Editorials & Comments
Conservatives And Credibility
A part of the resurgence of the
Republican Party spearheaded
by Ronald Reagan’s election to
the presidency is the growing
visible struggle for the minds
and thoughts of black people.
It is certainly consistent with
the American political tradition
to “speak of a gigantic (Repu
blican Party) ploy to project a
small new group as the ‘leaders’
of black America - a group of
right-wing conservatives in
black face,” says “The Afro
American” newspaper. How
ever, an action contrary to this
tradition, and something that
will discredit these alleged new
black leaders, is an emerging
plan to systematically under
mine black organizations and
their leaders.
tjenina tms plan is the Reagan
administration’s efforts to cut
the federal budget and conse
quently drastically cut mar#
social programs of benefit to tjie
poor, many of whom are blpck.
Furthermore, because/Thany
black organizations the
National Urban Coalition, Ope
ration PUSH, and the National
Urban League, to name a few -
and their leaders have expressed
support for the very programs
Reagan plans to cut, these or
ganizations have been targeted
for destroying public confidence
in them and their leaders.
lne Rev. Jesse Jackson
brought this issue into focus
when he noted, “in recent weeks,
a series of articles in various
newspapers have suggested that
well-known black organizations
...have been the beneficiaries of
political payoffs, that they are
managed irresponsibly and their
leaders do not represent the
views of black people.” Using
Operation PUSH to illustrate his
point, Rev. Jackson said
negative government leaks to
the Press, “were politically mo
tivated. Because (we have) not
received one official or unofficial
letter of inquiry from any of
these (governmental) agencies
concerning the grants.”
These attempts to undermine
the traditional black leadership
arises not from tlje presumed
emerging black conservative
leaders but rather from Reagan
strategists who realize that on
balance black people remain
loyal to the traditions of liberal
ism. In addition they are aware
that recent polls show that the
majority of blacks believe their
economic situation will get
worse under a Reagan adminis
tration.
Thomas Sowell, a ,50-year-old
economist, probably best person
ifies black conservatives in Ame
rica. As do his associates, Sewell
opposes school bussing, con
siders affirmative action a fail
ure, opposes minimum wage
laws and rent controls, and
believes government should stop
coddling poor people with wel
fare handouts.
Sewell and fellow black eco
nomist Walter Williams sub
scribe to the philosophical view
point of the so-called free-mark
et with an abiding faith that big
government will fail and the
private sector will be the
nation’s sole solution for a better
living environment.
Finally while blacks remain
largely liberal, they have a
tradition of conservatism involv
ing issues such as law and order,
morality and the work ethic that
is rooted in their religious be
liefs. There are also some con
servative tendencies among con
temporary blacks arising from a
growing dissatisfaction with
school bussing education and
uneasyness about some forms of
preferential treatment for them
selves.
In summary then, while
blacks remain heavily on the
liberal side of the ledger, they
are not monolithic and are thus
willing to listen to all viewpoints
while retaining the right to dis
agree.
Upsets And Traditions
Much ballyhoo has occurred
over the rash of upset victories
by unknowns over the alleged
super power in the NCAA basket
ball tournament over the past
week. Powerhouses, including
UCLA, DePauI, Oregon State,
Wake Forest and Iowa all bit the
dust.
Unnoticed, and on a smaller
scale, a tradition was continued.
That was the continued failure of
predominantly black colleges
and universities to successfully
compete against the largely
white institutions in post-season
play. While N.C. A&T lost to
Duke University by a respect
able 10 points in a first round NIT
game, Southern University and
Howard University lost by em
barrassing margins of 25 and 35
points to Wichita State and
Wyoming University respective
ly in the first round NCAA
contests.
During the regular season
Howard University had lost to
UNC-Chapel Hill, and Florida
A&M lost heavily to Florida
State just to site a few others. In
addition N.C. A&T State has lost
all three of its games over the
past three seasons to UNC-Char
lotte.
Since everyone has accepted
the new racial stereotype that
you need blacks to win basket
ball games, it might be worth
asking why can’t our black
schools beat the white schools?
