IA THE CAROLINA TIMES SAT, DEO. 21, 1974
COMMENTS
EDITORIAL
A
THE SAME OLD STORY
The North Carolina Advisory
Budget Connission is apparently
prepared to kill the School of Law at
North Carolina Central University.
Their decision to reject all capital
improvement requests from North
Carolina's institutions of- higher
education - with one expensive
exception - will mean no new
building for the School of Law.
No new building will probably
mean the end of accreditation for the
school.
Accreditation is life for a
professional school. Official
accreditation is necessary to attract
both students and money to the
school. The university has been told
by the American Bar Association that
continued accreditation depends on
facilities being provided to meet the
requirements of the existing
enrollment.
The Advisory Budget Conuissioiv's
decision was made in order to serve
special interests. The money saved on
the capital improvements at the other
15 campuses will be used to provide
.5 million more dollars (the
legislature has already appropriated
SI 5 million) for the Hast Carolina
nvdical school, and to give 520 .
million of the taxpayers money to
the state's private schools.
The NCCU law building would cost-,.
onl S2.5 million. -
The decision will destroy the only
professional school at a black campus
to create a new school on a white
campus and to ease the financial
"burdens" of the schools of the rich
and the influential.
The School of Law at North
Carolina Central University now serves
nearly 300 students. A black law
school of that size assuresjhe black
people of North Carolina and .this
nation that they will always have
someone prepared tor stand up for
them before the bar of justice. That is
what the Advisory Budget
Conniission is ready to destroy.
They are ready to kill the
institution which trained numerous
leaders as Floyd McKissick, Superior
Court Judge Samniie Chess. N.C.
Representative H.M. Michaux. Jr.. and
Atlanta's Mayor Maynard Jackson, to
keep Duke. Wake Forest. Queens.
Salc.n. Guilford. St. Andrews, and
Gov". Ilolshouser's alma mater.
Davidson, from losing students.
They are prepared to murder North
Carolina's only black professional
school to help build a power base for
FCU Chancellor Leo Jenkins, who
already has more influence than a U.S.
Senator.
There is one last chance for the
NCCU School of Law. The Advisory
Budget Commission doesn't have the
last word. The final decision is up to
the state legislature, the General
Assembly.
The message we send to the
General Assembly should be loud-and
clear: The NCCU Law School must he
' preserved. ,; .' ' ' '
f Spend the tax dollar on schools the
taxpayer controls. .
Spend the tax dollar on programs
which have already' proved their
worth.
Let the wealthy and the
empire-builders take care of
themselves.
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CITY GOVERNMENT CHANGING
A TIME TO EVALUATE
Coning as it does at the outset of
winter, there nevertheless, is a spirit of
warmth, vitality and rejuvenation
ahouCCjvjsmas. and with ilhej
restoration 4)riopc.
(ione' is the quiet beauty of
Autumn, painted on canvasses in soft
browns and reds and purples. It had
provided the proper perspective and
setting for reflection and for storing
up on the sweetnesses of nature until
Spring can burst forth in all her
radiance and glory.
Winter is a time for withdrawal -away
from the winds that blow from
the north, and from the snow and the
rain. Away. even, from the sun. who
in her deceptive brilliance seems also
to shy away from the breath of the
rascal season. ,
Christmas, then comes at a limes
when Autumn's beauty is still close
enough to be remembered and
Winter's harshness is still a ghost to
be dreaded in the day ahead.
But the news this Christmas is not
goo-.i.
There is mass unemployment . and
inflation and recession, with a
depression a very real possibility.
Crinv is on the upswing, the jails, and
full, the poor are everywhere. Black,
pcopleare i Itjsine) xiwlftit Kit It i-'jaWiW 1
theye maW"tft hiT' VtVciaf.i,,w
educational and economic spheres of
this country's life, and racism still
runs rampant. This nation's leaders
display a callous and contemptuous
attitude toward the problems of the
people. There is no relief in sight.
Abroad, flierc is mass starvation
and grumblings of war and nations
continue to avoid the miseries of this
world by exploring further the. power
of the atom and probing deeper into
the limits of space..
All is hoi good in this world and
the future does indeed look bleak. But
Christ inas1iiT)c provides an
opportunity to pause and while
rejoicing make preparations. This
Christmas more than any other in
recent years, there is a real need for
evaluating where we are as a people
and where we are as Individuals.
Out of it njusjl.come a new spirit
with which to prepare 'or the coming
year.
Blacks and minorities are caught in the
middle of the trend of changing city and
regional government structures.
Just as blacks in some cities have finally
reached the point where they've got some
political clout alpng come? a "good
government" movement to "dilate that
political power by broadening the base of
local government through merger with
outlying areas.
This poses a cruel dilemma for black
people.
On the one hand, there is the reality of
power-blacks holding high local offices up
to and including the mayoralty. On the
other, isthe reality of tax resources tapping
suburban, wealth for the revitSlization of the
reference to blacks, black people will suffer
for it. That's why it is important to educate
and mobilize the public to deal with the
issues, so that the community's
representatives can make the trade-offs that ,
willi ' protect the best interests of the black
community, and even to veto metro
government if necessary.
