THE BETTER WE KNOW US ..
TAX REFORM: The Battleground of the Movement of the Seventies
by The Honorable Walter E. Fauntroy [D., D.C.]
“THE BETTER WE KNOW US” is
proud to publish the speech given by the
Honorable Walter E. Fauntroy of
Washington, D.C., in Salisbury, N.C. on
Friday, Demember 5, 1975.
The noted actor-producer, Ossie Davis,
in an outstanding speech at the first
Congressional Black Caucus Dinner in
1971, coined a phrase that has profound
significance for our continuing struggle
for freedom and human dignity today.
Said he:
It’s not the man, it’s the plan;
It’s not the rap, it’s the map.”
Lamenting the tragedy of the deaths of
men like Medgar Evers, Martin Luther
King, Jr. and Malcolm X and warning of
the liklihood that still more brilliant
leaders will fall before our victory is won,
Ossie Davis then called upon black
leadership to:
“Give us a plan of action...a ’10 Black
Commandments; simple, strong, that we
can carry in our hearts, and in our
memories no matter where we are and
reach out and touch and feel the
reassurance that there is behind
Congressman Fauntroy, formerly a top
aide to the late Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. was the guest speaker for a banquet
held by the Association of Progressive
Black Democrats of North Carolina’s 8th
everything we do a simple
intelligent plan that must be fulfilled in
the course of time even in all our leaders,
one by one fall in battle, somebody will
rise and say ‘Brother! our leader died
while were on page 3 of a plan. Now that
the funeral is over, let us proceed on to
page 4.’ ”
I come tonight to talk about such a
plan. I come to talk about changing a
system of taxation that robs the masses
of working Americans, black and white
together, of the resources to solve this
nation’s basic domestic problems that
just happen to be reflected in the black
experience: Unemployment, inadequate
housing and health care, poor public
schools and other pressing social ills. I
come to offer a plan for changing that tax
system and meeting those human needs.
It is a plan to coordinate and concentrate
the potential of the black vote across this
nation to end the domination in national
Congressional District.
Listed among many of the congress
man’s accomplishments and responsibil
ities, he is a full-time minister and was
appointed by Dr. King as a coordinator of
PART ONE
moral, politics of a historic coalition of Southern
Democrats and conservative Republi
cans. That infamous coalition has
developed and maintained a system of
gaping tax loopholes for the wealthy few
at the expense of the unmonied many;
$77 billion worth of loopholes, which, if
closed, would enable our nation to fund
solutions to its basic domestic problems.
It is a plan to mobilize the power of the
black vote to forge new coalitions with
white voters based on mutual respect and
cooperation: Respect, because of the
power of the black vote in key
Congressional Districts and States across
the nation; and Cooperation, because of
the recognition of basic commonality of
interests on a range of economic issues
that blacks share with the masses of
white wage earners and small
businessmen in this country.
Now I know there are those of you
saying: “there they go talking that
the “March on Washington” and also the
“March from Selma to Montgomery,
Alabama”.
This speech will be published in its
entirety in a three-part series.
coalition politics stuff again.” Before you
tune out on the plan, however, let me
remind you that there was a time, a little
over 100 years ago, when black voters in
America were an indispensible part of a
voting block that threatened to drive the
perpetrators of social and economic
injustice from the command posts of
power in the South.
Let us recall the facts of history for a
moment, and I think you’ll understand
what I mean. The noted historian C. Vann
Woodward, in his book The Strange
Career of Jim Crow, clearly points out
that the segregation laws of the South
were not the outgrowth of natural enmity
between the races stemming from the
Civil War but, rather, the result of the
shrewd manipulation of race prejudice by
emerging bourbon interests to keep
southern labor dividend and the cheapest
in the land. You see, it was a simple
matter for the emerging “bourbon”
interests in the South to keep the poor
white masses working for near starvation
wages in the years following the civil war.
If the poor white laborer complained
about his low wages, the plantation or
mill owner would merely threaten to fire
him and hire a former black slave whom
he’d pay even less. This strategem
assured low wages everywhere in the
South and that southern labor would
remain the cheapest in the land.
