Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / May 28, 1987, edition 1 / Page 3
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I tetters To The Post 1 Black Communities Need Change Before Time Runs Out • Dear Editor: J. It would be highly appreciated , if you could add my contribution Jin your most esteemed newspa J per. I am an African who has • been in this most civilized coun • try a few years. . My first observation of the black people here was how sympa 'thetic they are. I work in a con jvenience store where most of the | customers are blacks. I always ■ witness blacks helping each other . by offering each other change for J their purchases. These acts re pealed to me that there is some kind of love existing within the ■ black community. . However, the "Black Men In ;Crisis Stage" article that ap peared in the May 14,1986 publi cation of your newspaper re vealed the sad and appalling con dition that my fellow blacks live in. Drug abuse is rampant and is highest in many black communi tie*. Robberies with violence and killing has made many black communities unsafe places to live. I feel one of the factors contrib uting to these conditions is the way some black children are be ing raised. Many black children come to the store where I work and ask for change, saying, "Give me change for a dollar." They do not know how to say, Please, may I have change for a dollar," or how to say "Thank You" either. What is most striking is the fact that these children come with their parents, mostly single mothers, who never tell the chil dren the right way to speak. These children will become adults who do not know the correct way to do things. Any child who does not acquire the necessary training will find it extremely difficult to become good citizens. We blacks were not bom as criminals and we can do someth ing for the betterment of our socie ty. Time is running out and we need changes, just as was sug gested in the article that appeared in the Post. If we suspend the use of expen sive drugs, which are not only ex pensive but also deadly, we can save our money and team up to gether to do something positive. We can then open industries and help each other. Black women and men must also come together and raise our children together with under standing. I am appealing to my fellow blacks to know God loves us and it is time to change. Sincerely, George Asumadu Sekyi Pat Robertson Urged To Repent Dear Editor: News wire reports quote televi sion preacher Pat Robertson as saying in a North Carolina speech recently, "Justices Mar shall, Stevens and Brennan should be retired or promoted tn that courtroom in the skv..." We consider these comments to be as immoral and unbecoming to a minister as the behavior of Jim Bakker, another TV preach er. These remarks are both hate ful and inflammatory. It is possi ble that someone might consider translating Robertson's obvious death-wish for these men into re ality. Such behavior on the part of Mr. Robertson denies the efficacy of love in human relations as rep resented in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "If a man lusts af ter a woman in his heart he has already committed adultery..." Does Robertson's lust after the death of the Supreme Court Justic es mean that he has already com mitted the sin in his heart? We believe Mr. Robertson has committed a grievous error against the commandment of love. We pray that he shall repent and seek forgiveness, and we also urge him, in view of such reprehensible behavior and lack of good judgement, to reconsider his intention to seek the nomina tion as President of the United States. Rev. Clinton Marsh Deputy Director, Metro Atlanta Christian Counci]_ Media Protects Board of Education Dear Editor: You are to be commended for publishing the letter I wrote about Harvey SadofT. Although I stand corrected on the point of SadofT s election to fill an unexpired term of a member of the Board of Edu cation, who resigned, the other facts are absolutely true. Any in vestigation would bear out as be ing factual in my letter to you. 1 also sent the same letter to the Charlotte Observer, the Charlotte Weekly Newspapers, and each of the local television stations that did not publish or investigate. Why are the actions of the Board of Education protected? A past edi torial letter in the Charlotte Ob server once said that "the Observ er’s presses would stop running if they printed something unfavora ble about Jay Robinson (former superintendent)." Obviously the same holds true about the Board of Education and the other adminis trators. How they remind me of Ronald Reagan. They too are "teflonized" against thoir blind leadership and irresponsible ac tions. Lest you be accused of reckless journalism, know that I am an informed employee and my in fonmation sources are trustwor thy. It's too bad we have only the Charlotte Observer as a daily newspaper. From now on, I will not send a single work to the Ob server to be censored as usual. I’m glad I learned about you. Keep on striving! C. Reid Sadoff s Defense Inappropriate Dear Editor: Now you can add James F. Foxx's name to the list of the great defenders who say what folks tell them to say. His letter defending Harvey Sadoff (printed in the Charlotte Post Thursday, May 21, 1987) was an obvious attempt to di vert attention trom the real issues in question: conflict of interest and impropriety. I hope there are not many readers like him who can't see the forest for the trees. He can speak only for himself, in calling the letter the Post print ed "undesirable, unkind and ig norant." I personally know of many intelligent and kind