Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / April 23, 1987, edition 1 / Page 2
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Charlotte $ost Bill Johnson, Publisher Emeritus Gerald Johnson, Publisher Bob Jenson, Co-Publisher „... • . Jalyne Strong, Manning Editor We Too Are Americans A U.S. congressional delegation visiting Russia expressed shock and surprise over a remark by Soviet elder Mikhail Gorbachev last week in a lecture against U.S. interfer ence in Soviet human rights. Specifically, Gorbachev is reported to have said that the United States could solve its racial problems by establishing separate states for blacks and other minorities. |^Mp. Norman Dicks, Democraft from the State of Washington, said Gobachev started his brief discussion on human rights by ex pressing dissatisfaction over the United States' too often criticism and shortcomings on the Soviet Union while failing to be self critical. Gorbachev added that his country's system of autonomous republics was based on ethnic background and culture. This in cludes such small minorities as Jews, Tar tars and Chukehi Indians. Congressipan Dicks then quotes Gorba chev as saying, "We have respect for our na tionalities in this country. Why don't you have these autonomous areas?" Gorbachev went on to suggest that the United States could consider providing such separate states for blacks, Puerto Ricans and Polish Americans. Some in the congressional group apparent ly felt that Gorbachev's remark was kind of off the record and did not include any de tails. Details notwithstanding, Gorbachev's . remarks reflected a lack of knowledge about . U.S. history that was compounded by "mixing apples and oranges" by comparing the geographic setting of Russian minority groups with American minorities. On this point, Mr. Gorbachev overlooked the very im portant fact that the minorities in his country have historically been bom and lived in sep arate national Btates. Minorities in the Unit • ' k® they blacks, Puerto Ricans, Jew!, Polish-Americans - have been bom ajidjlved in anyone of the 48 continental . Unitfed States or migrated to one such state fromlabroad and mkde it their home. Ha$vaii and Alaska, the two newest of the 50 States of America, are the only states with , a large ethnic population by birth similar to -• the minority states in Russia. However, even . here, because of the greater freedom of travel and movement in America, Hawaii and Alaska have been inhabited by many so called non-minority people and some of these ethnic people have freely migrated to others of the 46 states. However, to put Mr. Gorbachev’s remarks in an even more meaningful historic con text, we must reflect back on a little known American history as written by eminent his torians (who happen to be black) John Hope Franklin (classic textbook "From Slavery To Freedom - A History of American Ne groes") and Lerone Bennett Jr. ("Before The Mayflower: A History of the Negro In Ameri ca"). In the year 1714 northern "Native Ameri can" whites proposed sending "Negroes" (not called 'blacks' until 1960s when the belief arose that the name 'Negro' was invented by white people) back to Africa from which they had been forceably brought to America in chains beginning 95 years earlier in 1619. While nothing happened, the idea lingered, then in 1777 a Virginia legislative commit tee, headed by Thomas Jefferson, developed a plan for the emancipation and exportation of blacks back to Africa. Colonization Of Negroes Two key developments hastened the inter est of white people in the colonization of "Free Negroes." First, in 1800, a black, Episcopal priest named Absalom Jones was instrumen tal in initiating an "..abortive attempt to es tablish a Negro state in Virginia. Alarmed whites organized a colonization society and made frantic efforts to settle free Negroes (considered to be "a dangerous and useless element") in Liberia... Negroes per ceived...colonizations (to be) anti-Negro and pro-slavery." One prominent Negro said bluntly, "The Colonizationists want us to Li beria if we will. If we won’t go there, we may go to hell." Neither place excited the imagin ation of 19th century Negroes," Bennett writes. The second development is best seen in the words of Dr. Franklin, "Perhaps nothing brought colonization before the country more dramatically than the carrying of 38 Negroes to Africa in 1815 by Paul Cuffee, at his own expense«..Within two years...the American Colonization Society was organized (and)...immediately plans were made to es tablish a Negro colony in Africa." Despite these efforts, less than 15,999 Negroes migrat ed. Negroe and white abolitionists opposed all such exportation plans for reasons of simple economics. These were as Dr. Franklin re minds us, the high cost of transportation and the high cost of living in Liberia where colo !