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cioiiûis £ commcnu THE POST - 101 Years Of Service By Hoy le Martin Sr. Poet Editorial Writer .. We_bave observed in this column before that John Russworm and Samuel E. Cornish pioneered the field of black journalism in Ameri ca. These men co-founded the Freedom's Journal in 1827. In their first issue they wrote, "We plead our cause," that is, the cause of freedom from servitude to a freedom of self development through education, thrift, and hard work. From these humble beginnings, the Black Press in America today comprises about 385 weekly and five daily newspapers. These news papers employ nearly 6,000 people and have a circulation of approxi mately 11 million, included m this brief historical summary, we are proud to note, is the 101 years of service provided by The Charlotte Poet. created in 1877 as a church newspaper called the Messanger, _ the paper was shortly thereafter re-named The Charlotte Post and transformed into a general black oriented weekly publication. Thus, since before the turn of the century, the Charlotte Post has been a vital voice reporting on the events and activities of special interest groups. However, the Post, like many simi lar publications, has through the years protested Jim Crow laws and other forms of racial, social and or, economic injustice. Through the years, beginning with A.M. Houston, the late Dr. Nathaniel Tross and the current managing editor-publisher Bill Johnson, the Charlotte Post has continued its commitment to providing news coverage of areas too often over looked, ignored, misunderstood or distorted by the larger white oriented daily newspapers. Further more, the Post has maintained a dedicated commitment to dignity and lyiman people. : Black Community When Bill Johnson purchased the Post in June of 1974 from the General Publishing Company he said, "The Charlotte black commu nity needs a voice that mirrors the opinions of the community. We want the Post to provide services which the daily papers do not offer. These services to the black community will include information, education, and entertainment. We hope that the Charlotte Post will be able to influence community life." Thus, as The Charlotte Post cele brates its fourth anniversary under the leadership of Willie L. (Bill) Johnson and its 101 year of service to the Charlotte community, we believe the mission - to mirror community opinion - is being met. Since the success of the Post has had to depend upon the efforts of many, we wish to "thank you" - our readers - for your generous support, patience, understanding and cons tructive criticism. We hope that you will continue to contribute to the Post in this way so that we might make a good newspaper a better newspaper. We wish to thank also the Poets 16-member staff for the dedication to the production of a newspaper of the highest quality. Their untiring efforts are seen in the growing number of subscriptions, letters-to the-editor, comments, and advertis ing sold that are such a vital part of the success Of any newspaper. Furthermore, we wish to thank those who advertise in the Post as without their interest and business there would be no Post. Job Well Done Thus, as we pause this week to reflect on our past and say thanks for a job well done, we are neverthe less mindful of the continued exist ence of injustice such as the recent Supreme Court decision that allows police search of newspaper offices. These developments and other like them remind us that the Post cannot and will not sit on it's success, but rather must seek to do an even better job of educating and inform ing our readers of those events that will have an impact upon their lives and that of their children. Finally, we wish to note, as we did in this column on the 150th annivers ary of the Black Press last year. A newspaper, like any other business, cannot survive on its past accom plishments; it is what it is doing today, and plans to do tomorrow,, that determines its success or fail ure. Black people, we believe, must do more to insure the continued existence and success of the black press. To do less would be to abandon a vital voice in your never ending struggle for equality .of opportunity and human rights. The Poet salutes you one and all for being in some way a part of our efforts and thus the reason for our existence. We hope for this reason that the Post has in some small way made your life none fulfilling and productive. We remain your com munity servant. Something On Your Mind? Something on your mind is the name of a column devoted to you - the young at heart readers of this newspaper - as long as it relates in some way to young people, regard less of age. It will be written by you and about whatever is on your mind! So, if you have something to say ...WRITE ON! Some subjects that may be of special interest to you are: Drugs, Generation Gap, Welfare, Gangs, Schools, Going Steady, Police, Revo lutions, Whites, Blacks, Integration, Busing, Draft. God. etc. PEOPLE CREATE < NEIGHBORHOOD// pOLL^mzâ And Only You Can Prevent It! Thoughts On The Bakke Decision By Bayard Rustin Contrary to our worst fears, the Supreme Court's decision in the controversial Bakke case clearly upholds the prin ciple of affirmative action. While firmly rejecting the racial quota system used by the University of California at Davis, the Court simultane ously approved flexible and equitable affirmative action programs. The decision was, to use the words of Benjamin Hooks, "a clear-cut victory for voluntary affirmative action, not only in the field of admis sions to schools and universi ties, but in other civil rights areas as well." But the Bakke decision is in on all aspects ep-epirniatJvp action. True, the Court oeci' sively rejected strict and rigi dly-imposed racial quota systems. However, the Court's opinion is filled with dozens of unresolved ambigui ties and gaps. Just as the 1354 Brown decision did not end litigation regarding school desegregation cases, we can be certain that the Bakke decision will not end legal challenges to varying forms of "reversediscrimination." We are only at the beginning. As I see it, we in the civil righs movement are now con fronted with one over