EDITORIALS & COMMENTS
Fund Feuding Is Wrong
Earlier this month, long-time
Democratic Party worker Pat
Patton used the occasion of a
party Executive Committee
meeting to annouce her resig
nation from the post of first
vice-chairperson. The resigna
tion, oddly enough, was the
result of a three-month protest
because party chairman Bob
Davis had used $400 to attend a
national Democratic Party mini
convention in Philadelphia. Mrs.
Patton’s objection, claiming
party officials have traditionally
paid their own bills to attend
such affairs.
Mr. Davis replied to the ob
jection by noting that he was
spending $200 per month of his
own money for party business,
and believed the expense was
proper. Furthermore, the expen
diture was a part of the party’s
$10,067 budget for 1982-83 that
had not yet been approved partly
because of the conflict caused by
the disagreement.
Ironically, even after several
local Democrats had offered to
replace the $400, Mrs. Patton
protested that the payment was
a “matter of principle” and
therefore she would be willing to
withdraw her resignation only if
Mr. Davis himself repaid the
money.
We would hope that the good
Democrats who offered to re
place the $400 and Mr. Davis
would both refuse to respond to
Mrs. Patton’s demands which
appears to be a personal attack
on the party chairman. No mat
ter how many years of service a
person has given to the party, no
one has the right to make such a
personal demand on a fellow
party member.
We believe Mrs. Patton is
wrong pure and simple, and that
the County Democratic Party
should accept her resignation.
Rise Of “New Poverty”
- Last week we observed that
the Reagan Administration had
instituted policies that have
made the rich richer and middle
class and poor poorer. At the
same time, President Reagan
was responding to criticism’ of
his treatment of the disadvan
taged by saying that blacks
“would be appreciably better off
today,” if the Great Society
programs of former President
Lyndon B. Johnson had never
occurred.
President Reagan made these
remarks in a speech before the
National Black Republican
Council dinner. The speech came
at a time when aides to the
President had become increas
ingly worried about the rise in
criticism of the Administration’s
record on civil rights and on
programs for the poor.
Mr. Reagan did not cite any of
the recent criticisms but he
appeared to be trying to rebutt
thp recently released Urban In
stitute’s report stating more for
the rich and less for the poor.
Administration aides were
also known to be worried about
charges by the chairman at 33
state agencies affiliated with the
U.S. Civil Rights Commission
that Reagan is directly respons
ible for a “dangerous deteriora
tion in the federal enforcement
of civil rights.”
While Reagan was charging
that such criticisms are “just
plain bologna,” Housing and Ur
ban Development Secretary
Samuel Pierce acknowledged to
the black Republicans that there
has been some “misunderstand
ing” and “insensitivity” to
blacks by the Reagan Admin
istration.
Mr. Pierce, obviously the most
prominent black in the Reagan
I—
Administration, cited two speci
fic examples to clarify his point:
(1) the IRS decision to grant tax
exemption status to private
schools that discriminate, and
(2) the President’s initial oppo
sition to strengthening enforce
ment in the Voting Rights Act.
With regard to more specific
bread and butter issues, socio
logists, psychologists and eco
nomists have been showing a
renewed concern over the
mounting upswing in poverty
said to be unprecedented since
the end of World War II in 1945.
The “new poverty” as some
have begun to call it, is largely a
result of Reagan Administration
policies that have resulted in a
nationwide recession that is now
in its second year. “The net
effect of this trend,” stated
Norman Hill of the A. Philip
Randolph Institute, “is that by
the end of Reagan’s term in
December 1984, poverty in Ame
rica will...climb to the levels of
the early 1960s....”
The fact is, in 1981, 2.2 mill
ion people were reduced to the
level of being poor. This year,
1982, the trend is continuing as
another four million people will
have to join the ranks of the poor.
One out of seven Americans is
officially classified as poor. Over
a third of all blacks are poor and
the number is growing.
Thus, as 1982 moves toward a
close, and as we pause in No
vember for the off-year elec
tions, we need to be mindful of
these Reagan policies and how
they are adding black Ameri
cans to the ranks of the new
poverty. Your vote against can
didates who support the Reagan
policies may encourage the Pre
sident to alter some of these
negative policies. VOTE!!
