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14 THE CAROLINA T1MS SAT.. JANUARY 23, 1982 ... I Affirmative Action: Sports and Society By Gerald C. Home, Esquire In the feudal era, when social relations were different, Jewish people were ' barred from certain ways of making a living and were forced to enter certain areas of commerce then not smiled on. , ' In the United States, blacks have been barred historically from all manner of professions business executive, airline pilot, film director, etc. but par ticularly since the massive' movement spearheaded by Paul Robeson and the Civil Rights Congress to desegregate baseball, blacks have been allowed to compete in professional sports. Jackie Robinson was the immediate beneficiary but since then O.J, Simp son, Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain, Hank Aaron, and hundreds of other blacks have risen to the top of their professions. This and other factors have helped to spread the illusion among too many of our black male youth that this is the only vehicle of "social mobility" or so say some. But it. should never oe forgotten that it is rank racism and Business In TheBlack s i , V ; Charity Begins at Home Tax Deduction Time Is Now 'V'A V ' ' By Charley E. Belle "It is more blessed to give than to receive," at least in this tax year 1981. 1 i The vast scope of the changes to the tax law requires some serious rethinking of ; traditional tax planning ideas. In almost ' every closet in America is an item or two, or perhaps a dozen or so, that should be . given away for a charitable deduction. The npu Toy Act HamanHc a (mnn lonlr discrimination that helps to explain why so- many blacks populate the at several of these relics for the Salvation diamonds, gridirons and courts of this country. But be thankful for small favors. Because if the Reagan Administration has its' way, then even this escape hatch out of poverty will be hailed shut. With the plug being pulled on federal aid to education, many cities are now seeing it fit for students to pay for the opportunity to play high school sports. Brown, Chamberlain and hosts of others have not only benefited from high school sports in honing their skills but won college scholarships to boot. In. fact, for every Wilt Chamberlain, imagine hundreds of others whose sport abilities allowed them to get a university education. But now, the example of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania is being touted in some circles as a model to be implanted in New York, Philadelphia and other cities. In this idea of a Reagan Utopia, it costs $35 for a chance to play -on the high school football team, $5 to be a cheerleader, S20 for baseball and driver educa tion; metal shop courses are S10 in this public school while a fee is even charg ed to join the art, mathematics and drama schools. The message here? Don't be poor in Bethel Park High or you'll be deprived of opportunities for cultural, physical and even academic enrichment. Already, other high schools have taken the other tack of simply abolishing certain sports. How many will be deprived of the opportunity of getting a col lege education? . ' Yet, even the existence Of high school athletics presents special problems. Dr. Richard M. Ball, medical director of Medical World News, has spoken forcefully about the "battered child athlete syndrome". He avers, "A fierce competitive spirit among'grade school and high school ; athletes may be getting out of hand." Not only are young muscles and ! anatomical structures forced into certain contortions but the prevailing ethos of win at any cost and violence is meant to create youth who would willingly fight say a land war in Southeast Asia. Some may recall the movie often shown on the late show, "Rollerball." In the 21st century, the world is run by a half dozen concerns. One of them pro vides entertainment, the chief being rollerball. In this game, players move on roller-skates and motorcycles. Players are allowed to beat, maim and overrun each other. . Professional sports in this country have hot reached this gross level yet. uui nit uciiu iii uii uncviiuii is vicai. iviuasiii is uic uuier element mat DiacK athletes have to contend with. If they're lucky enough to win an athletic scholarship to a university, they still have to contend with that age-old nemesis racism. ,-. . ,-. TiL. ikl Tr.:.i:... e a iuMMM L...:r..i i i l -1 i tm . aw ins. viiivciauy ui ruavaiua in ucauiuui i usuuuusa wnere raui near Bryant, the football coach, reigns supreme. Today, none are so indelicate as to mention that in the not too distant past, the "Bear? abjectly refused to recruit or play black athletes. v f; f The -Vwinds of change," e.gJ1 civil rights laws and the pulverizing his team absorbed at the hands of black athletes, e.g., those at the University of Nebraska in a big bowl game, forced Coach Bryant to see the light. But that does not mean racism has left his program; Even the conservative Atlanta Constitution was forced to report that misbehaving black players had been punished in public while white players' transgressions had