Newspapers / The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.) / May 24, 1969, edition 1 / Page 4
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4 * THE CAROLINIAN RALEIGH N. C.. SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1980 A simple Wind beggar besought the Master to helm him, but the disciples felt Jesus should use His time more wisely. But the Master said, "Bring him here.” Jesus gave Charles Evers, an NAACP leader in Mississippi, recently won the of fice of Mayor of the town of Fay ette, Mississippi, by defeating a white incumbent who had held that office for years. To the Negroes it was a glorious victory, but to whites there were many misgivings. While many whites viewed the prospects dimly, others expressed the opinion that the nev Mayor Evers would be fair. Thi latter tribute is indeed encouraging. We have the feeling that Mayor Evers will operate the town in the best interest of all citizens, re gardless of race, color, or creed. The future will tell us if he is capable of doing this; and until then, let us wait upon his record to speak for itself. However, in his victory speech, we think Mr. Evers might have said Among the demands of the Students for Democratic Action at the various universitites, is one calling for an increase in the enrollment of Negro students, or more popularly “more Negroes.” Last week, thirty-seven students held a quiet demonstration amid shouts of “nigger go home” c from some white students to push for more Negroes at the University of Florida in Gainesville. This demonstrating group of stu dents had information that the Uni versity of Florida had admitted only 98 fulltime Negro student in the past fifteen years. Currently, there are more than 19,00 students at Florida’s biggest stnte university. Only 49 of them are Negroes, enrolled on a fulltime basis, while 50 others are enrolled only part time. The 3 0-minute afternoon de monstration by the Negroes was held in front of Tigert Hall. Most of the Negroes wore black shirts and carried black placards lettered in white: “The University of Florida is 99.5 Per Cent White” and “end Tokenism.” While the demonstration was tak ing place, some 50 white students gathered around the Negroes and heckled them. What happened in Florida has happened many times in other states at other state universities. Although the doors for enrollment are open to students of all race sat all former ly white state universities, only a Our United States Treasury has been notified by Finland that on June 1 she will again make an annual payment of $357,666, a semi-an nual installment. This has - been clone with regularity ever since the termination of World War !. The payment represents a com mitment that Finland is saying “our \frord is our bond, and we will pay dur war debt.” • Finland is a small country, but when compared with other debtors to the United States for money lent, she is a towering giant. Seven teen other countries still owe the United States Treasury S4O million in overdue and uncollected war debts. Henry J. Taylor, newspaper cor respondent, said he was in Finland at the time when it came under the attack of the Soviet Union in the winter of 1939-1949. Finland suf fered 67,000 dead and missing in lps days. This fight bled the that (fountrv white, and a year later, ifretrate Finland was again attack ed by the Russians who stated that tfse Finns are to he exterminated from the face of the earth), !• Note the situation again: Finland, Bible Though! Os The Week Edit®rid Viewpoint A Negro Mayor For Fayette The ('all For More Negro Students inland Pays Its Debt To Treasury V & His mind unreservedly to the problem of one forlorn human life, Here was a need; and Jesus had the time. An anxious soul was healed, anc his eyes were opened. too much, especially with reference to the fact that whites had mistreat ed Negroes in the town. He added that his „administration would not attempt to retaliate by enacting punitive treatment for whites. He did not necessarily need to say that the whites had often mistreated Negroes in the victory speech, be cause this was past history. He idn’t need to say his administra tion would forget the past treatment of Negroes, because it would have been better to have omitted these remarks from his address. When the disciples wanted Jes us Christ to burn up a whole town simply because innkeepers would not accommodate them for the night, Jesus said nothing. He put on His coat and proceeded to walk to the next town. few Negroes are enrolled. First, only a few Negroes actually apply for admission and academic stand ards. There is a reason why many Ne gro students cannot gain admissions into the formerly all-white state universities. They cannot pass the entrance tests, because they are the products of more than a century of school discrimination. Since we have been advocating in tegration in our schools, it would seem that student demonstrators