Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Aug. 10, 1978, edition 1 / Page 2
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clonals t connu j The Generation Paradox By Hoyle H. Martin Sr. Noted historian Lerone Bennett Jr. says in the August issue of Ebony magazine that a major un reported story deals with the emer gence of a new generation of Black Americans "with perceptions, new values and a new and different orientation to blackness and white ness." t%AAn of "new Black men and...women," who are unscared by the ravages of brute segregation, have been shaped and molded by a strange new world of monolithic technologies and shift ing racial boundaries." In essence, the new generation of new Black men and women is adjusting to and is a part of the technologies of the '70s and '80s and the coming Twenty-first Century. It is a genera tion of black people to whom the Supreme Court decision (1954) on school desegregation is but a histori cal note in the march of time. It is a generation that may have only a dim memory of black struggles in the '60b and little knowledge of what Dr. Martin Luther King fought for and died for. The New Generation of new black men and women is also a generation seeking to And itself in a technologi cal mase of computers, space science, sexual permissiveness, dug use and rapid change. These are being dealt with in part as the New generation people seek new educational goals, religious enlight ment and the'ability to cope with materialism and human under standing. It would appear from these obser vations that "all is well" in the foreseeable future for black Ameri cans because equal educational opportunity and because shifting technologies are by nature an eradi ator of racism in its many forms. "Lost Generation" However, as we embrace this optimism of the future, let us not jôrget that a part of the New Black ^Generation, more appropriately called the "Lost Generation," has been widely reported, analyzed, — pacified and nearly ostracized for nearly three decades. For example, the rate of unemployment among black teenagers has moved rapidly from being one and half to nearly three times the white rate since the middle 1950s, and it has skyrocked to nearly 40 percent for the past three years. * Newsweek (Aug. 7) says ' Ten years later - ten years after the nuts and the Great Society and a time of unprecedented black advancement - America is in danger of losing a generation of children...The slums of the nation's aging and blackening cities have bred a population of young people from whom the norms ^^^xistenc^^r^^nemploymen^ crumbling neighborhoods, father less homes, failing schools and dependency on the date · or crime - as a means of survival." Thus, these new generation people have been left out, kicked out or ignored by main stream America for the simple reason that they are black and poor. Ideally and hope fully they might, as the American dream would conclude, pull them selves up by their boot straps, however, they don't even have any boots. For example, while the will to succeed still remains strong and most such youth remain in school danger, they seek work against the most discouraging odds. Black Teenagers Furthermore, as the economy has been revived from recent recessions and as more federal programs have been implemented to improve the plight of black teenagers, their unemployment of black teenagers, their unemployment rate still clings to 37 percent as late as June of this year. Thus, changes in economic conditions and public policy seem to yet by-pass this segment of the new generation. What then, we might ask, will be the perceptions, new values, and orientation of these nearly 2.4 million black teenagers as we approach the decade of the 1980s? We are as a nation breeding a large pool of human malcontent by our repeated failure to look at the impact of migrating industry from our urban centers, and with it the death of many small businesses; the inferior quality of many inner-city public school programs; and sheer racial ' discrimination in spite of equal opportunity and affirmative action programs. we oeueve u is long past time for government, private business and the nation's major qivil rights and labor organizations to lay aside their political and social philosphies, their for-profit-only orientation aiid their other self-interests in order to com bine their energies to find solutions to our nation's major Hnymw pro blem. " To do less would be to abandon over a million adults of tomorrow to a human scrap pile that could lead to new massive riots and destruction to our already ravaged inner cities. In a nation that prides itself on the righto and responsibilities of the individuals, as well as the import ance of the individual, we are failing to practice individualism where it is most needed and in a manner the individual has a right to expect. • ·· ·· · Think about it, tnen do something about it. After all, your children or your neighbors could be a part of the lost generation that should become