Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Dec. 25, 1976, edition 1 / Page 4
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...v.j. vi'.'C . - 4 - THE CAROLINA TIMES SAT DECEMBER ?S. 1978 Vr v. 5 ft IT -CALLS itself komo sapie:M5-IT fefftfe A FfclNrfcESEMfcLAtfCE TO US, BUT T ISN'T MeAR.tr fcS -lNTELLiG?Wt.M i.i mi "i i in rtn ii nin'" "" ' '' ' " ' ' m" Another Gimmick To Rip Off Black Youths The continuing desire by some to constantly point up the illiteracy of black youths have found a new cham pion and a new "gimmick" to perpetuate a historical stereotype each day. The latest gimmick is the brain child of pne Gary Simpkins who has a publish ing date by Houghton-Mifflin Company of his gimmick" book. "BndgeA 'jt$8fa Culture Reading Program'. He siys tfcat "Bridge" uses the vernacular black youngsters hear and speak at home to move them toward proficiency in stan dard English. It should be brought to mind that the greater majority of black youngsters who have been brought up in schools that are not primarily within the inner areas of a city HAVE and CAN MOVE ahead with good English. Simpkins, who prides himself as a teacher for Headstart and the Job Corps in the 1960's, bases his assumption on his now about to be published book on his experiences. In the Job Corps and within Headstart, teachers have used standard English and other societal im provements to help these less fortunate youths-and children move ahead. To base his assumptions on the childjren.en .rolled in most Headstart cla&es;& weiUs' within Job Corps Centers is. a fcloy to continue the overall picture tevblick youngsters cannot learn. St " We know about the great Alpna kajp pa Alpha Job Corps Center, locatedrin Cleveland, Ohio - inner city where young men and young women have been trained for the past fifteen or more years A Radio Station At NCCU Buried deep in the budget proposals' now being studied by the state legisla ture is a request for just over $160,000 for the operation of an FM radio station at North Carolina Central University.. The idea is a good one, and that bud get for two years is unbelievably low. The possibility of establishing the station at such a low cost exists because equip ment is available at an extremely low price, as is a support grant from Federal sources. Those pledges won't last foever, and the General Assembly will need to approve the request quickly. Programming on the NCCU station , will not be particularly unconventional. ' It cannot be, if the station is to serve the ' purpose of training students in the cora- fcc ; Cocraissicaer J Dcnjamin 1. Iholis IIHMMUIIHIIHItlllUlllllllllillHnillUM A tterry Christmas and Happy Ilea Year to Ml toob i t the fttgfjegt r 1 am a Baptist preacher and, thus, ihis time of year - Christmas - is to me a time for solid ser mon and joyous song; a time for visiting with loved ones, remembering the sick and needy, for swapping gifts, but also a time for pause to medi tate, to reflect on one's personal and spiritual be ing. For this is the single most important season in Cliristiandom. It is the date of birth of the Christ Child, a symbol of the birth of new life for man-" kind. He was a spiritual diety clothed in the flesh of man and sent by God to walk among us. For, the Bible tells us, so great was God's love for man that He "gave his only begotten son" to seek our redemption. . ': It is the season of meditation and prayer; it is also a season of great joy. It transcends gaudy ef forts by the commercial moneychangers to cor rupt and debauch it. These were tossed out of God's temple nearly 2,000 years ago by an angry Jesus Christ. a1 This Christmas it Is time for Americans to start being Christian instead of merely "talking" Christian. For today, despite the glut of church steeples that pierce the urban skylines of this country like armies ot gleeirung, angry bayonets, America, brother divided from brother, is yet the most segregated at the Sunday morning hour of 11:00 o'clock. Jimmy Carter was admirable in his stand over the issue of black membership. He said he would not quit the church but would stay and work for change. That he did. Would that more of our white brothers and sisters do the same. With all its failings, the black church has tried to live up to the preachments of Christ; "Love thy brother as thyself." And when the weary traveler comes upon a black church with the sign "Wel come Come In and Rest" he can enter assured that he will not be turned away. Black religion however, has never had a train ed leadership. This has been both a blessing and a curse. A curse because we have allowed too ma ny charlatans to enter and work their games. A blessing because much of good leadership has had to reach inside itself to survive and lead our people. Thus it has been, in large measure, in tuitive, possessed of native with. We have nothing much written down - we just do things. The black man in Africa was not a spiritless man. Indeed as Dean Lawrence N. Jones of How ard University's School of Religion points out, he was a thoroughly religious being. But he did not confine his beliefs to that narrow time frame of 1 1 to 12 on Sunday morning. For he was a man, Dr. Jones tells us, that was concerned with both the transcendent (existing apart from the universe) and the immanent (per vading the universe) God. "Africans make few distinctions between the religious and the secu lar," he says. " Dr. Lovenger Bowden, also of Howard Uni versity, puts emphasis on the fact that man is both "a physiological spiritual being." "Life," she says, "does not. end when you shed part of this physi cal being, for it did not being with your assuming it. It is all related." The quotes of Drs. Jones- and Bowden were made during Advisory Board meetings of the million-dollar study of the Black Church that Dr. Bowden is heading under the direction of Howard University's