9
Page A4-The Chronicle. Thursday, February 9, 1984
Wiqston-Salem CtiT'oqicle
hounded 1974
ERNEST H. PITT
NDUBIS1 EGEMONYE ALLEN JOHNSON
Co-hounder Exrruti** Editor
ELAINE L. PITT JOHN SLADE
Offwt Klununer As&istmi Editor
The candidates
It seems somehow fitting that the wave of black hopefuls
filing to pursue local offices whooshed into the Board of
Elections office at the advent of Black History Month. With
generous measures of hard work, active and informed voters
of both races and old-fashioned luck, they may make black
history of their own.
Mildly surprising was Pat Hairston's decision to resign
from his post as head of the local NAACP to seek a seat on
the Board of County Commissioners, where blacks have had
a difficult time gaining a foothold. Though he had intimated
that he might run for elective office more than once, we also
had heard Hairston say some time back that he'd had
enough of the frustrations of being NAACP president ? only
to run once more for the post. So we weren't so sure he could
wrest himself from the job he obviously loves, despite the
pain and aggravation that go with the turf.
Other black candidates for county commissioner include
Mose* Brown, a schoolteacher, and Willie E. Smith, retired
co-owner of Russell's Business College.
It would be nice to give current County Commissioner
Mazie Woodruff some company.
Meanwhile, Evelyn Terry has thrown her hat into the ring
for the school board, as, it seems, has everybody else in Forsyth
Countv. Terry's candidacv is a not-so-sumrisinc
- V w r ? W
development, however, since her name had been mentioned
in many circles as a possible candidate and an ad hoc meeting
of black citizens last year picked her as their choice to seek
the seat vacated by former school board member Tom Womble
-- and eventually granted by the Democratic powers that
be to John Wood.
Among the other 18 candidates vying for eight seats on the
board of education are accountant Gordon Slade Jr.,
another mild surprise, and apartment manager William
Tatum.
Tatum, of course, has been in the news from time to time
as the chairman of the Black Leadership Roundtable Coalition.
A bigger surprise is the Rev. C.E. Green's quest to become
register of deeds in Forsyth County.
We have been impressed witfcLGreen for quite a while and,
in our zeal to encourage young blacks to run. are glad to be
reminded by him that older, experienced Wadfcs-need to
become more involved in the political arena as well.
Filing for re-election in the state House are C.B. Hauser
and Annie Brown Kennedy, and for the state Senate,
Lafayetie N. Jones, a tax consultant.
That brings the total of local blacks seeking office to 10.
To the novices among them, and even some of the
veterans, one current black officeholder advises, take youi
candidacies as seriously as possible and invest the time, work
and networking that must be involved to succeed at party
politics, especially when the race involves a countywide electorate.
Running for office, she said, isn't something you do im
pulsively. Know the board you're seeking to join and the
issues it must handle. There's no time to learn; some thing;
you ought to already know, lest, even if you are elected, the
incumbent sharks will eat you alive. It takes homework tc
succeed at politics. And sometimes even then you don't pas;
the course on the first try.
More on the candidates next issue.
Crosswlnds
. Who is Mr. Wills?
From the Carolina Times.
Quickly now, answer these three questions!
Who is Frank Wills?
What did he do?
What is he doing now?
The answers tell a sad story of what America does to i
black heroes. But at the same time, in the Frank Wills stoi
is at least one example of two men who have risen to the tc
of their professions, but who remember from whence thi
came, and who also remember Wills.
Mr. Wills was a poorly paid security guard in the summ
of 1972 when five men burglarized the headquarters of tl
Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Apai
ment Building in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Wills discovered and reported the burglary, bringii
about the arrests of James W. McCord, Bernard L. Barke
Frank A. Sturgis, Virgilie R. Gonzalez and Eugenio R. Ma
tinez. But he did more than stop a burglary.
Mr. Wills set into motion circumstances and investigatio
that ultimately revealed the most malignant cancer on the c
Fice of the President of the United States ever discovered
the nation's history.
Truly a grateful nation would long remember such a her
Not so.
Mr. Wills, who has been umemployed almost sir
discovering the burglary ? while almost everyone eli
especially the culprits, have made hundreds of thousands
dollars ? has suffered terribly for his heroism.
Please see page A12
XI
Vje'Vfc 6oT To Keep THOSE
eoKe\&M iiAfbers OUT OP
.M.
feS% A
MLVOUUeWD UPl
MORG ungupu
f? x
-(Sii-I
Reflecting c
ByXLIETON GRAVES
Chronicle Columnist
tf /? Itsir h /% ?V # m ^
aj u i ULc nuj nf nuii/r/, 1/ (< nuj riU
worthwhile tradition; it becomes a
negligible factor in the thought of the
world and it stands in danger of being
exterminated.
-- Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Afro-American History Month.
Black History Month. A time set
aside to honor the contributions of
bl&:k people to America and the
wjrld.
The idea that such an observance is
necessary was the brainchild of noted
historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Woodson, in his wisdom, believed
that African and Afro-American
history had too long been distorted
and ignored by Caucasian
"scholars." Indeed, as the pun goes,
social science books reflected only
H1S-STORY: a "lily-white" view of
the world that glorified "European"
civilization and debased African and
j Asiatic peoples.
h . s Woodson set out to alter this unsavory,
immoral practice, and, in the
process, made history himself.
Through his work with the Society
for the Studv and Preservation nt
Afro-American Life and History,
Woodson encouraged his colleague?
i
What is the
r
By WALTER MARSHALL
Guest Columnist
? Since that day in August of 1831
when an illiterate black minister, Na
Turner, led the only successful slav
revolt in North America, blac
> ministers and the black church hav
5 been the victims of all kinds c
schemes by the dominant group t
gain or maintain control over the ir
dependence of black institutions.
Though history reveals the courag
and genius of many great blac
ministers, courage and vision amon
black ministers are the exceptior
rather than the rules.
Since Turner's revolt, blac
ministers, for the most part, ha>
been docile, miseducated and coi
trolled by the same system th:
enslaved them.
Though the black church remaii
the pillar of the community, tl
church as an institution has nev
*s developed a religious dogma that
ry related to the uplift of black peopl
)p Carter G. Woodson, in "Tl
ly Miseducation of the Negro," write
"Black religion is merely a loan fro
the whites who have enslaved ai
cr
segregated the Negro.
"The organization, though large
*t- an independent black institution,"
notes, "is dominated by thethough
ig of the oppressors of the race. T
,r educated minister is so trained as
drift away from the masses and the
literate preachers into whose han
the people will inevitably fall ?
ns unable to develop a doctrine and pi
)f- cedure of their own. While serving
in
"THIS 1$ *"TIWE OF DlFflCIAT
CUMJ6? IN OK Eaumy...
: &LASm> , ?RoTecTlOW^M.
iwe COUNTRY/ ?eTAuKT\OW <
f?
iUOT- -oJ
xmnct is sot vTijl Be l
wmnT
>n Black Hist
to gather research to refute the lies,
distortions and omissions regarding
African and Afro-American history
that permeated this nation's educational
system.
Through his own writings ?
notably "The Miseduacation of the
Negro" - Woodson presented concise
analyses of how the AfroA
m origin
n 111 v i i w o ii
try. 4 He
cited poli- _
; o ; a n c Clifton Graves
ticians,
schools, churches and socalled
academicians as the
primary culprits for the perI
petuation of institutionalized
ignorance.
Because his untiring sacrifice
? and commitment to truth, Carter G.
Woodson is proclaimed the "Father
' of Black History," and is credited
with the founding of Afro-American
History Month.
j And while there may have been
1 role of the hi
the avenue of the^ oppressors' propaganda,
the black church, although
~ doing some good, has prevented the
, ui\ion of diverse elements and has
it kept the race too weak to overcome
e foes who have purposely taught
k blacks how to quarrel and fight about
e trifle until their enemies can over>f
come them."
o Goodson continues:. "This is the
t- keynote of the control of the so-called
inferior race by the self-styled
;e superior. The one thinks and plans
k while the other, in excited fashion,
g seizes upon and destroys his brother
is with whom he should cooperate."
One only has to look at the state of
k the black ministry in Forsyth County
'e to see the wisdom in Woodson's
rt- words. Few black ministers with a
at ?M
"Few black ministers with a cl
le taken a public stand against in
er Curry and the Rev. Warner Da
ic
IvJ ^
e.
church in Forsyth County have taken
a public stand against injustice since
>m the Rev. Michael Curry and the Rev.
id Warner Darnell left Winston-Salem.
Even though most black ministers are
;ly no doubt devoted to their faith, their
he inability to take a stand in the midst
its of the moral crisis facing black
he citizens has left a noticeable void in
to the black community,
il- The black ministers, for the most
ds part, do not stand up for or teach
ire their members how to deal with or
o- solve the social ills of today. Rather,
as they admonish them to accept their
AND THfcSE CHANGES CAU K* A NEW
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KANAGEtAENT
AND LABOR
will just metez iby
0t\?? couni^ies- (
' vf} 1
a-Cjfcv
m& w mc%\th!
?/ . . r^v ll
^ A I
m&Mory
Month
other Afro-American historians who
were perhaps more scholarly (W.E.B.
Dubois) or renowned (Benjamin
Quarles, Lerone Bennett), no one can
deny the depth of^the contribution to
enlightenment made to our people,
and this country, by Woodson.