would face the facts. They should not want a university to accept a lot of Negroes just to say more Negroes are enrolled. Perhaps the demonstrating slogan could have read: “Let’s push for enrollment of more high-risk students on an experimental and undergirding basis.” Instead of a campaign for more black studies, protestors should call for community action on tutoring and undergirding of black students who need to be strengthened so that they can enter any universities on a par with other students. Certain ly, black students should not want any institution to accept the un qualified entrance applicants. A first - class student begs no special favors with regards to the enrollment of more Negroes, be cause he realizes that he wants to be treated as first-class. All pro testors should remember this. with a population of four million inhabitants, with a 700-mile border next to a country 50 times its size, whose deadly assaults have been the Finns’ problem for almost 100 years. Yet this country put on the battlefield 16 divisions, of which nearly 150,000 were gray-uniformed women. The Finns, billeted in dugouts in the hard frozen ground in the forest and on the ice of 60,000 frozen lakes, deployed themselves well, but Russia took from the people their finest agricultural land. This forced the little country into great debt. Columnist Taylor said that the Finnish word “sisu” means a com bination courage, stamina, tenacity and will power. Finland’s ancient fort, Suomenlinna, in Helsinki’s har bor, has incribed over its moat: “Stay brave and do not trust to foreign help.” The officials names of the three adjourning fortresses tell the remaining story: Honor, Con science, Unity. This is the story of Finland. Would that more of the other for eign nations would pay the United States their World War 1 loans. Only li America BY HARRY GOLDEN THE ACQUITTAL OF JAMES LAWING An all-white Federal Jury acquitted James Laving who was charged with having threatened the life and safe ty of a black professor who had moved Into a white su burban neighborhood. Laving was the first man accused under the provisions of 1968 Open Housing Act passed by Congress last April. The government charged that after Horace Caple moved into the East Raleigh neighborhood of Roll Logwood, N. C., Laving threatened, “If you come out of vour house, I will kill you.” If he had made such a threat, he had indeed broken the federal law which prohibits racially motivated attempts to interfere with or intimi date a person seeking housing. Edwin D. Whitley, a Raleigh police detective heard Laving threaten to "whip” or “stomp” Caple. Lawing did not deny having made the threats, although he did not take the stand. His lawyer, Irving Tucker, argued the threats were not Intimidations but uttered in passion without specific in tent. That Lawing went free is in no small way due to his attorney’s arguments. Lavv ing’s passions, were aroused. Tucker told the jury, because Caple moved into the neigh borhood after dark (which pre sumably meant Lawing didn’t have the chance to shoot him before occupancy); that Caple entertained visitors from Housing Opportunity Made Equal (HOME), an organiza tion promoting integrated housing; and lastly that Caple did not clear his move with the mayor’s Committee on Human Relationships. Ir, his own passionate terms, Tucker asked the jury during summation, ‘‘Honest ly search your conscience and ask yourself, wouldn’t you be- Just For Fun BY MARCUS H. RUN FOR COVER Some rebellious youths on college campuses run for cover when the going gets rough with officers of the law. It goes to show that a few cannot win. A professional politician is an individual who will stand for anything that will leave him sitting pretty. The "good ole days”, ( who said this anyway?), were when Letters to the Editor MINISTER SPEAKS TO GOVERNOR To the Editor: A Raleigh minister and Governor “Bob” Scott rnet on February 17, 1969, in the Gov ernor's office to discuss ap pointment, education, and em ployment. The minister was the Rev. William B. Stanley. I recommended to the Gover nor to appoint some Negro educators to the State Board of Higher Education and tothe State Board of Education so that the Negro could have rep resentation, being that they are also part of the school system. He emphasized that his father, the late Governor Kerr Scott had appointed Dr. Harold L. Trigg to the State Board of Higher Education twenty years ago, and he said that he was thinking about appointing some Negroes to the boards. Also, he said that they could use some. I em phasized that the time has come and we are living in a new age now and not twenty years ago, Negroes are now seeking better education, em ployment, andopport unity. Last year, Shaw University reported a sharp increase in the number of its graduates leaving the state to teach in other states. This is due in part to North Carolina's tight er teachers requirements. The Governor said that he is concerned about it and was going to see Dr. Phillips, but he added, that Dr. Phillips is running that department. The question was raised by me about employment as a veteran plasterer and rep resentative and as a member THE CAROLINIAN ‘•Covering The C.iroiina‘.