I Editorials & Comments |
Whites Judging Black Visibility
From time to time the actions
or omissions of white Americans
has reminded us of the truism in
Ralph Ellison’s best seller novel,
“The Invisible Man,’’ which says
black people are invisible as if
non-existent because whites
have largely ignored us or our
contributions.
We were reminded of this
recently when none of the presi
dential candidates responded to
our invitation to appear at the
“National Conference for a
Black Agenda for the 80’s.”
Another reminder occurred
when it was announced that the
nation’s black population was
undercounted by 7.7 percent or 2
million people in 1970.
Still another reminder of black
invisibility occurred with the
reaction to blond actress Bo
Derek’s portrayal in the sex
comedy movie “10,” where she
appeared wearing cornrows and
beads, a traditional black hair
style. The New York Daily News
said, “salons across the country
started cashing in on the movie’s
success, and the press began to
hype cornrowing as if it had just
been invented.
Blacks across the_^ountry
have been reportedlpflfcgered
that white response to BoJRorn
rows is simply another Sptural
rip-off - a feeling that another
part of black culture has been
exploited as it has so often in the
past.
Marcia Ann Gillespie, editor of
Essence Magazine, put the “cul
tural rip-off” feeling in perspect
ive when she said, “when white
America says they have this
‘new style’ they’re saying, in
effect, that all the black women
across the country who have
been cornrowing their hair for
years don’t exist,” that is,
they’re invisible. The fact is,
comrow hairstyling can be
traced as far back in Africa as
900 years B.C. ( {
Yet another, and probably
more significant aspect of im
posed black invisibility, was
brought to our attention with the
death of Olympic hero Jesse
Owens.
Myth Of Aryon
In winning four gold medals in
the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Owens
helped destroy Adolph Hitler’s
myth of Aryon (white) superior
ity. In spite of this accomplish
ment, Owens found upon return
ing to America that “I (still)
couldn’t ride in the front of the
bus...I couldn’t live where I
wanted....(while) I wasn’t in
vited jto shake hands with Hitler,
I wasn’t invited to the White
. House to shake hands with Presi
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt,
either.” \ \
Furthermore, Owens, the
visible hero who single-handedly
tarnished both Nazism and -
—
racism was made invisible by
being ignored in 1935 and 1936 for
the coveted Sullivan Award
gjven lo the best amateur ath
lete of the year. In addition.
Owens had to earn a living by
performing as a freak for years
through exhibitions involving
races against horses and auto
mobiles.
It was in fact only in death that
Jesse Owens received a token of
appreciation befitting his contri
bution to freedom in America
and the world. In that tribute
President Carter said, “No ath
lete better symbolized the hu
man struggle against tyranny,
poverty and racism.” If these
words are to have meaning, the
living must not be denied their
visibility.
Losing Favor
As the presidential primaries
are held across America it ap
pears increasingly evident that
the candidates for the two majpr
parties will be Jimmy Carter
(D) and Ronald Reagan (R).
As we move closer to the
November elections, incumbent
Jimmy Carter is loosing favor
with a growing number of voters
because of the nation’s rampent
inflation, his failures in foreign
affairs and the feeling among
blacks that he has not kept his
caigpaign promises on a number
of key issues.
' On the Republican side Ronald
Reagan,'an ambitious but shal
low and naive conservative is
winning primaries because of
two significant and disturbing
facts. First, the Republican
Party has offered a group of
also-rans, with the possible ex
ception of John Anderson, who
lacked an identity with the Ame
rican people on the relevant
issues of inflation, domestic and
foreign policy.
The second and more serious
fact is that Mr. Reagaif is
winning primaries by using the
television style instant quick-fix
to complex economic and poli
tical issues. While he consistent
ly utters mis-statements of facts,
glosses over hard realities and
totally ignores his own question
able leadership as Governor of
California, Reagan is neverthe
less gaining support.
