ediionaii tcoiMi
Black Theology And Capitalism
By Hoyie M. rviarun Sr.
Post Editorial Writer
An editorial in a recent issue of the
Wall Street Journal reminds us that
while Black Enterprise magazine
(June 1978) lists the top 100 black
owned and-or controlled businesses
in the United States, the largest of
these, Motown Industries, had only
$61 million in sales last year. The
Journal added that to appear on the
Fortune 500 list in 1977 a firm needed
$355 million in sales, or nearly seven
times as much as the largest black
owned firm.
If we can accept this comparison
for the moment as a measure of
black business success, we can
understand why many black enter
prenures are increasingly frustrated
with the difficulties in obtaining
venture caDital. Added tn this is the
bureaucratic webb that inhibits the
effectiveness of the federal office of
Minority Business Enterprise
(OMBE).
It was apparently for this reason
tirait economics professor Dr.
Edwards Irons of Atlanta University
told a University of Pennsylvania
conference recently, "If Black
Americans are expecting the
government or anyone else to give
them the business assets which they
want, they will languish in powerless
and servitude from now until
eternity."
This raises the question of how can
blacks speed up the process of
moving toward economic parity?
The answer appears to lie in the one
institution that blacks completely
». control (assuming a paid-up mort
gage). That institution is the black
church. Dr. Irons put this in
perspective too when he said if black
churches were to pool their financial
resources and identify enough capi
tal they could create business and
jobs.
The Post agrees with Dr. Irons'
assessment of the economic potent
ial of the black church in part
because blacks do totally control it
and in part because'there is ample
evidence to support Iron's conclu
sions. The evidence we are refer
ring to, for example, is "Enterprise
Now," the Atlanta-based Methodist
Church organized agency that acts
as a broker to match black busi
nesses with the capital resources
they need. It is for this reason that
many blacks view Atlanta as a
"Mecca" from black business enter
prise.
Anotner example ot what we
prefer to call the new black theology
is seen in the efforts of Dr. Leon
Sullivan, founder and president of
the national Opportunities Industri
alization Centers, Inc. in Phila
delphia. In addition, as pastor of the
5,000 member Zion Baptist Church,
Dr. Sullivan asked for and received
a $10 investment from each member
with which he built the multi-million
shopping complex called Progress
Plaza. The Plaza provides business
and job opportunities for blacks.
Here in our own community some
evidence exists that local churches
are embracing the new black theo
logy. Friendship Baptist Church has
established a credit union for its
members and a few other churches
have or are building low income
housing units.
Thus, the black church is moving
but needs to move more aggressi
vely to pool its resource and become
a dynamic force in the guest for
economic opportunity and economic
parity because we believe this is a
sure way to help blacks "make it" in
capitoUst America.
l^roposition 13 s Hidden Agenda
Last week's vote l>y Californiens
to cut property tax by 57 percent was
an irresponsible act. The only dung
! more irresponsible was in the failure
'bfth&Sbrte aptHocal governments to
have heeded the warning of the
taxpayers during the three previus
attempts to get "13" on the ballot.
Because of this apparent hostility
between government and the tax
payers numerous hidden agenda
items are evident.
Among these items in the "13"
vote was the ugly spector of racism.
Reportedly, some Southern Cali
forniens charge that their state is
becoming "Mexicanized," and that
Hispanics constitute the largest
single group of public school stu
dents. Furthermore, these voters
contend that within three years the
state will have a 50 percent minority
population of Blacks, Hispanics and
Orientals and they, white-taxpayers,
don't want to pay taxes to support
such people.
A second part of the agenda reveal
that of the assumed $7 billion saving
in taxes, $2 billion will go to the
Federal as taxes and two-thirds of
the total sum will go to corporations,
not homeowners.
Thirdly, the 450,000 job lay-offs
will have a significant impact upon
affirmative action and equality
opportunity programs and on the
frequency and quality of some
public services.
Fourthly, the loss of or redirection
of the use of tax revenue may have a
multiply effect, that is, the 450,000
public employees without jobs will
reduce their demand for consumer
goods which may affect employment
in other areas.
These hidden agenda items are
simply a few examples of the
consequence of poor planning by
both government and the voters.