whelming challenge: We must use the Court's decision as a foundation for advancing authentic affirmative action programs. In the wake of Bakke, we have unparalleled opportunity to counter the widespread and destructive belief that racial quotas and affirmative action are the same thing. As a result of the Bakke discussion, Americans - both black and white - are at least beginning to understand that minorities do not seek "preferential treatment." Quite the contrary, they seek fair treatment. Now that the Court has ruled on the Bakke case, supporters of affirmative action must once again seize the initaitve. As a start, I propose that we free ourselves from the old obsession with quotas and numerical targets. The Court has clearly ruled that racial quotas are illegal and uncon stitutional. If we now attempt to cleverly devise de facto quota systems tailored to fit the legal limits set by the Court, we will only deceive ourselves. Strict legality, as Uack, people have cruelly leafcved is never a guarantee ibf ffurness, or effectiveness Rather than relying on dis credited and highly unpopular racial quota systems, the civil rights movement now has a serious obligation to examine and develop creative forms of affirmative action. For in destroying the popular mis conception that affirmative action systems are designed to advance "incompetent blacks" at the expense of white people, we will be creat ting the proper atmosphere for the expansion of authentic affirmative action. When I speak of authentic affirmative action, I have in mind several highly success ful outreach programs such as the Recruitment and Training Program, Minority Women's Employment Program, the Urban League's LEAP, the Human Resources Develop ment Institute and the para professional program spon sored by the United Federa tion of Teachers. These pro erams, unlike simple quota systems, provide blacks and other minorities with valuable job skills that facilitate fair and equal competition in the labor market. All this is accomplished without stigma tizing blacks as "special cases," without diluting fair and acceptable standards, and without provoking widespread anger about "preferential treatment" and "reverse dis crimination. Because of our pre-occupa tion with quotas, we in the black community have never organized a thorough discus sion of the goals and techni ques of affirmative action. In the past, our .approach has been oveçly CJtrrçw. an^emo- r tioo-Jadi > jCScver, it is imperative that we have a discussion, not only among ourselves but with our allies in the labor movement, the libe ral community, and other ethnic groups. As we learned from the civil rights struggle, black Americans are power less without allies. Unless we build a solid constituency for affirmative action, we will have only ourselves to blame for its failure. Black Caucus Washington, D.C.-The Court's decision in Bakke today is complex, and there may be a tendency to focus on the order that Bakke be admitted to the Davis Medical School. How ever, the real impact of the Bakke decision is in that the majority of the Court upheld the use of race as a factor in university affirmative action programs The practical im pact of today's decision is to uphold most university affirmative action programs. ι By vernon ε. Jordan jrj TO BE EQUAL Bakke Decision Has Positivée Why the great rush to interpret the Supreme tourt's Bakke decision as being bad for blacks? We Lose" headlines in the black press and gleeful "Bakke Wins" headlines in the majority tress both miss the point of the decision. I don't think the Court should have turned lown the admissions program at the University tf California at Davis, but it did. The real mportance of the decision however, was not the .triking down of a single program, but the Court's affirmation that race may be used as a actor in admissions programs. Not only did the Court give its constitutional )lessings to the kinds of affirmative action )rograms in effect in nearly all of our nation's educational and employment institutions, but it :larified the limits of such programs. By setting such boundaries, the Court's action should result in increased use of affirmative action programs. In the larger context then, whether Bakke gets into the school of his choice or whether the University's program is upheld or not becomes less important than the preservation of the principle of affirmative action programs that use race as a factor in allocating entrance to schools. Sure, it would have been a lot better if tiie Court upheld the admissions system in question. It almost did just that. Four justices would have approved the University's program as constitu tional. The swing judge in the 5-4 decision, Justice Powell, didn't go along. Justice Powell rejected rigid racially-based affirmative action programs but went out of his way to cite some examples of successful programs that meet the Court's standards of constitutionality. In effect he was saying: "Look, you can't do it this way, but here's an example of how you can give minorities prefe rence." So the Court's majority, in rejecting one such program, gave most present affirmative action programs its seal of approval. So blacks and minorities didn't "lose" the Bakke Case. We may not have won the victory we wanted, but we averted the defeat that would truly have ÎëSE^qWRhiwa - >ά) nohhg-i that invalidated raCfe~1S*S fafcW Irt afflrmatfV^' action. il uie court naa ruiea, ior example, mai sucn programs must be open to all disadvantaged people, the sheer numbers of the white disadvan taged would have squeezed out minorities from those programs, freezing minority disadvantage into intolerable permanence. The Court wisely rejected such a step. It understood that, as Justice Marshall eloquently wrote in his opinion, "It is because of a legacy of unequal treatment that we must now permit the institutions of this society to give consideration to race in making decisions about who will hold. the positions of influence, affluence and prestige in America. And Justice Blackmun, widely regarded as one of the Court's conservatives, backed the Univer sity's system of outright numerical set-asides for minorities. He wrote: "In order to go beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently. We cannot - we dare not - let the Equal Protection Clause perpetrate racail supre macy." Proposition 13: No Laughing Matter THE CHARLOTTE POST "THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER" Established 1918 Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 1524 West Blvd.-Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephones (704) 376-0496, 376-0497 Circulation, 9,915 60 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE Bill Johnson Bernard Reeves Hoyle H. Martin Sr....·. Julius Watson Albert Campbell Editor-Publisher General Manager Executive Editor Circulation Director Advertising Director Second CTass Postage No. 965500 Paid At Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878 Member National Newspaper Publishers Association Morth Carolina Black'Publishers Association Deadline for all news copy and photos is 5 p.m. MOnIlT All photos and copy submitted becomes the property of the POST, and will not be returned. National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc 46 W. 5Ul Suite 1403 2400 S Michigan Ave New York, N.Y. 10036 Chicago, III 60616 (211) 480-12» _ Calumet 5-0200 By Benjamin L. Hooks Special to the Poet As the «tory goes when Howard Arnold Jarvii launched his crusade for a drastic cut in property taxes IS years ago, politicians laughed at him. They felt certain that residents of the Maverick State would not want to see any such action that would lead to sizable reductions in public service·. Well, as we have seen from the nationwide rush to jump onto the bandwagon following California's adoption of Pro position 13 last month, politi cians are not laughing any more. Across the nation, public officials and private citizens aliltc, are earnestly aaaessing the causes that led to the overwhelming succeaa of the Jarvis-Gann movement. The first reality they must face ia, with the loss of 17 billion in revenue, Californiens must scramble to find alternate funding nources But. did Proposition 13 have to happen1* One mistakeble factor in the •approval of Proposition 13 was racism Proposition 13 lead er* were most outspoken against the use of public funds for welfare and other service· that were targeted for the poor. Many voters also cast their ballots under the mistaken notion that Proposition 19 would affect the poor and not them But although welfare has always been a favorite target for conservative· and Inaenat tive public officiate, it Is doubtful that the Jarvis-Gatm movement could have suc ceeded without the burden some Impact of exorbitantly high property tex^e Looking at other factors in California, we see that the State had · whopping Κ billion budget surplus. At the same time public officials showed little or no concern for the skyrocketing increases in pro perty assessments and taxes each year. With one of the most efficent tax asftéfcwnent systems in the nation, they simply kept on raising taxes each year to pay for needed as well as unheed ed services. For it should follow that, with a budget surplus as large as Californ ia's, there would be little incentive to be cost conscious Benjamin L. Hooks ...NAACP Director We have H, a» »·* m (M U, brother· and sister*, seemed to have been the byword. Under such circumstance· It la lit tie wonder that Cali fornia did not move to roll back taxea much sooner The only tragedy la that by taking such sweeping action aa adopting a constitutional amendement, voters are strik ing at those least able to bear the burden of their anger aa well as at those moat reapona ible for the revolt. Theee were state and local public officiate. So, faced with an increas ingly rebellious mood within the state and the nation, mino rities as well as teachers, firemen, police, and munici pal workers at all categories cen expect even more difficult time· ahead. Minorities must therefore be careful about attributif* the California Revolt primari ly to racism or claaeism. Certainly racism waa a factor. But It was not the only am. Neither was it most the most Important one. Aa responsible citlsens, ί I _ ΛL _ a#; 11 a L _^ _ L· . tt. k Diacw win uwmori nave w assume a more vigorous rote not only In the area of civil rights, but also in working for responsible, effecient local government. Blacks have always been concerned about the oepratione of their govern ment, of course. But, as the large number of unregistered voter· will show, we es s people can do much more to ensure that public officials st all levels spend our tax dollars with greater care. Blacks must enter even more fully the mainstream of their communities, creating watchdog committee· and civic group·. They must become ombudsmen and seek election to more public office·. It 1· only through »uch exercise οf responsible citi zenship that we can be better Public Hearing Si The Charlotte City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, July M at I p.m. In the Council Chamber at City Hall for the purpoae of hearing citizen·' commenta and sug gestion on proposed changes to the rate structure for the Charlotte·Mecklenburg Utility Department The proposed rate· hav# been developed following a cost of service and rata struct ure study conducted by the Arthur Young and Company for the Community FaciliUee Committee (CFC). The CFC is s five member committee appointed to advise local ' government on proposed changea In rataa and policies of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Utility Depart-' ment. ; ' Persons who wish to speak ; at the hearing should contact the Office of the City Clerk, I City Hall, 600 Eaat Trade Street, telephone 374-2347 by noon the da ν of the hearing 1 prepared to help temper such destructive current· m are now «preedlng under the guise of taxpayer revolt·. it On Water Rain ν Comment· may be made orally or submitted la writing. Coptes of the Artaur Young report and the propossd ratas are available tor public In spection at ths Public Service and Information Department located In the baaenent of City Hall For the delivery of THE CHARLOTTE FOOT in your neighborhood, caU the Circu lation Department Μ ΟΜβ.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 13, 1978, edition 1
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