Robert VJHIiabs Keynotes
Annual Press Celebration
SAT., MARCH 31 1879 THE CAROLINA TEU'SS-7
Lennox Hinds to Spoa'i ci UCC od
'Hunan Rights Violations'
77wr Black Press; Then
and Now provided the
topical framework in which
former editor and publisher
Robert Williams keynoted
the 152nd annual celebra
tion of the Black Press
sponsored by the South
eastern Black Press Insti
tute on Saturday, March 23,
t the Governor's Inn.
Williams, the former ed
itor and publisher of the
Crusader, was exiled in
961 for his radical act
ivities in Monroe.
Comparing todays black
press with that of earlier
years, Williams asserted that
the "Negro " press was
exactly what its name
implied. "It was a medium
of expression through which
Afro-Americans could air
grievances, -educate and
inform the race". He added
that the black press was
"owned by, supported by,
and served the cause of the
black masses."
With the exception of a
handful of crusading journ
als, Williams saw the black
press today as being
compromised and its pub
Ushers content to "hiber
nate in the desolate world
of tip-toe journalism". As
opposed to older black
journalists who felt the
need to write and inter-
?ret their own news, the
lack press today depends
heavily on news wires and
make no attempt to re
write and clarify news,
according to Williams.
Williams contended that
blacks have been deluded
and disillusioned by the
advent of a democratic
and integrated society. "Our
hard won and much too
Inadequate civil rights
gains are being swept
away, ....reversing
blacks to post Civil War
days". Referring to Bakke
and the subsequent chal
lenges to affirmative
action, Williams views them
as not isolated cases but
as a movement. "It is a
clear call for the forces of
reaction to rally an out
right assault on m tflacV
man's sWval', v $ y
"They are laying seeds to
uproot our one essential
stornghold." The strong
hold Williams alluded to was
the latest affirmative
BY PERITA BRYANT
action challenge in the
case of Weber vs. Kaiser
in which reverse discrimina
tion in employment is the
issue.
Concluding that the
black man's plight in Amer
ica js perilous at best,
Williams challenged the
black press to be coura
geous and move to the van
guard. "It is the responsibil-'
ity of the black press to re
educate and unbrainwash
our people, spelling out for ,
them what is wrong and
what must be done." He
implied that there must
be a collective effort by
black journals all over
the country, supported by
the black community, to
face todays challenges.
As one of the essential
goals of the black press is
to address the critical
issues facing the black
community, a panel of
experts discussed the
residual effects of
Bakke in a forum en
titled, Can the Black
Press Defeat the S.O.B.
(sons of Bakke). The de
velopment of the recent
Sears' attack on affirm
ative action and the
Weber-Kaiser case, both
spin-offs of Bakke, are
seen as potentially more
dangerous than the much
analyzed parent.
Robert Hill, special
assistant to the Chance
llor for affirmative action'
at Syracuse University,
views the Weber-Kaiser case
as a serious threat to black
people because it brings
into focus "a fundamen
tal right and need of vir
tually all people". The case
challenges the constitution
ality of the use of quotas
to correct past discrimina
tion in employment.
The Sears case is a clear
out question of the very
existence of affirmative
action programs. Hill
believes that the battle
against these repressive
moves must be fought on
several fronts. The role
of the black press should
be-! tov, acqhainr black
Ameripa. r with smwes
with which to confront
the challenges, and to
protect the ever wean
ing rights of black people.
Panelist Ralph Smith,
A University of Penn
sylvania law professor,
admonished, blacks and
the black press for its
"after the fact" attack
on issues such as was the
case in the Bakke inci
dent. "Several issues were
not put into the record
that could have been
used". Meaning that
most pressure from the
black community comes
after the process has been
put into motion, and
therefore cannot be heard
as evidence in a case.
Smith sees , the role of the
black press as that of
critic and analyst to delin
eate and ' define the
issues for the black com
munity. Working with the or
ganization that has been at
the forefront of the battle
against discrimination, in
formation director for the
NAACP Paul Brock, sees
the . reemergence of groups
such Klu Klux Klan and
the American Nazi Party as
indicative of the new
viciousness in America.
Brock agreed that the black
press must alert the com
munity to the existance of
these forces and plan
attacks against them. Brock
also indicated that the
NAACP was monitoring the
progress of the Sears issue
and had also filed a friends
of the court brief in the We
ber vs. Kaiser case.
Very close to the heart
of the black press, Mrs.
Vivian Edmonds, editor
and publisher of The
Carolina Times, maintained
that the black press may be
able to defeat the sons of
Bakke but not alone. Mrs.
Edmonds challenged black
people to wake up because
it is "a political ballgame
and we must play". The
need for black folk to excel
and to be competitive
should be utmost in meeting
the challenges of reverse
discrimination. "Affirmative
action should not be a
crutch to lean on".
