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Page 5
The Panther
April 11, 1980
High On Black Art
BY BRENDA J. GATES
Panther Staff Writer
"The Black Photographer,” an
exhibition of 150 photographers,
covers a span of 70 years. The
photographs were selected by
the editors of Black
Photographer Annual, a major
photography magazine. P. H.
Polk, James Van DerZee, Moneta
Sleet, Jr., and Bueford Smith
were prominent black
photographers whose works
were displayed in the exhibit.
The moderated pioneer work
of Van DerZee in Harlem, Polk in
Alabama and the late Addison N.
Scurlock in Washington is well
represented by prints dating
from 1980 through the early
1940’s.
Van DerZee, who is 94 years
old, had numerous pictures
exhibited, butthe onethatstood
out the most was the “Couple in
Racoon Coats.” The
photographs were taken in New
York City during 1932, showing
the couple stepping out of an
early model sedan that looks as
rich as the racoon coats
themselves.
P. H. Polk, an 81-year-old man-
who never finished high school,
shoots mainly portraits.
He has photographed famous
people like Martin Luther King,
Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Will
Rogers, Henry Ford and
Tuskegee’s most famous citizen,
George Washington Carver.
“Babes In
Toyland”
BY SHERRY JONES
Panther
Entertainment Editor
THE BABES IN TOYLAND will
answer the question, "Can
nursery rhyme characters and
giant toys really come alive?” on
April 9th throughApril 13th.
“The show for all ages, “THE
BABES IN TOYLAND” musical
extravaganza will be presented
at the Atlanta Civic Center by
Theatre of the Stars.
The characters of Victor
Herbert's classic TOYLAND will
join one of America’s singing,
swinging sensations, THE BABES.
Sid and Marty Kroff (the
creators of “H.R.Puf ‘N’ Stuff”
will combine their skills and
imaginative talents with New
York’s theatrical expertise, Fran
and Barry Weissler. The Weis-
slers are the producers of the
show.
The audience is invited by THE
BABES to join them in their
travel. They are three unem
ployed yet talented singers
determined to find fortune and
fame.
THE BABES will take the
audience into the center of
TOYLAND to solve the mystery
that contains its many secrets.
For performance time and
ticket information call 252-8960.
Starting April 6th, phone 688-
STAR.
The photograph that makes a
distinct impression is "The Boss,”
taken in 1932. It is a photograph
of a black woman who seems
strong as a bull. She wears a rag
tied over her head, a long apron
with pockets all around it, just
like grandma use to wear. Her
strong, but stern facial expres
sion indicates that she is in com
plete control. She is Polk’s
version of the proud black
woman.
Polk’s works are attached to
Tuskegee Institute, where he has
served as official photographer
for more than 40 years.
‘‘I think the young
photographers have a
magnificent opportunity to use
photography as an educational
tool and I would like toseemore
of them going in that direction
said Polk.
Beuford Smith, a New York
photo journalist is well known
for his “photo-essays.”
“The, photo -essay,
Smith, “is one of the greatest
challenges in photography
because of its requirement of
concentration and its endless
scope.” A photo-essay tells a
complete story with
photog raphs.
His “Birth Series” displayed in
the exhibit were photographed
in 1976. It shows the actual child
birth procedures in four shots.
Moneta Sleet, Jr.,’s, “Billy
Holiday” photograph, tells a sad
story of the female jazz singer
who died of an overdose of
drugs. The portrait shows her
looking away into another
world.
Her hands grasping the sides
of her face and her arms filled
with tracks from needles she has
used in the past. The tracks
looked like brown spots leftfrom
a skin disease that hadjust clear
ing up. According to the tour
guide at the exhibition, she was
under the influence when she
took the picture.
said
Sickle Cell—
A Silent Killer
BY ANGELA ESANNASON
Panther Staff Writer
and
RACHELLE WASHINGTON
Panther Reporter
It is a silent black killer. Not
many people know they have it
because most people do not get
tested.
Sickle Cell Anemia, a
hereditary blood disease is
found in people whose ancestors
came from Africa such as Blacks,
Arabs, Egyptians, Turks, Greeks,
Italians (Sicillians mostly),
Asiatics Indians, and Iranians.
Since its founding in 1971, the
Sickle Cell Foundation of
Georgia, Inc., has been trying to
educate the public on what Sic
kle Cell is. The foundation has
sponsored many fundraising ac
tivities as well as several
educational seminars on sickle
cell.
Currently, Clark College's
Public Relations Campaign class
instructed by Mrs. Jan Meadows
is assisting the foundation of
Georgia in their public relations
efforts.
Recently the Men of Alpha Phi
Alpha, Clark College Chapter,
sponsored adisp lay on sickle cell
anemia where there were many
pamphlets that explained what
the disease is all about.
