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An Editorial
First Step To Better Black America!
Special To The Post
The problems (social, political
economic) of Black America
today are not due to what Whit*
• America has or has not done to or for
hs. It is due to what we have not done
for ourselves. Since the first Black
Americans we have allowed our
selves to be controlled, manipulat
ed, and pitted against each other.
This is a simple truth. Everything
from what we could eat, where we
could live, our education, or the lack
of It and the Jobs we could have have
been controlled by White America.
We as a race and our leadership
have always placed the blame for
' our plight on White America. This
must stop. We must take the blame.
We must accept our past, for with
out knowledge and understanding of
our yesterday we have no hope for
tomorrow.
Today, we are a little over 11
percent of the greatest nation on
earth. However, there is nothing of
value that we control 11 percent of.
What is 11 percent of this great
nation that we are a part of?
With over $80 billion in deposits,
Bank of America, for years the
nation’s largest banking house,
handles less than 11 percent of the
nation's banking. General Motors is
less than 11 percent of Corporate
America. Prudential Insurance
handles less than 11 percent of the
nation’^ insurance and it is the na
tion’s largest insurance company.
This nation s largest retail store,
Sears, is less than 11 percent of that
enterprise.
Can Black America own a Sears,
Bank of America, or a Prudential, or
a General Motors? I think so, but no
one is going to give them to us. Yet,
as a people we must control the
equivalents of those resources and
more to become a part of the
American dream. AND WE MUST!
I say to you, today. Black
America is a woman, thirty, and a
virgin. She is more than ready to
bring forth a new and better Black
America, but where is the man that
she will take to her breast? That
man, who will share her morning
sickness, her nine months of preg
nancy, and most of all her mo
merits of bringing forth the next
generation? That man is BLACK
UNITY.
My People. BLACK UNITY is
the first step to a better Black
America. Unity and Leadership,
leadership that will understand the
masses of Black America, from
secretary to housewife, doctor or
lawyer, laborer or craftsman, and
even the junkie and the prostitute.
Leadership that commands the re
spect of the total Black community,
Protestants, Muslims, Catholics,
Jew and Atheist alike.
At 18 when I read the headline,
“Separate But Equal Schools Un
constitutional," I felt that a great
day had arrived for Black Ame
rica. Today, White America is still
fighting that law. The equal edu
cation we were supposed to get
never came about, but the blame is
not White Americans.
The war on poverty that was to
change the slums, was fought, lost,
and ended in the slums. However,
that war as all wars left its refu
gees, the mass of Black America.
We were better off before the war
than today.
From Brown vs. The Board of
Education, to the 20th anniversary
of the March on Washington, I have
seen Black organizations come and
go. I have seen the leadership
change in those that have endured. I
have not seen one of them accom
plish the things they stand for.
NAACP stands for National Asso
Sharon Jennings
."Miss J. C. Smith”
Jennings’ Ambition Is
To Become A Physician
HyrayiFS&ofijr
PMt Staff Writer
This week’s beauty, Sharon
Jennings, is Miss Johnson C. Smith
University. She was voted into this
position, out of five contestants, by
8»e University’s student body. Next
year. Sharon adll reign over all
home-coming activities and act as
Official hostess for the college.
The 20-year-old young lady will
also be a senior next year finishing
up her B.8.-degree in biology. Her
ambition is to become a physician
specializing in geriatrics.
' I choose geriatrics because I
want to help elderly people,”
explains Sharon, "ft la my way on,
telling them I appreciate whaf,
they've done for Ms."
\ Sharon says elderly people she’s
come in contact with in her life have -
always made impressions on her.;
"They take the time to listen. And,
when they teU me about their life,
Aaw they ware brought up, I’m (as
dnated by the differences,” she
(Mates.
A native of Upper Marlboro, '
Maryland, one reason Sharon chose
to attend J.C.3.U. was to be near her'
Hrandrnwh5ii M*ri* ,?***' who
s
A i v! liMBBEitaMai i*
' A man who la always looking
for a helplnr^hand can always
finct our itt^hnrf ti hit nrm
“her at least OflCe a month," Sharon
assures.
