THE BETTER WE KNOW US ...
-fu^elleiiUe; N.C.-If you
are familiar with Bragg
Boulevard in Fayetteville,
N.C., you know that there
are thousands of busines
ses of all types and sizes
strewn along the strip
between Ft. Bragg and the
city itself. But what you
may not know is that
located on that boulevard is
a Black-owned drycleaning
business which is claimed
by the National Dryclean
ing Institute to be the most
productive drycleaning
plant in the United States,
if not in the world, per
square foot-A&H Clean
ers. The owner of this
enterprise is Marion Rex
Harris, a man we all
should, and will, know
better for his story is one of
“skill, will and a lot of
courage” as stated by Peter
Bailey in his 1970 interview
of Mr. Harris for Ebony
Magazine.
Mr. Harris is originally
from Goldsboro, N.C.
Instead of going to college,
the young man enlisted in
the army where he served
for 12 years. It was
following his retirement
from the army that his saga
began. In 1965, a few
months after rejoining
civilian life, Mr. Harris had
$3,000 in savings, a wife,
three daughters, and some
ideas of what he wanted to
do. At the time, A&H
Cleaners was white-owned
and near bankruptcy. Thw
owner was convinced by
one of Mr. Harris’ ex-army
buddies who was working
at A&H to hire Mr. Harris
by Don
because of his Ft. Bragg
contacts. His office was
located in a trailer behind
the cleaners so that the
whites would not know a
Black man was a supervisor
there. Working on a full
commission, Mr. Harris
had the business grossing
$20,000 a month in just five
months time. He knew the
white owner would keep
him around just long
enough to rebuild the
business and that he
probably would not get paid
the money that he had
earned. The Wayne County
native then collected
$20,000 owed by A&H
customers and kept it all for
himself, telling the owner
that “it just about covers
the amount I’m due.” It
was at this point that Mr.
L. Bailey
harris made his move. He
told the white owner that he
was going to set up his own
business, resulting in the
owner begging Mr. Harris
not to leave A&H and
agreeing to lease Mr.
Harris the business for six
months with an option to
buy. The owner was certain
no Black man coujd run the
business due to white
pressure. But upon the end
of the six-month period,
Mr. Harris bought the
plant, despite the fact that
many white salesmen and
laundry suppliers would not
sell to him during the lease
period. As Peter Bailey put
it, “The lily-white patter of
business ownership on
Bragg Boulevard was
smashed.”
By June 1968, things
were looking good for the
Black entrepreneur. A
five-year Ft. Bragg contract
worth approximately
$500,000 had been acquired
and slated to go into effect
on July 1, 1968. But on the
night of June 28, 1968,
while Mr. Harris was in
New York for a funeral,
tragedy struck. Arsonist
entered the building
through the roof, and
started a gasoline fire
which totally destroyed the
business. The place had an
estimated worth of
$370,000 but Mr. Harris
had only been able to get
$50,000 worth of insurance
due to race. The local white
power structure and press
ignored the event and
refused to help in any form.
The mentally depressed,
financially ruined business
man was ready to give in
and sell the plant. But hisd
wife and lawyers convinced
him to keep pushing. He
sent his children to New
York because of threats
against his family. Then
with the aid of political
friends and economic help
of friends in banking, Mr.
Harris secured a 10-year,
$350,000 loan from the
Small Business Admini
stration; approximately one
year after the fire, the new
A&H Cleaners had its
grand opening.
Still operating with the
Ft. Bragg contract, A&H
Cleaners also handles
regular civilian business
Mr. Harris claims that his
payroll is “over ‘/jmillion
Continued on Page 6
THE TRIBUNAL AID
A VIABLE, VALID REQUIREMENT
RESPONDING TO
BLACK NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME III, NO. 33 WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 7,1976
$5.00 PER YEAR
20 CENTS
PRESS RUN 8,500
MEMBER: North Carolina Black Publishers Association —. North Carolina Press Association, Inc.
