jj Editorials & Comments
Blacks Lacking In Self-Help
As the keynote speaker at The
‘ Charlotte Post Newspaper’s first
“Churchwoman of the Year”
awards program, last Saturday
evening, Tony Brown focused
some of his remarks on the
question of black self-help. He
said, in over simplified terms to
make his point, that in specific
white communities (the Mor
mans, etc.) people turn their
money over 12 times before it
leaves the community, thus be
nefiting many people in that
community. However, black
people tend to spend their money
largely outside black communi
ties, thus they don’t contribute
significantly to the survival and
expansion of black business, the
employment of blacks by other
blacks, the reduction of black
on-black crimes and the preserv
ation of black neighborhoods.
As we look at the Charlotte
black community we have clear
evidence of a lack of self-help, a
lack of self-determination and a
lack of job opportunities made
available by blacks primarily for
blacks.
Do you realize the potential
Mechanics and Farmers Bank
could have if more blacks would
open, savings and checking ac
counts there? Do you realize the
advertising revenue the POST
could have if more blacks pur
chased subscriptions? Signifi
cantly, this means the POST
Could hire more writers and
sales people and the advertisers
themselves would be inclined to
lure more black workers._
Do you realize how much
rental income and how many
mortgage payments leave the
~4>lack community because real
tors, mortgage lenders, building
contractors don’t get the busi
ness support they should from
—blacks. Ironically, black under
takers are the only black-owned
- businesses that get the major
share, if not all, of black people's
business. Sadly, this happens
because most white undertakers
don't want to bury black people.
Undertakers parallel the blaOk
church in that they exist as much
because whites don’t want
blacks in their churches as they
do because blacks have strong i
pride in their churches. The
point is, blacks should support
and aid black-owned businesses
because of the self-help value
they give to the broader black
community as well as respond
ing to individual needs and be
motivated by whites’ disinterest
in meeting our needs and
desires.
"Therefore, blacks need to
develop new attitudes and new
philosophies toward self-help
and self-determination.
Recognizing that black Ame
ricans don’t live and carry on
business in an isolated vacuum,
and recognizing that our welfare
and business success is partly
dependent on fact outside of our
control, blacks should accept the
viewpoint of the Reagan Ad
ministration that self-help will
end our need for federal govern
ment assistance.
William Raspberry said it well,
in that “Government has been"
the “draft horse” that pulled
blacks out of slavery...that
opened the voting booths and
lunchroom counters, that cham
pioned fair employment and gua
ranteed access to the building
trades, bank loans, business op
portunities and fair housing.”
With continued support in these
and other areas, black self-help
would be more workable.
Blacks need to expand their
own potential by self-help, doing
what we can do for ourselves
now. By actively supporting
yourself and your community by
supporting black businesses_and_
blacH institutions.
tfour-lear term Fast Due
Mecklenburg County Commis
sioners voted on Monday to place
a referendum on the September
22 ballot that would allow the
voters to decide whether they
want to lengthen the terms of
county commissioners from two
to four years. If the proposal is
approved, four-year terms would
become effective December 6,
1982, following the next board
election.
Supports of the change, includ
ing Commissioners themselves,
claim four-year terms would
allow them to devote less time to
campaigning and more time to
county business and it would
provide more stability in county
government.
The POST counts itself among
the supporters of four-year coun
ty commissioner terms for these
and other reasons. The most
important of these we think are
that longer terms will result in
more people going to the polls to
vote. Secondly, less elections will
reduce the expenses of cam
paigning and hopefully result in
more qualified candidates seeing
public office.
The “bottom line” to all of this
is that longer terms should allow
county government to be more
efficient and should encourage
voters more interested and re
sponsive in their voting beha
vior.
Support the four-year county
commissioner terms on the
September 22 ballot.
In a recent television poll
conducted by “Tony Brown’s
Journal,” an overwhelming 86
percent said they did not feel
black people place enough em
phasis on self-help and blamed
racism far too much for many of
their problems.
Blacks' DefFJnylrTOwn Hands
SsSffUTfTSL thcmselves are going toM
^7.79/WffH °0T M^NY OF THEIR OUN M
PpODLEiflS, INSTEAD OF UEAVING IT UP TO THE
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS'
ROY WILKINS
a s i see 1 e,
The Theory Of Evolution Or
The Doctrine Of Creation?
Rev. Waylon Wallace
Post Columnist
Whenever I begin some
thing new, my thoughts
always go back to some of
the first words I learned to
read and recite, In the
beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.”
Having associated creation
with my beginning this
column, my thoughts ran
swiftly to the current de
bate over the theory of
evolution being taught in
the public schools and-or
-the doetrina-ofcreation.
Allow rjie to say at the
outset, I am a creationist. I
believe that God did every
thing the Bible says, in this
matter, in the way and
time frame it says it.
I also believe the Bible
when it says that the way
we know God created the
world is by faith.
There is more than one
theory of evolution. There
are other scientific theories
of how the world and
humankind came into
existence. It would be well
if students were exposed to
more than one in the
science classroom. But,
whatever is taught in the
science class ought to be
the results of scientific ob
servation and not Divine
revelation.