THE CHARLOTTE POST
—
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BLACKS DESTINY IN OWN HANDS....
BLACK BUSINESS MEN AND POLITICIANS
SHOULD BE IN THE FOREFRONT OF LONG -
RANGE PLANNING, FOR IT IS ONLY THROUGH
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CLOUT THAT
ETHNIC CROUPS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
MOVE UP THROUGH SOCIETY,
NKHIOAN CHRONICLE
SUBURBIA
THE PLIGHT OF
CAPITAL FROM
-detten& *7o
Sd&xn:
Whiles Now Support Hack Candidates
Dear Mr. Johnson:
Our hats off to Robert
Clark, the first black Mis
sissippi to win the Demo
cratic nomination to Con
gress.
The last black man from
that state to win such an
honor was a Republican,
and that was during the
Reconstruction Era. He
won by a decisive 57 per
cent, and has the support of
Governor William Winter
in the general election.
' Progress in the field of
equal representation is
slow, but it seems that the
only sure way for us is a
legally continuous knock
ing at the door - a sus
tained effort, using every
thing available to us
through the courts and
politics. We cannot rest on
any-laurels.
I believe the white poli
tical leaders in states such
as Mississippi are less
afraid, and more confident
of the black politicians who
are striving to be heard,
and who are offering their
services to the population
in general.
These black men or wo
men are usually very qua
lified for the positions they
seek. Consequently, they
are getting more white sup
port, and the nation can.
detect more togetherness
between the two races in
the Southern areas. That is
the way to get the best
things done for -- all con
cerned.
It pleases me, as I am
sure it does most other
black people, to see these
advances politically in the
most backward areas. It
says something to us, and
something for the Southern
white man.
Evidently, they are slow
ly changing their thoughts
and attitudes toward black
people, and are accepting
them to help lead the popu
lation as a whole. Of
course, the blacks who
make it to higher offices
are well aware of their re
sponsibility to all citizens,
not just the black element,
and they lean compassion
ately toward the poor peo
ple's problems.
It behooves us, as black
supporters, to do our bit by
getting out to the polls at
election time to vote. If we
do that diligently, we will
gain much more respect
from the politicians in gen
eral, and enhance our re
presentation in the various
levels of government
I expect to see everyone
at the polls.
Samuel E. Graham
Ugly Month To Be Celebrated
Dear Mr. Johnson;
From September 30 -
October 31, Charlotte and
Rock Hill, S.C. will be the
scene of some rather
strange happenings The
reason? The month of Oc
tober has been declared as
Ugly Month in these two
cities, and they will be the
scene of the 1982 Ugly
Bartender Contest for Mul
tiple Sclerosis.
The Ugly Bartender Con
test, a fundraiser held in
many cities across the
United States, is in its
second year in the Char
lotte area. The Ugly Bar
tender Contest is a beauty
Daeeant in reverse. Bar
patrons vote, at 25 cents a
vote, their bartender the
“ugliest." The bartender
who gains the most votes,
i.e., becomes the Ugliest,
wins a trip for two to
Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Of course, there are
awards for runner ’s up
and for all participants who
achieve a predetermined
level of ugliness.
To give this Ugly Bar
tender Contest the atten
tion it deserves, WBCY
Radio, along with Bealer
Vholesale, Inc. and B&B
distributors, Inc., will kick
off the event with a two
•-•ity-wide Ugly Pageant to
be held on September 30, at
the NCNB Plaza in Char
lotte. With city officials
making Ugly Declarations
and the citizenry “doing
something beautiful by
getting Ugly for Multiple
Sclerosis,” this event
should be quite news
worthy. •
Enclosed is a fact sheet
outlining the details of the
kickoff event. We would
appreciate your promotion
al considerations of this
event as you plan for cover
age of the events of Sep
tember 30.
Sincerely, .