About life at Smith, Sharon tells,
"I was shy when I first came here
but I’m more open now." During her
yean at college, she has become
involved in many college activities
such as SOS, the college’s science
club; 8CA, the Student Christian
Association and MBRS, a Smith
research program. Sharon also
Joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha
sorority. "I’m the first in my family
to Join a sorority,’’ she notes. “It’s
exciting,” she says of 'the
organization. “I have no sisters in
my family so through the sorority I
was taught a lot about sister love. I
see many advantages to Joining. It’s
very interesting.’’
Other activities Sharon enjoys are
singing, piano, traveling and
listening to music She lovt* to sing
rttythm and blues music probably
thegreatsof RAB. "I enjoy listening
to Phyllis Hyman. Pea bo Bryson,
Luther Vandross and Dionne
Warwick',” she points out. “I mainly
sing secular music for myself but I
also sing with the church choir back
home.” As for her desire to travel,
Sharon admits she’s hoping to
Journey on a cruise to the Ivory
Coast as a graduation present next
year. >Vv* - A.
She says she is "friendly,
energetic and soft-spoken.” "Yet I
can be aggressive when it concerns
something I really lilt and I know I
have to ran
interjects
Herzen t**
L
Via Eastern Airlines
Ghurchworker Of The Year Top Prize
Will Include 4 Expense Paid Trips
By Loretta Manago
Post Staff Writer
Back in November when the wea
ther was cold and dreary, Hattie
Harris, The Charlotte Post’s 1984
' Church woman of the Year," board'
ed an Eastern flight, flew to Flo
rida and once she reached its sunny
coast she, along with her sister,
Beulah Isom, became passengers on
the Emerald SS and toured the isles
of the Bahamas and Nassau, where
the temperature was a pleasant 80
degrees.
According to Ms. Harris, this was
a trip that she will never forget.
"Everything was just wonderful, the
food, the entertainment was good
and.the people on the ship were very
friendly. My sister and I got to meet
the captain and the rest of the
members of the crew."
Those memories that tended to
stay with Ms. Harris longer were her
moments in the Bahamas. “I think
what I liked best were the tours in
the Bahamas. It was a pleasure to
see how well the people worked
together. The skill they possessed in
—making various arts and craflsjwps
fascinating. I brought a few pieces
back with me.” Ms. Harris also
discovered through one of the his
torical tours that a queen, who had
been born in Mecklenburg County,
was recognized there.
Looking back at the work that was
involved in her participation of the
"Churchwoman of the Year" con
test and the grand prize she re
ceived for her efforts, Ms. Harris
had only this to say: “It was well
worth it."
"I think It I could show anyone
interested in becoming involved in
The Poet's contest the pictures that I
took when I went on my trip, then
that would be enough to convince
them to enter it-"
Mrs. Estelle Davis is in complete
agreement with Ms. Harris. She was
the '^urchwoman of the Year" In
isetdfter grand prize also was a trip
to flwllahamas. /
"The trip was well worth the work
that it took to gel me to the top
poeition. I enjoyed working in the
contest because I personally-, feel
that it was for a good cause:' 1I had
also always wanted to go to the
Bahamas, but had nevet done ao."
■ Mrs. Davis >
three grand
king far, but
tat she would
is, it was like
-ed most was
lavish hotel
it being away
.did m* a world of good” W
Mrs. Davie aald that if she had to
tell them that it’al
and then there's a
t, district
Eastern Airlines,
that not only will
the winner of the Pert’s contest be
to king e flight to Florida and e
cruise to the Bahamas for three
* ■ ■ ■ ■ »■*■ ■■ «■ 1
Estelle Davis
.Trip well worth work
I- —_I
Hattie Harris
.Pictures would convince
^ -r " '
•ales manager
nights and idur days, but the win
ner's paalor and a companion will
also br&ntitled to fly anywhere in
the 106 citiee that Eastern flies in the
United States.
/ This generous commitment from
Eastern AtrfHies represents the
third year of participation of the
airlines in this contest. According to
Bennett. "Participating In The
Past’s six-week coolest gives us an
opportunity to do something in a
significant way of community ser
vice and it allows us to reach i
segment of the population that we
'’ may not be able to reach other
wise. the church and blacks.’’ 7$
As spokesperson (or the company,
. Bennett emphasised Eastern's com
mitment to community service. "I
feel that Eastern is more commit
’ tad to serving than the other air
lines Wa are active in the United
Way. Chamber of Commerce, the
Visitors and Business Bureau, as
. well ns other projects."