IflWXaOOOOOBBBaQOOOOOOOOO
[BICENTENNIAL
BLACK HISTORY
' “Lost-Strayed-Or Stolen ”
Extracted From
THE NEGRO ALMANAC
by Fay Ashe
Black history In the Western Hemisphere most
probably begins with the discovery of the New World
by Christopher Columbus in 1942. Blacks are known to
have participated meaningfully in a number of later
explorations made by Eiuropeans in various parts of the
United States and Spanish America. Facts such as
these at once fashion a new dimension for Black history
within the mainstream of American history. Inasmuch
as one of the primary purposes of this feature is to
record some historical achievements of the Black, it
becomes most important to offer the reader
chronological accounts through which he can
conveniently familiarize himself with the broad sweep
of American Black history. The years covered here are
1492-1954.
tUe ajj. f976,
a o-l the
Hlcenten4i.ial
w^ltU 6.'p.eclal ta HlacA
To Enter U.S. Navel Academy
{Historical Landmarks
I Of Black America
I Extracted From
I THE NEGRO ALMANAC
1 by Pay Ashe
HIGH POINT - Thomas
Perkins Delaine, Jr. was
home over the recent
holiday period after spend
ing ^V^ months at the Navel
Preparatory School in
Newport, Rhode Island.
Mr. Delaine enrolled at the
Naval prep school in early
August to ready himself for
enrollment at the U.S.
Naval Academy at Annapo
lis, Maryland. If all goes as
planned, the High Pointer
should enter the Naval
Academy in July 1976,
when he will work towards
a commission as a 2nd
Lieatei'iiint in the U.S.
Navy.
More Children Eligible
For Free Lundhes
1492 The New World
Negroes are among the
first explorers to come to
the New World. Pedro
Alonso Nino, identified by
some scholars as a Negro,
arrives with Columbus;
other Negroes accompany
Balboa, Ponce de Leon,
Cortes, Pizarra and Men-
endez on their travels and
explorations.
1538 Arizona-New Mexico
Estevanico, a Negro
explorer, leads an expedit-
1538 Arizona-New Mexico
Estevanico, a Negro
explorer, leads an expedi
tion from Mexico into the
territory of the American
Southwest; is credited with
the discovery of what is
today Arizona and New
Mexico.
1619 Jamestown, Virginia
Negro history in “En
glish America” begins with
the arrival of 20 Negro
slaves aboard a Dutch
vessel (August 20).
1624 Jamestown, Virginia
Baptism of William
Tucker, the first Negro
child born in the English
colonies.
1642 Virghiia
Virginia passes a fugitive
slave order penalizing
people who lend refuge to
runaways. Offenders are
fined 20 pounds worth of
tobacco for every night they
harbor runaways. Attempts
are made to discourage
slaves by threatening them
with branding. The letter
“R” is burned into the
flesh of anyone caught after
a second escape attempt.
1651 North Hampton Coun
ty, Virginia
Anthony Johnson, him
self a Negro, imports five
servants and thus qualifies
to receive a 200-acre land
grant along the Puw-
goteague River in Virginia.
Other Negroes soon join
Johnson and attempt to
launch an independent
black community. At its
height, the separate set
tlement has 12 black
homesteads with sizable
holdings.
.1704 New York City
Elias Neau, a French
man, opens a school for
Negro slaves.
1705 Virginia
The Assembly declares
that “no Negro, mulatto, or
Indian shall presume to
take upon him, act in or
exercise any office, eccles
iastic, civil or military.”
Continued on Page 2
All public schools in
North Carolina must offer
free and reduced-price
lunches to eligible school
children under a recent law
passed by Congress, ac
cording to Ralph W. Eaton,
director of the State’s
School Food Services Pro
gram for the Department of
Public Instruction.
Approximately 92% of
North Carolina’s schools
are presently offering free
and reduced-price meals,
Eaton noted, but under the
new law the service is
mandatory.
“The intent of the
legislation,” explained Ea
ton, “is to reach more
eligible children. Children
of unemployed parents,”
for example, “whose in
come level has fallen within
the criteria set up for
eligibility can now be
included in the program.”
Guidelines have also
been revised to require that
children from families with
incomes between family
size income level of the
State’s standard for free
meals and 195% of the
Secretary of Agriculture’s
income poverty guidelines
be served free and
reduced-price meals. This
is a technical change in
eligibility, according to
Eaton, that will have to be
determined by local school
officials.
