Newspapers / The Carolina Indian Voice … / May 19, 1977, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2, The Carolina Indian M K I A I ...rh0 voic0 of rho drum is on tUI I \>/KI/\L offering ro rhe Spirir of rhe I m I I Ik 11 ^ i ^orld. Ir s sound orouses rhe X U vj ■ I N IO N mind and mokes men feel rhe X M _ mysrery and power of rhings, t PAGE -BLACK ELK ❖ AS I SEE IT Bruce Barron TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’ It seems like a new day in Robeson County and it’s about time. The only complaints I have heard about the new superintendent concerns the method of his selection. Some folks in the community contend that there are many Indians qualified to be superintendent. They are right, of course. That’s what is so wonderful about the Lumbee Indian experience. The dissidents contend that the board should have waited and considered applications from the likes of Dr. Dalton Brooks, Dr. V.R. Thompson, Dr. Waltz Maynor, Dr. Dean Chavers, Helen Schierbeck (who is completing requirements for her doctorate). Assistant Superintendent Albert Hunt, Dr. English E. Jones, Dr. James B. Chavis, and others residing in the county and in other parts of America. AN INDIAN SUPERINTENDENT; A LIFELONG DREAM REALiZEDI I’m dazed! In a state of shock almost. I am not really sure that it has registered on my emotional system yet. The Robeson County Administrative Unit now has an Indian superintendent. My verbosity (my natural state) has been muted by the surprising developments of the last couple of days. I am happy, surfeited as if 1 had just climbed Mount Everest after countless failures. I am not gloatful even; I am just satisfied to know that the good guys have finally won a war instead of a needless battle. Now comes the hard part. The Robeson County Administrative School Unit has been in turmoil for a number of years. Y.H. Allen, the long time nemesis of progressive education in Robeson County, was operating the schools with a mandate of 5-4 and his suppion had slipped even further with the advent of the new board elected without the debilitating effects of double voting. Allen resigned to go to Lenoir County for more money and less responsibility. I wL'h him well. And I am delighted that we are finally rid of him. ^ The irony is that few of us ever thought we would see the day when an Indian would be seriously considered for the position of superintendent of the Robeson County Administrative School Unit. Yes, times they are a changin’. When the time came, the Indians mentioned above and others were ready. They were qualified to serve. Any of them would, as I see it, make a good superintendent. The board saw fit to name Purnell Swett. They had been thinking about it for years, just in case the opportunity ever presented itself. They did not, as I see it, act with undue haste. They had been considering possible candidates for a long time. And they made their decision based on their knowledge of the climate of the times, and their familiarity with all those qualified to serve as superintendent. They had a choice. Little did any of us know, as little as two years ago, that a time would come like this one. And when the opportunity did come, the Indians were ready. Now Purnell Swett is superintendent with the unanimous support of the board of education. Even the chairman (Ralph Hunt) asked to be recorded voting in favor of Mr. Swett. The board is anxious to work with him for the betterment of the children. The children, as I see it, have never been the top priority of the Robeson County Board of Education. 1 think the new superintendent and the Robeson County Board of Education can now do what is best for the children. Hooray! Hopefully, all those possible candidates listed above will share their wisdom and knowledge with Purnell Swett. Hopefully we will unite around the man and his work—the education of our children. The lesson is this: an Indian youth can accomplish whatever he wants to accomplish if he (or she) is ready when opportunity presents itself. Yes, our Indian youth can be whatever they want to be-even county school sup>erintendent-if they are willing to work hard toward the attainment of their goals. It has not always been like that in Robeson County. Yes, I am proud to say that times they are a changin', even in Robeson County. I for one plan to support the cause ofeducation in Robeson County with renewed vigor. 