Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 3, 1981, edition 1 / Page 4
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== BOB JOHNSON I WiHK illIU11 THANKSGIVING HISlORY^Tfie Thanksgiving holiday has passed, and the last turkey sandwich has probably been eaten. Thus, leaving only memories to fade into the sunset of a waning year. But one thing that shouldn’t fade is, why do we celebrate Thanksgiving in the first place? .How was it started and when? If we ever knew, that is. For those who didn’t know or maybe had forgotten, let’s take a peak into the past. Thanksgiving, an annual holiday or har vest festival in the United States cele brated on the fourth Thursday of November for the purpose of giving thanks to God for the blessings of the past year. It is traditionally celebrated by religious ser vices and at family gatherings. It was proclaimed a legal holiday by a joint resolution of Congress in 1941. ' The first Thanks giving in North Ame rica was held in the autumn of 1621, on the proclamation of Gov. William Bradford of the Plymouth Co lony, in gratitude for the colonists’ first harvest in the New World. It is said that the Pilgrims and In dians sat down to gether and ate wild BOBJOHNSON turkey and venison. Similar observances were held at intervals in New England throughout the colonial period. President George Washington issued the first Presidential Proclamation for Thanks giving, which was to be observed, Thurs day, November 26,1789. Earlier during the Revolutionary War, the Continental Con gress had annually designated a day of national thanksgiving and in 1784 had recommended a holiday commemorating the end of the war. Tn 1815, President James Madison set aside a day in November for giving thanks for the end of the War of 1812. Although nationwide observance of Thanksgiving did not follow either the proclamation of Washington or Madison, the tradition Was kept alive by many state governors; The establishment of Thanksgiv ing Day as a national festival came about largely through the influence of the author and editor, Sarah Josephs Hale, who first urged it in 1827. She eventually won the support of President Abraham Lincoln, who issued a national Thanksgiving proclama tion (October 3, 1863) setting the date as the fourth and last Thursday of November. Each year thereafter, the D.S. President has similarly proclaimed the holiday. " So much for the when, why and how of Thanksgiving, which happened so long ago that it carries very little meaning in the day-to-day lives of people. The important thing is that it happens and it allows a chance to relax and check things out while we give thanks for the blessings that the year has brought. Giving thanks is a portrait that is flushed with a variety of colors and cowled with reason. Reason, the one thing that dictates who the immediate thanks is enblazoned UP«"_ »tn anniversary...Mike Cotton of the Midway Lounge on Statesville Ave., as he has done for the last eight years, said, “thank you,” to his many customers. His appreciative gesture or social mural was done with the utmost care and attention in the form of an anniversary festivity. ' A festivity that began around 6 p.m. with a champagne sip that was supposed to last for about two hours. However, when things calmed to where the guests could gather their senses it was time to close, about 1 a.m. jOne thing was quite evident after a Thanksgiving night filled with activity and desire. There is an evening twilight of the heart and body, when their activity waves are lulled to rest. Before tjtie lull, though, a full house of people had a wonderful time enjoying the refreshingly delightful picture painted by Mike and the girls - Patsy, Gwen, Brenda and Phyllis. Some of the guests were Gloria Tatum, Delores Reed, William Boger, George Bolton, Ella Nichols, Yvonne Stafford, Ruby Darby, Lotus Wright, Eddie.Battle, Mitch and Carolyn Evans, Fred and Betty Scott, Leonard White, Nathanial Rorie, Pat Cauthen, Dianne Wingard, Carl Clegg, Made Sampson, Delores Wolfe, and Zander Moses. I MERCHANTS WHO ADVERTISE IN THE POST ARE TELLING YOU THEY APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS. Davis Calls For Unified Effort To “Open Up Jobs” By Teresa Burns Post Staff Writer Becoming unemployed will stiffle anyone's hopes, dreams, aspirations, and -snmetimcif sff»lf respect. Economists predict that before spring employment opportunities will continue to dip - who will come to the rescue? Kobert Davis, chairman of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party is call ing for an all out, unified effort to unfluence the pri vate ^sector to employ and open up jobs. it mis tails, Davis con tinued, ‘thegovermenthas the responsibility to create jobs.” The rescue of the unem ployed may lie in the hands of local, county, and state leaders, as opposed to na tional political figures. “We