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The Augusta News-Review - February 22, 1973, ■Walking ■ I w** l set ■ Im Dignity ■ Ini by Al Irby THE NATION LOSES A SCHOLAR, A HUMANITARIAN BENEFACTOR - THE NATION’S BLACKS LOST A KINDRED SOUL, AND A COMPASSIONATE ALLY. RABBI ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL WAS ALL OF THESE AND MORE; HE WAS ALSO A REAL HUMAN BEING. The old stalwarts of the main-line Civil Rights army of the 60s are passing off the scene. Those blacks that remained to retrospect have become a functional dichotomy. The most progressive of them are in politics, and other fields that have been opened by their sweat and tears. On the other hand, a pessimistic minority continues to cry a river, of days that have passed and gone. To name a few, that have left their imprint on the hallowed scroll of human justice and fair play; are Truman, Johnson, King and the Kennedys. Two days before Christmas 1972, the nation and especially the under-privileged lost one of its most distinguished thinkers, and a lover of all people. Rabbi Heschel, a just man, a pithy writer and eloquent speaker; lived a life of action; that embodied faith and good will toward all men. The good Rabbi was a leader of Jewish religious thought, hardly an equal in current religious and intellectual circles. GOD, THE SOUL, THE MOMENT, for the great man, the moment was the 20th century in which he walked boldly from the Old Testament to troubled and dusty roads in Selma, Alabama and the main-stream of America’s thought and wisdom. (MARTIN BUBER HIS ONLY PEER) Rabbi Heschel was like Dr. Buber, in as much as he too influenced Christian religious thought, as fully and profoundly as that of Judiaism. He was an institution at the New York Theological Seminary, and equally honored and welcomed across the street at Christian Union Theological Seminary. He was a Hasid in all the better and richer conceptions, that is embodied in that term. (THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD) Here are some random samplings of Rabbi Heschel’s thought, mostly from his book “God in search of man”. “To Jew and Christian alike, history, whatever else it may be, is the chronicle of the mighty acts of God, often wrought in His most mysterious way.” Speculation starts with concepts. Biblical religion starts with events. The life of religion is given not in the mental preservation of ideas but in events and insights, in something that happens in time.” There is a caution for us in his observation: “The Greeks learned in order to comprehend. The Hebrews learned in order to revere. The modern man learns in order to use. -- Dazzled by the brilliant achievements of the intellect in science and technique, we have not only become convinced that we are the masters of the earth; we have become convinced that our needs and interests are the ultimate standard of what is right and wrong.” As for this present day, so persuaded that the truth lies inward in ourselves, Rabbi Heschel warns: “Away from the immense, cloistered in our own concepts, we may scorn and revile everything. But standing between heaven and earth we are silenced.” Touching again the great man’s recurrent theme: Awareness of the diving begins with wonder. It is the result of what man does with his higher incomeprehension.” Abraham Joshua Heschel was a man for all seasons, because his vision was rooted in his worship of a God for all seasons. THE WORLD LOST A REAL HUMAN BEING - When he died in New York City at 65 years of age, Rabbi Heschel had reached a hallowed plateau in the religious and intellectual position in American and Europe. He was the descendant of seven generations of Hasidic Rabbis with an established “Holy Destiny.” When he was studying for the first doctoral degree, he caught the attention of that famed “Master Martin Buber” at the University of Berlin. The great scholar chose the bright young Heschel as his successor at the Hebrew adult education Center at Frankfurt-am-Main. The Nazi madness disrupted Heschel’s career in Europe. But America was waiting with open arms to this budding Jewish scholar. This German-trained intellectual’s first attempt, after coming to the United States, was to cement traditional Hebrew’s ties of Abraham’s doctrine of knowledge of spiritual truths with Joshua’s militant vigor and war ethics. He wrote with a concise maxim principle of correctiveness in five languages. Yet when he discerned injustice and discrimination; this great lover of all humans left his tower of learning and joined the down-trodden in the streets and the market places to march and protest for justice. Rabbi Heschel was with Dr. King from Selma back to Montgomery; he was with Father Daniel Berrigan in his burning zeal against the Vietnam debacle. He fought hard for Jews in Russia. The spirit-filled Religionist was dead set against all violence and political chicanery. At one anti-war rally, he told a restless crowd: “This is not a political demonstration; it is a moral convocation, a display of concern for human rights. The activist Rabbi made himself very unpopular with the conservative Jewish community, when he made a visit to Pope Paul VI at the Vatican. But when the Catholic Church made public the 1965 “Declaration of Absolution” of Jewish guilt for the Crucifixion, shortly after his return from Rome, Heschel then