2A
—THE CAROLINA TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1987
The Bloc Vote Question
We trust Negro citizens of Durham
will not become offended, disgusted
or discouraged at the insinuations,
epithets, accusations and attacks be
ing hurled against them under the
veiled name of "the bloc vote." We
would remind them, however, that
reference to the so-called "bloc vote"
in Durham is in reality reference to
the Negro vote. It is a sinister at
tempt to arouse the unintelligent
white voters to the extent they will
vote in sufficient number to offset the
Negro vote.
As we have so often said in these
columns if there is such a thing in
the Negro community as a bloc vote
it is nothing new. It is the "bloc
vote," that is most always used by
whites against Negro candidates for
public office; against legislation in
Congress that would improve the lot
of Negroes in the southern states and
other states of the nation.
Howard University Takes lis Stand
The announcement this week in
this newspaper that the president of
Howard University, Dr. James M
Nabrit has taken his stand beside
the presidents or heads of other
leading and predominantly Negro in
stitutions of higher learning, will be
applauded by all those who believe
in law and order in this country. As
one of the oldest, largest and most
outstanding predominantly Negro
educational institutions in the nation,
Howard University has long been
looked to for leadership by its sister
schools.
With the positive stand that has
recently been taken by other leading
predominantly Negro educational in
stitutions on the question of "inde
fensive and disruptive activities"
that have been besetting them over
the past several weeks, we trust the
period of unrest has come to a close
and that better understanding and
cooperation between students and
faculty members will result.
Honor for a 125-Year-Old H.C. Native
The CAROLINA TIMES salutes
this week a native son oLNorth Caro
11na, 90W living in Hattiesburg, Mis
sissippi, Sylvester Magee, who on
MaySjo will celebrate his 125 birth
day. It is our feeling that all good
citizens of the state will join in say
ing and even singing "Happy Birth
day" to Magee, who in spite of his
age, is quite a sprite or chipper young
fellow. Magee was born in Carpet,
N. C„ May 29, 1841.
We believe it was on Magee's birth
day last year that he was honored by
/resident Johnson, who sent a letter
of congratulations and Governor Paul
B. Johnson of Mississippi who issued
a proclamation proclaiming Magee's
birthday, May 29, as "Sylvester Ma
gee Day." throughout the state of
Mississippi.
It is also our feeling that Negroes
all over America should feel proud of
Magee in that he is probably the last
living former slave in the nation and
above all that he fought on the side
of the Union Army during the Civil
r in behalf of securing freedom of
his race from slavery.
We think, though, that pride is not
enough in the face of the fact that the
125-year-old former slave is now
Things You Should Know
EBOUE...
... BORN DEC. 26,1884, ON A FARM J| I
IN CAYENNE FRENCH GUIANA, HE WAS JF A
EDUCATED IN RARIS STUDYING FOR LAW.' L» >/
JN1930 HE BECAME CHIEF SEC'Y IN MARTINIQUE F
FRENCH WEST INDIES A EARNED MANY PRO
* ■ '
MOTIONS/ ON JUNE 19,1940 HE MADE HIS FAMOUS
WARTIME RADIO APPEAL FROM LONDON. A LONG ft BRILLIANT
CAREER WAS ENDED ON MAY 18/1944, WHEN HE DIED AT AGE
60 IN A HOSPITAL IN CAIRO. EGYPT/
♦. '!.%>. v* * ' r #
ry A ss -&*.
Probably the most effective and
most often used bloc vote is that of
southern congressmen in both the
U.S. Senate and House of Repre
sentatives whenever civil rights
leigislation is an issue. Again and
again the nation has observed the
bloc vote of southern congressmen
hurled against any and all civil rights
legislation that is brought before the
U.S. Senate or House of Representa
tives.
Negro citizens of Durham, in spite
of what may be said against them,
are, therefore, urged to go to the polls
on Saturday, May 13, and cast their
vote ballots in the election for mayor
and seven councilmen. We again
urge you to not be deterred by what
ever is said or done but to go to the
polls and cast your ballots with the
dignity that becomes all respectable
American citizens when exercising
such a high and noble privilege.
We think all fairminded persons
will agree that the stand taken by
the president of Howard University
is as fair as it is possible to make.
