mm
Arabftad,
-4 m
A former slave ship, La Amis tad, will
sail with an All-Black crew in the Cutty
Sark "International Trophy Race thii
summer commemorating the
American Bicentennial.
A major portion of the black comm
unity has been reluctant in its
enthusiasm for the Bicentennial, but
La Amistad, a 137-year-old schooner
that doubles as a museum of black
history has received large support from
black leaders in the U. S. La Amistad
therefore becomes a project of major
significance in the two-hundredth
birthday celebration of the nation.
Thirty-nine young blacks between
the ages of IS and 26 will sail La Amistad
in the final leg of the race which includes
86 other vintage sailing vessels from 20
countries representing every continent.
A total of 3000 young people will
sail from London to Bermuda to
Newport, Rhode Island, in what will
be the largest race of sailing ships in
history.
The ships will race for the Cutty
Sark International Trophy, to be
awarded following a vote of the
competing crews to the one which
most encourages international understand
ing. Crew of the Russian four-masted
windjammer, Kruzenshtem is the most
recent recipient of the Trophy.
The significance of La Amistad to
American blacks began in 1839 when 52
Africans were loaded aboard the ship
for transport to slavery in eastern Cuba.
Ironically, the ship's name means "friend
ship," in Spanish.
When out at sea, the Africans revolted
against the crew, killing all but two, whom
they let live, for their navigational
knowledge. The Africans knew only that
returning to their homeland required
sailing in the sun so they steered during
Troptay B(3ce
daylight. At night, however, the wily
Cubans steered northwest hoping to
reach slave territory in the U. S.
For more than two months La Amistad
zig-zagged across the Atlantic Ocean, end
ing up near Long Island. The Africans
were taken into custody there by the U. S.
Coast Guard brig, Washington, and
escorted to New London, Connecticut,
and charged with murder and piracy.
News of the capture spread through
out the states. In the interest of his re
election, President Martin Van Buren
tried to have the Africans turned over
to the Spanish Government A But Lewis
Tappan, a wealthy silk merchant and a
number of others risked money and
reputation to support the Africans in
their three-year-fight for freedom
through the courts.
The case reached the U. S. Supreme
Court in 1841, when Tappan persuaded
This S
ITffb Allfilach got to
UfiiiEiiQr
ex-president John Quincy Adams to
take the case, even though the former
chief executive was then 73, ailing and
had not argued a case in 30 years. Adams
won, and a year later the group, Friends of
La Amistad, was able to return the39 sur
viving Africans to their original home.
Friends of La Amistad continues to
day, working to chronicle black history
in America through the support of leading
American blacks throughout the U. S.
Following the Cutty Sark International
Trophy Rac, La Amistad will take part in
a massive parade of sails with the other
competing ships, July 4, in New York
called Operation Sail 1976.
La Amistad and its crew will then sail
along the eastern seaboard and along the
Gulf of Mexico opening its archives of
black history to the public at major sea
coast cities..
HOLT OFFERED REINSTATEMENT
Chanceller Albert N. Whiting htld a dottd confer
met with former hud basketball coach Sttrlin M.
Holt, Wednesday aftamoon.
Tht Public Relations Dtpartmant of North Caro
lina Central University disclosed aftar tha matting
that Chanctllor Whiting announced In a briaf state
ment that Sterling Holt has bttn offered reinstate-.
ment.
When reached for comment, lata Wednesday,
former Coach Holt said, "It was very manly of
Chancellor Whiting to offer the Job again and I
will consider the offer."
OwCarM
j1
Page 11
1
I lollop
Qftjjlll HERMAN MATHEWS
by.
I HERMAN MATHEWS
Being an alumnus of North Carolina Central University, and
a former student-athlete too, I have great empathy with the
efforts of the athletic teams that perform wearing the "maroon
and gray" Always pulling for the Eagles to win in inter
collegiate competion, I most desire, whether in victory or
defeat that NCCU is represented in a first class manner.
it takes a first class program from top to bottom (money,
coaches, student-athletes, etc.) to produce a sustained and
visible first class effort. In the course of seeing NCCU compete
against various predominately Black schools in different sports,
I have observed that some schools distinctly are putting it all
together in athletics. Grambling and Howard are two of those
schools, and I predict that Howard will experience great
athletic achievements in the next several years.
As most of us know, Howard University is a private
predominately Black institution located in Washington, D. C.
It was chartered by Congress on March 2, 1867, to provide
higher education for newly-freed slaves. Today, Howard has
two campuses valued at more than $75 million and a faculty
of 1300 instructing more than 10,000 students.
