Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / May 5, 1979, edition 1 / Page 5
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Blackest Slds Of The Washington DX. government has just released ISf'iTO?11 estimates. They show 502.300 blacks !ES 17l,82? hltes or d1 75 Per cent black. And although blacks are down slightly, this is the largest PeiS?nfPe of b,acks in My major U.S. City. The discouraging thought is that we blacks buy prac tically no clothes, no automobiles, no groceries, or anything else, except caskets from black business peo ple. And although we hold scores and scores of ban quets, the one hotel, we have here beautiful new Harambee House is in deep financial trouble. nAitU0,, ''WHAT IS WRONG WITH black FOLKS? Are we really inferior, or just disad vantaged? Or is the hate for ourselves so deep that we refuse to do business with each others It's general knowledge here that a black clerk in a department store is ten times as likely to insult a black customer as a white clerk. A Vietnamese a Chinese, a Hispanic, an Arab who arrived here yesterday seems to BY SHERMAN BRISCOE NNPA know more about courtesy and business than some of us who have been here all our lives. - -4 This is the blackest side of D.C. as it is of many other other cities, we suspect. Have the long years of brutittza tion, discrimination, and hopelessness of blacks in America killed something deep inside us? Are we now doubting all opportunities? Are wefraid to believe that dreams come true? Has the American experience left us numb. Thurgood on Spot? Some 53 black residents of a Housing project here in Washington had been assured by the Circuit Court of Appeals that they -were entitled to federal relocation .benefits after being evicted by HUD. But the U.S. Supreme Court came along last week and reversed the ruling of the lower court, denying the relocation benefits. The opinion was written by Thurgood Marshall, following the letter of the law as he sees it. Twenty years ago, Thurgood would have been saying to the court, "I've got news for you." And the blacks would have felt secure. Next Black 4-Star General Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, chief of logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is likely to be named 4he next SAT., MAY 5, 1979 THE CAROLINA TIMES-S 4-star general, according to sources fn the Pentagon. The 5 1 -year-old general, who was born and reared In Florence, S.C, and educated at Benedict College in Columbia, has received many awards and citations. Next in line to General Gregg is Lt. General Julius W. Becton, Jr., who did his undergraduate work at Prairie View. He now commands an army of 70,000 men in Germany. Young Haley To Eorope Sgt. William A. Haley, son of the author of "Roots," passed through Washington last week en route from a training session in Orlando to Germany where he will serve as an Equal Opportunity Specialist. Young Haley has been in the Army fifteen years. His father served twenty years in the Coast Guard turning full-time to writing. In Wmston-Salem about three weeks ago a group of Ku Klux Klansmen showed the film "Birth of a Na tion," that extols the hidden empire's virtues and pro motes racial hatred. Meanwhile, other groups of the Klan are burning crosses, conducting recruitment drives, and generally flexing their muscles anew after many years underground. But the Klan today says it's no longer anti-black, but pro-white. That, of course, fools no one because traditionlly, being radically pro-white has always meant anti-black. What does all this mean? What should our reasonable responses be as people? Is today's klan a significant threat to black people. There should be little question that the klan represents a significant threat to the peace of the com munity, but not just because there's a klan resurgance. No, most of the problem stems from our reaction to the situation. I fear we're overreacting to the klan, and because of that, not seeing the work of our real enemy behind the scenes. Though the klan symbolizes and in many ways per sonifies the sickening concept of racial hatred, the klan has never been, nor is it today, the real force behind racist attitudes in this country. Racism's roots have always been planted deep in the fertile soil of economics. From the beginning, racist concepts were based upon the philosophy that blacks should be worked in this country without compensation. Today, the klan's resurgence is an excellent indication that some of America 's powerful economists are ap parently unhappy with the whopping growth of the black consumer market over the past decade or sp. Let's consider some data: In less than ten years, black Americans have increased their purchasing power by $40 billion. Black income, while still below white income, has been rising about twice as fast, and projections indicate this trend will continue through the '80's. There's another body of data: Times aren't good in America today, and it doesn't look like this country will have any economic booms anytime in the near future. Blacks are increasingly joining the crowd of more and more peoplde clamoring for fewer and fewer rsources. In other words, the rapidly growing black consumer market, the increasing demand by blacks for a fairer share of the American dream is putting a lot of pressure on some whites on this country who don't want to see blacks move out of this ridiculous back seat status. j How best to accomplish that than to ressurect one of fourscworsMtfears-ibfri kjtiugMers. burning rossesibeatirfgs', Seastfationietcn .,.? tobmL The klan's resurgence is like waving a red black ly HILTON JORDAN .1 before a bull. Those who would deny us our place in America's economic social, and political sun unders tand that. I contend they'er banking on our becoming completly absorbed in our battle with the new klan. I can contend that these racist economists want us to divert much of our energy and attention to the klan and sacrifice our economic progress. I also contend that these strategists feel certain that our preoccupation with fighting the klan will lead us in to serious! y erroneous positions. For example: Will we argue that the klan should be barred from us ing public buildings for their various displays? Will we ask school boards and elected officials to take extraordinary moves to curtail the klan's public activity If we do, we do that to our own detriment. If the klan can be barred from public buildings, then how can we argue that we should be allowded to use them If we seek laws to curtail klan public displays, why won't these same laws be used to restrict our own activities There are many, many hidden troubles in our angry reaction to klan resurgence. There how should we react Understand that the klan has a right to hate us. They have a right to organize around