Editorials & Comments
Crime Is A Community Problem
Like city dwellers everywhere,
Charlotteans are concerned
about their personal safety and
the protection of their property.
Therefore, crime and its causes -
poverty, unemployment, racial
discrimination, alienation and a
psychology of entitlement - rank
high among the issues that worry
Americans.
These issues and their related
socio-psychological problems
have caused many, people, but
-tiotenough, to recognize that the
problems of'cFIme~and~more
specifically crime prevention
are too big for law enforcement
personnel to resolve alone. Too
few people are aware of our need
to improve the courts and our,
so-called correctional institu
tions.
; Equally, if not more signifi
cant, too few people appear to
recognize that crime prevention
is a community, not a police
problem. This means that it will
take the combined efforts of
ordinary citizens and the police
to reduce the incidents of crime
and to apprehend the perpe
trators of criminal acts.
These concerns were joltea
into stark reality last week when
three North Carolina law en
forcement officers were killed in
the line of duty. Among these
untimely deaths was that of
Charlotte police officer Edmond
Cannon, 26, shot to death by
robbers of an eastside con
venience store on November 23.
While we don’t need to wait for
such tragedies before remind
ing our readers that crime pre
vention is everyone’s concern,
—policemen and ..citizens, it does
serve to make us pause and give
thanks for the personnel sacri
fices that policemen make daily
to protect our personal welfare
and property.
Let s renew our commitment
to understand, to act and to
assist law enforcement officers
in their never ending war on
crime and criminals.
To the extent that citizens
recognize the public service and
protective peace-keeping role of
policemen and assist them in
enforcing the law the death of
officer Cannon and others like
him will have not been in vain.
Problems Facing Black Leaders
oiacK America, it it is to deal
effectively with the problems of
the 1980s, will have to disencum
ber itself of ‘black leadership’.”
These are the words of Clake R.
Watson, a mid-Western black
energy consultant writing in
Newsweek (Nov. 30).
Mr. Watson notes that the
phrase “black leaders” does not
refer to particular men or wo
men blit rather to the unfortun
ate notion that a single indivi
dual, or small group of indivi
duals “is capable of reflecting
the views, the interests and the
priorities of a whole race on a
whole range of issues.”
;• He illustrates his point by
paying that Oral Roberts is re
ferred to by whites as “religious
leader,” never as a “white lead
er.” On the other hand, “blacks
fire alflumped'into one context: -
tiivil rights,” and the media and
.others only seek black opinion oh
civil rights issues. The intent -
here, according to Mr. Watson, is
for whites to assuqie that while
blacks may have expertise in
non-civil rights area, white Ame
rica is not willing to concede
blacks as intellectual equals On
current issues generally.
Watson’s blunt analysis should
cause blacks to ask themselves,
is there an outdated, lingering
“black leader” syndrome de
signed by the white media to
ignore black opinion? Is this a
part of the new racism designed
to accommodate self-proclaimed
“black leader” while leaving
blacks without a real voice on
issues affecting their needs and
concerns?
As blacks think about how they
are viewed by me white media
and when blacks are interviewed
on vital issues, it becomes quite
clear tnai Mr. Watson has stated
a truth, not a put-down of legi
timate black leaders. Where
blacks make a mistake and
contribute to the white media's
racism is in not identifying and
recognizing black intellectuals ,
in a wide range of professional
areas. They have becme tod de
pendent on the black church
leadership to be all things to all
people on all issues. While the
black church as an institution
and, therefore, black ministers
will continue to be a major force
in our lives, it is nevertheless
important for blacks to recog
nize their “leader” in many
areas and therefore force the
white media to give due respect
to black economists, scientists,
engineers, and others for their
knowledge and contribution.
—Such recognition will lead tb a
shift away from the black leader
syndrome to leaders in various
areas who happen to be black.
L«t Us Hear From You
.. “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, regardless of age.
It will be written by you and
about whatever is on your mind!
So, if you have something to
say...WRITE ON!
