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The Augusta News-Review - December 5, 1974 -
■ ii
■Walking ■
I I
■ Dignity ■
CT by Al Irby _ t
(TO STIFLE A GROUP’S NEWS-GATHERING CAPACITY IS
THE FIRST STEP TO NEUTRALIZE ITS EFFECTIVENESS.)
“WALKING WITH DIGNITY”, unequivocally agrees with our
editor in last week’s editorial, “BLACK DOLLARS AREN’T
NEEDED IN DOWN TOWN AUGUSTA? Too many local white
merchants are sucking Black people’s financial blood, and are not
willing to support the Black media. The Black media in Augusta
includes two weeklies and one radio station.
Local Black citizens, simply must demand some return for
their patronage, by engaging in selective buying. We’ll point out
the culprits, you withold your buying. Trade with the merchants,
that advertise with the “Mirror, News-Review and WRDW Radio
Station.
YASSER ARAFAT, THE RAMBUNCTIOUS PALESTINIAN
LEADER THRILLED THE “THIRD WORLD” DIPLOMATS,
AND STUNNED THEIR SEMITIC COUSINS.
The United Nations invitation and the recent Rabat conference
have given the PLO a period of global status. Yasser Arafat’s
triumphant before the UN will give him undisputed authority
over the PLO. The PLO is the unbrella group for all the guerrilla
organizations. This group started ten years ago. It was the
creation of the restlessness and frustration of the young
Palestinians who were tired of listening to their elders, who were
putting all of their trust in “Allah”, after the 1967 war.
Arafat’s own group, Fatah is really, Palestine Liberation
Movement, it took advantage of the discontent of the six day war
to seize control of the PLO. Arafat was elected chairman of the
PLO at the 1969 Palestine National Congress at the height of the
guerrilla heyday. The speech was the result of a UN General
Assembly’s vote on October 14. Until week before last Arafat was
a funny little Arab who didn’t like Israelis, as far as sophisticated
New Yorkers were concerned. But after his UN scenario he is the
toast of the “Third World”. He ranks in importance with the
Chinese in 1971, and Nikita Khrushchev in 1960. This guerrilla
Sheik fell in on the world organization in his smartly tailored
outfit, surrounded by his well educated delegation.
Arafat reminded America, that its founding fathers, including
George Washington was considered rebels in Europe. He invoked
the names of Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson in appealing to
the American people to support “right and justice" for the
Palestinian. “I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom
fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hands."
The UN the preceding week urged Israel’s supporter’s to stay
home, and only two small demonstrations took place the day of
the Palestinian dandy’s address. None of the dozens of
assassination or bomb threats against the PLO leader’s life
materialized-despite a reported offer by the Jewish Defense
League of a SI 00,000 to knock Arafat off.
ARAFAT AT THE UN WAS THE FRUITATION OF A LONG
STRUGGLE - In 1936, the rulers of Transjordan and Iraq
mediated the end of a six month Palestinian general strike against
the British then rulers of the Palestine Mandate. Since then, the
Palestine issue has more or less fallen under the “guardianship of
Arab governments”. In 1948, the British gave up their mandate
amid bloody communal fighting, and the surrounding Arab
governments sent armies into the country. The largest chunk of
Palestine in Arab hands after the war was the West Bank, which in
1950 was annexed by King Abdullah of Transjordan to establish
the new Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. During the 1967
Arab-Israeli war, the West Bank fell into Israeli hands, but until
late October, Abdullah’s grandson. King Hussein, still asserted
Jordanian sovereignty over the occupied territory.
Beside Pope Paul VI, Arafat is the only person who does not
represent a government ever to address the plenary Assembly.
The Pontiff was legit as leader of world-wide Catholicism, and
Vatican City. Arafat only heads a heterogeneous gang of near
Hippies, whose popular strength is untested, but the Arab nations
nonetheless greeted him as a conquering hero.
A MODEL LAND DESIGNED FOR PEACE AND
BROTHERHOOD - Arafat in his UN speech tried to differentiate
his respect for the Jewish religion from his hatred of Zionism, and
appeal to liberal Jewry to drop the present-day Israelis’ cause.
“Let us remember that the Jews of Europe and America have
always lead the struggles for secularism and the separation of
church and state, they have also been known to fight against
discrimination on religious grounds.” The classy little Palestinian
ended his plea with these touching words:” How in Allah's name
do they refuse this humane paradign for the Holy Land?”
Arafat still speaking: “Many of you who are here in this
Assembly hall were once considered terrorists.” Terrorism is
repugnant to western culture’s life style, but in the last two
decades, sadly enough, it has been essential to the birth of many
of the world’s now respectable members of the community of
nations. Believe it or not, but the Isralis who are howling so loud
about terrorists might not exist today had it not been for Jewish
terrorists. The Stern gang, and the Irgun Zvai bullies were the two
militant Jewish groups of the 30s and 40s harassed the British to
give up its mandate over Palestine with bombs and assassinations.