Two afternoon work
i shops were held on the
! bread and butter issues of
the black press. Reporting
and Editing from a Black
perspective was conducted
by Milton Jordan, publisher
and editor of View South.
A
"Mr
TifiTf ""-iWffrfi in I m in - r r
CHAPEL HILL
Lennox Hinds, pastor
national director of i&e Na
tional Conference of Black
a
Lawyers, will speak on "Hu
man Rights Violations in
the United States" at the
University of North Carol
ina at Chapel Hill Friday.
March 30.
Hinds, associate profess
or of criminal justice at
Rutgers University. New
Brunswick, N.J., is
permanent representative
to the United Nations on
behalf of the International
Association of Demo
catic Lawyers, based in
Brussels.
His free, public lecture
will be at noon at the
UNC-CH Institute of
Government auditorium.
Hinds is sponsored by the
Speaker's Forum of the
UNC-CH Law School, the
N.C. chapter of the
National Lawyers Guild
and the Minority Law
Students Association of
UNC-CH.
Hinds, born in the Re
public of Trinidad and
Tobago, has been associated
with such noted prison
rights cases at the Attica
Brothers and the inmates at
the N.C. Women's Prison.
Hinds is the attorney for
three groups, the National
Confer ece of Black
Lawyers, the National Alli
ance Against Rzdsl and
Political Repression and
the United Church of
Christ Cornmiision for
Racial Justice, which have
jointly presented a peti
tion to the U.N. Commis
sion on Human Rights.
In the petition the
groups note "the continu
ing racist and political
oppression and exploit
ation visited upon Blacks
and other minorities
within the United States
solely on the basis of their
race, color, descent or
national or ethnic origin
and political views..."
ROBERT WILLIAMS
Donald Roberts, Vice Presi
dent of Amalgamated
Publishers, Incorporated
and William Torry of the
Atlanta Daily World, di
rected the workshop on
Strategies for Expanding
the Advertising Base of
the Black Press.
The Southeastern Black
Press Institute, the
sponsor of the workshop,
is a demonstration pro
ject of the African and
.Afro American Studies
Curriculum of the
University of N.C. at
Chapel Hill.
PLANS FOR STATE DEMO
MEETING SET
Russel Walker, Chairman
of the State Democratic
Executive Committee, has
announced plans for the
annual precinct meetings
and county conventions.
The Democratic precinct
meetings are scheduled for
April 19, at 8
pjn. at the polling place
for each precinct. The
purpose of the meetings
is to elect
the county
and to fill
that may exist in the
cinct committees. In
delegates to
conventions
any vacancies
pre-the
The Qkdi
BY MILTON JORDAN
A
i M
Konnoth Spudding Appointed
V. C. on Govornnontal Etthics
State Represenative
Kenneth B. Spaulding of
Durham has been appointed
one of the vice chairmen of
a select committee on
governmental ethics by
Speaker of the House Carl J.
Stewart, Jr., to consider the
feasibility of comprehensive
governmental ethics legisla
ton. Appointed chairman of
the sleet committee was
Rep. Bertha Merrill Holt
of Burlington. Spaulding
and Rep. Richard Wright of
Columbus - County were
named to serve as vice
chairman and Representa
tives Adams, Barker,
Brennan, Brubaker, Doug
Clark, Jamie Clarke, Di
amont, Ezzell, F. Harris,
1 I
event a quorum is not pre
sent, a make-up meeting
will be held on April 26.
The Democratic county
conventions will be held
on May 19, at 12 noon at
a site to be chosen by the
Democratic county chair
man. The purpose of the
conventions is to elect
county officers for the
next biennium and to select
representatives from the
county to the State Demo
cratic Executive Committee.
Other business which will
be discussed at both the
precinct meetings and count
conventions includes the
Delegate Selection and Af
firmative Action Plans for
the 1980 Democratic Na
tional Convention, revisions
in the Party Plan of
Organization, voter , regis
tration and precinct train
ing teams.
Walker urged all Demo
crats to attend these meet
ings and to participate in
the workings of the party.
r..- rr . . . , zFx
A Super
Selection
For Spring
Choosy Mothers choose
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know that the Boys' Shop
always has a wide selection
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SPAULDING
Hobgood, Huskins,
Jernigan, Keesee, and
Lancaster were appointed
members.
As part of its responsi
bilites, the committee will
propose a comprehensive
ethics plan to cover
public officials in the
executive and legila'tive
branches and senior employ
ees in all three branches of
State government.
Current State statutes
apply only to the members
of the General Assembly,
prohibiting conflicts of
interest and regulating
campaign contributions. A
limited ethics plan applying
only to specific public
officials . in the executive
branch of State government
was implemented by execu
tive order in 1977.
Gibson Intern'!
llamos Britton,
Sr. Consultant
Former U.S. Ambassador
Theordore R. Britton, Jr.,
has been named senior
consultant of D. Parke
Gibson International, Inc.,
New York-based manage
ment consulting firm, it
ws announced by D.
