THE BETTER WE KNOW US ..
HIGH POINT-Being of a minority race
can get very difficult at times; but being a
minority within a minority can be much
more difficult. Such is the case of this
week’s personality.
“The Better We Know Us” honors Dr.
Calvert B. Jeffers, veterinarian, but more
importantly, a Black veterinarian. There
are only two Black DVM’s (Doctor of
Veternarian Medicine) in the state of
North Carolina who have their own
businesses. One serving in Salisbury,
N.C. and Dr. Jeffers who serves High
Point and the surrounding area. Dr.
Jeffers comments that his practice is
doing well and is growing, which proves
that being a part of two minorities won’t
stand in his way.
Dr. Jeffers is a native of
Winston-Salem, where he received his
schooling. Working in a hospital as a
young man gave him the desire to make
his career in medicine. While in college,
Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama,
Dr. Jeffers studied Biology and in 1962
graduated with a Bachelor of Science
degree. Following college, he went into
the U.S. Army where he worked as a
Medical Lab Specialist. After the army,
Dr. Jeffers returned to college to get his
Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science
and Doctor of Veternarian Medicine.
Dr. Jeffers did his internship in Illinois
and has done work in Kentucky and
Massachusetts. He and his wife lived in
Mass. for one year but had always
dreamed of moving back to the
southeastern part of North Carolina to
live and raise a family. After much
thought and planning. Dr. Jeffers chose
High Point to start hs practice. It was not
very difficult for Dr. Jeffers to get started
because High Point had only one vet prior
to his arrival. He has been practicing now
for 18 months and is well-known for hs
work. His clients like the way he takes
care of their animals.
Dr. Jeffers also feels that being Black
has been a slight problem because many
whites and Blacks fail to visit a Black vet.
He says he doesn’t want his clients to
think about his race because he is here to
serve the community just as any other
doctor.
Each day Dr.. Jeffers faces a variety of
animals as well as a variety of problems.
Problems that range in size from a dog
with pups to an animal who has been hit
and seriously injured by a car. Problems
where he may have to consult with other
doctors and those that he can’t solve also
occur. While Dr. Jeffers and I were
talking, he received a telephone call. One
of his clients called to report that his child
had taken some medicine meant for a pet
(harmful to humans) and wanted to know
what to do. Dr. Jeffers advised the client
what should be done. Most of Dr.
Jeffers experience has been around
animals but the aforementioned incident
proves that he also has a concern for
human welfare. Continued on Page 2
THE TRIBUNAL AIH
A VIABLE, VALID REQUIREMENT
RESPONDING TO
BLACK NORTH CAROLINA
VOLUME m, NO. 40
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25,1976
^.00?£R YEAR
3#CENTS
PRESS RUN 8.500
MEMBER: North Carolina Black Publishers Association — North Carolina Press Associationj Inc.
This Week’s Black History is provided by;
\ y WINSTON
^ MUTUAL ^
\\ Life Insurance Company
The 1976 Editions of THE TRIBUNAL AID
will be dedicated to America’s bicentennial
Celebration, with emphasis on contributions
our Race has made in the making of America,
from birth to the present.
In 1976 there should not be a need to lift
these contributions from isolated sources. Our
past should be interwoven into the fabric of
our civilization, because we are, except for the
Indian, America’s oldest ethnic minority.
We have helped make America what it was,
and what it is, since the founding of Virginia.
We have been a factor in many major issues in
our history. There have been many misdeeds
Fay Ashe, Black
against us, yet we have been able to live
through them and fight back. This Is living
proof of our history.
Our role in the making of America Is neither
well known or correctly known. Many positive
contributions have escaped historians and
have not found their way into the pages of
History Editor
many history books.
We will strive to give readers, Black and
white, many little-known facts about our past
and it is hoped that a proper perspective of onr
history will be of value to persons who may
believe that as Black People we have an
unworthy past; and hence, no strong claims to
all rights of other Americans.
BICENTENNIAL
BLACK HISTORY
“Lost-Strayed-Or Stolen ”
Extracted From
THE NEGRO ALMANAC
by Fay Ashe
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Early Religious Attitudes And Practices
Black history In the Western Hendsphere. jnost
probably begins with the discovery of the New Worid
by Christopher Columbus in 1942. Blacks are known to
have participated meaningfully in a number of later
explorations made by Europeans 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.
1787: NEW YORK CITY Slave Act which makes it
Opening of the African criminal to harbor a slave.
Free School. or prevent his arrest.
The Twenty Blacks that
were aboard the Dutch
Frigate, which landed in
.lamestown, Va. in August,
1619 were not slaves. They
had been baptized, and by
English law, which then
governed Virginia, and a
slave who had been
converted to Christianity
became “enfranchised”.
This was based on the
theory that, insamuch as
infidels were enslaved in
order to make Christians of
them, it followed that when
the cause of their enslave
ment was removed, they
would become free.” These
first Blacks, however, were
not free, but fell in the
category that had already
taken root in the Colony,
that of indentured servants
who bound themselves to
work for masters for a
specified length of time in
return for paying the cost of
their transportation across
the Atlantic. Indentured
servitude had come in
response to a great need for
labor.
In 1662, a Virginia law
used the word “slave” to
designate an already exist
ing class. Slavery became
recognized in law, as for
some years it had been in
practice. By 1700 inden
tured servitude was no
longer preferred labor.
Before slavery could come
into its own, the Colonist
had to dispose of the
troublesome proposition
that the conversion of a
Black to the Christian faith
entitled him to his freedom.