Columnist R. C. Smith summed the
issue up well in these words, "The
trouble with Proposition 13 is that it
doesn't meet either the issue of
government waste or taxation in the
contest of the reality of contempo
rary American economic life."
'blacks 'reticence to seize the initiative to organize them
COMMUNITIES0 SAID DOUOLAS G. GLASGOW, DEAN OFHOWARD
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, ISA MAJOR FACTOR AND
AN IMPORTANT FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITIES'
UNDEVELOPED STATUS *
POLITICAN
BUSINESSMAN
DOCTORS
LAWYERS
ARTISTS
TEACHERS
MINISTERS
WORKERS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
SOCIAL WORKERS
FRATERNAL GROUPS
FINANCE
COMPUTER SCIENCE
INSTITUTION ADMINISTRATION
ENGINEERING
PLANNING
ARCHITECTURE
BLACK PRESS
The Hack Community Has The Took To Do Job
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Justice Department
Practices Discrimination?
uear sir;
On September 20, 1977, Mr.
Julius Conway Smith was shot
and killed across the street
from the First Ward Grill,
(Pasco's) in the 600 Block of
East 7th Street, Charlotte.
Mr. Terry Lyons was
arrested in March 1978 and
held without bail, but was
later released, about June
1978. Mr. Terry Lyons made
a plea bargin with the investi
gating officers to name Mr.
David Miller as the contract
murder of Mr. Julius Conway
Smith.
Mr.' Terry byooÀ anh Mir.
David Miller Wocfced together
at Kraftco (Sealtest). Mr.
David Miller was the foreman
and had worked with this
company for about 9 years.
Mr. Terry Lyons had worked
with Kraftco (Sealtest) for
about 9 months.
Mr. Terry Lyons, who is
originally from the state at
Bristol, Tenn. was living with
Mr. Julius Conway Smith and
wife Bonnie Smith. Mr. Terry
Lyons and Mrs. Bonnie Marie
were lovers.
It was brought out at the
hearing that Mrs. Bonnie
Marie Smith took out around
$40,000 life insurance on her
husband, pry to his death. Mr.
Terry Lyons testified at the
bearing that he solicted Mr.
David Miller as the contract
murderer to kill Mr. Julius
Conway Smith.
Mr. David was arrested on
April 20, 1978 and charged
with first decree murder, and
released on $10,000 bail. Mrs.
Bonnie ' Marie Smith was
arrested in April and charged
with solicting for murder,
murder, conspiracy to commit
murder. She was relased on
$1000 bail.
On September 20, 1977 Mr.
David Miller, Terry Lyons,
Jessie Clyburn and other co
workers were at work.
Mr. Terry Lyons and Mr.
Jesse Clyburn got off at 7:30
p.m. Mr. David Miller got off
about 9p.m. Mrs. Gale picked
him up at 9 p.m., and carried
him honte. Mr. David Miller
and also Mrs. Gale Miller, Me
wife statfed tha t Mr. -David
Miller did not leave home at
all on September 20,1977.
At 7:30 p.m. Mr. Terry
Lyons carried Mr. Jessie Cly
burn home, and came baclr
and picked him up and carried
him to the First Ward Grill
(Pasco's).
Mr. Terry Lyons and Jessie
Clyburn stated that Mr. Terry
Lyons parked his car across
the street from the First Ward
Grill. While Mr. Jessie Cly
burn was left sitting in the
grill. Mr. Terry Lyons went
across the street to check his
car and came back and asked
Mr. Jessie Clyburn if he knew
anyone that he could get a
booster to start his. car. Mr.
Jemie Clyburn said no.
Mr. Terry Lyons, then call
Mr. Julius Conway Smith to
come to the grill, all the way
from Indian Trail, near Mint
Hill, N.C. to help start his car.
Mr Julius Cnrwav Smith
came into the h irst ward tirul
and got Mr. Terry Lyons and
the two went across the street
to start the car. While the two
were under the hood of the
car, some one came running
out of the dark shooting and
shot Mr. Julius Conway Smith.
Mr. Terry Lyons claims he
saw someone that looked like
Mr. David Miller running.
The shooting happen about 9
p.m. He then called Mrs.
