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The Augusta News-Review - August 16, 1973 - S>| ■Walking 111 111 With I kJyVJy If | I 1111 Dignity I If 11 by Al Irby it i ~ ~lji “NOT THAT I SPEAK IN RESPECT OF WANT; FOR I HAVE LEARNED, IN WHATSOEVER STATE I AM, THEREWITH TO BE CONTENT.” PHIL. 4.11. MODERN CHRISTIANS IN OUR AFFLUENT SOCIETY, WOULD THINK ST. PAUL WAS OUT OF HIS JERUSALEM MIND TO MAKE SUCH A UNSALUBRIOUS STATEMENT’ “THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN”, a feature on CBS-TV a few weeks ago, gives corrobation to the premise of this thesis. It points out how our technological affluence can serve gp well, also it can become a disservive, and bring out the seamy side of our humanity. Affluence mostly begets frustrations in highly industrialized societies. As the per capital income goes upward, so do the many frustrations, because of the capriciousness of economics. Norman Thomas, the American Socialist, pointed out in the 1930 s with his abstract statistics, how well off we would be under a planned economy. But the nation’s economy today far surpasses the great man’s fondest dream, inspite of the Republican’s blundering. Nevertheless the majority of the populace is unhappy, some say we were better off with less affluence. Many economists ask the question why? why is this so? The most plausible answer is, that we humans are insatiable greedy, the more we get, the more we want. Progress only sharpens our appetites for still more. Sociologists explain this phenomenon as “relative deprivation”. We see this vividly in all of our ethnic groups. Reasonable affluence is not enough, each one, want it all. For almost 200 years all of the under-priviledged groups were passive and making few demands. The blacks were far the most sensitive, even in salvery, they were restless. But the non-white Spanish-speaking and the American Indians didnot begin to stir, until the blacks had reached the highest social plateau in history of their long and bitter struggle. Maybe becuase of the forced enslavement of blacks gave them added momentum. Os course the Indians and Spanish-speaking non-whites were always low on the socio-economic scale, they were never slaves in America. Social Theorists point out some of the cuases why a growing affluent society becomes frustrated and think they are threatened, when groups at the bottom begin to push upward. TECHNICOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS - create more, but it also causes delusiveness. It makes some things cheap, and others expensive. The degree of satisfaction that technological methods offer will ultimately depend on the kinds of things, not how much, but what type of things are desired. We can easily see those things and services which technology has made cheaper. Radios, airplane rides, refrigerators, telephones, and many others tangible items have been made cheaper by technology or mass production. There is also much anti-technology in our midst, especially among the young, who have never lived without these conveniences. Obviously these technicological advancements are appreciated more by people who had to do without them. That is why the working population is the last always to join up with organized protest. That why its so easy to think of the workers as reactionary. The campus unrest was largely spear-headed by youths of affluence, they had experienced all of the technological conveniences, therefore the things they desired were out of their reach. DECEPTION - Affluence and modern-day success are decieving if you thought you had it made when you reached the 10,000 per year take home pay on your job, but learn otherwise. You still could not afford trips to Europe, nor another car. It was real funny but it still took all of those 10,000 marbles to make ends meet. If you thought that, cocktail parties, and a sleep-in maid were in your grasp; you soon found out that though these things were once in the SIO,OOO range, it is now out of the question. It is almost certain, that technological innovation increases one’s desires and wants for a higher standard of life. But it is also true, that technological new-fangled methods will put one in an unpredicted position. Any images of “high living”one has formed in his lean years may be largely unattainable. Modern conveniences do not necessarily provide you with what you wanted, it offers one what it can, on a like it or lump it basis. If you are poor, all of the glitter of Affluence charms you. If you have begun to rise above the poverty mire, you will have visions of a smooth life, free of dire want. As you rise upward on the economic “Totem Pole”, you begin to dream of the goo d life, based on the traditional middle-class values. Then it dawns upon you, that your advancement in income somehow doesn’t translate into affluence as you always dreamed it would. THE PERIL OF GREED - The real facts in our rat race, that we call successful living in America are that human values are inevitably shaped by our greedy desires, whereas the values offered by industrial technology are molded by rapid productional possibilities. The real fault cannot be put on human beings nor technology. The fact remains, humanity cannot satisfy all of its wants, nor can technology transform all humanity into an “Affluent Utopia”. But there is enough leeway in this incompatible union to forever sharpen the desires, and to bring on gnawing fustrations. Life for those, that have arrived, or thought they had arrived come up perplexed, because of the marginal benefits are out of their reach, financially. Twenty-five or 30 years ago, it took a