While Howard has enjoyed a worthy-reputation for de
veloping leaders and scholars, it is very evident that there is
much emphasis now on bringing Howard University athletics
up to parity with its historically excellent academic programs..
Since the late nineteen sixties, first class coaches and student
athletes have been pouring into the Bison fold. It seems as if
Howard has said that it does not have to stand for second and
third class sports participation, and now is doing things to
fulfill its commitment to excellence.
The Bisons field 15 varsity sports, which includes four
varsity women sports, and Leo Miles, Athletic Director, has
deftly staffed them with coaches to establish top level pro
grams. It is very possible that Howard's rise to athletic
prominence will not be matched by any other pre
dominately Black school.
I am proud of the Bison movement, yet I fear that the
Eagles will be among those schools to suffer most inthe
wake of the success achieved by schools like Howard. It won't
be Howard's fault should NCCU lost ground in competing with
its athletic peers, NCCU would only be suffering the conse
quences of its ill-planned actions, or lack of action in planning
and executing a modern movement to establish a first class
program from top to bottom.
Despite recent developments, I do not think an act of
Congress is needed to pave the way for NCCU to solve its
problems in the athletic department. But, many alumni would
probably welcome some proper force to intercede in the affairs
of the institution: not only to save the students from being
modern slaves, but also to relieve the alumni of the tremendous
embarrassment suffered because of the seemingly second class
state of affairs.
African Proberb: He who does not cultivate his field, will
die
THE976 KANSAS C7Jg!
REAL CONTENDERS j&
FOR THE A. L. WEST
DIVISION FLAG.
WEIR BIGGEST
POWER. HITTER,
mm aadiman'lmael SamaKwR9 fltl 41kff Si tin fl IaKirf,,ni
fcji i' 'jl. ff
Holt Anticipates Reinstatement
FIRST PLACE WINNERS Top winners in the recent Women's Sports bey iaaatlorcom'p
tion held at South Carolina State College display their awards during a banquet which climaxed the
two-day event. Women Athletic Associations from Bennett, Livinstone, North Carolina A & T,
Hampton, Virginia State, Norfolk State and host S. C. State participated In the competition.
Joh
Uajiarr;
is ONE OF
THe REASONS
FOR THEIR
HIGH HOPES.
W ft.
'AY6ERRY, NOW
ONLY 26, WILL
PROB'LY wear
THE HOME RUN
CROWN SOME
DAY.
PITCHERS
ARE NEVER
ANXIOUS
70 FACE
WIS MAN...
HE'S HOUGH.
of hunser
V. UN 1975.
s J CRACKED 34
4m i iss
Sr 106 RUNS'
's? L AND NAP A
LI HE r
rf SCORED :J'ATmS
f y 95 runs $syAi:-
I I LAST SEASON,
f IN 156 GAMES. y&M
Albert N. Whiting, Chan
cellor of North Carolina Cen
tral University lias sent a letter
dated April 30 to Sterlin M.
Holt, Jr., the coach of the
university's men's basketball
team stating that: "I (Whiting)
have personally conducted a
thorough investigation of the
situation that led to the de
cision to reassign you to new
duties effective June 1, 1976.
The outcome of my investi
gation will in all probability
alter the decision made in
previous correspondence."
Whiting was referring to a
letter he forwarded to Holt
April 28 reassigning him from
head basketball coach to the
by Barry Lillie
position of Administrative
Assistant to the Athletic
Director,, Joseph Alston..
Alston was to provide a job
description, which was to in
clude recruiting, scheduling of
minor sports, and coordination
and supervision of various
athletic activities.
Assistant professor and
former head football coach,
George Quiett quoted, "Holt
has done a tremendous job as
basketball coach. From not
the choicest of recruits he
molded a competent competi
tive team."
Assistant to the Chan
cellor, Dallas Simmons said,
"The news release tliat was
submitted by the Director of
the New Bureau is the official
statement of Chancellor
Whiting. Yet lie (Simmons)
can interpret no indication that
the Chancellor's letter specifies
the reinstatement of Holt as
head basketball coach."
Chancellor Whiting has not
been available to submit clari
fication of the news release.
Sterlin M. Holt has also
been unavailable for comments
but the Chancellor has re
quested a conference with Holt
on Wednesday, May S at 4:30
p.m. for further deliberation
on the letter.
Eight Grambling Football Players Selected In NFL Draft
GRAMBLING, LA -Its
southerly neighbors are
obliged to concede that
action and suspense are the
hallmark of Grambling foot
ball on the field, but t h e
Tigers are also guilty of a
suffocating adherence
to form in the annual Na
tional Football League
draft.