was hailed as a great spiritual negotiator. He continued to fight for interfaith consolidary; for the alternative was sure to be religious internihilism. Many of his religious plans never materialized, because he was so far ahead, humanly of his times. Time magazine came up with a perfect epitaph for this great soul: “Like his namesakes, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel believed throughout his life and career that “just to be, is a blessing. Just to live, is holy.” He also believed, and last December his friends and followers took comfort in his words that “for the pious man, it is a privilege to die.” (A THOUGHT ON THE LOCAL HORIZON) This week 1 have just a brief reminder for our City and County officials, concerning their moral responsibility to the Black community. Paraphrasing Roberta Flack’s hit song: “Don’t Kill us softly” with nothing but empty platitudes. BLACK POWER is in the voting box this year. Page 4 From The Motherland By Maryemma Graham I could think of no better way to send the entire Augusta community my greetings from Africa - I hope this brief letter finds you all well. On January 5,1 left New York for Freetown, Sierra Leone, a small country in West Africa. The official reason for the visit was to examine the valuable holdings in the national archives and study at the university of Fourah Bay, under a distinguished African Scholar. Supported by a grant from Cornell and a school in western Massachusetts which had asked me to chaperone several of their students, I have been working diligently and reading furiously. These three and one half weeks on such hallowed ground have not only been an educational experience with regard to my research but a cultural experience as well. I have gorged myself on native food - couscous, oleollay (blended blackeye peas where the ‘eye’ is removed.) foo-foo (from the cassava Plant) and other gloriously tasty dishes too many to name. It seemed that upon my arrival, the host family with whom I stayed had agreed that I was too thin for an “African woman” and they have proceeded to fatten me up for their standards. I must say that I’m quite enjoying it. Aside from these rather humorous moments, this second visit to the “Motherland” has convinced me that we as Black Americans do have and should have an affinity for Africa. Historically, countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia are in fact, our next-of-kin. Both were settled in the 18th and 19th centuries by ex-slaves, freed Blacks from the Americas and the West Indies, as well as the groups of maroons from Jamaica and Nova Scotians who had previously been settled by the English. The cultural group that came from the merger and fusion of these varied elements has come to be known as “creoles.” Sounds very familiar, you will probably all say. Like the word suggests, this group does have definite middle class tendencies, all of which are not necessarily negative, and live in the general peninsular area of Freetown. This part of the country is known for its beautiful beaches and swaying palms as well as the panoramic view one gets from the hills of the city, especially Mt. Aureol, where the university is located. With an average climate of 85 degrees or so, the weather is more than appealing for my warm-weather nature - and all the more mindful of my own Georgia. I keep thinking how elated those Blacks must have felt when they were returned to their native Africa, after the miserable winters of North America. To give you a little more of a feel for the country, I’ll be honest and tell you that Sierra Leone is a “diamond capital;” the residents tell me that a man can get rich overnight her literally by diamond smuggling. The numerous Mercedes Benz (custom made variety) would seem to confirm this point readily. Strangely enough, however, Africans themselves prefer the gold and silver that are also plentiful in the country, leaving the diamonds to Europe and America, their two largest exporters. You can see what value Sierra Leone was to England during the colonial period, of course. Since independence in 1967, ties with England have not been severed, like many other African nations. The demands of nationhood are far too great for the small country to supply independently. We all hope that the help to be received by other Black nations and people will come to such proportions that the dependence upon a white colonial system will no longer be necessary. The cultural make-up of the country goes beyond the “creole” class I have mentioned. Three fourths of the population is Muslim, the remaining one-fourth is Christian. Thus there is a lot to see and partake of. “Devils” parade the streets on holidays, reminiscent of traditional African festivals. The Muslim majority awakens the city to their 5 o’clock AM prayers complete with Arabic texts. But one can just as easily find a Seventh Day Adventist Church, a Methodist, or a good old African Native Church, which is a revised version of the AME Church in form and ceremony. Many of the churches have a strong hold-over from the Anglican and Catholic churches of long ago. I suppose what I have enjoyed most are the wedding celebrations which last all day and where food is more than plentiful, and the bargaiing that goes on in the market. Trading is actually fun - the least little item evokes a heavy round of