will look for supe rior candidates for the 1982 and 1984 elections,” Davis continued. “We have to rebuild our party strengths and recapture the losses. We have a Searcn commit tee to detect viable state and local candidates.” As citizens, Davis sug gest we influence our pre sent representatives by asking hard questions, making inputs and request ing that they stand for the poor and the near poor. Everyone will be affect ed by President Reagan's efforts to improve our country’s economical state. Whether they will be affected positively or ne gatively does not remain to be seen in Davis’ eyes. “The people who will ue negatively affected and al ready have been affected are the very poor and the near poor, the aged, in firmed, and disabled. The middle income population are hurting also. They feel the weight of big govera ment and these are the Robert Davis ...Party chairman people who-pay the~BUlk of taXST" Who stands to gain? It seems to Davis those who less likely need assistance - the wealthy and the extremelv wealthy. The challenges that face Davis as Chairman of the Mecklenburg County De mocratic Party are chal lenges that fare every citizen. But Davis has to tackle the responsibility of organizing the efforts for improvement - a responsi bility he is certainly cap able of achieving. “1 suspect the number one priority is pulling the party together. I feel apathy creeping within the party activities,” he con firmed. “We have to pull together in spite of ap parent set-backs. (Demo cratic seatarlost both state wide and nationally!. We have to plan and execute to make our party alive and vital to the entire com munity.” White: Black Youths Need To Get Involved continued from Page I — ities.” However, there is one thing all blacks have in common - the difficulty of getting a job. Since 1954, black youth have experienced one of the highest rates of unem ployment for any group in the labor market. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the unemployment rate for black teenagers doubled from 16.5 percent in 1954 to 36.9 percent in 1975. Between 1975-77, White says the black teenage un employment rate was ap proximately 40 percent. White made a study of black youth unemployment in the Detroit area before arriving at Temple and found that in 1980, unem ployment in the Detroit standard mptrnpnlitnn sta tistical area was 62 percent. -— In addition to unemploy ment, White reports a high percentage of black youth are highly visable in men tal health institutions and prisons, artd that the num ber of suicides among black teenagers has also increased. "Whenever the economy goes into a recession this group is always the hardest hit,” he says. Historically, black youth have always been on the bottom in the labor market - whether he was a young plantation slave, sharecropping field hand or an industrial laborer. “When they do find work it is in peripheral low wage jobs such as floor washers, fruit and vegetable pick ers, hospital orderlies or parking lot attendants.” —ReadLJlie Post Area Youths Enlist In Marine Corps inree area Charlotte youths have recently en listed in the United States Marine Corps under the •Delay Entry Program. They are Todd E. Alex ander, son of Mrs. Mary C Alexander of 2021 Rozzell’s Ferry Road. Todd is a graduate of South Meck lenburg High School and has selected general'"en listment as his opted field. Tribonia Knox, a senior at South Mecklenburg High stroke Club The Charlotte Stroke Club, under the auspices of the American Heart Asso ciation, will hold their monthly meeting Wednes day, December 9,1981 from 2-4 p.m. at the Charlotte Rehabilitation Hospital on Blythe Boulevard. The Stroke organization ^SnztTtketereneourage all individuals disabled by stroke, and their spouses, to attend the annual Christ mas party. To make reservations, call the American Heart Association at 374-0632. school, has chosen the opted field of administra- . tion. Tribonia is the daugh ter of Mrs. Elsie Jarrett of 2016 Longleaf Drive. ^Asenior at Olympic High •School, Monica A. Rodri quez was awarded an en listment bonus. Monica is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Juan Rodriquez of 524 Edgegreen Drive. The Beacon Club 3029 Beatties Ford Road Tnday - « . i FUTURE SHOCK Featuring WiUie Bandy And Charles Hairston Cover Charge $3.00 — __ SATURDAY-SUNDAY NIGHTS CANNONBALL EXPRESS Charlotte's Most Popular Jazz Gro&p $2 Cover Charee For Reservations Call Jack Benson - KINGS & QUEENS CLUB AND LOUNGE , ★ Uptown Charlotte ★ NO COVER Sunday, Dec. 6, 1981 “Come Party With Us" Wednesday- King's Night . Thursday.Queen's Night Now Available for Teas and Parties Memberships Available - Call Mr. Black Open Tues.-Sun. 8:00 p.m.-until 119 S. Brevard St. auabc Permits 375-3099
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 3, 1981, edition 1
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