relatively small amount of money to make a person feel prosperous. Today it takes substanially more money to make people feel well off. The reason for this condition is because the persons at the top must reckon with affluent laborers, blacks and other lowly ethnic groups that are steadly pusing upward. The same thing holds true in other areas of American life. Many Americans thought they could own two cars, and every one of his children were sure of attending college, when they had reached the upper economic level. But they found that the very things they thought were theirs were still beyond their means. The ever rising affluence of their fellow-citizens had sent these luxuries hikeing in price. This queer condition is an American phenomenon in the present-day society. You may be rich and don t know it, and f you are, your hustle is nothing like being over. VOTE Page 4 I HUI S peaking ‘ j From lira Atbe ™ •;<S Roosevelt Green, Jr. •.•.•.v.v.w.v.v.w.w.w.v.w.v.w.v.v.w.v.v.w.v.w.w.w.’.v.v.v. Gloria Steinheim and the Women’s Liberation Movement came to AthaLens about two weeks ago. Ms. Steinheim visited Athens as the Keynote speaker for a Women’s Lib Conference at the University Georgia. The three day conference was sponsored by the University of Chapter of the American Association of University Women. It was an excellent conference attended by well over a thousand women. This meeting was probably the first of its kind in the South. I had the pleasure of attending this Conference as a member of a five man panel presenting the Men’s point of view of the movement. The sessions were very educational to me for it strengthened my commitment to equality for women as well as minority groups. I will give a detailed point of view of this movement next week. Suffice it to say now that we live in a very racist and sexist society. All men should support this movement. One cannot help but respect such outstanding women as Gloria Steinheim, Germaine Greer, Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Coretta Scott King, Shirley Chisholm, Ethel Kennedy, and Mrs. Carrie J. Mays of Augusta. We men would be in very bad shape if women stayed in the background and depended upon us for sound leadership in this sick society. It was during Mayor Howard Lee’s recent visit to the University of Georgia School of Social Work that his forward thinking on typical community problems was shared with many persons. Mayor Lee cited the new human resources department he has established in Chapel Hill, North Carolina as a model for other communities. Many Communities are establishing such departments to coordinate all of their social services to local citizens. Athens has already developed such a program and the same is needed in Augusta and other communities. Mayor Lee also talked about how he is including the young and especially College Students in his administration’s service to his Cahpel Hill Community. This is in direct contrast to Athens and other College towns that view students as a necessary evil rather than as full fledged citizens. Politicians should reach out to college students rather than continuing to alienate them. College students certainly cannot do any worse as political office holders than many of our Watergate mentality politicians. Mayor Lee, as the first Black Mayor of Chapel Hill, is doing an excellent job of providing quality leadership on a local, state, and national level. He is also a good model for professional social workers whom he represents well in many respects. He is one social worker who is helping to bring about significant change within the system or “establishment”. The forced sterilization of welfare recepients seems to stay in the news lately. A question could be raised to supporters of such genocidal inhumanity as to whether College Students and rich farmers who are also on welfare should be included in this evil practice. The rich farmers who get paid for not planting crops are also on welfare. College Students who receive grants while not working are also on welfare. Should these two groups be sterlized as well as low income welfare recepients? The sad truth is that when the supporters of forced sterlization give their racist spiel they are only talking about sterlizing Blacks. Forced sterlization is the latest “trick” of racist Whites who want to legally destroy the Black population of this country since captial punishment is no longer handy. This practice of sterlizing low income mothers is one more example of how unchristian and ungodly this country is at this point in time. “Running season” is in full bloom in Augusta with Whites hastily making their exit from previously all white neighborhoods. A Black family is so powerful that it can move into an all white neighborhood and in short order “for sale” signs pop up like grass on a lawn. Whites can run from Blacks but they sure cannot hide. The moment Summer comes and it gets warm, many Whites in Augusta’s transitional neighborhoods start running for “White” territory. This is strange conduct for law and order lovers with the American flags in their front yeards and on the moving vans. Some Whites are refusing to run and that is always encouraging to observers like myself. It is a pity and tragedy that many Whites will not live next door to their Black b rothers and sisters. Blacks have shed much blood in all of this country’s wars but are still not acceptable as neighbors to the majority of white Amerikkans. One could almost weep like the Biblical prophet Jeremiah when assessing the negative racial climate in this country. The recent death of the