a partof the truly new generation. ν/ > TEAMWORK SELF-HELP and {' seLF-DrrRMiNATioN ; >-*Ψ. :OURAO£D TODA) THAN I HAVE BEEN IN A LONG TIME. DR. HAMILTON SAID HIS ENCOURAGEMENT DID NOT COMB FROM THEENLIûHTMENT OF U/HITE PEOPLE, BUT FROM THE DETERMINATION OF BLACK PEOPLE TO DO FOR THEMSELVES Dfl.CHARLES Κ HAMILTON #·. « 5* #* Blacks' Destiny In Own Hands. Non-Conservatives And Tax Policy uy oajaiuituDiui Special to the Post Every time I pick up the New York Times and And one of those slick cleverly written advertisements from Mobil, I gain new insight into the vari eties of conservative thought in America. Unlike the rather crude and half-baked positions of the New Right and its allies, the neo-conservatisr' of the Mobil ads is supreir. Jitelli gent ana proper. *W UK average reader, the philoso phy espoused by Mobil and its intellectual disiples appears moderate and sensible. But as harmless as it appears, it poses a serious threat to the movement for equality and justice in America. In the area of tax policy, for example, the neo-conserva tives In both political parties Κβυβ οΙροαΗυ omorotvl AC » powerful force for increased inequality. According to their, model, society is divided into tw? broad "classes," the pro ductive and improductive. To injure continued economic growth and prosperity, the neo-conservatives propose a further redistribution of in come and resource· away from the so-called "unpro ductive" elements of society to the productive sector. Stripped of its elegant ideo logical garments, the new conservative position is little more than a rehashed version of classical economic conser vatism, the same conserva tism made so unpopular by the disastrous economic policies of Coolidge, Hoover, and, as more recently, Eishenhower, Nixon and Ford. While the New Right en gage· in various forms of morality plays, the neo-con servatives have been busy transforming their philosophy into concrete legislative pro posals. For example, on tax policy they have already pro duced two highly seductive bills which will almost surely receive even more attention during the upcoming Congres sipnal elections. Both bills, 1 think, would be disastrous if adopted. In writing the "Tax Reduct ion Act," Congressman Jack Kemp (R-New York) has reli ed on the old strategy of coating vile medicine with sweet sugar. Two sweeten the effects of a $122 billion loss of revenue, Kemp's bill provides But the thought of reducing the federal budget by such an enormous amount is simply staggering. Everyone from the poorest pauper to the richest corporate president is going to feel it. Kemp, of course, has a quick retort. By reducing taxes by 30 percent over the next three years, we will aiuniuavc uivceiuicuv ui un. S va te sector which, accord to the optimistic Congress man, will create millions of jebe and produce billions in revenue. As proof for this highly dubious tfeeory, Kemp points to the Kennedy tax cuts and the beneficial results they produced. ^ the economic environment in the early 1960's was substanti ally different from the dismal economic environment of to day. Heller warns that the Kemp-Roth analysis is as mis leading as the old " Free Lunch signs in bars. Kemp's bill is misleading in another way as well. Although he claims to be a friend of minorities, workers, and middle-class people (all of them hard pressed by high taxes), Kemp's bill is a lucra tive tax bonanza for the rich, that la the truly "productive elements" of society. Accord ing to Kemp, our present tax system "is strangling the in centive for investment and saving that are so necessary to the production of goods and' services." I find it difficult to believe Kemp s assertion when I look at a Congressional report indi cating that huge corporations like Texaco, ARCO, United States Steel, Xerox, ΓΤΤ, and Union Carbice all enjoy effect ive tax rates below 20 percent. Interestingly enough, Mobil Oil, which provides us with reams of brow-beating essays, bad an effective tax rate of under 2 percent in 19751 . To boost production, Kemp proposes massive tax reduct ions for those who already enjoy a high standard of liv ing. Under the Kemp bill, 44.5 percent of the $122 billion in lower taxes will go to the richest tenth of the American population. A family with an income of $100,000 will receive $8700 in tax reduction, more than many working people earn in a full year. By contrast, a family earning $15,000 will receive a mere $500 or $600 in tax savings. 