Some subjects that may be of
special interest to you are:
■ Drugs, Generation Gap, Wel
fare, Gangs, Schools, Going
Steady, Police, Revolution,
Whites, Blacks, Integration,
..Busing, Draft, God, Negro
Churches, etc. Ydur article
should be at least 250 words,
type-written and double spacing
preferred.
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'BLACKS WHO WANT
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6 ^
--—
Tony Brown's _
* **
Journal
Nationally Syndicated Commercial
Television Series
Tony Brown
A Tradition Has Been Saved?
“Tony, have -you ever
seen anything like it?”
“I have not,” I admitted.
My confession was made
to Dr. Joseph B. Johnson,
President of Grambling
University. It was made in
response to the Bayou
Classic, the annual football
grudge-match between
Louisiana's two black edu
cational powerhouses -
Grambling and the nation's
largest black college,
Southern University.
A football game it was,
but - to me - the emo
tional depths reached could
not be stirred by the rival
ries of Ohio State and the
University of Michigan or
the RoseBowl or the Sugar
Bowl. Frankly, they mean
-very little to me....
. In fact, they represent
JBttle more than paid black
gladiators defending white
tradition. The Longhorns of
Texas are black, the Razor
backs of Arkansas are
black, the Sooners of Okla
homa are black and - are
you ready for this - the
Fighting Irish of Notre
Dame are black. Inner city
and rural blacks breaking
their legs and arms for a
tradition they don’t under
stand or care about. It is
nothing more than a ritual
of mutual PYnlmtatinn
But the 1981 Bayou Clas
sic -- 80,000 cheerful, exu
berant, fantastically beau
tiful black people (all of the
rumors you have heard
about how beautiful Louisi
ana black women are are
absolutely true) breathing
soul into the Superdome in
New Orleans - not only
stands for * people's .re
sistance to oppression, but
projects their commitment
,to survive by self-help and
self-determination.
I felt I would burst with
pride, a pride that America
rarely provides for my true
identity. From the unreal
marching bands of South
ern and Grambling, the
bands' dance team at half
time, to the singing ma
jestic woman who soloed
free-of-charge in the
bleachers, everything that
black people have been,
are or ever will be was in
New Orleans’ Superdome
on Saturday, November 21,
1981.
Grambling’s President
Johnson and his wife were
honored by a duet of "End
less Love” for 26 years of
marriage .and football
great Wiyie Davis, a
Grambling alumnus, and I
were honored during the
halftime blowout between
the two great marching
bands. It was all - al
most - too much for my
nervous system.
I also knew that this
annual football game host
ed by Grambling gave its
president a welcomed di
version from the last few
years of fighting the forces
which advocated the eli
mination of both of Loui
siana’s black colleges. It
was Dr. Joseph Johnson's
common sense and resist
ance to the so-called “in
tegrationists" that helped
save higher education for
future generations of Afro
Americans in Louisana and
America. Only a few
months ago did the Louisi
ana Coalition for Black
Colleges and Dr. Johnson
succeed in stopping the
court action aimed at mak
ing both of the state's biack
colleges extinct.
There at the SuDerdome,
I
1 could visually see what I
viscerally understood that
we would have lost. It was
a celebration of life, not a
football contest.
On the field, howevert it
was all the Southern
Jaguars clawing the Gram
bling Tigers for their
second win in 10 years and
two out of the last three. At
the end of the first half,
Grambiing went ahead
20-16, striking for two quick
touchdowns within 30
seconds.
But the second half was
all Southern and when the
final gfm sounded and the
dust settled, the score
board read: Southern 50;
GramlHing 20. There -were
some |happy Southern
alumn), students and fans .
in Bayou Country that day.
Grambling fans retorted:
"Wait until next year.”
I can’t wait. But it will be
my consolation that Gram
bling and Southern will be
their next year and the
Bayou Classic tradition
will be there with black
people with names like
DeJoie, DeBois and Rous
seau.
The long-stemmed dance
teams - Grambling's “Or
chesis” and the “Dancing
Dolls” of Southern -- and
old friends passing the cup
of love and strangers be
coming friends because of
THE common bond - will
also be there.