1 shall frankly look for the best in the superintendent and the board of education. But I shall not look past what I consider evil doings and bad policy. But 1 shall give them (the superintendent and the board of education) the benefit of the doubt. Education, as a matter of fact, is only as good as the people who suppoh it. The children have never had an opportunity, generally speaking, in Robeson County, The politicians, in times past, have controlled education in Robeson County. It seems that the vote of the Robeson County Board of Education was a statement in support of education and not the political parasites that have feasted on the bones of education. PURNELL SWETT, THE MAN AND HIS CREDENTIALS Purnell Swett, above all else".'asT see it. is a decent, God fearing man. .His life’s work has been devoted to the cause of education. And he seems iminently qualified. He has had experience at every level ofeducation; as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, associate superintendent, and now superintendent. I wish Purnell Swett well as superintendent. He is going u all the luck and prayers and support he can get. ■¥ ■¥ SERVICE STATION FOR LEASE Good Location In Front of Pembroke State University If Interested Contact SERVICE OIL CO. Of Pembroke Or Call 521-4459 Jf-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-¥-Y-¥-^ Have You Ever Wondered Who The "Their" Is In Prevotte Auto Parts'Ads? It Is.... \VHOLESALE AUTO PARTS OF PEMBROKE. 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Pembroke, N.C. 521-2d00 we help keep Americo movinm The Wilmington 10 Heoring: An Emotional Experience For Robeson Residents by Mac Legerton ond Connee Broyboy On Monday, May I6th, Marti Locklear, Carletter Locklear, Connee Brayboy and Mac Legerton traveled to Burgaw, NC to witness the Post-Conviction Hearing on the Wilmington Ten Civil Rights Case, We found the Pender County Courthouse in its usual place, in the middle of town. The residents of Burgaw didn’t seem very interested in the important hearing, now in its second week, going on in the courthouse. TV news reported that many of the people in Burgaw felt like it was none of their business. They seemed to feel that the case had nothing to do with them. Those of us from Robeson County knew better. What is happening in Burgaw, NC today is affecting the whole world. Last week the Defense presented its case for a new trial for the Wilmington Ten. On Monday morning. May 16th, the State opened its case against the Ten, nine Blacks and one white defendantl. Jay Stroud, the State Prosecutor in the 1972 trail, took the stand. Stroud told about the original trial in June of 1972. He testified that he became ill and was hospitalized which resulted in the state receiving a stay for a new trial. He related details of the second trail at which the Wilmington Ten were all convicted of two charges: insiting a riot and firing on emergency personnel. Both charges centered around the burning of Mike’s Grocery Store in Wilmington. A Chorlotto Observer article on May 8th revealed that Allen Hall is “a man with a reported I.Q. of 80— a borderline mental retardation, according to some psychiatrists.” The article said that he tried to hang himself in jail in January. It stated that his attorney worries about his state of mind and has said that Hall is “more than a line bit paranoid and sincerely believes people are out to kill him.” A discharge statement from Dorethea Dix Hospital said Hall was suffering from “intense and pervasive anxiety, ’ ’ but that he did not need mental health treatment. These things were said about the man the State used to convict the Wilmington 10. l.ast year. Hall admitted that he was promised an early release from prison in exchage for admitting that he was guilty of firebombing. He admitted that he was coached and given marked photographs to indentify others involved. He said that he lied about the others in his 1972testimony and that the Wilmington 10 were not involved. During the Hearing on Monday, the State presented two surprising tapes that Stroud had secretly recorded during two phone calls from Allen Hall last week. Calls supposedly made during the week of Hall’s testimony. Both tapes were played during the hearing. The first tape was played during the morning and revealed to us, if not to the judge, some of the tactics Suoud was using with Allen Hall, his principle witness. The tape also gave us gglimpses of Hairs> confused personality. On the tape Stroud was doing most of the talking, although Hall called him. Stroud was pressing him and using leading questions to criticize the defense and to clear himself of allegations of tampering with witnesses. He 8B88S8S NEED REPAIRS? Contact: Thomas Oxendine NATIVE AMERICAN REFRIGERATION & APPLIANCE REPAIR Ph. .422-6612 Wc Repair •Refrigerators • Air Conditioners •Stoves Repairs On All Kinds Of Cooling EquipmentI U.sed Water Coolers For Sale' •Pick Up and Delivery Coll 422-6612 psychologically, in our opinion, pressed Hall to admit that he was lying at the Hearing when he told the Court that he