U-TKECAMUKATUSES
SAT.. FEBRUARY 21, 1M1
OLACK'CU'CLACK
Vhyhavehurders,
rapes, and assaults
BECOhESOCOHHON
MRLACKCOmMTtES-
BOTH IN THE FREQUENCY
AND PATTERN -THA T
THEY HAVE BECOME
ROUTINE AND THE
ONLY PEOPLE CON
CERNED ABOUT THEN
ARE THE RELATIVES
OF THE VICTIMS'
To Be Equal
Social Programs Under Attack
. Bv Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. '
Federal social programs are under heavy
attack. They are widely believed to have fail
ed in their objectives, to be designed to help
only blacks, and to. cost more than the
economy can afford, v
All of those beliefs are false.
- Federal social programs have worked.
Some are among ' the most successful
endeavors of government. Despite an enor
mous budget , the Pentagon demonstrated U :
cannot land helicopters in the Iranian desert;
. but despite pinched funds, social programs
have alleviated hunger; improved the educa
tion of the poor, and trained many young
people for productive jobs.
The food stamp program is an example of
how a federal program can make a direct at
tack on malnutrition and hunger. Before it
was instituted a Congressional investigation
found widespread hunger in parts of the
country. Recently, a foljowup study found
that thanks to the food stamp program ex
treme hunger has largely been eliminated.
' Sure, the program isn't cheap. But its ris
ing costs are directly due to the rise in food
prices, an inflationary development that
makes food stamps even more necessary for
the poorest among us.
Head Start is another success. It got a bad
press in its first few years. But a recent study
that followed children from Head Start
through adulthood found they performed :
betterin school, were more interested in go
ing to college, and less likely to get into trou- "
: ble than children with similar backgrounds ,
. who did not have the benefit of the program. ,
, The lesson of Head Start is that social pro- j
grams should be seen as investments by
'spending on pre-school education the
'government: saved later and larger expeh
ditures on remedial classes, law enforce
ment, and training costs.
. The Job Corps is another Great Society
program that gets little credit. But it is a suc
.cess seventy per cent of the Corps'
graduates land jobs in the private sector and
most of the rest go into the military or con
tinue their education. Not bad, since most of
their peers are still pounding the streets look
ing for work.
There are plenty of other successes, rang-
ing from social security and medicare pro
grams that have boosted most of the elderly
out of poverty, to housing subsidy programs
that help millions of people improve their
living standards.
And the big secret is that most of the
beneficiaries of federal social programs are
white. The big lie that these are "black" pro
grams is defeated by the statistics.
The majority of people on welfare are
. white. Half of food stamp recipients are
.. white. Four out of five recipients of social
' and nutritional services for the aged are
white. Ninety-two per cent of social security
funds go to white recipients. Four out of five
medicare participants are white.
The majority of CETA jobs are held by J
whites. Whites are ; two-thirds of the i
beneficiaries of the Section 8 housing sub
sidy program, the program that accounts for
nearly aU of current housing subsidies.
! That list can be extended further. The '
plain fact of the matter is that not only are ;
many federal social programs successful in i
that they accomplish what they set out to do, ,,
but they also often serve many more whites :
than black). .
The third leg of the stool of falsehood is
that those, programs are bankrupting the!
country. Again that's not true. !
1 Social programs may account for a large j
share of the federal budget, but so do other !
government functions. No one is proposing '
to disband the military because it will cost
some $200 billion next year. - '
It is wrong to see social program solely as
costs, without assessing their considerable
. benefits. They constitute an investment in
America's human resources.
Programs that develop skills, provide
ibasic life supports, and bring hope are in
dispensable to a civilized society. And
anyone who says these functions can be per
formed without government intervention is,
,at best, just plain wrong.
John Avery Boys' Club
Minorities and the Technological
Worldof the 1980's
Durham's John Avery Boys'
Club marked forty years of ser
vice to the community this
January , This is an accomplish
ment of which all of Durham
should be proud and for which we
should be grateful.
We should also be grateful for
it not for him.
He has set a wholesome, relax
ed tone for the Club but one
which bespeaks order, self
discipline, and responsibility. A
profound feeling of pride and
belonging is perceived from the
boys who use the Gub's facilities.
One can only guess how many
By Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins
the contributions of its leader of productive men there are today
35 years. Quiet and reserved in whose lives were affected in some
positive way by the John Avery
Boys' Club. The list indeed must
be extensive.
As John Avery Boys' Club
manner; mucn oi tne crean ior
this achievement must go to Lee
W. ; Smith, Jr., the executive
director' of our Boys' Club.
Through good times and bad, he : begins its next forty years, those ; ,
from;
he deeply believes. He continues - others can make a pledge now to
to be a positive role model for do something to support and fur-.
countless minority youth who ther enhance this most deserving
would have no such contact were : institution.
Black History Month
Someone once said "if you
don't know where you came
from, (hen you certainly don't
know where you are going."
There is a lot df truth in that
statement particularly for
Afro-Americans whose heritage
suffers from a long slave period
of deprivation of names, :
customs, traditions, mores.