Lord Moyne, the British administrator for the Middle East was
killed bv Jewish terrorists in Cairo by the Stem Gang, which also
assassinated Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte, the UN mediator in
Palestine, in 1948. Then the most infamous Jewish act of all was
the murder by the Irgun and Stem Gangs of 254 Arabs in the
village of Deir. “Ye without sin cast the first stone.”
LETTERS EDITOR
SUPPORTS BOYCOTT OF
NON-ADVERTISING
STORES
Dear Editor:
During the 60’s when this
writer was stationed in New
Mexico, I had the occasion to
go to the Post Library and ask
for Hooding Carter’s, AN
EPITAH FOR DIXIE. I was
told it could be found under
fiction.
The News-Review’s front
page sets me wondering if I
should write a book to be
named An Epitah For Blacks.
In my views, the News-Review,
along wih the other Black
newspaper and the
Black-owned radio station
perform too valuable a service
for its staff not to be
compensated. If increased
advertising revenues will afford
a salary to the staff of the
News-Review, then the Black
community should proceed
forthwith in a plan to attract
increased advertising in the
newspaper.
Advertising has many
objectives and if 1 may, let me
list a few: to increase the
number of units purchased, to
introduce new products, to
conteract competition, to build
a positive business image, and
to foster goodwill.
It is the latter two that
attention should be focused. In
the first place, if a business
refuses advertising in a
newspaper such as the
News-Review, with a
substantial Black readership, it
is saying it does not care about
its image, and does not desire
to have goodwill in the Black
community. Such business
institutions should be
boycotted. Would you believe
a picket line is still effective in
1974?
While it is true that a
substantial number of the
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FEAR HAS BECOME THE COMPANION OF THE ELDERLY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
I TOBE
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By f J b
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. gl
I,
The ambiguous relationship of Black people with the television
industry continues. In many areas Blacks make up a majority of
large minority of television viewers. Nationwide, Blacks form a
disproportionate market for products advertised on the home
screen. Most Blacks rely on television broadcasts for their prime
source of news.
But within the television industry and related businesses.
Blacks are few and powerless. Studies indicate that a fifth of all
television stations have no minority employees, a third of all
stations have no minorities in higher salaried positions, and four
out of five had none in managerial positions.
It is clear that the television industry, like so many other
businesses; has relaxed its initial push to recruit, train and hire
Black employes. The difference though, is that television stations
operate under government license and their hiring practices
should be taken account of when the Federal Communications
Commission reviews license renewal applications.
The FCC has been noticeably lax in this. FCC denials of license
renewals were unheard of until this fall when Alabama s state
educational network was reportedly denied renewal of its license
for its blatant discrimination in hiring and programming practices.
License renewal time is the period when minorities and other
citizens’ groups have maximum leverage in pressuring stations to
fulfill their stated obligation to substantially meet the
community’s needs and interests. Now Congress is about to
extend license periods from three to five years, and it will also
ease qualifications for such renewals.
This will put the industry further beyond the reach of citizens
seeking changed policies and greater access. It remains to be seen
whether the FCC will continue its all but automatic renewal of
license applications or whether it will apply the new, losser
standards, with more zeal.
The Commission should adopt a strong affirmative hiring
policy, and it should also be more aggressive in assuring that
stations carry out their obligations to the public by providing
educational and quality children’s programming, in addition to its
entertainment broadcasts.
The FCC recently adopted a new policy statement on
children’s broadcasting, after a long fight by concerned parents’
groups. It cut the allowed advertising time on children’s programs
and, without getting very specific, says that broadcasters "have a
special obligation to serve children.”
Advertising directed at children is a live issue not adequately
dealt with by the FCC. Cutting commercial time by a few
minutes still doesn’t deal with the high pressure tactics used in
selling to children, who are not capable of understanding all the
nuances of ads.
Advertisements are often unscreened for health and safety
factors, often make exaggerated claims and hook kids with offers
of free toys or gimmicks. Children thus demand products that
have little nutritional value and are bad for their growing bodies.
Most vulnerable to these pitches are minority and low-income
youngsters, who watch television more often than others. The
average first-grader has already spent more time in front of the
tube than he later will in a college classroom. Along with high
pressure commercials that make them want to buy things their
parents can’t afford or are not good for them, these kids are also
learning distorted values. In a few years, their realization that
they’ve been exploited will breed cynicism and mistrust of adults.