competitive discussion from the salesman and the customer. It’s as much a battle of the wits as a battle of money. And for those who are interested, there are clubs, movies, weekly dances of all sorts and varities. Legalized gambling casinoes are filled on week-ends with as many tourist as residents. I admit that I have enjoyed playing a slot maching or two myself. It isn’t hard to discover that I love living and working here. In many ways, they remind me of YOU, my home, my family, Except more so. I have found the people hospitable and generous, as I’ve ever met. They are eager to share if only is is receptive. This, I think, has been a major problem for these masses of Blacks who have traveled to the continent. I have discovered that the complaints that Africans have about us are more often than not, ture. We, who are so “spoiled” are afraid of lukewarm showers, the out-houses, and even food cooked in another way (for it’s the same ric and beans we have in the US). We often have preferred to stay in hotels and meet only as few of the community people as possibly there. The unfortunate result has been a distorted image of Black American visitors. While I did not try to counteract this image, for it is much too prominent, I received great satisfaction in forming those whom I discussed the matter with that as soon as Southern Blacks begin to travel more frequently to Africa, I’m sure the image would be changed. They would discover that the similarities regarding adeapability are surprising. For any of you who still have Tarzan images of Africa, I certainly hope all these myths have been dispelled. I do not deny that one cannot find what one hopes to find in any part of Africa (or the States for that matter), but the African and the Africa that I have come to know outshine any of the media portraits, particularly in moral, spiritual, and cultural advancements. As a traveler myself, I am constantly aware of not presenting the image of “knowing more about Africa than the African” and whowing off my “smartness” and aggressive nature so common to any African, Black or white. There are several advantages of note here. The African student, I am sorry to say, so one of only the highest caliber, when compared to our own students. Dr. Lucius Pitts, President of Paine College has pointed out the extreme loyalty that African students we meet in the States seem to manifest. This is quite true, the African student undergoes a highly competitive system of education. Based on the British system, the student must perform at various levels in order to be allowed to continue. Those who continue their education and the number of those who do is steadily rising have a choice of their own African universities (there are already 6 in Nigeria alone, with a projectd 12 by 180), those all over Europe as well as those in the U.S. I heard that last year, 80 students with professional and advanced degrees returned from Russia to Sierre Leone alone. In comparison the Black American student who studies outside his habitat is less likely to return home; or if he studies on home ■I "GOING I PLACES” I ■'^*i»**^. / JR ■ f ■ With Philip Waring ■ WHEREAS MOOSE TOPPED THE FIELD When in Augusta recently I met Charles C. “Moose” Allen, a bright and capable social young service executive. It was good to note that he recently made history in Georgia when appointed as executive director of the state Youth Development Center at Macon. This comes after a brilliant career and assignment with the local Youth Development Center. Black people make up a large part of the state’s population, pay taxes, and send their sons to war to protect this Republic. There must be a better allotment of key jobs for Blacks. Alien’s appointment represents a break in the dam. There must be a better allotment of key jobs for Blacks. He, Virlyn Bell and others are in the vanguard of a new corps of Black professional social service executives. Right On Moose! Good luck and success. BUFFALO IS ALLEN BROWN’S TOWN Last month at a Buffalo Urban League Guild party for those of us visiting that city many persons asked about Dr. Allen Brown. It was a delight to tell them of his medical leadership and position on the faculty of the University of Georgia School of Medicine. I learned that his dad, the venerable Episcopal Father Brown, was a leading religious and civic figure in Buffalo for many years. Dr. Herbert Holmes sent a helio to Albert Greenlee and Judge B. Jones (of East St. Louis). Dr. Holmes, Greenlee and Jones played in the Tennessee State College band thirty-two years ago. We are happy to inform him of Greenlee’s advancement in the Augusta public school system. LUCY LANEY BAND MADE HISTORY Former Augustans all over the nation were happy to hear that the famous Lucy Laney High School Band had participated in the recent inaugural program. It must have been a source of great pride to Dr. I.E. Washington, his faculty and the many friends of the band on this signal honor. Many of us looked for the band during the parade, but I understand it had a special stationary position. Still, a great event and history was made. URBAN LEAGUE BEAUX ARTS BALL TOP EVENT WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL Tonight 15,000 persons are here for the National Urban League Guild’s 33rd annual Beaux Arts Ball which is the top interracial, volunteer