Editorials & Comments
Let’s Save Little Rock Church!
As a part of the City’s Urban
Renewal program for First
Ward, the old Little Rock AME
Zion Church, located at the
corner of Myers and East 7th
Streets, was purchased. Since
the City’s plans initially called
for widening 7th Street which is
adjacent to the church, there
was some concern, about what
might happen to the 71-year-old
structure built in 1910 at a cost of
only $20,000.
Historic Properties Commission
decided to commission a study to
determine the most appropriate
adaptive re-use of the church’s
structure to enable it to continue
as an integral part of the com
munity while the Little Rock
congregation moved a block
away in a more modern new
facility.
After a careful analysis ot
available space, access patterns,
community growth patterns, and
the opinions expressed by local
residents and community lead
ers, it was determined that the
most appropriate adaptive re
use of the structure would be to
serve as the new home of the
Afro-American Cultural Center
of Charlote.
Feasibility Study
The Center currently occupies
space in Spirit Square which is
inadequate for its needs. The
“Feasibility Study,” conducted
by Inabinet Associates of Colum
bia, South Carolina, says in part,
“The needs of the Afro-Ameri
can Cultural Center include.,,
space in an auditorium with at
least 100 seats in order to accom
modate the performing arts, lec
tures, programs, classes and
children’s self expression work
shops...In addition, there is a
need for permanent exhibit
space for display of artifacts and
traveling exhibits, a work space
and storage space for artifacts
and exhibits, office space, con
ference rooms and library facili
ties to serve as a resource
center.”
The study notes further that
the building appears to be struc
turally sound with damage evi
dent primarily on the roof-and—
the woodwork exposed to the
elements over the life of the
71-year-old building designed by
James M. McMichael. Mr.
McMichaei (1870-1944), a noted
architect, also designed the old
First Baptist Church (now Spirit
Square) and Myers Park Pres
byterian Church.
The study concludes that a
“very preliminary cost esti
mate” to renovate and return the
structure to some of its former
grandeur would be approximate
ly $160,000. It is further con
cluded that the City of Charlotte
underwrite the cost of the reno
vation, fund the operating cost
and maintenance and lease the
_facility__to Afro-American Cul
tural Center.
We strongly support the reno
vation of the old Little Rock
Church and applaud the ideas of
making it the home of the Afro
American Cultural Center. How
ever, considering other needs
that relate to a minimum quality
of life for many citizens - namely
housing, transportation and hu
man services - we would strongly
question the wisdom of expecting
local government to invest huge
sums oL_money in a historic
preservation project without a
strong showing of financial and
community support particularly
from black Charlotteans.
Black Support
With the beginning of the
City’s Urban Renewal program
in 1959, there have been many
complaints from blacks about
the destroying of much of their
local history and cultural heri
tage. Old Brooklyn, Second Ward
High School, many older black
churches, such as Little Rock,
residentially integrated First
Ward before school desegrega
tion in 1954, and many other sites
are all gone.
The black community now has
an opportunity to recapture in
one central place part of its
historic past. It has the oppor
tunity to preserve, observe, ex
pand upon and seek new inter
pretation and expressions of
what it has and is meaning to be
a black Charlottean.
We would hope and encourage
groups like the Second Ward
High Alumni Association, John
son C. Smith University, the
black churcheSj local black intel
lectuals, former residents of old
Brooklyn, the Community Rela
tions Committee, the Afro-Ame
rican Cultural Center and fhp
Public Library would somehow
pool their time, their talents and
their money to assume a major
responsibility in preserving the
Litte Rock Church as a home fot*
the history of the local black
community. Technical and other
assistance might be sought from
the Association for the Study of
Negro Life and History and other
national black historic organ
—izationsL__
Major black financial, technic
al and maintenance support of
such a project would give blacks
a unique hold on to their own past
for present and future genera
tions. Furthermore, major black
support would give them control
over the policies and future
directions for how and what to
preserve from the past.
Most important to this project
is a fact about the present. That
is, with the federal government
severely cutting back on hous
ing, human services and other
basic qualities of life needs, local
government will be under great
er pressure to increase their
support for these human
services.
