Nobody Can Save Us
But Us
With the new proposed Reagan Administration budget cuts,
federal aid to black colleges and universities may be completely
wiped out. This may pose undue hardship for black colleges and
universities and black students. But this will not be the first timej
that black education has been threatened in this country by lack
of funds.
During Reconstruction at the end of slavery, when black col:
leges were still in the infancy. stage and blacks were literally facing
physical survival, to say nothing of the means for economic sur
vival, black people pooled their resources, both intellectual and
financial, to build some of the best educational insthutionsin this
country. j
Whatever his motive, Booker T. Washington pulled himself
"Up From Slavery" and built famous Tuskegee Institute with the
meager sums of money contributed by poor black Alabamians
who were determined to see their sons and daughters receive an
education.
Indeed, it was through the undying, unyielding strength of our
foremothers and fathers that blacks were able to build the many
predominantly black institutions of higher education that we now
have. And it was in these institutionstJiat some of the best minds
in this country were nurtured ajid grown.
Now, since we have begged, pleaded, prayed and moaned to
enter the white colleges and universities, we now seem content
with the small numbers of blacks who are graduated from them,
and we seem to be willing to sit back and watch the doors of black
institutions clpse forever to the future of our children.
This would seem to indicate that there is a serious problem fac
ing black people in this country, and that problem is that we have
acquired a distorted value system. We no longer value anything
that is essentially ours but are content to beg to share something
that whites are not particularly interested in letting us share.
We have also become so materialistic that expensive posses
sions have become a way of life with us and .we no longer place
value on the truly important matters. Thus, the education of our
children has fallen low on our list of priorities. This is tragic.
What an enormous sum of money could go to our black institu
tions of higher education if each black worker in this country
would contribute just ten dollars each year (a small sum) to the
United Negro College Fund or to the black college or university
of hisher choice. It would mean that heshe would only have to
give up one bottle of good Scotch, or eat hamburger instead of
steak one evening a week, or give up one Rick James concert, or
buy one less expensive pair of designer jeans. It could mean the
difference between having our own black institutions of higher
education where our children could choose to attend if they so
desired or to continue begging white institutions to adopt affir
mative action policy in order that more black students are able to
attend. . m '' . ; wtwwiyy. sNy-y
It is in the' final analysis our responsibility tdsave our biacKj
stitutions. We have the means with which to do it. We need only
the determination to surmount the task.
iu joc jcqucu
Rich Nationsvaiid Poor Nations
By Vernon E. Jordan Jr.
There may jrc a few issues of greaterim
portance than helpingthe poor half of the ,
world achieve economic independence
, and a measure of prosperity.
Resolution of that issue directly affects
the terrible problem of mass hunger,
malnutrition,- and eveavstarvation in many
, parts of , the worlds It affects the con
tinued prosperity of the West, And it even
has implications for the dangerous-threat
of nuclear warfare. -5:. , ,
For years, the world's leaders have been
groping with the issue, " This month's
North-South summit meeting at Cancun,
Mexico, is another step on the road ;
toward reaching a reasonable solution of
the vital economic questions dividing the
rich and poor nations.
A tot is riding on the outcome of the
Cancun meeting, especially for the
poorest of the poor nations some 31
countries with a total population nearing
300 million people. " "
Worldwide, the World Bank estimates
that 800 million people live in ."absolute
poverty." That means pervasive hunger,
illiteracy, disease and mortality rates vir
tually unimaginable for the average
American.
Those countries have few resources and
big problems, specially the high cost of
imported oil that makes it next to impossi
, ble for them to develop their economies.
Similar problems plague other poor
countries, some of which have borrowed
heavily to buy food and oil or to initiate
-development projects, and now find it
.hard to pay off their creditors.
Many of the poor nations have agitated
for a new world economic order, largely
consisting of huge transfers of cash and
technology from rich nations to poor na
tions. Since this has often been accom
panied by harsh words against the West,
thtse demands have run into a blank wall.
Now, however, there are fresh voices in
the West calling for steps to help develop
the economies of poor nations. .
-Respected European elder statesman
Willy Brandt led a prestigious panel that
advocated more aid. Former head of the
World Bank, Robert McNamara, has urg
ed that development aid on a massive
scale is in America's self-interest.
And the new French government has
stated that developing the. poor nations to
the point where they could expand trade
with the West is crucial to the future of
the economies of the industrial nations.
So there is growing recognition that it is
in our own self-interest to encourage
' economic growth throughout the world.
The alternative could well be mass starva
tion in the Third World, economic decline,
of the industrial countries and even
regional wars that escalate into nuclear
confrontations between East and West.
But the current Administration still
seems1 to be indifferent to the need for an
international effort to develop the poor
nations. ' ;. '
Although its participation at Cancun is .
a hopeful sign, it has sent strong signals
that it would r not favor an international
Marshall Plan or some similar interna
tional effort. , ' v
It wants to cut back on foreign aid,
restrict it to key countries allied with us,
and place greater reliance on private len
ding and the f ree market.