Eight football players
from Grambling were se
lected in the recent NFL
draft of college stars.
Only two schools-Ohio
State and Nebraska with 12
choices each-had more se
lections than Grambling,
which ranked third this past
season in active pro players
among the nation's univer
sities and colleges.
Tliis year's draft
the first round o f t h e
draft. Grambling's defensive
back James Hunter, picked
by the Detroit Lions, was
the tenth player selected.
Last year, the San Diego
Chargers tabbed defensive
tackle Gary "Big Hands"
Johnson in the fust round.
The G-Men's Junius
"Buck" Buchanan was the
first player selected in the
1962 American Football
League draft.
In 1972 two G-Men
were chosen on the first
round-defensive end
Richard Harris by the Phila
delphia Eagles and wingback
Frank Lewisbythe
Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hunter, who played
both offense and defense,
is expected to be used as
a defensive back and kick
return specialist with
Detroit.
Sammie W h i t e , t h e
second leading scorer in
Grambling's history with
46 touchdowns, was picked
in the second round by the
Minnesota Vikings.
Richard St. Clair, a na
tive of Cleveland, was taken
in the fourth round by the
Scales was a fifth round
choice of the Los Angeles
Rams and middle linebacker
Robert P e n n y w e 1 1
was carted off in the sixth
round by the San Francisco
49'ers.
Offensive tackle Bobby
Simon was selected in t h e
ninth round by the Houston
Oilers and offensive guard
Art Gilliam became a tenth
round selection of the Den
ver Broncos.
At least three other
Tiger players are expected
to sign with pro clubs as
free agents.
Jesse Owens Visits Triangle Area
Jesse Owens, the springer
from Ohio State, who upset
the world by winning four
Olympic gold medals during
the 1936 games, paid a visit
to the Raleigh-Durham area
to address a group of sales
personnel with the World
Book Encyclopedia. Also
on hand where he spoke
at the North Ridge Country
Club in Raleigh, were a
natherirui of high school
coaches, teachers and
While not a salesman for the
World Book, Owens only
promotes it.
In an exclusive interview
afterwards, Owens talked
about Dr. Leroy T. Walker
who has been chosen to c
coach the Olympic
team in Montreal this
"I think its a great
thing," said Owens. "It
dispels the fact that there's
a closed situation in picking
coaches for events." He
continued, "It shows that
now they look at their re
cords and ability to handle
people Now you take an
Olympic coach, what is he
going to do? He isn't going
to change anybody in those
two or three weeks that the
Olympic team is together, so
what he's got to do is to
maintain the interest of the
athletes and he's (Walker) a
good man for it, not only
because he's black, but
because he's good; he has
charisma."
Owens said that the fact
that so many world class
athletes have come out of
such a small school like
North Carolina Central
to
can be attributed
mainly to Walker.
Owens feels that the
days are gone when the
United States could dom
inate the Olympic Games
like it always did in the
past. He said that too
many other nations around
the world are becoming more
specialized in Olympic
events.
Weaver McLean American Legion Post 175 And Tho Ladlos
Auxiliary At Annual Banquet
Pictured above are the
Weaver McLean American
Legion Post No. 175 and the
Ladies Auxiliary at teir
annual recognition and fellow-
people members of the
White Rock Baptist Church
Sunday School and members
of the Explorer Post No. 55
Also of The White Rock
University Spiritual
Standing on the Second
Row no. 4 from the left in
OUm J Bap Church, ration SX'c
was chosen in" the same Durham ., Friday, April 30 of the Gold Star Mothers, center taU and charmhig
fm. fcv .h. s. nJMrt at 7:00 p.m. and music by the Amey draped in white is Mrs. Cora
Chargers.
Wide receiver Dwight it given oy they young
schools to a whole week at
the Boys and Girls State
Seminar this summer.
The group will also wor-
TUm nrnoratn Willed a Tllhttfift Oosoel SineerS BJld DTOWn miMem
. 1. til iJ 1H
.bit J u L.. th. Nnrth rarn na Ontral LaaieS Auxiliary. SCtticu ui
2UV 1L Kllill lJ V Lilt. V V 1 1 1 1 1 I k' ktlV 1W - -
Echoes, front the four ladies to the
right are all Gold Star Mothers,
In addition to the recognition
and fellowship there were
event netted some $563.00 ihlp in bxly wtth the Like
After all expenses were paid, f wh Sunday,
these groups will send two My n2?inJ
young men and four young ? m BuUocJt
i j, ... . . to the pastor,
ladies from the local high
of the
-3f r-.,