Ctritorialsi
Black Leaders9 New Challenge
. in tne cover story of Black Enterprise
magazine (Sept., 1985), a report is given on
the “weakened state of many of our Mac*
institutions (colleges and universities).”
The story notes the reduced level of student
aid, inadequate tuition fees, declining en
rollments and overall poor fiscal manage
ment. The story observes that many such
institutions are following the example set by
Hampton and Fisk by tapping the resources
of corporations and foundations and by
competing for research grants.
In like manna*, during the past month,
three of the nation’s major civil rights
organizations held conventions that indud- „
ed agendas on major issues confronting
black Americans in every imaginable area
of our national life. A central thought
, emerging at each of these meetings was the
. recurring concern with the need for funds to
support the programs sponsored by three
of these organizations. ,
for example, the NAACP has begun a
campaign to raise $4 million needed to
relocate its national headquarters from
New York City to less expensive facilities in
Baltimore, Md. The National Urban League
(NUL) has launched an effort to establish a
$34 million foundation to undergird the
financial support of its activities on behalf
concerns about raising funds to support tfaev
into a major force on the national poli
tical scene in the years to come.
Like the traditional black colleges and
ssst
support their program, goals, and ob
jectiv«L Some refer to support provided by
the private business community as cor
porate socia! responsibility and a part of
wfiat they should give back to the communi
ty. Some, too, have viewed such business
support as a new form of corporate wel
fare. The old or more traditional form
granted*to ^ggwjcta
Regardless of the name given to cor
porate assistance or aid to black institu
financiaL^’irooic
which it must challenge on such tbin&ui ■<
job opportunities and promotions for
blacks.
Measure Of Success
The significant point is that the respon
sibility for preserving black colleges and
universities does not rest on the back of
corporate America., Black alumni - those
who have achieved a measure of success as
a result of the education received at black
colleges - have the primary responsibility
for contributing to the efforts necessary to
maintain or reestablish such institutions on
a strong financial footing.
Likewise, but unfortunately not quite as
clearly visible, black Americans who have
benefited from the efforts of our civil rights
organizations should be the main source of
- - - - - - -
financial support for such organizations.
The publishers of Black Enterprise wrote,
“I have often said that it is disgraceful for a
black American to achieve wealth and
personal clout and not use some of it to
support the organizations and institutions
that made the achievement possible. That
means giving whatever you can afford...to
black institutions... Without them (black
institutions), many of us would not be where
we are today.”
Welfare Dependency
Unfortunately in our opinion, too few
black leaders - politicians, educators, civil
rights workers, ministers and, yes, even
some business people, have spent too much
time telling or reminding blacks that they
don’t have the ability to bear a fair share"
of the burden required to sustain the very
organizations dedicated to fighting their
battles. There has been instead too great an
emphasis on the welfare dependency from
X the federal government mentality that has
crippled the Initiative of far too many
blacks to make any effort to help them
selves through helping black organiza
tions.
It is high time the nation’s black lead
ership began to reassess its role as leaders
in offering a sense of direction as to what
organizations and institutions black Ameri
cans should support with their money, their
time, and their talents.
Equally important, black leaders need to'
set the stage for a re-examination of our
values toward self-help and the realization
that the world, the nation, or white
America owes black Americans nothing.
Slavery and its aftermath notwithstanding,
black leaders have a moral obligation to
more aggressively tell black people that the
road to an improved quality of life can only
begin and succeed through individual ini
tiative and an “I can do anything” atti
tude.
Likewise, some black leaders must stop
feasting on misfortune of black people and
being dependent upon them for their sur
Thus, it is time for every black Ameri
can to reassess for himself or herself what
blaMnatitutions and organizations have L
done for them directly ety iadirenOy Uyi
J improve theqdalitydf their livesor the lives i
of their loved ones and then say, “Lord, help
me to give something back to what has been v
given me.” As it has often been said, it’s
time to put up - give, support - or shut up -
because you don’t give support.
Something On Your Mind?
Do you have something to say? Then do so
for everyone to read. The Charlotte Post,
the only other voice in town, welcomes all
letters on various subjects.
Letters to the editor must include your -
signature and address, both of which may
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Please limit letters to 500 words.
Letters should be addressed to:
Editor, The Charlotte Post, P. O. Bo* ,
30144, Charlotte, N.C. 28230.
m
. _ _ _ ”_ySK" .1 w Wr ** *™"
iUgi TVif/\rl j g( — » ij a
Sabrina
the eldeViy are getting qua
lity care with dignity from
paid for their services.
In addition to all the great
things the health programs
are doing, signs.of misuse of
the system taint the pallet. In
the last 20 years the cost of
health care has soared from
$1 pillftm in 1965 to 170
billion in 1964. During the
past 10 years, Medicaid
costs escalated about 25 per
cent each year.
je In addition to risipg costs, >
scandals of doctors robbing
the system via overcharging
- the government.
, ‘gle main concern is tne'v
increase in the amount of '
iftoney die elderly must pay
THE CHARLOTTE POST
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IMIS CamdenR4. fj
yMiuer Saygjfcy
Racism I >
Special T» The Past
A abort time ago a New York
professor, whose roots are in St.
