Tony Brown's
COMMENTS
Should Jackson Run For President?
If Jesse Jackson wants to be Presi
dent, he should run for President
Jackson is now at a point - due to Us
success in attracting and getting out the
black vote-that he must decide between '
being a power tanker at the Demo
cratic convention and running as an
Independent for President.
I must admit that as a political
Independent and an advocate of inde
pendent black political power and a
personal believer in independence (“God
bless the cfaUd that’s got Us own!”), I am
swayed by my bias in the direction of
non-dependence.
By any political yardstick, Jackson has
defied the odds and he has owitwis
them; in a few instances, he has over
whelmed them. Without paid television
commercials, he has won significant
percentages of primaries and caucuses.
All of this, of course, is due to Us ability
to mobilize black people.
/vuhj among run acmevemenls ts bis
ability to adwate homosexual and gay
rights and abortion and develop a con
- -T ■ 11 I M°-* “*>""* »* *« «nl«
time - no small feat. He has admitted to
using an ethnic slur and has not been
harmed among blacks.
In Us own party, he has defied the
labor gods and the party bosses with his
call for new rules and has hurt both of Us
party’s frontrunners by siphoning off the
black vote.
Under Democratic rules, he received
17 percent of the 35 delegatee in Arkan
sas, hot he got 34 percent of the votes. But
in Mississippi, be won more delegates
than Walter Mondale or Gary Hart The
rates have worked for »«! ipimt
Jackson, but have not diluted the enor
mous impact of record-black turnouts In
the primaries.
Although Jackson’s projected 300-odd
delegates will give him, perhaps, the
balance of power at the convention, they
will not give him the nomination. With all
of this black success tinder his 'belt,
Jscksouamsflace the future ami reality.
He must now turn Ms voting bloc over to
Mondale or Hart, the likely winners at
the convention.
Or he must keep the black vote and run -
against Ronald Reagan and the Demo
cratic winner in November. For the first
time, he would truly be a candidate far
PresidenL But Jackson’s fears are that
he would be blamed if Reagan were to
win.
Mondale cannot beat Reagan. Hart
would have a good chance, but Hart
probably can’t get the nomination. That’s
the real dilemma of the Democratic
Party - not Jesse Jackson’s naming as an
Independent
u Jackson does stay in the party - as
he has said he would - he facts the
awesome problem of turUi« Us follow
ers over to Mandate or Hart. Reagan, of
coarse, would serve as the bad guy.
Jackson would aim at n*aga« and try
not to look like a campaign Mifahpt to
his farmer peers.
Jackson will have great difficulty
again, pulling that one off.
-“T-- “It spat nf tlte trtanaU »
Jackson boasted when spaakii« of his
peer relationship to Mandate and Hart,
“and that is the very cppmita of
(blacks) being taken for granted by the
Democrats or written off by ffie Repu
blican.”
White Democrats will never own the
blade vote again - th»nk« to Jackson.
Some black will always run from now on.
The Republicans on the nth—- hand are
terrified that blacks will turn out the vote
and beat them from City Hall to the
White House in November. Jackson has
also demonstrated that in sohrii* one
dilemma, he has created another. He
may have to play it safe and support file
white choice of his party.
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spring Concert ‘
UNCC* Spring Concert
“Jam-up” will be heM an
Friday, April 6, in the
Charlotte Coliseum. Hie
bands will be Spyro Gyra,
The Producers, and Shan
non.
The concert will start at 7
p.m. Ticket prices are as
follows: students free with
valid I.D., faculty-staff «3,
and general pufelic Q. 1
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Hanna’s Newest Group To
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Bill Hanna’s newest mu
sical group. The Jazz
Quintet makes its 'pre
miere performance April 5
at U:S6 p.m. in Rowe Re
cital Hall at the Univer
sity 01 North Carolina at
Charlotte; .Admission is
free.
The Jazz Quintet fea
tures Hamm at-the piano;
Barry Gordemer, drums;
James Hammond, bass;
Jimmy Duckworth, guitar
and Bill Crowell, tenor
saxophone.
" “We play it all," says
Hanna. “Ballads, be-bop,
the works—dynamite ma
terial from the last 30
years, and we’re good,” he
adds with a wink.
Hanna is also quick to
point out that two members
«•
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of the group received re
cent henofS for their per
formance* with Hama’s
UNCC Jazz Ensemble
Duckworth and Crowell,
along with Chris Henvner,
trombone, were picked as
outstanding soloists on
their’ particular instru
ments at the UNC-ChapeJ
Hill Jazz Festival. The
weekend competition for
high school and college
students included com
petitors from across the
_state.__
In addition to receiving
top honors in three of nine
categories, UNCC’s Jazz ,
Ensemble received an
overall “one” or “supe
rior” rating.
I
Spring!
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• Quality workmanship - over SO yean experfcnce
• Refinishlng available • Free pickup aM deUmy
to 2927 Derita Ave • 364-7054/596-2431 «JI