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The Equal Rights Amendment verv simnlv
- ~.j rv
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or
abridged by the United Statesor by any state on account
. of sex." It seems strange that such aft idea would have^
to be legislated this late in the twentieth century, but
that is the case. "AH men are created equal" meant
literally that to our founding fathers, and even the
fourteenth amendment did not extend rights to women.
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People who oppose the ERA warn of catastrophic
consequences to its passing, but in states such as
Maryland and Pennsylvania who have passed state ERA
amendments, life seems to be going on pretty much as
usual, and the rest rooms still say "men" on one door
and "women" on the other.
One thing that the ERA would do is eliminate a number
of disciminatory laws in one sweep, instead of requiring
legislatures to ferret them out one by one. An example
Time for I
The night of Thanksgiving Eve, the normally deserted
parking spaces along Fifth Street and Liberty Street
accomodated almost as many cars as they would have
~dunhg The daytime.
Because of a gala ball at the Hyatt House and a new
discotheque on Liberty Street, many of these cars
belonged to blacks.
Their presence on the downtown scene vividly
demonstrated the potential role Winston-Salem's black
community can play in the 4 'revitalization" of downtown.
Unlike other segments of the population, it is not
necessary to reacquaint blacks with downtown. In large
measure, black consumers and workers support downtown.
- - As the mayor and oiher cliy officials undertake to rally
public support here^ and outside the city towards
strengthening downtown, we suggest that the red carpet
t - ? - - -
oe extended to black citizens, not just as consumers
forced downtown because of the lack of shopping
facilities in the eastern part of the city, but as
entrepreneurs and full partners in economic growth.
We trust that travels to other cities, such as the current
trip to the National League of Cities by the Mayor and
several aldermen, will awaken our government to
innovative approaches being used jn other cities to
stimulate minority development of stores and other
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l-n ? 19
I L A fc Stanley
! #Tf :? j j |jjj Is inflation putting a
ml r~?Z BJH IK$ilJ damper on the Christmas
|j WT. Sill P? spirit? Chronicle Camera
I ^li ifi nSr asked persons- at the
l!i ? j&t! downtown bus stop at 4th
ft?y 1 ~t t tSffi! anc* Liberty Street whethlii
ifi SS er r^s^n8 prices would
K j# 'Mi affeect their holiday
Si - D tfffi plans. Here's what they
li! I /! lL H said,
ifi IP Mike Stanley--"I can't
j||| jfj ' j ? ? get as much as 1 would
III . I pr have. I looked at some
|i 1>| ^ pants the other day that
pi I i j j. fe were S25, now they're
[MllA).\yVyk A rM s^7John
w. Davis--" Well,
inflation is going to make
it kind of tough. You can't
get nothing. Things are
just sky high--food and
everything else."
Rosalyn Albright--"Prices
are going up; toys are
higher. I'm a working
parent with one child. It's
not too bad for me perL
" 0
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INTS
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tveryooay
of such a law is North Carolina's ruling on "Domicile",
which contends that a wife's legal residence is the state
in which her husband resides. Using this concept the
state is trying to collect income tax from a woman who
lives and works in Illinois, simply because her husband is
a North Carolinian. If the situation were reversed, they
would not tax the man.
ions tuutcimug wumcn vary rrom state to state in
such variety that it is reminiscent of the pre-Civil War
"slave states" and "free states". It behooves a woman
to investigate state laws before she moves- or marries a
resident of another state-- because in doing so she might
J lose some of her rights.
<
It is unfair for states to have ''special laws" for women,
which differ from state to state. The concept of human
rights is too important to be left to the whims of a state
legislature. Equal rights for everybody ought to be the
law of the land.
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Partnership
businesses abandoned in center cities.
As we note the need for black involvement for the
betterment of the overall community, our thought turn to
another event held during the holiday weekend in which
the efforts of blacks to enhance the image of our city
1170?*A * ? - ^ ?A m
nviv juicij KicMiig in support irom the overall
community. . ?
We refer to the. successfully begun effort of the
Winston-Salem State University Ram football team to
achieve a national championship in Division II of the
National Collegiate Athletics Association.
The Rams beat Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 17-0 before a
paltry crowd of less than 7,0007~ Athletic director
Clarence E. "Big Housel'-Gaines noted^that^he^could
probably count the number of whites present onliis two
hands and two feet. .
