CMU tcoM1
i
i
Economics Determines Goal Choices
-Blacks gave expanding and stren
gthening programs of historical pre
servation a 6th priority while whites
gave it a second.
-Blacks gave a second ranking to a
committment to a system of opening
housing, whites gave it a seventh
ranking.
-Blacks gave a second priority to
providing career opportunities to
meet all skill and educational levels,
whites gave it a 5th priority.
-The promoting of early detection
and treatment of such diseases as
glaucoma, diabetes and sickle cell
anemia was ranked second by
blacks and seventh by whites.
-Whites indicated that increased
fiiuiiiill&Tsupport for education and
training programs deserved only 7th
ranking while blacks gave it a se
cond ranking.
-Finally, blacks gave a three rank
ing to creating a publiclv controlled
community bus system while whites
ranked it only sixth.
These ranking or priorities as
viewed by blacks and whites were
consciously or unconsciously a re
flection of the financial strength of
the two groups.
Blacks, for example, have been
struggling for years to gain a access
to adequate decent housing in-neigh
borhoods of their own choosing. This
is evident in part in the recent 8-0
decision by the U. S. Supreme Court
to allow the building of low-income
housing in predominantly white su
burbs. A second and equally impor
tant aspect of the need for “open
housing” is that many industries
holding jobs that blacks desire are
re-locating in the suburbs. There
fore, blacks have little time for
concern with the luxury of historical
preservation.
Secondly, since blacks have al
ways been discriminated against in
educational and job opportunities it
is only natural that they would give a
high priority rating to providing
career opportunities to meet all skill
and education levels as well as favor
quite strongly greater financial sun
port of education and training
Thirdly, since the majority of
blacks have less income and there
fore less health insurance, it is
clearly understandable as to why
they would favor the promoting of
early detection and treatment of
certain diseases, especially diseases
that affect them largely as an ethnic
group such as sickle cell anemia.
Lastly, and again because of limi
ted income, blacks strongly favor a
publicly controlled bus system be
cause they make up the vast major
ity of the more than 29,000 people
who ride the bus daily and believe
that a public system will be more
responsive to their needs.
With an understanding of these
few facts there should be no surprise
in why blcks and whites differ rather
significantly on at least 10 per cent
of the 105 proposed community
goals.
It would be wise too for our elected
officials to consider the influence of
economic forces when studying is
sues of community-wide concern
and thus be better able to under
stand that many issues that appear
to divide the races are not for racial
reasons as such but rather for eco
nomic reasons.
Thanks To Local Churches
The Charlotte Post wishes to ex
press its sincere thanks for the
outstanding work done by the follow
ing churches, in the recent Easter
Church Rebate Promotion. They
were Friendship Baptist, 3301 Beat
ties Ford Rd.; Greater Mt. Sinai
Baptist, 1243 West Blvd.; Mayfield
Memorial Baptist, 700 Sugar Creek
Rd.; Silver Mount Baptist, Old Pine
ville Rd.; and Statesville Avenue
United Presbyterian, 2806 States
ville Ave.
Mayfield Memorial Baptist
Church secured the most new sub
scribers with Friendship Baptist fin
ishing a close second. The promo
tion, which The Post donated 18
percent of a years subscription cost
back to the church, will undoubtedly
add extra revenue for needy pro
jects.
If your church did not participate
in this promotion it missed out on a
real good fund raiser. We’ll have
another promotion coming up short
ly so read The Post and be ready.
OWN DESTRUCTION THAN ANY
FORCE OUTSIDE US COULD
DO. HAS DONE.
CLAYTONR/LEY
LIBERATOR
Blacks9 Have To Become Mwe Responsible
leto to me editor
Outcome Of Miss CMBP Questionable
The outcome of the "Miss
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Bicen
tennial Pageant” that was
held on March 26 at Queen’s
College Dana Auditorium, was
questionable for many specta
tators and even more disap
pointing for the four black
contestants. Many unans
wered questions are still lin
gering in our minds.
From the outset I had my
doubts about any decisions
coming from the chosen panel
of judges. Who was respon
sible for the selection of the
judges? Why were there no
black judges since nearly one
third of the contestants were
black or were the black parti
cipants only used to portray a
colorful picture on the stage
with no meaningful represen
tation?
Who is qualified to say that a
judge is capable of rating one
talent over another? What ap
pears to be talent to the judges
may not necessarily be talent.
If fifty percent of a contes-,
tant's chances of winning are
being determined by her ta
lent, ten to fourteen years of
training in dancing, piano or
ballet don't necessarily indi
cate natural talent. Does it? It
only says that one contestant
was fortunate or wealthy
enough to afford lessons most
of her life. Should an indivi
dual be awarded the title of
Queen or second runnpr-un
because of their economic sta
tus? And should others be
made to suffer for their mis
fortunes? Some contestants
couldn’t afford the luxury of
ballet lessons, but were just as
talented. Some couldn't afford
three elaborate gowns, but
were just as appealing in their
swimsuits. There is some dis
crepancy in what standards
the judges were actually us
ing, because they were appa
rently more inpressed by ma
terial (value) things and pro
ducts of the affluent society.