It seems that the same
folks, who are crying the
loudest for separation of
church and state, are the
principle ones demanding
that their faith be taught in
the science class.
We live in a pluralistic
society. The public schools
seek to serve children who
coirie from homes of differ
ing racial background, reli
Rev. Way Ion Wallace
gious orientation and na
tional origins^ Many reli
gions have representative?
in public classrooms who
teach that the world and
humankind came into
existence in some other
manner than is taught in
the Bible. Many Christians
do not take any part of the
Bible to be addressing sci
entific concerns and their
faith is not bothered by
scientific theories. Should
one element of the Chris
tian community be granted
preference in public class
rooms overall other reli
gious beliefs?
If this is to be done, the
Constitution may as well be
changed to fit the reality of
our situation.
What is needed are re
quired courses on customs
and traditions of the world
in which students might
become aware of how other
people live and what they
believe.
More energy has been de
voted to this issue than it
deserves. Why? Could it be
that some religious groups
are seeking to prove its
relevance and power in the
world today after they have
failed in the past to take a
stand on vital moral
issues? Could it be that folk
who should have been
God’s voice during the
Vietnam War, the Civil
Rights War and who should
be God's voice now over
apartheid in South Africa
are driven by.guilt to prove
that they still represent
God.
Too many church folks
are arguing if Jacts related
in Genesis are true while
missing the truth. The
truth about creation does
noi lie in the facts, but, in
~ learning—of—what_i» in.
vealed and what the reve
lation demands of us.
In the weeks ahead I will
seek toaddress the major
issues concerning all of us
in (he light of that truth.
The burden of responsi
bility for teaching the faith
lies at the door of the home
and the church. If creation
is truly taught and believed
on in the home and church
then the child will have no
trouble when he or she gets
to school. If parents and
preachers have merely ac
cepted what has been
handed down to them with
out thinking it through for
themselves, then their
children will have trouble
holding on to what is ob
viously of little value to the
people contributing to the
molding of their early
years.
They can convince their
Children by- being doers of
the Word and not bearers
only. They can convince
the world by practicing the
truth of creation, not by
merely spreading the
teaching.
Gerald C. Horne, ESQ.=^=^=!
Affirmative
Action
£ *■ ■
The Moral Majority
The so-called “Moral Majority” has been
making a lot of noise lately.. Their fervent
and avid hatred of affirmative action - they
tend to see it as “reverse discrimination” -
is well-known; because of this and other
reasons, you won’t find many blacks in their
ranks. , - ,
To enforce their dictate in the courts, they
have moved allegedly to knock together a
“Legal Defense Fund.” At the same time, in
the recent maneuvers in Congress to
cubnantle the main legal life-line of the poor
aria many blacks - the highly regarded ^
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) which
dispenses “legal aid” - the so-called
“Moral Majority” has been leading the
charge.
The, Legal Services Corporation was
established by an Act of Congress and
signed into law in 1974. Legal Services
Corporation currently makes grants to over
320 programs, which operate some 1,400
office and, as of 1980, has served all 3,000
United States counties. In 1980 Legal
Services Corporation funded programs
handled 1.5 million cases. The overwhelm
ing majority were routine legal matters on
a broad range of issues, including housing
problems, consumer disputes, family Jaw
matters, and social security benefits. The
most frequently provided service-in nearly
one-unra or an cases-is simply giving
advice and counsel on routine matters of
critical importance to individual clients.
Only 15 percent of all Legal Services
Corporation cases result in litigation. Un
fortunately, less than 1 percent are the all
important “class action suits” that reach
beyond individual complainants to affect
tens, hundreds and thousands. Moreover,
“class actions” are the most cost-effective
way to approach on overburdened judicial
system. Legal Services Corporation’s'sterl
ing labor has been endorsed by the con
servative American Bar Association, the
National Bar Association, the militant
National Conference of Black Lawyers, the
National Legal Aid and Defender Associa
tion, state and local bar associations,
judges, law professors, private attorneys,
trade unions of legal Workers and many
others. With this glowing record, the
question arises, “Why is the ‘Moral Ma
jority’ ~ so concerned with-. destabilizing
Legal Services Corporation?” By posing the
question, it is answered: “This gang of
zealots that has been dubbed the “immoral
minority” by some, knows that Legal ^
Services Corporation is a potential shield
blocking their vain attempt to infect the
body politic with their ideological virus.
Thus, in the June 22, 1981 edition of their
organ, the misnamed “Moral Majority
Report,” J.W. Bradshaw assails and lashes
Legal Services Corporation. He thoroughly
endorses President Reagan’s call for a
complete abolition of Legal Services Cor
poration. He tells their reading audience to
concentrate on Key House subcommittee
members: Chairman Neal Smith, Iowa;
Bill Alexander, Arkansas; Joseph Early,
Massachusetts; Jack Hightower; Texas;
Bernard Dwyer, New Jersey; George
O’Brien, Illinois; Clarence Miller, Ohio;
and Carroll A. Campbell, South Carolina.