Continued on Page 6
A VIABLE, VALID REQUIREMENT
RESPONDING TO
BLACK NORTH CAROLINA
Notes & Reminders
THE TRIBUNAL AID
VOLUME III, NO. 29 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10,1975
$5.00 PER YEAR 20 CENTS PRESS RUN 8.500
MEMBER: North Carolina Black Publishers Association — North Carolina Press Association, Inc.
Charlotte Sailor Works On Helicopter
HIGH POINT- Southside
Branch Library, located in
the Southside Neighbor
hood Center, 401 Taylor
Street, is now open daily
from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Monday through Saturday.
A specialized branch of
the High Point Public
Library, the Southside
branch will serve the
library needs of neighbor
hood families, schools,
churches, and clubs, and
individual patrons of every
age.
The spacious quarters,
two rooms with bright
carpeting and colorful
posters and mobiles, is
designed to house a
collection of 7,000 books
and a variety of audio-vis-
ual materials, creative
learning kits, and toys.
Daily schedules include
story hours and learning
activities for day care
centers, beginning at 9:30
a.m. The programs also
include filmstories, games,
creative construction, and
simple puppet making for
grade-school children.
Afternoon programs are
planned for after-school
groups, including teen
agers.
Interested persons may
contact Mrs. Lizzie Royal,
head of branch services for
the High Point Public
Library, at the Southside
Branch telephone number,
885-0310.
♦ * *
From the Better Business
Bureau
FINAL RULES ON EQUAL
CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES
PUBLISHED
Since October 28, per
sons can no longer be
refused credit solely be
cause of sex or marital
status. That is the date
when the Equal Credit
Opportunity Act became
effective. Creditors also
cannot request information
about birth control or
discourage anyone from
applying for credit because
of their sex or marital
status. Other sections of
the law become effective a
month later, November 30.
They prohibit a creditor
from refusing separate
credit applications if sex or
marital status is the only
reason for denial. And
credit reporting agencies
will no longer be permitted
to use sex, marital status or
telephone listings in their
credit reporting records.
Beginning January 31,
an applicant for credit who
changes her or his name
will no longer be forced to
reapply for credit. Credit
ors will also be required to
indicate the reason for
denial of credit within a
reasonable time and in
clude the credit reporting
agency’s address in the
statement. Also on January
Continued on Page 2
by NAVY JOURNALIST
Stephen Wilders
SAN DIEGO-If you had
told Vellon Leon Rivers, of
Charlotte, a year and a half
ago he would be directing
helicopters onto an aircraft
carrier and teaching the
“bump” to Australians he
probably wouldn’t have
believed you. Yet, just six
months after boot camp
that is exactly what Pearl
Rivers was doing.
Leon, who likes to be
called by his nickname
Pearl, joined the Navy on
August 4, 1974. The thing
he wanted to do most was
to work on helicopters. This
desire was so great Pearl
agreed to extend his
original enlistment from
three to four years just so
he would be guaranteed
duty with a helicopter
squadron.
Pearl said, “I wanted a
helicopter squadron be
cause I thought it would be
exciting.” Little did he
know just how exciting it
was going to get.
After boot camp Leon
was assigned to Helicopter
Squadron-One (HC-1) on
board the attack aircraft
carrier USS Coral Sea
(CV-43). The ship was
preparing for a seven
month deployment to the
Far East and Leon was
about to see and do things
he never thought imagin
able.
The cruise seemed rou
tine to the newest member
of the Navy’s forces afloat
as they steamed towards
Perth, Australia, one of the
Leon is training to be an Avaltion
Machinst Mate (AD). As an AD Leon
maintains, services, and installs
helicopter engines, gear boxes, and flight
systems.
(Photo by Navy Photographer Robert
Weissleder)
From CABLELINES: Sept./Oct. ’75
Nation’s First Black TV Station
Is Operational
WGPR-TVSigns On
On September 20, WGPR-Detroit, the first black owned television station in the continental United States began broad
casting. The license is held by the International Free and Accepted Black Masons, a Detroit-based organization founded in
1950 by Dr. William Banks. The organization first received its construction permit two years ago.
At that time, Banks prevailed upon the 350,000 member International Masons to liquidate property worth $2.7 million.
This sum was sufficient to buy and equip the station.