been "swept under thcrug". A After Thomas Boyd, a black All-American linebacker, was late returning to the athletes' dorm, he was evicted and demoted to the scout team. Yet, when white players stray, their trangressions are swept under the rug; or v consider m wrate vBanta player who. got after some folks with 4 shotgun burwasbarjjri WMmmmt wrist rm coach DraisHso-Keavilv1 6v fbtie Newsweek and o,ther establishment media. Racism does not leave the scene when black athletes graduate to the profes sional ranks. Black baseball players like Ferguson Jenkins hfve long clamored for the; formation of a black baseball players association tttcombat the ram paging discrimination that has characterized this "national past-time". It is no accident that militants like Dick. Allen, Alex Johnson, Curt Flood and Dock Ellis (his memoir Dock Ellis in Baseball County is a minor classic) were bounced out of the, big leagues because of their uncompromising ap proach. J ' r'. ' ' . This unalloyed racism has become so endemic that even commenting on it seems passe. When black wide receiver Duke Ferguson of the Seattle Seahawks was drummed out of football because he dated a shapely blond secretary, few eyebrows were raised. Only yawns, greeted the lawsuit brought by the secretary, Jodie Zimbelman, after she sued the team, when they subsequently fired her. ' The idea of a black baseball players' association may not have taken flight but this should not be taken to mean that professional athletes are asleep at the Switch.- Just recently, promising second baseman Brian Giles who has starred with the New York Mets' top farm club, the Tidewater Tides, has complained publicly about racism: "In some cases, I think they (management) hold some players back because they are black. Blacks are not yet treated completely equal. . . .The owners and management won't admit there's a problem though." This youngster is right on the money. So is Gene Upshaw, head of the Na tional Football League Players' Association, who is threatening to take his men out on strike next season because of the tight-fisted policies of the owners. His union, along with1 the National Conference of Black Lawyers, has pro tested loudly the fact that though bver 55 of pro football players are black, yet despite their skill, only a hand full have been found qualified to serve as coaches . : Army coffers. 1 President Reagan's sponsored Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 will affect every man, woman and child in .America. . :" . Change, however, is often an oppor tunity for profit. ; Many of the new ' provisions require almost that people take positive steps in order to start taking full advantage of the new rules and regulations. Although over 100 changes to the Internal Revenue Code have been made, many of which are very complex, there are ten commandments of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which should prove profitable if you live up to them. These strategies and ideals go like this: First, defer income into future years, Second, accelerate deductions into earlier years. ', . Third, avoid short-term gains in 1981. , Fourth, buy fully-taxable dividend public utility common stock and reinvest their stock dividends in the company. ; Fifth," 1981, is a perfect year to swap municipal bonds.' Sixth, discount bonds, those selling below their face value, have become more attractive for investment, from high grade corporate bonds, the strongest with the greatest ability to pay off on the due date, down to the low-grade corporate bonds, those bonds thought to have a lesser abili ty to pay off at face value when due, but which often pay a much higher cash jn- ' terest rate for the same amount of your money. , Seventh, take another look at and -reassess tax-exempt earnings versus tax able investment returns. Eighth, tax shelters generating large, write-offs in 1981 are particularly attrac tive. ' . Ninth, the new lower capital gains rate is extremely favorable for investments in the stock market, especially in growth stocks. Tenth, Investment Retirement Accounts (IRA) are for everyone. After, consulting with your accountant or tax attorney, take a look at the First commandment; . Deferring income into future years. You may have heard that the Economic ' Recovery v Tax Act reductions in .the' federal income tax rate were "5-10-10", that is five p" Cent in 1981, ten per cent in 1982, and ten per cent in 1983, but the real rate cuts from last year, 1980, will be only one and one quarter per cent in 1981, and ten per cent for 1982, a good news nine teen per cent reduction for 1983, and a whopping slash of 23 per cent for 1984! The well known chop Off of the top bracket of seventy per cent dqwn to fifty per cent on investment, as well as earned income is tremendous for those whose in-, come may include large amounts of in terest and dividend income in the future, ; By the way, do you like the second commandment of the Economic Recovery Tax Act dictates, accelerate as many charitable business and medical deduc tions as possible into the earliest year. Likewise, the third