Newspaper Page Text
AnnwHia SiptuH-Bmrirw
'A i hr. college library
a PAINE COI GE campus
AUGP3TA, GA 30901
I NATIONAL BLACK NEWS St*VMS
” ttrinnß
Vol. 4
Going To Savannah,
Rev. Sims Recalls Success In
Augusta And How He 'Blew It’
The Rev. Arthur D. Sims is
leaving Augusta after 9‘/z years
to accept the pastorate of the
First Bryan Baptist Church in
Savannah.
The controversial minister
said he is not leaving because
he is disgusted with Mt. Moriah
or Augusta, but becaiise
“Augusta at this time does not
provide for me the resevoir to
grow." Sims said he is nqs _
challenged here. He is bored and
has fulfilled his purpose.
His purpose in coming to
Augusta, he said, theologically
and practically, was “to offer
to young people and other
adults an alternative to the
Black preacher with the black
suit, who’s better than
everybody, who is “Holy Joe.”
Sims assumed the pastorate
of First Mt. Moriah Baptist
Church when he was 20 years
old. The church had 107
members. It now has well over
a thousand, and 972 active
members. Over 60% of his
members are under 20. He
actively sought teenagers, and
this caused financial strain for
the church. But he says he was
able to raise as much money as
churches with older
memberships. Visitors flocking
into the church accounted for
50% of the finances. He
expects the church to net
$40,000 this year.
In addition to the growth of
Mt. Moriah Sims is particularly
proud of having “completely
broken the barrier of where a
preacher couldn’t go, what he
couldn’t say, and what he
couldn’t do. “I can walk in any
club without any fear, any
package store, any church, and
I don’t change bags - I’m still
’BBL* <4Bk SI
:,, '■-
CARRIE J. MAYS
Mays Will Keep
Council Seat
City Councilwoman Carrie J.
Mays told the NEWS-REVIEW
this week that she plans to
remain on city council for the
remainder of her term which
has 2 1 /i years left.
Mrs. Mays said in January
that she was considering
resigning for “health reasons”.
She was also depressed about
the financial state of the
funeral home she owns. She
feared that reprisals were being
taken against her for her
outspoken stands she has taken
on council floor.
During one period last year,
the funeral home received no
calls for 3¥i months.
But now she admits that
business “has improved.”
Physically, she says she is doing
much better and is somehow
learning to relax more. And “I
have received many, many calls
from Blacks and whites urging
me to stay on,” she said.
REV. ARTHUR D. SIMS
Sims. And I get the same
respect on Sunday morning or
more than other preachers. The
people have accepted Arthur
Sims as Arthur Sims. They can
call me Arthur and I’m not
insulted. The reverend is still
there.”
“I was able to not only
perpetuate the eschatology or
Blacks Who Helped Build Augusta
PART II
BLACKS IN BUSINESS
Made First Candy For Fine Products,
Owned First Ice Cream Plant
■lla
JACK HARRIS
Made First Candy For Fine Products
In 1906, Virgil Hollingswurtn had decided to go into the candy
business, and no one there knew how to make candy. Jack Harris
volunteered to make the first batch of candy and thus
Hollingsworth Candy Manufacturing was begun. He stayed with
the company until he retired. Jack Harris died in 1971, but his
son, Jack Harris, Jr. is still working at Fine Products.
In 1932, Fine Products Corporation was formed by
P.O. Box 953
‘over yonder, bye-and-bye’,
but I put a lot of emphasis on
the-here-and-now-God.
Sims crossed another barrier
where few Black ministers
tread - politics. Not the least
among his achievements in
Augusta, Sims says he was able
to “knock the hell out of that
political machine John Murray
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
/ z ■
had,” referring to the one-time
political kingpin. “I don’t care
what anybody says, the
(voters) leagues cannot just
deliver the Black votes
anymore.”
At one point, Sims, through
his charisma, two weekly radio
broadcasts, and sheer boldness,
had one of * the largest
followings of anybody in
Augusta. But, he says, “I blew
it.”
“I BLEW IT”
“I blew it in the sense that it
took so much energy to tear
down that which was wrong,
that when 1 got ready to build
back up, I had made so many
enemies, I couldn’t get
anybody to come back up. I
didn’t have a plan of action. I
had a plan of action to tear
down that which was wrong,
but I didn’t have a plan of
action that would execute
something that would be in the
place of that which was wrong.
During the Spring of 1972,
Sims organized Operation
Mountain Top. The
organization demanded the
resignation of then School
Superintendent Roy E. Rollins
and the hiring and upgrading of
Blacks to decision-making
positions in downtown stores.
A boycott of Broad Street
merchants led to an initial
agreement by the merchants to
meet most of the demands,
Rollins resigned a few months
later.
BACK STABBERS
Operation Mountain Top
should have been a high point
in my memories of Augusta,
Sims said. “But some in the
group stabbed me right straight
in the back. I won’t call names.
Hollingsworth Candy Company of Augusta and the Nunnally
Company of Atlanta. Hollingsworth’s was founded in 1906 by
Virgil Hollingsworth. Nunnally’s was founded in 1884 by James H.
Nunnally. .
No story of fine, prestige candies in the United States, and
particularly in the South, would be complete without these
leading manufacturers, whose brands are so well and favorably
known among the finest chocolates in the nation.
Nunnally’s began with a retail on Whitehall Street, which was
the mecca for the young folk of Atlanta. Incidentally, this store
was among the very first to serve a new drink, called Coca Cola,
at its soda fountain.
BLACKS MADE AUGUSTA’S FIRST ICE CREAM
Mr. Jim Roundfield and his wife Etta established the first ice
cream plant in Augusta in 1898.
