Page 4 The Carolina Journal Wednesday, March 27, 1968
Hawkins Pleads Persecution By Establishment
BY RODNEY SMITH
“Interview with Dr. R. A. Hawkins”
Dr. Reginald A. Hawkins,
Charlotte dentist and Prewby-
terian Minister, has announced
that he intends to be the first
Negro governor of North Caro
lina. It is far from surprising
that the forty-four-year-old
charged with malpractice in Aug
ust of 1967, in an incident in
volving the dental treatment of
preschool children in the Char
lotte Head-Start Program.
The following interview was
taped in Dr. Hawkins”book-
Hawkins: Not only on your
campus. I have witnessed this
all over the state of North Caro-
lim. We feel that we are the only
ones who have in interest in
you.
Journal: A few questions con
cerning your problems. I know
that you have problems of time
and finance. How much of a
factor in the elections do you
see your present legal difficul
ties?
Hawkins: The present legal
difficulties are going to help
just like this dental involvement
that the Board of Dental Exa
miners, which is an agency sup
posed to be acting on charges
that people bring against one-
no charges were ever brought
against me. No charges were
brought against me but I fought
the dental society in order to
integrate Negro dentists into the
society. I fought for the right
of the poor people to select their
doctors and be treated as any
other human being.
A health care is a human
right, not just a dole. Because
a person’s poor does not mean
that they should be treated less
than anyone else. We fought for
these people to have these rights.
This was anathema to the es
tablishment who had been using
this money for administrative
Dr. Reginald A. Hawkins (Journal Photo by Dan Cook)
Johnson C. Smith graduate is en
tering the race for the execu
tive office. His list of credits
includes fifteen years as chair
man of the Mecklenburg Orga
nization On Political Affairs, past
membership on the North Caro
lina College Board of Trustees,
and membership in the North
Carolina and American Dental
Societies. Hawkins became the
first Negro member of these
societies after a long series of
court battles for integration. Dr.
Hawkins was also instrumental
in the integration of The Char
lotte YMCA and Charlotte Memo
rial Hospital. A constant striver
for equal housing, education, and
voting rights for the Negro, Dr.
Hawkins led the boycott of Irwin
Avenue Junior High School in
1961. A democratic precinct
chairman, Hawkins was indicted
in 1964 for voter registration
irregularities. The case is still
in court. Dr. Hawkins was also
lined office on Friday. March
22 —
Journal: Much interest has
been raised on our campus by
your announcement to run for
Governor of North Carolina.
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purposes. The Board and the
health department and welfare
department and school board,
along with the press, collated,
thinking that they could bring
up charges against me. They
would have the power, they
though, under judicial immuni
ties such as the Board of Ex
aminers, which is already mad
at me because I integrated the
society.
They brought these trumped
up charges and they tried me
by innuendo. Then when we got
into the hearing and they found
out that we were some of the
best dentists in the state of
North Carolina, and they found out
that our work was superior to
the white dentists, you didn’t see
any retractions and you haven’t
seen any statements. They ter
minated the hearing rather than
let us present evidence that was
more damaging to what they were
trying to do. So this helps.
These charges of voter regis
tration, they are accusing me of
having been responsible for three
people being placed on the books
who, they claim, cannot read
and write. So this is a laugti
The state of North Carolina ij
persecuting me. They registered
people, yet, in Madison Count;
where they have stolen the books
they have registered dead people’
and the registrars have done
everything in the world to the
books, they have never been anj
charges brought against these
people. This state has a historj
first where one should vote be.
cause of property rights and the
next thing was a matter of in.
heritance. Now one who considers
the right to vote a privilege
rather than a duty.
And what I say is the rigtit to
vote is the duty of every citizen
and I will get out here and wort
for people to have the right to
register and vote. I think this
is their citizenship right. But
there again, this is anathema
to the establishment because th?
black people and poor whihi
people get involved in the poli.!
tical this upsets the applecart
In North Carolina the right to
vote or to run for political at.
fice has been considered a sense
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)
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