Anthony Brannon; that is, Chaney, who was working in Raleigh; Smith, who was working for legal aid; Taylor, who had just graduated from law school and Nyfong, who also had recent graduated from law school. In several recent articles and interviews, Mr. Edwards has indicated that he "believes in and supports the con cepts of affirmative." This writer believes that officials should be judged by what they do rather than what they say; and, if one examines what Mr. Edwards has done, it clearly indicates that he is only giving "lip service" to a belief in the concept of affirmative action. Consider this: (1) when Mr. Edwards is approached about hiring more blacks, male and female, he usually states "bring me a qualified black and I'll hire him or her." My ques tion is why should we, the black community, have to "bring him the application of any black attorney." Mr. Edwards went to Raleigh to get Chaney. He went to Chapel Hill to hire Susan Taylor. Why must we the black community go out and "beat the bushes" to get him to practice what he so vigorously professes to believe in. May be we have a different concept of what the term "affirmative action" means. It would appear that to Mr. Edwards it means hiring one black whom he can always point to with pride as representing what he is doing to provide employment opportunities for blacks. One black attorney on the staff of the Office of the District Attorney in a community that is over one-third black does not, in my mind, represent a vigorous or even mildly strong support of the concept of affirmative action. It does however represent "tokenism," with a capital "T". (2) That upon completion of law school, most black attorneys cannot afford to go to work for nothing. Most of them must have a regular income to either support their families, if they are married, or pay of the sizeable debts incurred as a result of borrowing money to attend law school. It is through the device of "volunteering ones services" that Mr. Edwards quietly orchestrates the scene to bring Mr. Nyfong on as a full time solicitor. Mr. Nyfong reportedly originally volunteered his services withouth pay. Later he was placed on a per diem (daily) basis. After the departure of Ron Stephens his position changed from a per diem employee to full time. When Mr. Edwards was asked why Mr. Nyfong was hired to replace Mr. Stephens instead of another black, Mr. Edwards very self-rightously responded by saying that "Mr. Nyfong was already employed on a per diem basis so it was only natural that he should have first opportunity and con sideration for the position." Using this tactic, Mr. Ed wards would forever stall the hiring of another or more blacks as assistant D.A. in the Office of the District At torney. More recently, Mr. Edwards has hired another white attorney on a per diem basis. No doubt if there is an increase in the number of assistant district attorneys authorized Durham County, this attorney will be hired on a full time basis. And, no doubt, if Mr. Edwards is questioned about such a hiring, he will again use the ex cuse that the attorney was already serving in a per diem status. (3) At the time Susan Taylor was hired as an assistant district attorney, there was already one white female attorney in the D.A. Office, Ms. McGowan. A golden opportunity arose for Mr. Edwards to put into practice his "much professed belief in providing equal opportunity for blacks" when a vacancy arose in his of fice on or about September or October 1978. However, instead of recruiting either an already practicing black attorney, male or female, such as Ms. Gurnea Michaux, who already had on file in his office an application for a position as an assistant district attorney, Mr. Edwards showed his true colors by totally ignoring Ms. Michaux' application and going to Chapel Hill to hire Susan Taylor, a recent graduate. Whenever this point is raised, Mr. Edwards responds by stating that he offered posi tions in his office to two black women and they declined the offer. My information with respect to these offers Indicates that at least one of these black women was an attorney who had been practicing for about four years, had considerable stature in the legal community both state and national, and generally had reached that point in her practice that it would have been a sizeable finan cial set back for her to accept the position. It would ap pear that Mr. Edwards automatically rejects graduates of North Carolina Central and gravitates more toward those of Duke and the University of North Carolina. It is hard to believe that from the ranks of all those who either have already graduated or will graduate from N.C. Central, Duke and University of North Carolina and elsewhere, there is not amongst them one black male or female interested in working as an assistant district attorney in Daniel K. Edward's office. For some time, the Durham County Chapter of the N.C. Black Women's Politifca Caucus has been active in attempting to get a black female attorney hired in Mr. Edwards' office as an assistant D.A. When asked why he had two white female