Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 5, 1977, edition 1 / Page 10
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* Page 10 - The Chronicle - Satu r".,_ By Bayard Rust in A. 1 ^ \ Suj The era that began with the 1954 Brown decision, which declared segregated schools unconstitutional, has ended. No longer can the civil rights movement count on favorable decisions from the Supreme Court. Transformed by the appointments made by Richard Nixon, the court, under Chief Justice Warren Burger, has established a new trend? that breaks sharply with its earlier course when it led the nation in fighting racial discrimination. For some time .the court has * been handing down rulings ? that?some?experts?believe would have made it difficult, if not impossible, to win many of * f the landmark civil rights cases - of the 1950s and 1960s. We S * Bighou For His Oui 5 . ? Acheivemei I Keep Up The Open 8:30 AM to 8 Open All Day Satu Phen* 724.5921 . IWft ICONGRA' CI Wins ~~v ^ P.O. Box 99 All V 3? rday March 5, 1923, Phillip Randolph Institi >reme Cour Though the rulings have often been procedural or- technical and have even come in some cases which had nothing to do with racial or sexual disctimin_ nafion, their implications am., deeply" disturbing to civil rights activists. What the court has done is threefold. First, it has made it harder to bring suits on behalf of a _ - - ~ <j4ass composed o* aH^the^s in a similar situation -- a technique that is frequently necessary to remedy civil rights violations. Second, those who get ihto court may find that they don't discrimination. The Burger court has given a narrow interpretation to federal civil rights laws and the Constitualute I tse Gaines" I tfltnnrlinflr II .. r -1 its At WSSU ?. i Good Work & ^__________ "N :30 PM Mon.-Fri. rday 8:30-5:00 NCL 6 70S J ston 1225 E. ttual Winston surance Company rULATION *> AA CHAMI * ion mutual surance Co *8 Phone ur Insurant \ c ite t Not Favor tion's guarantees of equal protection. Finally, the court is now stressing the need for proof ._ that.. ? ... ? w3sS. . intent'' or "purpose" as opposed to clear proof of discriminatory "impact," ia January, the Court applied the 44intent'1 ruling^to a ^aseTchalTenging"exclusionary suburban zoning. The. court said that it was not inherently unconstitutional to refuse to change zoning regulations whose real effect is to block racially integrated housing 7~ According to the court's reasoning, for such discrimination to be unconstitutional, there would have to be proof of intention to discriminate. Regardless of the motives in this particular case, there can be no doubt that many suburbs have deliberately manipulated zoning regulations to keep blacks ^>ut. They have not been encouikged to believe that it is safe to Blac k Continued from Page 4 see that "Black Journal" ? , is given sustained prime time showing. Further, every effort should be made to increase such offerings as "Black Journal'* whicfr are in the manifest interest of all Americans* The unprecedented-or all time record-shattering ?success of "Roots" suggests no inconsiderable interest in a corrective redrawing of all black-white realities portrayed almost entirely in mythological 5th Street I -Salem,N.C.I 'S RAMS ...L I Life 1 w 723-0546 I ce Needs I 'able To Cr% continue discriminatory zoning because it will be difficult, if not impossible, to prove an 4ntention to discriminate. The additional barriers for those who are working to achieve racially integrated housing patterns. __ As the zoning decision indicates,- it is becoming increasingly improbable that new and significant civil rights victories can be won in the courts. Indeed, where court decisions make a difference to ? racial progress they are more likely to have a negative impact. The great judicial and legislative victories of the 1950s and 1960s will not be overturned, but new court decisions are likely to protect existing patterns of inequality and privilege. The question is no longer whether litigation or political action offers the best avenue <? to progress for black Americans. Rather it is how the black community and others committed to a just society will Empowermi and ever destructive ways ?for the nation's wholesome image of itself. Indeed, the" F.C.C. (together with t^e White House) and PBS hav* a major and pressing responsibility to correct all of the false formative images of America provided to our white77 and - black youngs : sters daily -on rr-runs of old films which both omit and demean black Americans and other American minorities. Either the re-runs should be halted forthwith. Or major substantial efforts must be made for the production and showing of new films ? fx- ii ?. anuraing . a positive and corrective view of what we as an American people are... and more important, may yet become. * * * If public broadcasting is to justify its ' continued existence, several points become compellingly clear from what has emerged through the "Blark ?experience 1. Public television broadcasting < should not be an end in itself. It must be, or become, a catalyst to the medium as a whole. In order to accomplish this, it <?BTust set the highest standards for itself and fthnw hm.f nn.tr n..t I II, , services to the public may ^ achieved.: 2. Public broadcasting, consequently, can never become a "waste basket", for the unwanted items on commercial television. It must become rather "the nursery basket", / dl Rights react to a new and troubling situation. , Will defeats or lack of progress in the legal sphere apathy, and despair? Or will a clear political strategy, as sophisticated ~ as the^ legal strategies that won victories in the courts, be able tobriogteaewedvitaUt^to^the ? civil rights ^movement? The adverse turn taken by the. Supreme-Court does not mean that racial progress must come to an end. For a long time, the important victories of the civil rights movement* have not been dependent upon judicial decisions. The civil rights legislation of the sixties was a political victory, as was the economic progress that resulted from the Great Society pro grams. Although the legal protection of rights remains essential, the most important needs of blacks today cannot See Supreme, Page 19 ent bringing to the fullest and ?most compelling life new means for the greatest possible public service by the entire television industry. 3. Far more public and private industry monies are needed. So far as "Black Journal" is concert ned, it cannot hope to ^speak?for" all the urgent items about black Americans which may enrich white and black Americans alike in an infinite variety of ways. < In this sense, "Black Jour nal " should have enabling production resources either to move on to commercial television or to prepare "spin off' productions for fho ? v<iv vvujuiciviai njtfuia., * * * 4. Both private industry and the federal government must see that Public Broadcasting is an arm or mechanism for the achievement of ?equity throughout our nation's " life. PBS must begin with -it "Telf, "where blacks-and other minorities-at all levels * should be afforded temporarily disproportionate empowenng opportunities at all levels. This is in fact, the only means toward equity. The leadership at PepsiCola, knowing this, has a leadership responsibility in such matters. ?In this sense, we must sa- " lute "Pepsi" as an old friend, who has come through gallantlv nn "ttiark Journal", and upon whom we must even more greatly rely for far more urgent tasks ahead.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 5, 1977, edition 1
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