While restructuring local governments
could have great impact on the communities
they serve and on the services people need,
no one should think that shuffling some
boxes on an organizational chart will cure
everything." - -
Even radical change in local government
structure could easily leave the power
arrangements .within the area unchanged,
. ...y A .if ft . fr. ffl JS i.' . fl
mner ciqp V0WS-rs& , services unaltered, and the pattern of
The cruelest part of the dilemma is thaner-city bladk poVePiyand stibflflftn white !
there are no easjr solutions. Each city Is wealth unbroken and unaffected,
different; Each particular case to be studied iv:;4t A lot of "Good Government" forces find
and examined from the standpoint of hoW v'''this hard to accept. Like earlier pioneers for
decisions will Impact upon blacks. --Mclvil service and similar reforms they think
forms of regional government will solve
urban problems.
But those urban problems can only be
, solved by the removal of racial barriers, by
' full employment, and by a massive infusion
i Most important is the need to avoid easy
assumptions that don't square with reality.
Many people assume, for example, that a
city -county merger -will mean more funds for
city, services, but isn't it even more likely
that suburban! ties will be more anxious to
tax the city's downtown business sections to
pay for the roads, sewer lines and other
expenses of the growing suburban Economy.
Another assumption is thit blacks should
not bargain away their political power
within the city, especially if it has a black
mayor. But many city charters are "weak
. mayor' especially systems in which real
power is held by special districts, school
boards, autonomous agencies and regional
boards.
... v -
So there are pros and cons Chat will
change as local factors change, but the one
important point for black people Isrthat we
must become involved in the process of
bargaining and shaping plans for metro
government or for restructuring city
government. ......
If regionalism comes aiSHut Iwithout .
of money to provide the housing, health and
other services people need.
Structural reform is not a substitute for
real changes in the way our society handles
human needs and aspirations. But because it
can be a force for good or for evil, black '
people must give it their attention. Already,
many cities have switched over to some form
of metro government. In some blacks have
fared well, in others, not so well.
As yet our expereince with this new
experiment in government is tenuous, the
jury is still out. But the totality of black
experience indicates that change can be just
a new way of old exploitation. The best
guard against this is for black involvement in
the political structure of the community,
and most especially, the maximum black
participation in elections.
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By AGUSTUS F. HAWKINS
Sometimes symbols are as
important as words and deeds.
They often transcend present
time, and become fixed places
in a people's culture, tradition,
and history. They have the
capability of evoking good or
evil, and many times they
clearly articulate and
institution's purpose and goals.
Last Thanksgiving, when the
President hosted the 44th
reunion of his old high school
football team, the only Black
member of that team took part
in the annual occasion, for the
first time. He turned out to be
the life of the party. There
seemed to be, at least based on
press accounts, a genuine
spontaneity "around the . Black
man's participation. Yet there'
was also something taad about
his presence. A collection had
to be taken up to fly him from
San Francisco, California and
to buy him a new suit of
clothes. He's retired
longshoreman, and in all
probability, he lives ion a small .
pension which just ' about
covers his daily needs. .
Ac I read his story in the
newspaper, I was struck by the
symbol this Black man .
presented. . And in essence it
reflects . the status of the
majority of Blacks in Ameri
today. Still - economical
disadvantaged .after a lifetii
of work. There it was clear.
crystal, an ironic commenl
on the historic role that Blai
have been cast in this nation.
and the largesse of theriajorll fffi
group, once agaln,syib(icail Ywf
Davine ud for iust one ia',I' '-fJP
night on the town. (And then
back to the ghetto!) '
The larger commentary of
B I iYYi
mm
its, l m
J w
Ml
ri m
C
constitute
479,060 persons in the
fdrce of some 92.000.000
ltJt'4 unemDlnveH
nimployment for Blacks in
October was an official 10.9
per cent ("Official" because
statistical data in the Black
bmmunjty is difficult to
there may be ; more
unemployed, than the
sjpepartment of Labor
indicates.) For all civilian
workers, the unemployment,
rale-was 6 per cent, for whites
course, is how long will this" ' WBS Pr cent,
institutionalized sUtus be .Proportionately therefore,
continued and to what' - tlhere are two Blacks
expense? unempfoyed for every white.
President ; Ford -has -eeft' Forly per cent ' of all
assuring the nation, ever since employed Blacks are heavily
he ' took office, that, 'ihe ' concentrated in the blue collar
country would pull out of the jobs, about 20 per cent of all
Inflation with some pajin His t employed' I Blacks are in service
predictions ' have gone away, occupations maids, janitors,
however, and we are now in a
recession, which even now the
Administration admits is a
recession.
We know about the
economic fate of one Black ,
man Invited to the President's
domicile for ; Thanksgiving. '.