I wish every black Ame
rican could be there next
November and see exactly
how beautiful we are.
.."Tony Brown's Journal"
- the television series, is
shown every”"SunffayT'ofi—
WBTV-TV, Channel 3, at
11:30 p.in.
Walk
Your
ReV. Perkins
Hour Of Leadership!
• • As I look around today, I see a coming
disaster. I see crime and deterioration, but
even in the midst of all this I see this as a
wonderful opportunity for the Church of
Jesus Christ.
This is a wonderful hour for leadership in
a day when there are so few leaders. It is an
opportunity for Christians who can see
through the situation and who are able to
take charge to become diligent, effective
leaders.
I’m praying to God and I am asking Him
to help me to be the kind of servant, a
shepherd-leader, that He wants me to be in <J|
these days. As I meditate upon this, I begin
to look for some help. And I want to share
with you one help that I’ve found in Psalms
125:1. It says, "Those who trust in the Lord
are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved,
but abides forever^!_
The 125th Psalm speaks of the confidence
and security that we have in God; The
following verse goes on to say that as the
mountains surround Jerusalem, so does the
Lord surround His people.
wnen i began to meditate in the richness *
of that psalm, a hymn came to mind. “The
Solid Rock,” and old hymn of the faith
carries the same idea of the 125th Psalms.
One stanza says, “On Christ the Solid Rock I
stand all other ground is sinking sand.,r And
like the psalm, the rest of-the hymn tells of
Christ’s power to give us the security arid
confidence to live and work in this world.
Christ is the Rock. He is the reason we
organize cooperatives, give seminars, reno
vate housing, develop health centers arid
lead Good News Clubs. I want to see all
people, but especially black - people, -in
Mississippi and throughout America turn
to that Rock.
Now as a leader in the black community, I
know the myths about Christianity sup
posedly being a “white man’s religion,” and
I denounce those myths, People who desire
to believe those myths, may do so to their
own destruction, but I have my life uriited in
Christ.
I remember over 20 years ago, my oldest
son was instrumental in directing me into
the way of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
I was a sinner, a child born in a boot
leggin family. But once I realized the truth
about God and myself, that He was pure and
I was nqt, ,1 j^could become a ^Christian. 1
asked the Lord of the universe to run the
tiny world of my life. He’s been doing that
ever since. ^
God, however, did not “save, sanctify,
and fill me with the Hofy Ghost” simply to
warm a pew every Sunday morning. I soon
began to study God’s Word and then I began
to teach Bible classes. From there I spoke in
evangelistic services. But I began to look
around and I saw people who were hurting
physically. Realizing that my faith did not
go far enough, I extended myself in the
power of God to meet social needs of the
people. I began to follow Christ’s example of
feeding the hungry and healing the sick
when I helped initiate food coops and health
centers. .
Christ is the life-changing Rock if we
believe in Him. The Church is the world
changing force if we work in Him. Christ
said, “Upon this Rock will I build my
Church...” and He is the foundation. We are
the building that is made without hands.
Respon ses To Ifm colii inh may~6e sent to
•Walk Your Talk," 1655 St. Charts s"e«
Jackson, MS 39029.
From Capitol HU1
It Was Said First By Congressional Black Caucus?
Alfreda L. Madison
Special To The Post
Hank and file American
citizens should laud the
gray-haired bespectackled
whiz kid from Michigan,
whose early priest hood
qualities caused him to cry
out against a policy he was
espousing for political rea
sons instead of the sincere
and compassionate good of
the less affluent citizens,
David Stockman, the Di
rector of Office and Man
agement and Budget re
vealed his deep concerns to
a Washington Post report
er.
MocKman told now, as a
congressman, he was
against the nuclear reactor
at Clinch River, Tennessee,
but because he knew Ma
jority Senate Leader
Howard Baker was strong
ly for it, so he says, he just
go out of the way and let it
pass, he stated that other
pet projects were saved in
similar fashion. The OMB
Director said congress was
already thinking about 1982
elections, and that politics
of winning overwhelm the
philosophical premises.
