Editorials & Comments
Indrvidnalisi n And Coflectivism
Three weeks after the Ronald
Reagan-led Republican conserv
ative election sweep of the White
House and the U.S. Senate, 1,000
blacks from 25 states met in
Philadelphia for the purpose of
founding a national political
party and to set an agenda for
the party’s formation and
structure.
A statement of principles re
leased at the 3-day convention
stated that the party would be
"progressive,” would serve the
interest of the working class and
the poor; and would actively
oppose racism, sexism, capital
ism and imperialism.
Manning Marable, a Cornell
University professor and a mem
ber of the party organizing team
reportedly said the new party “is
not replicating the errors and
contradictions of the Democratic
ana nepuniic parties...We do not
plan to take any money from
corporate or fat cats, black or
white.”
Professor Marable’s comment
reminds us of utterances made
by the Rev. Leon White of
Raleigh just two months before
the election while attempting to
organize something called the
N.C. Black Political Forum. He,
too, spoke of ending alleged
get-out-the-vote money accepted
by black politicians from fat
cats. White’s group had absolute
ly no impact upon the statewide
elections.
We believe the newly formed
black political party has already
dug its own grave and will fail
just as Rev. White’s forum has
failed. Our view is based on the
incorrect assumptions these
political groups have made
about the political and economic
philosophies of the very people
they expect to support the new
party.
We are referring to the
assumption that some or even
most blacks, are necessarily
opposed to capitalism, especially
when the new party offers no
alternative economic system.
Furthermore, to assume also
that most blacks are against
American corporations, when
most of them earn their living
from corporations, is totally un
realistic. In addition, and as
distastefulas it may sound, many
blacks could care less about the
problems involved with world
wide imperialism considering
their own struggles in domestic
political and economic survival.
Finally, in spite of this strug
gle, race or skin color is not a
sufficient bond to hold blacks
together on such varies issues as
politics, economics and social
welfare because the “system”
with all of its good and bad
qualities, enables some blacks to
be as successful or more so than
many whites. Therefore, while it
might seem ideal to some if
blacks as a collective mass held
similar political views, the fact
is our sense of individualism
rooted in our respective expe
riences makes such collectivism
totally unrealistic.
In conclusion, black Ameri
cans are daily reacting to si
tuations affecting their well
being either from the perspect
ive of themselves as individuals
or from the perspective of them
selves as a part of that col
lective mass called black
Americans. For example, in
seeking a career goal, retaining
one’s health, communicating
with God and selecting a mate
we are acting as individuals in
spite of the fact that social norms
involving race may be a second
ary consideration in a career
goal or the selection of a mate.
On the other hand, blacks react
as a collective mass when raw
racism in whatever form is
evident.
In our opinion a separate
political party built primarily
upon the skin color of its mem
bers cannot and will not succeed
in America - a nation where
compromise is key to the art of
political success and luck, risk
taking and good management
are the keys to economic suc
cess.
Is The Democratic Way!
Bill Booe, for ten years a
disruptive force on the School
Board and then the County Com
missioner until his narrow defeat
on Nov. 4, is continuing his
method of creating controversy
in government by attacking
district representation.
During these ten years Booe
has repeatedly accused the
School Board and County Com
missioners of irresponsible acts
without justifiable cause. Con
tinuing this method of madness
the controversial Booe is leading
a petition-gathering effort
against district representation.
He claims this more democratic
form of government has led to
unmanageable and fiscally ir
responsible acts by City Council.
As in his attacks on the School
Board and County Commission
ers. there simply is no evidencp
to support his charge.
In the relatively short three
years that the City has had
districting - four at-large and
seven district Councilmembers -
we have had good government
with considerably more oppor
tunity for the average citizen to
have his views heard.
Significantly, the arguments
set forth against districting in
1977 - sectionalism, unmanage
ably size and unresponsiveness
to community needs - have
proven to be unfounded. How
ever, the supporters of the dis
trict system should not be apa
thetic to this latest attack upon
democratic government. Citi
zens should be prepared to speak
out defending their more direct
voice in government. Remem
ber, the greatest enemy of free
^don^^^ is apathy.
