Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / March 16, 1978, edition 1 / Page 2
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\cmm (. cornu Project Oout Needs You! by Hoyle H. Martin Sr. Poet Executive Editor Senator Edward Brookes (R. Mass). the onlv black among his distinguished group, told an “Ope ration Push” audience in (Chicago earlier this month *kai “the absolute rr>ck bottom starting point for any Republican courtship of the black vote must be economic.” He *}ded that there are seven million un registered hlack votes in this coun try. Then he said,“Can you imaging that potential...influence, oower. and impact on this nation.” In the current issue of Black Enterprise magn-yiry> an article says in part,“Blacks have been able to erect a rather sophisticated political machine that has become a power broker in Kansas City politics.” This has happened, the article con tined, because blacks in that city “ have managed to agree on issues.” These observations can be sum summed up in one word,‘CLOUT.” By clout we mean strength, political strength and influence in your own community so that we as black Deoole can determine our own des tiny. Undoubtedly, you recall that a month agoWGTV Radio personality Jim Black,speaking op behalf of his radio station and co-sponsored by the NAACP, announced the launch ing of “Project Clout,” a sustained voter education and registration drive aimed at getting more hlarkg to the polling places on election day. ThePost applauded this giant step by the black oriented radio station and the ‘NAACP and we expressed encouragement when the infr^l ef fort to register blacks at some record shops and at a rock concert were less than successful. We continue to applaud these efforts but now wond er if there are not better,more meaningful places to register pro spective voters. We believe it would be wiser to utilise the churches, social and neighborhood organizations, adult education programs ana ine grow ing influence of the black community to get more pesple educated, registered and into the polling places on election day. We are also asking the question, “Where are these organizations and institutions” Why are they silent? Why have tney not publicly endorsed “Project Clout” and ottered assist ance to make the project successful? It is only through such an effort that we can gain some measure of assurance that another highway will not rip through McCrorey Heights or Hvde Park, or that the University Park Post Office won’t be closed, or that we can maintain adequate fire and police protection, or that re-zon ing won’t destroy our neighborhoods If we are concerned about these services, and therefore the quality of life in our neuzhtborhoods, we must join in support of the “Project Clout” effort NOW! It’s your future and your neighborhood that’s at stake! Do something, support “Project Clout.” Blacks Migrating South? t> A recent Census Bureau study shows that in the two-year period, March 1975 through March 1977, 147,000 blacks moved out of the northeastern part of the U.S. and over two-thirds of them -104,000 - moved to the south. During the same period, bUsti? migration out of the south was considerably less than in previous periods, and, more signi ficantly, the whole pattern of black migration is quite different from what it was in the decade of the 1960’s. In the 1960’s, blacks continued a trend, dated back to World War 1, of migrating out of the south to the northeast in search of partly achieveable better schools, jobs, upward mobility and social organi zations. With the presumed progress that blacks have made/particularly since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, nothing about the migration of hianka ap pears unusually significant. How ever,a conference on“The Rising Economy of the South” reports that “Virtually all the benefits of the south have occured to whites...who have achieved parity with whites elsewhere in the country.” Why then do we have blacks staying in the south or migrating to the south? The answer to this question is that whether a racist or a liberal, south ern whites tend to be more honest and straight forward in expressing , their true attitudes and feelings - towards^ and about biada. In the other hand, northern whites too often exhibit a hyDocritimi of liberalism intended to deceive blacks and pretend to be superior to southern whites. Think it through, you might agree. Somedwg On You* IVfcd? “Something on your mind” is the name of a column devoted to you the young at heart readers of this newspaper - as long as it relates in some way to young people, regard less of age. Or any other subject you want to write about. Remember it’s your column Your article should be at least 250 words, type-writ ten and souble spaced pre ferred! ■ include your name, age, school, and a clear photo, and send it to the Editor, Charlotte Poet News paper, Post Office Box 97, Charlotte, NC 28230. Labor Law Reform-The Broader Issue For the past six months, American business groups and their erstwhile allies in the resurgent conservative movement have been beating the drums on labor law re form. “Big Labor,” they tell us, is using the Labor Law Reform Act of 1978 as a battering ram against the gates of corporate America; if the gates swing open, they warn, hordes of power hungry labor bureaucrats will ravage the land, and bankrupt thou sands of hapless businessmen. Such a scenario is, of course, highly exaggerated, yet the opponents of the Wil liams-Javits bill have been extraordinarily successful in causing widespread confusion about the intent of the legis lation. For one thing, frighten ed business leaders have la beled the reform package a “gi ve-a-way to the Labor Bos ses.” If the bill passes, accor ding to President Richard Le sher of the dumber of Com merce, the nation’s workers and consumer’s “will be bur dened with an unfair, imba lanced labor law designed to increase membership and e conomic and political clout of the big labor unions.” But the bill is not about “Union Power.” It is, instead, a measure designed to revi talize and reinforce America’s labor relations system, a Sys tem whose success or failure has an enormous impact on the economic well-being of low and middle-income Ameri cans. • Black working people-de spite what some conservatives and black businessmen have argued-have an especially large stake in the outcome of this debate: it is blacks who are disproportionately repre sented in those industries and geographic regions which have