A sickle cell is shaped like a sic
kle (curved). Because of the
shape of the cells, they can not
float through the body easily
carrying oxygen to the various
parts of the body. Normally
healthy red blood cells shaped
like doughnuts and can easily
carry oxygen to all parts of the
body.
When organs such as the
lungs, kidneys and the brain do
not receive enough oxygen
because of the sickle cells, they
do notf unction properly and this
causes pain and illness in a
patient.
One out of every 10 black
Americans has sickle cell trait,
and one out of every 400 black
Americans hassickle cell anemia,
according to statistics from the
foundation.
Having the trait isnotthesame
as having the disease. A person
with the trait does not have the
sickle cells in the bloodstream. A
person with the disease has sic
kle cells in the bloodstream.
There is no cure as yet for sic
kle cell anemia. People who have
the disease have severe pain (like
a bad tooth ache) from time to
time and the disease also
shortens some people’s lives
while in some cases some people
live satisfying lives said Dr.
Charles Whitten, Wayne State
University School of Medicine.
There are different symptoms
of sickle cell anemia. Some
patients may get pale, tired, short
of breath while some may have
pain in their legs, back, arms and
abdomen. In addition to loss of
appetite, yellowish eyes, swollen
joints, slow development or slow
growth of their bodies, and low
resistance to infections, ac
cording to the foundation.
Grady Hospital is the first ma
jor hospital in Atlanta to operate
a sickle cell clinic, the foun
dation says. The clinic is opened
on Mondays from 1 pm to 4 pm
for treatment or education on
the subject. For further in
formation contact Phyllis Ben
jamin at Grady at 588-4394.
If the disease is diagnosed in
time, doctors can better care for
it. People with the trait do not get
any symptoms but should be
Continued on page 12
I’ve been around the world
I know it’s all the way live
But I ain’t never seen
Nothing as freaky
As the government's jive
Concerned about war;Why should he care?
With all these niggers
In America to spare.
From the beginning of this country
From the very first beat
He ain’t never given a damn
About the black man’s throat.
But why should he
When we can’t even
Catch our own slack?
We just came out of slavery
But we are headed right back
When it comes to style we spend all
The cash.
When it comes to playin;
We talk all the trash.
But when it comes to voting
And doing something right
By golly, gee wiz
Not a Negro in sight.
It might sound funny
But our ignorance is in
The majority.
Do you truly think
You’re an accepted minority?
We need to find our purpose
And Create an identity
Or it ain’t
Going to be no
Black people in the
Twenty-first Century.
BRUCE HEARD
Grady Spurned
by Legislators
BY JAKI BUCKLEY
Panther Reporter
When Rep.* Thomas Murphy,
D-B remen, Speaker of the House
of Representatives, slammed his
gavel recently, it marked the
final and fortieth day of the
Georgia General Assembly.
Many observers noted that
again Atlanta received less than
favorable treatment from the
state legislators.
They refused to increase the
hotel-motel tax or the mixed
drink tax, which would have
ultimately expanded Atlanta’s
tax base.
They refused to legalize pari-
mutual betting, although voters
approved of such a measure 2-1.
And, no funds were provided
for Fulton’s Juvenile Detention
program or the Alcoholic
Rehabilitation Program in Atlan
ta.
During the middle of the
session , it seemed Grady
Memorial Hospital was also go
ing to be refused any assistance.
Originally, Grady was in
cluded in a $5.11 million package
designed to aid six metropolitan
hospitals in the state.
All the recipients were hos
pitals with teaching programsfor
medical residents, and ap
proximately $3.4 million aimed at
Grady.
However, with the assistance
of Cobb County Representative
Joe Mack Wilson, the measure
was killed in the House Ap
propriations Committee.
Afterwards it seemed Grady as
well as other teaching hospitals
in the state would receive no
relief from state funds.
Currently, Grady Hospital is
subsidized by Fulton and DeKalb
Counties to atuneof$25million.
Rep. Wilson, known for his anti
Atlanta legislation, believes it
should remain that way.
But, when Health and Ecology
chairperson, Sidney Marcus, D-
Atlanta, received an opportunity
to tag a floor substitute onto
another hospital bill, things
began to look bright again for
teaching hospitals.
The new bill provided $836,000
for the ailing Grady Hospital,
along with smaller amounts to
other training hospitals in the
state.
Wilson and his supporters
contended that these hospitals
'should remain the responsibility
•of the citizens of the com
munities which the hospitals
served .
The state hospitals, though,
serve the entire state of Georgia
Rep. R.A. Dent, D-Agusta said in
an emotional plea to the other
members of the House.
"I think sometimes we just
forget why we are here, "the 74
year old legislator said.
"We are here to make life
better for all people of the great
state of Georgia. I hate to see
selfishness come among us so
that I only think about my little
patch right here and forget
about all the other patches all
over this great state," Rep. Dent
continued.
Continued on page 12