Page 2, The Corolino Indian Voice ^,^^^rt«vww\Aft/wwwwvv^AftArtrt^wvwyvwv1
Put it before them briefly so they
will read it, clearly so they will
appreciate it, picturesquely so they
will remember it, and, above all,
accurately so they will be guided by
its lights.
EDITORIAL
AND OPINION
PAGE
•Joseph Pulitzer
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
inursday, October 7, 1976
AS I SEE IT
Druce Dorron
CONDESCENSION IS NOT
STRENGTH IN POLITICS OR
ANYTHING ELSE.
1 am an observer of the
political scene in Robeson
County. One of the things I
have noticed is that, as a
general rule, white politicians
do not give Indians or Blacks
anything of substance unless it
is laced with the political
arsenic of condescension.
Politically, they (the white
power structure) allow us
(Indians and Blacks) to take
one step forward.and two steps
backwards at the selfsame
time. It is a defeating process.
Power comes from strength
and cohesiveness and a unified
will. We must learn to work
toward our common goal:
political and social and econo*
mic parity with our white
brethem. Simply put, parity is
two-thirds of everything in
Robeson County period. Two
thirds of every dollar, tree,
political office, etc. Yes, count
’em out. We (Indians and
Blacks) should also rightfully
want two thirds of the respon
sibility of running Robeson
County, taking the best from
all three races and truly
putting our collective minds
together and making some
thing worthwhile for our chil
dren.
But listen to the chant of the
Indian and Black politician;
our Indian and Black heroes I
They mouth empty, meaning-
ess chants; “Don’t activate
ihe opposition.’’ How can one
activate his supporters if he
does not activate his opposi
tion? "Aren’t we moving a
little too fast?’’ No, my friend,
yesterday was too soon: today
is the day for justice and
equitable treatment of all
people in Robeson County.
Tomorrow will be too late.
We are Robeson County: all
of us-Indian, Black and white.
The people are demanding
action now, not tomorrow.
Give us our share of Robeson
County and remove the de
meaning additive of conde
scension.
We are tired of white judges
and white district attorneys
sending our young people
away to prison. We are tired of
every county office of substan
ce being manned by whites.
We are tired of empty promis
es that come to nothing. We
are tired of condescension and
ill treatment and that most evil
and condescending malaise of
"Black vice- president this’’
and “Indian vice- chairman
that." We are tired of our
children growing up and not
thinking well of themselves.
We *want a share of the
econom^institutions such as
banks and savings and loan
association and farmers mar
kets and tobacco boards of
trade. We are tired of our
leaders selling us out for a
mere pittance. We want to
raise the price of our souls and
psyches and mentalities. We
want to market the crops as
well as grow and harvest
them.
We want the right to say,
without malice or ill will, that
“we are no better than anyone
else but WE ARE NO LESS!”
We want an Indian superin
tendent to teach our children.
We want an Indian school
board attorney and an Indian
business manager. We want
our share of the dollar. We
want our share of everything I ’
We want to run our own
school system for a change.
Now that Indians seemingly
will control the Robeson Coun
ty Board of Education, many of
our willy nilly, shifty friends
within the city units are talking
about consolidation and mer
ger and putting our resources
in a common pool. Where were
they before we broke Double
Voting?' Where were they
when out white friends, one by
one, ran off and set up five
city school units? Where were
they then...when we were at
their mercy and needed them.
We do not need them now! We
have teachers and lawyers and
businessmen and men of good
will who can provide for our
children’s welfare. We de
mand the opportunity to run
our own school system for a
change.
Where were the Christians
and men of good will when
Senator Luther Britt engineer
ed a bill to take Clybum Pines
and Barker Ten Mile out of the
county system? Did they exert
their magnanimous spirits?
NO! THEY DID NOTl
Only Indians are magnani
mous and forgiving 70 times
70 times 70 times 70 times 70.
We are masochistic and beg to
be punished. Enough is
enough. It is time for us to
demand respect. It is time for
us to stomp condescension
underfoot.. What are we pun
ishing ourselves for? For being
maligned against?
It is time to say that the only
relationship worth nurturing
and developing is one based
on mutual respect and under
standing.
