cmm ~<l cfoiicnu
Leadership Detenu tries Our Future
Edward Kennedy confirms
all the speculation and decides to of
fer for the presidency, and thus
challenge President Carter, he will
probably reaffirm that his dif
ferences will not be based on the
issues but rather on the quality of
the national leadership.
This assumption was confirmed in
a recent news interview where he
emphasized the need for clear,
strong and consistent leadership.
Kennedy said he believed Carter is
unable to restore public confidence
in the government’s ability to deal
with the nation’s problems. Whether
these allegations are true or false
doesn’t matter, if Kennedy can get
enough people to believe him, ne
might take the Democratic
Presidential nomination away from
Carter because numerous polls in
dicate a decline of confidence in
government.
At the local level too, leadership
was a central issue in the
Democratic mayoral primary bet
ween Harvey Gantt and Eddie Knox.
Leadership style was an issue
because the mayor’s powers are
largely powers of perseverance and
influence.
In the private sector we are
witnessing the possible collapse of
the Chrysler Corporation that is fac
ing losses in excess of $700 million in
1979. Ironically, while the firm is
blaming all 6f its protiffems on
federal regulation, it is at'Tfce same
time inviting more regulation by
asking the Carter administration for
$1 billion over the next two years as
on taxes it would pay when it
becomes profitable again.
The reality of the situation is that
Chrysler is on the brink of total
disaster because of poor manage
ment decision-making, that is, poor
leadership in their competitive posi
tion with other auto maker Doth
domestic and foreign.
Extremely Insecure
These observations bring to mind
an article by Brett Fromson that ap
peared in a recent issue of The New
York Times. Fromson notes that
while working in Washington in
President Fords executive offices
and later on the staff of Congress
Joint Economic Committee, he
observed the effects of service on
young people who worked for power
ful politicians and bureaucracies.
Specifically, he noted that these
young workers had gone to
Washington seeking positions of in
fluence but instead “became ex
tremely insecure, floppy-minded,
and cautious ‘second-bananas’ for
whom it was easier to feel compas
sion than respect.”
Fromson added, “these young
politicians tended to be unstable ana
insecure. They discovered that
others generally wanted to know
them or not know them on the basis
of who they worked for; not surpris
ingly, their self-image became
shghtlyconfused and dependent on a
political order that was beyond their
power to change.
Witness this scenario of
Fromson’s in part paraphrased
form. In a typical converstaton bet
ween generally “intelligent, self
confident young people" that goes
something like this: “Hi, glad to
meet you. My name is Joe and I
work tor Congressman Zero. I'm a
legislative correspondent. (He
writes letters of reply to consti
tuents.) Where do you work?” “I
work in Senator Kennedy’s office.
I m one of his top aides. You say you
work for Wero?* y y
No, Zero, a freshman Con
gressman. “Oh.” the Kennedy of
fiee worker says politely, “what
state is he from?” ‘This last ques
tion,* in Fromson’s own words, is a
severe ego blow to the young staffer
from (Zero’s) off ice... It is in
tolerable to him that he should work
for a nobody because he too becomes
a nobody mst as the fellow from
Senator Kennedy’s office is a
somebody by virture of his boss’s
surname and reputation.”
The identity problem only a part of
the young capital city workers.
“Another, ’ Fromson says, “is the
general absence of deeply held and
internally generated convictions.”
These well educated young
Americans, who desire to be some
day among the great men and
women of the 20th century, are con
verting to the glorification of their
bosses beliefs as their own means of
self-expression. Many of these youth
were conditioned to suppress their
individuality in their quest to fit the
idea pattern of their college pro
fessor in exchange for good graaes.
Political Leadership
Thus, “because their personal suc
cess depends on how well they fur
ther the goals of their superiors,
they learn to fit in, not stand out...
This is not simply their problem,
“Fromson continues, “it is the na
tion’s too.” Since it is from the ranks
of such people that the nation’s so
called political leadership is and will
come, is there any wonaer that the
American people nave questionable
confidence in our institutions of
government?
It is now time for this nation to re
assess its priorities and values
within the context of what is com
monly called the “American tradi
tion” as well as within the drift of
tradegy that many of our value
changes of the past two decades.