“ Pubiithed by The Carolinian Publishing Company 518 E Martin Street Raleigh. N. C. 27<,01 Mailing Address, PO Sox S2B Raleigh. N. C. 27502 Second Class Postage Paid at Ra leigh N C 27602 SUBSCRIPTION HATES Six Months $3.23 Sales Tax jo TOTAL 3 35 One Year 5.50 Sales Tax [G TOTAL. 5,66 Payable In advance. Address ail communication* and make all checks and money orders payable to Tire CAROLINIAN. Amalgamated PublLrtiers. Inc., .ill Madison Avenue. New York 17, N. Y.. National Advertising Rep resentative Member of the Asso ciated Negro Press arid the Unit ed Press International Photo Ser vice. The Publisher is not responsible lor the return of unsolicited news, pictures or advertising copy un less necessary postage accompan ies the copy Opinions expressed bv column ists in this newspaper cfo not nec essarily represent the policy of this newspaper. afraid if a colored man moved in a few block from your home?” None of the important and influential newspaper Ln the state, those in Raleigh, Char lotte, and Greensboro, ap plauded the verdict. All the editors, in fact, accused Tuck er of a new low in tasts and conduct. All worried that en couraging extremists, in this instance, Caple’s tormentor, was an ominous portent. One of the papers asked if laws which were passed to protect minorities be suspended If ap plications of those laws frighten majorities. Did justice fail? I do not think it failed com pletely. It is true that Mr. Caple abandoned his attempts to live in Rollingwood and that Mr. Lawing escaped punlsh m-_ ' and is free to indulge other passions which may or may not e’eur to him. But he was tried. Hiring a defense lawyer costs time and money and in convenience. The federal pro secutors did not go through meaningless motions. That they lacked the fanaticism of Javert ahd the skill of Thomas Dewey is obvious but they were not pretending as voting registrars in Alabama pre tend. They proved they could take a white man to court for threatening a black man. It may be they cannot instruct a Southern jury in what con stitutes equity but I know of no one who can. Almost 15 years ago, a Southern state put two white people Into the penitentiary for selling a house to a black man. It is still sad to realize a re sponsible black owner or tenant cannot move into a white neighborhood easily. The ethic Andre Gide laid down was never to let the bastards have it all their way. Indeed, Mr. Lawing did not have it all his own way. BOULWARE inflation was )ust something you did to a tel loon. Fathers are people who give away daughters to other men who aren’t good enough for the m s 0 they can have grandchildren who are smart er than anybody’s. Infiation Is really reflected in something that cost S2O a few years ago and now cost S3O to repair. of a union it was my concern to recommend an amendment that the proposed be present ed to the 1969 General As sembly to re’store plastering back in the state-supported colleges and universities and • state building. The Governor asked if it would cost the state more money. My reply was, yes. He said this sys tem would not work because the state wants to save all the money that it can on buildings. I emphasized that taxes could hie raised by his recommendation to the Gen eral Assembly to raise the pay for the educated class of peo ple. He fulfilled that prom ise as Governor. His letter to me or. June 24, 1968, that if elected Gov ernor, he would strive to im prove and maintain a standard of excellence In our public schools that will benefit all our people, but not the il literates and under privileged worker. In his campaign speech for Governor, he said if elected he would provide some t ype of industrial trade and better pay for the illiter ates. He emphasized to me that he did not have a progr am for them. He said that they would have to find other types of employment. Then I say that equality and legal freedom were not sufficient to guar antee an equal share of pros perity and justice In this ad ministration, but to vote and put them in office. Then they will give you a lemon. The time has come that the American Negro must stand up and be heard by the candidates on their platforms. This is not freedom, but a coercion of government. The Negro lead ers must hold press confer ences with the candidates and just watch the 1972 platforms of candidates and don’t be brainwashed by every false doctrine that is incredible. It seems to me to be ap propriate that at this time I should lay this statement before the people of the state of North Carolina. These are my views honestly expressed and I express them on the part of the great government that I represent