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Open Letter
■ - '• . . ’ . I
To Black America
RACIST AMERICAN DREAM
The vain attempts of a handful of racist American die*
hards cannot prevent nor thwart the dreadful fate which awaits her.
The spirit of unity and togetherness is dead in America, gone the
■vay of the wicked nations which preceded her. The handful of
Americans whom have treasured the American dream are vainly
endeavoring to rekindle the once roaring flames of their pioneering
forefathers. However, America is dead and her ultimate burial is
near. Her bicentennial celebrations are futile. Never again will she
aijoy the prestige and splendor of her power hungry forebearers.
T lius, again we have been J ispired by the Spirit of the Living
Gbd at Jerusalem to address ot selves to this critical situation. The
terrifying fate confronting our people in the near future was
recognized by United States Senator, Edward (Ted) Kennedy, when
he made the following statement which was broadcast on the in
ternational radio program, Voice of America in early 1972, “The
Fate of the American Black man hinges in the years 1972 to 1976.”
Two-thirds of the year 1976 have practically passed, and conditions
within Black communities across the United States continue to
deteriorate. Now, more than any other time, the long hard struggle
of American Black people for justice and equality; all hope seems to
be lost. The American dream has turned to dust, and the cries of
freedom which once rang out over the land have long since been
alenced.
The bright hope ofj every people is their youth, but Black youth
lies in an alley with a needle stuck in its arm. America cannot cover
up the corruption and decadence which stalks her streets. RACIAL
STRIFE, as well as massive urban crisises, ever-mounting crime
rates, sinful pornography and its devastating effect on morality plus
the ravaging advent of pollution, etc. are hastily eroding her
“modern” way of life.
When and how, then, does Black America think it will ever
overcome this rapid retrogressive state. Considering the fact that
they are hindmost in every sphere of America’s economic block, the
white power structure sees Black Americans as a permanent part of
die economic system, to be shifted and manipulated according to its
need. They are in a perpetual state of joblessness, with no chance of
ever escaping. They are doomed to either unemployment or un
deremployment on menial, low-paying jobs that lack security and
tffer nothing but dejection and despair.
While it has been reported that America’s recession is slowly
Ifting for everyone else, this has not been the case with Black
teenagers and young adults, for them the situation is deteriorating,
not improving, but worsening!
America’s educational system produces Black high school
g-aduates who are only functionally literate, barely able to read and
write, they are doomed to under-employement or no employment.
Blacks are victims of racist ghetto schools, horrid social conditions
and insensitive teachers. They are ill-prepared to successfully
compete in the highly competative job market, and eventually turn
to the streets for survival. Even the most brillant Black student has
p-oblems obtaining employment due to racism.
Therefore, Brethren we beseech you to look unto the light at
Jerusalem. For your only hope lies with those who have been
brought forth from amidst you to establish the Divine government
inder the auspices of The Kingdom of God. Brethren, what does
America have to offer Black people, except despair, shame and
disgrace .JERESALEM IS YOUR ONLY SALVATION!
Invitation to
Participate
Kevin Clements
As one focuses on this firs*
issue of the Maroon Tiger,
probably the first thing that
attracts the eye is the title
itself, ie, The Maroon Tiger, in
big, bold letters.
However, there is yet
another phrase directly under
the title which reads, “The
Organ Of Student Expression.”
Please note that it says
.“student” expression, not a
few students or some students,
but all students.
In the past, it seems that
"for the most part it has been
only the staff of the Maroon
Tiger to which this phrase has
applied. Consequently, it has
not been an organ of student
expression, but merely an
organ of expression for the very
few students on the staff.
Hence, I am making an
open invitation for par
ticipation, and urging students
to please take part in' our
student newspaper by sub
mitting any and all materials
vdiich may be of value, to the
student body to: Student
Newspaper; SGA Building;
Morehouse College.
CC Crime Forem
On Saturday, the 18th of
September, a group of con
cerned Clark College students
held a community student
forum dealing with the recent
upsurge of crime in the Atlanta
Lhiversitiy Center.