1 This same type of "welfare for the rich" is provided in a Hansen-Steiger amendment. Like the Kemp-Roth bill, this legislation - wnich drastically reduces the capital gains tax - is aimed at "stimulating" in vestment by providing even more wealth to the rich, and shifting the tax burden even more heavily on those least able to bear it. —if we accept the ponncar line so beautifully summari zed in the Mobil ads, we should greet the Kemp-Roth and Han sen-Steiger bills with humble gratitude. For according to the mo-eonservatlve, we - meaning blacks, workers, and middle-Income people - are the lucky, but unworthy, bene ficiaries of the great wisdom and generosity of the "produc tive elite," those who own and operate the great corpora tions. ! By Vernon Ε. TO BE EQUAL The Case Against The President of the United States operates out of a goldfish bowl - his every move is subject to public scrutiny and criticism. Because the Executive Branch has responsibility for carry ing out the laws and for initiating new programs, the White House becomes a lightning rod for critics of federal policies. Congress manages to escape that kind of pressure. It's easier to focus on the lone figure of the President than on 535 Representatives and Senators. But much of what is wrong with the country today can be traced to Congress' inaction and to its often callous attitude towards the needs of the poor. iu uic wcii^c ui vieuiam ana waiergaie mere has been a massive shift of power from the President to the Congress. The loosening of party ties has increased the numbers of mave rick Congressmen answerable only to them selves. And some nominally liberal Congress men elected from more conservative districts after the backlash against the Watergate scan dals have abdicated the responsibility to educate their constituents and instead have turned i further to the right. This Congress is relatively inexperienced as "weft Obsessed by local concerns, many Representatives lack the breadth of vision to transcend political experience and act for the benefit of the whole nation. And many are overly sensitive to single-issue lobbyists, féaring to act right on issues like abortion, gun control and others that arouse emotional voter responses. The result has been that this Congress is a big ' bust. Unable to produce a substantive record, some of its leaders just go after easy headlines. So Senator Byrd, the Majority Leader of the Senate, makes pompous statements about giving Andrew Young "one more chance," when he should be pleading himself for just one more chance to get needed legislation through the oc lia ie. On both domestic and foreign policy the Congress has dragged its heals. It has failed to deal constructively with such important issues as welfare reform, energy, and tax reform, preferring instar (Hp take a piecemeal approach by passing isolaBn amendments that often sabotage the intent of Drotzressive legislation. r or example, tne law autiiorizing community development bloc grants clearly labels the program as intended for the benefit of low and moderate income people. But when HUD tried to enforce the letter and the spirit of the law by issuing regulations forcing local governments receiving those bloc grants to spend at least 75 percent of the money for the benefit of poor and moderate income people, Congress reacted. It came up with an amendment that would cancel the regulation, and mounted an effort to override Cabinet Department regulations. The intent is clearly to remove from the Executive Branch the ability to enforce the laws of the land. The same process is behind amendments that would end federal affirmative action compliance efforts. Congress stripped from poor women the freedom of choice affluent women have regard ing abortions. It is trying to weaken the Humphrey-Hawkins full employment bill, which should have been passed intact weeks ago, with amendments that would render it ineffective THECHARLOTTEPOST "THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER" Established 1918 Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Poet 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......... !..... ..TEdltor-Publisbeor Bernard Reeves General Manager Hoyle H. Martin Sr Executive Editor Julius Watson Circulation Director Albert Campbell Advertising Director Second Class Postage No. 966500 Paid At Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878 Member National Newspaper Publishers Association North Carolina Black Publisher» Aaaociation Deadline for all news copy and photo· if 5 p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted becomes .he property of the POST, and will not be returned. I ■ National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. 45 W. 5th Suite 1403 2400 S.' Michigan Ave. New York, N.Y. 10036 Chicago, 111 60616 (212) 489-1220 Calumet 5-0200 Uur IMeic Day Begun Blacks Challenge Republicans BvBekniiiL Hméi m,,γ·· ι h· η »h·» »λ> u,ir. · .