LEADERS MUST ORGANIZE
ARTWE^OlNO^rcrsrrANCrtET BtACK COMMUNITIES
CRUMBLE AROUND US ? GRASS ROOTS AND COM
MUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, MUST EMERGE, TO FORGE
A UNITED EFFORT AGAINST CRIME. NARCOTIC TRAF
FICKING, BLIGHT AND DECAY.
Tony Brown's
Journal
Nationally Syndicated
Commercial Television Series
Tony Brown
Newest Twist In Coke Deal!
No matter how some in
dividual blacks felt about
Jesse Jackson, he and his
PUSH organization re
ceived praise from much
of the black community
when the $6 billion Coca
Cola corporation an
nounced that it would hand
over some $30 million to
black interests. Jackson
had called an economic
boycott against Coke’s
interests.
The action was interpre
ted as a new corporate
program to substitute for
the old ’’draft horse of
minority progress” led
back into therbarrrby the
Reagan Administration
budget cuts of social pro
grams.
The accojadesxame also
from some who sfee beyond
substituting one poverty
program for another - on
an endless treadmill of wel
fare. To my knowledge, the
oldest and most persistent
champion of black self-help
through economic and poli
tical power is Dr. Carlton
-Gnnrilptl. past president of
the National Newspaper
Publishers Association and
publisher of The (San
Francisco) Sun Reporter.
Dr. Goodlett's Reporter
Publications chain of news
papers in a “Coca-Cola
Promises $34 Million To
Blacks" editorial said:
"This week, black econo
mic power flexed its mus
cles... Blacks have a pur
chasing power in excess of
$100 billion. If we organ
ize and use our money
wisely for black improve
ment, no multinational cor
poration will be able to
withstand a black boycott
of four months. The black
dollar can do much more to
help the black drive to full
equality and end economic
racism than any other
force at our disposal.”
Blacks should be "think
ing in terms of tithing in
our contributions to PUSH;
we should make available
to Rev. Jackson and PUSH
at least one-tenth of the
monies received from the
special opportunities which
will certainly flow from
this initial historic break
through,” Dr. Goodlett’s
paper suggested.
The “special opportun
ities" fund would amount
to, under GoodletVs pro
posal, a war chest of about
$15 billion if Jackson gets
an average of $30 million
from pflch nf the Fortune
500 as he was initially
promised by Coke. Jackson
personally referred to his
"withdrawal of our en
thusiasm for Coke pro
ducts" boycott of July 11
and explained that, "What
we have worked out is a
framework of reciprocity
rather than generosity.”
But two days after Coke
announced an agreement
(“Black Push, Coke Bows"
- New York Daily News)
Patricia Roberts—Harris^
Jimmy Carter cabinet
member, warned of “A
New Burden For Business"
in the New York Times.
. She warned that the Rea
gan Administration has
created a "climate in
which the anger and frus
tration of the public” will
be "directed against busi
ness leadership.” There is
a growing belief that the
private sector must solve
the unsolved social pro
blems and "the public will
look to business for needed
help,” Mrs. Harris wrote.
She gave this conclu
sion: “If business accepts
such a burden as a fair
price for greater freedom
from taxation and over
sight, it better determine
whether it has a bureau
cracy adequate enough to
process applications and
fend off attacks from dis
appointed supplicants, in
cluding employees." The
PUSH-Coke pact might
make prophecy out of
Harris’ words.
On August 10, Coke an
nounced that it had agreed
to: 1) create a $1.8 inillion
fund or loans for black in
vestors; 2) establish 32
black-owned dealerships;
3) double advertising in
black-owned media; and 4)
increase banking activity
in minority banks.
It was also announced at
that time that the plan does
not provide as much as was
broadcast initially and
there were "miscon
ceptions.” In terms of
money to black businesses,
Coca-Cola said the figure is
closer to $11 million. Later
that week. Carlton Curtis of
Coke was quoted as say
ing: “Quite frankly, 1 think
we were a little naive in
communicating the story.”
—On August 14t Lone
ported that its concessions
were being labeled as
“blackmail’’ by resentful
callers. “There's been a
strong reaction in the
marketplace that this is
outright blackmail, that
this is a $30 million give
away plan,” said Coke re
presentative Carlton
Curtis.