"Blacks' Reticence To Seize The Initiative To Organize
Their Communities" Said Douglas G. Glasgow, Dean Of Howard
University School Of Social Work. Is A Major Factor And
An Important Factor Contributing To Our Communities"
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BLACK PRESS A
Id Assume Neither
Too Little Nor Too Much
WASHINGTON - Black
Americans should assume
neither too little nor too
much from the nation's
new administration, a
Black United Methodist
leader has asserted here.
The Rev. Gilbert H.
Caldwell, associate execu
tive of the denomination’s
Commission on Religion
and Race, wrote in a re
cent opposite-editorial
page piece in the WASH
INGTON POST that “what
a majority of Black Ame
rican feared would happen
has happened. An avowed
conservative Republican
will occupy the White
House for the next four
years.”
However, said Mr. Cald
well, Blacks “should not be
embarrassed because a
large* majority of Blacks
supported President Car
ter,” nor should they as
sume that the President
Elect “feels no obligation
to offer solutions for the
continuing plight of Black
America.”
uuivjiug nidi me neeas
of Black Americans are
real, no matter which party
is in power,” he wrote:
“We in the Black commun
ity must work harder at
demanding performance
as well as presence from
the nation's leadership.”
He recalled that some were
impressed that “proximity
to the presdient...repre
sented the exercise of
power,” but “we were not
the ones exercising it.”
Mr. Caldwell, who has
been a pastor, seminary
professor and chaplain,
added: “Despite the signs
and symbols of our pro
gress, Blacks have not
been able to utilize the
fruits of that progress as
other ethnic and racial
groups have...to reshape
the economic and political
system in ways that would
benefit those at and below
the poverty level.”
Instead, he continued,
while “America is de
scribed as a place of un
restricted opportunity for
all, (this) renders Black
Americans invisible,” with
their “peculiar plight oc
casionally acknowledged in
an effort to preserve the
integrity of our virtue.”
Pointing out that the
President-Elect “has ad
-m
mitted his late discovery of
the problems of racial in
equality and injustice,"
Mr. Caldwell asserted that
the challenge of the ’80s for
Mr. Reagan and the entire
nation is “to discover new
ways to implement reme
dial and enabling pro
grams that, while ad
mitting the failures of our
nation, at the same time
allow us to be justifiably
proud of the potential that
exists.”
oiack Clergy Meet,
Plan Strategy For 80’s
Approximately 30 Black
ministers from 18 states
and Uie District of Colum
bia met in the natiort’s
capitol last week “to cogi
tate, meditate, and plan
ways to facilitate the roles
of the Black church in the
crises facing Black people
in this country.” The Rev.
Joseph E. Lowery, presi
dent of SCLC, and the Rev.
Kelly M. Smith, fiead of the
National Conference of
Black Churchmen, were
key conveners of the plan
ning session, along with the
Rev. Benjamin Hooks of
the NAACP and the Rev.
Walter E. Fauntroy, a de
legate to Congress from the
District of Columbia.
Bishop Nathaniel Linsey
of Washington, D.C.
summed up the feelings of
the clergy when he said,
“Our charge is to rally our
people to a new level of
organized love to meet the
forces of hate and repres
sion in the 80s.”
Dr. Lowery said the min
isters would meet again in
Washington in early De
cember after conferring
with other national Black
church leaders.
The ministers heard ana
lyses of critical areas of
government by Rev. Wil
liam Gray, U.S. Congress
man from Pennsylvania,
and Fauntroy led a dis
cussion on establishing a
Black Church Network.
The group will develop
an agenda in consultation
with a Black Leadership
Forum and seek to meet
later with President-Elect
Ronald Reagan. The clergy
resolved to offer the Rea
gan Administration sup
port and cooperation in any
effort to resolve the un
employment crisis in the
Black community and
vowed that any efforts to
wipe out affirmative action
and roll back hard-earned
rights of Black and poor
people will meet with vi
gorous opposition.