I agree with those critics who argue
that Afro-American History should
be taught and celebrated year-round,
and not confined to the shortest
month of the year. Further, 1 agree
that there must be a comprehensive
integration of African and AfroAmerican
contributions into every
field of study presently taught in
America's educational system, from
pre-school to post-graduate.
Needless to say, the task will take
time, hard work and a thorough reeducation
of the mis-educators.
But clearly, it must be done.
In the meantime, it is our individual
and collective responsibility
to educate ourselves and our children
about the glorious past and heroic
struggles of our ancestors. _
We would also do well* to take advantage
of the numerous black
i 1 i
history programs oeing onerea
throughout February by the East
Winston Library, Winston-Salem
State University, Wake . Forest
University, the.N.C. School of the
Please see page A5
ack church?
low status in life and to prepare for
theiT after-life meeting with their
maker.
The present leadership within the
ranks of the black church, though it
has the potential of greatness, is too
divisive, conformist and destructive
toward the plight of black people.
The leadership styles make present
black clergymen nothing more than
rnntmllpH anH manimilat^H 1arW-#?v?
VV II VI \y IIVVI MI A VI IIIMIII^ UIMVVM IMV rv V ^ u
of the status quo. Their rhetoric and
actions, which always seem to divide
and degrade the black community,
are reflective of a people whose minds
have been enslaved and conditioned
to react in a slavish manner.
To understand the depth of the
^probl6m within the black church, one
would have to be aware of the instituhurch
in Forsyth County have
justice since the Rev. Michael
rnell left Winston-Salem."
tion of chattel slavery in America and
understand the mental and physical
factors involved in maintaining
domination over a people.
Although the black church is independent
of white ownership, it does
not escape the psychological aspects
of white domination because the
same methods for maintaining the
domination of black people are still in
force 119 years after slavery. It does
not take a genius to see what is happening
to us as a people ? the public
schools and churches are guilty of
Please see page A5
I MATMeSeftKE PSEPMteDTO UAKE
Chronicle Letters |
"t
Complaint about I
mnamed source g
To The Editor:
In reference to the notable
quotes of 1983, I read with some
interest each quote. The headline
stated, "Notable quotes from '83:
Who said them and when."
As I read, I could not help but
notice you did not live up to your
headline, as there was a name
beside each quote except the one in
reference to Macedonia True Vine
Church nf
God Inc. If you were not going to
name the person who made the
quote, you should have kept the
quote out. Why did you fail to
name the person?
It appears that you and the unnamed
person are in some kind of
scheme to discredit the house of
God. God is not like "editors" of
the Chronicle -- He does no onesided
business.
The Bible states you only have to
have faith the size of a mustard
. seed. Faith in God can do
anything. Jim Bakker operates on
such as yours tried to discredit
him, but look where Heritage
Village is going.
Robert Schuller operates on I
faith; he believes in God. It is
ironic that you are publishing a
newspaper with no faith.
R.J.Reynolds built an empire on
faith and he had very little capital.
. It is a locally based firm. Search
out the story behind that.
If you are not going to print
truths, print nothing, since you are
determined to shield the person
that made the statement. Don't
print anything if your source is .
such a coward, and you are a big- I
ger one than he is.
I am not a member of
Macedonia; however, l admire
what they have done and I admire
the leader. I took it upon myself to
write this and 1 am taking it upon
myself to discredit the Chronicle
whenever and however I can.
?Sally K. Edmondson
Winston-Salem
Thanks for article
To The Editor:
(This letter was addressed to
Staff Writer Audrey L. Williams.)
Thanks for that fantastic spread
on "Working Women" and the
Women in Non-Traditional Jobs
Training Program (Jan. 19 issue).
We nave received many
favorable comments, and even a
request to do an interior house
painting job.
Please convey our compliments
to your photographer. The pictures
were great!
G. Jimmie Sudler
Project Director
Women in Non-Tradltonal Jobs
More thanks...
To The Editor:
I have heard it said on many occasions:
"If you want to know
what's going on in the community,
read the Chronicle. "We take great
pride in attesting that we are true
believers.
The tremendous community
response generated by the excellent
coverage given our Women In
Non-Traditional Jobs Program
(Jan. 19 issue) has not only
enhanced the visibility of the Urban
league but has established the
Chronicle as a true supporter of
human betterment and a positive
voice for the community.
We are sincerely grateful to you
and your talented staff for such an
in feature of our pro*
gram and services. The pictures
were wonderful and complemented
the story perfectly. Please offer
our special thanks to the
photographer.
Thomas J. Elijah Jr., President
Winston-Salem Urban League
YOUR MOVEYOZ VOUZ JOB |