For black voters this should
not mean staying home from the
polls on election day. It does
mean that black voters will need 1
to look more carefully beyond 1
the personalities of the candi- 1
dates to more fully understand i
the issues - inflation, welfare s
reform, defense, domestic policy
t
and each candidate and how his t
party proposed to deal with ‘
them. To do less in the 1980 1
presidential election will be to r
miss the whole point in voting, c
Begin studying the issues now, k
then vote on election day. n
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Second Class Postage No. 965500
"THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER”
Established 19^8
Published Every Thursday
by The Charlotte Poet Publishing Co., Inc.
1524 West Blvd. - Charlotte, N.C. 28206
! Telephone (704)374-0496
_ Circulation - 9200
62 Years Of Continuous Service
BILL JOHNSON...Editor, Publisher
BERNARD REEVE8...Geaeral Manager
Second Class Postage No. 966500 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 photoes is 5 p.m
Monday. All photos and copy submitted
become the property of the POST, and will
not be returned.
National Advertising
Respresentative
Amalgamated Publishers, Inc.
4S W. 5th 8t., Suite 1403 24M 8. Michigan Ave.
New York, N.Y. I MM Chicago. 111. Mtl«
(212) 480-1220 Calo.net 5-MM
To Build A Better Black Community
As I See It
A Historical Ball Game??? ■- -
D_. ■ j rv ■ _■ _ —
By Gerald O. Johnson
Post Columnist
After listening to the
likes of Joe Gari...(what
ever) and Tony Kubek an
nounce baseball, Bret Mus
burger and Don Criqui an
nounce basketball, and
Howard Cosell and Don
Meredith announce foot
ball, I am convinced that
sports announcing is as
easy as A.B.C.
After all, Oscar Robert
son did it for years and the
only thing he ever said was
“Wow! ” to prove that I can
do it, I thought I would give
you a demo, today. Here
goes!
“Good evening, ladies
and gentlemen, this is your
play-by-play announcdf,
G.O. Johnson bringing you
today’s action between the
Christians and the Lions. It
is going to be .an exciting
game and I know you’re
dnina fo anl/... u ur: _
a-D-••• »* »U1 IUC
today is my colored man,
‘Ned the Nigger.’ Hello,
Ned.” “Hello, G.O..”
The coach for the Chris
tians is the perennial win
ner and all around good
guy Billy Graham. His as
sistants are Oral Roberts
and Rev. Ike. For the Lions
we have Alex Karras as the
lead coach with "Kimba”
he lion and the cowardly
ion assisting him. Kimba
wed to play with the Lions
>efore becomming an as
listant coach.
Ned, what’s you outlook
>n the game? "Well, G.O., I
hink we are in store for a
classic battle here today.
Tie Lions outweigh the
Christians by about 400
Bunds a man, but the
Christians have been
nown to pull out a few
niracles when things are
Gerald O. Johnson
going rough I look for Leo,
Lippy, and Snaggle Puss to '*
carry the Lions while Sam
son is the key man forjthe
Christian^"- Mqfreoevef, I
think...?’ >
Hie Christians are taking
the field and the Lions are
being let out of their cages,
so we are ready for the
start of this big game.
There is the gun and the
game is underway. The
Christians throw a javelin
at the Lions but it fails to
hit the target. The Lions
seem to be stalking out a
Christian for the kill. What
do you think about that,
Ned? “The Lions seem to
be stalking out a Christian
for the kill, G.O.”
Thank you, Ned. I sort of
wish you were out there on
the Held.
The Lions have a Chris
tian running up the side
lines. Leo and Lippy are
closing in with two other
Lions cutting him off at the
out of bound markers. Look
at that son of David go.
Wow! Leo leaped and
knocked that ChHstian
down. Nqw all the Lions are
charging over to the area...
ooohhh!
The Christians are down
by 1 and struggling. Snag
gle Puss has a Christian
down on the 40. The Chris
tian is twisting and turning
trying to get some extra
yardage, so he can go
before the rest of the Lions
appear on the scene. He is
not going to make it be
cause here comes the rest
of the Lions. Boy, they are
teaming up on that Chistian
and....ooohhh.