The ministers committed
themselves to a “Moral
Initiative” that will press
for human rights.
Fresh Apples
Two slices of fresh apple
put together with a layer of
cream cheese or slices of
Cheddar cheese makes a
hearty and substantial
snack.
* f
Affirmative
Action
Has Lynching Returned?
By Gerald C. Horne, Esq.
Twas not so long that lynching-brutal,
open murder-was as common in the Black
community as black-eyed peas. Some might
recall the stringing up of Charles Mack
Parker in Missouri in the late 1950s or
Emmett Till in Mississippi in the mid-50s.
These two person and scores of others were
killed on the slightest of pretexts. In Till’s
case, the ostensible reason was whistling at
a white woman.
The more things change, the more they
remain the same. So goes the old Gallic
expression, so fitting for the Black
Condition. Blacks are no longer told they’re
not being hired because of their color or
nationality, but because they’re “unauali
fied.”
And Blacks are no longer found swaying
from the nearest tree, eyes bulging and
neck snapped as blood thirsty racists
salivate.
As the recent events in Buffalo demon
strate, Blacks are killed under the cover of
darkness by cowering gunmen. In the past
few weeks six Black men have been found
slain in this aging, upstate New York
industrial town. Four were felled by shots
_1 A ■ _ ... "
mcvi iium uic baine canoer gun. l^vo
weeks ago two Black cab drivers were
found with their hearts cut out.
In Atlanta eight Black children have j#>n
found murdered and six others have “dis
appeared” in the past 15 months. Just
recently a mysterious explosion hit a Black
day care nursery in Atlanta. The result?
Four children and one adult dead.
In Boston, New Orleans and numerous
other towns there have been variations on
this grizzly theme. In Boston, 14-year old
Black youth, Levi Hart, suffered a
fractured skull, then was shot dead by a
police officer. Though a four-day inquest
concluded there was “ample cause” to
believe Hart died as a result of the
policeman’s “unlawful” conduct, a federal
grand jury decided not to indict. In New
Orleans Lawrence Louis Jr. was shot dead
by police officers after being beaten
steadily for five minutes; this brutal
incident touched off several days of protest
and rioting in the Desire Housing Project
where the shooting took place.
These killings come against the backdrop
of an occurence little noted but terribly
important. And that is the discovery of Ku
Klux Klan infiltration of police depart
ments.
Unfortunately, this nationwide pattern
will probably get worse before it becomes
better and the question is - why? Why gn1
Blacks be struck down like flies with Wo
perpetrators apprehended, let along
convicted? Why can Vernon Jordan be
plugged in the back in Indiana, barely
escaping death, with no assailant captured?
The question is especially appropriate to
ask around election time, as the answer is
so bound up with politics.
The fact is that the political game has
changed since the halcyon days of the civil
rights movement but like generals who are
always fighting the last war, many of our
organizations have not grasped this crucial
point.
Those forces who helped us fight the Klan
in the 1960s are now vehemently defending
their right to march and organize on the
patently spurious ground that this activity
is protected by the First Amendment.
The growing strength of the anti-Black
“New Right”-which is spearheading this
offensive-is clear.
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I rrom Capitol HM
Senator Strom Thurmond’s Black Kitchen Cabinet?
Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Post
Even though Senator
Strom Thurmond refused
to meet with Rev. Jesse
Jackson, at Jesse's re
quest, he did call to his
office a group of blacks for
a meeting. Members of the
group Were: Rev. Ralph
Abernathy, Hosea Wil
liams, State Represent
ative of Georgia, George
Haley, Washington At
torney, Arthur Fletcher,
Washington businessman,
Mordical Johnson, Flo
rence, S.C. City Council
man,'Charles Evers, Fay
ette, Miss. Mayor and
Charles Cherry, Publisher
of DATONA TIMES.