community service benefit affair of its kind in the nation. Proceeds go to further the work of the National Urban League (NUL). Theme this year is “A Salute to Lionel Hampton, the Music Man”. Highlight of the evening was a reunion and jazz concert by the original Bennie Goodman jazz quartet composed of Bennie Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Gene Drupa and Lionel Hampton. Mrs. Mollie Moon, president of the Guild presented a special award to Mr. Hampton for his outstanding musical leadership. Lionel in turn saluted Bennie Goodman for forming the first interracial jazz quartet of its kind (1936). Mr. Goodman was hailed as a “Branch Rickey in jazz music.” Present here tonight are UN diplomats, leaders of business, education, the arts and community life, etc. During past years this affair also featured a costume ball. Last year Cab Calloway was honored. Producer of the Beaux Arts Balls for the past 15 years is brilliant Black television producer George E. Norford, who is a vice president of Westinghous Broadcasting Company. CARL STOKES NOW NBC TV CORRESPONDENT During the program 1 had an opportunity of chatting with former Cleveland mayor, Carl Stokes, who was on the Beaux Arts Ball planning committee. Carl is now part of a topflight NBC television news team. He inquired about my brother Lou (Carl and Lou were fellow students at West Virginia State and later attended law school.) I informed him that Lou and I had recently been home in Augusta to attend Earl Allen’s funeral. The former mayor said that he knew Earl and asked that his condolences be conveyed to the Allen family. (Earl, as you know, lived in Cleveland for over 40 years and had developed a wide circle of friends there). I’ll always remember Earl fondly for his courage and how he and others stood by Miss Lucy Laney at Haines Institute when a Western Union Telegraph messenger came into the chapel and refused to take his hat off. 1 wish that many of the young people of today could have known Miss Laney. This gentle and cultured Christian woman was very forthright when it came to making white people show courtesy and respect to her and her students. ILEEN B. BUCHANAN ATTENDS INAUGURAL On hand as a special representative of the National Beauty Culturist League at the recent Washington, D.C. inaugural ceremonies last month was Mrs. Ileen B. Buchanan, who is an official of that organization and is closely associated with Dr. Katie Wickham. Mrs. Buchanan is one of Black America’s top figures and leaders in the fashion and beauty culture field and is often called upon to participate in programs around the nation. This is an important multi-million dollar business activity. Ileen reports veiwing of events in front of the capitol building and at the gala inaugural ball at the John F. Kennedy Center. SUBSCRIBE TODAY ground, he is less cosmopolitian and sophistocated than his African counterpart. At the same time, these African students, seem to have no trouble “relating” back to their communities. It is unalterably clear to them that they must maintain a fondness and appreciation for home, community, family; for in most cases, the community has enabled them to complete such high level of educational achievement. They, in turn, belong to their communities and must see to its improvement as it has seen to theirs. A lesson we could certainly learn from them. This is a very important period for me and I suspect for all of Black America. While all of us won’t be idsposed to traveling on the continent of Africa per se, it is possible to lend our support to the developing nations which form the basis of our glorious heritage. Remembering that the great liberation leader of Guine-Bissau, Amilcar Cabral was assassinated just Saturday, January 20 as the world looks almost bright again with the signing of cease fire agreement in Vietnam, I feel a certain uneasiness with this apparent contradiction. As one world prepares for peace, another more closely related to us speaks of struggle and war. I hope you will agree with me in at least a sympathetic concern for Africa and our brothers. After all, she is a most critical member of that “third world,” into which we all must enter if we are to survive. 7' \J & IC W’*’ C T'.- € •, fl FEARS VIOLENCE IN HUNTER CASE Dear Editor: It has come to my attention that white citizens are buying guns to protect their families from escapee Lyndell Hunter. Some Black citizens are also buying guns and feel that it is an injustice for authorities to have a manhunt for him. We must not let this become an issue of race and violence, but of justice. The courts, and not public opinion, should decide his fate. The reward monies that have been posted is not a bounty for Lyndell Hunter or anyone else. It was posted only to encourage citizens to give helpful information to the Police that will bring about arrests. I am concerned about the rape victims. I am concerned about fair justice for Hunter, but more so, I am concerned about the welfare of other young black men that may be harmed because they look like Hunter. It is the right of everyone to protect himself or his family, but no one has the right to take a life. Many Blacks feel that the police cannot be trusted and refuse to assist them. Who can we trust? It is our civic duty to report any and all information concerning criminals to the authorities. I