Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Sept. 11, 1980, edition 1 / Page 2
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I Editorials & Comments | David A. Burkhalter Since 1971 the city of Charlotte has grown from 250,000 to more than 330,000 people. Its land mass has expanded to over 140 square miles and is overseen by some 30 city departments and divisions with a work force of 3,900 and an annual operating and capital budget of $200 million. Furthermore, the city has maintained an AAA credit rating, and gained public ap proval of more than $150 million in general obligation bonds used for numerous public improve ment projects including uptown revitalization, airport expan sion, community centers, parks, streets, sidewalks and others. During these nine years of such great accomplishments, David A. Burkhalter has served as City Manager. Therefore, when “Mr. B,” as his staff often affectionately calls him, an nounced on Monday that he’s retiring on December 1, Betty Chafin said, “This city has been fortunate to have had David A. Burkhalter’s leadership. He is truly one of... if not the... out standing city manager in the country.” These are not just empty words but rather comments that echo the sentiments of many Charlotteans who have witness ed the growth and positive changes in the city that Burk halter has called “a beautiful city with a long record” of good government. A servant of the City Council but not its door mat, a true professional and competent ad ministrator, Burkhalter guided city government with a firm but gentle hand by accepting his responsibilities yet granting his able assistants ample opportun ity to perform their work and develop professionally them selves. 1 A manager’s manager and I active in professional groups, ] Burkhalter, who is a past pre- i sident of the International City Management Association (ICMA), will be presented with the organization’s highest award later this month at the annual meeting. In his characteristic manner, Burkhalter said, ‘‘the house is in order.” Indeed it is and , there fore, a challenge to the Mayor, City Council and staff he leaves behind to keep it in order. Best wishes, Mr. David A. Burkhalter for a job well done and we are truly a better city because you cared enough to serve us and be one of us. Decline Of The Black Family While serving as an assistant U.S. Secretary of Labor in 1965 - and now a U.S. Senator, Daniel P. Moynihan attracted the rage and anger of black Americans and some liberal whites, when his research concluded that sin gle-parent black female-headed households were a main cause of many of problems facing black people. Moynihan reported that nearly one-fourth of all black families in 1965 were headed by women, one-third of all black children were living without both parents and 25 percent of all black babies were born out of wedlock. He asserted that the black family structure was falling apart and that this was the primary reason for perpetual cycles of poverty and deprivation. In spite of the anger blacks felt toward Moynihan and his sup porters for blaming the victims of discrimination for possessing the characteristics arising from such imposed treatment, reports indicate that now the factors Moynihan identified have actual ly worsened. As the new decade begins, research points out that black women head 40 percent of all their families, over half the black children under 18 live with only one parent and over half of the black babies are born out of wedlock. This tragic fact has led Robert Hill, research director for the National Urban League to con clude that the black female headed household, without the presence^f^^husban^^nd^^ father, “has reached tne stage where we can no longer truly identify the husband-wife family as typical among blacks. What we have now is a two-model pattern with the husband-wife model unfortunately declining. Hill and other researchers are in agreement that the basic issues plaguing the black family structure are continuing racial discrimination and near never ending recession that has dis proportionately put blacks on the unemployments roles. Hill notes, “marital breakups were up among whites as well during the 70s, but blacks are at the bottom economically, so we were hit hardest.” Thus it is not a matter so much of a female-headed household as it is the continu ing problems of racial and sex discrimination; greater com petition for jobs by white women, new immigrants and illegal aliens; more limited hours of work opportunity; and a welfare system with built-in disincen tives. Thus since economic re cession is a permanent feature in most black communities for all these reaons, it is imperative that equal opportunity-affirm ative action programs be strengthened, job training pro grams be expanded and a more innovative welfare system with incentives to help people renew their own self-reliance must be set into motion. Lacking these minimum essentials, the cycle of poverty and deprivation and black family breakup will not diminish. - I _ _ As I See It Decentralization Of Black Leadership By Gerald O. Johnson . Post Columnist I haVe recently written in this article on Alvin Toff ler’s THIRD WAVE. I ex pressed my opinions on some of the ideas that I felt from reading the book. In terestingly enough signs of the third wave are showing up all over the country. One important sign is occuring in the Black community. The institutionalized procedure for relying on national Black leaders is rapidly dissipating. Black communities are beginning to realize that the local problems facing Black communities are turning to grassroot leadership. This can be seen in recent developments in large cities like Miami, Phila delphia, Los Angeles and others. Black people in Miami refused to listen