Kathryn B. Barnett
Dir. of Development
Building Of
Great Pryamid
Of Gizeh
Dear Editor:
On September
the Rosicrucian Order,
AMORC, will hold a public
meeting to commemorate
the building of the Great
Pyramid of Gizeh. Accord
ing to Rosicrucian tradi
tions the Great Pyramid of
Gizeh was begun at the
autumn equinox. It is said
that it was erected as a
temple of learning and that
its construction demon
strates a knowledge of all
the known subjects of the
period.
The ceremony will be
enacted at 2 p.m. on Sun
day, September 26, 1982 at
the building on the corner
of Nesbitt Drive and Hola
bird Lane.
Walter Boucher
Master, Charlotte Pronaos
WALK
YOUR
TALK f
Kev. Perkins
I
Essential Fcr Change
I remember when I was an ll-year-old
boy working a full day in a field for a white
man. At the end of the day, I was tired but I
was pleased because I knew I had earned
enough money to buy a new suit of clothes.
But when I put out my hand to be paid, the
man gave me only fifteen cents.
That’s when I really began to understand
power and the misuse of it. Not in a more
intellectual way, but in a way by which I
knew I was being oppressed. I felt bad. But
as a black boy in Mississippi, there was no
way I could respond to that. I realized that I
was overpowered. That incident sent me off
on a course which has followed me in my life
to this day.
The course was an effort to gain power.
And more and more I understood what the
course required in order to gain power. I
had to gain control of myself, my own
energy to gain power.
I always gave excuses for the reasons I
wanted to gain power. I lived in Cali
fornia and I told myself I wanted to be able
to have the nicer things, of life. I wanted a
home, cars, clothes and all those things in
order to enjoy what you would call the ‘good
life.’ But I realized that I needed power to do
that. As I moved along in life, I gained those
things. Suddenly, I was converted to Jesus
Christ and my new deep sense of responsi
bility to God changed my perspective on the
‘good life.’
I left California in 1960, returning to
Mississippi where I would work for the next
20 years. I began working among the
poor trying to empower the people. But as I
think about it, it was as my own struggle for
power. Although I had received Christ as
Lord of my life, I still think I was struggling
for power.
Finally I have realized that as a Christ
ian. I do have power. Now the big problem
confronting me is how 1 use it. How is power
used without it corrupting the one who has
it?
l he way that power is used will determine
whether people will live or die. It will
determine whether they live in poverty or
comfort, in servitude or freedom.
The question I want to deal with in the
next few weeks is how does the Christian
use power in a way which develops the
community, the country and the world. We
know of many negative examples, but I will
look at some positive models.
Individualism in our society, as I look at it
today, is the greatest threat to an under
standing of the church and the meaning of
being a Christian. Yet, the unique contri
bution of America in the history of human
kind has been the perfection of individual
ism.
The result is a generation of Christians
trying to find “God’s will for my life” rather
than God’s will period. They are the people
who come to me on a campus to seek God’s
will, having already decided what careers
they will pursue, who they will marry,
where they will live, how much they will
earn, how many children they will have,
and what kind of car they will drive. It is not
God’s will they are asking for, but rather,
“How do I fit God into my life?”
Responses to this column may be made to
Walk Your Talk, 1655 St. Charles St.,
Jackson, MS 39209.
from (jgpitol Hill
Black Vote Is Crucial In Upcoming Fall Elections
xnrena i„ maaison
Special To The Post
..Passage of the first
Voting Rights Act in 1965
enabled blacks in many
areas of the country to vote
for the first time. While 42
percent of eligible blacks
voted in 1966 there was a
decline during the Nixon
years to only 34 percent in
1974. In 1978 black voting
began an upswing The
U.S. Census Bureau report
ed that black voters were
the only demographic
group that showed an in
creased voter participation
in 1980
Conservative political
action committees greatly
influenced the 1980 election
outcome Because of the
1980 results, black repre
sentatives from the fields
of entertainment, business,
members of Congress and
local citizens have organ
ized political action com
mittees. The goal of all of
these organizations is to
get blacks and progressive
candidates elected While
there is an effort to get
blacks elected in all areas
of the country, the primary
focus is on the South,
where 53 percent of all
black Americans still live
In that area, there are at
least .jo congressional dis
tricts, each having a black
population of 30 percent or
above. Yet, George Leland
from Texas is the only
congressman from the
South.
