EDITORIALS &4QAAMENTS
Thanks And Farewell
Julius Chambers
In many communities across
America, you will find one or two
individuals - unassuming in
manner and temperament, a
calm in a sea of controversy and
a dynamic force influencing
social change and economic
change, and aware and percep
tive about things vet to come.
Among the very few in our
community whom these com
ments characterize is attorney
Julius Chambers.
For the past 20 years Mr.
Chambers has been the principle
force to spark Charlotte’s so
cial and economic progress and,
therefore has been the conscience
of the community. As we are all
aware in these two decades, Mr.
Chambers’ civil rights work-in
dudes the landmark Swann vs.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of
Education case, the case that led
the U.S. Supreme Cdurt to con
dude that busingto desegregate
public schools is an acceptable
and effective'social change tool.
As many have observed
throughout the bitter and in
tense controversy in the school
case, Chambers retained his
usual calmness and patience in
everything from his courtroom
demeanor to his public com
ments. Undoubtedly, these quali
ties in his personality had a
settling impact on the commun
ity-at-large and thus contributed
to the avoidance of more overt
racial violence.
In a recent interview, Mr.
Chambers said that he is “quite
proud of Charlotte.... (and) ap
preciates what changes have
taken place here, structurally
- and other wise, in relationships '
between people." He adds, how
ever, that we do still have pro
blems - possible resegregation of
students within our schools; few,
if any, blacks in top executive
positions in major white corpo
rations and integrated housing
opportunities, to name a few.
Julius Chambers, who set these
elements of progress in motion,
is leaving the city to head-up the
New York City-based Legal De
fense Fund, reportedly the best
and best-known civil rights and
public interest law firm in the
nation.
Chambers will be missed in
our community and our city.
Yet, any tribute to him must be
clothed in our collective efforts
to continue the struggle for
justice and equality built on the
strong foundation he has laid for
us over these 20 years.
Julius Chambers, we salute
you. We thank you. And we trust
that God will continue to endow
you with the health, courage and
conviction necessary to meet
your new challenges.
Reading And Writing
In another attack on our
public schools, media headlines
earlier this month charged that
ninth graders did poorly, and
sixth graders not much better,
when tested in the first state
wide administration of a writing
sample.
As might be expected, some
charged that students did poorly
on the 1984 Writing Assessment
because the samples were poorly
conceived, poorly scored, poorly
administered or whatever.
•- • * »
vjn t r% jt
No matter how well designed
such writing tests or samples
are, no matter how talented the
test administrators may be and
no matter how scholastically
talented the students are who
take such tests, if those stu
dents have not been motivated to
have a taste and appreciation for
reading they will never learn
how to write. To be able to react
mentally to what we read, to
analyze it, to form opinions, to
critically review its full meaning
is what youth need to be able to'
grasp the meaning of the written
word.
If students haven’t been taught
to do these things first, they will
never become conipetent writers
and expresftors of ideas or be
able to collect independent
thoughts <m paper. Unfortunate
ly, too, school teachers often
with as many, as 80 to > 120
students per day, rarely have the
resources to have.students write
something of substance and then
grade it.
Thus, the only real hope for
improving students’ writing
skills is to first improve their
reading skills . Teachers, make
reading fun by making reading
assignments of interest to youth
and writing skill will come al
most naturally.
!
Want- ;L~ JOB
Letters x.
To The
Women: Call And Free
Dear Editor:
This letter is in response
-to- Rev. Linda McDwain,
Rev. Marla Gool and Rev.
Barbara McCullough, the
lady minister’s inter
viewed last week -for the
Past’s article “Does It
Matter Whether Female
Ministers Pastor A Church
or Evangelize?’’ > '
especially 10 you nev.
Mcllwaln about your book
“Women on the Outside
Looking In.” I am so glad
that you are the author of
this book. I thank you for
having the guts to write it
and voice your opinion in
the article.
I am also happy to hear
from Rev. Mrs. Gool and
Rev. Mrs. McCullough. I
too have been called Into
the ministry. I do know
there is a difference when
both spouses are called into
the ministry as opposed to
a female being called and
her husband not being
called. Some of us who are
called and our spouse is not
called or maybe we are
divorced, separated, or
even single, face the same
problems.
Talking, from my own
perspective I have gone
literally through hell on
earth from all kinds of evil
people because of my being
a Christ-centered woman. 1
have been called into a
nation-wide ministry such
as ministry In the prisons.