How have other Blacks fared
generally in this period ,of
serious economic decline?
in hotels, motels, and
ted industries. In these two
categories the impact of the
economic slowdown has been
severe, and accounts for the
relatively poor employment
position ; of Black workers as
opposed to white workers,
i Blacks, then, have been
sijlficantly hurt In this
recession, and are undergoing a
radical decrease in their
purchasing power. (The poorer
you are, the less income you
bring home, the more you
spend for food, $3000 per year
families spend 40 per cent of
their income on food. $9000
per year families spend about
25 per cent of their income for
food, $18,000 per year families
spend only about 20 per cent
for food.)
As the national historical
symbol of economic
deprivation, Blacks are really
. hurting, but so are other
Americans.
The President can help to
turn this inflation around by
supporting:
a guaranteed national full
employment program
broadened unemployment
compensation
large scale public-service
employment programs
tax reductions for low and
moderate income people
An institution of mandatory
profit, price and wage controls
an easing of the tight money
concept.
The question Is can the
President bite the same bullet,
he's asking all of us to bite?
By MALV1N MOOHE''
In the old days when times got hard and the" people were
pushed around and prodded like so many sheep to a herd, the,
people could find solace and contentment in the belief that th
Messiah was coming. For it had been written In the Holy Book
and the word was and came from Cod. The Messiah would make,
things better. He would establish his kingdom on earth art-Tan the
I people grovelling about in dirt hovels would. Immediately become
' subjects or the kingdom andjpeaci and joy would reign forever.
And so, thousands of years later, we prepare once again to
celebrate the birth of His coming and we shall ; all -do it m a
; heathenistic fashion. There'll be strong drink, plenty of food.
: much dancing and merriment and with an outlay of gold imd
' silver that would make the Gods of the money changers bellow
thunderously in delight. ! v 1 , '
' f''
;:Jr;t, - ., .-' i
? Black people are among the biggest participants in . this
sacrilege, but what's even more of an irony is thatwe even
Celebrate the birth of Jesus at alt. Jesus was a Je and he is
(worshipped in a fashion devised and Impressed upon. blacks. by
' whites. Moreover, though Jesus was considered the Messiah In a
historical sense, black people still look for a Messiah to come and
lead us out of the wilderness of despair, poverty, unemployment,
oppression. It is no small coincidence then,' that the -civil rights
i movement has floundered since the death of .Martin Luther King
Jr. .. '. : ' . ' 7 . .
There is something tidy and nice about Christianity. As with
any firm belief, it gives us comfort and strength when we. are
fati with matters we cannot comprehend. The doctrine of
Christianity, rooted essentially in a concept of love, is a beautiful,
humanistic one, that within man is the power for rejuvenation and
human kindness. And at the root of it all Is the simplistic. "Do
unto others ..."
But somewhere along the line this thing has been turned
around on us, and now it seems that only black people have a
God of love, a passive God. And somehow there's the nagging
feeling that this is what others want us to believe. Butttutt.we
have no states, no land, no strong, dominant institutions, no
power. And while we've been about the business of worshipping a
beautiful concept - devised by others these others have been
teaching their children to hate and enslave. And while they've
been conquering the world in His name, we have been .
worshipping and praising their creation. ;
Somehow or another, it seems that a redefinition of OLJH God '
is in order, and not so much in terms of establishing a NEW God.
The advances of history dictate against that. But what is needed,
perhaps, is a redefinition of what Christianity means for black
people and what blacks need FROM Christianity. That is, more
than just the opportunity to worship and praise and feel the Holy
Spirit.
There are matters on earth that need tending to and the
history of world civilizations has shown that good and evil has
been done in the name of somebody's gold. But it was done.
There was action. We can no longer afford to sit and wait for a
Messiah, a leader be he man or God. The Messiah Is In each of
us, man, woman and child, and if we would but have the faith of
a grain of mustard seed in ourselves; then that faith could indeed
move moutains. .
It's a time-worn cliche, 1 admit: "If blacks could just come
together and quit fighting among ourselves and be about the
business of building strong institutions to support and sustain us.
and , if we could just recognize that the salvation or us Is
ourselves, then there is nothing; we couldn't accomplish,! lor
ourselves and for the honor and glory of our God." ' "
, Somehow that message has got to get across. Somehow the
celebration of Jesus' birth seems to accentuate its importance.
Merry Christmas. , . j yj';,f
Shoufd Eon
wmML
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THOTMES M
1500 B.C.
' ON OF A SIAVC WOMAN WHO AOS!
TO BECOME AMISHTV MONARCH HI "
REIGN BROUGHT UNHEAUD Of WlALTH
TOfGYPT.HIS EMPiftB CMS RACED TWO '-W,
-
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CONTENTS AND ONt VEARTHCTRia-
UTE FROM A 8IN0U NATION WAS l,9TO
POUNDS OF OOLQ ! OF THE MANY M0N
nAjrajv ua DiHiTAur Ann tew atTAunai asj vlasi aajcb isaj.
DON; ANOTHER IN CENTRAL PARK,N.YC.r-known TO MIUION iJ'
AS "CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE"! . '.i . . j
tVTBtiiMiitiT - -
L E. AUSTIN
Edttor-PubUsntr 1MM971 '
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