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■Walking t ■
I I i
■ Dignity
by Al Irby PMr>i4i
THE SO-CALLED BLACK CAUCUSES, BOTH LOCAL AND
NATIONAL ARE FUTILE IN APPLIED POLITICS. THE
M OST THEY CAN DO IS GIVE EXPENSIVE SPREADS,
AND POUT OVER THEIR OPPONENTS. WHEN THE
DEMOCRATS LOSE, THEY ARE BY-PASSED AND LEFT
FORSAKEN AND ALONE.
The Congressional Black Caucus sported another of its famous
dinners. The Caucus may be short on accomplishments, but it has
learned well all of the white middle-class expertise on expensive
eatery. Os course, if it keeps its cusines above the pocket-books
of the Black plebeians so, they can remain ultra-exclusive, just
like Mr. Charlie, eh?
Black America expected great things from “The Caucus but it has
emulated the whole group,to the last degree, by only exercising
their jaws. The Congressional Black Caucus' first vice was trying
to ignore the Nixon’s election reality. This group of knowledgable
and talented Black legislators acted like spoiled school brats,
toward the Republicans. All ethnic and economic groups
accepted what was a political fact, that Mr. Nixon is the President
of the United States, like it or not.
The disgruntled Black Caucus should have forgotten race for
awhile and sought a political impasse, didn’tbut two or three
attend the swearing-in of the President. Philip Waring, a columnist
for THE NEWS-REVIEW, wrote a striking account of their
culinary jamboree at the famed Washington Hilton. Black
Politicians must learn the finesse of how politics is played in these
jungles, called U.S.A. Bargain and compromise, that’s the name of
the game. Sticking your head in the sand, and cussing the
opposition will get you nothing.
World cultures have entered a new era of global politics in
which rapid change is a dominant consequence. Politics is
contending with fundamental changes. Blacks must better
appreciate this fact, and develop the wisdom to direct the
political process toward his and other people’s fulfillment, rather
than hoping for the destruction of those of a different ideology.
By acting in this fashion, Blacks in reality will be extending their
innate capacity, and augment their ability to think and to create..
Blacks have history on their side, because reconstruction Black
politicians put some of the most progressive laws on the books
that this country has ever produced; and the whites did not
change them when they disinfranchised Black lawmakers. The
situation in today’s world is new. No civilization has previously
had to face such challenge in governments, and there must be new
responses. America is at low ebb, and no doubt many white
voters will turn to women and Blacks to guide the nation, and
ensure the spiritual and moral needs that Watergate has eroded.
If the Congressional Caucus will bring some of the more
level-headed into its leadership of the organization, they will go
forward; because the radical persuasion, who have called the
signals heretofore has proven unproductive.
BLACKS MUST HITCH THEIR KITES TO THE FEMININE
MOVEMENT. WHITE WOMEN ARE NOT HUNG-UP ON
RACE, LIKE THEIR MASCULINE COUNTER-PART
Many Blacks do not dig the “Women’s Liberation Movement”,
but Black destiny is surely tied to the American Women’s
political ascendancy in the nation’s body polity. Women are on
the march in every facet of American life; and they are void of
much of the white man’s gross prejudices. They are carrying
Black women along with them, that is, the ones that are wise
enough to climb aboard.
THE LADY CANDIDATES VOWING FOR OFFICES-A .
political promulgation which seems safe enough, even if the 1974
election is more than a year off; there will be many “Fems”
running for local, state and national office, and many will be
elected.
WOMEN WILL ACT MORE UNEMOTIONALLY-A second
prediction, perhaps a little shakey, is nevertheless likely to prove
true. Their steadily increasing numbers will markedly change the
way women will behave when they are elected. They’ll be more
outspoken, demanding a larger role in decision making, less timid
about being women, and joining up with more women’s issues.
Women are subjectively orientated, they posess what Blacks call
“soul”.