Naitonal Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO) President Dr George Wiley leaves another vacuum in the Black liberation struggle. Dr. Wiley was the organizer of the NWRO and his contributions will be greatly missed by welfare recepients and the rest of us. We mourn his untimely death and extend our sympathy to his family. Henry “Hammering Hank” Aaron now has to be provided police protection at baseball games since he is about to overtake the home run record of Babe Ruth. The hateful White fans of the Babe do not want a Black man to gain a better home run record than their White idol. It is also interesting to watch how the White stars on the Atlanta Braves teams are cheered when they make a contribution over aginst how Hammerin’ Hank is cheered. If one should count Hank’s minor league days he has already surpassed the home run record of the Babe. Let us hope he lives to over take the Babe’s record in the major league without a violent tragedy. One can just imagine how much money this Black superstar would be making if he had been White. He would be making all kinds of television commercials endorsing everything from hats and shoes to underwear. There are many Whites who do appreciate his efforts and they are quite vocal about their support. Even those who do not like this great athlete still have to give him at least grudging respect. The Rev. Charles S. Hamilton, pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta, is the Local Projects Director of the Fund for Renewal of the American Baptist Convention. The entire program is an eleven million dollars endeavor that seeks to give support to the education and community development of Blacks and other minorities. The local projects department that the Rev. Hamilton heads is about a two and one half to three million dollar venture. The fund for Renewal is a joint project of the American Baptist Convention and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. It is indeed encouraging to see Black and White Christians working together in much needed areas. I have always been greatly impressed with the work of the American Baptist Convention. The Progressive National Baptist Convention is a predominately Black Convention that is one of the largest Black Protestant groups in the Country. The Rev. Hamilton is to be commended for his role with the Fund for Renewal and we congratulate him for this excellent contribution. The Fund seeks the support of the Black and White Christians of all denominations in this sorely needed endeavor. Finally, Dr. John B. Turner, former Dean of the Case Western Reserve University School of Social Work of Cleveland, Ohio has now joined the faculty of the University of Georgia School of Social Work. Dr. Turner is a well known Black social work educator of a national and international reputation. We welcome this senior Black faculty member to Athens and we are quite hopeful of availing ourselves to him to to share his vast knowledge and expertise with us. The University is quite fortunate in securing his services for a man of his stature will be an inspiration to Black and White Georgians who are considering the much needed profession of Social Work. I GOING 1; I PLACES JuKE I W I 1 PHILIP WARING ■ I < WELL DONE C.O. HOLLIS! It was good to note in the NEWS-REVIEW and the national Black Press about the recent election of C.O. Hollis as president of the National Insurance Association! A top flight insurance executive, devoted churchman, family man and civic leader, his selection by peers to this national post bring great credit to Augusta and Pilgrim Life. Congratulations! TRIBUTE TO GEORGE WILEY As this column is being written (4 p.m. Sunday) some ten cities around the nation are holding memorial services for Dr. George Wiley, brilliant civil rights leader and former staff director of the National Welfare Rights Organization who fell from his boat into Chesapeake Bay last Wednesday. George, who held a PhD in organic chemistry was a professor at Syracuse University in the early sixities, left his teaching position to help the poor. Many Black social workers will recall his successful social action push which helped people on welfare to organize themselves, lead them on picket lines before government offices to get better treatment, and finally the group won a victory in the U.S. Supreme Court on the so-called “man-in-the-house” rule. (Black families often saw the father “leaving the home” so his family could get welfare and food which he often could not provide because he could not get work becuase of race). At its high level the National Welfare Rights Organization had 200,000 members inßoochaptersaround the nation. NEW MESSAGE TO BLACK MIDDLE-CLASS ABOUT WELFARE NEEDS I knew George Wiley. One of the major accomplishments was educating middle-class income Blacks as to why members of the race, often the victim of poor education, discrimination in employment, etc. should accept welfare benefits which was due them as citizens and tax payers. George pointed out that this was a subsidy in human benefit just as the Federal government aided farmers, the airlines, railroads, oil companies, etc. Many Black Greek-letter and professional groups finally got George’s message and shucked off the brain washing of the daily white press who played up a handful of welfare cheaters who do not compare to the millions of Americans who often need some type of public assistance. ' LETTERS TO EDITOR | WANTS CHECKS ON HOME UPKEEP Dear Editor: I am a resident of Barton Village. In recent months several vacant homes in this community have become neighborhood eyesores through dereliction or through