A lawyer and minister, Banks views the station as "an alternative to the portrayal of blacks in American culture that
emerges on television generally.” If it succeeds, its owners envision it as the basis for an eventual network of up to seven
stations. Thirty-three of the station’s 48 employees are black.
Banks has been the leader of several successful biack'enterprises in Detroit, including the successful rejuvenation of
radio station WGPR-FM. which he bough* in 1 964. Originally founded in 1961 by white owners, the station faltered with a
middle-of-the-road format. When Banks acquired the station, he oriented its programming toward the black audience of
Detroit. The operation now grosses more than $1 million per year.
One reason for the delay in construction was that the original site, vacated in 1 972 by the white-owned WXON-TV, was
located in suburban Southfield. However, Banks wanted the studio and transmitter located within the city limits, to facilitate
access by inner city residents. When it was discovered that the Pentagon had first claim to the steel necessary to build the
tower, President Ford intervened, and the steel became available.
According to the program director, George White, 60-65 percent of the programming will be locally produced, including a
consumer show, local game shows and children's programs. Banks believes that most entertainment shows provide stereo
typed views of black life. The station plans to produce shows which present what it considers a more realistic view.
Ulysses Boykin, vice president of civic affairs and public relations, stated the station would be operating from noon to
10:30 temporarily. At present, programming is composed mainly of news, movies, syndicated programs, sports and
cartoons. When fully on schedule, the station will operate from 7 a.m, to, 1 a.m., perhaps moving to a 24 hour schedule
within a year's time, Q
RETRACTION
In last week’s “The Better We Know Us”, featuring
Mr. Nathaniel Oates who is a marketing representative
with IBM, statements were made which were not
directly attributable to Mr. Oates and his representing
IBM.
Mr. Oates maintains that “no business doors have
been closed in his face” nor, to his knowledge, “has
there been any case of an IBM customer pii basing
products from another territory to avoid bm i\>> from a
Black.”
THE TRIBUNAL AID wishes to apologi.-c to Mr.
Oates, IBM and our readers for erroii-. oiis reporting.
Greensboro Pioneer
Cited By N, C. State
GREENSBORO-Robert
L. Wynn of Greensboro,
who in 1945 became the
first black extension spec
ialist in the United States,
has been honored as a
pioneer by the Department
of Animal Science at the
North Carolina State Uni
versity in Raleigh.
Wynn’s portrait has been
permanently placed in the
hallway of Polk Hall, home
of the Department of
Animal Science and Bio-
Chemistry at the univer
sity.
Wynn, a native of Taylor
County, Georgia, retired
from the state’s agricultur
al extension service at
North Carolina A&T State
University in 1970, after
completing 25 years with
the program.
According to Dr. George
Hyatt Jr., chairman of the
Department of Animal
Science at the North
Carolina State University,
Wynn’s work with black
dairy farmers of the state
was outstanding.
He suceeded in getting
the first black farmer into
Grade A dairying, later
increasing that number to
more than 60 farmers.
Through Wynn’s efforts,
by the late 1950’s, the
state’s black farmers were
selling more than $2.4
million worth of manufac
tured milk annually.
Wynn was educated at
Hampton Institute, where
he received a B.S. degree
in agricultural education in
1939. He taught vocational
agriculture in Georgia three
years, then became head of
the animal husbandry
department at Fort Valley
State College. He later
earned a M.S. degree in
animal husbandry from
Michigan State University.
High Pointer
Enjoys Navy
HIGH POINT-In the
September 17, 1975 edition
of THE TRIBUNAL AID,
we reported that Kelvin
Garrison, a 1972 graduate
of High Point Central, had
enlisted in the United
States Navy in the field of
Advanced Electronics.
Well, Mr. Garrison has
recently returned from his
six weeks’ recruit training
in Orlando, Florida. Kelvin
returned to High Point as
grade E-3.
The next step for Kelvin
will be six weeks at Great
Lakes, Illinois, at the Basic
Electricity and Electronics
Training Center.
At the present time, Mr.
Garrison is unsure of his
long range goals as far as
the Navy is concerned. He
is still enthusiastic about
the Navy program, and
encourages those who need
direction and future plan
ning to consider the Navy.
Continued On Page 5
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