Such an, approach virtually v bars
agreements to stabilize prices of raw
materials' that many poor nations depend
on for export earnings.
That is a prescription for continued in
ternational strife. It is a reflection of the
lack of compassion that has hurt so many
of America's poor people. And it is short
sighted, neglecting America's long-term
interests in a more stable world. , -.
Reagan's Economic Mess
By Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins
Being
A True Champion
The mark of. an athletic champion is having the heart, the guts,
the final reserve of energy and determination to overcome certain
defeaj to emerge triumphant.
This was the classic case with the WBA and the WBC Welter
Weight Champion Sugar Ray Leonard of the Washington, D.C.
area. Robinson had to rally in the thirteenth round to beat the
equally competent, "Hit Man" from Detroit, Tommy Hearnes.
According to press reports, this was one of the richest boxing
matches in the history of the game, with Sugar Ray reportedly
taking home $10 million and Hearnes a few million less.
We join inSWashington's salute to Sugar Ray, in part; What re
mains for us to be absolutely certain of his . true championship are
signs of his sensitivity and commitment to his community. We are
waiting for you, Sugar Ray, 'with all your media notoriety and
wealth, to do as Don King has done in recent years - contribute
liberally to the support of black institutions to help those who re
main mired in the mud and clay of racism, inferior education,
limited job opportunities, and a life of bare survival.
Other black "champions Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott,
Sugar Ray Robinson; and even Muhammad AH . have been
"champions" of their own people in not forgetting for a minute
from whence they came. ,
Sugar Ray Leonard, with all your millions, we're -waiting for
you, too, to become a champion of your own people. In this
regard, we need to follow the historic example of our Jewish
friends. Loyalty to one's own people is a major princfple of
Judaism. NNPA ,
BLACK GIANTS
Six feet tall, powerfuSy bnffit and persuasive
speaker, Abraham was a ctnning and brave warrior
feared and respected by Army forces. He had ran
away from his master la Pensacola, Florida, to set
tle among the Indians.
He served as interpreted in . 1835 when the f
Seminoles aereed to inspect the larfd onto which the V
government proposed to move them. Abraham was
among the subchiefs who went west and viewed the
, land. But the relocation plan collapsed after the In
dians were tricked into making additional
1 agreements, and the Semincle war erupted. k
Abraham traveled from plantation to plantation
persuading slaves to run away and join the Indians.
He and his black warriors fought Jesup's forces all
through the swamps and in one major battle in 1835
wipea out an enure company or 100 soldiers.
Abraham, however, was wise enough to see that
relocation was inevitable. He and two Seminole!
Chiefs, Jumper and Alligator, met Jesup and'
agreed to a peace conference. . J
Later Abraham said be expected to be hanged but"
bad decided to die if be must, like a mur, in one
more effort to save his people. He sed his in
luence in the negotiationsand a second treaty was
signed In 1837 with a provision protecting the,
cfejlTbe Seminoles eventually were'relocated In"
jaano Aorabanj moved wesf with them.
In a curious example of irony, the
- Reagan Administration's major weapons
for fighting stagflation (the problems of
inflation and unemployment) are
economic tools which have traditionally
caused higher inflation, more unemploy
ment and which have eventually led to
recession.
The Dow Jones Industrial Stock and
Bond averages have been in a continuous
downslide since March when the Ad
ministration's economic plan was unveil
ed. At the same time, the Prime Rate has
been escalating. Despite these
developments, the Administration main
tains that the economy willsoar once this
program takes effect. Confronted with
M the obvious disintegration - of u his
.economic forecast, President Reagan has
unsuccessfully Jryed to shift the blame
from his policies to the Congress, Wall
Street and past Administrations.
As you know, money is more difficult
to get than ever before and itnerest rates
are skyrocketing. Yet the Administration
supports a policy of tight money and high
interest rates despite the damaging effects
this is having on many Sectors of the
4 American economy, particularly housing,
auto sales., savings institutions and the job
market. '. ' ' , ,,
The Administration's policies have
become a gigantic windfall for those who
have money to lend, in addition, these
policies benefit those who are able to get
inflated prices for their goods and services
due to high interest rates. -At the same "
time"; small husmesses and middle and low
income consumers get the short end of the
stick. High interest rates severely impact
the success of small businesses with little
available capital and the ability of middle
and low income consumers to obtain
credit in order to purchase necessities.
When reasonable interest rates can't be
found, many small businesses are forced
into bankruptcy or are taken over by
larger corporations and conglomerates.
When this occurs, competition in the
marketplace is eliminated. As a result,
when fewer businesses corner specific '
markets of goods and services, they are .
able to control the supply. Thus, they can
control prices. This is known as ad
ministered prices and is a major cause of
inflation. - ' !