Championship caliber performance at any level of
competition is no easy feat. Yet there appears to be the
attitude that a 1 -10 Wake Forest team is much more
deserving of support than an 11-0 Ram team.
The callous indifference to the magnificent Ram success
strikes us as racism of the worst sort.
We look forward to the day when blacks and blackcontrolled
Institutions are considered full partners in the
mainstream of our community life.
" Davis ^ A"' |;
sonally, but it's got to 1
have some impact. For
instance, the "Big Carpenter
wheels" that were $14
last year are now $19 and
some models that were iife- $30
are now as high as
r *? ?4Ta?_
i i ivua vu|ivnivr" 11 5 V
got to have some impact " ^ j|i
because it's taking money
out of my pocket. All the
toys are going uo. . j
They're getting outra- Bennett
geous with the prices. I
won't be able to get too
many Christmas pres M&" * '
Theresa Benett--"I can't
get what 1 want because jm ^
prices are too high. ^ ^ Jw
clothes, especially. Pants v k
that were $9.99 are now f ~ J]
$15.99 and shoes that
used to cost $10.00 are
now up to $40 and $50. Albright _y
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editorials
?? ? ??*??*.iVI#I,.%%%%S,.,.,.#?W.\VI,#,.V.,.V.
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|^Dr. James P. Comer
[James P. Comer and AJvin F. Poussalnt are
psychiatrists and the authors of the book "Black Child
Care/' Dr. Comer Is professor of child psychiatry and
associate dean for student affairs at Yale University
School of Medicine. Dr. Poussalnt is associate professor
of psychiatry and associate dean for student affairs at
Harvard medical School.]
Dear Dr. Comer: 1 am black and a grandmother of four
lovely children, ages 4 through 12 years. I feel that my
two sons and daughters-in-laaw give their children too
much. Thev say that they can afford it and the children
should have some of the things they couldn't.
1 have noticed that even poor black families try to give
their children too much, especially toys at Christmas
time. Why? Is it good for the children? F.B.
Dear F.B.: The most important thing parents can give
children is the kind of time and relationship which will
help them grow into socially skillful* competent and
reponsible adults. A moderate amount of such material
things as toys, clothes and vacations isn't harmful if the
parents are interactintheir children in a way which
develops healthy attitudes.
But there.is'a limit.. In some homes every "nook and
cranny" is filled with children's things. In some of these
cases, plarents have substituted material things for real
interest and involvement with their children. Giving
children whatever they want can be a way of trying to
buy affection, which never really works. It can also be a
way of avoiding a painful showdown with a child, of
having to say no to excessive wants.
Chttdren are not-born knowing how to share, "be
reasonable and responsible people. They must learn and
develop these characteristics from the adults around
them. Heaping gifts upon children works against
development of good character traits. A child who gets
whatever he wants can become selfish and may feel that
the world owes him something.
Children need to hear that you don't buy something
every time you walk into a store. They will say, "Mary's
ft
Speaking Oi
It was during^ the fall of Children's Home Society
1972 when I first met demanding to know what
Estelle Williamson Pritch- efforts were being made on
^tt. She was a dainty little behalf of children. She
slack lady, neatly dressed, "listened intently as I exDbviously
not a highly edu- plained our statewide adopted
person but one wise tion program and our spefrom
life's experiences of - cial~efforts to find permaabout
65 years. She was nent homes for older childpoised,
very determined, ren now in the limbo of
with an air of quiet and long-term foster care. The
simple dignity. 4 expression on her face mirMrsv
Pritchett told me she rored her paftr as ^he
was born to parents who identified with the needs of
could not care for her and these children. She had
had "given me away". already visited'several othDuring
her childhood er agencies and child care
years, she moved from institutions to learn about
foster family to foster fam- their programs. On this
ily. The limbo of not first visit, she did not say
belonging had been both why she had come.
painful and difficult for her. Several days later, she
She longed for a perma- invited me to her little t
nent home like other child- home. It was a small home,
ren. immaculately clean. With When
she reached teen- much pride she showed me
age years, though she lack- her nicknacks and told me
ed education and felt the how each one had come to
effects of a deprived child- her. Many were given by
hood, she found work as a friends and the families for
domestic, devoting her life whom she had worked. She
to taking care of the child- revealed a little book in
ren of families for whom which monthly payments
she worked. She remained on her home had been
in North Carolina for a meticulously recorded. She i
while and then went "tin showpH m#? uarH lr?w. I
north". She married Wil- ingly kept. She shared her
bert Pritchett, was widow- experiences with children,
ed, with no children born to her involvement with het
her. Then, 25 years ago, church and friends,
she began a pattern of It was not until I was
working for families "up leaving that learned why
north" during the fall, win- she asked me to visit. Since
ter and spring, returning she had no blood relatives
"home" to North Carolina to inherit her possessions,
during the summer she was considering a bemonths.