Women, like Blacks have too long been notably under represented
in elective positions. The women represent half oflthe population,
yet there is no woman Senator, and only 16 women in the
435-member House of Representatives. White women have been
treated almost as niggardly as Blacks in reference to holding
offices in the U.S.A. Since Jeannett Rankin from Montana, a
devouted peace advocate, was swom in as the first woman
member of the House, in 1917, only 87 women have served in the
House or Senate. Practically all of these women came to the
Congress replacing husbands who had died in office.
There’s no woman governor, and only three states have ever
had one. OUt of 1,000 largest cities, only 42 have lady-mayors.
The 441 women serving in state legislatures are barely 6% of the
total males sitting in these law-making assemblies, and even this ia
a helluva lot more than before the 1972 elections.
Women’s Liberation is the prime mover of this heightened
consciousness of American women. This feminine awakening will
be deliberately encouraged and strengthen by women’s groups
from all over the civilized world. Every since recorded history
began, men have made a mess of all life in their voracious
scramble to pile up wealth.
WOMEN ARE PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR
PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP-A new organization called the
Nation Women’s Education Fund plans an aggressive campaign to
recruit women and Black candidates in both parties. A series of
seminars where women interested running for office will be
trained in campaign organization, money-raising, press relations,
using polls and kindred essentials.
All signs are pointing to the fact, that women voters are now
ready to favor women, particularly if a male opponent seems
overly critical and condescending, especially toward race. Quite a
few women office-holders report that more and more female
voters, particularly younger ones now volunteer how glad they
are that members of their sex are running for office. Previously
women voters would often nastily hint that lady candidates
should stay home and take care of hubbies and kids, but that old
stereotyped backwardness is fastly vanishing. A recent conference
held in May 1972 by the Center for he American Women and
Politics was a relevant testimony to he coming of age of American
womanhood.
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lIGOING I
I PLACES I
■ I PHILIP WARING II
NATIONAL TELEVISION EXAMINES
AUGUSTA TREATMENT OF BLACK VETERAN
Over the past few weeks it has been my pleasure to highlight
good national publicity accrued by Augusta on network television
recently thanks to two of its prominent sons, James Brown,
entertainer and Emerson Boozer, Jet gridiron star. But as an
away-from-home 35-year long booster for Augusta, its residents,
history and future, I received a shock on Friday, October 11th.
The NBC TV Today Show came into Augusta for an interview
with Sgt. Ernest Tabb, the highly decorated Viet Nam veteran.
The sergeant pointed out to some 30 million American homes
that he felt neglected and ignored by Augusta-area public
officials. After this telecast 1 received several local and
long-distanced phone calls. Several persons, who know of my
intense involvement with Augusta, pointed out that this was
extremely negative publicity and showed racism, etc.
As I keep in close touch with racial happenings around the
nation via several media and professional sources, I’d like to share
with our NEWS-REVIEW readers some important background
data. (1) For the past decade or more scores and scores of
Southern cities have sponsored parades, recognition dinners, etc.
for its Black veterans with public and business officials in
attendance, (2) This practice did not usually obtain following
World War II but started with the Korean War in the mid-fifties
when Black and White boys fought together on an integrated
basis in Korea, and (3) All of us have seen many pictures of even
Governor Wallce publicly citing Black Alabama Viet Nam war
veterans. What is the meaning of this background material to
Augusta? Augusta is a major military base which brings million of
dollars into the community each year. Is there any type of
structure, civic or pulbic, which would prevent a similiar
occurance? It would not be good for Augusta’s future to have this
type of unfortunate Sgt. Tabb situation bring about a halting on
the expansion of new business, conventions, tourist, visitors,
military growth, etc. The naked challenge is for the leadership to
bring about change and get in line with other cities who recognize
their veterans regardless of skin color. What do you think?
The Daily Defender article on household workers is shared
with our readers:
A CODE OF STANDARDS TO GUIDE HOUSEKEEPERS
The National Committee on Household Employment has
issued the following guidelines to help persons in this type of
employment. It is hoped that misunderstandings will be
prevented and housekeepers will obtain all benefits to which they
are entitled.