of God through Christ. Rev, William B. Stanley Raleigh, N. C. LETTER FROM A CHICAGO JAIL To The Editor: I am writing these words on the 30th day of a five-month sentence Imposed by judicial TIME FOR DECISION THE MIDDLE CLASS SHOULD BE "DESPITE THE LACK OF DIRECTION OF SOME BLACK STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE , WE NEED THESE YOUNG r PEOPLE FOR THEIR IMAGINATION AND INVENTIVENESS, THE IP NEW IDEAS AND APPROACH ST ■COY -i iL HINS The Thought Exchange BY GORDON HANCOCK CONSCIENCE-MADE COWARDS Somewhere along the way, Great Old Wil liam Shakespeare let fall the powerfully truth ful statement that "Conscience makes cowards of us all”. No man is so much a slave as when his conscience enslaves him. Our great Land of the Free and Home of the Brave seems in a cowering mood before the challenge that our turbulent times foist upon us. It is dif ficult to believe that this great country of ours would submit to some of the embarrassments and humiliations that come daily upon us. If the piratical nations are not seizing our Puebles, the Korean gunners are shooting our great air transports fiom tire skies, and we humbly submit in every case .Our half-hearted and weak-kneed patriots are seemingly ready to sue for peace at any price in Vietnam, where thousands and thousands of our gallant men have laid them down in death on a hundred battlefields. The likes of Nathen Hale who looked death squarely in the face and declared that his only retreat was that he had only one life to give for his country, and no more. Instead, we have a little runt breed of moral under lings who burn draft cards and flee like cowards into Canada, with mothers in frenzi ed moods praying for peace. One would hard ly believe that this is the nation that fought at Valley Forge and Yorktown. We have spent billions and billions on education for our youth and what are we getting in turn? Rioters and protesters and nihilists and anarchists and arsonists, malefactors of diversed de scription! Unhappily, young Negroes are tak ing the lead in these dangerous doings. At first, they were abetted by young whites who more recently have withdrawn and left the burden of the current disorders upon the shoulders of the young Negroes who are hav ing a Roman holiday. Although it is difficult to imagine how the country would submit to what the militant Negroes are neting out te the country, It is even more difficult to dis miss the idea that somewhere down the line, the fed-up whites will have their comeback and lift the ancient heel of repression. It would be unwise to conclude that the white man is finished. Why, so many of us are asking, the white man is in many ways taking an awful beat system in Chicago which has provided considerable subject matter for this column ir, the past, Therearethosewhohave insisted that my sentence was unnecessarily harsh. But I keep remembering that a candidate who ran in the elec tions in South Vietnam was later sentenced to five years. I ran for President of the United States and got five months. So our system must be a little better. During my per iod of polit ical imprisonment, I have been fasting, taking only distilled water for nourishment. Alio uniAxe many ui isunei s, 1 have taken my mind with me into the jail cell, and my mind has been reacting to the condi tions imprisoning my body. Os course, the adage is true that society can imprison the body but riot the mind. All prisoners realize this fact, and their usual reaction to imprisonment is to leave the mind outside the prison walls. Prisoners usually keep their minds fastened to thoughts of the outside -- the wife and family, what life will be like when their sentence has been served, food memories, plans, strategies, resentments, re grets. As an old pro in time-serv ing, I have learned that it is important to bring the mind into the cell with the body. It is important to focus one's thoughts completely upon the jail experience; to both real ize and analyze what is really happening; to absorb what the legal system in our society is really like; to test first hand society's often verbal ized commitment to "re habilitation” of the criminal. The mind, you see, can al ways leave the prison when ever the prisoner decides to release It. One can always return to thoughts of the out side. The more difficult task ing at the hands of misguided militant Negroes, who are currently disgiacing the campuses of our great universities of learn - ing? For some reason, white power is being in abeyance. Bui to image it will be in de finitely in abeyance, is to reason without the facts. The white man is going to have his day! But, at present, the white man is covering before his conscience. The white man is in many ways a victim of a past, that is ungainly and ugly. The world knows what the white man has done to, and with the hapless Negro. The world knows that such Negroes as we .have today are the creatures of the