I DCABP Eviction of Reporter
I read with interest your editorial In last week's
dvACar0linaltteh ,Whcn y mentioned
Mr. John Edwards and his role in evicting the press
from the meeting of the Durham Committee on the
Affairs of Black People, one observation readily
comes to mind. I believe that it would be In the best
interest of sj the citizens of Durham if Mr. Ed
wards, Mr. Ben Ruffln and all other members of
Governor Hunt s team would excuse themselves
fronr participating in deliberations on matters in
which the Governor has special Interests. Their par
ticipation m such matters clearly represents a con
Hict of interest. The Bible states that one cannot
serve two masters. May I suggest that Mr. Hunt's
workers serve Mr; Hunt and his special interests
and other members of the Committee serve the in
terests of the people of Durham, particularly when
the interests of the two differ. v
It was my privilege to work for Mr. Hunt in the
last two elections. I shall continue to support him,
Mr. Ruffin Mr. Edwards, and my many other
friends who are on his team when their ultimate
commitment is for the best interest of all the citizens
of North Carolina. ,
James P. Green, M.D.
Law School Never on Probation
The use of the word "probation" by the
American Bar Association appears each time North
Carolina Central University School of Law
graduates pass or fail the North Carolina Bar Ex
amination.?; The American Bar Association has never charged
that North Carolina Central University School of
Law was on probation. ,
The Association of American Law Schools is the
proper Accrediting Agency.
The NCCU catalogues, located in the Registrars
office, as well as the official NCCU School of Law
Bulletins, located in the files of the new Albert L.
Turner Law School building, will. attest to the above
information.'
The NCCU School of Law Bulletins, dating
1967-1968, and even earlier, when the name was
North Carolina College at Durham, School of Law
are on record. '
North Carolina College at Durham School of
Law was changed in 1969 when it became a part of
the University of North Carolina system. Volumes
No. 3, 1967, No. 4 through Volume XIII, 1980-83
Edition; shows that the school was accredited or ap
proved by the American Bar Association and the
N.C. Board df Law Examiners.
Further, the Association of American Law
Schools, the official accrediting agency for Legal
Education, had given provisional accreditation in
1975, based primarily on lack of physical facilities,
even with the addition of new space after the
disastrous fire on September 18, 1969, and needed
by the increasing enrollment of black, white and In
dian students.
With the completion of the new Albert L. Turner
physical facilities, planned by a former dean and ex
ecuted by still another former dean, the NCCU
School of Law received its full accreditation by the
American Association of Law Schools.
Again, never has the term "probation" by the
American Bar Association been used. Let the
record speak for itself.
Elva P. DeJarmon
Letters to Hie Editor . . .
"5 ' i
State of the Black Community
I congratulate you and your executive editor, Mr,
Milton Jordan, on the series about Durham. Keep
up the good work.
- Curtis T.Perkins
:rnq
M
By
me
wtsy..
By Joe Black
Frustrated Blacks
Unemployment Is prevalent: many families
have been forced to sell their homes; and too
many of our youths have been forced to curtail
their college educations because of the financial
plight that besieges this nation. It has been
many, many years since so many Americans have
been out of work. One of the hurting aspects of
this negative situation is the fact that the "axe"
has fallen on thousands of employees who were
'cut loose' because of the recession, or depres
sion, that we are experiencing. These people don't
want to be a statistic, they want to work.
And when we view the sad story from a Black
perspective, our dismay is increased because
there are 2 unemployed Blacks for each inactive
white worker. Additionally, recently the Labor
Department acknowledged that it has halted pro
posals to ease anti-discrimination guidelines for
federal contracts. The new proposals include
limiting back-pay awards and eliminating a
requ irement for formal Affirmative Action Pro
grams for many of the 200.000 contractors with
government contracts.
Remember the old children's rhyme: "Rain.
rain go away, come back another day"? It sure
would be great if we could wish our troubles
away. We are challenged to utilize the hardiness
and pride that we have acquired from our fore
parents and overcome these "hard times?