By drift of tradegy we mean the
mounting insecurity that is overtak
ing the American people as old
values are crumbling and new
values, in part because of inade
quate leadership, are not being for
mulated to take their place. At bot
tom, our sense of individualism is
slipping away in part because we
are embracing the presumed risk
free security of a public sector or
government that we neither trust,
Rke nor understand.
Think about it, is your country
your future and your life.
' WHITES APPEAR DETERMINED TO
FORFEIT THE CITIES TO BLACKS,
AND ITIS INCONCEIVABLE THAT THE
PEOPL E WHO THROUGH FORCED SLAVE
LABOR BUILT THIS COUNTRY FOR
OTHERS CANNOT NOW WILLINGLY
UNITE TO RE-BUILD OUR CONNUNITIBS
uFOR OURSELVES"
BUSHES SHAN
politicians
DOCTORS
LAWYERS
jfeCr-n artists ;
%52m ^achers^ ;
A/NtSTERS -<
^^MORKERS
'^-r^COHftl/HIT r QRQANtZA T/ON3
*£■ SOCIAL WORKERS .&
FRATERNAL GROUPS ^
* BLACK PRESS /
Blacks’ Destiny In Own Hands....
Grace Before Greatness!
by Gerald O. Johnson
Post Staff Writer
During World War I there
was a little black girl with the
voice of a sparrow who
couldn’t afford singing
lessons. The young girl
didn't care, though, she kept
right on singing every chance
she got.
The people of her little
small church got such joy
from her singing that they
raised $126 in pennies,
nicldes, and dimes and.call
ed it the future fund for the
young girl. .
Well, the young girl
started taking lessons and by
the time she had reached 18
years of age her high school
teachers arranged an audi
tion with a' world falnous
singing instructor. The little
church in Philadelphia again
came to the young ladies aid.
They raised money to pay for
the lessons the world famous
instructor promised to give
her.
The future looked bright
for the young girl and success
was assured. Her voice was
as beautiful as ever and she
was being trained by one of
the world's best.
Her initial debut was a
failure. The young lady fail
ed miserably. But because of
her great talents, a group
who believed in her talents
sponsored a concert for her
in New York City's Town
Hall.
Gerald O. Johnson
Due to inexperience and
immaturity the young lady
failed again. The critics gave
her very poor reviews and
she fell apart.
The young lady felt she
had let so many people down
and that she had failed those
who believed in her. For
more than a year the young
lady wallowed in self pity.
She stopped singing, she
refused to see her teachers,
but most of all she stopped
believing in herself.
Then one day the girl’s
mother came to her and said
“Marian, grace must come
before greatness. Why don't
you think about this failure a
JitUe. and pray about it a
Well, the rest is history.
Today, Marian Anderson,
who has helped many young
singers make it says.
“Whatever is in my voice,
faith has put it there. Faith
and my mother’s words:
grace must come before
greatness.”
Today, so many people
are frightened by the
thought of failure. It is this
fear that makes many
talented people work 8 to 4
jobs and nate it instead of at
tempting to so something
with their lives. Few people
appreciate the fact that
much more is learned from a
failure than by a success. '
Remember, show me a
man that hlta never failed
and I'll show you a man that
has never tried.
FACTS TO PONDER
It has been figured out —
We have 35 million laws try
ing to enforce ten command
ments.
Earl Wilson
Seminar On Mexico
A two-day seminar on Mex
ico will be held at Johnson C.
Smith University Campus on
October 10th & 11th.
The seminar, sponsored by
the Foreign Language Depart
ment, will include films and
slides. A question and answer
discussion period on the
history and present day life in
Mexico will follow the slide
presentation.
The seminars will begin
both nights at 8 p.m. and last
until 9:30 p.m. There is no
charge to the public.
Vernon E. * J
TO
BE
EQUAL
Housing Apartheid Still Wrong
Congress is moving too slowly on the amendments to
the 1968 Fair Housing Act. After eleven years discrimi
nation in housing is still strong, and one reason has been
the absence of enforcement powers, something the
amendments would correct.
Housing segregation is so widespread that “apartheid"
is not too strong a term to describe it.
Not enough has been done to make this issue one of
national concern. The amendments have been
languishing in Congress for many months.