most steadfastly resisted trade union organizing drives the textile, clothing and ser vice industries of the Deep South. Workers employed in those labor intensive indus tries receive meager wages (almost subsistence wages) and face the constant threat of temporary lay-off or outright dismissal. They exist on the economic fringes of society with little or no hope for advancement... trade unions do, however, make a difference. Recent studies have demonstrated that blacks with trade union cards fare substantially better than their brothers and sisters working in non-union enter prises. According to the most recent data, black union work ers-both men and women earned a median weekly in come of$169 in 1974. Non-union blacks ,on the other hand, earned only $124 per week: a difference of over 35 percent. Another study showed that black union members are less likely than non-union blacks to suffer from temporary layoff^ It would be naive and mis leading, of course, to argue that trade union membership per se will magically advance the economic position of Sou thern blacks and other low wage workers But strong trade unions do, nevertheless, serve as a solid foundation for future economic gains. And without them, workers cannot even begin to confront the other social and economic factors which perpetuate . po verty. Why haven’t low-wage wor kers already organized them selves into trade unions? The answer is relatively simple: employers, because of their overwhelming political and economic power, have thwar ted virtually every organizing drive, frequently by using il legal and unethical tactics. Under the present law, there are few penalties which effec tively deter unscrupulous em ployers from dismissing pro union employees, interroga ting workers about their union sympathies, or bargaining in “bad faith.’’ Similairly, anti union companies can slowly dissipate pro-union sentiment by continually delaying repre sentation elections through clever-but costly-legal man euvers. ’ :.'v • Some critics of the proposed reforms, such as Mr. Lesher of the Chamber of Commerce, complain that the bill “would transform the National Labor Relations Act from a remedial statute to a punitive law, designed to punish emplo .To a certain extent, Mr. Lesher is correct. But how else can one enforce a law which many employers find so tempting to violate? The penalties included in the Williams-Javits bill are har dly draconian. Employers who repeatedly break the law and deny workers their most basic rights will be barred from receiving federal con tracts. Who could possibly complain about that? Business groups and Con gressinal conservatives on both sides of the aisle have derisively called the reform package “just another piece of self-interest legislation.’’ ' ■E=S=sBy Vernon E. Jordan Jr.| TO BE i EQUAL Washington’s Role It has become popular to run down the ability of government to deal with social problems, or indeed, with almost any kind of problem. This trend goes well beyond the traditional griping about Washington, politicians, or public servants that has always been with us. It’s taken on a new edge, a surly quality that could wind up as a deep, self-inflicted wound on our nation’s hopes. Even President Carter gave in to the trend in his State of the Union speech, in which he said: “Government cannot solve our problems. It cannot set our goals, define our vision, eliminJre poverty or reduce inflation.” Well then, what are we paying taxes for? Because government can do pecisely those things: it can solve problems of a public and national scope; it can - and should - set national goals; it can define our vision of the future; it can eliminate poverty through job and income programs, and it can reduce inflation. The very items government is supposed to be unable to do are the same ones that only government can accomplish. True, it can’t do it alone. It needs to involve citizens and interest groups and political structures in framing policies and solving problems. But again, only the federal government can be the convener and agent of changes of national scope and import ance. Ours is a diverse nation of 200 million people and literally thousands of local government units, so it’s up to Washington to deal construc tively with nationwide problems. For minorities especially, it’s been the federal government that has spurred equal reghts and economic advance. The programs of the 1960’s for example, however underfunded, brought more real progress to black people than all of the preceding years n which state and local governments abdicated their responsibilities. Some people look at the $500 billion budget auf say “government’s too big.” But tiiey fpgget that budget is still a small parf of a more than $2 trillion economy, and that the U.S. government’s share of the national economic pie is smaller than that of almost any other industrial nation in the world. And a big chunk of that $500 billion budget is simple income transfer programs like social security, which is paid out of a trust fund and not out of general tax revenues. Which means the federal share of the national dollar is even smaller. From the way some people talk, one might think that “bureaucrat” is another name for a parasite. Charges against “big government” are always followed up by demands to get rid of the “BUREAUCRATS” WHO ARE SUPPOSEDLY GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. Well, in the first place, many people labelled as “bureaucrats” are dedicated public servants performing work of great value to the natinn For another, the federal non-military payroll j§ almost what it was thirty years ago, and since i960, the federal share of the American work force has actually declined. as isee i e I Overhaul School System Dy tier ale o. Johnson I am a strong believer in education. A good education can take you a long way in life. But there is nothing more discou raging or more disappointing than the type of educational i system we have now. The ! current system has many downfalls, Including not pro i viding an education for the mass of students. There are i many reasons for our educa tional system being in such a shamble. I would like to high light a few of tha^roblems There is a lack of apprecia tion for an education. Most < people view an education as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Students are mis . guided into believing that an education is the key to suc cess. Consequently they pur sue an education with the objective of getting a degree or