EDITORIALS & COMMENTS
Self-Help: The Hope Of Blacks
The dual impact of inflation
and a depressed economy have
resulted in a decline in black
family median income in 1981,
and as might be expected, an
increase in the number of blacks
below the poverty line, accord
ing to a report released by the
Census Bureau. This makes the
second straight year that infla
tion and a recession had com
bined to create a significant
decline in real family income
and simultaneously increase the
number of families eligible for
the poverty population.
Ironically, in the decade 1970
BO the median family income for
the nation as a whole rose by $180
in constant 1980 dollars to
$21,904. Blacks on the other
hand, lost ground; however, as
their median income went down
by $650 to $12,674. Census ex
perts are quick to add, however,
that because of a decline in black
family size from 4.26 in 1970 to
3.66 in 1980, much larger than
whites, they made some small
progress toward closing the wide
income gap between blacks and
whites.
As one probes deeper into the
census data we find that after*
adjustments for inflation, black
families even with a reduced size
had a median family income of
$13,270 in 1981 or a 5.2 percent
decline in their real median in
come. Hidden within this data is
the fact that 70 percent of 1.4
million black families headed by
women fell below the poverty
line in 1981.
Elderly Blacks
More recent studies reveal
more bad news for blacks -
elderly blacks. The National
Caucus and Cento on Black
Aged, Inc. notes that cuts in
Social Security, food stamps,
Medicare, Medicaid, housing,
rent subsidies and employment
in federal fiscal year 1983
(beginning October 1,(1982) will
have a devastating impact on the
minority elderly, particularly
the black elderly. Again, it is
elderly black women who carry
a major share of this problem. In
fact in 1980, 81.9 percent of all
aged black women were poor or
marginally poor.
The bottom line of all this is the
historic story of blacks continu
ing to carry a disproportionate
share of the nation’s hard times
when inflation and a sluggish
economy set in. Thus, even
blacks cannot even depend on
government for aid and assist
ance when the economy is in a
downward spiral.
The only real hope then for
black Americans is to become
less dependent upon the public
purse and more dependent upon
themselves. Therefore, black
Americans must and should de
velop their own self-help plans
and strategies. The need for such
action becomes even more im
perative when we face the real
ity that many of the gains blacks
achieved in the 1960s have been
eroded away by well organized
white communities that are not
necessarily anti-black but rather
simply taking care of their own
self-interest in the absence of a
master plan and strategy by
blacks to maintain their gains
and build from that for future
gains.
Own Agenda
Then, too, there has been a
significant number of misin
formed blacks who took the
gains of the 1960s for granted by
assuming that the struggle for
justice, equality and fair play
was over and that racism had
somehow ceased to exist. Well
the hard reality is that in time of
general prosperity it costs little
for others to cease injustice and
racism, in fact it’s often to their
advantage to enable blackst o
experience in gains in jobs, for
example, because it means more
profit and income for them. On
the other handj in times of eco
nomic decline those same power
brokers, employers, bankers and
the like will cease to respond to
black needs and concerns in part
for the same reason that blacks
were made slaves when white
indentured servants deserted
their own exploited economic
situation.
A feature story in The Post last
week noted that an overwhelm
ing 71 percent majority of a
television opinion pool approved
a “Black Family” self help plan
proposed by the Congressional
Black Caucus (CBC). The poll
was taken in Cincinnati, Ohio
during a live telecast of “Tony
Brown’s Journal” while utilizing
a two-way talk back system.
Some aspects of the plan call for
strong support for black busi
nesses, stronger voter education
and voting campaigns, and
greater support for black
churches and other black insti
tutions.
Next Week:-A How To On Self
Help.
Voice Of Blacks
We stand here as an institution
willing to echo the voice of the
black community; and that voice
comes from many different di
rections - not from one group or
organization. We stand here as
an institution willing to work
with MOVE, police officers,
churches, black businesses and
any other organization or insti
tition working for a positive goal
in the black community. And as
far as we are concerned no
organization has a padlock on
the right way; they all have their
way. That is trie way it should be
and will remain with The
Charlotte Post.
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TRASH OR GARBAGE. '^
Letters To
The Editor
Let There Be Music
Dear Sir:
The arrival of summer
has naturally' increased
the number of people on
our cities’ streets, yet,
amid the cacophany of con
versations and the blare of
horns, rises the sound of
music. If one is perceptive
enough to identify the
direction from which this
music is emanating and
then follow the stream of
notes and voices to their
source, we will very likely
come upon a compact elec
tronic mobile unit, ema
nating a sound previously
thought to be produced only
by the most sophisticated
stereo component system.