indi viduals who rushed to get a copy of the Post when the letter became known. They were happy to see the stoiy come to light. Nothing is more "undesirable, unkind and ignorant" than Foxx's inteijection of race by say ing that "Quality does not come in color." Who questioned the quali ty of anything or anybody? When did color (race) become an issue or ever enter the picture? What does he really mean by that state ment anyway? Is he referring to blacks? Is he saying that color (black) means an absence of quality? Does quality come only in white? It sounds to me like Mr. Foxx has a problem. mat said, ill judge his letter and "facts" accordingly. I hope others will do the same for this ac knowledged political supporter of Sadoff s-—another "fact," like several of his other "facts," which has nothing to do with the right and wrong of the actions and is sues in question. Benjamin Williams { WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? ^ Let Us Hear Your Comments, Ideas, & Opinions. Just Write: •-LETTERS TO THE POST_• V P.O. BOX 30144 • CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA • 28230 J EP ■ % I WTM WMTT OUT OF I TMt M RACE,WM05 I ** E«04T BUN ICC NOCO? Today’s Black College Mission The American Council on Edu cation, the presidents of the 3,200 White colleges and universities, said that the decline in Block stu dents on their campuses amounts to a "crisis." As a result, these White leaders of higher education have an nounced a plan to put more Blacks on White campuses, to make life better for those already there and to graduate more than 3 out of every 10. comDinauon oi mgner costs for education, a scarcity of schol arship money, a crumbling inner city public school system and an increasingly hostile White popula tion on and off college campuses has led to this so-called crisis. A prime motivation for the new concern about Black-student wel fare is the possible elimination of federal funding, such as defense contracts and grants. Therefore, we miglit say the mission of White colleges and uni versities is to treat Blacks well when their own vested interests are threatened. Black colleges, on the other hand, have a more compelling purpose. They take the poor, the downtrodden, the rejects of Amer ican society. They take the con fused transfers from White colleg Tong Bro run's I Commentariaal es and universities, Black students broken and frustrated by a hostile environment, their high hopes turned into doubts. The academic program at the Black colleges fills the gaps in edu cation among the disadvantaged with unrivaled expertise devel oped out of necessity. For those who left the White campuses with shattered confidence, there is the sensitivity that restores the posi tive direction necessary for learn ing. for Doth those lacking basic skills and those with dashed hopes, there is an experience that carefully provides the academic and social successes that build a self-image that restores confi dence. That is the mission of to day's magnificent 114 Black col leges and universities. Separatism never has been and is not the major driving force of Black .colleges. Historically, Black colleges have provided the best and most efficient climate for fi nishing school. To African Americans, education has been the key to better jobs and financial se curity. Black colleges were esta blished to meet this need. Loyalty to them, therefore, is the result of their service — not a campaign of racial exclusion. For example, the faculties at Black col leges are much more integrated than the faculties at White colleges and universities. Whether one wants an integrat ed educational environment or not, the results of Dr. Jacqueline Fleming's study, "Blacks In Col lege," (Jossey-Bass), are inescapa ble: Black students in Black colleg es show more positive intellectual development than Black students in White colleges. And 7 out of 10 students on these 114 Black cam puses graduate. TONY BROWNS JOUR NAL TV series can be seen on public television Sunday on Chan nel 42 at 5 p.m. It can also be seen on Channel 48, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.Please consult listings. The Constitution And PTL PTL and the Constitution of the United States. What do they have to do with each other? Perhaps only that I have been thinking a lot about both of them lately. But there may be more to it than that. Be patient with me. Maybe I can explain. Those who visit PTL these days sat that there is a marked change in attitudes about Jim and Tam my. The words "Forgiven" are gone. You no longer hear the ador ing comments from shopkeepers and staff. The Bakkers are now just "those people from California." "The king is dead. Long live the new king." That seems to be the message as the PTL community struggles to find itself—after it "reasons to be" have gone. What a marked contrast to the way it was a few months ago. Jim and Tammy pictures were every where. Jim and Tammy were eve rywhere. They were PTL. Who could say any wrong I D. G. martin & I1SH T 1 ~ - One On One I about them at PTL? Who could stand up to them and put them on the right course? Nobody. Nobody at all. Until it was too late—after they were gone. There was no accountability at PTL. When the leaders were wrong, there was no way- to make a correction. No way to make a change of the leader's policies short of disaster. That is why our country's Con stitution is so great. It sets out the rules for account ability and for leadership transi tion and balance. Why is our Constitution so full of checks and balances? Why does it provide that even the President must follow the di rections of Congress-or