“The Coca-Cola Com
pany is not paying any
thing for this,” Ayoub ex
plained about the profit
making potential of the
wholesale distributorships.
..“Tony Brown's Journ
al,” the television series, is
shown every Sunday, on
WBTV, Channel 3, at 11:30
p.m.
— ®y Gerald C. Horne, ESQ.
Affirmative
Action
Conference In SoSdarity
By Gerald C. Horne, ESQ.
Many critics of the Reagan Administra
tion have alleged that “it has no foreign
policy. But as far as apartheid South Africa
goes, it seems that Reagan’s policy is all too
clear. Consider the following:
ITEM
..On March 13, U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations Jeanne Kirkpatrick met
with_jjye_Jeading-South African military
"officials in open contravention of stated U.S.
policy. Observers recall that when a similar
meeting took place between Andrew Young
and a PLO official, the Carter Administra
tion official was sacked immediately.
ITEM '▲
When the issue of comprehensive sanc
tions against Pretoria arose recently in the
U.N., Ambassador Kirkpatrick exercised
'the U.S. “veto.”
ITEM
.. On May 14 Secretary of State Alexander
Haig engaged in intensive talks in Washing
ton with South Africa’s Foreign Minister
Roelof (Bik) Botha. Haig called for a “new
beginning of mutual trust and confidence
between the U.S. and South Africa, old
friends who are getting together again...
South Africa can rely on (the U.S.)...”
Earlier, President Reagan had praised
South Africa as an “ally” that had stood by
the U.S. in past wars, despite the fact
that the present leadership there had been
interned during World War II because of
explicit Nazi sympathies.
ITEM
The State Department has approved the
visit of the South African rugby team, the
Springboks, for a series of games in
Chicago, Albany and New York in Septem
ber. African nations, led by Nigeria, have
raised the specter of a boycott of the 1984
__Qlympftrgames scheduled for Los Angeles."
_ ITEM
. .The Organization of African Unity (OAU)
at its most recent meeting in Nairobi
condemned the Reagan Administration for
stalling on a settlement in Namibia (South
west Africa) and collaborating with South
Africa against the authentic representative
of the Namibian people-SWAPO (Southwest
Africa Peoples Organization).
ITEM
. .The Reagan Administration has come out
strongly for repeal of the “Clark Amend
ment” in an effort to destabilize the govern
ment of Angola, a prime supporter of
SWAPO.
ITEM
..The Washington-based black lobbying
group TransAfrica released a series vf
internal State Department memos that
document in detail this tLS.-South Africa
attempt to prevent SWAPO coming to
power and maintaining Pretoria’s illegal
occupation of Namibia.
These diplomatic maneuverings are
merely the tip of the iceberg. The U.S.
transnational Corporation-General Motors,
Ford, Firestone, etc.-while shutting down
plants in the U.S. have keen moving opera
tions in droves to South Africa to take
advantage of the cheap black labor there.
U.S. corporate investment in the land of
apartheid has been growing at an astonish
ing 25 percent per year, the most rapid rate
of any U.S. foreign investment. Hundreds of
U.S. monopolies have found a home in South
Africa and right now the U.S. continues to
be Pretoria’s largest trading partner,
exporting to the tune of $2.5 billion and
importing $3.3 billion.
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From Capitol HiU
Reagan’s All-Out Assault On Affirmative Action
Alfreda I,. Madison
Special To The Post
The Keagan Administra
tion has set in motion the
first turn about in equal
employment opportunity
since the 1964 Civil Rights
enactment. It has launched
a complete assault on the
affirmative program.
TIMK8 magazine stated
that the Keagan Admin
istration would like to drop
all numerical goals and
timetables. Some allies
would go so far as to
rewrite the Civil Rights Act
of 1964.