This was proven to be an
invalid theory. Religious
groups opposed it, pointing
out masters would deny
baptism to their slaves if
such a step led to their
freedom.
This theory led Virginia’s
legislature in 1667 to state to keep slaves from getting to give religious instruction
that “Conferring of bap- out of hand. The more to their bondmen. Occas-
tism doth not alter the numerous the slaves, the ionally the members of the
more strict the Slave master’s household
Codes.
condition of the person as
to his bondage or free-
dome”
brought to their slaves a
combination of religion and
letters.
The efforts of MATHER
The New England Colon-
By 1706 this principle ies had no laws against
that the slave was not made teaching slaves to read and
free by baptism was write, because some occu- AND SEWALL were not
affirmed by five other pations to which slaves very fruitful because in
Colonies; Maryland, North were put required that they Puritan circles, church
Carolina, South Carolina be literate. England, as membership carried politi-
New York, and New Jersey, elsewhere, religion was the cal privileges, such as the
mainspring behind the right to vote and hold
The treatment of slaves movement to give book office. The Anglicans had
was left to the Colonies, the learning to Blacks. A more success than the
Mother Country permitted concern for the spiritual Puritans in providing
them to do as they chose, welfare of the slave led schools for slaves. In 1701
Hence each Colony deter- prominent Puritans, such they founded the SOCIETY
mined who was a slave and as COTTON MATHER, to FOR THE PROPOGATION
how slaves should be establish Charity Schools OF THE GOSPEL IN
treated. Because of the fear where Bible study was the FOREIGN PARTS. One
and apprehensions of the chief staple. SAMUEL purpose of this Society was
Colonies, Slave Codes were SEWALL of Massachu- missionary work among
introduced to the extent to setts, was the first to direct Blacks and Indians. Later
which the White settlers an attack on slavery in New the Society established a
thought it necessary to go England, he urged masters Black school in New York
1791: DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
On the recommendation
of Thomas Jefferson, Ben
jamin Banneker-Astronom-
er, inventor, mathemati
cian and gazetter- is
appointed to serve as a
member of the commission
charged with laying out
plans for the city of
Washington.
1793: VIRGINIA
Passage of state law
which forbids free Blacks
from entering the state.
1793: SOUTH CAROLINA
Twenty-three free Black
men and women from
Canada-and some white
supporters-sign a petition
protesting the state poll tax
of free Blacks.
1793: PHILADELPHIA
Passage of the Fugitive
BIBLIOGRAPHY ***
Drotning, Phillip T. A
Guide to Negro History in
America New York: Dou
bleday and Company, 1968
Katz, William Loren
Eyewitness: The Negro in
|H/sfor/ca/ /.anc/marfcs!
Of Black America
Extracted From
THE NEGRO ALMANAC
by Fay Ashe
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 ia
various regions of the country which are associated with
Black Americana. Many of these—like the Ala •no and
Bunker Hill—are not conventionally known as sites
involving chapters of Negro history.
enemy in their cave, and
ARIZONA,
TORTILLA FLAT
Battle of the Caves
Site, during 1872-1873,
of General Crook's cam
paign to wipe out Apache
bands holed up in distant,
and virtually inaccessible,
mountain retreats. Black
units approached the In
dian hideout under cover of
darkness, pinned down the
America New York: Pitt
man Publishing Corpora
tion 1967
Ploski, Harry A. Phe
Kaiser, Ernest The Negro
Alamanac New York: Bel-
luether Company
scored a notable victory.
Few of the marauders
escaped; several were
killed by ricocheting bul
lets.
ARKANSAS, CAMDEN
Poison Spring State Park
Site of an 1864 Civil War
battle in which the 1st
Kansas Colored Regiment
suffered heavy casualties,
some of which were
apparently inflicted by
Confederates on captured
or wounded Black soldiers.
Black troops, as they did at
Fort Pillow, vowed to take
no more rebel prisoners.
City, followed forty years
later by the Charleston
school, and two former
slaves became teachers,
having been trained and
freed for that purpose. This
Society cooperated with
anothe Anglican group, the
“ASSOCIATES OF DOC
TOR BRAY” in establish
ing a school in Philadel
phia. The BRAY group set
up schools in Williamsburg
and Newport, aided in part
by the support from
Benjamin Franklin.
Operating mainly in
Southern Colonies the
Anglican clergymen were
at a disadvantage in
persuading the planters to
give book learning to
slaves, and the church was
handicapped in an envir
onment dominated, as
FRANK J. KLINGBERG
puts it “MORE BY RICE
THAN BY RIGHTEOUS
NESS.” In 1705, JUDGE
SEWALL pointed up the
problem. “TALK TO A
PLANTER OF THE SOUL
OF A NEGRO, AND HE’LL
BE APT TO TELL YE (OR
AT LEAST HIS ACTIONS
SPEAK LOUDLY) THAT
THE BODY OF ONE OF
THEM MAY BE WORTH
TWENTY POUNDS; BUT
THE SOULS OF A
HUNDRED OF THEM
WOULD NOT YIELD HIM
ONE FARTHING.
The Quakers made some
efforts to give instruction to
Blacks. The Quaker’s
conscience could never be
at ease with slavery.
During the first half of the
following century the con
demnation of slavery was
sounded.
The first hundred years
of the Colonial era, the
Christian Church took no
notice of Black people. In
Virginia and New England
Africans were considered
“too bestial”, “too brut
ish” “too dull” ‘‘too
ignorant” and too unlike
the English to warrant
freedom in this world or
justify preparation for some
The first slaves in the English colonies of mainland America arrived at Jamestown world to come.
in 1619.
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