Certainly students and faculty mem
bers have a right to academic free
dom so long as the exercise of such is
not carried to the extent of destruc
tion. That is why the statement em
phazies Howard University's com
mittment to "due process and fair
play in the adjudication of violations
of University policies, rules and
regulations."
This newspaper, likewise, believes
in self determination, freedom of
speech, the right of protest, academic
freedom and every other right of an
American citizens, be it student,
faculty member or ordinary citizen.
At the same time we do not believe
in the exercise of such when one
embarks on a program to destroy or
even hazzard the rights of his fellow-
forced to eke out his last days on a
pittance of SSO per month, which he
teooives from the state of Mississippi.
Too old to have become eligible for
social security and other benefits
from his past labors, during the days
when Negroes often worked for less
than $2.00 per week, the old man
finds himself on the outside of the
modern day social order looking in.
Further it is our feeling that there
are many fellow North Carolinians in
both races who would feel honored to
contribute to the upkeep of a fellow
Tar Heel who has lived so long. We,
therefore, have appealed to the Trust
Department of the Mechanics and
Farmers Bank to become custodian or
trust officers for whatever contribu
tion or funds persons in North Caro
lina would like to give to the 125-
year-old man.
Checks or Money Orders should be
made to the Magee Fund and mailed
or sent in care of the Mechanics and
Farmers Bank, Durham, N. C. Trust
officer of the Bank, Attorney W. E.
Ricks, has kindly consented to see
that the funds are sent to Sylvester
Magee, only, or disbursed in his be
half.
Just A Matter Of Time!
v
-Slave
Continued from front page
been sick during ha long and
simple life. He is not eligible
for Social Security benefits be
cause he has not worked since
the law was enacted. Also
during 1965 he traveled by jet
to a meeting of champion fish
ermen and was billed as the
country's oldest fisherman. As
of today, he is an avid parti
cipant in this sport and makes
daily visits to a nearby river
which flows through Hatties
burg
Additional information fur
nished the Times office by Ma
eee's attorney includes an ac
count carried by The Clarion-
Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi
(May 28 1965), of the efforts
nf that city's Civil War Round
table organization, to verify
the ex-slave's rendition of the
Seiee of Vicksburg, the Battle
of Champion Hill, and others.
Sylvester says that he was
born on May 29, 1841, at Car
pet, N. C and at the age of
19. was brought to the Slave
Market at Enterprise, Miss.,
and sold to Hugh Magee. His
father Ephriam (Magee) lived
to be 104; the date of birth and
death appear on the headstone
marking his grave. His mother
Jeanette Edmonds (Magee),
died in 1939 at the age of 119.
Her former owners, the J. J.
Shank family of North Caro
lina had given her a Bible In
which she had placed her son's
date of birth. However this
Bible was destroyed by fire in
1962 when the house in which
Sylvester lived burned. There
are people in Hattiesburg who
testify to having seen the Bible
and the entry of his birth re
corded in it.
Regarded as the most sub
stantial evidence of Magee's
age is a 1965 taped interview
in which he described his par
ticipation in the Seige of Vick
burg while serving in the Union
Army. So exacting are his de
scriptions of Union Officer's
dress. Army food, the destruc
tion of Jackson following the
war, and other irrefutable
facts, that they prove emphati
cally that he was present and an
actual participant.
When queried about the
breakup of his last marriage,
he claims his wife deserted him
when he needed her. He sayi
he is active and very much
intertsted in girls but does not
think he will venture into
matrimony again.
A God fearing man, Sylves
ter Magee points out that he
smokes what he can afford,
never drinks intoxicants, never
uses profanity, and credits his
long life to his belief in "The
Man Upstairs."
-Elected
Continued from front page
trict Leader in the First Bap
tist Church of Chapel Hill.
He has done graduate work
at A. and T. College, Greens
boro and hi. C. SUit University,
Raleigh.
At present, he is teacher of
Auto Mechanics at Chapel Hill
Senior High and Supervisor of
Transportation for Chapel Hill
City Schools.
-Dowdy
Continued from front page
both faculty and students at A.
and T. is progressing, the pace
is flower than expected. We
seek top i'udenti, regardless of
race."
-Duncan
Continued from front page
Nortn Carolina Department of
Public Instruction for twelve
years, from 1946 through 1968.
He has been president at Liv
ingstone since 1958.