The answer is in bigger budgets,
better and more expensive re
cruiting campaigns with more
benefits to offer, better coaching
- coaches at white schools have
tew other assigned duties, and
the best of two worlds - the best
black and best white athletes.
--_A
I Johnson Says
, •
THE CHARLOTTE POST
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EDITOR S NOTE:
..Statement by Nelson
Johnson, CWP Spokesper
mxnmi-tbo Arrest-of Nazis
and Former Klansmen on
. Conspiracy Charges, and
Extremist Groups.
..TO: North Carolina Hu
man Relations Commission
Hearings in Graham,
North Carolina, March 4,
1981.
The alleged plans of six
Nazis and former Klans
men to bomb downtown
Greensboro and other
areas is very serious. This
threat to the safety of the
people cannot be taken
lightly. We do not pretend
to know the details related
to this incident. But we do
know that the Klan and
Nazis are fully capable of
such a conspiracy and they
are capable of carrying the
conspiracy through the
end. It was the same group,
in act at least one of the
i same persons, which, with
the direct participation of
the US. Government,
planned and carried out the
assassination of five CWP
leaders in Greensboro on
November 3, 1979.
it is widely known that
the Klan and Nazis work
A
Affirmative
Action
Taking Care Of Business
Benjamin Hooks, the feisty, diminutive
Republican who heads the NAACP. is not a
man generally prone to fiery denuncia
tions. But even his patience has been tried
by President Reagan’s “Robin Hood in
reverse” budget and tax cut program, that
if enacted would be the biggest legislative
defeat for the Black community since the
Fugitive Slave Act. More specifically,
Hooks blasted Reagan’s advisors, who have
been busily gnawing away like beavers at
enforcement of affirmative action
mandates.
It is easy to understand why Ben Hooks is
angry. Practices in New York City, where
NAACP headquarters are located, are
indicative of programs nationwide. Most
city agencies do not carry out federal
mandates which specifically set numerical
goals for contracts to be allocated to
minority businesses, according to Douglas
Clifford, who resigned recently as deputy
director of New York City’s Minority
Business Development Office. This scanda
lous violation of the law has caused no
alarm or raised eyebrows in the White
House.
Yet, this is the matter that should be of
urgent concern not only to the Black
community but all those sincerely interest
ed in a healthy economy. Nathan Garrett
heads one of the largest Black-owned CPA
firms in the country and serves as chairman
of the National Advisory Committee on
Minority Enterprise Development, which
has just made a report to Secretary of
Commerce Malcolm Baldridge. According
to Garrett, “Small businesses run by
minorities ...provide more jobs than big
business and contribute heavily to the Gross
National Product and international trade.”
But despite these contributions, Garrett
ruefully acknowledges, “Minority small
businesses have special problems. Access
to markets, equity capital and management
skills for minority businesses have been
difficult, historically and currently be
cause of racism.”
Another problem that faces Black busi
ness is monopoly. These monopolies are
"working overtime to prevent affirmative
action contracting. And it is elementary
economics that where monopolies ride high
in the saddle, they can charge virtually any
price they desire, while consumers - Black
and white — suffer the consequences.
Rebellion-torn Miami is one case in point.
Barbara Carey, one of the highest ranking
Black elected officials in Dade County, has
blasted County Manager Merrett Stierheim
for policies concerning letting of contracts.
Carey has charged that, “Certain com
panies hold monopolies on contracts that
supply the county with services and goods.”
These monopolies are bitterly resisting
affirmative action, which threatens to upset
their lucrative sweetheart deals. Hence, a
victory for minority enterprise here will not
only be good news for Blacks, but for all
consumers and taxpayers in the country,
who would benefit from a more wide-open
bidding system.
Why this trend is expected by some to
continued downward is gleaned from an
examination of the Black presence in the $8
billion beauty eare industry. White-owned
giants, e.g. Revlon, Alberto Culver,
L’Oreal, etc., are now moving to seize
control of every level of the Black beauty
care market.
v WBMUSTJIQP
FINDING EXCUSES
FOR CRIMINALITY T
AND NOT
ALLOVIfT T0MA9
JJSgLF BV AW
\ QTHFR NAM*? 4
TTWot coonSs
Letters To The Editor
Sorority Urges Federal Intervention
In Children Murder Investigation
Dear Sir:
Charlotte Alumnae
Chapter of the Delta Sigma
Theta public service orga
nization requests that local
and state government
President Reagan to assign
the FBI and, if needed,
additional federal
monetary resources to
assist in apprehending the
murderer! s)of the 20 Black
children in Atlanta.