attorneys and not one black female attorney, Mr. Edwards pointed with pride to the fact that his administrative assistant is a black female. If Mr. Edwards deserves any applause, it is for the forsight in hiring the black female as his administrative assistant. She is smart, helpful, personable and just plain efficient in her job. But, one must keep in about what we were talking, it is the hiring of a back female attorney, not the existence of a black female administrative assistant. AH of these actions taken together indicate to me that Daniel K. Edwards, Jr. sincerely believes that he can quietly do anything and the black community will bow its head and accept it. The irony of that statement is that it possibly could be true. 1 think that we of the black community should watch Mr. Edwards and observe everything he does very carefully because his actions in this area of hiring, is plea bargaining, in the very act of prosecution very clearly reflects his attitude toward the black community. People, this is a man with political ambition. No doubt when his four years are up, he will either seek reelection as District Attorney or seek election to a state position, such as to the state legislature. Those of you who saw "Roots" recall that there was a time in the South when the black vote represented the difference between winning and loosing for a political candidate. I believe we can have the power now. I think our message to Mr. Edwards, and others who practice as he does, who think that we, the black community, can be used, should be that we will summon our force and deny you any office you seek if you don't actively support af firamtive action and do those things to help provide equal employment opportunities, equal justice and all those things to improve the plight of black people in Durham County. I 'don't know about any of the readers of this article, but if Daniel Edwards does not demonstrate a more believeable belief in and support of affirmative action, no one could ever get me to vote for him and I would find it hard to see how any other black could. We have to hold the Daniel Edwardes of this com munity and the state politically accountable for their ac tions. One means of doing this is by voting to remove them from office. Talking Inflation and Taxes BY CHARLES E. BELLE Every now and then to establish ego credibility in this column, I ink out an investment idea. Take your eyes off this article if your earnings do not put you in at least a 30 tax bracket. Stanford Research Insti tute (SRI), west coast think tank, says about 9.2 of the nation's 78 million households earned $30,000 or more in 1978. So I am singling out of my vast audience of readers those who are rich enough and saved a minimum of $5,000 over the years for a brilliant inflation fighting invest ment idea. Now both of you two listen to this idea. , An American dream which I shared with others in the early 1960s was to earn a salary of $10,000 a the a year and thus feel secure. Since the 1960s, how ever, the sinking purchasing power of the dollar created by inflation combined with hike in th tax take ot government means it takes almost $23,000 (22,700) a year to match my $10,000. Federal taxes along Federal taxes alone account for $3,900 for a family of four with one income of this amount doay. Inflation and taxes are the two major economic problems facing the earning elite today. One way to match these financial foes is through a divesified porfolio of income producing pro perties, professionally mana ged by experienced real estate property managers. Limited partership posi tions with a general part ner who has been in real estate management for 10 years or more pro vides an investment oppor tunity to fence off inflation and taxes. In this type of part nership arrange.en nership arrangement, be sure there are no additional assessments required of you the limited partner. Normally, an initial invest ment starts at $5,000 or more and may be in $1,000 steps at the time. Six per cent cash return on these contributions are tax-sheltered (free) with about thesame additional tax deduction each year. This is when such a part nership's main objectives are sheltered cash flow and appreciation. Equity, ownership build-up will add to the returns. A 4 annual appreciation, or rate of inflation could show a discounted return of about 12-14, An outstanding property management group is essential to the establishment of a real estate properties in vestment. All terms and tactics should be scrutin ized in a prospectus, be for you the limited part ner participate in any investment program. Speaking of programs, prepare your personal financial house in order before organizing against the tax man. Take care of number one by first owning your own home and having some security with life insurance. Shake hands with the man with the goklen pin oi Golden State Life Mutual Life Insurance companies.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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April 28, 1979, edition 1
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