Cbttoriate ■
We Need Instruments Of Power!
Many Charlotteans have been celebrating
since last Saturday Juneteenth, or Black *
Independence Day, June 19, which marked
the true end of slavdifytfrf 1865 in the state of
Texas. Held in communities all across the
nation, the Juneteenth celebration also
marks Senate passage of the omnibus Civil
Rights Bill on June 19, 1964.
While such celebrations are good and
serve a purpose, what appears to us to be of
greater significance is what have we done
or accomplished with what black Ameri
cans believe these historic dates mean?
Stated another way, we might ask what
opportunities have black Americans taken
advantage of since June 19, 1865 and 1964
that we can feel some sense of pride about?
There are at least two areas of life
wherein black Americans should have
made great strides since these and other
historic dates that granted them new op
portunities. These areas, or in Theodore
Cross’ words, these “instruments of power”
have been only marginally harnessed by
blacks for the benefit of blacks. One of these
instruments, political power, has resulted in
a steady^increase irrbtack elected officials
at the local, state and national levels in spite
of not haying achieved a proportionate
number of such officials to date.
The second such area is “economic
power,” that is, “the forces governing
human wealth and well-being,” says Mr.
Cross. Writing in his latest book, “The
Black Imperative,” Cross adds, “For all
groups in a given society, the prospect for
improved incomes, greater holdings of
property, and more favorable life chances
generally is profoundly influenced by the
group’s relationship to the instruments of
power. Acquiring and holding power have
indeed become strategic principles well
adapted to preserving life and protecting
people from its perils. As a group, blacks...
have done poorly.”
In this column last week we raised
questions about the lack of black investors
on the Beatties Ford Road commercial strip
between 1-85 and LaSalle Street. Separately
but consistent with our general thought we
commented that blacks are their own worst
enemy because of how they treat each
other.
Enormous Self-Hate
Similarly, “Tony Brown’s Journal” in the
Past last week echoed a like theme. Mr.
Brown quoted liberally from a letter he
received from a poet and writer identified
only, as Ms. E.O.B. As Tony Brown ex
plained it, she expressed concern about the
“enormous self-hatred she sees expressed
among blacks and the exploitation of the
black underclass by those who make it.”
Brown quotes the poet as saying “this is the
reason I will walk two and a half blocks
from where I live and purchase products
from a non-black store.
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“The black businesses have unfair
prices; they have no community concerns
and: 70 percent of the time, the store isn’t
«
clean enough. They have very little respect
for their customers and to show courtesy
seems to be a sin.” Sad to say, there is a
great deal of truth in this statement about
black retail establishments. Sad to say, but
such poor business practices arise from an
attitude that blacks should support black
owned businesses with their $170 billion in
annual purchasing power simply because
they are black.
Purchasing Power
It has been this kind of business atti
tude and mentality that has prevented the
securing of an instrument of economic
power to enhance black America's quality
of life and improved instruments for politi
cal power. Undoubtedly, too, this kind of
black business mentality and psychological
thinking arises, from the white business
community’s attitude of encouraging and
feeling less threatened by black businesses
that seek primarily black consumers.
The publisher of black-oriented literature
such as Ebony Magazine, and the manu
-fartnrniNi nt /wwfrdn hair and beauty pr^.
ducts, some types of music and some
clothing styles have no competition from
white manufacturers. However, many of
the black retail merchants who sell such
products are those with the poor business
attitudes toward their oustomers.
Thus, the “instruments of power” so vital
to an improved quality of life for black
Americans continues to-be an illusive force
that prevents blacks from making the kind
of economic, political and social progress
that they should have, considering the
increasing number of dates we celebrate for
milestones in opening new doors of op
portunity.
Unfortunately, our failure to capture
these instruments of power relates in a
deeper way to the fact that while black
people have achieved physical and legal
freedom from slavery and discrimination
some, too manv in fact, are or continue to be
enslaved psychologically. This undoubtedly
has its root cause in our history and some
continued racism. However, in a larger
sense the problem arises from a dependent
mentality of government assistance and
little or no initiative to rise above qnp's ?
circumstances no matter what the road
block.
Therefore, Juneteenth or another cele
bration date of black achievement should be
viewed in large measure by what has in fact
been signs of progress since that date. For it
is only then that there is really something to
celebrate. ' . "
We as blacks, whether merchants, con
sumers, professionals or laborers, have
long past the time for the development of a
black agenda for achieving the progress
that many lesser minority groups have
earned. In the final analysis, it will only be
when we stop being our own worst enemy
that we as blacks can harness the in
struments of power for progress and
prosperity.