I will not sit in segregated
seating, use a bathroom mark
ed “Indian” or accept condes
cension from my white bre-
thern. I will treat him as he has
treated me. 1 will treat him
with respect only if he treats
me with respect. I cannot and
will not modulate my voice or
be bought for less than ten
million dollars.
It is tiipe for men in Robeson
County to say things out loud.
A letter to the editor is better
than the negative feed back of
a shotgun blast. It is time to
truly love one another. It is
time to listen to the pain and
sorrow evoked from the deep
est recesses of our hearts. It is
time to treat each other with
respect and love. It is time to
work toward harmonious racial
relationships but not at the
demeaning price of condes
cension.
“Dead” leaves and
smoke spread poison
Are You Reading
A Sample Copy?
...if so, why not
become a regular
subscriber and enjoy
The Carolina Indian
Voice every week?
Call S21-2826 to place
A Secret
Chamber of
Commerce?
yimUfc
%
VimiH
Pembroke BPW Club to
hear President of N. C.
Women’s Political Cuacus
Though its leaves are
drying up and turning
brown, poison ivy re
mains as infectious as
ever. Its vines and root
clusters are still con
tagious and oleoresin, its
oily residue, still produces
skin rashes, itching and
burning blisters through
out the winter.
So, a word of caution:
W.hen raking up “dead”
l^ves and underbrush,
use the utmost care. Where
poison ivy is suspected,
use gloves, carefully avoid
emoKe when burning such
^rash^n^was^^tlr^our^
in observance of National
Business Women’s Week, Oc
tober 17-23, the Pembroke
Business and Professional
Women’s Club will sponsor a
dinner meeting on Monday,
October 18th. at 7:00 p.m. at
Maynor Manor Community
Room in Pembroke. The pro
gram entitled, “A Salute to
Women” will feature an ad
dress by Ms. Tennala Abner
Gross, President of the North
Carolina Women’s Political
Caucus who will speak on the
Emerging Roles of Women
Today. Dinner tickets are
available for $3.00 each by
writing to Pembroke BPW
Club, P. O. Box 906. Pem
broke no later than October
8th. The meeting is open to
both women and men who are
interested in attending.
Ms. Tennala Abner Gross,
assistant professor of mathe
matics at East Carolina Uni
versity. was elected president
of the North Carolina Wo
men's Political Caucus at the
recent fifth annual NCWPC
Convention on the ECU cam
pus.
A member of the state
caucus since its organization in
1972, Ms. Gross has also been
a NCWPC Policy Council
member for four years and was
second vice president this past
year.
Politics and the women's
movement have been among
her chief interests, and the
chance to combine both came
with her active role in N. C.
ERA United last year, when
she served as eastern N. C.
coordinator for Ihe campaign
to ratify the Equal Rights
Amendment.
She is also a charter mem
ber of the Eastern Carolina
Chapter of the National Or
ganization for Women (NOW)
and the Greenville- Cm
self and your clothes im
mediately afterwards.
If you do break out in
an itch, give me a call. I’ll
suggest a remedy to soothe
your discomfort.
PaiSHtNG - BUFFING
SATIN FINISHING
SCOTCH BRIGHT t.
TAMPICO BRUSHING
BEAR TEXING
X>« WMK • SMAU PIOAKTION RUNS
■ ovesaaMtAsgiKpmENCE
ty League of Women Voters,
and a member of the local
American Civil Liberties Union
chapter, the Greenville Peace
Committee and a number of
professional and honorary so
cieties.
One of her primary goals as
new NCWPC president is to
involve more low- income
women and “blue-collar”
women in caucus activities.
And, her varied work exper
ience should prove helpful in
achieving this goal.
The Grosses came to
Greenville in 1960, when Dr.
Gross joined the East Carolina
faculty as Director of Religious
Activities. Tennala taught at
Greenville’s Rose HIgli School
fur three years, and enrolled in
East Carolina’s graduate pro
gram in mathematics. Upon
receiving her MA. she was
offered an inslructorship, and
in 1968. was promoted to
assistance professor.
In addition to her teaching
and a two-year term as direc
tor of the ECU Computer
Center, Ms. Gross has con
ducted workshops for business
personnel, math teachers and
advanced high school stu
dents. St me of her computer
researcli reports have been
published in mathematics jour
nals.