February has been designated
Black History Month - a time
for learning of the past of a
mighty people, a time for ap
preciating the seed from which we
sprang and learning something of
the multifarious contributions to
civilization by people of color.
If every man, woman and child
puts forth the effort to learn one
something new this month heshe
never knew about the Afro
American heritage, the entire
country will reap the benefit.
Most people will agree that the 1970's
were not this nation's best years, especially
in terms of our economic performance. We
experienced decreases in economic growth
and productivity, drastic increases in
unemployment, and galloping rises in infla
tion. These things are still with us. They look
like they may be with us for some time, in
spite of nonsensical statements being made
by some persons in the new Administration.
But what of the 1980's? Can we increase
opportunities and establish sound policies
for economic growth? What must we do to
produce more goods and services, and
thereby raise our productivity? How can we
move this nation closer to a full employment
economy? : .
: These were some of the economic aues-
issues -uiai in rresiaeiu wnnusuau .jcw
A National Agenda For the Eighties sought
to answer upon its establishment by Presi
dent Jimmy Carter on October 24, 1979.
Their projections for the 80's are highly
. worth considering. Coming from diverse
backgrounds, outside of government, this
group of 45 leading, outstanding Americans
appointed to this Commission wrestled with
the broadest, most important issues that will
' face us for this next decade.
Nowhere was the urgency of their task
more pronounced than that which dealt with
the economy. More specifically, their discus
sion on growth, employment and poverty
has very special meaning fox those: who wjU
live in the ghettos and barrios of this nation
' for the next ten years. f
Of great significance is the fact that the
1980's civilian labor force is expected to con
siderably slow its growth rate in com
parison to the rapid growth rate it experienc
ed in the 70's
In part, this is explained by the baby boom
generation of the post-war years, who were
' 16-24 in the 70's, and who will be ten years
older in the eighties. By and large, they will
be skilled and experienced in the work world
of the 80's. They will no longer be the inex
perienced teenagers of the 1970's
Another factor is the slowing down of the
influx of adult women into the labor market
in the 1980's. They also will be substantially
skilled and experienced. In the opinion of
the Commission, these two factors fewer
teenagers and women in the job market
will increase efforts by employers to hire and
train inexperienced workers. And since
minority groups will continue to grow more
rapidly than the population as a whole, it is
felt that minorities will benefit greatly by the
changes in the composition of the work
force.
But progress in this area will be dependent
upon strong economic growth, and strong
affirmative action efforts. Progress. will also
iean thatAl ; vfivjif ?IL H r t d rmnArfty
JluTaiiq
aecaae in oraer to compete wim wose wno
are already out of the starting gate.
Minorities are going to have to insist that
the public schools increase their effectiveness
in ine nation s Urban areas.
They are also going to nave to insist that a
solid foundation involving the teaching of
basic skills be improved, that accelerated
remediation efforts be offered in junior and
senior high schools, and that job training
readiness courses be connected to the real
needs of the private sector.
There is also a major role for the federal
government, which the Commission clearly
articulated;
"now - when the birth rate of the poor will
continue to be twice that of the nonpoor,
when the number of teenage pregnancies is
increasing rapidly, when evidence indicates
that compensatory education is effective,
and when the minority youth unemployment
rate is about three times that of white youth -is
the time for federal education policy to
reaffirm its central mission of promoting ac
cess and opportunity for the diadvantaged."
It may be that the 80's will provide new
opportunities for minorities to take advan
tegfi&la EhPD8Llabor1tnwket wd4esire ,
Dy.flXSH boadep their .hjrujg and.
training pools. But even more clearly now, 1
think we must see that these goals are
achievable providing we recognize that these
objectives can be realized through a full
employment policy. Full employment means
fully utilizing our inherent skills, talents and
energies.
The sooner we act on this realization, the
better.
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who propose
to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation are men who want ,
crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without
thunder and lightning. They want the ocean's majestic waves
without the awful roar of its waters.
Frederick Douglass
Spectacles: A Closer Look
i Mrs. Ada Virginia Foster Fisher
An Unpar ailed Oracle
By Ada M. Fisher
The pain and sense of loss which accom
panied the death of my mother, Mrs. Ada
V.F. Fisher, is indescribable for her death
symbolized a generation's end which Black
History Month begs that we remember and
respect. Cited among "Th$ Living Oracles"
who have contributed to Richmond,
Virginia's' history, Mama's unique insights
and vivid recollection of historical events led
to her "Clay St." neighborhood's
Jackson Ward's designation as a historical
preservation district inclusion on the
"Richmond-on-the-James Walking Tours."
Her scope of knowledge- was not limited to
Richmond, for she knew Durham inside and
out. From her arrival here in 1933 to heH
departure forty-eight years later; not much;"
from f Durham's past or present history
escaped her.
, Her, appreciation of history was as one
who helped make, shape and record that
history Few who wanted to write a paper or
dissertation on black Richmond Or black
Durham missed an opportunity to drop in to
"pick her i brain." At least five books
acknowledge her major contributions to
them and many other's drew their life's
blood from her memory. In the time we had
the oprnwtuniiy to live on I'ayctievillc Street.