white manga creation. The world knows that the race prejudice that is scourging the earth and the nations thereof, is a creation of the white man and such follies as the Negroes are heir to, have grown out of tht- white man’s culture. Like the Ghost of Banquo, the awful traged', of Dachau and Auschwitz and Buchenwald and Hiroshima and Nagasaki is upoi th< white man's conscience and disinclines him te put the screws on the hapless Negro as he might do. In fact, the only thing that is staying the flood-gates of the white man’s wrath against the- Negro is the white man’s bloody history of the recent past. But mankind has always found a wav to salvage his conscience and he will find it again and then' It is difficult to Imagine that the young militants among Negroes of tomor row will enjoy the same immunities as they do today. If young Negroes could be b. ought around to realizing that if the "demand'’ onerg could be exploited for more constructive pur poses, their futures would be brig! fer. Just yesterday, I dropped into one of Richmond’s powerful banks and whom did 1 find at t ! <• teller window but a fine upstanding beautiful young Negro girl, with al! the grace and finesse one could wish. More important than the fact ✓ that she was a Negro was the fact that she knew her business ana waited on whites and Negroes wit! the ease and grace if an ex perienced bank teller. Whites gave her no special attention for she was expert at business. Today, too many Negroes are d> - 4 m oust rating and marching and making "de mands” and not enough are making U fullest use of tl e opportunities at 1 and’ is to allow the mind inside. It occurs to me that the increasing craekdovn on po litical prisoners is in great est thing that can happen for the poor and oppressed in our society. It is a good thlng when young, decent thinking and morally, committed folks land in jail, if they bringtheir minds with them. The ex r perience can only make them more committed to changing the system In America. The man who really gets hungry can best understand the tragedy of starvation the world over. The ma n who visits a hospital and sees the suffer ing, and the relieving of that suffering, has his respect for doctors uplifted. And when political prisoners find them selves behind bars, they too have their moral and mental horizons expanded. And per haps this explains why they used to assassinate political prisoners in the old days. The political prisoner re members the words of poli ticians, and if he is allowed access to newspapers con tinues to read those word, speaking of a commitment to reform in America, Such words have an especially hol low ring, for the political prisoner sees this country's political system constantly putting the reformers in jail. And the political prisoner sees firsthand the hypocrisy of our penal system. He sees that jails are not equipped for rehabilitation but rather for punishment. Our legal system Insists that a man is innocent until proven guilty. And our society pretends that a man who is proved guilty is sent to jail for rehabilita tion, so that he can return to society to live a life of re sponsible citizenship. So jails have two functions really: to detain those who have been accused of a crime and are awaiting trial, and to rehabilitate those who have been judged guilty. Certain ly social consistency would demand that a man should at no time be treated as a criminal during his period of detention, since the legal system has not yet proved him guilty. And a society which truly lived its articulated ideals would treat the con victed prisoner differently. Current environmental condi tions in the jails of our coun try do not lend themselves to bringing about rehabilitation. When a person enters this i life, he is born out of the womb. When this life is end ed, a person returns to the tomb. The womb and the tomb have real symbolic signi ficance when applied to the penal system In America. The p closest a human being ever comes tc entering the tomb before death Is to be en tombed in prison. Too often the prison experience -- the entombment is a living death for the prisoner. For a moving lesson in the triumph oi personal human dignity over the most degrad ing of prison conditions, 1 recommend seeing a film en titled The Fixer, starring Alan Bates. But the average prison er cannot be expected to re f. ain such personal dignity when faced with present con ditions of entombment. If our society is not willing to build new wombs for re habilitation and education, . then It should drop the word "rehabilitation” entirely. So ciety should openly admit that our prisons are tombs for so cial outcasts, designed merely for punishment and retribu tion, Dick Gregory, Chicago, Illinois
The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.)
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May 24, 1969, edition 1
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