She has done further study
at Rutgers University, the
University of Chicago. N. C.
State University, and UNC-
Chapel Hill,
Ms. Gross is the first
eastern North Carolina presi
dent of the N. C. Women's
Political Caucus. Another
Greenville resident, attorney
Nelson Crispp, is the organi
zation’s new second vice pres
ident.
Other 1976 officers are:
Mary Hopper of Charlotte,
president elect; Marylyn Gor
don of Asheville, first vice
president; Josephine Holman
of Hillsborough, third vice
president; Barbara Kamara of
Greensboro, secretary; and
Editli Conrad of Greensboro,
treasurer.
Janice Hardison Faulkner of
the ECU English faculty, a
member of the NCWPC Advi
sory Board, was among the
organizers of the state caucus.
Class of ’66
to reunite
Dear Sir:
You must be dead wrong in
suspecting the existance of a
Pembroke Chamber of Com
merce.
Everyone knows that a
Chamber of Commerce is
always on the front lines in any
city or town. There cannot be
any such creature as a secret
Chamber of Commerce.
If you find one please put it
on the front page of the paper
because a secret Chamber of
Commerce is an extremely
rare creature and highly news
worthy.
Sincerely,
Brantley Blue
Washington, D. C.
Dear Classmates:
Believe it or not it has been
ten years since our graduation.
It is time once more to gather
together and see the many
changes that have taken place
in our lives. Having met with
several classmates, we have
made decisions we hope will
be satisfactory to us all.
Our reunion will be held
Thursday. December 23, 1976
at the Pembroke Jaycee Club
House. Here are the detail to
remember: time, 7:30- 2:00
a.m. if need be; cost, $20J)0
per couple, SIO.OO single,
dress, informal.
There will be a social hour, a
steak supper, and a D. J. with
records from our time (1966)
and from the present. It is
necessary that we have an
urgent reply from those who
plan to attend. It is nexessary
that we pay in advance and not
at the door. Make checks
payable to Qass of 1966 and
send them to Robert Kent
Sampson, P. 0. Box 2, Pem
broke, NC 28372. If local, you
may leave money or check with
Delora Revels Cummings at
Home Rorist in Pembroke.
There is a deadline of Dec. 1,
1976 to send in your money.
This is necessary so that we
may have time to plan for the
number of people who will
attend.
Please plan to come because
it wouldn’t be a reunion
without you.
Looking forward to seeing
you.
Stanford Locldear
Class President
Class of 1966
Pembroke Higt School
LRDA
Receiving
Reading
Grant
PEMBROKE — Lumber
Regional Development
Association received a grant
award from th; United States
Office of Educatic«v-HEW Right
to Read Office to administer a
Reading Academy Program in
Robeson County.
There will be three Reading
Academies established. The
location of the three academies
will be Smyrna, Fairgrove, and
Sbnithtown. Tbe program will
provide reading instruction,
motivational counseling and
suptiortive servicecs for
seventy-five functionally
Illiterate adults and youth and
thirty homebound functicmally
illit^ate youth and adults.
. Individualized instructicuial
materials will be utilized to
improve the educational level of
the project participants to cope
more ^ectively with existing
problems and to ’ alleviate
barriers which hinder seU^
improvement. Cultural
enrighment activities and
workshops will be organized
throughout the program year in
areas relevant to the ne^ and
Interest of the; progrw
partidpents in ceder to br^en
their understanding and
knowledge of those areas, which
will enable them to cope with
everyday situations more
effectively.
Project staff will consist of a
Project Director, a Curriculum
Developer, a Secretary-
Bookke^r, three Recruiter
Coaches, and three Teacher
Moiitors (part-time).
L.R.D.A. urges community
people living in the Smyrna,
Fairgrove, and Smithtown
communities, who are 16 years
and over and interested in
learning to read and write to
partidpate in the Right To Read
— Reading Academy Program.
More detailed information
concerning contacts, program
start-up date, and time will be
announced later.
-EDITORIAL VIEWPOINT-
An Indian Manifesto
Robeson County is the homeland of our Indian
people, though for many long years we were
almost powerless in our own country because of
white political domination. Now, thanks to the
efforts of many Indian people, we, as Indian
people, have achieved much progress.