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Bong A Its Advantages
tfeiie turned Yankee or
Yankee turned Belle? Which
one? Who knows? Anyway,
here's the story. Many years
ago there was a little girl
bom. Bom in the beautiful
Southern city of Chariotte
the Queen City of the South
as they call it. Well as-this
little girl grew her family
treated her 1n the most fe
minine of manner: dolls,
lace, ribbon dresses and
white gloves. In a nut shell
a typical Southern little girl -
commonly known as a little
princess. Being a cute little
princess this young lady
could get away with incred
ible mischief. Especially on
the paternal side of the
family; being the first bom
grandchild bora to the Old
est son. j 7;:.y
' What kinds of mischief?
Things like spraying grand
dad with the water hose
while trying to “help” wash
his car. Refusing to eat
something simply because it
“looked funny.” And, of
course, choosing to be most
unsociable with visiting chil
dren - why? because the;,
would “upset” my kingdom.
And being a princess also
had its advantages. For in
■S W™ Sabrina "
stance, being a “model” stu
dent in school meant that the
teachers loved you and did
everything they could to help
you. The principals viewed a
princess as one to know and
know her family - which
most did. But the best part
was when trouble came
about the princess was the
last if at all to be blamed.
Pretty "sneaky. •.f
•_ '
The pre-teen and early
teen years are a princess’
glory. Mommy then allows
her to wear a French bun but
keeps the ribbon. It is also
the time that ribbon dresses
are put away and jumpers,
skirts and blouses are ac
quired. Crossing the age
group into teenager on one’s
13th birthday is marked by
all sorts of wonderful things:
a signet pin, a bracelet with a
“13” charm on it and,' of
course, lots of tears from
mommy. But let us not forget
the birthday party at 6:30 to
8;30 with boys! By the way
because this little girl was
born in the late fall mommy
suited her in a navy blue
velvet skirt and white blouse
for the occasion with a
French bun and velvet .rib
bon, ‘ Bliss, sheer bliss - |
dancing with a boy to the
tunes of Earth, Wind & Fire,
the Bee-Gees, Chicago, Ohio
Players and the Com
modores. 1
A few weeks after the mile
stone mommy takes princess
“up North.” Princess being
reared in a Southern atmos
phere knew very little about
the North. The first day in
public school in the North
was an experience - to say
the least. Mommy took prin
cess to enroll upon the com
pletion of the move - dressed
in a glen plaid skirt, white
oxfords, navy sweater and
loafers and knee socks. Don’t
forget the bun! Walking
through the school everyone
looked at princess as though
she beamed down from
Mars. Every stydent that
was seen was dressed in
jeans, sneakers and over
sized sweaters. They looked
like they were going to play
rather than school. The
clothes they could handle - it
was the manner in which the
Southern Belle spoke that
tickled their funny bones.
Instead of “Hi, what’s goin’
on?” the Belle said, “Hey,
how y’all doin.” Definitely
not cool.
After the initial orientation
things smoothed out, except
for the fact that the Belle did
not date until she was 15 if
not 15. Guys do not take
too kindly to that but that
was expected. All It boiled
down to was that the Belle’s
hormones were not ready for
a different relationship with
boys (kissing and holding
hands seemed disgusting).
So high school was high
school.
College was a real experi
ence. Mommy cried, grand- ,.
moms bragged and grand- ..
dad tried to remain uncon
cerned but deep down he was
a ball of nerves. The Belle
looked at it as a chance to be
something different A dif
ferent She became; opion
ated, curious, demanding,
committed, willing to learn
but still lovable.
H The Charlotte Post II **rom Capitol HUl
President’s 1981 Tax Reform Has Been Disastrous
Weekly
704-376-0496
“The People’s Newspaper’
106 Years
Of Continuous Service
**' '■ ' 11 11
3ill Johnson Editor, Pub.
Bernaid Reeves Gen. Mgr
Fran Bradley Adv. Mgr.
Dannette Gaither Of. Mgr.
Published Every
Thursday By
The Charlotte Post
Publishing Company, Inc.
Main Office:
* 1531S. Camden Road
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
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By Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Pool
In presenting his tax reform
proposal to the nation, the President
characterized the present system as
“complicated, unfair, cluttered with
gobbledygook and loopholes
designed for those with the power
and influence to hire high-priced
legal and tax advisors.” He stated
that our tax system is un-American.
Commenting on the President’s
tax proposal, Representative Bill
Clay of Missouri said, “It was
Reagan's own changes in the tax
code enacted in 1981 that more than
anything else shifted tax burdens to
the poor and middle class while
granting huge breaks to
corporations and the rich, this is a
remarkable admission.”