Although changes in the
law have broadened eligi
bility requirements. Con
gress has given school
officials the right to verify
income information they
receive on applications for
free ana reduced-price
meals if they have cause to
believe it may be incorrect.
During the time the
information is being veri
fied, however, the child
must be served free and
reduced-price meals based
on the information on the
application.
Income level charts and
guidelines for the free and
reduced-price lunch pro
gram are available from
school lunchroom mana
gers in County/City
Schools.
The T. Wingate Andrews
graduate stated that his
time spent at the prepara
tory school, thus far, has
been a great experience.
He also stated that he is
more enthusiastic about the
Navy since making his
coinmilnieiU. vVhiie at the
Naval preparatory school,
Thomas’ curriculum con
sisted of the basic courses
in math, science, and
english. Mr. Delaine said
there were no displays of
prejudice or hostility to
ward him at the prep
school; and, in fact, he felt
the atmosphere to be quite
open with everyone trying
to relate to one another
because there were many
nationalities represented
there.
In expressing his
thoughts about the Navy,
Thomas stated, “It’s (the
Navy) nice to get into, but
you work for what you get.
Nothing is handed to you. I
would recommend the Navy
for those wishing to enter
technical fields. The offi
cers training is highly
technical.” Thomas further
stated that he has created
stronger dependence on
God since enrolling at the
prep school.
(hi
No more substantial testimony to the role of the Black
in the growth and development of America can be
found than the numerous historical landmarks in
various regions of the country which are associated with
Black Americana. Many of these-like the Alamo and
Bunker Hill-are not conventionally known as sites
involving chapters of Negro history.
ALABAMA Tuskegee:
Florence: Handy Heights Tuskegee Institute
Housing Development and The Institute is a
Museum world-famous center for
The Development and agricultural research and
Museum is named for extension work. First open-
composer W.C. Handy, g(j on July 4, 1881 with a
who was born in Florence in $2,000 appropriation from
1873. It includes a restored the Alabama State Legisla-
cabin in which are housed ture, it consisted of a single
shanty, a student body of
and
his piano, trumpet,
other mementoes.
Talladega:
Talladega College
Home of the first college
for Negroes in Alabama,
Talladega was founded by
the American
Association as
30, and one teach - Booker
T. Washington. Tuskegee
functioned originally as a
normal school for the
training of Negro teachers,
the first of its kind
Missionary established in the United
primary States. Eventually it came
The son of the late Rev.
Thomas Delaine, Sr. and
Mrs. Ethel Delaine return
ed to Rhode Island,
(the celebrated Amistad
. , , - Murals). Professor Wood-
January 4th with hopes of
finishing the prep school France under the renowned
and becoming a cadet at the o -t-
nr xT_ -I A-_j I Henry Ossawa Tanner, and
also at the Herron Institute
in Indianapolis.
school in 1867. Its Savery to specialize in agricultural
Library houses three fresco and manual training, areas
panels by Hale Woodruff which were to make both
the school and Booker T.
Washington famous.
U.S. Navel Academy,
us all wish him well!
Let
(lett),
member ot the
High Point - Rev. Oates
Collective Civitan Club of High Point presents a basket
of food to Mr. George Williams of Jamestown, who was
^hmned_^glM-hls^OWe_t^ day before Christmas Eve._
Mr. Williams turned 74 the day after Christmas, ibe
High Point Collective Civitan Club distributed several
other baskets during the holiday season.
1776 Honoring America's Bicentennial 1976
In 1882, Washington
moved the school to a
100-acre plantation, and
began a self-help program
which enabled students to
finance their education.
Most of the early buildings
were built with the aid of
student labor.
Next to Washington, the
most famous person to be
associated with the Insti
tute was George Washing
ton Carver, who became its
director of agricultural
research in 1896. Carver
persuaded many Southern
farmers to plant peanuts,
sweet potatoes, and other
crops instead of cotton,
which was rapidly deplet
ing the soil. Ultimately,
Carver’s research pro
grams helped develop 300
derivative products from
peanuts and 118 from sweet
potatoes. At one point, he
even succeeded in making
synthetic marble from wood
pulp.
Today, Tuskegee covers
nearly 5,000 acres, and has
more than 150 buildings.
Notable places to visit there
include: the Founder’s
Marker (the site of
Washington’s original
Continued on Pace 9