Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Sept. 15, 1983, edition 1 / Page 2
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editorials & comments Demise Of Black Families? The National Urban League’s “State of Black America” an nual report released last January and data from the re cently published report, “U.S. Children and Their Families: Current Conditions and Recent Trends” offer a bleak picture of the present and a sense of grow ing despair among many, if not most, black Americans. Despite some positive gains in education with increases in black student enrollment in 4 year colleges; and the share of black families earning $20,000 or more annually, up from 32 per cent in 1970 to 33 percent in 1981, .• Harvard University psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint says increasing numbers in the black population are experiencing serious psycho logical depression. The dual impact of major cuts in social and welfare programs by the Reagan Administration, and the devastating economic recession among blacks with a jobless rate of 18.9 percent, or twice that of whites. In addition, ; an unbelievable 48 percent un ■: employment rate exists among > black youth, and these are not the only reasons for feelings of depression. Economic conditions among black Americans and their so cial consequences are approach ing the point of destroying many black families. Undoubtedly, the high levels of unemployment among black men is related to •: two other factors that lend them selves to concerns about the ;! demise of black families. First, % in the 20-year period between 1960-80 the number of one-parent families with black children living only with their mothers > rose from 20.6 to 44.1 percent of > all black families. Secondly, the ;* number of black families receiv > ing welfare assistance jumped /. from 19.1 percent in 1969 to 28.1 :■ percent in 1969. This means that over one in every four black families is living or surviving on public assistance. This is nearly five times the number of white families on welfare. Greatest Threat Even among those lack fami lies where one, and in most cases two parents, are employed, then annual income in 1961 was only 56 percent of that of white fa milies, down from 61 percent in 1970. Undoubtedly, the greatest threat to existence of black fa milies is seen in the plight of black children. A related and contributing factor to the 44.1 percent of black children living only with their mothers is the disturbing data on the number of children bom to unwed mothers." In 1970 37.6 percent (5.7 among whites) of all black babies were bora out of wedlock. That rate leaped to 55.3 percent in 1980 (11.0 among whites) Further more, among all black child ren, 50 percent live in poverty and 8.5 percent don’t live with either parent. Not too surprisingly, the divorce rate for blacks was 220 per 1,000 married couples or 22 percent (over 1 in 5) in 1982, twice that of whites. National Concern These statistics, depressing as they are, should be reviewed and considered initially within the context of a national concern about these issues for the follow ing reasons: -Nearly 12.5 million children (one in five) live with their mothers only in part as a result of high divorce rates and out-of-wedlock births, which quadrupled since 1950; -20 per cent of all children live in one parent families. From a black perspective, this alarming state of the conditions * and environments that threaten the very existence of the black family as a social institution, must be turned around or by the year 2000, the black family may be on the brink of becoming extinct. Black ministers, doctors, edu cators, psychologists, civil rights leaders, politicians, and most of all parents and young adults, must begin to graple with these troubling factors impacting upon black family life. While blacks do not yet con trol or have adequate influence in economic matters, that is, the providing of jobs, we can and we must assert ourselves in educat ing, advising, counseling and at tempting to change some of the values and behavior patterns and the instilling of motivation in young people that there is hope for the future if they want to make it so. These things black can only do for themselves but it must be done now for tomorrow may be too late. THE CHARLOTTE POST “THE PEOPLE'S NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Every Thursday by The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. Subscription Rate $17.68 Per Year Second Class Postage No. 965500 Postmaster Send 3579s To: 1531 Camden Rd.. Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Telephone: 704-376-0496 Circulation 11,023 106 Years of Continuous Service Bill Johnson Bernard Reeves Fran Farrer Dannette Gaither Editor, Publisher General Manager Advertising Director Office Manager Second Class Postage No. 965500 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 5 p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted become the property of 11m Post and will not be returned. National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. a - a- ■ — a — iHW 8. WICBIJSB AvVi Chicago, m. Mil u w. 4Mk at., mm i m N*w Yarfc, Nra Y«rk I MM ntM-iai f * t \ I BLACK'S DESTINY IN OWN HANDS.... I i i * It* I But Do Little Or Nothing UJS. Government Will Talk mt. dui Jonnson, Editor The Charlotte Post P. 0. Box 30144 Charlotte, N.C. 28230 Dear Mr. Johasoa: I would like the following “Letter to the Editor” pu blished in your newspaper. What will the United States government do if history is any guide? They will talk tough but do little or nothing. The