The task will not be easy and before we can
counter-act this uncertainty we must face some
harsh facts. The primary reality is. regardless of
which party is in office, most of the domestic cuts
will not be reinstated.
Black people must begin to look inward for
solutions to their problems. If we have a gross
f annual spendable Income in excess of $130 bil
lion dollars, then why can t we build and create
Jobs within the Black community?
My friends, we have arrived at the time when
we must decide which is of greatest importance -a
self-help economic plan or retaining the reputa
tion of being trend setters in the fashion world?
Joe'Bhck
Vice President
--. TU I I
i iic uiynuuna corporation
I have been moving around the 2nd Congressional
District in an effort to . generate support for a
"write-in for Michaux for Congress." I am surpris
ed at the number of frustrated blacks, including a
few who work for the present Democratic ad
ministration in Raleigh. They seem to be confused
and are considering voting for the Republican can
didate for Congress.
I am sure these citizens would very much like to
see conditions in our country improved. On the
other hand, in their, confusion, the citizens have
failed to realize that the Republican Administration
has attempted to balance the budget at the expense
of the poor and elderly in this country.
In order to balance the budget the administration
has caused:
1. Over 500 businesses to go bankrupt each week
2. The housing industry to all but collapse
3. Thousands of college students to be denied col
lege educations and a reduction in the quality of aid
at lower levels because of fund cuts
4. The withdrawal of the food stamp program
from mentally retarded individuals and institutions,
orphanages, elderly poor between the ages of 60-64,
deserving and needy citizens
5. Hospitals to deny services to critically ill citizens
because of cuts in Medicaid and Medicare
6. Unemployment to rise to the greatest height
since the depression
7. Soup lines for the destitute to be formed around
the country
8. Prospects for the withdrawal of rental subsidy
from houses for the poor and elderly
9. Social Security to be on the brink of collapse
10. Textile and steel mills to close around the coun
try 1 1. The imposition of huge taxes on tobacco that is
spelling doom for many farmers
The list could go on and on with despair.
In the face of all of this, the administration smiles
and tells the American people that his budget cuts
have only "weeded out the crooks" and that
Americans should "stay the course".
I submit to you that the poor, elderly, and
citizens of conscience cannot "stay the course"
while their brothers and sisters are sacrificed.
James P. Green, M.D.
Warren County PCB Issue
Thank you so much for your total coverage of the
Warren County PCB issue. Unlike many other
papers, The Carolina Times dug up more facts and
got to the issues behind the story.
The people of Warren County, and others who
joined their protest, deserve the highest praise for
their steadfast, nonviolent witness. When the State
chose to put their lives on the line with a leak-prone
landfill (there's no other kind of landfill),. Warren
County united to let the truth be heard. . .
, ,AlUWe denial df Facial" prejudice ring hollow
me. Where is the landfill in a wealthy white residen
tial area? What landfill is near a major white
church? If that landfill is so safe, why was it put at
the far edge of the PCB spill, away from 900,000
acres of more suitable soil?
What the State has done speaks so loudly I have
trouble hearing what they say. Plus, one
knowledgeable State employee told me, when I ask
ed why the State was picking on Warren County,
"They're mostly Blacks and Indians, there aren't
many of them, they're poor, and they don't have
any political clout."
Landfills are "cheap" to build and fill, but no
one can pay the cost of cleaning up ground water
with poisons in it. The human cost is too clear to
anyone who has ever worked with retarded or han
dicapped children. How dare our industries poison
our future? How dare the State help them? How
dare we let it happen?
Some scientists have figured out how industry
can clean up, re-use, recycle and de-toxify these
wastes, and save money doing it. A fine meeting on
this "pollution prevention pays" idea was held in
Winston-Salem in May, 1982, with State help. But
the powers in State government do not seem to
understand this idea, and they are not working
seriously (yet) to use it. That is why the stand of the
brave people in Warren County was absolutely .
necessary. They have done a great service to the rest
of us. And they deserve our support and service in
getting all those PCBs removed or de-toxified as
soon as possible.
