Editorials & Comments IA Break With The Past! Undoubtedly over the past week, culminating on Sunday morning, at about 8:00 a.m., many black Charlotteans were having nostalgic feelings about Old Brooklyn, Second Ward High and Myers Street schools, the fading Little Rock AME Zion Church at the corner of 7th and Myers Streets, and many other structures, institutions and com munities of the past. The Nostalgia arose from the fanfare leading to the seven seeon p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted become the property of The Post and not be returned. >a*M ** 1 — ■ » National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. 24SS 8. Michigan \ve. i;t w. 15th St.. Suite 1193 Chicago. III. SOtilft New York. New York. 1003ft t'nlumet .-0200 <212, 199.(220 will be used for the continuing struggle for justice and equal opportunity. However, in the absence of a planned Black Agenda there is little assurance that these funds can be put to a maximum use to benefit black Americans. The reportcard on the accom plishments of this latest coming together of black leaders is not yet out, but let us hope that they have included in their delibera tions “a plan of action...a 10 black commandments” that key note speaker Ossie Davis re quested 10 years ago. Let us hope they have dealt with how we can keep more of the reported $140 _ ..billion that blacks earn in black communities "'Sha^ spent with black businesses. Let us hope they have de veloped strategies to off-set any attempts of the Reagan Admin istration to weaken the Voting "Rights AcT. Let us hope mey have discussed the merits of Jesse Jackson’s reciprocity plan with the Coca-Cola Company for the possible use of the plan with other firms. Finally, let us hope that the Congressional Black Caucus Le gislative Weekend ended on a high note of a renewed com mitment to build a workable Black Agenda to serve the needs of black Americans. No one, I repeat no one, can resolve the problems and con flicts and promote and enhance the quality of life of blacks but -blacks- themselves.- Therefore;. blacks must create a Black Agenda and then pursue dili gently its goals for their own well being. If they don’t do it, it vvoiVtbe done. From Capitol Hill Prime Minister Menachem t Begin-44 America’s Bad Boy” Alfreds I,. Madison Special To The Post Prime Minister Men achem Begin, America's bullyish boy who uses two trumpcards to set his U. S. parents' support for his fantasy ways, has just re- : tin net! to fsiael, happily— over his successful Ameri can trip. He speaks of the Palestinians as a terrorist group whose aim is the destruction of Israel and that Israel must be sup ported in its military ab_ tacks as a means of combating communism in the Mid East. Mr Begin is playing his ace by using the American Soviet hysteria, which emphasizes strong ly, that just about every thing that is wrong in this world is instigated by Rus sia and the United States is endowed with the duty to rid the world of commun ism through the use of "kill power." The Prime Minister ex acted an increased mili tary cooperation between the United States and Is rael. and his visit to Capitol Hill won some strength against the United States maintaining its promise to \lfr«*da I,. Madison sell ACACS to Saudi Ara bia. He says the safety of Israel will be jeopardized by having the AWACS in the hands of Saudi Arabia. Yet, Begin has constantly violated the American arms sale which was pred icated on the fact that they should never be used in offensive measures but on ly for Israeli defense Is rael has made attacks in I^eha non which has killed Palestine refugees as well as Lebanese. Mr Begin says that he aiding the Christians in a religious war that is between Christ ians and Moslems His ex cuse for bombing the nucl ear reactor plant in Iraq is that they were planning to use the weapons against Israel The Prime Minister has continued to occupy the West Bank, which is again st the Camp David agree ment. - neLUitlji Mm United lluly Land Fund held a convent ion in Washington and Archbishop Hilareon Capucci of Palestine was invited to address the group, but the U.S. govern ment denied him a visa, yet, the Carter AdminST ration, publicly recognized the key role that Archbi shop Capucci played in assisting in the release of the American hostages held in Iran. The Israeli military government of the West Bank denied exit permits to three Palestinians who were also scheduled parti cipate in the convention. The Post recently reported that thei*e is great fear among the Lebanese and Palestinians of an all-out war imposed on their coun try by Israel, which appears with the United States support Since there has been a number of requests tor Third World Countries for reporters of the Black media to visit their home lands, because of bias re porting of the white press, some Blacks in this country has organized a Third ion, nine members of this organization were invited to Lebanon for some invest igative reporting. They