A line from one contestant's
song seems appropriate,
“They’re writing songs of
love...”
The meeting places, social
functions, and even the pa
geant did not indicate much
fairness to all participants.
Why counldn’t the event have
been held in a more centra
lized location such as the Civic
Center or the Sheraton.
It will be sometime before
such a pageant will truly be
for black people and the less
fortunate unless some
changes are realized.
I also feel that there could
be some changes in the award
ing of gifts. If an award can be
given for Miss Congeniality
then one should also be given
to the most deserving contes
tant.
I am not saying that the four
black contestants wished to
walk away with the top a
wards, but l am certain that
they wanted their time and
efforts represented in some
way in the final analysis.
The recent trip of UNCC’s
Basketball team to the NIT
should have shown the people
of Charlotte that black people
can bring glory to this area if
they were just given a chance
to participate outside this
area.
To the four black contes
tants, this experience should
be a stepping stone instead of
a stumbling block. We hope
that this won’t discourage any
of you, but inspire you to
greater heights, because you
are truly talented and with the
desire, determination and ta
lent displayed on Friday the
26th of March you’ll be the
real winners in the future.
Continue Elaine Asbury, Ro
saline Cook, Elmira Houston,
and Ouida Byrd, we the black
populous of Charlotte are be- i
hind you one hundred percent.
To the Charlotte-Mecklen
burg Jaycees, we leave you
with this thought:
WHY NOT GIVE CREDIT
WHERE CREDIT IS DUE?
BLACKS HELPED BUILD
AMERICA,TOO!!!
--Black, William, student of
MIT
—White, Algia, Student of
By Hoyle H. Martin, Sr.
Post Editorial Editor
A report released earlier this
month by the Dimensions For Char
lotte-Mecklenburg offers some new
insights into people’s attitudes to
ward 105 community goals.
Specifically, the report represents
the opinions and viewpoints of 11,818
Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents -
nearly 5 per cent of the adult popu
lation - who listed in priority order 12
categories of community goals such
as health, communication, econo
my, transportation, government and
social service. Approximately 8,780
whites and 2,207 blacks responded to
the survey.
While it has been noted that blacks
and whites differ on a number of
goals in terms of which are consid
ered the most important, no mention
has been made of the fact that
economic forces largely influenced
those differences.
A review of the proposed goals
reflects the influence of economics:
THE CHARLOTTE POST
“THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER”
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Published Every Thursday
By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc.
2606B West Blvd.-Charlotte, N.C. 28208
Telephones (704) 392-1306, 392-1307
Circulation 11,000
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Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878
Member National Newpaper Publishers
Association
North Carolina Black Publishers Association
Deadline for all news copy and photos is 5 p.m
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! photos or news copies submitted for publication.
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Amalgamated Publishers, Inc.
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I
By Gerald O. Johnson
Post Staff Writer
In a recent Press Release by
the Southern Regional Council
Statistics were used to refute
the Widely held belief that
desegregation is a failure.
The report entitled, “School
desegregation: A report card
from the South, ” examines in
detail the school desegrega
tion experience in five south
ern cities and looks briefly at
what has happened in six o
thers. Mr. John Egerton was
the principal author of the
report.
The school systems examin
ed in detail were the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg County,
North Carolina; Williamsburg
County. South Carolina; Clark
County (Athens), Georgia;
Little Rock, Arkansas; Hills
borough County (Tampa),flo
reporters in Anniston, Alaba
The brief reports came from
reporters in Anniston, alaba
ma; Austin, Texas; Bogalusa,
Louisiana; Nashville (David
son County), Tennessee; Nor
folk, Virginia; and Meridan,
Mississippi
I
mi _ _ ■ _
asiscci
School Desegregation In Retrospect
The report emphasizes that
the South still has problems
related to school desegrega
tion, but it has made vast
progress Moreover, since
heavy opposition has risen
against the implementation of
school desegregation in the
North, the South's progress is
threatened.
Included in the report are
preliminary results ot opinion
surveys conducted by the In
stitute For Social Research at
Florida State University and
the Southern Regional Coun
cil.
The survey was to deter
mine school principals and
superintendents opinions on
how desegregation has work
ed in their districts.
Following are some of the
results of the survey.
When asked "How, if at all,
desegregation had interrupted
the educational process?” the
officials answered: (1) Super
intendents; 36 percent said no
interruptions, 54 percent said
minimum interruptions, and
10 percent said very disrup
tive. (2) ■ Principals; 30 per
cent said no interruptions, 61
percent said minimum inter
I
and 5 percent said it resulted
in white flight.