\ nial affairs were mismanaged. ) This Is Our Country Then, following World War I (1914-1917) and the nation continuing to not recognize Negroes as first-class citizens, a Jamaica born black man, Marcus Garvey won wide popularity with a strong appeal to race pride. "Garvey said," Dr. Franklin writes, "that the only hope for American Negroes was to flee America and return to Africa and build up a country of their own." Many other black leaders bitterly denounced Garvey as insin cere and a selfish imposter. Garvey's mis management of his finances involving his Black Star Steamship Line led to his impri sonment and eventual deportation in 1927. Garvey's back to Africa movement failed because most blacks were and are today con tent to remain in the USA and strive to im prove conditions through regular channels open to all citizens. In more blunted terms, Mr. Gorbachev needs to understand what black people told white Americans after the 1777 colonization attempt in editorials and from their pulpits, "This (American soil by states and regions) is our home and this is our country. Beneath its soil lies the bones of our fathers; for it, some of them fought, bled, and died. Here we were bom, and here we will die.” WST* STATION COHniSSMMeo By COHOSH«$ W»7... By Gerald O. Johnson Today's Concerns, Tom orrow s Crisis Northside Development The final plans are being pre pared to recommend the rapid de velopment of the northern sector of Charlotte. The objective of the recommendation is to ease the growth of southeast Charlotte. The recommendation, which was developed by the Charlotte Meck lenburg Citizens Forum, will have ” the Charlotte Mecklenburg Utility * Department (CMUD) lay water and sewer Unto in the Nidhhem sector of town near UNCC. Water and sewer lines axe a cata lyst for growth. In the past devel opers would have to wait on CMUD before they could finish a project and recoup their invest ment This recommendation, how ever, would circumvent that and should have developers chopping at the bit to participate. It is esti mated that 1000 new single family homesites would be developed a year. . I have seen the recommendation and it is a good one. But I think the recommendation will lead to major problems for the residents of Charlotte’s northern corridor. The major problem is roads! Nowhere does this recommenda tion address roads. The roads in the northern sector of town can not ad equately handle this type of growth. Even if the recommendation ad dressed roads, it would take at least 10 years before the road projects could begin. The city has that much of a backlog on road1 pro jects. It is essential that the northern corridor be developed. It will have a lot of positive impacts on the northsiders, as well as, all of Charlotte. But the development should be a alow phased in ap proach. If it isn't, then we will only repeat the mistakes that got southeast Charlotte in the mess it is in. Without a plan that addresses the road situation being contem plated with this development rec ommendation, northside residents should come out in numbers and vote against the Charlotte Mecklen burg Community Forum recom mendation. City's Garbage Disposal problem In 2 years, possibly 3 years if an extension is granted, the Harrisburg landfill will be no more. The Har risburg landfill is where your gar bage goes after it is picked up from your house (when it is picked up). The landfill is full. The County is currently proposing solutions to handle this problem. The solution includes two incinerators, two land fills, and a transfer station. AU of this is to work in conjunction with an aggressive recycling program. This proposed solution would put the trash problem behind us for many years. Unfortunately, the County is run ning into problems trying to solve this problem. Seems once people put the garbage out. they don't want it coming back. Everybody feels garbage disposal is necessary as long as it is disposed in some one ebe’s neighborhood. The transfer station stated for the Westside is running into oppcJF lion from the Westside Coalition. This group of citizens feel the westside has been the dumping ground for all Charlotte long enough. They have filed a suit against the County in hopes of get ting the station moved to another site. One of the landfills is to go on highway 51. _U is running into problems with the State. The State wants the ci(e lined before it can bb used as a landfill. This JjjHjg comes with a hefty price tag or some $20 million. The two incinerators are ear