ruthless Communist murder of 209 innocent victims, includ ing the world’s leading anti-Common jut, might re ceive no more attention than other acts of Com munist terrorism we have seen worldwide. United States Congressman Law rence P. McDonald, Na tional Chairman of the John Birch Society, pro duced a film about Com munist terrorism before be himself was a victim of it. We need not see what the government will do; we can do something our selves. Let this be the out rage which finally wakes pp the American people to face the reality of the hor rors of Communism, and to act in their own defense. We must not wait until any more of us are murdered in cold blood. Rather, let us rally together in the or ganization which more than likely frightens the Communists so much that they would apparently commit such an atrocity to suence its leader. We most demand that the complete text of all re corded communications re lating to this mass murder be made public at once. Every American should view the anti-Communist programs produced by Congressman McDonald and insist that they be given coverage in the broadcast media. Justice will come to the Communists when we elect hundreds of dedicated anu-commumsts in our next election. Then per haps we will have a go vernment which will stop the sale of high-technology computer chips and other items which are now being used in the guidance sys tems of Communist mis siles. Korean Air Unw flight 007 was shot down with a Soviet missile built with the help of U.S. aid and trade. Dr. Thomas B. Suiter Jr. Rocky Mount. NC 27801 Disappointed With TTie Post Route 4, Box 1180 Huntersville, NC 28078 August 28,1883 The Charlotte Post P. O. Box 30144, Charlotte ,NC 28230 Dear Sir: I have subscribed to your paper for three years and last year I supported the “Churchwoman of the Year” contest by sending three subscriptions out of the state and a year sub scription for myself. I do not plan such support this year. First, we were very dis appointed that you did not fed the appointment of W. T. Sherrill to the courts by the governor merited your attention. Also your paper has failed too often to in form us of prominent blacks who are to be in our area. Many times only a few of us are able to meet or heyr what they had to say and then it is often through the other news sources. In my opinion you fail often to report news that is important information for our community. Yours truly, Mrs. A. Brown Editor’s Note - in» any other newspaper. The Charlotte Post does not cater to class. Our services are open to all. I am sure that If Mr. W. T. Sherrill or any Interested party had contacted The Post and' Informed ua of his appoint ment, it would have been printed. We regret you are disappointed with our ser vices. However, it should be noted here that, to us, all On Capitol Hitt . The Dream Is Festering To Explode Alfred* L. Madison Special To The Post “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up aa a raisin in the sun or is It allowed to fester and explode?" Minorities see the King dream, after removing le galized discrimination, aa not only being allowed to dry up and fester, but the Reagan Administration as injecting the festered dream with strong shots of increased joblesaness, housing and education dis crimination, bringing court cases against affirmative action, school busing cases that are working well, failure to enforce civil rights laws, attampt to shape the Civil Rights Commission in his own Image, support of apart theid South Africa, cutting social programs and diverting huge sums of money for military build up - a total attempt to tarn back the clock on all civil rights gains and p1—•t«g the economic burden on those who can least afford it, while favoring, econo mically, the rich. This IMS March was a coalition of conscience call to all the many seg ments of the population to have the dream explode on their own community and national elected officials and the President at the polls. Rev. Joseph Lowery strongly emphasised that Alfreds L. Madison dream has not dried up, bit it has been denied. Twenty years after the March On Washington, which gave the famous American Dream speech, and resulted in the pms ageof the 1M4 Civil Rights Act, on August 27, IMS, amid sweltering Washing ton heat soaring In the up per SOs, more than SOS,000 citizens from all across the country, i ns sawullin all walks of Ufa, both sexes, all ethnic groups, nationalities and religions, formed a coalition of conscience and marched to the Lincoln Memorial, for Jobs, free dom and peace. Mayor Barry said Wash ington is the piece where destiny is made by Con gress, President and the Courts, these masses of people gathered to impact on the officials of govern ment to act in accordance with their needs and in terests. The speaken, who repre sented the various groups, clearly explained to the crowd how the present po litical, economic and social conditions affect their lives, and impressed upon them the Importance of making their elected of ficials accountable. Representative Walter Fauntroy, the chief organ izer of the group, evalu ated the day by saying it was a tremendous example of the people exercising their rights to question government officials’ actions and to hold these officials responsible for le gislating and executing law* that make the Ameri can Dream of promoting Ufa, liberty and the pur suit of happiness meaning ful the them Mr. Fauntroy says the march is the first step in this coalition of comci enee, aad that the second slap, “will come in the state houses, halls of Con gress and election booths in November.’’ More than 71S organics tions operating in 352 cities are supporting the legis lative package, which in cludes King's birthday holiday, passage of the Hawkins Community Act - that will provide needed community work of street repair*, sewage, public housing, schools and hos pitals. Those who have been out of work for more than 27 weeks will be given job preference. This will take them off welfare rolls. Job training far displaced workers and the youth. H. R. 426. a MB by Repre sentative Ted Weiss to con vert some defense money into commercial industry. The investment bill which has been introduced by Representative Bill Gray; to prevent any new in vestments by American corporations in South Afri ca. Ralph Naas, Exeuctlve Director of the Leadership Conference said the huge march attendance was a beautiful commemoration of the IMS March with Its focus on civil rights and the IMS focus was on per tinent national issues. Mayor Richard Hatcher of Gary, Indiana felt that the IMS March focused more on specifics that the people could take back to their communities He feM that with W.Nt people In the 1WS March more smpha *t* should have bam placed on asking each parson to get ■ number of people to register and that spodfle pieces of legislation for accomplishing the broad objectives should have norad the sates* of these people, but he should give hwi to their marching WITH SABRINA JOHNSON—am Sabrina UQs And Working Women SSBSSSffite degrees and MBAs. They were successfully climbing the corporate ladder until.... motherhood. During the 1970s it was difficult to find a female qualified to take on a management position. However, the problem for the 1980s is keeping qualified women after the birth of a child. Many successful women find it difficult to return to their careers because there seems to be a major contradiction in their lives loyalty to the company and responsibility for a child. Granted, some women breeze through these times and come out on top of both situations - valuable employees and** good mothers. However there is that vast majority of women who find the situation stressful causing them to suffer from severe fatigue and anxiety: Thus in the end - less productive employees. New priorities in the woman’s life pull at her emotions and the only way she can cope is by resigning from her position. According to Majorie Hansen Shaevitz, a counselor at the Institute for Family and Work Relationships, Lajolla, Calif., “It has nothing to do with the woman’s willingness to work hard, or her ability.” Traditionally women, even very successful ernes, still bear the responsibility of child-care. Some superwomen can do this, but others believe it to be impossible living a triple life-career woman, mother and wife. They simply drop out. companies lose in their investment when women quit. They allow women to take maternity leave with the intent of return because she is recognized as a good employee - however, if her work is not up to par upon return, corporate hands are tied until the woman makes the decision to leave. If women who become mothers continue to leave their jobs after child birth - this could undo all the impressive gains tfomen havfe made in all field* in the past 10 years. One solution to the problem of having women quit after maternity leave may be to offer them part-time hours or a job sharing program. This would allow the woman to spend time with her child and be a productive, valuable and calm employee. £ Companies are insensitive to women" during child-rearing years: They must realize that a 40-45 hour work week will take its toll. Companies must respond to the changing times - mothers DO work and ARE productive during child-rearing. They just need programs that allow them to do both with support. Anyone’s work will be below average after a leave of absence. A man or woman. But companies do put more pressure on women because we constantly have to prove ourselves! Executive mothers suffer from stress in the worse way - in silence. They keep all the problems and anxieties in until their work suffers, their families suffer and they break down emotionally and physically. Women must discuss these situations with their bosses, for it is not a sign of weakness but intelligence. How can a company help an employee if it does not know the problem. Some women rush back to the okl grind to preserve their professionalism. These women are trying to change the feeling that workers should not be women with child ren without regard for themselves. They forget that child birth is a shock to the system • the body - and it takes time to bounce back to one’s productive self. Mothering is not an easy Job and if it were, men would be doing it. Women must sit down and discuss what is expected of them at work after child birth. She must make her boss aware that she will be holding down two Jobs • one of traditional values and one of self-imposed ambitions. Valuable women employees may want develop a Job sharing program month^ before they leave or they may seek a part-time agreement that will be tem porary. Whatever the case may be, women executives must make their companies realize and respond to the changing needs of its employees. Many companies,, are realising that its policy of replacing peo ple quickly is not so easy. To^pSwem employee a company must recruit, train and place individuals which takes times to six months - and all the while the com pany Is losing money and possibly clients. l-‘"- ■—«Mfi -.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 15, 1983, edition 1
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