diploma and they are not concerned with learning. If it were true that an education was the key to success then every educated person would be employed This is clearly not the case An education should be viewed as an enriching and broadening experience of the mind. Just to know facts, ideas, and opinions on varied topics makes it easier to deal \ with everyday situations A good education will enhance your chances for good em ployment but does not guaran tee employment. The forced education of the masses has a direct affect on educational appreciation, al so. It is stupid, expensive, and Ineffective to feel that every child under 16 years of age has to be educated. This forced education creates the crime problems currently existing in our systems and it forces institutions to be no more than inade baby sitting facilities. The mere fact that educa tion is legislatively required of ■all its constituents is proof that we lack an appreciation for it. It is impossible to educate anyone who is forced to receive it. Any proposal offered that would suggest that we not educate everyone would be met with the immed iate reply "What would we do with all of thoee kids?” Edu cation never is the point. Another problem with the system is it's isolation from the real world. Though educa tion is supose to be the hub of 1 the rest of our society there are no direct lines of commun ication to or from the system Businesses are not knowled geable of what’s going on in t the schools and vice-versa How can teachers prepare you I for a society that thev h' no < experience in. Of course, this applies to high schools snd post secondary scboola. This problem is easily recti fiable simply by allowing all students to participate in “Co op” programs and intern ships. This is simply giving students the opportunity to work in meaningful jobs dur ing certain months of the year his experience will give the student the opportunity to see iia class work being applied rhus be will appreciate the act that education is a useful ind worthwhile tool. Moreover, teachers should >e required to get outside • vork experience in their field of expertise. This will make for a better teacher because the course won’t be so book oriented. Finally, people working in areas other than education should be required to teach periodically. This type of exchange program will Improve present day educat ion 100 percent and make it a meaningful experience for all involved. Furthermore the society as a whole is involved with the educational process. School systems lack ade quate counseling procedures. Never have I seen so many mis-informed students in all my life. The few students that endeavor to abuse education for career opportunities are misled into career objectives. The single motivating factor is money. For instance, I’ve been teaching mathematics and computer science for the last four years. Students come to me saying that they want to pursue a career in data pro cessing because that's where the money is. Unfortunately, the student has no idea what data processing is about nor does he know what he is all about. He has been misled to pursue a career for money instead of on ability. It is without a doubt that any field you can master will reward you financially, but more import antly it will fulfill you. Hence, It is the school system that is responsible for finding out a student’s ability and interest. Without these two inputs it is impossible to counsel a stud ent effectively. The process of obtaining this information is both tediow and time consuming, but it is mandatory. Each student should be required to visit the counseling center periodically for talks, testing, and evaluat ions. Most importantly school sy stems lack competency based measures to insure perfor mance at the administrative and teaching positioM. Unlike a business that Is measured by profitability, educational sys tems seem to be intangible as far as evaluation is concerned. New programs are imple mented on a trial and error basis with students servii* as guinea pigs No one seems to have a hold on the situation. The students are now required to take competency base test but the personnel of the syst em are not. Though a stu dent's learning inability can be for many reasons, one of the reasons should be incorpo rated to evaluate Jeachert on classroom effectiveness aad knowledge of subject matter. I think it is appalling to have teachers that hate kids, but this case does arise frequent ly. Nothing is being done to correct the inadequacies of the system. The recent war path that parents went on only braight about cursory results. It Is past Ume for some serious overhaul to take place with the system. Until such time we will be obligated to continue to pay more tax dollars for leas results. UNCC Alumni Set* Merit Scholarship Program The University of North Ca rolina at Charlotte General Alumni Association has launched a merit scholarship program, Dr. William Britt, vice chancellor for develop ment has announced. A 91,600 grant will go to a rising senior at UNCC who has proven outstanding scholastic attainment, participated in University and-or community activities and demonstrated campus leadership. Mrs. Susan Piscitalli, direc tor of alumni affairs, said that the first Alumni Scholar will named on April 15,1*7* / TOE CHARLOTTE POST “THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 2606-B West Blvd. - Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephones (704) 393-1306,392-1307 Circulation, 9,916 60 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE Bill Johnson..Editor-Publisher Bernard Reeves...General Manager Hoyle rf. Martin Sr.Executive Editor Julius Watson.Circulation Director Albert Campbell..Advertising Director Second Class Postage No. 965500 Paid At Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878 -- Member National Newspaper Publishers Association . North Carolina Black Publishers Association % Deadline for all news copy and photos is 5 p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted becomes the property of the POST, and will not be returned. National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. 45 W. 5th Suite 1403 2400 S. Michigan Ave. New York, N Y 10036 Chicago, 111. 60616 (212) 489-1230 Calumet 5-0300 V. I BLACK BOOT-STRAPS THE TOTAL INCOME Of BLACK AMERICANS for H77 1\000,000,000 Blacks9 Destiny In Own Hands Gerald Johnaon
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 16, 1978, edition 1
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