The forum’s panel in-
duded members of the Atlanta
Police Department’s Com
munity Relations and Thor
divisions, representatives from
city government, as well as
State Representative Ben
Brown.
The statistical evidence
presented at the forum
illustrated a sharp increase of
crime. A composite figure for
homicides, rapes, robberies,
aggravated assaults,
burgularies and auto thefts
reached 248 for the month of
August, as opposed to 200
incidents during August of
1976. Thus, the primary
question was, what can be done
to reduce the rising crime
epidemic?
No precise answers were
gven to this complex question,
however many suggestions
were given to guide the
community in the right
direction^ The need for im
proved community student
relations were emphasized.
This need was expressed by Lt.
W. Taylor of Thor and by a Mr.
Stevens a member of John
Hope Homes tenants
associations. These men
stressed that crime was more
than a campus problem and
that it would be necessary for
the students to work along with
the community in eradicating
crime.
Two areas mentioned in
which community and students
could come together were in
devising youth programs which
' could instill higher values in
many of the youths, and by
forming Nieghborhood Plan
ning Unitess to guide the
Clark College Student
Died A Martyr
By Gregory Huskisson
How do you react when you’ve spent 21 years of your life
tutoring‘ raising and guiding a child and then when it seems that
he’s finally begun to “find himself” in life, it is taken from him?
This is the perplexing problem facing Mr. and Mrs. Allen
Thomas of Chicago, whose son Blair was fatally wounded here
recently on the Atlanta University complex.
The parents, who were unavailable for comment, might only
find reconciliation in the fact that their son died an undisputed
martyr.
Thomas, a guard on Clark Colleges’ basketball team, was
walking home with a teammate when two girls, who were being
molested, cried out for help.
Without hesitation, Thomas and his companion raced to the
rescue.
Suddenly, one of the girls screamed, “Look out, he’s got a
gun,” but before the two Samaritans could reverse their attack,
Thomas was hit in the side by a bullet.
According to police reports, when the shot was fired everyone,
ncluding Thomas, scattered in different directions.
Thomas’ body was later found in a nearby lot.
Well-liked by his teammates, classmates and the general
student body, Thomas stood a good chance at starting on the team
this year.
“Blair could have very easily been a starter,” said basketball
coachL.S. Epps.
He never missed a day playing basketball, Epps continued, and
“Just last week he told me that he was ready to be a starter.”
He had begun to find himself.”
Thomas, though rather shy and introverted, was very
susceptible to and perceptive of outer stimuli.
“Blair was extremely sensitive,” said his roommate Mike
Peterson.
“He was the type of person who would have helped the girls at
anytime.”
Yes, Blair Allen Thomas, of 8006 S. Dante, Chicago, had told
all his friends and acquaintances that'he was ready to start on this
year’s basketball team.
He had finally gotten it all together.
Then, while walking home early one morning, as the moonlit
street cried of serenity and tranquility, monotany was broken by the
cries of two women apparently helpless to the whims of a night
gunman.
How would you’ve reacted???
Blair Thomas knew how he would react, and because of that
litimate decision, his dream won’t become reality.
Get Down
In The Library
g-owth of the community, f
Furthermore, Lt. Taylor stated
that the purchase of stolen good
by students must stop if crime
b to be reduced in this area. He
said that if students, as well as
persons in the community,
would stop buying stolen goods
then theives would have no
market for their products and
thus no incentive to steal.
Initial steps have been
taken to increase security by
the Atlanta police in the ad
dition of eight patrolmen to this
area. Furthermore,
r epresentatives from Thor plan
to sponsor seminars on rape
and crime prevention
throughout this semester.
1976-77 MAROON TIGER STAFF
EditoHn-Chief Gregory J. Huskisson
Assistant Editor Arthur Haywood
Business Manager Calvin Vismaie
Office Manager Larry Walker
News Editor Charles Mapson
Community Affairs Editor Arlin Meadows
Photographer and Cartoonist Ernest Mdody
Staff: Kevin Clements, Theodore Lavarity, James Montgomery, Alan Shamberger