commandment of the ERTA is clearly obvious, avoid taking any short-term gains this year. This, of course, would only increase your income , in the highest paying tax year you might ! have in your entire lifetime. Meeting Black Housing Needs: Bank-Sponsored Community Development Corporations William R. Morris, ASPG ' Washington Housing Consultant Now that the Reagan Administration is moving full steam ahead to scale back housing production for the poor and to reduce block ; grants ! for community development, it should be no surprise that city officials and community based organizations are looking more and more to the private sector in a desperate search for funds to replace lost federal support. ' One little known program which holds out some promise for. poor communities was announced very quietly about two years ago by the Comptroller of the Cur rency, regulator of national banks. In 1978, the Comptrollers Office granted its approval, for the very first time, for a ; federally-chartered. form non-profit and for-profit CDCs, us ing up to five per cenUof their capital and surplus for investments in a variety of revitalization projects which have includ ed housing, retail stores, theaters and historic properties. ;' Conditions which have been attached to each approval assure that worthwhile community purposes are served One, im- portant to local groups, requires a majori ty of CDC board of directors to be made up of community representatives. Another requirement is that the income earned from CDC operations must be reinvested in areas being revitalized or to provide financial i help to non-profit . formed a CDC to invest funds in small retail stores that serve low-income residents. And a leading St. Louis bank put half-a-million dollars into its CDC to provide a model home to promote back-to-the-city homebuying, and to assure that housing in the area remained available to families threatened with displacement by incoming residents. An Oklahoma CDC will provide money for equity participation in joint ventures for projects which meet community needs not otherwise being addressed by other , private or public programs . With such flexibility in what they can i cio 10 aia revitalization et torts, came- ; DanK 10 , Create, . omnns. Prlifrct&.OTiit .h.Mtamin;itlv ' j-j . ' ' . v-ownedsub- ,.,,- . ai ' iL-"ILIJ. ' hvvu buwuiu w wiumnw s a fnvaiv ui cuiicpiciiuiiai. simj, uic pareiu bank must file regular reports with the Comptroller who monitors its progress in ' meeting stated objectives. Large and small banks in all parts of the country have created CDC. In the city of Chicago, for example, a major bank capitalized its CDC with $1 million and further extensions of credit as needed. The CDC was authorized to buy, sell, develop, lease and manage real estate for residential, commercial and industrial uses. Although it was created as a for profit operation, all of the CDCs net in come over the first three years is to be reinvested jn other community projects. ; In the South, a small Arkansas bank . (known as CDCs) as a whoUVowned sub sidiary for the specific purpose of pro .moting the revitalization of innercity neighborhoods. ; Under : special provisions in federal banking laws, known as "The Comp trollers Interpretative Ruling 7.7480 In vestment in Community Development Projects," the North Carolina National Bank in Charlotte was granted authority to invest its funds in CDC, to acquire and renovate deteriorating properties in older communities and make loans or grants in housing to nonprofit and limited-dividend 'corporations. Subsequently, a number of other na tional banks have received approval to source of money to be funneled into in nercity areas. Self-help groups might find' this an opportune time to call on national banks in their community to establish a CDC under the Comptrollers Inter pretative Ruling. Even though many banks are going through a rough period it just may be worth a try. They need to know that you know what they can do if they really want to do it! (Readers who have questions about housing and community development programs may write directly to William R. Morris at 1604C Beekman Place, NW, Washington, DC 20009.) A View Froni Gapit ol Hill : ' f r : For Jobs and Justice By Gus Savage Member of Congress Here we stand in the 1980's. Reagan working over time to prevent high schoolers from ever having a chance to compete in sport; while those who make it through to the top are subjected to the most vulgar forms of racism. Yet, if this juggernaut is to be repulsed, a bigger effort than the one thus far shown, must be demonstrated. Under GEN. GEORGE WASHING - TON BORN FEB. 21 7327 SOME 5J000 NEGROES ' SLAVES 8 FREE& FOUGHT IN THE REVOLUTION A R' fj DELAWARE,, IN I776,TW0 N1 GROES, OLIVER CROMWFLl Q PRINCE1 . ... .. .. (T ' v tit'" WHIPPLE, WERE WITH HIM Al.W.C. PENNINGTON FOUND SUCH FACTS AS THESE fyS ONE OF THE 1 FIRST NEGRO HISTORIANS HE HAD A D. D. DE GREE FROM HEIDLEBUR6 UNIV. 8 PREACHED GAINST SLAVERY FROM NEW ENGLAND TO Europe- v : i km Ai ATHENS, GREECE I am writing this column in the City of Athens, Capital