marked for the UNCC area, and Ai*> rowwood. The other landfill cite as in Mathews. County officials are up against p rock and a hardplace. It will take If months to two years to get the fii$* of these projects completed. Thafr about the lime the Harrisburg land fill runs out. Moreover, the cost (f the incinerators goes up with eadb passing day. The two incinerato& are estimated to cost 60 million, today. That is up from 48 million when this issue first came up sever al yean ago. The taxpayers are footing the bill for this project, it you didn't know.. The county is in a lose, lose situ ation. They will go with the plan as proposed. At this late date, they don't have much of a choice. Aj this late date, I am not sure any of us do. But it is indeed refreshing to set the Westside holding elected offi cials accountable. That is a victory within itself. I hope the coalition will use this issue as a springboard to remain active in local oolitic*. ! The Charlotte Post U8P8 NO. 968800 Send Change of Address To: 1831 Camden Rd. Charlotte, NC 28203 A Chance To Direct Money Into The Black Communitv By Sherman N. Miller America's ethnic melting pot comes into fall view whilst one drives along restaurant lanes look ing for a place to dine. One finds Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Tra ditional American, Italian, fast food , and other ethnic restau rants. Yet it is often very difficult to find a "Soul Food" restaurant without asking local people for di rections. A couple of black dining estab lishment owners gave me their prospectus on soul food. A Char lotte, NC, cafeteria owner told me that he sold Traditional American cuisine." There was always a sig nificant white clientele in this cafe teria during my visits. Willie Felton, owner of the Oa sis Restaurant in Akron, OH, was mare poignant in addressing the reaction of black people to the thought of soul food. "(One has) to be careful because people will back up," he replied when queried about his business being a soul food restaurant. Felton and his partner, James Scott, left the impression that soul food carries a negative connota -. 9 Miller tion. They seemed to fee] that it conjures up a greasy food image. Nevertheless, the excellent taste of the Oasis' food is distinctively Tra ditional Afro-American skewed. Felton's and Scott's comments were disquieting, so I asked a few blacks for their impressions at soul food. One lady argued that there is only traditional American food be cause both Southern blacks and whites ate the same food during her youth. On the other hand, a Mfft chap described soul food as greens, blackeyed peas, chitter lings corn bread, and so on. These same people were asked to tell how to locate a soul food re staurant in a strange city. Every one said they would have to ask a local, black person. One lady pointed out that this problem was not unique to black restaurants be cause she had to allow the same technique to locate black hairdres sers. In recounting my gourmet ex periences at black-owned restau rants across the nation, "Traditional Afro-American eui sine" is more descriptive of the meals I ate. The freeman 4 Harris (Shreveport, LA) Restaurant has a superb shrimp specialty that ia world class. Pascal's (Atlanta, OA) haa excellent food and you also get to meet many of Atlanta's black professionals at this restaurant. I have made a personal commit ment to try to eat at least one meal psr trip in a black restaurant to help turn over money in the black community. There are many other black professionals who are busi ness ' travellers today. Imagine a how many new black jobs that would ba generated If travelling black professional • made a small commitment to use black rests rants. ,, 8oma black profaaaionala may be concerned for their safety g«i ing to restaurant# ofT the main business corridor. Yet, many black restaurants cater to whites. Gloria Whatley, (Akron, OH, Black Uri ban Professional (Buppie)) allayed the safety iseue for the Oasis rm staurant and her comment is indi* cative of my experience across thd country. I feel very comfortable comingj by myself!" proclaimed Whatley. ; Since the prestigious black mag* a sines: "Ebony," "Essence," and "Black Enterprise" reach most of the Buppiee, they should taks thi lead and publish special e< which contain a list of ths black-owned (bod establishment*. It would be very halpftil if these magazines also rated these restau rants. Hopefhlly these lists will af ford "Buppiss" a greater opportu nity to direct mainstream dollars into ths black community. i
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 23, 1987, edition 1
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