Parke Gibson, president.
Britton was the United
States Ambassador to Bar
bados and Grenada, and
U.S. Special Representative
to the Associated States in
the Carribbean.
A graduate of New York
Univerity, he has served an
an insurance company presi
dent; Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Research and
Technology, U.S. Depart
ment of Housing and Urban
Development; president,
the American Baptist
management Corporation;,
in other banking and insur
ance posts. Britton is direct
or of Freedom National
Bank and the Internation
al Federation for Housing
and Planning. .
. D: v Parke Gibson In-
i ternational, Inc.t founded
in I960, provides
marketing and public af
fairs counsel to domestic
and international clients.
You don't have to borrow
your neighbor's copv of
THE CAROLINA TIMES
Call Todav 682-2913
f. " i'X' "
Well, the prodigal writer returns home.
It's been more than ten years since I wrote a column for
THE CAROLINA TIMES. Then I was a whippersnapper of
a newspaperman, 26 years old, with a yen for greatness.
Under the title "The View From Here," I wrote about
politics, economics, social life, personal relationships, and
about anything else that struck my fancy. I ruffled feathers,
stepped on toes, soothed feelings and championed causes.
Now I'm back, ten years older, and hopefully a little
wiser. I haven't changed much in my approach to writing
for you. Under this new title, selected because I don't want
anyone to think I have any problem being called "a black
reporter," I will ruffle feathers, step on toes, soothe feelings
and champion causes as the mood strikes and the editor
allows.
But what about the ten year hiatus? My forays have
been far and wide, though I haven't ventured out of North
Carolina to live.
When I left Durham in early 1970, 1 stopped in Raleigh
for a brief stint with the Carolinian, another black weekly
newspaper. Then I moved to Wilmington, and worked more
than two years with the Wilmington Star-News, a white
daily newspaper.
Thus was 1 in the Port City in early 1971 when violence
erupted into the riot that produced the infamous Wilming
ton 10 case. From the Star-News, I went into radio and
television, managing a Wilmington FM radio station, and
hosting a talk show on Channel 6 there.
In early 1973, 1 moved to Fayetteville, sold advertising
and did news for a radio station there, launched my own
small weekly newspaper, lost my shirt, started a sales
company, and broke into magazine free-lance writing.
From Fayetteville, I moved to Charlotte, and a stint
with The Charlotte Observer where 1 stayed from August
1974 until last month. . ,.;.. .. r, i .;;
During the period from 1973 until now I've gotten a
taste of what this business of writing is really about. I've
traveled a lot, met a lot of people, interviewed everyone
from President Gerald Ford and Vice-President Nelson
Rockefeller to a former member of the Rights of White
People organization that had plotted the destruction of
hundreds of black youngsters barricaded in a Wilmington
church.
Now, among other things, I publish a magazine called
View South, billed as "A Black View of Today's New
South," and operate a communications and research con
sultant firm in Charlotte.
But writing is my first love, and therefore, it's exciting
to be back in Durham, at least in spirit, writing for the
readers of THE CAROLINA TIMES.
I'll be here week after week, hopefully exciting you,
enlightening you, entertaining you, and sometimes angering
you. Let me know whatever you feel. If there's a subject
you'd like for me to write about, drop, me a line at the
paper.
So sit back, relax and keep reading THE CAROLINA
TIMES as together we cover "THE BLACK BEAT".
Next week I'll take a look at the paradox of black
poverty and plenty, and the cost of freedom as the hands
of the clock begin moving slowly backwards.
See you then.
PRE BUSINESS SEMINARS AND WORK SHOPS
conducted by John Ezell Stewart
Founder and President and Chief
and Chief Executive Officer of the
UNITED MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
Consultants USA - International and
Rev. Dr. Elsie Stewart, Executive
Director, Women's Division.
TOPIC OUTLINE of format to be covered in each session:
1. Programming your sub-conscious mind for increased enthusiasm
and self improvement.
2. The importance of an effective business plan.
A. PersonalFamily
B. Business Executives
4. Developing more business through increased telephone
effectiveness.
U.M.B.D.A. provides expertise for the following areas of concern.
A. Minority Products Sales Procurement Contracts.
B. Sales and Management Training Programs for Potential Executives.
C. In Company Employee Training Program.
D. Proposal Writing and Development For Educational Programs.
E. Consultant Lecture Participation for Special Projects and Programs
for Industry and Educational Institutions.
SEMINARS WILL BE HELD ON THE FOLLOWING SATURDAYS
K-yy April 7, 14. 21, and 28
May 5 and 1 2 Time- 8:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.
Each Session
Required Attendance- 3 of 4 meetings to receive certificate of participation
To Enroll Call 919 286-3622 or Write,
Post Office Box 2553 - Durham, N.C. 27705
Seminars Will Be Held At :
Ramada Inn Downtown - 1-40 at Duke Street