The plant was located at 927 Third Ave. (now Cedar St.). In
the beginning they sold ice cream on the streets. They had only
one cart. They later moved to 1338 9th Street, and added
additional carts on the streets. The big favorite of the customers
at that time was Hokey Pokey -a block of chocolate, vanilla and
strawberry. It sold for 5 cents a block. One could also purchase
the same flavors in individual blocks.
Mrs. Roundfield died in 1918. Their daughter, Etta Roundfield
Culbreath and her husband, William, took over the business. The
Culbreaths and their three children, Etta, William (Bubber) and
James Dennis all worked in the ice cream parlor.
In 1931, Mr. and Mrs. William Culbreath dosed the ice cream
parlor. Other parlors had opened up.
On August Bth, 1931, William (Bubber) Culbreath, Jr. and his
wife, Alice, opened the Tasty Shop where Roundfield’s ice cream
parlor had been located. It was named Roundfield’s Tasty Shop.
The Tasty Shop is still serving Augusta. On August Bth,
Roundfield's Tasty Shop will have been operating for 40 years.
INFORMATION BY ALICE CULBREATH
Augusta. Georgia
That’s what really turned my
whole insides out. Some people
I surrounded myself with were
not with me. They were
working for the MAN. And I
think it’s going to show after a
while. It’s showing on Broad
St. now.
Sims said he also “blew it”
by supporting Charles Douglas
and the late Hugh Hamilton in
the 1972 mayor’s race. “People
didn’t see what I was facing. I
still say that the man I
supported (Douglas) was the
best moral man.”
When Douglas failed to
make the runoff, Sims
endorsed Hamilton. Again, he
said there was a moral reason.
“I made it clear in your
paper that I was not proud of
that decision. But I had to do
what I did. If the Black people
had only looked back on my
record, and just followed me
logically a little bit, they would
have seen that I was under
pressure, that I was doing
something that I didn’t want to
do. I had to endorse him to
save the life of somebody else.
I didn’t think that my holding
back my endorsement was
worth a man 40 something
years old losing his house,
owing a certain bank all of his
life’s savings.
“When I bought my
Eldorado they said it was a
political payoff. But they
ought to go down to GMAC
and check my monthly
payments, and see how many
times I get behind. I was
working another job and
pastoring a church preaching
revivals and my wife was
working. “But, I’m not mad.
I’m not mad with anybody in
Augusta. I love Augusta.”
nWWI. z-,' KIIBL v Wi
Cl ' V
Bl
i t ußkt __ d
Dr. and Mrs. Allen Brown with daughter, Karen.
Karen Brown To
Perform Before The
Queen Os England
Local talent Karen Brown
recently performed before the
Princess of England and Lord
Snowden. Now she is looking
forward to a three month tour
of Europe in August and a
Command Performance before
the Queen of England.
Karen is a ballet dancer with
the Dance Theater of Harlem,
in New York. She spent the
Fourth of July here with her
parents Dr. and Mrs. Allen N.
Brown.
The group performed in
Mexico City in June, where
they had to arrive a week early
Valdosta State
Gets First Black
Administrator
OU piL-x
k ■
ARTHUR L. HART
VALDOSTA, Ga.-When
Arthur L. Hart assumed his
duties as assistant to the vice
president of Valdosta State
College on July 1, he took his
place in VSC history as its first
Black administrator.
“His military, public school
Mclntyre—Woo Clash
July 11, 1974 No. 16 Over Paine Recreation
_ Funding (Page 3)
to adjust to the altitude.
Oxy gen tanks were placed on
both sides of the stage. In
August they will go to London
for three weeks. The
will be performing before the
Queen.
The group is not new to the
royal family. Lord Snowden
used to be a photographer and
took pictures of the Harlem
Theater Company when it first
started five years ago. On a
recent trip to New York, Lord
Snowden and the Princess
made a point of going to
Harlem to see the dance troup
and educational background
make Mr. Hart uniquely suited
for this position,” said Dr. W
Ray Cleere, vice president and
dean of faculties at VSC,
whom Hart is to assist. “Not
only will he work closely with
minority students in this
©
perform.
From London, the 27 Black
youngsters will go to Finland,
Belgium, Scotland, and Spain.
They will return to the States
in November.
Following a benefit in
Chicago, they will perform in
the Macy’s Thanksgiving
Parade.
Karen will then come home
to prepare for med-school in
January. She wants to become
a dentist. She is a 1973
graduate of Aquinas High
School.
capacity, but he will also be
responsible for operating the
Learning Skills Center in the
evenings.”
The new VSC administrator
holds the bachelor of science
degree in business
administration from Savannah
State College and the master of
education degree in counseling
from the University of Texas at
El Paso. He has completed
course requirements for the
PhD degree in counselor
education at Florida State
University.
A native of Lowndes
County, he is the son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Stafford Hart
of Clyattville.
Hart has seen military duty
in two branches of the service.
During World War 11, he served
in the UJS. Marine Corps from
1944-46. After serving as
cashier at Savannah State
College (1950-52) and teaching
a year at Berrien County High
School at Nashville, Ga.
(1952-53), he joined the U.S.
Army and retired in 1971 as
sergeant first class. At the time
of his retirement, he was senior
instructor in the Missile School
of the U.S. Air Force Defense
Cotter at Ft. Bliss, Texas.
From 1971-73, Hart served
as counselor at Valdosta Junior
High School.
He is married to the former
Gladys Ligon of LaGrange.
They have six children.
fln |
I I
I Issue I
Black Killed by Deputy
Man Kills Wife
Atty. Watkins' Office
Burned
(Stories Page 2)