to Black leaders flown in II Ulll UUiCI CXI CcXd UI U1C country. Why should they? These people are more aware of their problems than the so-called national Black leaders. The national Black leaders in my opin ion do more harm than good. They fly in, stay for a couple of days and leave. The people of the com munity must live with the problems continuously; hence, they should be the ones to solve those pro blems. Blacks in Philadelphia have gone even further by re-developing ghettos with out governmental aid. Again, this Black commun ity refuses to solicit help from nationally known Black leaders. They, too, realize the ineffectiveness of the Jesse Jacksons and Vernon Jordans to resolve local problems. These Black communi ties are indicative of a trend which will become prevalent in the years to Gerald O. Johnson come. We are beginning to de-centralize our lifestyles. We are beginning to see people take their destinies into their own hands. Cen tralization of services (go vernmental, private, or others) is no longer work ing. People are beginning to realize this and are acting accordingly. I am glad to see ithappening. + + + + Success in marriage is not so much a matter of finding the right person as it is being the right person T I I T People who oft time com plain about their salary situation are usually in the wrong jobs. A person hap py in a position seldom complains about the mone tary rewards. A person whose happy with his posi tion performs beyond the call of duty. The person who is unhappy will do just enough to get by. Getting more money for the un happy will not solve the problem. Getting another job might. + + + + A young lady discussing her marriage decision be tween two young men was explaining why she chose Bill over John "Why didn’t you marry him?’’ asked a friend. “Because when I’m with Bill I think I’m the clever cai pci sun in me wnuie world." 4- 4- 4- 4 A young composer once asked Mozart for advice on how to develop creatively. "begin writing simple things first,” Mozart told him. "songs for ex ample.” "Yeah, but you com posed symphonies when you were only a child,” the man exclaimed. "Yes,” said Mozart, "but I didn't have to go to anybody to find out how to become a composer!” Excerpts: Bits & Pieces NAACP To Conduct Voter Mobilization Projeci continued from Page l Mecklenburg Co. Com mission and the Mecklen burg State House Delega tion will be. un November 4, come snow, rain or flood, black voters must go to the polls in large numbers. Kelly M. Alexander Jr. Vice President of the Char lotte Branch, will be over all project supervisor. You may contact him at 333 1167 (Alexander Funeral Home); 786-5171, ext. 425 (Barber-Scotia College); or 376-6909 (NAACP). Alcohol Workshop If your business sells mixed beverages, beer or wine vou are requested to a attend a special workshop Wednesday, September 17, from 2-4 p.m. at the Holi day Inn, 3815 N. Tryon Street. Call agent Cvnthia Cole at 568-0961 to assure space at the workshop. t-1 ! Affirmative Action To Be Poor, Black, Old And A Woman! By Gerald C. Horne, Esq. Special To The Post Poets, eg. Langston Hughes, have sung the praises and rhapsodized melodically about the virtues of Black women. This is fine and needed; however, more voices need to speak out about the eonomic plight of Black women - especially elderly Black women - who are disproportionately re presented among this nation’s poor. Poor, Black, old and a woman are adjectives that all too frequently can be employed to describe the distaff side of the Black community. For the fact is that 60 percent of minority women age 45-54 and 44 percent age 55-64 are in the workforce. This percentage, needless to say, is higher than that of similarly situated white women. In any event, these, women work because of the cruel lash of economic necessity. Nearly 42 percent of all women who work are single, widowed or divorced. In addition 58 percent of married couples have both husband and wife working - most of the time this is to bring family income above $10,000. me ichji uiai DidCK women oiien as nqf* have much choice about working only makes them more prey to the none too benevolent mercies of repacious employers. Generally, only 13 percent of women over 35 hold managerial or administrative jobs. The figure for Black women is substantially less. They are concentrated overwhelming ly—in low-paying, dead-end posts. More specifically, whereas older white women are likely to be found in clerical positions, older Black women hold more than their share of domestic and service jobs. The days when suburban housewives examined the knees of an elderly Black woman applying for a job - to insure that they’re properly scarred, hence, signfying past, vigorous labor -- are not yet behind us. The scenes of elderly Black women lined up at the bus stop with shopping bags, on their way to the suburbs to tend the homes of more affluent matrons, too are not yet behind us. in any case, me long years of service of Black women are not rewarded. Women over 40, who work, as a general proposition, earn less than women age 25-40. Unfortunately, there are some brothers and others who claim that affirmative action has led to the rampant hiring of Black women, as employers faD overt* themselves to fill two quotas. This may* have a surface validity and fall true in isolated instances but it is certainly not a discernible trend and smacks of something that is all too prevalent nowadays - blaming the victims. Because the fact is that there is still a substantial wage gap between men and women’s salaries generally and Black men and Black women’s salaries in particular. And as time passes, this gap becomes a yawning chase, as Black women - who are less represented in the higher paying benefit laden unionized positions — fall steadily behind. - But it is the years of retirement - what used to be called euphemistically the golden years” - when the wheel of oppression grinds down to the nub. Older women are 70 percent of all poor peoDle over 65.' ^ H from 1 tie White House President Carter’s Economic Plan Offers Little Hope A 11.