After the office meeting.
Senator Thurmond, Repre
sentative Carroll Campbell
of Greenville, S.C. and the
group held a press con
ference. Senator Thur
mond stated that he called
these blacks to a meeting
because they supported the
Republicans and that they
took a lot of abuse for doing
so from hi embers of their
own race The Senator re
fused to answer questions
I and hurried out of the press
i ■ ■ ■ — - --
Alfred*L. Madison
conference. inurmond
should have at least ex
plained the abuse. We
never heard a word from
him about black horrible
abuse in South Carolina. Is
it that the Senator con
siders every opposing view
as an abuse?
In commenting on me
meeting Rev Abernathy
stated that Senator Thur
mond was very congenial -
that they talked about
many issues In response to
a question, Abernathy said
that he is always hopeful
and optimistic He said
Senator Thurmond stated
that he was for extending
the Voting Rights Act to all
states, not just the southern
states - a view with which
Abernathy concurs. How
ever. the Voting Rights Act
covers ail areas of the
United States where the
Act is violated. Queens,
New York, some counties
in California and areas in
many other parts of the
country where there is a
violation of voting rights
are under the Act. It is just
that there are entire states
of which South Carolina,
Virginia and just about all
of the other southern states
are guilty of voting vio
lations. In talking with
Abernathy he admitted
that he did not know that
was the case.
Mordicai Johnson
seemed to have been cam
paigning for Strom Thur
mond, when he read off a
Isit of South Carolinians
who support the Senator
When Rev. Abernathy was
reminded by the press that
Johnson’s statement was
not relevant to the meeting,
Abernathy cut him off
Hosea Williams said that
he is for the Republican
platform and he is against
busing. He was asked how
he, a civil rights fighter,
could support a platform
that calls for the death
jfenalty when the Library
of Congress Study shows
that the death penalty is
discriminately used for
blacks and that the Su
preme Court had decided
that the best present me
thod of providing equal
schooling for blacks is by
busing, Williams replied,
‘ I'm not for the entire
platform.”
Charles Evers said he
was disappointed at the
meeting, that he tried to
pin Senator Thurmond
down on some issues; that
he received no encourage
ment at all.
Representative Camp
bell stated that they would
talk with these blacks be
cause they voted Republi
can and that any other
blacks who wanted to talk
with them would have to
come through those who
were at the meeting He
was asked that by such a
method weren’t they, as
whites, selecting black
. . f
leaders, and that Deing tne
congressman of the people
wasn't he obligated to talk
to Republicans, Democrats
and citizens of no party
affiliation - that because he
refused to talk to other
blacks didn’t lessen their
influence, neither did it
sweep under the rug the
causes they advocate? One
wonders if this is Strom
Thurmond’s Black Kitchen
Cabinet.
One of the agenda points
was: “Suggest Senator
Thurmond be a liaison of
ficer between Republican
Senators-Republican Re
presentatives on behalf of
minorities for contact with
the Hill and the admin
istration.”
Why does one entire
group of citizens in the
United States need a liaison
person when other groups
don’t? Such a suggestion
relegates minorities to a
status of second class citi
zens. It indicates that
minorities are incapable of
presenting their own issues
- that they have to come
with their hats in hands
begging “Mr White Man”
for a crumb. It is certainly
hoped that those old “Uncle
Tom” days are gone for
ever.
Minorities are highly in
telligent forthright Ameri
can citizens who have con
tributed as well as any
citizens to every phase of
American life. They will no
longer beg but pl£knt
their issues forcefully,
forthrightly and demand
all the rights that any
citizen of the United States
has. This is the method that
whites will have to accept.
CfesMee&w
Members of the Char
lotte City Council will at
tend the 1980 Congress of
Cities in Atlanta, Decem
ber 1-3, and Cablevision of
Charlotte will provide daily
satellite coverage of the
meeting highlights.
Live interviews, -
mentary and ii
highlights will be
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