Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / July 7, 1983, edition 1 / Page 2
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EDITORIALS & COMMENTS Issues Make Candidates The emerging political acti vistism of Black Americans, and their increasing frustration over setbacks in affirmative action, disproportionately high levels of unemployment - in a word, racism - has caused many pre sumed national Black leaders to consider the question: Should a Black person seek a presidential nomination in 1984? We have intentionally left out any reference to either of the major political parties in this crucial question because many Blatrk citizens feel that the Re publican Party has abandoned any interest in the concerns of Black citizens and the Democra tic Party has presumably taken the Black vote for granted. Nevertheless, it is generally as sumed such a candidate would seek a Democratic Party nomin ation for the presidency. This is evidenced by the fact that about 20 Black political and civil rights leaders met in Chicago last week and approved the idea of a Black candidate for the 1984 Democra tic presidential nomination. However, the small group post poned any endorsement until at least the fall of 1983. In addition. Rev. Jesse Jackson has let it be known that he not only wants to be the candidate but may announce his own candidacy regardless of what the alleged Black leader ship may do. We find all this talk about a Black 'presidential candidate premature, misleading, border ing on racism, lacking in a sense of an order of priorities, and is based more on emotion than sound reasoning. First, focusing on the idea of a candidate who is Black is mis leading by directing voters’ thinking (both Blade and white), oh racial or personal issues and awakens the latent racist at titudes of some voters. While some Black leaders have been encouraged by Harold Washing ton's impressive victory in the Chicago mayoral election recently, they should not forget the sheer heavy and ugly racist tone that election had, and it did not cotoie from Washington pro moting himself as a Black candidate. Hack Americans Secondly, before talking about a presidential candidate of any color or sex, the question must be asked, what is his or her campaign platform going to be or what platform, programs or policies will the candidate en dorse. Significantly, except for some general comments about Black concerns with high levels of unemployment, defense versus domestic spending, af firmative action and education, no statement of policy or politic al platform has been announced bv anv of the nresumed Black candidates or Black leaders. A political platform with clearly defined issues should be the first priority with support going to the candidate, Black 'or White, who will support and it is believed ‘ can best transform the platform into policies to move America forward. Hack Candidate A fourth concern is that too much of the talk about a Black presidential candidate is cen tered on the emotional appeal of specific personalities and again, on Harold Washington’s victory in Chicago. Thirdly, the Rev. Jackson said, “A Black candidate is hot for Blacks only, it could inspire a new coalition of the rejected, which includes women, Hispan ics, youth and the poor.” Un fortunately, within these groups there still exists considerable voter apathy and there is no evidence to date of the ability of a Black candidate to mold such a coalition. Fourthly, Benjamin Hooks said, ‘‘...the reality of the situation is that it’s doubtful at this point in history that a Black person can be elected.” Evi dence of this was apparent in Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s bid for Governor of California. A well-qualified candidate leading in the polls who lost because there were just enough white voters who would not vote for him only because he is Black as was confirmed by many political analysts. Fifthly, a “symbolic” Black candidate will simply hurt the efforts of a white candidate sup portive of Bjhck vo^er concerns. Symbols wd don’t need, a can didate who has a reasonably good chance of defeating Ronald Reagan and his policies is needed. Finally, setting race, rhetoric and emotion aside, the real issue for Black citizens is voter regis tration. If Black people register to vote and plan effective stra tegies at the local level through their party system, they can be an effective voice. Registering, knowing the issues, and voting are more significant than the race or sex of the candidate. ' 1 * LEADERSHIP IN THE, BLACK COMHUNfTr/ mutual COOPERATION qU ^ton" .Pattern Of Violence, Police Brutality 1428 Church St. Statesville. N.C. 28877 June IS, 1883 