Although Bennett stressed that it
is basically left up to local Utah
agement as to bow to fulfill that
commitment of service, he feM that
working with The Charlotte Poet and
WPEG, two excellent mediums in
this endeavor, is a flood way of
fulfilling that commitment.
Sabrina Johnson
.CWOY coordinator
In this year's contest, there will be
more changes than the number of
trips given away. Sabrina Johnson,
marketing and promotions man
ager. related that the "Church
woman of the Year" contest has
been changed to "Churchworker of
the Year."
"Basically, the change will be an
experiment to open up the contest to
men as well as youth who may wadt
to be involved. It May be that there
will only he woman involved in the
contest, but at least others will have
the opportunity to enter,” com
mented Ms. Johnsor^; r .* *
As first time coordinator of this
contest, Ms. Johnson has high
anticipations that tWU will be one of
the better years of the contest.
“What I'm looking for Is success Wa
hope to have 90 to 25 churches
actively Involved in the contest, as
well as those churches that
have supported us on a lass visible
basis," uttered Ms. Johnson.
A goal of 3,000 new and renewed
subscriptions has been set by the
marketing and promotions coordina
tor as the desired mark to reach by
the end of the contest And from
each subscription sals, 23 will be
going beck to the church, which Is an
See CHURCHWORKER On Rage BA
ciation tor the Advancement of
Colored People. With few excep
tions, the NAACP has not advanced
Black America. Essentially, over
the past 50 years our advance has
been to the rear.
CORE, or Congress of Racial
Equality There is no racial equality
in this country. Maybe legally, but
not socially, politically, or econo
mically.
PUSH, People United To Save
Humanity. Humanity is all of man
kind. Black. Brown, Red, White,
and Yellow. PUSH has not saved
Black America How could it hope to
save humanity?
So, today we live without that
advancement, that equality, and our
leadership is a farce. As for hu
manity, what we need is each other
Why do we lack these things in
Black America? Is it due to a lack of
desire, or inability? I think not
Some will say it is due to our lack of
money. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Today Black Ameri
ca handles approximately $150 bill
ion annually, but we only handle it
briefly. We must change this
UNITY WILL CHANGE THIS!
I have spoken derogatorily about
the NAACP, CORE, and PUSH, but I
do so without malice, only with
truth. Where is that advancement
mai me n a Alt' Has been promis
ing us for almost 100 years?
CORE. We will have racial equali
ty only when Black America puts
Black America to work Those who
think this can’t be accomplished, I
say, are men and women of little
vision It is the only way that every
Black who wants employment can
have it, and I am not so naive as to
think that every Black wants un
employment.
PUSH. It is notUNITY'sambition to
save humanity, only to move Black
America into the mainstream of
American life Black America’s
millions must become a part of the
American dream. When I say it is
not UNITY’S ambition to save
humanity. I am not saying that I am
against humanity. I am saying that I
am for Black America If UNITY
tries to save humanity, we would
end up doing nothing for Black
America
Whai.artt-lhe dreams, aspirations,
desires, and hungers of UNITY? In a
few words: A better Black America,
but that dream, that aspiration, that
desire and that hunger for a better
Black America must manifest itself,
it must show itself, IT WILLI
To insure a better Black America
UNITY will see to it that Black youth
get a sound and practical educa
tion However, Black youth must
also be taught about the lack of
knowledge of their parentage, thus
giving them a better understanding
of their today
UNITY will show Black America
how we can put ourselves to work.
-Mow we can change the face of our
neighborhoods across the country,
and the many ways we can shape
and control our own destiny
There are no membership cards in
UNITY There are no weekly or
.monthly or annual dues UNITY will
not ask for marches or demonstra
tions, so how do you become a part of
UNITY? I must say the price is
great, a great deal to ask, more than
many Blacks will be willing to pay
The price is your dreams, for a
better Black America. Your desire
for a better Black America. Your
aspirations and your hunger for a
better Black America I know that t
ask a lot. However, if you will give
me your aspirations for a better
Black America, a year from now
UNITY will manifest, itself on the
streets of Black America. }f you will
give me your desires UNITY will
give you a better and safer neigh-' *
borhood If you will give UNITY
your dreams and huager for a better
Black America when the Black
generation that enters school this
year graduates, I promise you that
their education will be second to
none.
UNITY’S next letter will go Into
more deUd If you like what's in this
letter please peso it along.
. > v UNITY •
H. TYannMH