The rich and the powerful, who take the profits
from pollution, have always dumped it on the poor
and the minorities who lack power. That is why we
see headlines like "Blacks have higher levels of lead
in blood" and ''Minorities have higher death rates
from cancer". The environment is what we have
around us. The environment is a racial and political
issue because some short-sighted people seem to
think they can take the good environments to sur
round themselves with, and shove all their wastes
on the rest of us while crowding us into the worst
environments.
South Africa is a good example of this, policy:
The white minority takes over 80 of the land (all
the best) and resources, forces the black majority
into rural ghettos and makes them work under
slave-labor type laws to do all the dirty work that
makes South Africa wealthy. The situation in North
Carolina is not as obvious, but the same kind of
political forces are at work. They just aren't as
honest about it.
I am encouraged by leaders like Mickey Michaux,
who are trying to clean up the political pollution in
North Carolina. But there is too rrfuch hypocrisy:
Yesterday I read a. small news item that Jim
Ramsey, who ran third in the Democratic primary,
had finally endorsed Tim Valentine for Congress.
I'll take Valentine over the Congressional Club any
day. The Congressional Club aims to destroy
human rights and the environment and anyone who
doesn't follow their line. But how much publicity
did Ramsey get for holding off his endorsement of
the Democratic nominee for Congress for several
weeks after Michaux finally endorsed him? -
The State's politicians need to know that you
have to be better than the lesser of two evils, so that
people will support you enthusiastically. I en
thusiastically support Citizens Concerned About
PCBs. And enthusiastically oppose the Congres
sional Club. Which side are our politicians on? The
dictator-style Congressional Club is not going to
leave much middle ground, as they strip-mine our
fields of elections and sow their poisonous politics.
Wells Eddleman
Roundtable Seeks Funds
Beginning last December, progressive groups and
individuals responded to the Durham City .
Council's threat to allow Duke Power to cut back .
on bus service to the city. After the initial stormy '
- Council meetings, the Durham Citizens Roundtable
Coalition was formed. We conducted a petition
drive in workplaces, shopping centers, churches,
and communities all over Durham, passed out
thousands of leaflets, met with the mayor and final
ly hired a legal team and sued Duke Power and the
City. Since, then we have held a furidraising rally
and a raffle to help pay the legal fees. ,
We are currently awaiting the State Utilities
Commission's decision on whether or not to let
Duke Power cut off the night bus service and cut
back on two day routes. The actions we have taken
stopped them, for nine months, from taking yet
another swipe at the people of Durham's standard
of living. There are people who are riding now who
would be walking if we had not taken action. The
coming together of many diverse organizations and
individuals in the Durham Citizen's Roundtable
Coalition made this possible, a true people's success
story.
As we await the SUC's decision, let people be
reminded of the facts of the case. 1) Duke Power
owes the people of Durham, by contract, "fair,
adequate and reasonably satisfactory" bus service
in exchange for the privilege of operating the ex
tremely profitable electricity franchise. They pay no
other fee for this privilege; 2) Duke Power's profits
on electricity far exceed its losses on the bus service;
and 3) Bus service affects all the people of Durham
directly or indirectly. Workplaces suffer if people
have no reliable way to work and businesses suffer
if people can't get to stores to shop. Churches,
.recreational and educational facilities are also serv
ed by the bus system. The SUC should consider
these facts and how they affect the peoples interest
as they make their decision.
The Durham Citizens Roundtable Coalition is
continuing this fight for better bus service in
Durham. We urge all citizens to write the local
papers to express your support and to join or con
tribute money for legal fees to the DCRC by calling
682-7777.
Robert Markham
For the Durham Citizens Roundtable
KEEP HOME FIRES FROM BURNING
Although about three
out of every hundred thou
sand Americana die by fire
every year, there are things
you can do to help keep
yourself and your family
out of such grim statistics.
One of the most impor
tant things you can do is
to install at least one smoke
detector in your home. A
recent study found smoke
detectors to be 85 percent
effective in giving the first
nrnint nt home . fire.
This' earty warning caw pi
vide valuable time in which
arranged escape plan.