N.C. Civil Rights Comm, c-o Dr. Tommy Young World Associates 4303 King Arthur Place Suite A Greensboro, NC 27406 Dear Dr. Young: . .As a result of a pattern of racist violence, police bru tality, racial injustice and indifference or negligence, I am requesting an investi gation of the city of States ville and Iredell County, and all agencies and de partments of local govern ment that pertain directly to the enforcement of law and human rights. May I address myself to a specific case. My home was shot into and a cross was burned in *y yard o6> Tuesday, February 15, be-' tween 1 a m. and 1:» a.m. by the Ku Klux Klan or by those possessing Klan men tality. To this day, I have not been told of anything that has been done pro gressively toward appre hension and prosecution of the guilty parties. This lack of Justice can be explained by the indif ference or possible col lusion on the part of the Sheriff’s Department. Just days before my home was attacked, the Ku Klux Klan bad met at the Sheriff’s Department and Informed deputies of who they were and their purpose in being there. Part of the 15- to 16-member group was dressed in Klan uniform and scarcely needed iden tification. The group stated that they were members of the Ku Klux Klan and they had come to bond a Black youth out of jail. The Black youth was incarcerated for the rape of a white lady. His bond was $50,000. De puties recognized and honored this group of sworn “nigger-haters,” who historically have lynched thousands of Black youth, to the point that they permitted two of the Klans men to enter the jail and relate their story to the magistrate. Then a mem ber of the Sheriff’s De vpartment went to the cell where the" youth was locked, and told the prison er the Ku Klux Klan .was there to bond him out. He wanted to know the reply from the prisoner. The young man declined the offer. This action was taken by an Iredell County Sheriff’s deputy working with the magistrate. Any approach by the Ku Klux Klan in this manner is intimidation. Intimidation indeed is a fe deral offense, covered by the civil rights statutes. Here you have county law enforcement officers and a magistrate aiding and "" w ■ abetting intimidation of a prisoner they are sworn to protect. I wrote as much in a letter to the editor that appeared in the Statesville Landmark and Record several days later, on Fe bruary 5. I protested the Klan’s actions and the ac tivity of the SheifTs of ficers and magistrate. Ten days later, my front win dow was blasted by Klan shotgun pellets as my wife and I lay sleeping. A cross was burning in my yard. An anonymous caller then threatened my life. 1 I ask you now, on behalf o the citizens of Statesville and Iredell County, to in vestigate fully the activi ties of the Klan and the collusion and protection ap parently afforded them by local law enforcement of ficials. The list of acts of racist violence in this area is long and frightening. Lives are at stake, unless this violence is stopped. This very weekend the po lice have announced that a Klan rally is to occur in Statesville. Will the Klan be allowed to proceed un hindered, intimidating, ’ murdering and denying Black people their rights as in the past? I ask you to hold hearings in Statesville to get to the bottom of this situation. Sincerely, Rev. Wilson W. Lee 8t. John’s Baptist Church Cornelius Black Mayor p " ' V U . . i . m . fascination for government policy for quite some time. She recently pointed out however, that now until rad became mayor of Cornelius did she realiaaJlK .broad, scope of gov3rrmnsnt‘.' U1TM! still learning a tot,”>4i*le& Mayor Potts, who’s served the position since Septem ber, 1962. Before becoming mayor, Mrs. Potts was encouraged to run for a seat on council. As a result of massive support from two citizens she received the highest number of votes which made ho- not only a councilman but mayor pro tern. She had not really given much thought to becoming involved in government on an administrative level. However, when Smithvilie, a predominantly Black community was annexed by the town of Cornelius, many Black residents wanted to see a more con cerned representative for themselves on the town commission. Mayor Potts had been a councilman for only one year when the former mayor of the «town of 1,900 resigned. That’s when Mrs. Potts made her rise to mayor, representing the first time a Black or a woman held mayorship in Cornelius. While being mayor is a strenuous and time-con suming career, Mayor Potts has another profes sion. Long before she entered government she was a teacher and she saw no reason why she should discontinue something she enjoys. Mayor Potts teaches so cial studies, 10th-12th