that hate. We shouldn't be trying to deny them that right. Rather, we should "be fighting to gain the kind of economic and political power that prevents them from practicing racial hatred as a luxrv item. That has been our problem historically. We've allowed racists to practice this idiocy with little or no cost. We must begin exacting economic and political sanctions against those persons who would deny us our progress. There's no question that we have the clout to effect the sanctions, the only question is do we have the will. Do we have the will to support only those politicians who battle in local, state and national elected office for concerns important to us Do we have the will to push our sleeves and get in volved in programs that will better our communities and lifestyles Do we have the will to put our money only where business operators evidence a sensitivity to our concerns Do we have the will to hold ourselves accountable for our progress If we can answer a resounding "yes" to these ques tions, the klan's resurgence means nothing more than a public bluster of an outdated idea with no substance. We need not fear the klan. We need to fear only our unplanned, unreasoned reaction to the klan. My advice is let's continue to escalate the business of progress and leave the klan to its own childish devices. Next week, I'll take a look at school desegration 25 years later. BUSINESS IN THE BLACK By Charles E. Belle. Soul On Snow Black Summit And Somo Chango SUN VALLEY, IDAHO Can you believe a black on skis with a salary of 110,000 at stake? Legs could be fly ing every which wayl Ray Robinson, a black ski in structor at Boston Mills Ski Resort in Ohio is resolved to produce such a down hill Olympic ski racer from his race. Ray and Bob White run a program for inner city children ages 5-18 in Cleveland. Ray was not the only one of the Na tional Brotherhood Skiers, Inc. (NBS) 1,178 Karty mad group of good oking guys, a la Lloyd Haynes of TV's "Room 222" and sexy sisters such as Pam Grier, alias "Cleopatra Jones," in terested in sending a soul brother or sister on skies to the next U.S. winter Olympics. Since 1971, black skiers have been shouting the eloquent sound of the past-president of the Black Press of America, "Unity, Unity, Unity." The NBS Was incor porated in 1975 with twen ty ski clubs from around the country and 750 members in attendance. Some ten per cent of the black skiers in the U.S. at the time. Today there are almost 10,000 black Americans who slip on a pair of skis and head for some snow somewhere. While this on ly represents about one per cent of the total number of skiers in the U.S. it is a rapid growth from 1939 when a few blacks believed they wer doing good to get down the side of a snow bank with a pair t)f "boards." Black American skiers formulated the NBS with the main idea of develop ing black children who would qualify for the U.S. National and Winter Olympic Teams. Taken in this light, the Black Sum mit of some hard to find well-to-do black people put in some profitable time playing in the snow at the very sophisticated Sun Valley Ski Resort. Victory is in sight for one of the sons of the NBS. Blake Chennault just may be the first black American to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team thanks to the membership of the NBS. Blake needs a bundle of money for backing to make qualify ing points by putting time in and winning ski races in the Swiss Alps and New Zealand. untortunately, the "A&linesP'whd fftw m to Sun Valley and one of the prime sponsors of NBS do not fly to such foreign spots. It's hard cash or no soul brother can make the cut. Being black and being a skier may or may not be the best thing that ever happened to Blake Chan nault. But helping to bring together black skiers and maybe even the entire black American TV au dience during the next Winter Olympic games has got to be one of the best things to occur because of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. makes a mixed drink soft 8 Letter To The Editor The Black man's music "Ragtime" nicknamed: jazz, rock and roll, blue grass, and country, has wielded a progressive influence upon our country. During World War I, from June 1917 to November 1918, over two million troops were safely transported to Great Britain and the battle fields of France. Those con voys contained over 400,000 Black troops with their ragtime bands. Uncle Sam's timely aid brought victory. Big guns were silenced; but, the music from our ragtime bands continued to reverberate around over-there, but later came out where it received its greatest welcome on the streets of 'Little ole New York.' Eventually, successful ragtime was confronted with the spirit of tradition. Band leaders refused to play it in dance halls. Critics claimed that its improvisations prevented its being recorded, and therefor!; should not be classed in the same category with real music. Paul Whiteman, a member of Denver Symphonic Or chestra, disagreed sharply. He said, that as much in genuity and skill are required to play ragtime as other music. His "Symphonic Jazz" arrangements made his band the most popular in the 1920s. "Rhapsody in Blue" by Gershwin, was introduced in 1924 by Whiteman, in the first concert devoted entirely to jazz. Opposition continued in subtle ways. The violin was extolled as classical, while stigmatizing instruments originated by Blacks. The Banjo was played on stage with faces painted black, but no highly "self-respecting male" would dare be seen with a guitar. Failure to prevent the acceptance of ragtime, ushered in a musical, industrial and financial revolution. Jazz bands sprang up everywhere; extra millions of records were made; string instruments, especially guitars, were increased; jazz musicians, singers and entertainers, all struck it rich. ' , "Alexander's Ragtime Band" was composed by Irvin Berlin in 1911; Louis Satchmo Armstrong, played and sang jazz before the King of England; the Beatles brought jazz back to us from England, with long hair, and charged us over $6 million for it. These artists overlooked racism (world's chief trouble maker), chose - our American slogan; "Liberty and Justice for All" an example of millions who helped to make a world-wide contribution with our American ragtime or jazz. . c Frank GeorgefSowell Durham Calvert Extra mixes up into deliciously smooth drinks. This blend of aged whiskies neither overpowers the mixer nor gets lost in the drink. Soft Whiskey does what any whiskey does, only softer. Calvert Extra Pa turn lb y ll """ st1i0U fJ ihSfcw ' KN ' AMtHKiANWWSM AMI i NtK.il. IHX ff ''' Al vt Ul I I1SI ' 1) UXIISW.LI Is,
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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May 5, 1979, edition 1
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