The Chistians are down
by 2. Billy Graham is ask
ing for a time out.
Well, Ned, are things
going the way you expect
ed? “Yeah, G.O., things
are going pretty much like
I expected.”
Are they really paying
you, Ned? Play has re
sumed and some of the
Lions are lying down. They
appear to be going to sleep.
I don’t understand it. What
uu yuu LiiiiiK, mea:
“I think some of the
Lions are lying down and
they appear to be going to
sleep, G.O.”
Thanks, Ned. Where
would I be without you?
Some of the Lions have
Samson cornered on the
Christian’s 10-yard line. If
the Christians lose Samson
they can forget it. But the
Lions are closing in on him.
Look at this! Wow! Samson
has pulled out a jawbone of
an ass and is beating three
Lions to death. This un
believable Samson is
creaming three Lions
single-handedly. What a
sunwise!.
The four-part series on
Central Piedmont Com
munity College will con
tinue next with Part II.
| r——ssV ernon E. Jordan,
SinJ“"ig The Draft
After the intial wave of saber-rattling
support, the public seems to have cooled tgk
the Administration’s plan to introduoe a
system of universal registration for the
draft. Even a hawkish Congress seems
dubious about the plan.
But the ease with which a revived draft
surfaced at the first hint of international
tension indicates that we’ll be hearing more
from that earner. So it is important to
understand why It was proposed and why it
deserves to be sunk. ’■*
The call to revive the draft was a purely
symbolic act, a bit of game-playing in the
shadow world of international politics. Its
intended goal was to impress the Russians
with America’s “resolve,” and “firmness.”
In a world of nuclear weapons and large
standing armies, a world in which a war
would be fought and decided by the time
fresh recruits were trained, instituting draft
registration isn’t likely to induce night
mares among the Kremlin’s chiefs.
They know as well as we do that draft
registration is a symbolic play, devoid of
substance. They know that our military
manpower problems aren’t addressed by
reviving registration. »
The basic manpower problems are the
failure to retain experienced and skilled
officers and enlisted personnel, and the
shortfall of experienced people in reserve
units that would have to be called out in an
emergency,
That goes to the issue of incentives for -
re-enlistments and for joining the reserves.
If draft registration were passed tomorrow
those problems would remain.
If a draft ever has to be instituted, the
logical process would be for a declaration of
national emergency to be followed by
registration and Conscription. A separate
registration measure as is now proposed
would wind up saving a mere seven days in
the process, and is opposed by the Selective
Service itself.
There’s a lot to be said against rushing
into a draft. Just having larger numbers of
troops would awaken the itch to use them,
encouraging the kind of adventurism that -
burned us in Vietnam such a short time agtih.
But there’s a hidden issue in the call for
reviving registration, and that is the effect
iveness of the volunteer army.
Until now we were told the volunteer
flrmv U/ac u/nrlrimy nnf uroll« fVinf U
effective fighting force capable of meeting
our defense needs. Suddenly, we are told we
need to reinstitute draft registration.
Either the nation has been lied to about
the effectiveness of the volunteer army, or
policy-makers agree that it is effective but
don’t trust it because so many soldiers are
• black. Do they fear that what officers can’t
control and manage blacks, that whites
wouldn’t join heavily black units, or that
blacks wouldn’t be reliable in combat or in
civil actions against urban riots? ,
If that’s behind the sudden infatuation
with a draft it should be brought into the
open and the clear anti-black bias inherent
in such views exposed to the full light of day.
That blacks are disproportionately found
in the service should be of no more concern
to policy-makers than the long-standing
tradition of disproportionate southern
enlistments.
rrom ine wrute Mouse
The People Deserve Solutions Not Campaign Victories
Alfred* L. Madison
Special To Th«T Post
President Carter has
sent another budget to con
gress. This time he has
reduced the budget from
$13 billion to $15 billion cut.