grades, at South Iredell High School in Iredell County. There she is the 1982-83 ‘‘Teacher of the Year.” The mother of three children, and wife of Gerald Potts, the Cornelius mayor is a member of the National Teachers Associa tion and the National Edu cators Association. Mayor Potts also serves on the Board of Directors for the Davidson-Cornelius Day Care Center. She is a member of Black Elected Officials of Charlotte Mecklenburg County and a number of other organiza tions. She is also a member of Torrence Chapel AME Zion Church. Mayor Potts encourages everybody to become in' volved in government. “People need to know how money is acquired for va rious Jobs that the govern ment does. They need to become more aware of the rules and regulations that are involved in onvem. ment," she insisted. I3rast5?=e more aware of city go vernment is by attending city council meetings or by . visiting government offices and asking questions. The doors are always open to ittSfcdver! toutOUnent ” I jtamr/ftftts noted. She is~ undecided about seeking another term, but Mayor Potts is certain she will remain involved and politically aware of the events taking place in Cor nelius, where she has lived for 24 years. Babysitting Gome Babysitting is often a young person’s first job, and providing safe care for infants and children is a very important job. The Red Cross offers a Babysitting course Which can help participants learn the skills and functions of responsible and safe baby- * sitting. Participants can learn how to: act in an emergency or in case of illness, prevent accidents, play with children of dif ferent ages, select safe toys and games, supervise children, diaper and dress infants, and feed babies and prepare simple foods for children. The Red Cross Babysit ting course will be held on Mondays and Wednesday, July 11,13,18 and 20 at the Red Cross, 2425 Park Rd. One class will be held from 10 a.m. until noon. The other class is in the even ings from 7-9 p.m. Parti cipants must be at least 11 years of age. The course fee is 83. Enrollment is limited. Call the Red Cross at 376-1681, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., to sign up for the Babysitting course. syndrome Network Attention all women who struggle with some aspect of the Pre-Menstrual Syn drome: WomanReach is assisting in organizing a free information and sup port Pre-menstrual syn drome network for you. Hie July li meeting on Monday, 7-8 p.m., will be held at the United Way Auditorium which is locat ed behind the United Way Bldg., 301 S. Brevard ST. t Bring your questions and ' your friends. For more information and to register call 334-3614 weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. NEWLYWEDS, During the planning stages of a wedding, you’re almost assured of being reminded of the high divorce rite. But another high rate of se paration abounds-death J_A. M_• THE CHARLOTTE POST “THE PEOPLE’S NEWSPAPER*’ Established 1918 Published Every Thursday by The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. Subscription Rate *17.(8 Per Year Second Class Postage No. 965500 Postmaster Send 3579s Tot 1531 Camden Rd., Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Telephone: 704-37S-0490 Circulation 11,023 J 106 Years of Conlimi'm Sorvi'V' Bid Johnson Bernard Reeves Fran Farrer Dannette Gaither Editor, Publisher] General Manager I Advertising Director ] Office Manager ] Second Claw Postage No. MUM Paid at Charlotte, North Carolina Under the Act of March 3,1878 Member, National Newspaper Publishers* Association North Carolina Black Publishers Association Deadline for all news copy and photos is S p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted become the property of The Post and will not be returned. National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. MM §. Michigan An. Chicago, in. MCM Co!timet 5 MM 4B W. 4SUl St.. Sake 14*3 I New York. New York 10034 I From Capitol Hill l-1 - President Ronald Reagan Should Return To Basics Alfreds L. Madison " Special To The Post ..