answer to it? The men who wrote the Consti tution knew better than to let one person be in charge. They were suspicious of power and its poten tial to corrupt. Thank goodness for those men. The Constitution that they created makes it possible for us to avoid the abuses of leadership that brought PTL to its knees. This week, exactly 200 years ago, those men gathered in Phila delphia to begin the task of draft ing that great document. WTiat a job they did! Let's cele brate! Let me know what you think. Write me in care of this paper or at Box 37283, Charlotte, NC 28237. If Jesse Were White, He'd Be Halfway To The Presidency special To The Post By Dr. Lenora Fulani Since the withdrawal of Gary Hart from the Presidential race , there has been a great deal of talk and specula tion within some media and with in certain political circles that the prospects for Rev. Jesse Jackson's candidacy have greatly improved as a result. It would seem reason able to assume this, given that the departure of a frontrunner usual ly means that the second place candidate gains in stature and resources. Howev er, this is not the usual scenario and will not follow the character istic pattern . If Jesse Jackson were white, he'd be halfway to the Presidency by now. But Jesse Jackson is Black. And Jesse Jack son is progressive. And the Democratic Party is structured to guarantee that Jesse will not gain from the folding of the front runner ' s campaign . 1 am a strong supporter of Rev . Jackson. I backed him in 1984 and I plan to do so again in the 1988 Democratic Primary. But we must not be seduced by the monetary equalization of percent ages in the popularity polls and by the descriptions of Jackson as a possible frontrunner. Jesse Jack son does not gain from Hart's de parture for one very simple rea son. Racism. And I don't mean the racism of individual white voters who may have supported Hart's campaign. I mean the ra cism of the Democratic Party, its structures, its rules, and its pro cess. While Rev. Jackson may partic ipate to a certain extent in the in ner life of the Democratic Party, he is not anything like the white candidates, all of whom, whatever their political beliefs, are hooked in to some segment of the official party structure. When Mr, Hart's support - in the form of financial contributors,loyalty of party lead ers, staff and potential voters is re distributed • it will end up in the hands of one or several of the oth er white candidates. There is a process of reposi tioning and redistribution that is the Democratic Party pathway to the Convention in which all Presidential candidates participate except Jackson. Rev. Jackson has been frozen out of the process that dominates and deter mines the selection of the Demo cratic nominee because the white party bosses don't want and don't intend for him to win. It is for these reasons that I am firmly committed to running n Black candidate, with the Rain bow social vision for the Presi dency as an independent in 1988. The New Alliance Party, the coun try s only Black-led, multi-racial progressive independent electoral party, has already begun a nation al ballot access drive to secure a position on the ballot for thnt Block independent in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This independent campaign is in no wny a detraction from Rev. Jackson's Primary bid. In fact, it is just the opposite. As I said before, I strongly support his candidacy and when he formally announces I will be among the first to stand up with him. But the African American community must have an alternative to the dead end of Democratic Party racism, exclu sion and discrimination. The party may want our votes, but it doesn't want our agenda. We cannot go on as the second-class citizens of the Democratic Party - always loyal, never rewarded. We need to move on to an independent, Black led, multi-racial party that is fundamentally based on our agenda, our concerns, the needs of our communities nnd our children. We need a third party. I have already spoken with Rev. Jackson about our plan to support his Primary run with complete de dication and then barring his win ning the Democratic nomination - moving on to back a Black inde pendent. This two-pronged plan is called "Two Roads Are Better Than One." I have urged - and continue to urge - Rev. Jackson to keep the door open to allowing the voters of the Rainbow movement to vote their conscience and not party line after the convention herein Atlanta. There are many, many thou sands of people across this state and this country who recognize that the Democratic Party applies a racist double standard when it comes to Blacks. Our people have a powerful tradition, a moving history, of fighting against that double standard and for our freedom. We must continue that tradition nnd we must con tinue that fight. Only this time the fight must be to feat! our people through the Jackson Primary campaign nnd out of the Demo cratic Party, onto the independent path. In 1988, two roods are better than one. DEMOCRACY « APAR IIi In South Africa. There Is Only One Solution .. I'our Support of The Freedom Fighters Will Hasten the Day of Victory for Democracy One man - One vote Give as if the absence of Liberty here diminishes all of us. in truth, it does Enclosed '9 my check/MO for S__ _ as mv contribution to the Freedom Fignters m the South African struggle for One man - One vote Send Contribution to: Democracy Vs Aoartheid Committee P O Box 644 Adeiphi Station Brooklyn. New York 11238
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 28, 1987, edition 1
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