The dmdl' fags tried *
everything, even my own
husband almost put an end
to the work God called me
to do. I thank God that be
chose me to pastor world
wide. Being a born pro
phetess, my ministry goes
beyond the four walls of a
church. That is why God
ordained me to be a nation
wide ambassador for
Christ. What I am saying is
that with or without a
spouse we are called into
God’s ministry. We must
answer to His calling.
God will support, sustain
and dear the way for us.
When trials come our way
God turns them into
triumphs, curses . into
blessings, scars into stars
and our problems into
possibilities. This helps His
ministry to grow in leaps
and bounds. I am
disheartened almost daily
when I realize how
negative some men and
women can be towards
women in the ministry.
Hopefully we are no longer
seen as women ministers
but as women in the
ministry.There is a *
difference. Women in the
ministry are changing
people’s concept of
pastors. What really is
important in a ministry is a
woman in the pulpit
challenging us to get
beyond the exterior.
Does she or he have an
authentic faith? I believe
that we are called to use
our ability to be connected
to other persons, groups,
even nations, to work for
peace, justice and love.
I’m encouraging all wo
men reading this article, if
God has called you, make
sure you are right and go
ahead.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Queen E. Thompson
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- ~ - —
[, From Capitol Hill
Reynolds Distorts Rights Record?
Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Pest
. .Since Assistant Attorney
General William Bradford
Reynolds, blamed the
press and me in particular,
for blacks’ knowledge that
the Reagan Administration
is attempting to reverse
civil rights gains, 1 will
evaluate his responses in
the interview I had with
him, which was pres anted
in a previous article.
On busing, Mr. Reynolds
failed to acknowledge that
this Administration reject
ed the use of pupil trans
portation as a means of
desegregation. In at least
four cases, the Justice De
partment has switched
sides on busing, even
though those changes de
prive minority students of
their constitutional rights
Aimes stmmone, me
Washington Bureau
NAACP Chief, disputed
strongly Mr. Reynolds
stating that the NAACP has
given up busing and in
stead has accepted the Ad
ministration’s plan. Mias
Simmons said magnet
schools were new de
signed to desegregate.
They are only placed in
white conunimitles, and
black students who choooe
to attend them have to
travel. 8he also stated that
Mr. Reynolds' statement
about improving schools in
the black communities Is a
resurrection of the ‘'sepa
rate but equal doctrine,”
rta'—M~,by
Alfreds L. Madison.
the Supreme Court, be
cause it was found to per
petuate separate and un
equal schools.
The Administration has
proposed massive budget
cuts in Title I programs
which are intended to en
sure equal educational op
portunities for disadvan
taged children. This is a
direct contradiction of Mr.
Reynolds’ statement that
the children who don’t go to
magnet schools will have a
curriculum that meets the
various needs of those stu
dents.
The Assistant Attorney
General’s information on
the Norfolk school was
misleading and distorted.
The Courts decided In the
sixties that Norfolk had to
desegregate, and that
required busing. In 197S the
Court stated that since the
city had established s de
segregated unitary school
system, It no longer had
jurisdiction over the
schools. However, the
Norfolk school board chair
man stated that because of
the Administration’s
attitude toward busing, it
would abandon it. This, of
course, would resegregate
the schools. The case is still
before the eourt and no
determination has been
presently made, as Mr.
Reynold’s would have
people believe.
Reynold’s views that this
Administration has come a
long ways in equal job
opportunities have no
foundation In this
Administration’s actions
It has talked about volun
tary remedies. Yet,
Reynolds has said he’d like
to see the Weber decision
which was a corrective
discrimination measure
agreement between
management and labor,
overturned. Reynolds
asked the Fifth Circuit en
banc Court to overturn the
one-on-one Black and white
ratio agreement reached
by New Orleans ,in a
promotion praclite, as
promotions arise. 7 \
wnue wit. neagan has
constantly deplored the
Black last hired first fired
practice, the Memphis
agreement remedy was
challenged In Court by the
Justice Department. It
prevailed . which ensures
perpetuation of minorities
as being the last hired first
fired policy eternally
Mr. Reynolds
emphasised strongly tbo
correcting of <flscrlmina>
#
lion against Blacks as an
individual matter, rather
than a class. He completely
ignores the fact that Blacks
have been historically,
discriminated against as a
class, since 1619, and it
continues until today.
The Administration has
initiated a plan requiring
employers to recruit an
eligible pool of women and
minorities, but there is no
requirement that anyone
has to be employed from
that pool.