defacement. Not only is this a problem in Barton Village but also in many predominately black housing developments where existing laws are either inadequate or not strictly enforced. Conditions in these neighborhoods show negligence in terms of keeping houses painted, keeping lawns cut, burning of trash, and disposal ot garbage, and rubbish. Consequently land devaluation is high and home owners suffer Value . . . for only $249 ’s G'S&> /.), \ /ut \* I \ ii M 1 i ■ _ W 'IBL 1W 1 jh >W|rWO -rX - IJ i i -«»g£_ * af^y/] ._J the charm ™ °f a Spanish bedroom INCLUDES: SPACIOUS DOUBLE DRESSER, FRAMED MIRROR, FULL SIZE DECOR PANEL BED AND ROOMIE 5 DRAWER CHEST . . . an economic loss. I am hoping that an office can be set up in the city and county governments whereby each district will have a person in charge of making regular monthly surveys checking on the upkeep of private property in old as well as new housing developments. Recently during a trip to Buffalo, New York I saw the results of an effective as well as efficient plan for keeping housing developments clean. Neighborhood block clubs were formed and the president of each block club was responsible for enforcing property laws of this nature. It is my sincere hope that some action will be taken on the part of concerned citizens, councilmen and commissioners that will aid in improving and TO B E | EQUAL Iffgy —/ tS/S 7 > Vernn" E. Jordan, Jr. J/ F DEFINING CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY The idea of “corporate responsibility” is a relatively new one and while a good number of executives accept the need for their corporations to become active in tackling some of the problems facing the society, others are reluctant to do so. I wish these reluctant corporate chieftains and their apologists had been present to hear Coy Eklund’s address to the National Urban League Annual Conference in Washington last month. Eklund, President of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, laid it on the line with one of the best definitions of corporate responsibility I’ve ever heard. And his defense of the concept could not have come at a better time, since all too many business leaders and others are weary from their brief experiment in social involvement in the 19605. Those who self-righteously proclaim that their company is in business to make profits ought to have heard Mr. Eklund declare that “the business of business is not only profits: it is people too. Fortunately business does not have to choose between profits and people.... There is considerable greater likelihood of better social conduct in a company enjoying first-rate financial results; conversely, there is considerably greater likelihood for first-rate financial results in a business attending to its social conduct.” Mr. Eklund took the long-term view all responsible business leaders must take: “To survive long-term”, he said, “the corporation has a selfish interest in the preservation and well-being of the total society in which it operates. You can’t d> j business - you can’t make Profits - in a crumbling, disintegrating, poverty-pocked social environment... “Indeed, we are coming to understand that social forces, no less than market forces oerate to determine corporate success and 3 longevity. Just as the intelligent person must give though to what* makes for a more fulfilling existence for himself, so must the 8 corporation to concerned with whatever makes for a better environment in which to survive or prosper. Call it enlightened self-interest. Don’t call it generosity or altruism.” He made a very telling point new to the whole debate over the corporate role - the fact that: “The corporation is the creation of the people. And created by them, it is intended to ulfill the certain purposes of the people and to perform in ways beneficial to them.... “From inception the corporation has always carried an implied social responsibility. It is not a new burden lately added to the chief executive’s duties, nor is it an optional accessory to be discriminately adopted or rejected. It is inherent in the corporate charter. It was there in the beginning.” And he called on the business community for immediate action “To strengthen their corporate resolve to lift the burden of poverty, ot clearn up the physical environment, to erase bigtry and racial prejudice, and to provide full equality of opportunity for all Americans.” That’s quite an agenda, but it si one that the corporate community, as Mr. Ekland made so very clear, has a direct responsibility to achieve. As he rightly pointed out, this responsibility is necessary to “the fulfillment of promises inherent in the corporate charter,” as well as to the continued viability of corporate America. I think every Corporation and businessman in the country ougth to ponder Mr. Ekland’s words and his thesis, and begin to act on them. Business should be going beyond the most elementary acts - assisting local communities, increasing job opportunities, contributing in far larger amounts to social action programs and agencies - but also should be fighting on behalf of important social goals like welfare reform, federal social legislation, and a full employment policy. I am good deal more hopeful that this situation will come about after listening to Coy Eklund’s thoughtful remarks, for they indicate that at least some of the most important business leaders in the nation are not about to sink into the quicksand of a policy of corporate “benign neglect”. beautifying our housing developments in Augusta and Richmond County. Very truly yours, Wilson George Butler 2414 Madrid Drive