The chapter’s 125 mem
bers are circulating petit
ions which will be delivered
to President Reagan, re
questing immediate feder
al intervention in solving
me atrocious murders.
Charlotte Alumnae
Chapter, along with the
other 677 DST chapters,
located throughout the U.S.
and abroad, supports the
Governor of Georgia and
the Mayor of Atlanta in
urging President Reagan
to declare a state of
emergency in Atlanta, and
that he mobilize the
Georgia National Guard to
assist in apprehending the
criminal(s) and protecting
the city’s residents from
further untimely deaths.
Pledging themselves to
be persistent reminders of
the unsolved, guresome
crimes against Black
children in Atlanta,
chapter members are
wearing green ribbons as a
symbol of life. They are
also encouraging the
Charlotte community to be
reminders by wearing
ribbons.
Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc. is a
predominately Black,
professional women’s
organization. Mrs. Shirley
Anderson is the president
of the Charlotte Alumnae
Chapter. ->
Sincerely,
Shirley Anderson
ks Unaware Of What’s Going Qn?
UCdl ou .
Lately, there have been a
great number of Black
oriented cultural activities
taking place within Char
lotte.
The Black community of
ten is unaware of what is
going on and therefore can
not take advantage of these
presentations and perform
ances availableandspeci
fically geared for them.
i ne tsroaaway produc
tion of “Home” was pre
sented by the Negro En
semble Company at NCNB
Performance Place. The
' Ensemble members also
taught workshops on acting
and technical aspects of
theater productions. Unfor
tunately, there weren’t
many people at the work
shops. The theater produc
tion as well attended on
Friday and Saturday, but
Thursday’s performance
was played to a half-full
theater. Cost may have
something to do with ticket
sales at NCNB Perform
—anrg Plapp, hut then* havp
also been a number of of
free activities that were not
well attended.
Toni Cade Bombers and
Hoyt Fuller, contemporary
writers, and several other
speakers and performers
were featured at UNCC
during Black History
Month. These activities
were free. Also in and
around our neighborhoods
organizations, churches
and community centers of
ten sponsor art activities,
including exhibits, dance,
music an*r drama.
It iplmportant to re
meproer that the arts are
means to express and re
flect on the current state of
our affairs. Through the
interpretations of our art
ists we learn about com
mon conflicts and we share
the joys and sorrows of our
existance without having to
remove our personal
facade.
Some of the organiza
tions based in Charlotte
include: Jim Boyce and the
Steel Drum Symphonette,
The Performing Arts Guild
Ensemble, The Charlotte
Choral Ensemble, Daka
Ara, The Yogng Women of
Tomorrow^ Dance, The
-Ebony.turnup, and r»m.
pany, Projections- Jazz,
and G. M. Productions.
This weekend G. M. Pro
ductions will present "Stye
of the Blind Pig” at the
Mint Museum Theater. Fri
day and Saturday, Melba
Moore .is„-BsrfftDXiing..a.t _
NCNB Performance Place
Saturday, March 21. There
is an on-going exhibit at
Johnson C. Smith Univers
ity and the Mint Museum of
History, of the “Blacks in’
the Western Movement,”
admission to the exhibit is
free.;
Next week Julian Bon<3
will be a guest speaker at
JCSU on March 25, and
there is no charge for ad
mission.
These are just a few of
the activities to come,
there are many more. The
next time you complain of
nothing to do in Charlotte,
please take a minute to
look at the newspaper or
call a radio station, Spirit
Square, or one of the local
colleges for a list of ac
tivities. „
Karen Meadows
Bake Sale
A Bake Sale, sponsored
by the Johnson C. Smith
University Chapter of the
Student North Carolina
Association of Education,
will be held in the lobby of
the student union on cam
pus on Tuesday, March 24,
at 10 a.m.