One reason is the absolutely ridiculous feeling that
laws can’t solve problems. That view only surfaces when
it comes to civil rights. In every other area, people right
fully expect Congress to act to deal with a problem.
The civil rights law have worked, they have opened up
new rights for minorities. Even the 1968 Fair Housing
law has had an important effect in loosening the patterns
of segregation, even with minimal enforcement.
Another argument is that fair housing enforcement
would only help relatively few blacks — those with the
jobs and incomes that would enable them to move to the
suburbs.
I n*t view u wrong on two grounds. First, even if it
were true that relatively few would benefit the amend
ments are still important. No one suggests that laws
benefiting relatively few affluent whites should not be
p*ssed — in fact most laws qualify for that description.
Why then must affluent blacks be singled out as targets
for discrimination?
But the facts are wrong as well. Housing discrimina
tion isn’t limited to the affluent few — it affects all black
people. There may be more discrimination- against
blacks trying to rent on apartment in a working class city
neighborhood than against blacks trying to buy a
*100,000 home in the suburbs.
Finally, the amendments ore opposed by some on the
grounds that housing discrimination is no longer a
serious problem. Such persons point to the growing
numbers of blacks moving to the suburbs as proof that
discriminatory barriers are coming down.
This is the argument that has the least basis in fact.
Several studies made in the past few months show how
false it is.
The federal Deportment of Housing and Urban
Development sponsored one study that found blacks
trying to rent through rental agent* face an 85 percent
chance of being deocriminated against. Those trying to
buy had a 48 percent chance of facing diacrimination.
.. w" • natkw'vide study that sent block and white
checkers to teal estate agents’ offices. The checkers
were similar in all respects except race, so income had
nothing to do with the discriminatory practices. That
blosts another old saw — that blacks often can’t get
housing because they can 't afford k. _
wnniar conclusion Is drawn by a study by the
Regional Plan Association of the New York metro
politan area. It found that blacks, who make up 12.4
percent of the region'a population, are confined to only
1.3 percent of the region’s land area.
The study identified numerous all-white towns and
neighborhoods in which the average family income was
similar to that of the region’s black households. Two
thirds of the region’s whites live in heavily white areas
and a similar percentage of blacks live in heavily black
areas.
Finally, a University of Michigan study on racial
attitudes found that most whites preferred to live in
mostly-white neighborhoods, while blacks tended to
prefer integrated ones.
What it all boils down to is this: racism is still a factor
in national housing patterns; fair housing laws are not
being enforced, blacks are still being denied the housing
of theur choice, and a lot more education and
community stabilization work is necessary.
Putting teeth in the fair bousing laws is an essential
first step to ending illegal and unconstitutional racial
discrimination in housing.
With the field of presidential contenders in both
parties getting crowded blacks have a right to know how
each and every one of the prospective candidates stands
on the fair housing amendments.
From Capitol Hill
Black8 Wil1 No Longer Exchange Votes For Cheap Recognition
THE CHARLOTTE FOOT
Second Class Postage No. 965500
“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 C0NTIN0US SERVICE
BILL JOHNSON...Editor Publisher
BERNARD REEVES...General Manager
Second Class Postage No. 965500 Paid At
Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878
Member National Newspaper Publishers
,_ Association
North Carolina Black Publishers Association
Deadline for all news copy and photos is 5 p.m.
Monday. All photos and copy submitted become
the property of the POST, and will not be returned
National Advertising
Representative
Amalgamated Publishers. Inc
45 W 5th Suite 1401 2400 S. Michigan Avo
New York. v \ . 10036 Chicago. Ill 60616
(212) 410-1220 Calumet 5-02(tn
nurrua l. maaiBon
Special to the Post
The 1979 Congressional
Black Caucus week-end af
fair seemed highly suc
cessful. There were around
5000 in attendance from all
sections of the country and
just about all walks of life. In
this International Year of
the Child, the Caucus theme
was “Children Our Most
Valuable Resource.’*
The Friday morning
plenary session was most in
spiring, with relating the
96th Congress Black
Caucus' successes and
failures and with setting
forth its goals. In the after
noon there were workshops
on various issues.