of Greece, where one can inspect the amazing remains of the Acropolis and the; Parthenon, structures well designed and built during a period of hTs'toric, intellec tual, governmental, artistic and architec tural achievement more than 2,000 years ago, before the New Testament was writ ten land of the ancient philosophers, of Aristotle and Diogenes, of Plato and Socrates. So, to begin this column, let me greet ' you by saying Yasou, and if that sounds like Greek to you, it should because it is. It is Greek for hello. Recently, a socialist, Andre Popan dreou, was elected Prime Minister of this small mountainous country which con- Sects eastern and western Europe, as well s Europe to the Arab world. Yet, the ..total land area of Greecf is only 51,000 square miles, smaller than the State of Il linois by 5,500. Likewise, its population ' of nine million is two million less that that of Illinois. Hence, Greece constitutes the southern tip of the eastern European ' Balkan . peninsula which jilts into the Mediterranean Sea. ' , -. The temperature here hit seventy degrees today and I really appreciated it , because I just arrived . from freezing, snowbound London, England, 1,500 miles northwest of here, a flight of about, three and one-half hours. -'. And, incidentally, while in London, i : checked out the predominantly black . Brixton community in the Lambeth Bur ' rough of London where blacks rioted last summer to protest police harassment and . discrimination in jobs and in housing ; ' problems and protests as American as ;,. baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Toyotas. The blacks there are from the Caribbean J area, mainly Jamaica. The highlight of j, my visit to London was the honor of ad-; dressing the 70th Anniversary. Celebration , of IP? Jncen National Conjtrpts . revolutionary movement, which one day soon shall liberate South Africa from fascism and apartheid. The trade "unions in South Africa are far more repressed and terrorized and have been for a much longer time by the fascist regime there than has the current? ly, more publicized Solidarity labor move ment by the Communist Polish govern ment today. Yet, the Reagan Administra tion openly supports, the tyranny in South Africa and repeatedly vetoes all attempts of the United Nations to vote sanctions against the dictator with one hand, while with the other, the Reagan Administra tion quickly levied sanctions unilaterally against Poland and also even against the Soviet Union for alleged -encouragement of repression by the government of , Poland. But let us turn our attention back to Athens, Greece, where I am now trying to adjust to the fact that when it is noon in Chicago, it is 8 p.m. here. And I think . that's called rjet lag." I am in Greece to address its National Peace Council, which sponsored my visit here, As ( explained earlier, I am on a speaking tour of western European na tions to encourage the mass demonstra-' tions for, world disarmament which are ! Currently covering those lands and to learn and to be encouraged in my own , 'commitment to disarmament by these movements. ; - Indeed, the peoples of the world must . Impose on the politicians of the world the compulsion to immediately reduce arms, . especially nuclear weapons. The imposi- , tion of this political priority is essential for any substantial reduction of the , defense budgets of the super power na tions and for shifting allocation of the' gross world product back to peaceful pur- . poses. A substantial and immediate' reduction of so-called national defense budgets is a prerequisite to increasing jobs . "Tt k:v prices is t t4 5t je I Moreover, a reallocation of gross world products is a prerequisite for justice through a fair allocation for the economic development of Third World nations. In other words, for jobs and justice, whether on the Southside of Chicago or in Africa or in Europe, the super power na tions, as the Bible say's, must beat their Swords into plowshares. North Carolina Black Publishers Association L.E.AUSTIN ' ' Editor-Publisher 1927-1971 (USPS 091-380 ; PubHshed ewry Thursday (dated Saturday) (exetpt Mtt Publl.hen, Incorpormd. Mailing iddrMi- f - 5I E5A 0urhim- N C' "702.382: PHI" tocated at 923 Old Fayettevilla Strast, Durham. M.C. SiM 27702 ' l,fl' P"d 11 HUX ' POSTMASTER: Sand addrati chanoai to THE 8UBSCBIPTI0N RATES: On. yiar, $12.00 (plui' 48c aalei tai tor North Carolina midanta). snot' copy 30c. Postal rogulatlona REQUIRE advanea pay'' ment on subscriptions. Addrna all communications TIMES P"y,b" t:THE MWL,NA . 'NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE ' u irxx ssBbat 45 w,rt 45,h . : j Mombor: United Prass International Photo Service, i , National Newspaper Publisher Association. North Carolina Black Publishers Ass-WtonT Opinions expreuV by columnists In this ' t newspaper do not necessarily represent the ooUcv of ; Mill nmrsoaDar. ' t 14 lh -wMper Vt.'ltl HIT BE PCSfSIBLE !cr r1:"?fl(KHt4Wp!8(ur8., 'A:
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Jan. 23, 1982, edition 1
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