toured the devastated areas of Beirut and South ern tebanon The group cdftrtuded that the Linitad States government's one sided policy fosters Israeli aggression and continued conflict in the Middle East This fact finding mission included observations, int erviews and firsthand in formation. They found no evidence to support the fact that the Palestine Liberat ion Organization is a ter rorist group, but that it is working tor a free an in dependent homeland for the Palestine people - es pecially since they were displaced for their home for the Israeli homeland These black ioumalists learned that the F LO directly addressed the % social and economic needs of the displaced Palestin ians and other Arabs who seek health care, employ ment and education. Tours to P.L.O. hospitals, schools , factories and bombed out refugee camps confirmed that Israeli aggression ex TencB lap iwywuj iiniiiury targets. Defenseless civil lian women and children suffer from these relentless attacks The Rashadiyah refugee camp, which is ten miles from the Israeli oc cupied territory has been bombed 703 times since 1973. This civillian settle ment which until 1973 had a population of 17,000 Palest inians, now has only 7,000. The recent July war claim ed 2,800 casualties in Beirut and Southern Lebanon. These raids were carried out with a wide array of U S made weapons, in cluding 3 000 pound cluster bombs which are internat ionally banded All of this is a violation of the U S. - Israeli weapon agreement The journalist learned through discussions with P L O. ranging from Yass er Area fat to a teen-age soft-drink vender in a crowded refugee camp, all expressed a common bitt erness and contempt for Israel's intransigence. They also condemned the United States as Israel's major arms supplier. The P.L.O feels that the United states holds the key to the soultion o/ the Israeii-Pal estinian question. This is a view that is shared by President Sadat, a^many Americans. Vk Even some Jewish peo ple have expressed the idea that Menachem Begin must not have our govern ment’s full support in his buliyish ideas. In a conver sation with one prominent Jewish official who wishes to remain anonymous, he stated very / strongly that if the United States does not begin clamping down on Mr Begin, World War HI will break out in the Middle East — blackcoHfujHmes shovldhelp impose order BLA CKSlMUS 7^7?V>ki JUSTIFYING BLAChM LAWLESSNESS ONlM DENIAL OF R/GHTS^U MUST SPEAK OUT WL FRANKLY AGAINST THE CRIMINAL / Tony Brown's Journal Nationally Syndicated Commercial Television Series Tony Brown Black Colleges Get 39.6 Million we all know the Federal Government has a trouble some history of issuing Federal orders with no teeth in them,” President Ronald Reagan said at the White House luncheon where he announced the signing of an Executive Order directing the govern ment to help black col leges and universities ob tain equal opportunities in federally sponsored pro grams. “Well, this one will be heard from again," the President declared. “And they better pass.” “In an era of budget cuts,” he said, “black col leges and universities will receive an increase of $9.6 million federal funds.” This historic landmark was announced just two weeks before black College t5ay“*ffF'and exaenjrone year from the day that I first met with him as Co ordinator of the Coalition for Black Colleges aboard his plane, enroute from Baltimore to Knoxville, to explain why as a candidate for president he should sup port these schools. “It was then, Tony, that the president began his education on this issue. We come, as you know, from a Western state where there are no black colleges. Thanks for helping to sen sitize us on this vital issue, a high-placed White House source said during the ceremonies.. ..... But it was really the 20,000 students, alumni and church people who hit the pavement in Washington, D.C., last year for Black College Day who made the difference. Since this dra matic support of the na tion's black colleges, a movement to stop the phony desegregation plans and budget cuts under Jimmy Garter from 5.2 percent to 4.0 percent share of the total higher educa tion budget has galvanized itself into a formidable force. A major factor in the success of this endeavor has been the invaluable assistance and behind the scenes manuvering of White House Senior Policy Advisor Mel Bradley and Thelma Duggin, Deputy Special Assistant to the President for Public Liai son, two blacks, who, along with Dan Smith who wrote the executive order, have not forgotten how to be black and effective. spontaneous applause from the black leaders at the announcement followed this Reagan statement: "It is through the education they offered that indivi duals can make themselves into the type of people they choose to be instead of what some central planner says they should be.” And so strong is the president’s support that he told all federal agencies to submit “report records” on assisting black colleges. Secretary of Education Terrell Bell will supervise the annual development of the order with each agency submitting a mid-year pro - gress report to. ihe. JSecre:. tary on its achievements. Also, each black college president will be “given the opportunity to comment” on the proposed annual fe deral plan, the first of which is said to be ready by March 31, 1982, prior to presidential approval. Each agency must “submit annual reports on their progress to determine the extent to which black col leges have been given an equal chance to participate in federally sponsored pro grams.’’ One factor indicates just how sold President Reagan is on this issue. His own words: “It should never be forgotten that when educa tional opportunities were denied elsewhere, these in stitutions offered hope to black Americans...and they did their job well.” Another is Ihe backdrop for his announcement.'JusE ' as he unveiled a harsh, second round of reducing federal spending by $16 billion, including deeper cuts in defense and painful (nirrndj slashed by $12 billion or 30 percent) to keep the swol len budget deficit below $50 billion, Ronald Reagan made a commitment to increase funds to the na tion's 107 predominately black colleges by $9.6 mil lion and to strengthen their participation in federal programs by assigning “measurable objectives.” This is indeed a giant first step in fulfilling his campaign promise: “The plight of our black col leges reminds us all of the unfinished work of bringing all disadvantaged groups -intohe.. mainstream of America. These cofleges exemplify the truly Ame rican concept of self-help for those who choose to work and study in them. This is the message of Black College Day. ' ■—— By Gerald C. Horne, ESQ. Affirmative Action * »n v ' Mid-East And Black Equailhy With every passing day the hostility of the Reagan Administration toward Afro-Ame ricans becomes more apparent. Reversing the trend of past years, the Justice Depart ment has entered a busing case on behalf of those opposed to this necessary means of school desegregation. The Labor Depart ment has proposed regulations intended fo gut totally affirmative action gains that were so valiantly fought for. Spiralling interest rates have meant that Black Business-already staggering under the bur den of Reaganomics-is suffering from the < most severe reversals since the Civil War. With all of these domestic ills, one would think that this would be enough to keep Blacks totally occupied but such is not the case. Blacks, as a people, have never neglected foreign affairs. This was true of the two Black giants--Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. DuBois--and it remains true today. An epoch making conference on Southern Africa is scheduled October 9-11 in New York City that has attracted the support of Coretta Scott King, Jesse Jackson, Ossie Davis, et. al. and no Black trade unionist, student or church-goer worth his-her salt is expected to miss. Despite cascading do mestic ills, this conference will spearhead a fight-back against Reagan foreign policy. As long as the Pentagon continues to soak up an ungodley share of the national budget, Blacks will be forced to pay attention to international affairs. For every tax dollar that is spent on a Phantom F-4 jet or a bazooka or an M-16 rifle is literally taking milk from the mouths of babies, harming Black educational advance and delaying Black equality. Thus, it was no accident that Andrew Young was the Carter Administration offi cial courageous enough to establish contact with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), an effort that eventually cost him his job. Nor was it accidental that Rev. Joseph Lowery and leaders of the Southern Chris tian Leadership Conference (SCLC) broke Jhe ice, went to Beirut, Lebanon and met directly with Yassir Arafatr-constantly de nounced in the so-called major media as a “terrorist.” Rev. Lowery was following in the footsteps of SCLC’s founder, Dr. Martin " Luther King Jn, who sailed into the teeth of a fierce and contrary wind by opposing U.S. policy in Vietnam. Another protege of I30)l\ King, .Rev. Jesse Jackson of Operation PUSH, also traveled to the Middle East and met with leading PLO officials. Whv would SCLC and ODeration PUSH, two of the most prominent civil rights organizations run the risk of slander and derisive cat calls, travel at great risk of life and limb to a major war zone and confer with the PLO? Their critics asked, aren’t their hands full of dealing with problems at home, why must they go abroad? When the government moved to cut off certain grants to PUSH, many nodded their heads knowingly. But Rev. Lowery and Rev. Jackson did not reach their prominent and exalted positions by going along lemming-like with the prevailing consensus. Thejrknew that there are Blaek Falestin_ ians, who along with their compatriots, were chased from their homeland, deprived of their property and who are now second class citizens in a place they once called home.