When asked "How has the
quality of education been af
fected by school desegrega
tion” the officials answered:
(1) Superintendents; 54 per
cent said the quality is better,
36 percent said it was ther
same, and 10 percent said it
was worse, since desegrega
tion. (2) Principals; 42 per
cent said it was better 34
percent said it was the same,
and 24 percent said it was
worse since desegregation.
Finally, when asked about
the long term effects of school
desegregation in the commu
nities served by the schools,
the officials answered: (i)
Superintendents. 45 percent
said it had had a positive
effect, 45 percent said it had
had no effect either way and 10
percent said it had had a
negative effect. (2) Princi
pals; 46 percent said it had
had a positive effect, 44 per
cent said it had had no effect
either way, and 10 percent
said it had had a negative
effect.
Similar attitudes were con
cluded from a similar survey
ruptions, and » percent said
'very disruptive.
When asked “Had desegre
gation affected white enroll
ment" the officials answered:
(1) Superintendents; 22 per
cent said large numbers had
left the school system, 74 per
cent said there was no notice
able difference, and 4 percent
said it resulted in white flight.
(2) Principals; 13 percent said
desegregation brought with
drawals of large numbers of
whites 82 percent said there
was no noticeable difference
Black Bicentennial????
We live at a vep^ special moment
in history as living participants in
the commemoration of the two hun
dredth anniversary of the birth of
this nation. Yet I earnestly wonder,
how many of us who are celebrating
this occasion are also paying tribute
to those Black Americans who have
distinquished themselves in service
to both their people and their coun
try.
In this year of bicentennial festivi
ty, Americans of various races and
of all persuasions are becoming
intoxicated with the philosophical
dream ofjustice and liberty. Lost in #
the euphoria is the tragic fact that
for large segments of the American
populus, the bi-centennial dream of
1776 is still only a dream today.
I am reminded of the very gifted
Frederick Douglas who once said:
“Above your national, tumultuous
joy, I hear the mournful wail of
millions, whose chains, heavy and
grevious yesterday, are today ren
dered more intolerable by the jubi
lee shouts that reach them.” He
shared that insightful wisdom when
asked to deliver an address marking
uic f oui Anniversary ot America s
birth. Today, though many of the
chains and shackles which so cha
racterized the lives of Douglass’
contemporaries and our forefathers
are no longer visible, the progress is
indeed suspect.
When the founders of this Republic
were called upon to frame the De
claration of Independence, they
drafted ordinances declaring their
independence, guaranteeing protec
tion, equal privileges, equal oppor
tunity and equal rights to all citi
zens—except blacks. It was clear at
that time that no other premise
could secure freedom and indepen
dence for the American people, the
question was whether they would
included all Americans in realizing
the fruits of liberty. >
If nothing else, the history of the
past two hundred years has proven
that to deny those principles is to
endanger the very foundation of
government. It seems very clear to
me that whenever a government
fails to secure for all its citizens that
which it guaranteed, then that go
vernment is nearing dangerous
grounds. When those guarantees are
denied to some-a fundamental prin
ciple of government is abused, dis
torted, and abandoned. And like a
cancer, it will continue to grow and
spred until finally it gnaws at the
nation’s most critical organs.
In my opinion, the character and
conduct of this nation toward Black
Americans has moved from open
hostility to quiet indifference. Whe
ther we turn to the declarations of
the past, or to the professions of the
present, the conduct of this nation
seems equally revolting.
The celebration of this country’s
independence primarily reveals the ^
immeasurable distance, the great
disparity, between Black and white
America
administered to more than 500
individuals in the region in
cluding teachers, students,
and elected officials,
An interesting part of this
survey revealed that 73 per
cent of those surveyed felt that
busing had been a positive
experience and only 19 per
cent felt it to be a negative
experience.
«■* a
In the report, Mr. Egerton,
in referring to the Charlotte
Mecklenburg School System,
writes,"After years of tur
moil, Charlotte today seems to
1 be ‘At least resigned to and at
most comfortable with a state
of affairs that few cities have
fully experienced: STABIL -
ITY, PROGRESS, BUSING,
AND RACIAL BALANCE IN
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS .“
Well, as I see it the report is
a clear indication that by all
people working together for a
common goal school desegre
gation can and does work. Of
course there will be problems
but currently anti-bussing foes
are blowing the problems out
of proportion.
Politicians are using this
issue as a campaign item cau
sing another conflict. It is
ironic that in a world where
the only thing constant is
change people constantly re
sist change. Even when the
change could be for the better.
There is no fear in my mind
that the anti-desegregation
movement will get enough mo
mentum to overturn the a
chievements made by those
communities working dili
gently to do wl^at is right for
all people.
There is disgust in my heart,
however, that the forces of
anti-desegregation will delay
strides of progress that could
be already taking place.
I do feel fortunate, though,
that I happen to live in a
rather progressive City...
Charlotte.
Ten years ago the nation
turned against the South’s seg
regation policies and forced
them to be where they are
today. It is now time for the
South to turn against the na
tion’s segregation policies in
hopes of forcing them into
realization of where they
could be tomorrow.