Ho.wever, let us not be deceived: Indian
progress has been accomplished through Indian
power. Massive voter registration was
accomplished with Indian registrars. The evil
double-voting system for the county school
board was broken via an Indian federal court
suit. The reapportionment of the county
commissioner districts was forced via another
Indian federal court suit. The long-time white
conservative county commissioner, George
Reed Pate, was defeated via a massive Indian
voter turn-out in the Rowland District. We, as a
group of people, must face a very simple fact:
The Indian people are locked in a struggle with a
white racist political system which has
absolutely no intention of allowing our people
to participate in the decision-making process
within this county. We need only look at the
recent judicial race for proof of this simple
truth. The white population of this county en
mosse voted against our candidate simply
because he was an Indian; they voted in favor of
an unknown outsider simply because his last
name was not Oxendine. How long are we to
endure such insult? How long are we to allow
the county white political system to keep our
people in political, social, and economic
bondage?
In the recent democratic primary, Indian
people, in a sense of fairness, made several
significant concessions to the white community
for the sake of racial harmony within Robeson.
One of our most respected leaders withdrew
from the house race in order that it might remain
tri-racial. The white senator from Robeson was
unopposed so as not to jeopardize our chances
for an Indian judge. Many Indians made a
concerted effort to see that the county school
board was tri-racial. From the lips of several
Indian figures came the soothing message:
“They have changed; let us not do unto them
what they have done unto us.” WE WERE
BETRAYED! Indian candidates were
massacred in the white precincts. Our naive
trust, grounded as it was in deception and
betrayal, almost cost us our children’s future.
But for those staunch-hearted Indians who
rejected the siren call, we would have lost even
the county school board. The 1976 Democratic
Primary clearly shows that there is as much
white racism here in Robeson as there was in the
days of Henry Berry Lowrie. The question we
pose today: Is there still as much Indian courage
and determination?
Unless we act forcefully all will be lost; we
cannot allow such a challenge to go unanswered
if we are to survive. We must re-group before
the 1978 elections. Is it not time that we think of
our own people? Unless something is done
before the November 2 general election, two
of the five people to receive four-year terms on
the county school board will be white-one of
whom, Shirley Britt, opposes everything
the Task Force to Break Double Voting
represents. Are we to allow Indian children to
suffer under such representation? Based on her
stance, Shirley Britt feels that the Indian
students in Pembroke could learn in windowless
rooms without olr conditioning where
temperatures in excess of ninety (90) degrees
were common place. Must our children endure
four years of Shirley Britt’s racial attitudes? The
Issue Is graphically clear: Shirley Britt versus
Cornell Locklear. Please do not be deceived by
the Democrat versus Republican smokescreen.
Camell is not a Republican, he is a Lockleor.
Can anyone in Robeson say that Camell
Locklear is not an Indian? Should we not
support those, such as Camell Locklear, who
have fought so long and hard for our Indian
people? The eyes of the whole county are
watching this race; please do not reject one of
our own. Camell Locklear had nothing
whatsoever to do with the Hoover Depression;
however, he was largely responsible for Indian
progress in the seventies.
When you go to the polls on November 2 send
a message to Lumberton. Tell the white
political stmeture that you are sick and tired of
being a second-class citizen in your own
homeland; VOTE INDIAN: VOTE FOR EVERY
LOCKLEAR ON THE BALLOT
I According ro Scriprure |
Exodus 19:5-“Thou shall not
bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them, for 1, the Lord thy
God. am a jealous God,
visitins the eniquities of the
fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourthgeneration
of them that hate me.”
1 have heard this verse
quoted a number of times.
When tragedy comes to some
one’s home or family, I often
said what kind of God would
impute sins on people for what
their fore-fathers did or their
mother. It is nothing to hear
someone say “well his father
did so and so and the Lord
visited the third and fourth
generation.
After much studying and
seeking the Lord, I have found
in God word that we were
pardoned long ago, In Num
bers, 14th chapter, When God
was angry with man and was
going to destroy man, Moses
plead for pardon for the
people. He told God if he
would kill all the people the
Nation would say the Lord was
not able to deliver his people.