Mr. Reagan, in his national
televised address, said the tax
system must be changed to “make It
fairer. It must promote opportunity,
lift up the weak, strengthen the
family, and perhaps most
importantly, it must be rooted in
that unique American quality, our
special commitment to fairness.”
The President's special fairness
commitment in his *81 tax policy and
his civil rights policy are abysmal.
The tax system instituted by him
made the rich richer and the poor
poorer by being Jobless, tax
burdened, and less able to educate
their children, coupled with his
complete asssult on civil rights.
While the President is going
around the country, selling his tax
reform program, the people are for
a tax change, but Mr. Reagan isn’t
telling the public the specific details
and he is not letting the press ask
him any questions about it, neither is
he bolding a press conderence, so
the public will become more
Km familiar with the entire package.
Alfreds
The American people are frustrated
and outraged when they have
realized that the low income and
middle income people have borne
the country’s tax burden while the
very rich and those above $100,000
bracket have paid no taxes. General
Dynamics, General Electric and
many other corporations have taken
refuge in the any loopholes that the
’81 tax policy created. Knowing *11
of this, has caused the American
public to lose confidence in both the
Administration and Congress to
enact a tax code that Is fair.
The Reagan present tax proposal
gives releif to the very poor It raises
the tax entry for a family of four
from $7,670 to $12,000. This
translates into no taxes on the first
$12,000. This tax relief will provide
worti incentive for those on the
welfare rolls. Much of the working
poor’s liability tax would be
eliminated through increase and
expansion of the earned income tax
credit which is an actual tax credit
to working families with children
The current credit of $550 would be
increased to $731
The President's proposal treats
the working poor very well. Yet. it
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■ nil I I^4aai.a'»i*
favors the very rich at the expense
of the middle income people. The
average individual tax cut is seven
percent, the cut distribution is high- •>
ly inequitable. Individuals earning
over $100,000 receive a tax cut of
10.7, while those earning $30,000 to
$50,000 receive only 4.2 percent cut.
Expressed another way, those
earning $40,000 would get $205.9$ cut, •
$50,000 $107.00 cut, $70,000 a $276.30
cut, $100,000 a $541 cut but those
earning $200,000 would receive a cut
of $4,496. This proves that this
Reagan proposal, like his $81 tax
plan, provides that the very wealthy -
share proportionately advantageous
in the tax cuts. .
Maintenance of exemptions for
charitable contributions, will allow
charitable organizations to continue
to provide needed social services. In
preserving some fringe benefits,
such as: employer provided life
insurance, legal service and J.
educational assistance Yet, there
are many objections to the proposed
tax on the first $25 a month for a
family, $10 for individuals of
employer provided health care. This
tax will have a detrimental effect on
those who need health care the most.
It does not keep health chre down,
but. in fact, it contributes to health
care cost increase by letting the high
end dollars to escape taxation.
There is a large outcry against the
elimination of tax exemption for
state and local taxes. The localities
will have to assume a greater share
of the social services burdens, since
the President is recommending
eradication of some of these
programs and severe cuts to others.
While cutting these programs, Mr.
Reagan is giving special
advantageous treatment to the oil
industry, research, and
development. capital gains '
' '■ • ■' VySxji
corporate dividends, and
depreciation for equipment r all of
which benefits the extremely
wealthy in our society. State and
local tax exemption elimination will
cause many business to leave these
localities, which will increase
unemployment.
Noted economist, Allen
Greenspan, says that an increase in
tax revenue is needed to reach the
desirable goal of cutting the deficit
to two percent of the GNP by IMS
and reaching a balanced budget by
early in the next decade. He
criticized the proposed personal
exemption increase from $1,060 to ,
$2,000 would caupe a huge $40 billion
annual revenue loss and would
disproportionately benefit higher
income groups, which would
discourage work effort. About 31
percent of the $40 billion tax cut
would benefit 17 of the top
taxpayers He suggested that the
President’s proposal of $3,000
exemption for those in the IS percent
bracket, those in the 2S percent with
incomes between $29,000 and $70,000
should be $1,200, incomes over $70,
000 should be $1,060.
Representative Jack Kemp,
author of Kem^Kasten, agrees with
the President’s tax reform concept,
but he feels that the tax exemption
for the very poor should be raised,
and the tax exemption for the top
income should be lowered. These
changes should be made in the
President’s proposal
While everyone on Capitol Hill,
cheers Mr. Reagan’s tax reform
concept, there are many differences
with many of his specifics. Some feel
that a tax reform Is highly possible,
considering the present tax system
that the President imposed in ’$1, it
is impossible to have a worse system
of taxation