THE BETTER WE KNOW US ... The Rev. Willie Flemon Mc Intosh Jr., who has pursued a dual career as teach«r and preacher, was announced as Morganton’s Man of the Year for 1975. McIntosh, a resident of Bur ke county for 26 years, is the first black selected for the honor since it was begun as an annual affair in 1948. Assistant principal of Free dom High School and minister of the Green Street Presbyter ian Church, McIntosh has been active in a wide variety of community enterprises. His selection as Man of the Year was announced at last week’s luncheon meeting of the Morganton Rotary Club which sponsors the program. Club president, Dr. Philip T. Howerton, said a secret com mittee as usual make the se lection after considering a number of prospective recip ients. The trophy emblematic of the Man of the Year title will be presented to McIntosh a a community-wide dinner, and a date for that event will be announced later, the president said. As soon as plans are com pleted for the Man of the Year banquet, tickets will be made available to the public. Dr. Howerton said. The judging panel, Hower ton said, pointed out that the new Man of the Year has amassed an impressive rec ord of accomplishments in community and professional affairs and, in addition, he is credited with bringing stabil ity and understanding in the matter of racial relations dur ing an important period of adjustment. McIntosh is assistant princi pal of Freedom High School and also an ordained minister, serving as pastor of Greene Street United Presbyterian Church. In the education field, he is chairman of the Burke County unit of PACE (Poirtical Ac tion Committee on Educa tion), a life member of the National Education Associa- ion, and a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators. He is vice president of the Burke County Ministers' Con ference, reporter for the Mor ganton Ministerial Associa tion and radio chairman for the Burke County Ministerial Association,He serves on the board of directors of the Burke County Council on Alcoholism, on the education committee of the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Burke County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Omega Psi Phi frat ernity and a member of the Queen of the West Lodge No. 70, Free and Accepted Mas ons, and associate member of the Fraternal Order of Police. A Johnson C. Smith Univers ity graduate, McIntosh is dir- .. has impressive record ector of the North Carolina chapter of the university’s al umni association and a mem ber of its executive commit tee. He also is a President of the Big Brothers Club. While at Johnson C. Smith, he was voted the most outstanding student in the graduating class and was editor of the yearbook, newspaper, home coming bulletin and freshman manual. THE TRIBUNAL AID A VIABLE, VALID REQUIREMENT RESPONDING TO BLACK NORTH CAROLINA VOLUME m, NO. 43 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24,1976 $5.00 PER YEAR 24CENTS PRESS RUN 8,500 MEMBER: -North Carolina Black Publishers Association “^North Carolina Press Association^ Inc. •I [BICENTENNIAL BLACK HISTORY “Lost-Strayed-Or Stolen ” Extracted From THE NEGRO ALMANAC by Fay Ashe 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 presen':. ■ 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 imown. 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 uid white, many little-known facts about our put and it is hoped that a proper perspective of our 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. THE BLACK FAMILY Mttoiy in the Westotn 19£iirf«|»liere ate»t probably begin* wHh the discovery of the New WoM by Christopher Coimnbos in 1942. Blacks are known, to have participated meaningfnlly in a. niunber of later ezploratians made by Enropeans in various parts of the United States and Spanish America. Facts snch a* these at once fashion a new dimension for Black history within the mainstream of American histoiy. Ihasmach 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 her«t an 1492-1954. 1798: WASHINGTON, DC Secretary of the Navy Stoddert forbids (he de ployment of Black sailors on men-of-war, thus dis rupting a non-racial enlist ment policy which has been operative for many years. Nevertheless, a few Blacks slip past the ban, inchiding William Brown, a “powder monkey" on the "Constell ation" and George Diggs, a quartermaster of the schooner "Experiment". 1799: MOUNT VERNON, VIRGINIA George Washington, first president of the United States, declares: "...it is my will and desire that all the slaves which 1 hold in my own right, shall receive their freedom.” 1800: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Betrayal of Gabriel Prosser’s plan to lead thousands of slaves in an attack on Richmond. Gab riel and 15 of his followers are later hanged. 