But the age of modem elec
tronics coupled with an un
paralleled demand for
music has brought about
the creation of a vast va
riety of portable music
systems. I have seen the
most frail persons carrying
music systems which at>
jpear to weigh upwards of
50 pounds, yet, they totter
to the beat seemingly un
affected by the enormous
load. Oh, what a love for
music. To many of us this
obsession with musical
mobility may seem arcane
at best. However, with
teenage unemployment
hovering at the 50 percent
level, it is not surprising to
find the victims of this na
tional catastrophe soothing
the pain of unemployment
with the absorbing sound of
music.
Perhaps we should con
sider ourselves fortunate
that music is the outlet for
such severe frustrations
brought about by a fe
deral policy that totally
ignores the needs of people.
Unemployment has a most
devastating affect on one’s
being, as well as one’s
economics, which may
manifest itself in a most
unpredictable and perhaps
violent manner.
Let us keep this in mind
as we make fruitless at
tempts to avoid the sounds
of this new form of public
expression and free
speech. I for one fear what
may happen if the music
stops-so let there be
music.
This is Charles E. Cobb
of the United Church of
Christ for Civil Rights
Journal. Thank you.
Dr. Charles Cobb
School Prayer Issue Is Serious
Dear Editor:
Phil Jones is right - the
school prayer issue is in
serious danger of dying a
dolorous death.
But, fortunately, public
pressure is intensifying.
Recent polls from
Gallup, Harris and a host of
others, indicate that a full
70 percent of the American
people strongly support the
right of children to volun
tarily pray in public
schools. ~
And now, to demonstrate
that support -- thousands of
concerned citizens are pre
paring to join hands and
hearts at a mass rally in
the Nation's Capitol. The
rally, sponsored by a
coalition of Protestant,
Catholic and Jewish organ
izations, will be held on the
mall from 3-7:30 p.m., Sa
turday, September 25, -
"School Prayer Day, 1982.”
As events unfold in the
days immediately ahead,
we’ll keep you informed of
the latest developments.
Suffice it to say, for now,
that a full afternoon of
musical entertainment will
be followed by a keynote
address and the symbolic
lighting of candles and
ringing of bells.
The bell-ringing cere
mony - scheduled for pre
cisely 7:30 p.m. - will be
duplicated by similar cere
monies in cities and towns
across the country.
The school prayer rally.
it should be noted, is not an
endorsement of specific
legislation. It is simply a
symbolic means of apply
ing the "public pressure”
needed to allow the Ameri
can people once again to
keep the scriptural charge,
“Suffer the little children
to come unto me.”
Sam Walker, Chairman
School Prayer Day
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, /
Serving The Community
As I move around in the black commun
ities of this nation, I am very distressed
concerning the church’s level of under
standing of its responsibility. I wonder
whether or not we as black leadership have
reduced the church just to a survival or an
emotional institution.
Is the black church surviving simply to
perpetuate itself? We need to understand
that the church is supposed to contribute to
the basic life needs of the people in the
community. For that to take place the
church needs to develop skills that are
meaningful to the community.
I am always grappling with the fact that
people say to me, “Our people need train
ing and sound teaching.” But as I listen
carefully to the sermons, they are geared in
most cases to elicit an emotional response.
The sermons do not deal with the intellect
that can move toward development, moti
vation, and spiritual growth within the
people.
We have lost the ability to use the church
as a development institution that is used to
train our people in a way so they take
responsibility for the problems we face.
People could say that die white church is
like that, too. That is true, but that is not an
adequate reason for us not doing what we
must do.
I live in my community and I must be
responsible for it through the church. But
we have a problem. The commuter church
concept. We have people living in one area
of town driving to another community t^
worship on Sunday. The problem comes iir
because the commuters do not have a sense
of responsibility for the community. We
have got to deal with the concept.
I believe that it is going to be important in
the days ahead that we as black leaders
must serve the geographical area where the
church is located. If people live outside that
community, then they must relocate to that
community. Doing this we make the
people’s need our own needs. And then we
can begin working to change conditions.
The second step is reconciling people in
the,community to ourselves and to God. We
myst believe that the gospel of Christ can
bring unity-burning through racial, cultur
al, social and economic barriers which now
divide us.
Finally, we must develop the kinds of
institutions that can redistribute the wealth
within the community so that the commun
ity can be healed. This means we must keep
our resources within the community rather
than spending them in other communities
where they provide no benefit for our
people. Our children will then have jobs and
skills. The way we can do that is by starting
cooperatives. These can be initiated by
individuals, families, or churches who pool
their resources. Once this is done it would 1
provide job opportunities in that com
munity.
I believe that in the church today, we need
to be loosening our young folks’ skills and
talents, unlocking their minds and allowing
them to develop. I don’t believe that a light
Sunday-go-to-meeting commitment is going
to be adequate. We have to call for a total
commitment from our people which in fact
means a complete commitment to Jesus
Christ.
THE CHARLOTTE POST
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From Capitol Hill
Administration Must Substitute Sense For Racism
By Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Post
President Reagan is flip
ping and flopping in such a
confused manner until he is
having trouble finding a
landing place. In his 1982
budget the Administration
took off in complete ec
stasy, having accomp
lished a full overhaul of the
country’s economic policy.
