Law: ESR's
. By CHERYL WILLIAMS I
Chronicle Staff Writer
This article Is the first In a
series on United Way-funded programs
that particularly I
affect the black community. I
Homelessness, joblessness and
hunger don't discriminate, says
the director of the 22-year-old
Experiment in Self-Reliance Inc., |
a community-action agency
formed during President I
Johnson's "War on Poverty." I
"When people talk about I
poverty, they're not just talking
about one age group," said Robert
B. Law, executive director
of ESR. "There are children
who are born into poverty. We
_ ? - -
aisu run into oiaer people who
have no pensions or Social
Security. There's a group in the
middle, too, at an age where they "
can be employable but do not
have skills."
While helping others survive, <
ESR must fight Jo stay alive I
itself.
Because of continuing funding
cuts, Law said, he spends much .1
of his time making sure enough i
% money comes in.
"Since Reagan became president,
our budget has been cut by
40 percent, and we lost 20 people
on our staff," he said. "Ronald
Reagan is ideologically opposed
to programs for the poor."
Established in 1964 with a
grant from the N.C. Fund, ESR
was designated by the county as a
community-action agency in
1965.
/. %
.. Its main office is located at
1621 E. Third St. * ,
Law said ESR has a threefold
purpose: to mobilize resources at
the community and state levels,
to be an advocate for poor people
and to be an agent of institutional
jjChanges.
ESR seeks to break the cycle of.
poverty through the many programs
and services that it offers.
Several of those programs are
aimed at helping the elderly.
They include:
Dietitian-approved lunches
for thousands of elderly citizens
five days a week at seven locations
in the city and county.
nun
t
'Roots' creat
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speak as a spokesman for all of Blac)
he said he feels there are a variety of i
problems confronting the black fami
* ! "First, before I speak to the issue,!
I don't see black people as a collective
"It always bemuses me when people <
and say, 4What are black people thi
are so many black people in this co
know what they're all thinking. Ho
see is that the black family is in a st;
different reasons.v
: In discussing reasons for the chanj
tional black family, Haley noted t
range of blacks who are ''doing f;
whites" and "a large number of blac
in terrible urban situations A*
Educational differences between t
women, Haley said, are also alterinj
the black family by producing a larj
single black women who feel they are
9 compatible black husband.
However. Halev said manv of the
ing blacks are self-inflicted and mus
blacks themselves.
; "At the risk of being criticized by 1
feel that many problems that beset bl
our own fault," Haley said. "We Y
tendency to want other people to <
blems for us. Many things that we ]
pen, we could prevent if we chose to
improve - and we do wish to improv
lake steps on our own to do so."
Illustrating his point, Haley told i
drug sellers today are successful bei
allowed to be. He said that he rem
;when someone selling drugs in h
!would be chased out of the area.
Haley said there is a lack of co
issues in today's black communities.
; "The tour Michael Jackson anc
made a few years ago raised mi
dollars, and people somehow got thi
to go see the show," said Haley. 4
; raise a fifth of that with a tour of t
anything else which has a direct n
black family. We just don't feel pres
as much as we could."
Turning the focus to the phenomi
" ' j
%
impact maki
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-' "* Dalvin
McDaniel Jr. caulks arou
barker).
- The Congregate Housing
Services Program, a five-year
research project that seeks to
keep as many of the elderly as
possible in their own h&nes
rather than in nursing homes.
The project is composed of 96
housing units for the elderly
located in the rear of the ESR
building, Law sard] w~?
A Weatherization Program
that serves not only the elderly
but handicapped aiuUow-income
residents, "You
impact on people's li
realize you do it, but it maket
The service helps residents cut
fuel costs, Law said, and it includes
weather stripping, caulking,
replacement of broken win
aows, glazing, overhead insulation
and underpinning.
Social and educational activities
that are sponsored for the
elderly through Senior Opportunities
and Services."Workshops
are held in areas such as health,
nutrition and money management.
In addition, ESR operates two
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or From Page A'
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c America, but his "Roots'* saga
reasons for the mon belief, the b
ily. burst of enthusia
said, was not a n
I must say that of one mle thjn
!, Haley said. thing
:ome up to me lin lic,
nking? There sisters taiking at
untry. I don't Hal said .
lack men and Th^discovery,-!