SOCIAL SECURITY: Earnings should be reported and
payments should be reported and payments made in accordance
with the law for Social Security credit toward old age, survivors
and disability insurance. Records of payment should be furnished
annually to the employee in compliance with Social Security
legislation.
SICK LEAVE: Employees working one day a week in one
home should receive one day of paid sick leave a year. Fulltime
employees should receive a minimum of six days of paid sick
leave annually.
VACATIONS: Fulltime workers hould receive two weeks of
paid vacation after one year of service. Employees working one
day a week in one home should receive one day of paid leave for
each six month period worked.
HOLIDAYS: Live-in worker should receive a minimum of eight
legal holidays with pay, a year. Fulltime live-out employees
should receive the equivalent of six legal holidays with pay, a
year.
A day worker working one day a week in one home should
receive one paid legal holiday a year, providing the holiday falls
on one of her normal working days.
WAGES: The minimum wage should be no lower than the
amount stipulated in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Where
the cost of living is higher than average, wages should be raised
accordingly.
Higher wages should be paid for jobs requiring previously
acquired training or skills. Days upon which wages are to be paid
should be agreed upon in advance. Gifts of clothing and-or tood
should not be considered as a part of payment.
HOURS: Live-in workers: any hours in excess of 44 hours a
week should be paid for at one and one-half the regular hourly
rate. Hours in excess of 52 hours a week should be paid for at
double the hourly rate.
Live-out workers: day workers should receive overtime for
hours in excess of 8 hours a day. Workers employed on a full-time
weekly basis by a single employer should be paid one and
one-half the hourly rate for hours worked in excess of 40 hours a
week and double the hourly rate for hours worked in excess of 48
hours a week.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: Schedules should be agreed
upon in advance of employment.
If an employer does not require the services of a day worker
for the agreed upon time or times, the employee must be notified
at least a week in advance or be compensated in full by the
employer.
The employee has the responsibility of notifying her employer
as soon as possible if she is unable to report to work.
A written agreement between employer and employee should
clearly define the duties of the position, including specific tasks,
frequency and desired standards.
Promptness, integrity and courtesy should be observed by both
parties.
Efficient, safe and workable appliances and cleaning aids
should be provided and used carefully.
Adequate provisions for maximum safety and health should be
maintained at all times.
Rest periods, meal times, telephone privileges and time out for
private activities (such as church attendance for live-in
employees) should be agreed upon in advance of employment.
Work and work relationships should be periodically discussed
with the intent of improving efficiency and understanding.
Constructive and helpful evaluations of work should be
encouraged.
Pleasant and private quarters should be provided for live-in
employees.
A professional working relationship should be maintained by
both parties. This includes proper forms of address for both
employee and employer and their respective families.
There should be a code of standards for the household
employee and employer because the image and dignity of
household employment will improve only after wages, hours and
working conditions have been raised sufficiently to reflect the
value of the service performed.
SICKLE CELL ANEMIA TEST
SICKLE CELL CENTER
SCREENING CLINIC
OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY 8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
SATURDAYS 9:00 A.M. -1:00 P.M.
1526 GWINNETT STREET
PHONE 724-0104
REGISTERED NURSE ON DUTY
NO CHARGE--NO WAITING
I TO BE
EQUAL
J BY VERNON E. JORDAN, JR. U M
DEBATE ON JOBS STARTS |
There are encouraging signs that a national debate on the
merits of a full employment policy is getting under way. At the
moment, there are just some faint stirrings of discussion, but
they’ll mushroom into a full-fledged national discussion of the
issue before too long.
Earlier this year I called for a Full Employment Policy that will
guarantee a decent job at a decent salary for everyone willing and
able to work, because almost twenty million Americans are either
out of work, working part time when they want full-time jobs, or
working full time for salaries that keep them in poverty.
