Freedom
Justice
Unity
POWER
November, 1972
BLACK INK
BLACK STUDENT MOVEMENT OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Volume 4, Number 3
Charles Jeffries
/lin
Nixon again
now what?
Richard Milhouse Nixon,
thanks to the votes of some 45
milUon Americans and George
McGovern himself, will again
occupy the big White House on
Pennsylvania Avenue in
Washington, D.C.
OPINION
No one can argue with the
mathematical facts behind the
re-election of Mr. Nixon. No one
can disagree with the efficiency
of the Nixon campaign machine
and its ability, despite the
Russian wheat deal, the
Watergate Affair and other
shady campaign tactics, to have
its candidate again the chief
spokesman for the nation.
What then can one argue
with? Where must the blame be
placed with regard to the results
of the national election and
effect on the outcome of the
local elections?
To begin with, the blame for
most of what occured on
November 7 must lie with
George McGovern himself. Often
contradictory on major issues,
McGovern sealed his fate long
before the polls opened. He
chose to bolt the party regulars
in the early part of the
campaign, only to crawl back
towards the climax of the
campaign.
Without doubt, the Eagleton
Affair also served as an effective
“glue” in sealing the fate of Mr.
McGovern. He showed himself
inept at making quick decisions
and again illustrated how
wishy-washy he could be.
“I’ll never let Mr. Eagleton
go,” he was quoted to say when
it was first revealed that
Eagleton had undergone some
psychiatric care. But some few
days later, Eagleton received his
walking papers despite the
protests of party regulars.
The running confrontations
with George Meany, president of
the AFL-CIO and Mayor Daley
of Chicago also made things
tough for McGovern. He
resolved these conflicts as he did
many others, but too late in the
campaign to change Tuesdays
outcome.
But one cannot place all the
blame on the shoulders of one
man. His campaign managers and
other Democratic party leaders
for lack of their support are also
to blame. Many of the local
Democrats who refused to
publicly support the national
ticket but did so in the voting
booth, can be proud of what
they did or didn’l do.
And then, there are those 45
million .Americans who cast Iheir
ballots in favor ot a Nixon
“reprieve”. They too deserve a
share of the blame for what
might occur in the next four
years.
The American public chose to
ignore Watergate, Vietnam, ITT,
the Russian Wheat Deal,
invasions of privacy and
numerous other pre-election
dealings in favor of fear for what
many termed as abortion,
amnesty and acid. This fear of
what they thought was
McGovern’s platform manifested
itself as votes for Nixon.
But even before the shady
campaign of Mr. Nixon began,
the real issues which might have
been important in a Nixon
defeat were also ignored.
Unemployment rose to six
percent across the nation. In
some cities it topped seven
percent.
Major crimes increased,
despite Nixon’s law and order
stand in the campaign of ’68.
Special interest group
attention by the government
became more and more open,
despite the disclosures made
during the ITT investigation.
The closest issue dealing with
race was busing, and most agree
that busing itself is not really a
racial issue. Mr. Nixon ignored
both Blacks and whites who did
not favor his busing stand.
One could go on and on
about what issues the American
public chose to ignore and what
issues they paid attention to in
order to decide where to cast
their ballots.
One thing other than the
re-election of Mr. Nixon stands
clear as a result of the voter
reaction on Tuesday; the nation
as a whole is more conservative
than many had imagined. The
emergence of the New Left,
complete with its literature, its
impact on the media, its impact
on the youth and the
enlightened older people seems
to have had little, if any effect
on the rest of the nation. If it
did indeed affect the nation, it
was negatively. The vote for
Nixon was not so much a vote
for the Republican party or Mr.
Nixon, but a vote against Mr.
McGovern, and the people who
supported him, the New Left.
What was to be a victory for
the Democratic Party and the
New Left turned out to be a
defeat for the entire nation.
What was thought to have
been a change for the nation lor
the better, turned out to be a
pat-on-the-back for what little
progress the nation has made,
particularly on domestic issues.
What was hoped to become a
starting point for the revision ol
national priorities has instead
become a halting point.
Rev. Leon White addresses students at 1971 James Cates Memorial Day.
Blacks remember
James Cates
By Deryl Davis
and
Larry Mixon
It was in the early hours of
the morning of November 21,
1970, when a brother from
Chapel Hill — James Cates — was
ruthlessly cut by a white gang of
Storm Troopers outside of the
Carolina Union doors. Lying in
his own pool of blood for at
least thirty minutes, this brother
was allowed to bleed to death. It
is hard to believe that Memorial
Hospital was just around the
corner , only a few minutes
away from the Union; however,
it was a little too far to transport
a dying man. So, consequently,
the brother died.
The reaction of the Black
students here at Carolina was
mixed with horror, fear, and
concern (more for themselves
than for Brother Cates). The
initial shock was numbed when
the news was relayed that Cates
was an off-campus Black.
Concern seemed to vanish and
the niggers went back to
partying.
The reaction of the towns
people was swift. “How dare the
University hold an all-night
dance!" Cates was dead, and the
University celebrated. Can you
blame them, brothers and
sisters ’ That was one less nigger
to deal with! .\nd, as a reward
for their ruthless murder, the
Storm Iroopers were acquitted
by the Hillsbourough courts,
man was dead, but they didn I
seem to care.
The reaction of the
University was one of shame and
fear that its glorious reputation
had once again been tarnished.
James Cates was dead; bled to
death right on the doorsteps of
the Carolina Union and five
minutes away from Memorial
Hospital! A human life was lost,
a Black life was lost, but no one
cared!
Check this out: last fall a
white student was cut in
Morrison and almost died,. As a
result, a meeting of the campus
officials was immediately held
and the University enacted its
first “Entry of Campus” policy.
Then, the University issued a list
consisting of twelve Black
Chapel Hillians whose priviledge
of setting their Black feet on this
campus was terminated.
The difference between the
two incidents was that Cates
died and the University kept
right on partying; the white
student almost died. and the
University enacted an entry
policy for ‘‘niggers”. However,
we must remember that Cates
was Black and his murderers
were white — thus a ditlerent
scale of justice was
automatically used. We must
not. and we shall not let such an
unjut act occur again. .And, we
should always remember those
brothers who gave their lives for
the cause and died in the
struggle.
Phu.s. annually, in recognition
of a brother unjustly and
untimely slain. We. the Black
students at U.N.C.. pay our
internal respects and
bereavement by holding
Memorial Day Services in his
honor. We recognize that, on an
even larger scale, James Cates’
ultimate injury is reserved for,
not just one more brother off
the block, but for each and
every one of us in this white
racist-dominated society which
condoned his death. And, it is
our goal to never let this happen
again or forget Brother Cates.
This year’s program will be
held on Monday November 20,
1972. The Memorial Services
will begin with a peaceful march
through campus and the
downtown area, beginning at
2:00 p.m.
Upon returning to the Union,
we will be honored with some
inspirational words from Brother
Osafo McDonald, pastor of the
Northside Baptist Church in
Durham, and one of our faithful
and dedicated Brothers of
WAFR radio station. Others
appearing on the program
include the BSM Gospel Choir;
Warren Carson. BSM Chairman;
Richard Epps, Student Body
President; and the Reverand
John Caldwell, a resident of
Chapel Hill and Assistant Pastor
of Union Baptist Church in
Durham.
Let us all pay our respects on
this day and let us not forget
that we must continue to fight
in the struggle, so that one day
we may receive that overdue
jastice and we should have
received four hundred years ago.