originally lied about the involvement of the Wilmington Ten in illegal activities in 1971. He was successful in getting Hall to say what he (Stroud) wanted him to say, but only after revealing to us some of the most devious tactics we had ever seen in operation. Stroud even lied to Hall, if we understood the recording, when Hall asked if the conversation was being taped. The second tape was played late in the afternoon. It was even more shocking and horrifying to us than the first. Stroud did almost all the talking again. He put words into Hall’s mouth and appealed to his insecurities. He psychologically used the man that he was professing all during the tape to care so much about. We were sitting in the second row, directly behind the press. White we listened to the very eerie, disturbingly soft voice of Jay Stroud on the tape, one member of the press scribbled “Nearly Hypnotic” next to Stroud’s name. The following are excerpts from what we heard Jay Stroud say to Allen Hall during the recorded conversations: Stroud continued with his testimony by telling about his relationship with all three of the State’s witnesses against the Wilmington Ten, particularly with Allen Hall, the Slate's primary witness. Hall, a Black man was the only person who said he saw Rev. Ben Chavis and the nine others fire bombing the grocery store and shooting at firemen. Stroud told his story with no show of emotion, his face completely void of expression. He did not give any indication of Hall’s character and the tribulations and tragedies of his (Hall’s) life have been deeply intensified by the case. Stroud got what he wanted. Hall admitted he lied about a lie. We saw the confusing, foggy testimony that Stroud used to get the Wilmington 10 convicted in rare form. We saw it from its worse in an interrogating, manipulating, browbeating approach to Stroud's contention that it was all done in the name of justice. Throughout the conversations we could hear Allen Hall hanging on by thee little bit of dignity that he had left. Hall reached out for help, in our opinion, and he received manipulation. As he groped for help he only found someone telling him who he was, what he felt, and what the truth was. In his apparent confusion, he said “yes” and “right” to Stroud’s answers that were in the form of questions. But Allen Hall held on, never giving himself completely over to Stroud. When Stroud was going on and on about the truth’ in the second tapied conversation with his too-sweet and too-soft voice which tended to manipulate Hall—in a rare expression of strong emotion, Hall said, “What's the truth?" as if to say it had been lost somewhere in what Stroud was saying. The courtroom, silent for so long, exploded with sounds of victory. The day’s session ended with the conclusion of the last tape. As we traveled back home from Burgaw, we from Robeson County, talked about what we had experienced. “How could one human being do that to another?” we wondered. We questioned who the real criminals were. We were puzzled over the dangerous persons involved. The ride home along the country side did not seem as pretty as it was when we went to Burgaw that morning. “Isn’t it funny how your attitudes affect your vision?” one of us asked. We were happy to be returning to Robeson Countv. We thought much about how Jay Stroud, the State and others nearby wanted us to see things. Some of us wondered if we would have reacted differently had we not been believers in equality, fair treatment and racial justice. We decided that our feelings were nothing more than extensions of us—human beings—human beings with compassion for one another. “What you wanted to do was to tell the truth but what you knew you were saying at the Press Conference was not the truth./ You just don’t want to do that, to stop it now, to say it’s all a lie./1 know the position you are in./1 believe I know you as well as anybody does./ Are you going to tell the same truth you told me was true or make up another story?/ You know they’re going to be turned loose./ You know they’re too dangerous to be released from prison,/ Deep down inside you, whether you know it or not, you wanted me to be recording this conversation./1 have strong feelings about you./ You know I still think a great deal of you." And his sickeningiy sweet voice went on and on. Notes On Trip Dear Bruce: It is impossible to give a complete picture of the experience four of us had this week at the Hearing about the Wilmington Ten Civil Rights Case. We went to Burgaw on Monday to wimess the beginning of the State’s testimony against the Wilmington Ten. The article in this issue of the paper begins to tell the story, a story that will never leave me as long as I live. The struggle of the