Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / July 3, 1986, edition 1 / Page 5
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
I July 3, 1986 || Page A5 9 Pausing and NORMAL, Ala. - As this na -4ion prepares to commemorate both the 100th "birthday" of the ,LStatue of Liberty and its 110th p "Independence" Day, it would 1 '&o well for African-Americans to 'pause and ponder, rather than 1 f>arty and participate. * ' We must pause and ponder !'*fcven today in 1986 ? for we do ^not yet have much to celebrate. I <sWe still live in a nation which j judges us by the color of our skin '' rather than by the content of our 4 Character. ' We still live in a nation whose : ; policies and laws result in black -'folk being arrested and jailed at Ltrates three times those of whites; ' fe nation where unemployment, r i crime and drug addiction are at epidemic proportions in our ' neighborhoods; a nation where ?' 'justice is dispensed on the basis * tof the size of one's bank account *' or of one's skin color; a nation " w'where the black infant mortality ?t rate is nearly three times that of 'whites; a nation which daily inr"" Winston-Sal An independent, loc I-i NIWSROOM: Robin Barksi editor; Karen M. Hannon, t ? . H. Bichsel Truhon, copy e< SPORTS; David Bulla, spor PHOTOGRAPHY: James Pt Blue, Joe Daniels. ADVIRTISINO: Julie Perry Art Blue, Wenna Yvette Jai OFPICK STAFF: Stephanie Verisia West. PRODUCTION: Vinson De\ manager, Tim Butner, Keitl <t . Bichsel Truhon. CIRCULATION: Jacqueline Blandelia McMoore, Angel < ]tu v- >??.?. ' -vi fwfec SECG * A . . s n | r ? . 1 , / I t f * - - ' L J (. a ? : f 'T r c? . i I J.ViXvTi^H >*'*?/** ' ,''-m* v'. jfc?H^'- >.J1 : t^:-T-~ *> V*/ -.4^: . ^ M?mb*r F.Dil.C. f m I HE FORUM pondering on CLIFTON 1. QUA VIS Jl Chronicle Columnist suits 25 million of our people ..JaL !a. 1 ?.. .Ill ...111. wiin us unnoiy anionic wun racist South Africa. It is against this backdrop of historic oppression and presentday repression of our people's hopes and aspirations that we pause and ponder as our tallow citizens honor "Lady Liberty." We should be mindful that while progress has been made, we as African-Americans have yet to receive our piece of the pie, have yet to achieve the dream. Thus, as we pause and ponder, let us remember the words of black abolitionist Robert Purvis, who, as an organizer of the First Annual Convention of Free Colored People in Philadelphia in 1857, admonished us: "We owe no allegiance to a country which grinds us under its iron hoof and treats us like _ dogs.'? em Chronicle ? ally owned newspaper jale, community news yplst; John Hinton; Yvonne litor; Cheryl Williams. ts editor. irker, photo editor; Art , advertising manager; mes. Walls, Fernice Wardlaw, vberry, production h Holland, Yvonne H. ) Hale, Harry McCants, a Ross, James Dixon. l (...??'? r* 1 ? SKWIAl NDHPI* ^ i " ' ' '"'I'"' 'i * * .*?# ' ^ " P^^^f4/^- >#2S*. - ,.. _r w ' v |j^^ I More opinions, columns and features. the Fourth I. ' But, in this writer's opinion, the best analysis of why we -- the yet oppressed descendants of slaves ? should be subdued rather than festive as the national celebration nears comes from the pen Of the great orator, statesman and human rights activist Frederick Douglass. In his memorable, insiohtfnl Fourth of July oration, delivered to a predominantly white audience in Rochester, N.Y., in 1852, Douglass presented an argument as applicable to present-day conditions as it was in pre-Civil War America. Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, the often quoted, yet never outmoded, words of Frederick Douglass: "What to the slave is your Fourth of July? It is a day that reveals to him, more than any other day of the year, the gross Vouchers: A f NEW YORK - The Reagan administration recently proposed that current federal aid to educa tion for the poor should be replaced by a system of educational vouchers. Poor families would use them to purchase education for their children at public or private schools. The trouble witfi that superficially seductive idea is that it won't improve education for poor children, and it very well could harm it. The current program now costs about $3.2 billion per year, and while the funding is far below what is needed to do the job, the * * , c 1 HAsTh 1EBEO r* P^^giji ^Hv"' - ' W '-'; BBPI^&^#^- ; ' Hp:^ ;as^85$vC??;'. - > *. , ??? *' ^ a LJ .'< " ' . i*j.;. '/; i*' <rV ' J?' : m . . . ? .. - . 7: *'tli S*.' ,V;'^ % ' M '^"4 7 ' ? J* * ^ ** .*> '$"*> * -v^ -:^v V: 4 I I. injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. "To him, your celebration is a sham. Your boasted liberty, an unholy license. Your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery. "Your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless. "Your prayers, and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings are to him mere fraud, bombast, deception, impiety and hypocrisy. A thin veil to cover up way to privat TO BE EQUAL By JOHN JACOB program is working. It has been credited with the rise in black scores on standardized achievement tests. That program would be replaced by vouchers worth $600 -- far below the cost of virtually all private schools. Even if they do serve as an incentive for private schools to admit poor students, very few would be admitted. Most likely, private schools would skim the best and the brightest, leavine averaop O I - 0 . w . eLoan ~ v?? ; 7 * * w ...! .',,y' 1 itti ' |i J^j8y| J i|DY "lL* ^ii crimes that would disgrace a nation of savages. "There is not a nation on this earth guilty > of crimes more vicious and bloody than are the v people of these United States - at this very hour. "Go where you may, search where you will ..T search out all the abuses of this world. And when you have found the last, lay your facts by the everyday prac- tices of this nation, and you will ize the public, youngsters and problem students to the public schools. I he result can only weaken the public schools and further deprive them of citizen support. Supporters of vouchers argue that since the public schools will be forced to compete for voucher money, they'll improve. Maybe they will, and maybe they won't. Problems like rigid administrative structures, belowstandard physical plants and indifference to student needs won't be changed by a system that offers an incentive for families to abandon the public schools. . Even if the administration's VMlL'fVj .> HI? MM 111 1 * ? [When [RSTpR ?$* . .. v&K>* I|iywp|l t i I 4 atstu* agree with me -- that for revolting barbarity . and shameless hypocrisy ? America reigns without a rival!" Amen, Brother Douglass. Think about it ? and act accordingly. The struggle continues. A native-of_ Winston-Salem, * ; Clifton E. Graves Jr. is director of universfty relations at Alabama A&M University. schools i plan is passed, the vast majority of poor children will continue to be educated in the public schools. \nd those schools need more than a voucher system to shape up. The voucher plan would offer some individuals the opportunity to attend private schools when the nation's priority should be making the public schools provide quality education for all children, p Government exists to provide services all citizens desire and need for societyls good. Of these, education is among the most imPlease see pag? A1?, .' ??. i.mi i n.nm ? Th/ff ' [ORITY. When it's time to buy the house or condo for your getaway at the beach, lake or mountains, the place to go for the money is Wachovia.. We're offering mortoaopq that arp hnth Apy ? r>~r">?" ? :? * ,,w* ible and convenient, at J rates that are the lowest | in years. And at Wachovia, you'll get a fast response on your loan, so you o can have that vacation V home without unnec- _____ essary delays. That's why, when it's time bra second home, there's good reason to come to Wachovia first. Stop by and talk to a Personal Banker. Wachovia. Where themonevls I coming from. i
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 3, 1986, edition 1
5
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75