I the status of . blacks seem to ki
ger number of "I think 'Root!
unable to find what is called th
"Oftentimes it is
problems fac- roof of a big ho
t be solved by culture we live in
then we scoot 01
black people, I scoot back,
ack people are "I find it bem
lave too much very little about b
solve our pro- people know a lot
permit to hap- because black pe
. If we wish to homes, and every
e -- we need to together and com
sequently they kn
the group that and who was sr
cause they are whose child had <
embers a time was a Southern p
is community Haley, who als
Malcolm X," is v
ncern for real ing." The book, i
of finishing, will!
1 his brothers town that, "like i
_ 1 4 t !tf f - **
jiuimuions 01 was oypassea oy
it $30 together Haley appearec
'You couldn't book which will f
he NAACP or said, will tell the
leaning to the black millionaires
sed to improve straightener to bl
"It's as about
snal success of Pie
t
~.u?.. .. .. A v
li. jIB_
nd the window of a Patterson /
programs that are employmentoriented.
The Learn-to-Earn program
helps dropouts get their
GED certificates, while Employment
Services, started in July,
helps match jobs with people.
The program also offers information
to job seekers on the kind
of attitude they need to have in
order to keep jobs.
Since its beginning, the program
has served 78 people, Law
said. Twenty-five have found
jobs, he said.
ves. Sometimes you don't
> it worthwhile. "
^
? Robert B. Law
ESR also supplies short-term
emergency help through two of
its programs.
Its Problem Center helps pay
the cost of rents, utilities, food,
medicine anri nth#?r #*vr**?r?c*?c
? %/? % v/ipvllOVJ UU1 "
ing crises. In addition, its staff
members provide financial
counseling, helping clients work
out budgets when necessary.
"We try to help people help
themselves," Law said.
The Problem Center makes
referrals as well. The staff at the
center works in conjunction with
iiiiiiimmiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimimiiii
I
, Haley said that, contrary to comook
did not result from "a sudden
sm or inspiration." The book, he
latter of spontaneity but a matter
g attaching itself to another little
ening to my grandmother and her
out when they were little girls,"
ey talked about Chicken George
nd I got curious about the stories I
d him to spend two years compilith
records and other information
ipiled something he said "looked
a book."
; success of "Roots" pointed out
people know about black people,
tie- said,?was surprising- because low
so much about white people.
provided insight for people into
e black experience," Haley said,
as if we all live under the same
use, but in terms of ethnics and
different rooms. Every now and
it to meet one another and then
using how white people know so
lack people and, conversely, black
about white people. The reason is
ople were domestics in the white
weekend the domestics would get
pare notes after church, and conew
evd-ything about who was sick
leaking around with whom and
lone what in the white families. It
henomenon!"
\o wrote "The Autobiography of
working on his next book, "Hennivhich
he said he is within a month
t>e the story of his childhood in the
a thousand more Southern towns,
the main roads."
1 most excited, however, about the
ollow "Henning." That book, he
story of Madame C.J. Walker, a
s who made a fortune selling hair
ack women.
as exciting a subject as you can
iase see page A14
?
hwhile
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3
Avenue home (photo by James
%
? . - 2s
other emergency assistance programs
in the area.
Another crisis-intervention
program, ESR's emergency
shelter on Burton Street, temporarily
houses people who may
have lost their homes to fire, evic- ~~
tion or other misfortunes.
ESR also operates a community-center
at 1318 N. Jackson
Ave., where workshops and programs
are offeree! to the com-.
munity.
Eighty percent of the people
ESR serves are black, although
45 percent of the county's poor
are white, Law said.
Thus, ESR is better-known in
the black community, he said.
Law, who has been ESR's executive
director- since January,
replaced Louise G. Wilson, who
a v?ii VU
ESR has a 36-member board of
directors and employs 44 staff
members, he said.
Despite continued cuts in fun- ,
ding, Law is determined to keep
ESR going because he feels the
agency does change people's ,
lives.
4 4 You impact on people's
lives," he said. "Sometimes you
don't realize you do it, but it
makes it worthwhile. ..."
1WH
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The Chronicle, Thursday,
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, September 18, 1986-Page A3
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