Moses said, Lord I know you
said the sin would follow the
third and fourth but I beseech
thee, pardon these people. In
verse 20, the Lord said I have
pardoned according to thy
word. Now read what God said
in Jeremiah 31:27-30 God here
speaks of a new covenant to be
made with Israel “from here
on if the father feats i of sour
grapes,” which means if the
father sins or the children,
Verse 30 says “he shall die for
his own sins.’’ Now read
Ezekiel 18:3 chapter, here God
warns the people, who were
still saying that because of
their father’s sins they too
were of sin. In the third Verse,
He, God said “ye shall not
have occasion any more to use
this proverb in Israel.” Why?
Because every soul belongs to
God and He does not impute
sin. In the 20th verse God said
the soul that sinneth, it shall
die, the son shall not bear the
iniquity of the father. Neither
shall the father bear the son.
ACROSS THE MAYOR’S DESK
With
REGGIE
STRICKLAND
I
Congress Re-Enacts General
Revenue Sharing....Congress
voted overwhelmingly today to
re- enact General Revenue
Sharing. Bot*h houses approv
ed a compromise conference
bill, and, the measure now
goes, to the White House. It
will be signed into law within
the, next two weeks.
General Revenue Sharing
will be extended for 3 V4 years,
beginning on January 1, 1977,
and running through Sept. 30,
1980. The funding level will be
6.65 billion during FY 1977
and $685 billion for each full
year thereafter during the re
enactment period.
Without General Revenue
Sharing fn.anv towns including
the Town of Pembroke would
never make it.
Our share of the 1976 State
Street aid allocation was based
on our having an estimated
population of 2,360 at $92,197
per capita. We have 10.97
certified local street miles at
$6772,935 per mile. This
equas $29,188.40.
Karen Townsend has been
appointed Acting Town Clerk
and was appointed Finance
Officer.
We are now accepting app
lications for a Town Manager.
Beware of Little Expenses, a
Small Leak Sinks a Great Ship.
FOR THE FAMOUS CAMEO BRA
•Supports the full figure
•Enhances the small figure
•Keeps figure youthful
Helps develop teen age figure
•Helps maseetomy figure
•Helps-expectant mothers
Now
Available at
Felecia's Styiinq Salon
1608 W. 5th Street in Cumberton
TO 6IVE YOU THE FIT OF YOUR LIFE!
^ H.r. nuKNE ^
to the
BOARD OF DIRECTORS X
for Y
Lumbee River EMC. Y
Red Springs, N.C. ^
A Elected president in 1975, present member of A
y Rural^Electric, Washington, ^
D.C. present member of R.E.A.P.
rOUR SUPPORT & VOTE WILL BE APPRECIATED i
JL Paid for by A.F. Home T
i T
In 2 Chronicles 25:1-4 it tells of
King Amaziah who would not
kill the children for their
fathers’ sins. Read Verse 4.
David said, behold 1 was
shaped in iniquity, and in sin
did my mother conceive me.
Here is where sin lies. You
were bom in sin, David said.
We were shaped in sin. Paul
said when a man is married or
a woman, she or he careth for
the thing that is of the world or
how they may please one
another. 1 Cor. 7-32-34, which
means God is not always first
in their minds. When people
are married, they tend to
please one another.
In the New Testament we
know that Jesus suffers, 1, his
blood is our power, which
washes away all sin and He
said who-so-ever will let him
come, and receive the remis
sion of sin, for thy host
redeemed us to God by the
blood of Jesus. The curse of
the how was lifted when Christ
came. Lots of us, when we get
saved, get self-righteous. We
may not have killed or raped,
but we sin and Jesus Christ
who came to reprove the world
from sin that you and 1 might
have life, sees all. God used
the word in Isaiah 44:22
“Blotted out, like a thick clud,
thy transgressions, and like a
cloud, thy sins; return unto
me for I have redeemed thee.
Not of your father or mothers’
sins, but yours. 1-John 2-1,
said, if any man sins, we have
an advocate with the father.
Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Matthew 11:28 said “Come
unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.” Who did Christ
say? Not sister or brother, or
any member of your family,
but you! Only you can be
forgiven for your own sins.
And as far as the east is from
the west, so far hath he
removed our transgressions
(sin) from us.
Yours in Christ
Ted Brooks
Rt. 2, Box 339
Pembroke, N.C.