In its hiring practices, its stereotyped programming, its
influence on children, and its commercial messages, the television
industry has yet to merit the trust of the people it supposedly
serves. This is something that should concern the industry itself,
the FCC, and you, the viewer.
readers of this paper also read
the Chronicle and the Herald,
it is not enough for the
advertising in these papers to
be said it is directed at Blacks.
No newspaper can survive
without advertising, and
neither can a business, as
witness the Chysler demise a
decade ago when it decided to
forego advertising. All students
of marketing are familiar with
this story, 1 am sure.
I would advocate an
advertising syndicate composed
of the News-Review, the
Mirror, and WRDW. This
BLACKS AND THE TUBE
syndicate should hire a
profession with a staff to go
out and bring in the advertising
for all its members. Its not a
matter of begging, its a matter
of rightful entitlement as seen
by this writer.
Black dollars are needed in
Augusta by the downtown
merchants, including all of
them. A withholding of
patronage should follow
non-advertising in the
instrumentalities of the Black
community. I call upon the
CSRA Black community not to
be the resource material for the
Empmw-menl
Dr. Nathaniel 1
IVrg/ir, Jr.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
BLACK UNITY
During the latter part of May thousands of black
Americans, most of whom would be seen as of a militant
persuasion, joined in local and national celebrations of
African Liberation Day. In my own local community, the
leaders were virtually unknown. This same situation may
have prevailed in many parts of the country. Still no more
than we may properly judge a book by its cover may we
judge a worthy cause by the familiarity (or lack of'famili
arity) of the faces which provide its leadership.
Whether the term, or the idea of, African Liberation
Day has popular appeal or not, all black Americans must
face the fact that blacks need unity. We are the only major
American ethnic or racial group without an ethnic organi
zation of major size or strength which may speak from
within our peculiar in-group needs.
This does not even remotely suggest that we do not
need multi-racial support from such crucial organizations
as the always white-led National Urban League and Na
tional Association for the Advancement of Colored people.
Indeed, all black Americans seeking freedom and security
should be diligent in their support—and in their defense—
of these organizations which have served, weathering over
many years and bearing our cause, in spite of the heavy
burden and heat of the day. Neither of these multi-racial
organizations working in our behalf has ever had a black
president.
What we are suggesting is that blacks need, for their
fullest impact upon and entry into American life, addi
tional instruments which are racial in character. An Afri
can Liberation Day seeks, in its own way, to fill this void
and to accomplish this purpose.
The historian Lerone Bennett, himself a moderate
militant long known primarily for his editorial writing for
Ebony magazine, has noted that what the white liberal
friends of black America lack is passion. They look or peer
in upon our needs as from the outside and this is, in itself,
a crucially limiting factor. Those who recognize that their
own immediate personal welfare and survival are at stake
go to vastly different lengths for a cause than do those
who have largely a commitment on the basis chiefly of
personal persuasion or philosophy.
Frederick Douglass, an integrationist in his personal
life and in his long-range goals, echoed this same senti
ment when he said that the oppressed must assume the
helm and call the shots in their every major stride toward
liberation. He noted that rarely could persons outside of
one’s own group strike the most “telling blows for free
dom." Douglass noted what he saw in his day as the one
major exception to this rule in the person of John Brown
who gave his life for black liberation. “I speak for free
dom,” Douglass explained. “John Brown acted. I live for
freedom. John Brown gave up his life.”
Rarely, so Douglass concluded, is this kind of passion
found beyond one’s own ethnic or racial group.
Both Booker T. Washington and his wife Mary Talia
ferro Washington saw, in an almost prophetic way, this
same need. They founded two of the oldest black organiza
tions in continuous existence, the Negro Business League
and the National Association of Negro Women. Ironical
ly, the agreement by Dr. W. E. B. Dußois with Dr. Wash
ington on the need for a major black voice to speak to
black needs is largely overlooked by historians and by the
public as a whole.
wnue supporting every ettort—bi-racial or even pri
marily white—which assists in black liberation, we must
soon come to address ourselves, in a concerted way, to
the creation or encouragement of black voices—or of a
major voice or organization—to speak for black needs.
Black fraternities, black civic organizations, black
professional groups and, of course, the black church and
the black press are ideally suited to create a coalition or
solid new black mass organization to speak for our needs,
as they are defined in and for the late 20th century. The
old line black organizations here have their historic princi
ples at stake. They should, therefore, welcome the new
voices and work cooperatively for black unity and
empowerment.
book. An Epitah For Blacks.
We owe more to ourselves and
our children.
Prentiss Ivory Davis
2080 Hill singer
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Comments on a brief variety of issues seem to be in order this
week. It is often quite difficult to focus on one issue when we live
in such turbulent or troublesome times.
The News-Review deserves the strong support of Black and
white readers. It is a very necessary alternative to racially biased
conservative white newspapers in Augusta. Black newspapers are
the only ones that really cover the news of the Black community.