Outlays in fiscal 1981 bud
get are $611.5 billion while
the receipts will be $612
billion which will give a
$500 million surplus during
the year. This receipt will
come from a gasoline fee of
about $12.6 billion and with
holding tax on interest and
dividends about $3.4 billion.
The gasoline surplus will
come from the soaring gas
prices paid by the con
sumers. Since the rich can
always get around with
holding tax on interest and
dividends through reinvest
ments and other loopholes
these too will hurt the less
affluent.
The administration’s
budget cute $150 million
from unemployment com
pensation. This is done at a
time when there is a pre
diction of higher unemploy
ment and with private sec
tors already cutting off
employees just about
daily. How does the admin
istration expect these
♦
Alfreds L. Madison
people to even exist after
the layoffs? The budget
proposes $213 million to be
cut from the education pro
gram. This is done at a
time when there is a great
cry that many people are
out of jobs because they are
not trained for employ
ment. These cuts can only
add to the ill-trained un
employment list. Welfare
demonstration programs
will receive a $239 million
reduction. Revenue state
sharing will be cut by
$1,714,000.00 The state and
city officials have already
begun crying out against
tms move. Mayor Maynard
Jackson of Atlanta, an ar
dent Carter supporter, 4aid
he told the President that
revenue sharing should not
be cut because it would
greatly hurt the states and
already devastated cities.
Health care will receive
a $66 million chop. This is
highly unreasonable with
the already astronomical
health care costs contin
uously rising. The original
supplement proposal of
$381 million for mental
health and alcoholic ser
vices were withdrawn in
this budget. Housing has
been cut by $92 million.
Cuts have not been made in
military spending.
There is a prediction that
inflation will continue to
rise. Upon close scrutiny of
the President’s budget, It
certainly destroys his hu
man rights theory. There
are really no provisions in
it for improving the wel
fare of the poor people,
while the opposite is true of
the more affluent No real
consideration is given to
the mere existence of the
poor. The entire budget
increases their poor health,
non-education opportun
ities, ill housing and insuf
ficient care for their men
tally sick and alcoholic
family members.
The wealthy corpora
tions will not feel the pinch.
All of their inflation can be
passed on to the less af
fluent.
Mr. Carter’s budget com
bined with congress’ cuts
produce an unhealth, un
educated and criminal so
ciety. With such a large
segment of the American
people, to have a budget
balanced on their backs
while the rich are getting
richer, there is bound to be
a build-up of some type of
explosive unrest in this
country. The administra
tion and congress should
take a more serious look at
what they, in reality, are
•
doing. In some countries
revolutions are caused by
oppression from a single
leader. In the United
States, people are op
pressed by a few rich
people.
Would the President and
congress have shown the
same compassion for its
less affluent citizens as it
has done for the Shah?
CBS To Build 100 Homes
cont. from Page 1
Both HUD and the home
owner repay the FHA
(Federal Housing Admin
istration) loan to the bank.
“Payment is based on 20
percent of the adjwted
gross income or a payment
calculated at a four percent
interest rate, which ever is
higher," Sweet explained.
To determine adjusted
gross income, multiply in
come before deductions by
five percent and subtract
tfraua mount from the an
nual income. Then subtract
1300. for each dependent
under 21 (except the
spouse).
The income limit for
initial occupancy is 95 per
cent of the area medium
income.
Family size, income and
credit all are considered
when determining eligibi
lity. Income for a family of
two for example, must not
exceed $13,790; for eight
the maximum is $31,900 to
qualify for the HUD sub
sidy.
If a family exceeds the
maximum income limits it
is still eligible for the grant
but not the HUD subsidy.
Sweet pointed out, how
ever, that other types of
loans are available.
Prior to 1976 this Section
239 program provided
large subsidies to low
income households and re
quired smaller invest
0aenta from them.
Sweet said CBS Realty
will encourage a string
community organizatini#»
the Greenville area.
Subscribe To
The (Charlotte Post
, t t
Call Today!
3764)496