In speaking of the House
Democratic budget which
was not very different from
the Reagan budget, Stock
•
Alfred* L. Madison
man said that Kepresent
ative Gramm was his spy
in the House Budget Com
mittee. Gramm and Latta
were the sponsors of a bill
to include $6 million addi
tional cuts to the Reagan
budget. The Congressional
Black Caucus fought hard
for defeat of Gramm Latta
as well as defeat of the
entire Reagan package
Stockman admits that
they put together very ra
pidly a budger without any
serious analytical process,
that they really gave num
ifcrS which were only po
litical. He stated that the
defense numbers got out of
control. It was only a bunch
of numbers on a piece of
paper. He emphasized
strongly that the Reagan
policy-makers knew their
plan was wrong, but that
the President went ahead
and conveyed the opposite
impression to the Ameri
can people. “He went on
television, displaying his
cool experienced actor abi
lity to rally the people to his
budget support, promising
a new era of fiscal control
and a balanced budget,"
said Stockman. H says the
supply-side economics is
only a trickle down theory -
that is making the rich
richer and the poor poorer.
"1C '-UMKirctMVJiiai nldCK
Caucus can utter loudly, “I
told you so.” All that David
Stockman revealed in the
interview is what the Black
Caucus has been saying all
along. No white press gave
arty consideration to the
Caucus argument*, press
conferences when they said
all along the exact same
things that Stockman, re
cently, revealed in the At
lantic Monthly. Now, all
the leading white papers
are carrying the story, the
complete Atlantic Monthly
article was printed in the
Congressional Record, and
President Reagan was
asked about it at his recent
press conference.
The Congressional Black
Caucus came out with an
alternative constructive
budget based on careful
analysis, and with a plan
for more fairly equaliz
ation of both burden and
profits of our company.
That budget gave numbers
based on careful study. It
presented ways for lower
ing inflation, increasing
employment, and increas
ing economic growth. Even
Senator Dominic, Chair
man of the Senate Budget
committee, admitted that
the Caucus had done a
wonderful job. Having
based their budget upon
careful study, they showed
how waste could be cut in
defense spending, closing
tax loopholes, and saving
school lunches by placing a
fifty percent cap on the
three martini-lunch - just to
mention a few of all of the
budgetary considerations.
Recently, Senator Gary
Hart has introduced a bill
calling for a 70 percent
three martini can
Representative Augustus
Hawkins, the author of
the Humphrey-Hawkins
Bill, which really contri
buted a lot to the Black
Caucus’ Alternative Con
struction Budget has been
criticizing for more than
two years, the country’s
"trickle down” theory. Mr.
Hawkins has consistently
taken a strong stand
against the "trade off"
policy of raising unemploy
ment in order to reduce
inflation. He paints a grim
picture of where the Rea
gan domestic program is
headed. Considering the
Administration's predic
tion that unemployment
will rise Hawkins says that
white males are rapidly
losing their jobs and that
there will be one million
more unemployed people.
This really can’t mean
minorities, because it
won’t be that many left
above this present jobless
ness. among them. He sees
no possible recovery before
late summer, and even
then it will only be in a
technical sense, because
many people are already
witnessing foreclosure,
bankruptcy, loss of health,
benefits and school drop
outs. These will prove
catastrophic, because
these people will have to
start at the bottom again,
which will render them
forever to the poverty,
level.
Mr. Hawkins said giving
big profits to big corpora}
lions, only enables them to
consolidate and instead of
producing more goods and
jobs here they are invest
ing in foreign countries;
providing foreigners with
jobs. He stated that the
great waste in defense
spending should be investi
gated - all defense con
tracts run over prospected
cost. Representative
Hawkins feels that change
in the direction of our eco
nomy will only come when
unemployment gets around
nine percent and the peo
ple demonstrate and Jake
to the streets. Wl
Since both of President
Reagan's budgets and the
House bill are known by all
members of both Houses
and the Administration, the “
only real wise and sensible
thing to do is to take a good
look at the Congressional
Black Caucus' Alternative
budget. _
All of this just proves
that American leaders,
instead of using black
ability would rather suffer
.than switch.