Fire officials also en
courage families to prac
tice using escape routes at
night. Families should meet
at a predetermined place
where members can assure
themselves that everyone is
safely out of the house.
You might also like to
learn more about recent ad
vances In upholstered fur
niture construction which
can make it more cigarette
resistant Liost t upholstered
furniture Jn the marketplace
now bffers'a new feature for
Pc!Iticcl Apathy Equals
Pcllticsl Pcvorbssncas
"Elect we must. Leadership we can Trust!". . ."I
have always thought that all men should be free;
but if any should be slaves, it should be first those
who desire k f or themselves, and secondly, those
who desire it for others."
The Republican ,Party was the party of black
Americans for sixty years after the Civil War. Some
of you may be thinking: "That is history. Where
are the Republicans today, a century after Lincoln,
when we really nefcd them?" That question is a
legitimate one. But it is also legitimate to say that
the Mathias's, Doles, Packwoods and Weickers are
among the point men who are fighting the civil
rights battles of the '80's. I feel equally obliged to
remind you just how few Democrats arc out there
standing up and being counted on civil rights today.
Forget the White House for the moment. Look at i
the Congress. Most Democrats, sensing that the
political gains are to be made elsewhere, have left
the civil rights fields. They have turned their backs
on their natural constituencies.
To a very real extent, minority Americans who
were long ignored by the Republicans have been
abandoned by the Democrats. That is the message
I'm getting when I notice the Boll Weevil affairs of
the Democrats.
If you think you can count on the Democrats in
Congress to save your backsides on issues of the
poor and minorities any more than they did on bus
ing, you're selling yourselves short. Now that the
Voting Rights Act extension is on the books, where
it belongs, we can expect no more civil rights vic
tories between now and November.
Voting rights aren't worth a hoot, to blacks and
minorities, however unless they are viewed as
responsibilities too. I don't need to tell you that
politicians tend to help those who help themselves
by voting. Blacks haven't done their part in recent
elections, they've hurt themse)ves by staying home
and that is what the bigots and the racists of the
world are counting on. , .
The original Voting Rights Act was passed in
1965. Yet between J964 and 1976, the proportion of
black adults voting fell from 57 to 49 per cent.
Don't think that doesn't have something to do
with the fact that one out of every five black adults
is unemployed and half of all black teenagers are
too. Don't think that doesn't have something to do
with the fact that black per capita income stands at
$4,800 compared to $8,200 for whites. And don't
think that doesn't have something to do with the
fact that while blacks comprise 11 per cent of the
nation's population, they account for only one per
cent of its elected officials.
Political apathy equals political powerlessness.
And political powerlessness can only reinforce
economic powerlessness.
When history was against us, when bigotry and
political pressure and police nightsticks and dogs
and discriminatory laws were against us all these
held us together, with these eliminated or pushed
back or driven underground, we don't have
pressures holding us together and we're falling
apart. So the question comes: Was it an artificial
alliance to begin With? Were we held together by
nothing but external adversity or by love and a
common devotion, what has happened to us?
When blacks go to the polls this fall, it is my hope
that they will judge the candidates not by their party
label but by their character and commitment to
justice. For after all, it is human beings who are
; destined to lead America, not donkeys p,r elephants.
.j', . y - , ! HerschelBvSeets
To the Citizens of Durham:
If I am re-elected to serve my third term in the North '
Carolina House of Representatives, I want to continue to hear I , tTj
from you regarding your views on legislative issues. I ' -' V- " ' '
I solicit and welcome your input on the issues and laws that V 1 , J
we consider in Raleigh. j
To benefit you in reaching your legislator, you may call me 1 Zs- x
at the following numbers: I v.V
489-1638 (Home Number) S
682-5678 (Law Office Number)
733-5973 (Raleigh Legislative Number)
I welcome and encourage your calls.
By expressing your views and opinions, you help to make j
me a better legislator for all of Durham County. Y j
Thank You,
Kenneth B. Spaulding
State Representative
Paid For by Committee To Re-Elect Kenneth B. Spaulding . j
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