These Black Political
Action groups began early
in 1981 to assist local lead
ers and organizations in
conducting workshops on
campaign strategy and re
gistration of all eligible
black voters.
After the congressional
resignation of conservative
John Henson of Missis
sippi, through the mobiliz
ation of a strong black
coalition, progressive
Wayne Dowdy was elected
to take Henson's seat.
The National Coalition of
Black Voter Participation
which was organized in
1976, is the umbrella group
for the various black poli
tical organizations. A
branch of the Coalition is
Operation Big Vote under
the aegis of the Joint
Center for Political Stu
dies which has targeted
districts having 20 percent
or above black population
for voter participation.
Reports from the various
congressional districts
show an increase in black
Alfreds L. Madison
registration, even though
some areas in the South are
still ignoring the Voting
Kights mandates, concern
ing places of registration.
Federal examiners have
been sent to two counties in
Georgia and they have
been requested in several
places in Virginia. In the
recent Alabama election
461 Federal Observers
were sent to that state and
23 Observers have been
sent to Louisiana in 1982.
Eddie Williams, Presi
dent of Joint Center of
Political Studies, said,
"circumstances have con
spired to give the black
vote enormous political
power in the November
elections " The present 18
black congressmen have
all won the Democratic
nomination in their re
spective districts and the
chances of their re-election
are extremely hopeful.
Prospects seem evident
that there will be a few
additional black congress
persons in the 98th Con
gress. The outlook for
Robert Clark, a black Mis
sissippian, who won 53 per
cent of the votes in the
primary, including both
black and white citizens in
the Second Congressional
district is very encourag
ing. The district was re
drawn to include the Mis
sissippi Delta region. While
blacks comprise over 50
percent of the population,
only 35 percent are re
gistered voters. If Clark
should win he’ll be the first
black Mississippi congress
man since Reconstruction.
State Senator Julian
Bond is challenging pre
sent encumbent Wyche
Fowler for Georgia's fifth
district Democratic nomin
ation for the congressional
seat. Bond says if he does
not get the Democratic
nomination he'll run as an
Independent.
Shirley Chisholm's seat
is, Sure to be taken by a
A •
> «•
black candidate and Brook
lyn’s eleventh district left
vacant by the recent re
signation of Represent
ative Frederich Richmond
stands a good chance of
having Edolphus Towns,
filling that position. If
Towns does win Brooklyn
will have two black mem
bers of Congress.
Alan Wheat is running
very strongly in Missouri’s
fifth district for the con
gressional seat that has al
ways been held by whites
and Orville Pitts of Mil
waukee's fifth district is
also a favorite to win the
traditionally white con
gressional seat.
The Republican Party is
giving heavy financial sup
port to two black congres
sional nominees: former
Dallas City Council mem
ber Lucy Patterson of the
24th district and Rev.
Perry Smith who is running
in Maryland's fifth district.
There are fourteen House
districts that have a major
ity black population. Other
than the Mississippi Delta,
all the others are in the
large inner-cities These
cities are: Chicago, De
troit, New York, Atlanta,
Baltimore, Cleveland,
Memphis, Newark, Phila
delphia and St. Louis.
All candidates taigeted
by the Coalition are not
black. Black voters may
prove to be very signifi
cant in the re-election of
some freshman congres
sional Republicans, includ
ed in that group are:
Albert Smith of Alabama,
Eugene Johnson of North
Carolina, Thomas Hartnett
and John Napier of South
Carolina and Thomas Bli
ley of Virginia.
Eddie Williams says,
“The South is emerging as
a crucial battleground for
blacks in this fall’s con
gressional race.’’
All eligible blacks should
avail themselves of the op
portunity to vote, because
their vote will make a dif
ference in the progress of
the United States.
Keep your out of town
friends informed on what's
happening in Charlotte by
sending them a copy of The
C harlotte Post each week