Wilmington Ten is destined to become one of the historical, civil rights cases in our history. They are asking fora re-trial. I hope their freedom comes soon. Moc Legerton Pembroke, NC IHBCAIOUNA DOMAN VOICE 521-2826 PaPbf.k. Drug Cto., .nd W. P.nbnk., NC. ON S2INS0S Neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire Like the Holy Roman Empire — which was neitner Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire — the so- called Healtn Care System in this country is neither Health nor Care nor a Sys tem. Today, 97% of the mescal effort in the United States goes to Disease, not to Health. It deals with Cures, not with Core. And it is not a System, but a haphazard conglomeration of red tape for patients, pharmacists, ana doctors, alike. It’s a frustrating mess, that’s what it is! When will our leaders channel this nation’s health expendi tures into sensible disease prevention programs, greater health education and a reduction of com puterized fumbling? your PHARMACIST pemBR0l46cZ“eM Thursday, May 19 j No More 'Cotfon Pickin' In County Schools i Young H. Allen goes to Lenoir Co#, AN EDITORIAL VIEWPOINT On the ride home we recalled that eerie voice of Jay Stroud on the phone. We reflected over the way Stroud told Hall that he (Stroud) was “caught between a rock and a hard place.” We thought about his professed friendship with Hall and his loyalty to the state. We mulled whether Stroud’s hard place was really his own fear of losing his reputation and the years he had spent trying to keep the Wilmington 10 behind bars. When Stroud made this statement to Hall there seemed a rumbling of angry, aching hearts in the courtroom saying; “Who is the one really between a rock and a hard place?” And at that moment, we heard Allen Hall’s voice on the tape say, 'You hove put me on the cross." THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE oppi, rhe deporrlng figure of Young K Allen is going ro Lenoir Counry superinrendenr of rhor school sysrerri', wish him well, and soy, wirh o sig[, relief, "Praise GodI There will benom cotton pickin' in rhe Robeson Co« Adminisrrorive School Unit" Allen's mode of delivery , condescension. He wos able qj. odminisrroror and o failure os Q huny;-. He cored more, os we see ir, od buildings and faers and figures the? did rhe human developmenr of- srudenr. As rhe rirular head of rhe countysystj Allen roughr rhe srudenrs, gena; speaking, ro nor rhink well of rhemseil Teach o child ro rhink well of himselj herself) ond rrigonomerty will \ mosrered In rhe end. To rhe bitter end, Allen ond odherenrs sancrioned double voringt oil rhe evil reners of rhe nefon; procrlce. Our grove yords ore peon wIrh rhe failure of rhe county systm reach rhe yourh ro rhink well Themselves. V/e visir rhe failures of' school sysrem weekly in our prisi lllirerocy and economic and polii deprivorion speok loudly of rhefoiluej Allen ond rhe whire consewt educorion he odvocored. THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE wo:" Allen replaced os superinrendenrfa^ some reason rhor we odvocore 11* majority rule in Sourh Africa and Soufe Rhodesia. The people hove rhe inha righr ro govern rhemselves. Y.H. Allen leoves a school systeird unresr and confusion. The people mis'.j one onorher. Suspicion is in rheoir q was o mosrer psychologisr. He shrewd and colculoring. He pbl people off ogoinsr one onorher.' children suffered. THE CAROLINA INDIAN VC considered ir o moral offronr ro tat whire odminisrraror over a school syii rhor is, ar rhe presenr rime, S minority-60% Indian and 20% Block for back os Dr. Herberr G. Oxendinet furrher Indians hod educarors emine/ qualified ro serve, os scf(| superinrendenr. They never hod' opporruniry. Many of rhem died: broken hearts; many of them left' county; many of rhem *■ psychologically destroyed by rhe 4 who supposedly roughr us. Yes, os rhe Robesonian said H loudaroty ediroriol Wednesday, Moy’’ 1977, Allen presided over rhe otfoiol' affairs) of rhe county sysrem tlir rurbulenr rimes. Many of rhe turtJi: rimes were of his own making. Allen hod o knock for surviving,?'' until rhe birrer end when he left’ county sysrem for o better Job in Counry. One day, when Robeson CiV joins rheTwenrierhCenruty, wevvillc? rewording those who hove donees? We wish Y.H. Allen well in endeavor ond soy, without o r glinr in our eye* "good riddonct t GOLF TOURNAMl * ♦ Saturday, May 28, li Riverside Country Ch n- ♦ * * 4* ♦ 4* SHOTGUN START: 9:00 AJA. SPONSORED BY THE PEMBROKE JAYC Proceeds to Robeson County Cancer ENTRY FEE $!2.50 (Includes Cart and Green Fees)
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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May 19, 1977, edition 1
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