Blacks are virtually invisible in most of the white news media in
this country.
The white business downtown and in the shopping centers
would suffer greatly with the loss of Black patronage or buying.
More of the hard earned money of Blacks must come back into
the Black community through jobs and advertising with Black
owned news media. I urge our readers to express their disfavor to
white businesses that refuse to advertise in our media byway of
economic boycott and letters to them expressing our feelings.
Blacks have too much buying power not to expect fair and
equal treatment. It is also not wise to shop in stores that do not
employ our people. The one thing white businessmen respect
above all else is the power of money. We are not begging for we
are demanding our fair share of the economic life of our
community.
I will say once again in this column that Black owned
businesses deserve our increased support and patronage. We need
a Black bank in Augusta “now more than ever.” Our Black
professionals like the very able surgeon Dr. Paul Weston deserves
our support as do all of our doctors and others.
Brother Verlyn C. Bell also merits our ongoing financial and
moral support as he seeks justice from an unjust system.
Computers are like God in that they work in mysterious ways.
The difference is that computers work in mischievous ways when
it comes down to Black political candidates.
There is a vital need for more Blacks on the Richmond County
Board of Education in many ways. I certainly hope that Brother
Bell will fare well with not only his but our “day in court.” Such
issues like the present busing plan for school desegregation will
come up during the early part of next year. It is therefore vital
that we have more people on the Board who are more committed
to quality and equal education for all children rather than fanning
the flames of anti-busing racism. Will Augusta become another
Boston?
Black people will no longer tolerate white racism like we have
in the past. We must become more watchful and aggressive as the
stakes in the racism game get higher. It would be tragic for
Augusta to forever travel the road to reconstruction. Democracy
with justice and equality before the law must prevail because
anything less is to no avail.
President Gerald Ford is running hard for his first election to
the presidency. He has adopted the Nixon style of traveling all
over the world while our domestic problems tear us asunder. We
have not had a president since Lyndon B. Johnson left office
years ago.
“No helmet” Ford is a tired, old style politician that does not
seem to know how to lead in this century. He was playing
plantation politics when he patted Black golfer Lee Elder on the
back citing the things they have in common. Lee Elder is at least
a good golfer while Ford is too busy running behind Secretary of
State Henry Kissinger to focus on being a president for ail the
people and not just the rich and super-rich. The President has not
appointed any Blacks to major political positions but he likes
being seen in public with a Black athelete.
It will probably take the voting power of Blacks to convince
Ford that pats on the back are similar to kicks unless he appoints
us to key positions. I wonder how long it will be before this
country elects another president who can at least verbally rise
above racist conservatism.
The so-called Georgia Blue Law entitled the “Day of Rest” is
an affront to democracy and the separation of Church and States
Constitution. The weekend arrests by the Richmond County
Sheriff’s Department of managers of businesses open on Sunday
is typical of the religious hypocrisy in this community. Since the
Augusta law enforcement officials are the first in the state to
enforce this unconstitutional law, their behavior is typical for a
community that gives lip service to God while some of the leading
white churches foster racially segregated schools to avoid
desegregation.
One could wonder when Bible thumping racists will learn that
God does not want forced religious behavior. Black and white
Christians who feel strongly about observing a day of rest should
practice it themselves and not seek to force their beliefs on
others. One of the best aspects of a democracy is equal rights for
all.
Many Black and white Augustans want the white law
enforcement officials to be just as zealous about eliminating
increasing police brutality as they are about enforcing an unjust
so-called blue law. It really should be called a “jelly law” since it
is on shaky ground. The ballot wording of the law was drawn up
in such away as to be another capitalist trick.
It would not be surprising if the so-called new Blue Law was
promoted by white business interests that wanted all Sunday laws
ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the end. They
could then proceed to open all kinds of businesses on Sunday,
especially liquor stores. Christian fundamentalist may be playing
into the hands of those interests unwittingly.
It is always amusing to see how some white church leaders can
get worked up about an issue like this while ignoring hunger and
starvation all over the world including Augusta. I have talked to a
number of young whites who will not attend their churches
because of such hypocrisy.
The News-Review is like a fresh air in an area like Augusta. I
suggest each of our readers should study white newspapers and
television stations for one day or one week and then see how
Blacks are left out of this media. The only reading or viewing you
are likely to see has to do with Black entertainers, sports stars, or
criminal behavior. Compare that with the “White image” that is
projected. Am I right about it?
Harambee!!!!!!
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
Mallory K. Millender Editor and Publisher
Audrey Frazier Society Editor
James Stewart Circulation Manager
Frank Bowman Advertising Manager
Mailing Address: Box 953 Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4555
Second Class Postage Paid Augusta, Ga. 30901
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