“We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, pro vide for the common de fense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to our selves and our posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution of the United States." Blacks were not included in this preamble to the Constitution until the NAACP made the United States Judiciary enterpret the Fourteenth Amend ment so Blacks were in cluded in the Constitution. President Reagan is sounding the alarm that we must return to basics in education. As Chief Execu tive of this nation, Mr. Reagan needs to return to the basics of the Consti tution, instead of trying through chacanery, to again remove Blacks from toeing beneficiaries of basic Constitutional rights. William Raspberry spoke of William Bradford Reynolds as receiving edu cation, when he accom panied Jesse Jackson to Mississippi, where he got first hand information on the denial of voting rights for Blacks. What Mr. Reynolds got on that trip was only the equivalent of Day Care education in con cerns of the injustices and Inequity of opportunities Alfreds L. Madison for Blacks in the United States. Reynolds forgot the Justice Department’s re versal in the Jackson, Mississippi annexation case, where annexation was allowed, which clearly diluted the Black vote. This was done to accommodate Representative Trent Lott who is furious over sand ing federal registrars into Mississippi To refresh this Administration, recall is a basic learning ele ment. Laws and court decisions prohibit discrimination in the un of federal fun*. Yet, the Reagan Admin istration, being so eager to carry out its Heritage Foundation promise - to get rid of all civil rights, asked the Courts to pre vent Internal Revenue from denying tax exemp tion to schools that dearly discriminate. After the public outrage over the Administration’s stand in the Bob Jones University case. Just like an demon tary school child, it came up with a face-saving de vice, by asking Congress to make a ruling in the mat ter. Justice could not afford to file a brief on behalf of Bob Jones University, so it refused to file s brief in opposition. The Courts asked NAACP Legal De fense Attorney William Colman to take the place of the Solicitor-General. - The Grove City College, which has students who re ceive federal aid, has re fused to sign the required civil rights compliance forms. The Appellate Court rendered a decision against the college, which has appealed it to the Supreme Court. Civil Rights Commission takes the broad interpre tation of discriminatory measures in the Grove College case. It feels that Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - student as sistance. Title IX • sex discrimination. Rehabilita tion Act of 1979 • handi capped and Age Discrim ination Act of 1979 - adult education, should be in cluded in the decision. Bradford Reynolds is against this broad eotar pretation. June, 1999, a White House report shows that Presi dent Reagan has filled 40 Citions with Blacks. ie Blacks hold two po sitions and among this number are encumbents, pending appointments and those who have left the positions. Mr. Reagan has appoint ed one Black U.S. At torney, six Black mar shalls and pending appoint ments of three Black judges. The scarcity of these Black appointments is not from lack of quali fied people, because 1980 census figures show that between 1986-1982, Black federal, state and local elected officials increased from 500 to 1,500. The Civil Rights Com mission found that many Blacks have the same qualifications as whites who have received Reagan appointments. Actions im plemented by this Admin istration necessitate strong affirmative action enforcement. Not so, with the Administration It is leaving affirmative action to the good will of the whites. The Reaganites must recall that Constitu tional guarantees of equal protection under the law are contained in the Oth and 14th Amendments; are violated by Intentional, purposeful or deliberate actions that harm persons because of their race, sex or national origin. Title VII and Executive Order 11946, Emergency School Act forbid actions that dispro portionately affect persons on racial, sexual or nation al origin grounds The Ad ministration allegedly withheld a study that proves that adherence to federal guidelines, in awarding government con tracts have increased minority businesses. It also ignores the tremendous progress Black students have made through the federally funded Title I programs. Reynolds’ trip to Missis sippy should make the Pre sident see that instead at Blacks’ failure to know the truth, it is he who needs enlightenment on the mat ters. The right to vote with out intimidation, equal Job opportunities, which re rr'- i quire affirmative action enforcement and equal educational opportunities which require special me thods to bridge the historic al disparities caused by inferior educational oppor tunities - all are basic rights guaranteed all citi zens by the Constitution of the United Stated So what President Rea gan needs to d6 is to re turn to serious ktudy and implementatiolt of the basics for which he was elected to do ai d that he took the oath to carry out. THe ijiaiua/i il POST rntm * _———
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 7, 1983, edition 1
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