These “Republo-crats” have been pres
sured mightily from the right and they need
to hear from the other side - which is taking
place but needs to be accelerated. For it, as
things stand now, it looks like Legal
Services Corporation will find it difficult to
escape Congress without a broad slashing of
its budget.
; THE CHARLOTTE POST
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i 1 ■
From Capitol HUl
Is Reagan Administration Ignoring Haitian Entrants’
By Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Post
Haitian entrants to the
United States are people
too. Yet, both the Carter
Administration and now
the Reagan Administration
are ignoring them in their
human xigjits jxilicy Both
Presidents have confirmed
to decry loud and long
Soviet repression of indivi
duals, but not une sound
has been uttered by either
about Duvalier's treatment
of Haitians.
Haitians who have fled
the severe repressive and
poverty stricken treatment
of Dictator Duvalier; many
have been returned by the
Immigration and Natural
ization Service, inspite of
evidence from human
rights and church groups
that these returned Hai
tians face severe persecu
tion The Federal Court
found that Haitians have
"well-founded fear of per
secution" if tfyey were re
turned to Haiti. Phillip
Abbot Imce of the Council'
for Inter-American Secur
ity stated after a trip to
Haiti, "my trip to Haiti,
proved to me that there
was a policy of repression
4
Alfred a |„. Madison
against those that returned
to Haiti. Even if the
returned Haitian is not
murdered, he is obviously
suspect and the Ton ton
Macoute. Duvalier's mili
tia, will keep him under
surveillance and without
work. The repression of the
individual in Haiti is as
widespread as the Soviet
Union."
The Congressional Black
Caucus which condemned
(he Carter Administration
for Its inhuman treatment
of Haitians, has charged
the Keagan Administration
with racist abuse of •
Haitians.
Chairman Fauntry said
the Caucus is astounded at
(he callous violations of due
process which are being
perpetrated against Hai
tians He staled that at
torneys have been threat
ened with arrest when they
attempted to inform Hai
tians of their rights to be
represented by an at
torney^ They are being
~p?8CHI In tttiss iinmigra
tion hearings without the
benefil of an attorney even
for those who wish to claim
asylum. The local Immi
gration and Naturalization
Service < INSi has locked
the press out of the trials
even though written re
quests were made This is
the only time, ever that the
press has been barred from
INS court trials. In the
public access area attor
neys have not been able to
get closer than 15 feet of the
Haitians. Their shouts to
the Haitians to inform
them of their rights have
been thwarted and shouted
down by INS officials. The
Caucus through Represent
ative Shirley Chisholm has
sent a letter to Attorney
General Smith complain
ing about the INS actions
In her letter Mrs. Chisholm
said that Haitians who
have come to the INS office
for work authorizations on
their 1-94 forms are now
being arrested. She asked
the Attorney General to
explain the rationale for
changing the prior practice
of Haitians who voluntarily
identified themselves to
INS were granted work
authorization:- --
In a letter to President
Reagan the Congressional
Black Caucus expressed
deep concern that Haitians
be recognized as true poli
tical refugees and that the
due process rights of Hai
tian assylum applicants be
accorded As proof for po
litical refugee status the
Caucus cited Amnesty In
ternational. "the appara-g
tus of regugee status the
Caucus under Francois Du
valier remains in place
under Jean-Claude Duva
lier." Our own state De
partment conceded that the
Haitian goverment encour
aged actions to intimidate
ihe medica and political
opposition. In 1979 the
ability of Haitians to ex
press dirsenting views
declined. Hundreds of Jour
nalists and development
specialists views declined.
Hundreds of journalists
and development special
ists were arrested, im
prisoned and forcibly
exiled to other countries.
The Caucus informed the
President that they view
with alarm the Attorney
General’s statement that
immigration proceedings,
should be speeded up. “Any
program to escalate Hai
tian immigration hearings
violate their due process
rights to claim assylum
and result in national ori
gin discrimination as well
as racial discrimination.’’
Mr. Reagan's attention
was called to the fact that a
violation of due process
, places the United States in
i violation of the U.N. Proto
col Relating to Refugees.
This protocol obligates the
United States not to return
persons to their homeland
if they face the possibility
of persecution upon return.
Mr. Reagan was also in
formed by the Caucus that
a policy of interdiction of
the high seas raises ques
tions about our commit
ment to the Universal De
claration of Human Rights.
Mr Fauntroy informed
the President that it is
hoped the U.S. Ambassa
dor to Haiti with a restrict
ed A I D. program will be
able to demand a greater
commitment to develop
ment and social justice
from the Haitian govern
ment. The Caucus letter
said, "...and you indicated
in your acceptance speech
at the Republican National
f orwention, this cnunfry
is viewed as an island of
freedom...refuge for all
those who yearn to breafe
freely, we hope that you
still believe the boat people
of Haiti can view the
United States an island of
freedom."
The Wearhouse
Friday. July 31, and Sa
turday, August l, are Bag
Days at THE WEAR
HOUSE, the Junior League
Thrift Shop in Uptown
Charlotte Shoppers can fill
a bag full of merchandise
for 15.
j I
■1 £
i