feel that all of us should be concerned and perform our civic duties for the sake of justice and the welfare of this country. Ernie Bowman Rt. 1 Box 308 Augusta, Ga. Dear Editor: I should like to urge the community to exert maximum pressure on the Richmond County School Board to appoint the best qualified school superintendent that we can afford. As it happens, the job pays around $30,000 per year, and with this kind of money, we can attract experienced, succesful administrators at the Ph.D. level. This kind of administrator that we will get determines for the most part, the kind of school system we will have for the next twenty years. In the selection of this administrator, it would be wise for the school board to obtain the advice and counsel of competent local educational administrators from Augusta College, Paine College, the Medical College, and Fort Gordon. A move by one school member to do this, Mr. Busbee, was overwhelmingly defeated. Hence, it will take the strongest kind of sentiment from an aroused community to put this across. It will be well worth the effort. We shall be protecting our children. Our teachers need to be guided by a thoroughly competent person who will understand their professional goals. New business will come into the city much faster when a higher calibre of education is established in the community. Bond issues will not need to be passed if present money is used more efficiently. There will be no cause for black grievances is a superintendent is dedicated to every segment of a democratic community. If each person who has had a legitimate grievance against past school practices will do his little bit by writing our local newspapers or by telling two or three what his feelings are, or by calling the board members, the job can be done. If we do not exert maximum pressure now, we shall have minimum influence later. To paraphrase an old saying, “The best way for good Augustans to help destroy our educational system is to keep THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY Mallory K. Millender .. Editor and Publisher Mailing Address: Box 953 Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4555 Second Class Postage Paid Augusta, Ga. 30901 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Payable in Advance One Year in Richmond County $5.00 tax incl. 6 Months $2.50 tax incl. Ohe Year elsewhere $6.00 tax incl. ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Classified Advertising Deadline 12 noon on Tuesday Display Advertising Deadline 12 noon On Tuesday News Items Printed Free their mouths shut at this time.” Sincerely, Peter G. Cranford, Ph.D. Psychologist RESENTS COLUMNISTS POSITION ON BLACK ENGLISH Dear Editor: I regret that I have not taken time to congratulate you and your staff on the excellent job you have done with the News-Review. The paper is indeed a viable service to the Augusta community. Like most readers, I suppose I wait to become irate before I write a letter. Gwen Loftlin’s article on “Should Black Language Be Taught in Schools? really got next to me. First of all, I am vehemently opposed to anyone, particularly a Black person, referring to the language patterns of Blacks as a “sub-subsystem.” More popular and less degrading terms such as “Black dialect” or “black Vernacular English” are more in vogue. Doesn’t Ms. Loftlin know that Black and non-Black linguists are struggling for people to recognize Black dialect as a legitimate variety of language? Secondly, a noted Black linguist, Orlando Taylor, feels that Black dialect should be studied if for no other reason that to facilitate the acquisition of standard English. I agree with him. Standard English is one subject that is superimposed on students from first through twelfth grades, and I might add, the failure to produce standard English in dialect speakers has been remarkable. Finally, I am certain that if Ms. Loftlin does any reading on Black dialect and the history of it, she could not possibly continue to refer to it as a “Lazy Man’s Version of English.” Black dialect IS a legitimate form of standard English; it IS a pidginized version of English with many of the African principles of speech in it; it DOES deserve serious study and analysis in ANY English course. Sincerely, LeJeune Hickson Ellison 3048 Dent Street PRAISES BAND BEHAVIOR I had the opportunity to accompany the Lucy Laney Band to Washington for the Inaugural Parade. Since that time many persons have asked about the behavior and performance, but mainly behavior. I believe young people should be praised as well as punished especially now since there is so much rebellion and strife around us. The Band Members are to be congratulated for such beautiful behavior and performance. I expected the performance to be well done, but I anticipated some behavorial problems. This was one time my expectation was not fulfilled. These young people act like ladies and gentlemen. Augusta, you were well represented in every respect. You couldn’t ask for more from Professionals. The Directors are to be commended for the guidance and training they have given, and are giving to these young people. We still have some young people who can do what we as adults feel they cannot do, that is, to be decent, respectable and obedient. Congratulations Band Members. Mrs. Thelma Williams 1319 Cherry Avenue Augusta, Ga. 30901