Croix, US Virgin Islands, contend
ed that some Mack police officers
were overzealoua In their handling
of other Macks to' appear favor
able in the eyes of the economic
troubled me until*l realfzwi thaMhey
begged two questions. “Are middle
income blacks ovsrfy tough on lower
class Macke to win favor in main
stream America? Orders middle
class Macks merely foUowh* an
evolutionary course similar to other
groups?”
When I thought about the pro- '
feasor's comments. I ■«««<"«<< whe
ther the problem might be Meck
v on-black racism This new form of
racism had been indelibly etched on
my mind from a conversation with a
Mack Georgian chap. This Georgian
felt that Mack auperviaora at Ms
place of employment made every
effort to look good in the eyes of the
whites at the detriment of black
workers. He felt theee supervisors
I challenged tips Georgian te de
fine black-on-black racism Willie
Moore of August*, Ga , responded,
"Black folks who cannot stand other
Macks."
I wanted to better understand the
frustrations that Moore wee vent
ing when I discussed this seme issue
with Elisabeth Moody of Wilming
ton, De , who had bean a black
activist during the l«0a. She sew
Mack America hell-bent on adopting
white America's value system. \
Moody poured forth, “Blacks are
brainwashed into believing that the
mkkDe class is the only way in tide
t *
country. If you don’t totally Accept
the white way of doing things + typo
of way you dress, how you thtitk, the
home you Hve in - then you’ll be
trapped in the ghetto.”
I asked Moody to say whether
there was a black class struggle
imderway w gpwk to ^
of blsck-on-btack racism. She felt
that many upwardly mobile blacks’
careers ware on a fast track up
ward but these people had failed to
come back to the ghetto to lend a '
helping hand to Ottawa. She argues
that upwardly mobile blacks,
"...take off like a rocket and do not
come back to sarth.”
Moody believes that “Numero
Uno" thinking parvadsa the up
wardly mobile black community.
She feels upwardly mobile blacks
must think, ‘...I have made it and If
you don’t that is Just tough! * Tf
llloo^p postulates upwardly m»
i bile blacks will do whatever it take*
to live the good life. She saw the
emulation of white America’s value
system as the key to acceptance id
the American economic main
stream. "If I do exactly what white
America does, 1 will now be ac
cepted.” declaimed Moody.
1
Moody’s remarks suggested that
the real problem is upwardly mo
bile blacks’ apathy. J wanted to
know if this problem Was unique to
blacks. L.F. Volf, a white chap from
Moncks Corner, S.C., told me that
r men are harder on other women
the real estate industry. A white
lady from Wilmington, De., corro
borated Volfs contention. She feels
that women are harder than men on
other women so as to be psrsstoad
positively.
When I recount everyone’s com
ments, I am satisfied that black
• '* v v^i Ji; v. m
Americana are on a similar evolu
tion curve to pther American
groups. However, one issue that .
surfaces in my mind ^ "la the black
community expecting upwardly mo
bile Mack* to get an extraordi
nary maww?’’ I have had to warn
several Wicks against placing ex
traordinary expectations on
upwardly mobile blacks. I firmly
believe that black Americans are
-like all other r*«a and one should
expect them to act Hhe aff oOidr
ethnic groups throughout their evo
lution into the economic main
■ stream
,Jiow I o Examine I our Breasts
Breast cancer is a frightening
tepte for today’s women. Early
detection by self examination is
■topic and should bo done monthly.
Yet, ! am surprised by the num
ber of women Who still are un
aware of the progfaddre or how to do
it. This is unfortunate because this
staple procedure Is so easily per
formed. In the United States, one In
11 women will develop breast can
cer, all women can and should do
this examination on themselves re
gularly.
A simple threeetap procedure,
which could save your MIS fay de
tecting breast cancer h listed
below: . .
Examine your breasts during a
■bower or bath by placing your right
arm across the back of your neck
With your left hand chock your
brtast for any lumps, hard knots or
thickening. Repeat the same pro
cedure for the left breast.
Before a mirror, raise your arms
over your head, check far any
swelling, dimpling or changes In the
nipples. Then rest palms on Mps
r‘- > . v »•• i ‘Tr- • fo-wSr 5
prewing down ftrmW. (Left and
right breasts will sot exactly
match - lh«r women’s do.)
Lying down, piece a pillow under
your right shoulder arid right arm
over your hand. Using the left hand -
efa clock -'begin at 13 and move on
until you are back around to 13 Now
move in an inch towards the nipple -
keep circling every part of your
breast. Repeat the same proce
dure « year left breast It is im
portant to notice haw your breast
structure feels. Finally, mUy
oquaese the nipple of each breast -
using your thumb and index fhgpr.
Any (Heeharga, dear or Msody,
should be reported to your family:
physician ImmedUtaiy.
' i.
Editor's Mete: The above was
written by Cherlee 8. Davidson
M.D., Kill Devil mils, lift, faml- .
ly physician; as a public service at
the North Carolina Academy of
J Family Physicians w
view Medicate m
hate relationship
does allow for
fied medical care,
affords the medical profes
sion to take advantage
through overcharging. ■>
- ' » •** 1 i V