The New Orleans case
which was beard by an en
banc Court, decided that
since 40 new positions had
been created - all of which*
were filled by blades -
there was no need for the
one-on-one Black, white
ratio agreement. The Court
upheld class discrimina
tion. Raaid, “the burden of
remedying past discrimin
ation, must be borne by
someone. The ideal goal in
this type of case is to
provide s suitable remedy
for the group who had
suffered, but at the least
expense to others." It also
said Thirteenth, Four
teenth, and Fifteenth
Amendmeota“seak to attain
universal civil rights for
Blacks. Remedial action
must address the needs of
Blacks as a race." These
statements disprove Mr.
Reynolds statement that
the Justice Department
won on all points.
■ .i —WITH SAbRINA JOHWSO^i
Stereo Sound: WhaftNew?
. .Thinking of buying a new stereo system?
Experts say that choosing the right or best
systen is becoming an art form. Today’s
buyer has a tougher time choosing a new
^stereosystem"from a vast smorgasbord of
audio techoology. Complete units are mote
compact*powerful than they
were in the tailor his
system to match his wants'amrifeeds. The
spectrum ^iyesway to the familiar phono- M
graph styles for a. mw “handy-dandy” *
laseobeam._ _
While th^tochnology behind these super
systems hhfe raced ahead j^dces have not.
Today $1,500 buys Si'^fat de&Tmore than it
did in 1974. For example 50 watts per
channel - the amount of power going to each
speaker - is now considered average and the
minimum wattage for a quality system
versus 30 watts 10 years ago. In 1974, a
30-watt receiver cost approximately $500 -
today that wattage receiver costs less than
$300.
The equipment available today is much
smaller and sleeker than 10 years ago. This_
new state of the arts designing makes
systems more convenient and the quality is
much improved.
During the 1980’s the most exciting child
in new audio products is the disc player. It
uses a laser beam to read small and nearly
indestructible plastic-enclosed discs - thus
causing the sound to be almost free from
static and ticks. And it is compact!
Compact disc players are expected to
replace conventional turntables and were
initially priced at approximately $1,000.
This has changed slightly, dropping the list
price to $499 and sometimes discounted for
less. The final prices are expected to bottom
out to $300 within the next few months.
Disc prices have also dropped and are
expected to bottom out with the cost of the
players. Their initial cost of $29 has dropped
to $15 last year.
. Now comes the main event - some experts
claim that a good quality system can be
purchased for $800, others insist that one
musj spend at Jeast $3,000. The compro
mise pricdTor a good quality audio system _
is now targeted at $1,500. What it all boils (
down to is what pleases the consumer’s ear
at the time of purchase and once taken
home. i ; i
Just how should one spend his money on
the components? A gentleman’s agreement
on a break down of three percent of the total
cost on speakers, three percent on toner and
amps, 15 percent mi turntable and car
tridges and the remainder on a tape deck.
Of course, before purchasing, priorities
must be set and the choice between a
complete system or certain parts must be
made. Separate parts are smart invest
ments if one is looking to upgrade the
pre-existing system. If one does not have
the time tb separately purchase compon
ents, complete packages are offered by
manufacturers, everthing from turntable to
cassette deck. Many of the complete sys
tems can be purchased for as little as $800
(less if found at discount).
Manufacturers realize that consumers do
not have thousands of disposable dollars to
use towards the purchase of audio and they
do try to meet the market demands. That is
why separate components are available,
guarantee quality increasing with sound
and performance levels rising. Buying a
stereo system is no longer used to fill a
spate, it is a hobby and a craft for many to
have a system that is most appealing to him
and is functioning within hit life.
The market demand for better technology
in all facets of audio sound development is
also pushing manufacturers to become
more competitive and cost effective. Audio
is moving from the subculture of “other
developments” to the primary development
and money maker.
Manufacturers are aggressively going
after that ever increasing disposable in
come on recreation • and audio systems are
recreation. Not everyone is Michael W.
Caldwell of Los Angeles who shelled out
$28,000 for his ultimate system. Most people
are Joe from next door who wants the best
fof his dollar. Once the ultimate personal
system is achieved, there is one minor
problem - the system reaches the point of
diminishing returns - sound quality increase
much less rapidly than price. The vicious
cycle of marketing strikes again - just as it’s
all paid for, it’s time to buy a system or
parts with better sound and it costs more.
Only in America would something like this
happen - you do not hear of the Soviets
updating their audio system. But that’s
part of being American - free to spend your j
money however you choose. Good luck
buying your ultimate personal system. i
V ' ' f \