School of Religion. I presented them because I believe they are appropriate for this time of year as we meditate on our religious past, present and future. ( to use not only STANDARD ENGLISH, but also to acquire needed job skills, so cial and human relations skills and many have gone on to higher education. Black educators know the trials and tribulations that most black youths have had to undergo to rise up in economic and social development because they know that ariy thing that is excellent is asjrjyypcult as It is rare, a n i j 'Vlhapt: NEVER HAS BEEN, NOR WILL THERE EVER BE AN EASY, COMFORTABLE ROAD TO SUCCESS. Anyone who has achieved to any impor tance can give the background of his dili gence - hard work and burning midnight oil - in overcoming impossible tasks at times. A noted psychologist in this area, Dr. Kenneth Clark, has long argued that "soul talk" has no place in any curricu lum. It just makes the task of learning that much more difficult. This is just another gimmick to push black youngsters further behind in this competitive society of ours. "Bridge: A Cross-Culture Reading Program" will serve the needs of black youths in the same way that Thalido mide, a CRIPPLER AT BIRTH - served the needs of children. Black parents, educators and those who are truly interested in the develop ment of our black youth must rise up ' against this dastardly scheme now before it becomes another obstacle to the learn ing of our most precious resource -OUR CHILDREN - the leaders of tomorrow. Congrc&man Hawkins' Column iiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNMiiiiiiiiiiiiiN Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins fiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Making Full Employment A Reality In all the talk about putting people back to work, I think we need to remember that anything less than a determined move towards a full employment economy -- will continue to stall over economic progress. From time to time I like to read what I have said in the past on this important survival issue. In an article 1 wrote in October, 1975, I made some pertinent observations on this matter I think my observations are even more valid today. , The article in somewhat edited form, is as follows: Before too long a whole cast of so-called full employment bills are going to inundate the public arena. This, is due in part to our floundering economy, and a realization that joblessness will mean that some 10-12 million Americans are going to continue to remain out of work, for a long time. . The President (Mr. Ford) while publicly enunciating hist disapproval of this factor, promotes policies which are effectively stabilizing unemployment, around these levels. Clearly, this is an issue, which both parties must address in 1976. (And I might add, since it has not been properly addressed in 1976, it must be faced in 1977). A most logical question, of course, is - what is full employment and what are its necessary parts? Full employment as national policy would be that condition in our economy where all able bodied persons who want to work, would be able to find employment at fair wages and fair .work ing conditions. Any significant full employment legislation, in my opinion, must definitively make this point without any shilly-shallying. Not only must this point be made, but the legislation must also in clude a federal guarantee that would insure this right to such employment. Some further necessary ingredients of a full employment bill must include: - a definition of full employment which would set realistic percentage goals for unem ployment - eventually phasing out most un employment - clear-cut machinery for the bill's im plementation, and built-in accountability for officials and agencies responsible for program administration - supportive mechanisms to fight inflation and create price stability r defined 'methods spelling but how the' Congress, the President and the Executive branch would support full employment, full production of goods and full purchasing power - immediate and specific implementation goals and time tables. Anything less that this kind of point-by- point formulation would only leave us where we presently are: ignoring the mandate in the com promised Employment Act of 1946, to move our society to maximum employment, maximum production, and maximum purchasing power. Unfortunately, the Employment Act of 1946, landmark legislation that it is, has left too much to chance. Most Presidents have chosen to ignore it, thus in effect negating its promise to promote the economic strengths of our indus tries and our workers. We have to be quite cautious therefore that the panoply of purported "full employment" programs about to envelope us, are not more of the same Employment Act toothlessness. Which is the reason I am in favor of utilizing highly critical criteria for measuring the commit ment of all such forthcoming legislation. However, as the discussion becomes more and more rhetorical, we must not be fooled into believing that full employment as a realistic goal, can survive political chicanery. Therefore, we . must be on our guard to push for what will really put people back td work. We must also make our elected officials stand up and be counted. Full employment is a worthy goal that can be attained - let's make it happenby being hard nosed, critical and uncompromising in demanding its passage. To Be tqual illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllUIIIMIMMWIIIIIIIIM The Season of Hope I ' 1 .munications field. People with skills in broadcasting are in demand, particularly . if they are black, but they will have to s be prepared to work in the industry as it exists. We urge the support of our legisla tors for the project, and we urge our readers to write the legislators asking for support. We look forward to the day when we will be able to tune in