Now, support for some kind of federal job program has come
from two eminent economists -- Gabriel Hauge, Chairman of the
Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, and William Fellner, an
economist who will be joining the President’s Council of
Economic Advisors.
In a September speech Mr. Hauge proposed that the
government act as employer of last resort and hire some 500,000
people at salaries of $7,500 a year to cut unemployment.
Mr. Hauge arrived at this position because he feels inflation is a
grave threat to the country, and expansionist economic policies
relied on to create jobs intensify inflationary pressures. Many
people, he says, “do not have the skills to be employable except
at times of extregie labor shortage and therefore of rising
inflation pressure.”
Rather than rely on a over-heated economy to create jobs, he
thinks the government ought to hire people. The total cost of his
program would be much less than the cost of existing
pump-priming programs.
I would differ with some of the points Mr. Hauge makes, but
not with his main contention that the kind of structural
unemployment that keeps people out of work can be lessened by
strong federal hiring and training policies. And there is a need for
far more than the half-million jobs he proposes; a need that can
and should be met by the private sector as well as the
government.
Mr. Fellner, a noted conservative economist, made a point
similar to Mr. Hauge’s. He thinks the unemployment “Target”
ought to be around five percent of the labor force - the level it
has been at for some time - rather than the theoretical goal of
four percent. I don’t care much for this kind of numbers game
since the official unemployment rates are lower than the true
unemployment rates, and because I feel even four percent is far
above the full employment that ought to be the goal of national
policy.
Mr. Fellner suggests raising the unemployment rate goal
because there are more women and teenagers in the labor market
today and since they generally have fewer skills the labor force is
so different that old goals ought to be scrapped. But aren’t
women and teenagers people too? Don’t they have the need to
work, to be employed constructively, and to earn decent salaries?
It is the economy that needs to move up, not the unemployment
rates.
But he does recognize the need for employing at least some of
the people who can’t find jobs in today’s market and suggests a
federal, state and local government program to hire 400,000 such
individuals.
The real meaning of these two proposals coming within a few
weeks of each other from important economists is that the truth
of the problem of unemployment has begun to sink in to the very
sectors of public opinion that had not been concerned with it
before. And the proposals are brought forth in the context of the
Administration’s desire to kill the existing feeble
federally-financed public service employment program that hired
only 100,000 people.
So the numbers are starting to fly, plans are being thrown on
the table and for the first time in years there is some serious
discussion abut the country’s biggest problem. Discussion has to
precede change and that is why I welcome the beginnings of a
nation-wide debate on a national Full Employment Policy.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD OF "INTEGRITY"
VOTED TO DENY
VOTED FOR 'MOST FAVORITE
AMENDMENT TO NATIONS"STATUS
BLOCH BUSING AS TO THE SOVIET
A MEANS OF UNION AS LONG AS
ENDING SEGRE— IT RAISES IMPEOI -
GATION OF BLACK MENTS TO JEWISH
CHILDREN,IN EMIGRATION.
SCHOOLS.
Announcement:
WBBQ Radio Now has a opening for a personality
Announcer - D.J. Good Opportunity for Right person.
Must have F.C.C. 3rd Class License with Broadcast ■
Indorsement.
Send Audition tape and Resume to: Harley Drew - Box
1443 - Augusta, Ga. 30903 OR Call 279-6610 for an
appointment
An Equal Opportunity Employer
The Augusta News-Review - October 18, 1973 -
l H^KS speek ' n 9
I From I
I hBBHB Athens |
By J
! I Roosevdt Green, Jr.
A number of issues deserve our focus in these trying times. I do
wish to apologize in a fashion to readers of my column for
missing printing deadlines the last three weeks. However, I will
try to submit material each week in the future. A very busy
schedule keeps me from sometimes sitting down to write.
The race for mayor of Atlanta will no doubt be over by the
time you read this material. That election process has been
revealing in terms of how racist that community’s power
structure really is. The two white newspapers of Atianta have
worked hard against the Black candidates for political offices.