Klan, Nazis Against Progressive Movements
against all progressive peo
ple's movements, such as
national liberation, civil
rights^jiiomen’s and labor
movements, for their own
selfish ends. Their bloody
attacks against the people
are known from Birming
ham to Berlin. What (s n&t
as clear to the American
people is the sinister, hy
pocritical role of the
Government. The U.S.
Government also works
against progressive peo
ple's movements. Although
the Government, Klan and
Nazis have differences,
they have a harmony of
interest when it comes to
attacking the people's
movements, That's why
the Klan and Nazis has
been the historical tools of
Government use and mani
puiation
There is no doubt of a
conspiracy to murder CWP
leadership on November 3,
1979. The evidence is over
whelming. There is no
doubt of the leading role of
the U.S. Government in
planning and carrying out
the daylight execution. The
cover-up of this crime has
worked its way through the
BATF, FBI, local courts
and the U.S. Justice De
partment.
But in spite of the mas
sive cover-up, there is
growing national opinion of
a Government planned ass
assination. It is precisely
the exposure of the role of
the Government as the
force promoting and direct
ing terrorist attacks
against the people that this
latest arrest of Nazis by the
BATF is designed to cover
up. Like a den of thieves
turning on each other, the
Government is attempting
to shore up its image as the
Guardian of the interests of
the people from "left and
right extremist groups."
This conception of the role
of the Government is false
We want to make it clear
that the greatest source of
violence and terror per
petrated against the people
is the U S. Government
itself.
The Government planned
the murder of the CWP
Five NOT because the
CWP is a threat to the
people, but because the
Government needed to
murder the leadershiD of
the people They then had
to paint the CWP as ter
«
rorists. It is the Govern
ment itself which is the
prime force behind the ter
ror of November 3. The
same thing was done with
Malxolm X, Martin Luther
King Jr. and the Black
Panther Party. The mur
der of the children in Atlan
ta has not been solved
because the Government
needs it to generate race
conflict and frankly be
come part of a momentum
including the BAKKE de
cision and busing, toward
race war.
Why? Why Is all of this
occurring? As the CWP has
been saying, this capitalist
system is in the deepest
economic crisis ever. It can
no longer provide for the
needs of the people. Capit
alism has outlived its use
fulness. It can only drag
people down, as is every
where apparent in the U S.
With the highest scientific
and technological achieve
ments anywhere in the
world, the American peo
pie's living standard con
tinues to plunge to new
lows. There are massive
budget cuts, there are mas
sive layoffs, whole genera
tions of vouth are literally
destroyed. The drums are
beating as Reagan and
Haig, with corporate back
ing, organize to take the
American people to war.
Yes, there is resistance.
That resistance is growing.
Sometimes it is clear;
sometimes it is confused.
The legitimate target of
that resistance is the Go
vernment and the privi
leged class of monopoly
capitalists which it repre
sents. But the Government
does everything in its
power lo train the resist
ance of the people away
from itself to other sec
tions of the people, con
sequently increasing
racism and scapegoating
black people. Blame for the
increased hardship is
aimed at Cuban refugees,
Mexican farm workers,
Vietnamese refugees, com
munists, etc.
But now there is a dan
gerous, rapidly developing
new feature to the Govern- -
ment’s tricks. The Govern
ment is wildly trying to
promote itself as the neu
tral protector of the people,
from left and right ex
tremist groups, What is
actually happening is that
•
the Government wonts
with and through whatever
dregs it can find to launch
attacks on the people's re
sistance. That is what hap
pened in Greensboro and in
fact what happened in El
Salvador.
Any individual or groups
which accept this naive and
false formulation will be
come part of the process of
promoting fascism In the
U.S. The violence and
terror inflicted on the peo
ple under a fascist govern
ment will exceed our ima
gination. As in Hitler's
Germany, all progressive
people will be violently put
down. There will be race
war. The aim of this le
gislation is not to stop
terrorists. It is to snuff out
the inevitable resistance of
civil rights leaders, church
people, trade union lead
ers, leaders of women's
rights movement, etc. That
is the essence of what is
happening.
1---*1