The Voice of North Carolina Central University on our FM radio dial. The university has made important contributions to our commu nity over more than 65 years. We believe those contributions will be increased by the creation of this new radio station. Christmas is everybody's favorite holiday, a time for giving and getting, a time for family re unions and for spreading the warmth and good cheer so absent at other times of the , year. No small part of its importance lies in its essential nature as a season of hope. That aspect is stronger than ever in millions of homes this year, for many people feel a new spirit rising in the nation. Not that conditions are improving, This will be another Christmas of cold wind whistling through ill-heated homes, of cheap substitutes instead, of a holiday feast, and of empty Christ mas stockings for children. The latesf unemployment figures show another rise in the numbers out of work. The so called "pause" in the economy is beginning to look like a real'downturn. Hunger and misery are still with us th&Christmas. But, unlike recent Christina ses, there seems to be more hope. And a lot of that hope revolves around the new President-elect, Jimmy Carter. A large par of the hope that revolves around our next Presffent is based on his stated objec tive ; of bringing people together - and on his track record in this area. It was symbolized the evening he. accepted his party's nomination. There, on the platform with him, were political leaders of all wings of his party, from those most active in seeking change to those most resistant to it. The sym bol of segregation, George Wallace, was there along with the father of the symbol of the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr., and Coretta Scott King, wife of the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr. Then the huge convention hall resounded to the civil rights anthem, "We Shall Overcome". For most blacks, and especially for those of us who marched and fought for civil rights, that was a moving moment, one that is now recalled in this season of hope. President-elect Carter helped revive the old , New Deal coalition, welding labor, businessmen, ethnics, whiteoutherners and blacks into a new national majority. The strains on that coalijion are real and it remains to be seen whether it can be held together under the stress of a new drive on our national Droblems. but there is hope to day - and an optimism that it will succeed. There is hope too, because the election of Jimmy Carter proved again that the democratic process works. We saw it work to, unveil the Watergate conspiracy. We saw it work in the ouster of a President who betrayed the people's trust. We saw it work in the way President Ford helped heal the wounds left by the Nixon Watergate experience. And now we saw it work again as a little-known-ex-governor, working within the system, captured first his party's nomination and then the national election. That proved the demo cratic process is open to ehange, is flexible enough to bring forth a leader from outside the Establishment, and is capable of reflecting the people's will. There is hope too, in the fact that the next President comes from a region that has not pro dued a President for a long time. Jimmy Carter' election showed that the South is no longer di- GILPIN 1 A : Mi? 1 Tj I ' "rT" 1 ...Actor and winner ( FAMOUS FOR HIS PORTRNM. OF THE TITLE ROLE IN EUGENE OtlEILlS WtBOfl LtOHEl'ciASSIcHE WED IN ELDRE00E PARK, N.J, OH MAT 9 WOO, N AUt W , CoMUnui ruton. ' flh ft IPMIAU P lAffcft A LI BY YtKiiUil t. JUKUAN lUlllUUUillJJIUiliJilUIIIUIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIillllllllllll Executive Director, National Urban League voriced from the nation, that the wounds of the past have healed, and that we are sophisticated enough as a nation and as a people to abandon regional distrust. Black people look to Jimmy Carter with hope that, just as he prevailed upon his fellow parishioners in Plains to desegregate their church, so too will he prevail upon his fellow Americans to desegregate our nation. Along with that hope in a new Adminis tration and a hew beginning in tackling our national problems, 1 feel a new mood in black communities of resolve to confront problems ' like crime and neighborhood deterioration that ' demand the committed involvement of the people. There seems to be a new spirit of hope that we can face our problems, stand up to them, and finally overcome them. So in spite of the grimness and hard time, this Christmas is a season of hope, of confidence that the prayers for peace and goodwill will be answered in the coming months. I L E. AUSTIN I 1 Editor-PubUiher, 1927-1971 I Published every Thursday (dated Saturday) at 'Durham, N. C, by United Publiihen, Incorporated, ' Milling Address: t. O. Box 3825, Durham, North Carolina 27702. Offlc located at 436 East Pettigrew '., Street, Durham, North Carolina 277,01. Second Class 'Postage Paid at Durham, North Carolina 27702. , SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year, $8.50 (plus 10.34 tales tax for North Carolina residents). Single copy, $0.20. Postal regulations REQUIRE advanced payment on subscriptions. Address all . communications and make aO checks and money orders payable to THE CAROLINA TIMES. National Advertising Representative: Amalgamated . Publishers, Inc., 45 West 45th Street, New York, New York 10Q36. Member: United Press International Photo Service, , National Newspaper Publishers Association, North Carolma' Black Publishers Association, Carolina Community Newsservice. , I Opinions expressed by columnists in this news ' paper do not necessarily represent the policy of this Mwspaper. Ths newspaper will not be responsible JjojithereturnoJ
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Dec. 25, 1976, edition 1
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