She carefully sav- quest to the agency. She
ed her money for summer asked many questions avacations
. She managed about the procedures necto
buy a small home, her essary to naming the Childhaven.
* ren's Home Society in her \
Mrs. Pritchett came to the wfj| s^e wanted her legacy
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columns?
A
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>ng8
Dr. Alvin F. Poussaiat^r
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mother bought her one!" They need to be told in a kind
way that you don't d? something just because somebody
else does. Parents should explain that they buy useful
and fun things when thev can afford them and after thpv
o J J
have bought all the things they need.
There is a first generation middle income trap here. ? _
Mos middle income blacks are of the first generation.
People who have been very poor often like to prove to
themselves and others that they've made it. People who
are still poor often try to make up for it with a big day for
children on the holidays. Without being fuHy aware of
it. some blacks try to compensate for the race-related
problems their children face with material things. While
these reactions are very human and understandable,
they are not very helpful.
Millions of middle income Americans are over their
heads in debt because they received too many material
things as children and think they need them now. Since
it is no Ionizer true that a good education will guarantee a
well-paying job, such needs are even more troublesome.
Children of middle income families who become
accustomed to the excessive good life today may discover that
they can't afford it tomorrow.-- Childhoodpreparation
for reasonable spending is more important
iv/uuT man UviU1C.
Parents and grandparents who grew up with very few
material things sometimes have unrealistic ideas about
how much is reasonable and what is excessive. And
being excessively tight can create as many problems as
buying too many material things.
The proof of the pudding is in the behavior of children.
If they are able to share, handle frustration and
disappointment reasonably well/relate to and have good
attitudes towards others* there is little cause for concern.
You might discuss these goals with your sons and
daughters-in-law. That way they can be more aware of
promoting them as their children enjoy the material
things they can afford.
Dr. Comer
[If you have any questions for the doctors, send your
letter to, 4'Getting Along," care of this newspaper.]
mxtimsam. t:;:,
Ruth McCracken I
to spare children the limbo heart attack after boarding
she knew. I suggested she a bus to return home after
talk with an attorney to visiting friends. It did not
carry out her intent. As I surprise me that she had '
left, she remarked to me, asked that-her body be
"please don't let another transferred to a medical
child suffer." school to teach medical
We talked oir the tele^ studentsT and heF eyes
phone several times before were willed to the eye bank,
she left to go back "up I visited her little apartnorth".
Several letters ment to which she had
came from her asking what moved after selling her
our agency was currently home.
doing for children. I re- It was immaculate and all
plied each time until my her Measures were ill place,
last letter was returned, As I'stood there, I rememmarked
"no forwarding ad- bered the little lady who
dress". Then, nothing had described each of her
further was heard from possessions with dignity
her. In late August 1978, and pride.
The Children's Home Soci- 0ne cannot help but be
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__ . a n* ? ? ? -
eiy was noimea oy tne ,l,uvcu ttna awea Dy tnis
Clerk of The Superior Court little lady and the magnithat
the agency had been tude of her life's plan. She
named in the will of Estelle was a caring person, meanPritchett.
Through her ingful to so many whose
will, she bequeathed every- liyes she touched. Even
thing she had to the agency though her early life was
to be used for, "the benefit tragic, she had, somehow,
and rearing of under- privil- ga>ned strength and pureged
children." Pose- Her le8acy to children
now fulfills her plea tc
I later learned that Mrs. me---,"please don't let aPritchett
suffered a fatal nother child suffer."
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The Winston-Salem Chronicle 1
Founded 1974 I
Ernest H. Pitt
Editor & Publisher I
Ndubltl Egemonye Ituc Carree n
Co-Founder General Manager
John W. Temple ton Sharyn Bratcher
[ Executive Editor Managing F
Yvette McCnlkmgh
Photo Editor^ SP?rts Ed,,or
Contrlbatorai Azzle Wi^.i r; Naomi McLean; George Boole;
Joey Daniels, Laelle Doath't
Suite 603 phoBe 722-8624
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