I can never recall the doors of our house be
ing locked or any guest being un welcomed.
My mind can't fathom the number of meals
cooked, the "number of beds made for fre
qnciM guests, or the number of people who
diopped in to sit and share with us. The uni
queness of mama was in the open at
mosphere of her household. Our house was
, A ... , ....
never too good for children to play within.
Our heads were never allowed to swell so
large that we couldn't associate with kids or
people from all walks of life and sides of
town. And our roots as well as our respon
sibility and duty to serve people were made
ever clear.
The things I'll always remember most
about mama were her accurate memory, her
knowledge of history, and her always being
there. In our neighborhood and for the black
community, Mama was the girbt supreme.
She never forgot a face, a date or a kinship.
She could tell you who you were, whose
child you were, what other kinships you
represented, and your lineage's contribu
tions to this city. There was no feat too small
to be recollected whether you were the first
. to be employed at Liggett and Myers, ran the
concessions downtown, owned property, or
engaged in your own business. The intercon
necting relationships among families, chur
ches, schools, and business developments in
the black community were perceptively
recorded to be recalled in the notes sent at
graduation, on birthdays, for weddings, etc.
Thought fulness was the hallmark of mama's
life. .
Life by the side of a preacher can often be
like living in a fish bowl but this woman
Mrs. Ada V.F. Fisher flourished in that
role. The church was not only my father's
vocation, it was her mission as well. Daily, I
was astounded by her ability to recall biblical
verse as if parts of the concordance were
stored within. Her skill at the piano and
recall of various spirituals, gospels, and
songs were from the best of our heritage and
were quite entertaining. She was the con
sumate hostess for the black religious com
munity who gained from her unending well
of kindness. She knew what it was to be a
humanitarian, for it was a role that she lived
and was yet another hallmark of her life.
A source of delight for me was always
having my mother greet me and all of the
kids from my classes from her vantage on
the 1219 Fayetteville St. porch as we return
ed home from school whether Pearson
Elementary, Whitted Jr. High, or Hillisde
Sr. High. When French had stumped me or
math had got me down, mama could unravel
their mysteries. When a word was misspelled
or the grammar not quite right, mama made
us get it right. As I read of children having to
come home to an empty house or prepare
their own meals, 1 feel fortunate in always
having had mama there to meet certain basic
needs. Her grandchildren often sat at her
feet to hear her stories, to learn of their
history, and to benefit from her presence in
their lives. Even her new neighborhood on
Partridge St. which basically has few older
citizens, knew mama was special. All the
' kids there called her "grandma" and the
neighbors never seemed to tire of the
historical stories which she could recall. And
then from the bleachers of the University of
Wisconsin's stadium, when they asked all of
the candidates for the degree of Doctor of
Medicine to Vise, I remember standing there
misty-eyed for my family had come to watch
me, the youngest and the last of her children,
obtain this degree. The family as a source of
strength and learning is another lesson my:
parents taught. The ingenuity and lessons of
history learned from my parents helped me
open the door for twenty-two other black
students and several other faculty members.
Graduation was an occasion when they all
had the opportunity to meet the woman who '
made it all possible and the queen of the ac
tion, my mother,
Most importantly, my parents taught us
that you can be right and everyone else can
Te wrong, i.e., the majority isn't always
right, though they may prevail. If you
believe that you're right, stand up for your '
beliefs. However, be ever mindful in so do
ing that you may have to pay a price in failed
job oj3rx)rtunities, unequal pay for more,
than equal work, and possible harassments
to your being. But we must not be afraid to
pay whatever price our beliefs demand, for
one day the truths told must come to light.
Service, duty and responsibility were three
lessons stressed to us by our parents. These
lessons are still those that the black com
munity would do well to remember and,.
redidicate itself to in this Black History
Month.
-: I n his eulogy, ' 'Tribute to a Great Lady
!Ada Virginia Foster Fisher," my Dr. Miles
Mark Fisher, IV, mama was portrayed as the
unusual :. wife, an exceptional and loved '
. mother, a dynamic teacher, a magnanimous
humanitarian, an insightful historian, a true
believer, a believer in family, and the friend
that she was. Her name adorns no buildings,
no monuments are erected in her memory;
; ! yet Durham, N.C. will be indelibly changed
through the example she provided, the in-1
spiration she generated, and the life she liv
ed. My mother, Mrs. Ada Virginia Foster
Fisher, was the most fascinating person I
. have ever known. She fought a good fight,
she kept the faith, she finished her course,
and she gave us a legacy to remember one
firmly planted in the "oral tradition," and
; one based on service, responsibility and duty
to the black community. She and countless
other black people, born of parents and
ancestors, some of whom were slaves, must
make us ever mindful of the struggle for
parity which has not been achieved for all
peoples and which can never be realized if we
sit back in our complacency failing to act in
' the name of justice and decency. Black Peo
ple, Wake Upl Our ancestors beckon us to
do more, to do better, and to hold high the
torch which their struggle has ignited.
(USPS 091-380)
' LE. AUSTIN
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