In commenting on the
Reagan move, Raul Castil
lo, of the Hispanic Cau
cus said, "The Adminis
tration's move will totally
obliterate any kind of gains
that have been made to
date by minorities in get
ting better jobs,” Julian
Bond stated, "The Reagan
Administration is worse
than Nixon - that's the
incredible thing." Eleanor
Smeal. President of Na
tional Organization of Wo
men emphasized. ‘ This
Administration is showing
daily how badly the ERA is
needed '
The Urban league at
tacks both the Administra
tion's and Congress' at
Alfrrda I,. Madison
tempts to weaken affirm
ative action. It speaks spe
cifically of the Hatch,
Walker; McClosky and
other opposing affirmative
action measures. The
league firmly states that
affirmative action seeks to
redress over 300 years of
discrimination, entrenched
in over 200 years of legal
bondage and perpetuated
by another century of
legally-sanctioned racial
prejudice.’ “Race - con
scious inequities demand
race-conscious remedies.”
Maudine Cooper, Vice Pre
sident of the Urban League
said, "Advocacy by minor
ities and women has tan
gible by-products (hat pro
vide new opportunities for
whites too. It has opened
doors that have been closed
to many by the traditional
old-boy networks.” Com
panies who have instituted
affirmative action have
often discovered new and
talented labor pools.
Benjamin Hooks said,
“The Administration’s ac
tions cause grave concern
over curtailing responsibi
lity of anti-discrimination
and affirmative roles. This
is a major step backwards.
It proposes substantial
perils to affirmative action
that could easily clog the
vital channels that are now
opening, remedying, guid
ing and effectively, with
out costly practices of se
gregation and discrimina
tion the work places ” He
stated that, “The Admin
istration's guise of reduc
ing paper work is simply
shredding the regulations
that let businesses know
that the federal govern
ment will not tolerate dis
crimination. For the Ad
ministration to argue that
it is doing good is shear
double talk for deempha
sizing the role of the fe
deral government in mak
ing sure that employers
reach out for minorities
and women. Employers
who act in good faith need
not fear government
monitoring. It is shicking
that a President who spoke
at the NAACP convention
about forging cooperation
towards black progress,
would approve the reversal
of affirmative action
process.” '
The Congressional Black
Caucus heartily condemns
the Reagan Administra
tion's assault on affirm
ative action. It says, his
call for elimination of key
components of the pro
grams, run by the U S.
Labor Department Office
of Federal Contract Com
pliance will cause millions
of minority and women
workers to still experience
discrimination in employ
ment. The Caucus says,
“With a jack hammer repe
tition of the quota buzz
word, the Administration is
pounding out the familiar
arguments against govern
ment efforts to advance
minorities and women into
careers that have been tra
ditionally reserved for
white men A major roll
back of effective enforce
ment of the affirmative
action regulations is unfair
to the victims of continuing
employment discrimina
tion.” Shirley Chisholm in
speaking for the Caucus,
said, “No where from this
Administration have I
heard any new suggestions
for bringing equal access to
America’s work places.
Racism and sexism will not
fade away unassisted. Un
til someone can bring for
ward a better alternative,
we should stay with the
affirmative action plan
that is in place and is
working."
The original policy regu
lations called for employ
ers with 50 or more em
ployees and government
contracts of >50,000 or more
to set goals and time tables
for employing minorities
and women. The Reagan
Administration will ex
empt all employers with
less than 250 employees
and contracts totaling less
than >1 million from these
regulations.
We were able to contact
James Sisco, Director of
Program Policy of the Fe
deral Contract Appropria
tlon Program, who stated
that the companies do not
have to have any written
contract clause concerning
employment discrimina
tion. All compliance is left
to the good faith effort of
the corporations. The irony
of this method is ignoring
the fact that affirmative
action was instituted be
cause the good faith ef
forts didn’t work in the first
place. Mr. Sisco said that,
however, contractors will
be subject to • periodical
reviews by EEOC, if that
agency has sufficient force
to do the job. Yet, with the
OMB cutback, he stated
that a large enough work
force to do the job is
doubtful. Sisco stated that
it is hoped that all big
contractors’ hiring,^prac
tices will be reviewflBwith
in a five-year period. He
said that anyone who has a
discriminatory complaint
against these businesses
that have government con
tracts can file a complaint
with EEOC, and that he
hopes their compliants can
be handled within six
months Sisco’s entire con
versation was contingent
upon having enough people
to do the job after Stock
man s ruthless