^1. f .... " Alfreds L. Madison Special To The Post President Carter's new economic plan really offers scarcely any hope to the middle, low income and unemployed people. It is heavily tilted to big busi ness with its 40 percent business depreciation tax and tax credit for rein vestments and research. The plan calls for almost a half million new jobs in 1961. Since overall black unemployment increased by 200,000 already in 1980 and the rise continues to go higher for all people, the 1961 picture is yery bleak, with no immediate relief in sight. When questioned about the July statistics which showed that overall unemployment was 7.8 per cent, white unemployment 6.9 and black unemploy ment 15.2 percent, Charles Schultze stated that black unemployment had been reduced by the Carter Ad ministration, but because the country is now in a recession, all unemploy ment has increased. How ever, the statistics are as V/ Alfredo Madison follows: when President Carter came into office: in 1977, overall unemploy ment was 7.4 percent, black unemployment was 13.6 percent, white unem ployment 6.7 percent, so the July statistics show that overall unemployment increased by .4 percent, white unemployment by .2 percent and black unem ployment by 1.6 percent The greatest reduction was in November 1979 Overall unemployment was 5.8 per cent, white unemployment 5.1 percent and black unemployment 11.6 per cent. So taking the greatest period of unemployment reduction, compared with July, 1980 shows that over all differential is 1.9 per cent, white 1.4 percent and black 3.6 percent. So with out safeguards targeting jobs to blacks, the unem ployment gap continues to widen, and the black plight worsens. The President’s long awaited economic plan does not give immediate aid to suffering individuals and communities. Congressman Augustus Hawkins terms the plan as a do-nothing until-after the election policy. He stated that an immediate change is needed in failed policies that have produced 10 milliom unemployed people, double-digit infla tion, high taxes and a bud get deficit of $60 billion, Mr. Hawkins said that some of the President's individual programs do not present viable solutions to economic problems. The Congressman emphasized that while the laid-off au tomobile workers are an important problem, they only comprise 3 percent of the total unemployed, so it is economically unsound to target programs for only one portion of the unem ployed population while cutting already authorized programs for others. Representative Hawkins says that the national eco nomic policies must be overhauled, because a comprehensive recovery program is immediately needed which will give jobs and will stop inflation rises. This overhaul pro gram must be targeted to expansion of housing, health care, transportation and energy areas. These can provide increased Jobs by private sectors. Job opportunities must go to those who need them tne most: tnose wno nave been unemployed for a long period of time, and are in need of training and up grading. Hawkins believes that Job expansion must be accompanied by appro priate tax incentives. If there is to be a tax cut, it should reduce individual, low and middle income families’ taxes, rather than substantial tax cuts for the very rich. President Carter’s re cent economic proposals leave the poor with an increased burden and a darker future. Charlotte Girl Finalist In Ebony Beauty Contest ^ continued from Page 1 style and grace character istic of models. She has in fact modeled in Charlotte and made a few commer cials for the Jan Thompson Agency. She was trained in the Troyanne Ross Insti tute c ‘ Modeling. As for modeling, Ms. Blackwell wants to do that “...as long as it lasts. It’s not going to last forever, that’s why I’m in school ’’ Following graduation Ms Blackwell would like to work in Charlotte or At- . lanta, Ga. in a managerial position. Eventually she would like to own a busi ness dealing with fashion. Presently school takes much of her time. At UNCC she is an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Miss. She also swims, plays the piano and 1 lifts weights. At Simpson Gillespie United Methodist Church she sings on the choir. In high school Ms. Black well was in West Char lotte’s open arid conven tional schools. She was in ducted into the honorary Order of the Lion for scho^ lastic achievement as well as community involve ment. "Take each day as it come*,” is Ms. Blackwell’s view of life. “Try to live so ' that you can always have something to fall bock on *» THE CHARLOTTE POST Second Class Postage No. 965500 “THE PEOPLE’S NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Every Thursday by The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 1524 WmI Blvd., Charlotte. N.C. 28208 Telephone (7S4)37S-04St Circulation S.2S0 62 Years of Continuous Service Bill Johnson...Editor, Publisher Bernard Reeves...General Manager Second Class Postage No. 96550 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. 2400 8. Michigan Ave. 45 W. 45th St., Suite 1493 Chicago. III. 60016 New York, N.Y. 10036 Calumet 5-0200 ( 212 ) 489-1220 > **lou Must Register- iou Must Vote— You Must Learn-• (.ongress Acted Swiftly In Passing This Acl, Intend To Act Hith Equal Dispatch In Order To Force It,” VKBS/VENT LYNDON a JOHNSON Something Blacks Can Do Now—For Themselves1 Register-Vote.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 11, 1980, edition 1
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