The newspapers, for instance, have dragged up so-called criminal
records of some Black office seekers with the “records” simply
being arrests for civil sit-in demonstrations.
The newspapers further, almost daily, highlighted the number
of Black and white registered voters in a contrasting manner. This
was designed to play on unnecessary white fears of a negative
Black takeover of Atlanta. Blades certainly could do no worse
than former white office holders in misleading the city. Black
office seekers therefore have to wage battles against their political
opponents as well as the two white dailies.
The two newspapers died with he late publisher Ralph McGill
who had been one of the most progressive white voices for social
change in the South and nation. The two dailies have
hypocritically lashed out at the present mayor for his appeals to
white fears and white racism. City council president candidate
Hosea Williams has been denounced as a racist by some whites
but no Black person has the power to be racist. There is no such
thing as Black racism.
Hopefully, Black vice mayor Maynard Jackson will be the
ultimate winner for the mayoralty position. The present mayor
has done much for Blacks in the past but his true color - if you
will pardon the pun - is now showing. Vice mayor Jackson is the
best man for the position whether he wins or not, for he has truly
dealt with the most important issues facing the city. A victory for
Jackson would be a step forward for Atlanta and its Black and
white citizens.
Another matter of concern is the current policy of the
Richmond County Augusta Sheriff s Department as it relates to
carrying shotguns when arriving at troubled scenes in the Black
community. Some Augusta citizens called this to my attention
after 1 had observed this kind of behavior on a Friday night about
two weeks ago. I observed a white deputy in front of a white
owned Black night club on Milledgeville Road carrying what
appeared to be either a high powered rifle or a shotgun with four
police cars on the scene. The situation did not seem to justify
that approach in my opinion.
I have also observed a similar incident at a white owned
grocery franchise store in a Black neighborhood wherein a deputy
jumped out of a patrol car in a menancing manner. The shotgun
or rifle the deputy carrys is obviously supposed to strike fear in
the hearts of Blacks. This weapon carrying on an open basis will
simply provoke at some point another major civil disorder with
Blacks again being unnecessarily killed.
It must be remembered that Blacks have weapons too. The
Black man and woman are no longer scared of white man with
gun being backed up by a crowd of whites. When will white law
enforcement officials ever learn that Blacks must be treated as
human beings; There is simply no need for white policemen who
reflect the attitudes of the larger white community to continue to
wage genocide against Blacks.
I am citing this matter so that correction can be made before it
is too late. Black and white citizens must support law
enforcement agencies when needed but there is no need to give
blind support. Law enforcement officials must learn that they are
not supposed to render “justice” without trial in this country.
It was refreshing to learn that Augusta City councilwoman
Carrie J. Mays was re-elected this past week. She has rendered
valuable leadership and service to the entire community when
others sailed with he negative tide. Congratulations Sister Mays as
you continue to wage the struggle for justice and human dignity.
Brother Alexander Williams’ dreams should come to reality if
Black and white Augustans rally to his needed cause. His plans for
i Beau Jack Athletic Club are much needed in the Twiggs
Street-Old Savannah Road area for the youths in that
community. Efforts are now being made to help Brother Williams
in realizing the needed recreational venture.
Park nad playground areas are needed in all of the subdivisions
in Augusta and Richmond County. One can observe children
playing in the streets of both middle and low-income
neighborhoods. Housing developers should take note of this need
for the future and,the present.
A report on the Athens scene will be forthcoming probably
I next week. Interesting things are happening in this so-called
I “Classic City”. The problem is that it is classic in too many racist
I and oppressive ways.
I appreciate the comments from fellow columnist Philip Waring
lin his column two weeks ago. Brother Waring is doing an
excellent job in many areas of public service. I was quite pleased
at the reception of my article on women’s liberation that he
cited. Please feel free to use that article as needed Brother Waring
and 1 look forward to meeting you when you are in this area
i again.
Harambee!!
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