The supply-side plane was
loaded with huge tax
breaks for the rich which
Mr. Reagan said would be
reinvested in industry,
thereby stimulating the
economy and creating jobs
The heaviest baggages
aboard the plane were
filled with cuts in educa
tion, benefits for the elder
ly, handicapped and depen
dent children. Cuts for food
stamps. Job training, legal
assistance for the poor, all
resulted in losses of homes,
businesses and jobs. Now
after nearly a year’s flight,
the supply jet is coming in
for a turbulent landing.
David Stockman, speak
ing of the Administration's
19B2 budget, reported Mr
Reagan as going on the air
with a non analytical bud
get, that had no relevancy
to the people’s needs Yet.
f
the ^resident says his
policy has succeeded be
cause interest rates and
inflation have come down.
He failed to say that these
were lowered by a trade
off of lowered inflation for
unemployment.
Mr. Reagan stated that
the tax increase is only
about 20 percent; 80 per
cent is collection and cor
rection of flaws in the
system.
The Washington Times
reported three-fourths of
the compliance and loop
hole measures will be de
rived from repeal of bene
fits in the 1982 tax bill and
increased federal interest
withholding. It is wrong for
Mr Reagan to mislead the
average citizens into be
lieving they will feel no ill
effects from this tax bill.
Their write-off deductions
for loss in theft, medical
cost will be smaller plus
increased excise taxes on
telephone, cigarettes, and
airways According to the
President's tax plea, the
recession is bottoming out
and his program will cure
the economic ills in the long
run, there is no quick fix..
The unemployed need jobs
now; people who are losing
Alfred* L. Madison
businesses and homes need
to save them now, the
handicapped whose self
support programs are
being cut off, need pro
gram restoration now, and
those on Medicare and Me
dicaid need health care
now So Mr Reagan needs
both a quick fix and a long
range policy. Ignoring
these "now needs" is an
admission that either the
Administration doesn’t
care if it is unable to
promote the general wel
fare of the people The
President should go back to
the drawing board, scuttle
its present economic advis
ors, for a new group and
come up with a program
that meets the sufferings of
the citizens.
When the Congressional
Black Caucus introduced
its 1982 Alternative Con
structive budget, it was
completely ignored by the
Administration, Congress
and the white media.
Again, they introduced
their 1983 budget, and after
a short debate on the floor
of the House it was shelved.
Now after all else has
failed, many features of the
Caucus budget have been
incorporated in the present
tax bill.
The Black Caucus provi
sions included in the tax
bill are as follows:
1. Individual Minimum
Tax; 2. Casualty losses
only deductible in excess of
10 percent of adjusted
gross income; 3. Corporate
Minimum Tax; 4. Basis
Adjustment for Investment
Tax Credits; 5. Repeal of
1905 and 1966 increases in
deductions for recovery
property from 150 percent
declining balance to 175
percent in 1985 and 200
percent in 1966; 6. Repeal
of Safe-Harbor Leasing
(giving unused'deductions
to other corporations); 7.
Repeal of Foreign Oil and
Gas Credits; 8. Reduction
in the Possessions Tax Cre
dit (islandpossessions); 9.
Reform of the use of In
dustrial Development
Bonds; to. Elimination of
Benefits for Mergers and
Acquisitions; 11. Accele
rated Corporate Tax Pay
ments; 12. Withholding on
Interest and Dividends; 13.
Repeal of Dividend Rein
vestment; 14. Tax Com
pliance Provisions; 15. Air
port and Airway Trust
Fund.
If the President had
given careful consideration
to the 1982 Black Caucus
budget, perhaps he would
not be in the present com
promising position of
having to completely re
verse himself, and also the
economy would quite likely
be undergoing a recovery
stage rather than a re
cession. Both the Admin
istration and Congress con
sistently ignored the Black
Caucus, will both, in the
future, just plain exercise
good sense and make use of
black talents and abilities,
by realizing that whiteness
of skin has no monopoly on
Intelligence, ability and
will?
Even though many Cau
cus budget measures are
included in the tax bill, the
Caucus members have
strong opposition to the
package because it is sa
turated with cuts in pro
grams for the needy, and
for that reason they cannot
support it. Maybe the next
budget will contain restor
ation of funds for the social
programs in the Congres
sional Black Caucus budget
and Congress and the Ad
ministration will include
blacks in their budget
making policy.
First United
Continued from Page 1 0
private and public groups.
Her personal commitment
to service combined with
skill and training have
warranted her many
honors and recognitions
The public Is cordially
invited to attend the forum
and the Women’s Day pro
gram at First United
Presbyterian Church. 201
East 7th Street at the
corner of 7th and College
Streets. Rev. Dr. Raymond
Worsley is minister.
Hamm WK> M.