1800: SOUTHAMPTON, VIRGINIA hallucinations and other psychic disturbances which contributed to his concep tion of himself as a Moses-like figure leading his people from bondage. Turner and seven others launch a spectacular orgy of bloodletting in the summer of 1831, killing more than 50 whiles and spreading terror throughout the country. After hiding for several weeks. Turner is traced down, tried and hanged in .lerusalcm. All The Pretty Little Horses Hushaby, Don't you cry. Go to sleepy, little baby. When you wake, you shall Have cake, and all the Pretty little horses. Blacks and Bays, dapples And grays, coach and six-a Little horses. Way down yonder in the meadow. There's a poor little lambie; The bees and butterflies Pickin' out his eyes. Poor little thing cries "Mammy", Hushaby, don't you cry. Go to sleepy, little baby. This is an authentic slave lullaby; it reveals the bitter feelings of black mothers who had to watch their white charges while ne glecting their own children. The family was the basis With eilher group, those of social organization in persons forming the family early Africa. The eldest comprised all living des- niale was usually the head cendents of the same of the family, but there was ancestor, the widespread practice of The African wife was not tracing relationships considered a member of her through the mother instead husband's family. After of the father. In areas marriage she continued to where this was practiced be a part of her own familv. the children belonged solely to the family of the mother. In tribes which did not follow this practice, ihe Chief was the father. Part and her family continued to manifest a real interest in her welfare, therefore the husband was expected to pay an indemnity, a compensation for taking a way a member of the family and a guarantee for good irealment. The indemnity was not a purchase price, as might be expected, the woman did not legally belong to her husband, but to her own family. Polygamy was permitted, but not practiced universal ly. In marriage, the chief of the family would defray the expense involved in the first marriage of a male member of the family, but for the second wife the husband had to meet the One expense. Religion played an important part in determining the number of wives a man could have. Native religion did not limit Ihe number of wives, Moslems forbade more lhan four wives, and Christians insisted on one wife. The clan or enlarged family was composed of families which claimed a common ancestor. It is difficult to establish upon a factual basis any connec tion between the develop ment of the Black family in the United States and the African family system. Slavery gave ideals far superior to those of Africa; but slavery was not designed to teach morals. Slave trade and slave breeding were essentially economic and not humani tarian activities. In the sale of slaves, there was the persistent practice of divid ing families. Husbands were separated from their wives, and mothers were separated from their child ren. There was however, at r- , times some respect mani fested for the slave family, but it was not always good business to keep families together. As a justification for the separation of families, it was argued that Ihe family tics among slaves were either extreme ly loose or non-existent and that slaves were therefore indifferent to separation. The slave family exper ienced great difficulty in maintaining itself on a stable basis in a system where little opportunity for expression was possible. Slave owners seldom re cognized the slave family as an institution worthy of respect, and many forces worked to destroy the slave family. Courtship and normal relationships pre liminary to marriage sel dom existed. There was no effort to establish the slave family on a stable basis unless the owner manifest ed some real interest in the religious and moral deve lopment of his slaves. Slave owners discourag ed slaves from marrying persons on other planta tions, because these unions could involve one or the other of the slaves being away from his own plantation at various limes. This they felt would reduce the efficiency of the slave worker. Slaves were en couraged to marry on the plantation; but, if this was not possible, masters sought either to purchase the spouse of his slave or to sell to the owner of the spouse. The permanency of a slave marriage depended on Ihe extent to which the couple had an opportunity to work and live together, so that through common experience they could be drawn closer together. There were some stable slave families, especially where there were children to strengthen the bond, and where they were not divided through sale. The economic interests of the iHistorical Landmark^t 1 Of Black America Extracted From THE NEGRO ALMANAC by Fay Ashe Birth of Nat Turner, a brilliant and moody slave, allegedly subject to visions, tilHLlOURAPUY Drotning, Phillip T. A Guide to Negro History hi America New York: Dou bleday and Company, 1968 Kjiser, Ernest Ihe Negro Katz, William Loren Alamanac New York: Bel Eyewitness: The Negro fai luether Company No more substantial testimony to the role of the Black in the growth and development of America can be found than the numerous historical buidmarU In various regions of the countiy which are associated with Black Americana. Many of these—lllie the Alamo and Bunker Hill-are not conventionally known as sites Involving chapters of Negro history. CALIFORNIA, BEVERLY stars have been designed HILLS “Beverly-Wilshire ^.v W'lliariis, the Spingarn Hotel” Black architect Paul R. Williams designed this plush hotel, one of the most elegant in the area. Many stunning private residen cies of famous Hollywood medalist for 1953. CALIFORNIA, DOWNIE- VILLE “The Pioneer Museum” Site of an 1849 gold strike involving a Scotch immi grant, William Downie. and 10 Blacks. One of the Black adventurers was Waller Jackson, an Easterner who journeyed “round the Horn" in 1849, and found his fortune with the rest of the prospecting party. coaoeaBBQBeoocsooooooooQaBPOoooooopoooooooooooBoaoaMB America New York: Pitt man Publishing Corpora tion 1967 Ploski, Harry A. Phe 1776 Honoring America's Bicentennial 1976 IBBBBBBBBBBBBBBOQO€SOOOOO kmmmsh HWWI