At Livingstone Dr. Duncan has
been the architect and prime
promoter of an ambitious 10-
Year Development Program
costing an estimated $7,000,000
in new facilities! alone. Only
last week he 'presided at the
awarding of contracts totaling
$1,000,000 in new construction
on the church-refated campus.
Dr. Duncan is a Past Presi
dent of the North Carolina
Teachers Association with nu
merous affiliations including:
North Carolina Board of Wel
fare, North Carolina Board of
Higher Education, Board of
Directors of the North Carolina
Fund, Vice President, Piedmont
University Center, North Caro
lina Advisory Committee to the
U. S. Civil Rights Commission,
the American Council on Edu
cation, and the Board of Christ
ian Education and the Connec
tional Budget Board of the A.
M. E. Zion Church.
He has authored numerous
articles for professional and
learned publications and serves
frequently as a lecturer and
speaker before educational and
civic groups as well as religious
and educational institutions.
-Charges
Continued from front page
action, seeks to have Philip
Morris Company and thost act
ing in concert enjoined from
continuing to maintain a policy
of limiting its Negro employees
to the lower paying jobs in
the Pre-Fabrication Depart
ment.
He also charged Philip Mor
ris with denying Negroes an
opportunity to have an effect
ive transfer to the Fabrication
and Warehouse, Shipping and
Receiving Departments where
higher wage rates are general
ly paid.
Mr. Briggs, through his LDF
attorneys, charged that Philip
Morris and Local 203 of the
Tobacco Workers International
Union discriminate against Ne
groes, in violation of Title VII,
by paying Negroes lower "wage
rates for jobs which are on the
same level as jobs that have
generally been reserved for
white persons.
The EEOC found probable
caiue in both instances, thus
setting the stage for this week's
litigation.
The LDF has now filed 37
suits in behalf of Negroes al
leging job discrimination under
Title Vn.
-Manpower
Continued from front page
ducted at Guilford Technical
Institute at Jamestown to train
20 upholsterers for 38 weeks,
Federal cost $98,493, total $62,-
210; 30 gasoline engine repair
men for 19 weeks, Fed
eral cost *40,394, total $42,-
SO3; 20 hotel and restaurant
food service workers for 38
weeks, Federal cost $98,339,
total $62,039; 20 combination
welders for 38 weeks, Federal
cost $60,991, total $71,693.
-Gaillard
Continued from front page
well qualified for bis new post
with Great Lakes Mutual. "He
possesses unusual imagination,
initiative, and is a hard work
er." The Training Division of
N. C. Mutual Agency Depart
ment gained great stature un
der his direction," said Clem
ent.
-Contest
Continued from front page
respetively, is Mrs. Oenida Mc-
Ghee of Durham and Mrs.
Aline Baldwin of Chapel Hill.
Not to be counted out of the
running is Miss Rosa O. Bass
of Rougemont, who it Is re
ported may be the surprise
contestant who will make a
last minute lunge and walk off
with one of the three prises
being offered in the Contest.
The Contest Manager would
like to urge all active Contest
ants to please get their reports
to«the office, of the Carolina
Times by 8:00 p.m. Monday,
May 15. Reports from out-of
town contestants must carry a
postmark of 8:00 p.m. or be
fore, if credit is to be given
in the final standing of con
testants.
Actual standing and an
nouncement of the winners
will be made in the May 20
issue of the Carolina Times as
originally announced.
-Howard
Continued from front page
statement adds.
Biolations of these policies
by students, faculty members,
administrators, or staff mem
bers will be dealt with 'prompt
ly and firmly* by the Univer
sity, according to the announce
ment.
"Almost daily the University
finds itself beset by indefen
sible and disruptive activities
which tend to reflect unfavor
ably upon the institution and
which detract much needed
time and attention from the
normal conduct of the educa
tional program," the policy
statement said. "Many of these
activities distort the education
al mission of the University
and violate the fundamental
principles of academic free
dom and civil liberties. Illus
trative is the rude and intimi
dating conduct associated with
the recent visit of General Her
shey to Howard University,
which received world-wide pub
licity resulting in inestimable
damage to the University. This
incident has brought condem
nation from student leader*,
faculty, alumni, government
officiate, and others.
"Equally deplorable have
been what are apparently deli
berate and concerted effort*,
on the part of a few, to de
mean the University and to
bring it into general disrepute
through the dissemination of
misleading and inflammatory
information without prior at
tempts to communicate theae
concerns to or to secure the
facts from or to solicit the
views of responsible University
officials," the announcement
added. "The recent irresponsi
ble activities of a few faculty
members and students, have no
place in a university."