Chair Person Cardiss Col
lins stated that they have
fought for an adequate
domestic budget, equal
educational opportunities,
jobs, decent health care and
against reinstitution of
peacetime draft. She spoke
of how the Black Caucus
communication's network
lets the constituents know its
position against the budget
cuts in programs that are so
relative to them. Even
though the Caucus lost that
battle it did prevent even
more severe cuts. These
black congress persons
fought hard against decon
trol of crude oU because it is
highly inflationary to poor
people. They were successful
in defeating the Mottl
Amendment which would
have turned the clock back in
school desegregation. They
are working to see that black
businesses will be involved in
the syn-fuel program and led
by Gua Hawkins, they are
fighting hard for implemen
tation of Humphrey
Hawkins and Balanced
Growth Act, so that jobs and
training programs will be
provided for minority adults
and youth training.
Shirley Chisholm said
blacks are now unwillling to
serve as lackeys of any
political party The Congres
sional Black Caucus andna
tional black voters are com
ing of age and they have no
intention of exchanging
voter of cheap political
recognition.
Mrs. Edelman spoke of
the disparities in health care
between blacks and whites.
She stated that a black col
lege graduate has the same
chance of finding employ
ment as a white high school
drop-out and black high
school graduate has the same
Alfreds L. Madison
employment chance as a
white eighth grader. She
urged blacks to pressure
their congressmen for
passage of the Child Health
Care Program bill and for
changes in the bill for handl
ing homeless children.
Representative Ron
Dellums, a member of the
House Armed Service Com
mittee, emphasized the
human tragedy of both the
administration's and Con
gress'military budget in
crease while drastically cut
already far superior to Rus
sian weaponry and that
blacks must contact their
congressmen to give priority
of prolonging life not
preparations for snuffing out
life. Black Americans must
get involved in nuclear
weaponry. He said that
blacks and the poor are vic
tims of the cry of Propoeiton
13 and a balanced budget.
Jesse Jackson said blacks
must embrace three words:
audacity, action and accoun
tability. They must have the
audacity to question and
speak out on issues. They
must take action and must
require accountability of
their elected officials. When
candidates are running for
office, blacks must get a con
tract from them in exchange
for their votes. He stated that
those who once had baby
cribs for us must realise that
we have a complete room
with king-sised beds. In
speaking of Ambassador
Young, Rev. Jackson said
Andy was at his best when he
met with the PLO Represen
tative.
At the awards dinner. Andy
Young received Interna
tional Peace Award. He was
the keynote speaker. Mr.
Young said that in his recent
trade trip to several roun
tries in Africa, being accom
panied by black and white
American businessmen, a
11.5 billion trade agreement
was made which would be in
creased in 1980 to more than
12 billion. He spoke of the
ludicrousness of the issue
that two or three thousand
Russians in Cuba, as being a
threat to the United States.
The entire tone of the
week-end affair, including
the plenary, workshops and
dinners was the importance
of black involvement in
every phase of American
political life.
SALT agreement is highly
important because nuclear
weapons, if ever used against
the United States will cer
tainly strike our military in
stallations where an over
whelming number of black
boys are because, being
unable to get jobs, they’ve
sought refuge in the armed
services, and the inner cities
where blacks live will be a
target, fhe Mid-East situa
tion is important whether we
engage in a hot or cold war.
In a hot war, black boys will
die in an unproportionate
number and in a cold war.
because of high energy
prices, blacks will hear the
a
^ great** inflation burden.
* very strong emphasi
w«« placed on getting ,
•*ro«g commitment fron
politfcal candidates and fo
constant meeting with then
■fter election for placini
pressure on them to carry ou
tbeir commitments.
1 ^,k*d with many 01
"ho attended the an
nual affair trom variou,
P*"1 °f dw country, they ex
d" idea of having
«°d*n ■ clear cut direction
■nd somewhat of a blueprint
•or moving towards those
goals.
Garinger PTSA
The Garinger High Scnoo
PTSA will meet Tuesday. Oc
tober 16. at 7:30 p.m. in lb
school auditorium
After a short busines:
meeting, there will be an Opei
Houae. providing an oppor
lunity for parents to meet lb
teachers and visit th<
.classrooms_
I