T
Inlhe case of the individual consumer
who needs a new car, a home or desires to
send his kids to college the only way to do
these things is through credit. With in
terest rates at their current levels, most .
people can hardly afford to take out
loans. Instead we try to make the old
jalopy last a little longer, fix up the old
house with handyman specials and do
without a new washer until the old one
literally breaks down. When millions of
people are forced into doing these same
things, these actions add up and adversely
affect the entire economy. In the final
analysis, purchasing power drops because
people just can't buy the items they need.
Further, the fact that purchasing power
drops also means that more people will be
laid off from their jobs causing the
economy to weaken even further.
As the House of Representatives' Bank
ing Committee said in its Report on
Monetary Policy for 1981, "The Ad
ministration and the Federal Reserve
refuse to do anything to encourage a
distribution of existing scarce credit
resources in an equitable and productive
fashion." The Comnfittee's Report,
which was required by the Full Employ
ment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978,
then goes on to recommend that efforts
should be made right away to provide
credit to small businesses, homeowners
and others impacted by unreasonably
high interest rates. Attention should be
paid to the demand for credit and not just
the WWfcW . g I : 'Oc1
The longer nignlnterest raWcontinue,
the longer the economy will be squeezed
and the longer the average citizens will
have to do without the goods and services
that he or she needs.
I support the Banking Committee's call
for immediate selective credit availability
to those who are suffering the most from
the tight money crunch, at lower interest
rates and 1 join' them in their call for
restrictionns on non-productive credit. If .
the Administration really wants to put a
dent in the inflation rate, this is a good
way to start.
Hopefully, this Administraiton will
begin to consider the needs of the average
American as opposed to the whims of
large Corporations and the rich.
ft ' V r- .
Reagan's Evaporating Mandate
. . ByNormanHill
President, A. Philip Randolph Institute
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.ABRAHAM,
On September 1 9, over 300,000
Americans demonstrated their opposition
to the economic and social policies of the
Reagan Administration. The AFL-CIO-sponsored
Solidarity Day 'march was by
all estimates the largest demonstration on
economic and social issues that
Washington and the nation have seen
since the 1963 March on Washington.
The demonstration reaffirmed that the ,
coalition of labor, blacks, and those com
mitted to social justice remains a signifi
cant political force in Our nation's life. It
also clearly signalled that the President's
mandate is evaporating and that the na
tion's honeymoon with Ronald Reagan is
over. The Solidarity Day march was,
therefore, an effect, the opening salvo of
the 1982 Congressional election cam
paign. Inthc months before the demonstra
tion, the news media were filled with ar-'
titles lamenting labor's diminishing clout,
accenting the depletion of labor's ranks,
and suggesting that organized labor was
out of step with its membership. Even
President Reagan went so far as to assert .
that labor leaders were out of touch with
the views of their members! The Solidari
ty Day turnout has put an, end to, this
speculation. Indeed, it demonstrated that
union members are closing ranks behind
their leadership in the face of the most
significant challenge toocial justice since
the 1920s.-
Organized labor put its reputation on
the line when in the early summer Lane
Kirkland issued a call for Solidarity Day.
Kirkland's call oame at a time when the
President was at the height of his
popularity and when the Reagan budget
proposals enjoyed widespread popularity
in Congress. However, labor's leaders
were well aware of the interests and needs .
of, Iheir members and therefore
understood that die consequences of the
President's economic program would
spell disaster for America's poor and
working poor, and would provide no true
relief for working people who suffer from
inflation and high unemployment.
A public opinion poll published in the
September 23rd Washington Post in
dicates that the massive turnout for the
Solidarity Day march was no accident.
Rather it wa a clear manifestation of the
shift which is occurring in the thinking of
many Americans. According to the Post
poll, most Americans view the President
as siding with the wealthy and being far
more sympathetic to big business interests
than to the labor movement. The poll sug
gests that while the President remains per
sonally popular, his policies are now view
ed with increasing skepticism and
pessimism. Only one in eight Americans,
the poll indicates, feels that the economy
is getting better.
When the President defeated Jimmy
Carter in November and Republicans
took control of the Senate and made large
gains in the House of Representatives,
many commentators began to speak of
the possibility of a Republican majority.
The Washington Post poll, however, in
dicates : that affiliation with the
Republican Party is in decline white iden
tification with the Democratic Party is in-'
creasing. The most significant erosion in
support for the President's policies has
come from elderly Americans who are
deeply worried by the Administration's
attempt to severely reduce Social Security
benefits.
; The Washington Post poll also suggests
that support for the Reagan budget cutsfis
diminishing. Of those polled, 47 per cent
say Reagan is going too far in cutting
social programs, thirty per cent feel that
the cuts are about right and only nineteen
per cent feel the President hasn't gone far
enough.
Depite the massive turnout for the
AFL-CIO's march, despite the significant
shift in public opinion which is reflected
in the Washington Post, the President ap
peared on national television on ,
September 23 to outline additional budge':
(Continued On Page 16)
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