Aa a matter of basic policy,
Howard la committed to aca
demic freedom, the statement
goes on to point out, but adda
that absolute freedom eould
lead to anarchy. The Univer
sity strives to strike a balance
between maximum freedom
and necessary order in an at-
P*bUWMd «wry SatwrOmv at Durham, * C.
by United fvUMm, Inc.
t L. E. AUSTIN, PubMahrr
SAMUEL L. BBIGCS Managing Editor
J. ELWOOJD CARTER Mana*r
Sacond Claja Pottage Paid at Durham, H. C. 27703
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To Be Equal
By WHITNIT M. IOUNQ JB.
Housing Goal Needed
*
A RECENT FORD Fountdation-financed itudy look into the
recent Ford Foundation-financed itudy took a look into the
future and its picture of the U.S. in the year 2000 is fascinating.
The study said that 60 percent of the population will live in
three urban belts in California,' in Florida, and in a supermetro
polis stretching from the east coast through the Great Lakes area
in the Midwest. This is all based on projection of current trends
which show Americans flocking to the big cities and their suburbs.
What will life be like in these supercities just 33 years hence?
* Again, based on current trends, I think life
' will be awful. I say this because nothing much
is being done to meet todays needs in providing
KyS decent housing for all who need it, and nothing
is being done to stop the spread of the ghetto.
If life in 2000 is to be bearable, the nation
[ must start now to end discrimination in hous
ing and to build homes and apartments on a
scale appropriate to the need. Of prime im
■ portance is a fair housing policy which would
HA MHI allow Negroes to live wherever they wished, in-
MR YOUNG slcn ' °' being forced into overcrowded slums.
Of equal importance are measures to upgrade
existing housing in the ghetto and make it attractive to live and
work there.
To Encourage Racial Balance
One important step to prevent the spread of the ghetto is the
new policy recently adopted by the Department of Housing and
Urban Development which provides that low-rent public housing
projects be built on sites which will encourage racial balance. Now
it will be harder for local authorities to build in the ghetto without
considering alternative sites.
Edward Logue, director of Boston redevelopment, has pro
posed that slumlords be denied tax depreciation on decaying build
ings which don't conform to building codes, thus taking the profit
out of the housing exploitation business. He also suggests that special
tax benefits called urban investment allowances be given to attract
legitimate businessmen and developers into ghetto areas, especially
for owner-occupied slum property, encouraging its improvement.
Similar incentives are going to have to be developed if we are
to get a housing industry which can meet the needs of the present,
much less the needs of the supercity of the year 2000. When the
government decided it would land a man on the moon by 1970, it
formed a "team" to do the job government, scientists, universities,
defense industries, all combined to create a vast aerospace industry
which workpl-ip overcome the problems of space exploration. Hous
ing least is important and therefore a national housing
goal'..muVfylstat>lish9d. It should becftOe the focus 'Of a vast effort
which will create a national housing industry to provide the housing
the nation so desperately needs.
Sub-standard Housing For 1 In 5
About- one out of every five Americans lives in sub-standard
housing. Yet to meet this need for better housing, and to provide for
our rapidly growing population, there were only about 1.2 million
new housing starts last year, less than in 196 J. And only 40,000
of these were for families with low or lower-middle class incomes.
If this trend continues, we won't have supercities in 2000, we will
have' supcrsltims.
The number of housing starts per year should be doubled with
special emphasis on low and moderate income housing. A broadly
based national housing industry could do the job, and it could sup
port the research needed to fully exploit modern materials and
building techniques which could lower the present high construction
costs.
Taking a peek at what the future holds is always interesting,
but its value lies primarily in showing us what must be done to pre
pare for it. We are not properly housing all of our population of
about 200 million people; we had better start now to prepare to
house the 311 million people predicted for 2000. It's only 33 years
away.
Do's And
Ws£s¥(l RELIEVE THAT SSjBI
ft nft I aENCK u I EST lAafKSv'
Disagree, But Respect
The Opinions Of Others
tempt to provide an environ
ment conducive to teaching,
learning, and reaearch, the an
nouncement added.
In order to provide an op>
port unity (or open debate and
discunion, a location on cam
pus will be designated where
atudenta may conduct rallies
at specified times.