Bonnie Marie Smith who
«rrived before the police. The
poUce wrivtei ab*ut lljp.m. ^
1 teàr the Charlotte Justice
Dept. has shown discrimina
tion in its prictices of bringing
people to justice. Mainly,
Blacks have been discrimina
ted against by the investiga
ting officials making deals
with criminals who's sen
tences are reduce by testify
ing against others. A practice
that any criminal will lie to
receive a reduced sentence.
Innocent Blacks have
always received injustice in
the courts of Charlotte and
Meckenburg County.
It will cost Mr. David Miller
$5,000 to ο be La in the professi
onal counseling of attorney
Authur Goodman, Jr. I plead
to the citizens of the city of
Charlotte, that we speak out
against these injustices
against blacks.
By Rev. Cornell E. Dewberry
2870 Dr. Carver Rd.
Charlotte, NC
1UU1U«I I I u I 1
y Vernon E. J
το%·Μ
Urban Programs Need Tar^etin^
"Targeting" is a new entrant in the jargon
laden vocabulary of public policy. It means
focusing resources and programs op specific
sectors of the nation such as depressed economic
areas or people below the poverty line.
Targeting is an idea whose time has come, but
there is an awful lot of resistance to it. In a
country where everyone is shouting "me too"
there «are few people willing to sit Still for
someone else benefiting from a federal program,
even if their need for that program is demonstra
bly greater.
That s one of the reasons why President
Carter's proposed new urban policy is said to be
running into trouble in the Congress, News
reports indicate that many Congressmen are < φ
unhappy about the formula the Administration is
proposing for some urban aid programs. '
The White House quite rightfy wants to put the
money where it will do the most good. Any urban
program worth the paper it's written on should
focus on the cities most in need - those with the
most poor people, the highest unemployment,
and the most suffering.
That's why the Administration's eligibility
formulas for the proposed urban investment tax
credit and the proposed national development
bank are written to cover about a third of the
nation's communities. Most of the eligibles
would be larger cities in the North. An escape
clause in the formula would provide aid for
depressed sections of healthier cities, but the
bulk of that money would go where it's needed
most
In other words, the Administration is propos
ing to ensure that the scarce funds available for
urban revitalization are targeted where they'll
do the most good. Years ago devotees of more
efficient military spending used to call for "a
bigger bang for a buck." The Administration's
plan is the modern urban equivalent of that
phrase, implying more efficient use of scarce
resources.
But many Congressmen don't see it that way.
They assess every federal spending program
solely on how much money it brings into their ^
district. Which means that it's hard to get ^
s be
Wfb^ftfrprpposed,
21 ' ' *«*
It's that kind of thinking that has helped swell
the federal budget with programs that spend a
lot but don't make a dent in the problems they're
supposed to solve. Revenue sharing is the model
of wasteful use of federal funds. Every political
entity, from the biggest city to the smallest
village, gets a piece of the revenue sharing pie:
The result is that no city gets enough and affluent
suburbs wind up with money that could be used
to improve ghetto schools. I
That approach is not only wasteful, it also
leads to the myth that federal programs don't do
any good. The evidence offered is that programs
like revalue sharing have fUnneled money to the]
cities, which are still in trouble. But the real'
point is that so much money is siphoned off by'
cities and towns that are economically healthy !
that distressed cities don't get nearly enough aid i
to deal with their problems. ' !
Congressmen, especially those representing
districts that can expèct little or no new federal
aid in the Administration's proposed urban
policy, should rise above Drovineial attitiwfea
THE CHARLOTTE POST
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Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878
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c
Common Sense With Problems Of Death
By uerald ο. Johnson
The only time we can go
through life without facing the
tragedy of losing a loved one is
if we are the tragedy. In other
words if we are the mournee
instead of the mourner. Con
sequently, there are steps
each of us should take to ease
the hurt.
What this article will try to
point out are those things we
can do while we are healthy to
insure peace of mind when we
start dropping off. Even
though the proper planning
will not bring anybody back
from the dead it will ease
many of the burdens brought
on by losing a loved one.
Moreover, the proper plan
ning will guarantee that the
mourning is for the deceased.