ι—κι Having watched President Carter narrowly beat Gerald Ford In 1978, Republicans have suddenly awakened to the need to broaden the party base. They realize that the party cannot win a national election without the support of a significant portion of black voters. The lesson that even though blacks were not particularly fond of Jimmy Carter, they gave 93 percent of their votes, must have been excruciating ly painful for the Republicans. Mr. Carter had no civil rights credentials of note, but blacks nevertheless edged him Into office because they felt they had no meaningful alterna tive. The Republicans are there fore now anxious to turn the tables on the Democrats. But can they do it? Under the leadership of party chairman Bill Brock, they have launched a deliberate camp aign to win active black sup port Jesse Jackson has been invited to speak at their con ference, snd so was 1 at the recent semi-snnuai gathering In Detroit. At that time also, party representatives visited Inner city areas to learn about <>rl).. problems The Republl ... - however, will need to do number of black vote·. Presi dent Carter fortunately had the Indispensable embrace of Martin Luther King, Sr., Core tta King, widow of Martin Jr., and other· such aa the current UN Ambassador Andrew _XOHBg_ This backing of top Atlanta black leadership gave him an appearance o{ empathy with black concerns. This Is the kind of empathy and embrace that the Republicans lack, despite their having the only black, Edward Brooke of Massachusetts, in the Senate. What the Republicans need to understand is th^t America has exacted a heavy price from its black minority. Or struggle Is not Just against racial attitudes, but against racist behavior. Democrats, snd Republicans alike must confront this great crisis. It is a problem which arises to the level of national emergency. That emergency Is getting Americsn institutions to Include and protect all Ameri can citizens. As Frederick Douglas put It, "It is whether this...nation shall conquer iu prejudices, rise to the dignits of Its professions, and procvut In the sublime course of truth end liberty marked out for itself or shall swing 'jack to its ancient moorings of Slav NAACP Director ery and barbarlam. It la not what (tha black) shall be or do, but what tha nation shall be or do, wMjfc ia to aolva thla great nattonftf problem." If the Republican Party la going to be a serious contend er for the black vote, it must Identify, support, and advance responsible leadership within Its own ranks The party must support persona who are both sensitive and committed to those programs needed to finally realise racial justice. Republicans cannot win black votes unless they sre prt pared to lake black people ard their interests seriously. Black Anglicans are incre They support candidate· - whatever the party affiliation - who articulate their needs for Job·, equal job opportuni ties, quality housing and for a tnorougn ana eiuciem eauca tion. It is not sufficient to remove "roadblocks to equal opportunity." A map must be drawn. Timetables must be set. Goals must be established ior advancing minorities to positions in every profession, every career, and every school. Black voters challenge Re publicans to meet these goals. ΧΑ Issues Charges Of Fund Wasting Hoskins Action Group and tb« Plaxa Hilto-VUla Heights Com munity Improvement Commî tes, two neighborhood group· affiliated with Carolina Act ion, this week charged both the County Engineering De partment and the County Em ployment and Training De partment with wasting federal CETA funds designs ted for a special protect to clean up creaks and drainage ditches in the Sugsr Craek Basin. Caro lina Action has disclosed thst although the "Clean and Clear" program is two-thirds over, only ΚΜ,ΜΘ.73 of the original $1«,7β1.00 has been spent, snd only nine of the twenty-nine crew poeitions have U*n filled. If the money is not uvU within a six-month time frsr e. ending Septem ber 90, It must be returned to the federal government, leaving Ch« lotte with moot of the «freinage problems it had when the program began. For month* the Thomssbo ro-Hoekina Group has tried to get a creek cleared. Said refcidant Clifton .lonea, "I've heard them mskf ill kinds of promue· and they haven't done anything about it I'd like to know Juat when, if ever, they're actually going to do something." The county explain· that they cannot find people eligi ble and willing to do the wonT But Mr·. Hyalop of Thomas boro says, r'It Just doe· not make any «en··. I can't buy that they cannot find the people to fill the Jot» with all the unemployment there la." Mr·. Thomas, of Plaia Hill· also disclaimed the excuae. "I know there are plenty of Job leaa people in the county," ahe •aid, "Thi· program could have served two problem·, Wayne Lambert of County Engineering admltta that the department la "snowed un der" with drainage compla ints and the requeata "number in the thouaands." Carolina Action members want to know why thia program la not being fully utilized when drainage is one of Charlotte's major pro blème, and talk la heard of a drainage bond being proposed this fall. Carolina Action la a multi issued statewide cltizen'a . action organization which has bean fighting over the last year for better drainage In Charlotte. Brined Piclde· ι'rlned pickles are ferment ed In salt water for three weeks, freshened In water and canned In jars in a combina tion of vinegar, salt water and , spices. Vegetables such aa cucumbers and green toma toes may be brined. Kraut la alao a brined oroduct.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 10, 1978, edition 1
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