How many times have you
gone to a funeral and saw
people screaming and holler
ing and crying? Have you
ever wondered why they were
doing this? The answer is
simple. Here are some quotes
I discovered by probing the
inner minds with my x-ray
vision of those individuals in
mourning "How am I going
to pay for all this," "How
could you die and leave me
broke?" "I knew I should've
brought the cheaper casket,"
are Just a few reasons why
people cry at funeral·.
seriously though, you should
plan now for those thing· that
will create a burden if post
poned until a loved one cbee.
Here are some points that
should be looked after well in
advance:
Acquiring a burial plot mus
be done. Buying this piece of
land need not, indeed should
not be ignored until death has
occurred. Purchasing the
plot while death is the farthest
thing from your mind makes
good sense. Plots, Ilk· most
things, come in all shapes,
sizes, prices, etc. Consequent
ly, shopping around far ft plot
can pay off in price and need.
If you purchase a plot to
accomodate someone after
they've died then you are
forced to buy while under
stress and strain. This can
lead to a poor selection.
Planning a price for the
funerals should be done while
all parties are healthy. On· of
the primary reasons funeral
homes make a "killing" Is the
fact that families feel guilty
about burying a loved one
cheaply. "Πιus guilt manifests
itself into dollars. Get rid oi
the guilt end the burial expen
ses can be drastically reduc
ed. To get rid of the guilt
complex only requires plan
ning together what will be an
agreeable amount to spend on
the burial. This way you and
your spouse or whoever will be
aware of your desire· upon
passing. By taking the time to
shop around on what's avail
able before death occurs can
be a money saver. Coats of
caskets, service·, etc, can be
approximated for any future
year by determining the infla
tion rate of aarvices over the
years and using that figure as
a basis for computing future
cocte. While pricing arrange^
ments do not exclude such
services as cremation and
donations of remains to
science
Having an adequate insu
ranee plan is a necessity. I
have done several articles on
insurance policies and I per
sonally feel that insurance is
the best investment bargain
available today. But it is only
effective if you get a plan that
is insurance only. Once you
get an endowment plan then
the bargain is lost But term
insurance is an excellent way
to provide for loved ones once
you are deceased. To guaran
tee that you are adequately
insured a safe rule of thumb is
to purchase six to seven times
your annual salary In cover
age. In other words a person
who make· $10,000 a year
should have a policy of MO,000
to 170,000. This policy is very
expensive If it is anything
other than term insurance.
This is why most people are
underirwured The premium
on a 970,000 term policy will
only purchase 910,000 of insu
rance on an endowment
policy. Who should be insured
creates still another problem.
To insure children is a waste
of resources. Spouses that
aren't major bread winners
should not be insured. Only
insure those people whœe
financial capability will be
missed after death
Making out a win should be
done regardless of how little
you may possess. Most people
have not experienced the legal
hassles that are necessary
when transferring property
from one person to another.
But any property that is in the
name of an individual that
dies must be transferred. A
will alleviates the unnecessa
ry hassles of transferring pro
perty. λ will also alleviates
hassles ss to who has rights to
what. Death brings relatives
out of the closets. They come
out with hands open. A will
closes hands quicker than any
thing else. It will specify what
you want to go and to whom.
Of course a will must be
handled professionally by a
lawyer will cost, but the cost is
lawyer will cost, but hte cost is
negligible to the savings Η will
bring in the long run. Plus, a
lawyer should be able to aid
you with the inheritance taxes
you will be hit with.
To avoid inheritance taxes
the final planning step should
include Joint ownership of
most property with rights of
survivorships This simply
means that your house, cars,
bank accounts, etc. should
have both spouses names on
them and upon death ef one
spouse the other spouse auto
matically owns the property.
This procedure eliminates a
lot of complications that could
arise For instance, afsume
you had a bank account con
taining 12,000. If you d« this
92,000 will be added to your
total worth and about IS per
cent of your net worth will go
to Uncle Sam. This is true
with or without a will. But
with Joint ownership with the
survivorship clause at most
you will have to pay to of the
amount of the property with
the possibility of having to pay
nothing. In our example thOl·
only 91,000 will be added to the
net and depending on the
circumstances possibly not
hing will be added.
I bet you never thought
death could be so complicated
Well, it is. To plan for it now
will avoid a lot of headaches '
.when it happens.
I· I
t