Newspaper Page Text
Augusta, Ga 30901
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UHK ' THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Vol. 5
Blacks Vow To Fight To Stop
Closing Os Wallace Branch Library
Say It’s Part Os A Racially Motivated
Mass Elimination Scheme
By Mallory Millender
In a very heated meeting at
Paine College Sunday
afternoon, a group of Blacks
met to protest the closing of
the Wallace Branch Library,
the only library in the Black
community.
The library will be closed
permanendy, beginning May 1.
The proposed closing is
reportedly based on the lack of
circulation at the Wallace
Branch which has declined
from over 30,000 in 1961 to
10,000 in 1974. Budget is also
said to be a consideration and
the county would save some
$20,000 annually by closing
the branch.
Virtually all of the Blacks at
the meeting seemed to feel that
the reasons for closing the
facility are primarily racial.
Blacks were not allowed to
Two Men, One Woman Shot In Separate Incidents
by Audrey Frazier
Two Augusta men were shot
Sunday. However, there are
conflicting reports on how the
shooting occured.
Bunion Morgan of 2112
Third Ave. stated to police that
he observed Robert Cooper of
1048'A 10th St. and Frank
Bennefield of 1213 Augusta
Ave. arguing on the 2100 block
All In A Day’s Living
Rev. Booker’s 'Common Courtesy’ Nets SSOO For P.C.
For the Rev. Walter Booker
of the Maintenance
Department at Paine College it
was just being himself.
For W.D. Anderson, district
manager of J.A. Sexauer, Inc.
it was a “refreshing
experience”.
For Paine College it meant a
Augusta’s OIC
Progressing
Says National
Director
By Audrey Frazier
The Rev. Dr. Elton Jolly,
national executive director of
Opportunities Industrialization
Center (OIC) had high praise
for Augusta’s OIC while
visiting here last week.
When asked what he thought
of Augusta’s OIC Jolly said,
“It’s good. They have a
tremendous start. They have
good backing and will be able
to continue to produce. It has
a good foundation.”
Jolly feels the Augusta OIC
has much work to be done.
And that they have the bakcing
to do it. “The have support
from everywhere and just have
to produce,” said Jolly.
Compared to other OIC
organizations throughout the
country Jolly feels Augusta’s
OIC has done a marveloujob.
“To say that this OIC has only
been in existence for a short
period, and it has done a good
job. It will be able to expand
and cover the county.”
The Augusta OIC has IS
public service slots which are
used to find jobs for the
unemployed. OIC trains and
P. O. Box 953
use the downtown library until
1958.
One man observed, “They
put us out here at Wallace
Branch to keep us from
downtown. Now that we’ve
forced our way downtown,
they say, ‘we’ll close you
down’.”
The budget question did not
hold water with the group
Sunday. William Brown, one of
the founders of the Wallace
Branch Library and a teacher
at Lucy Laney High School,
said, “They are about to
expand Appleby (branch
library) and we’re going to let
them close Wallace Branch. It’s
a slap in the face.”
Some view the closing of the
library as a scheme of “mass
elimination” of Black
institutions. Predicting that
of Third Avenue.
Morgan reported that
Cooper pulled a revolver, fired
and struck Bennefield in the
head. Morgan chased Cooper
west on Third Ave. Cooper
turned and fired at Morgan,
striking him in the jaw.
Bennefield stated that he and
Cooper had been arguing when
check for SSOO from the
Sexauer Foundation.
It all started when Anderson
arrived on the Paine College
campus as a representative of
his company’s products.
He met the Rev. Booker
who received him with a
courtesy and hor, dality
■BSRH
Photo by Chazlet G. HmtU Jr.
IT PAYS TO BE COURTEOUS
Dr. Julius S. Scott Jr., president of Paine College, accepts a SSOO check from W.D.
Anderson, district manager of the Sexauer Corporation.
Anderson was so impressed with the unusual courtesy shown him by the Rev.
Walter Booker (left) that he had his corporation donate the money as a gesture of
appreciation.
retrains the unemployed. They
also make sure the rights of the
poor they serve are protected.
The Rev. Dr. Jolly expressed
John M. Tutt school will be
renamed because many whites
don’t want to attend a school
named for a Black man, Willie
Mays said, “We are going to
find ourselves back in slavery -
Cadillac style - and still
smiling.” They don’t really
care and sometimes I wonder if
we care,” he added.
Mays’ mother, City
Councilman Carrie J. Mays,
was present at the meeting, but
said as the city council’s
representative to the library
board of directors, she would
like to talk to the board before
making public statements.
Asked about the decline in
circulation at the Wallace
Branch, head librarian Mrs.
Gwendolyn Cummings stated
that Wallace Branch is not
allowed to purchase its own
Cooper pulled a revolver and
shot him in the top of the
head.
In contrast to what Morgan
and Bennefield reported,
Cooper stated that he had been
arguing with Bennefield when
Bennefield pulled a knife and
chased him.
Cooper stated that he then
seldom found in this day of
hustle and bustle.
Anderson was so impressed
with the kindness accorded
him by the Rev. Booker that
he spoke to his supervisor
about it.
His supervisor suggested that
such a special man should be
his appreciation to everyone in
the Augusta community for
the gracious way in which he
was recieved. He expressed
Augusta, Georgia
books and materials.
Consequently many Blacks
walk out saying, “Y’all ain’t
got nothing in here. I’m going
to the white library.” The
Wallace Branch is treated like a
step-child, Mrs. Cummings said.
Mrs. Julius Scott, wife of
Paine’s president and a
librarian herself at Atlanta’s
main branch, noted that Black
branches in Atlanta have their
own budgets and order their
own materials. The system in
Augusta, she said, sounds like a
kind of backward system that
“buys for one group and
shuffles what’s left out to the
branches.”
One of the main activities at
the Wallace branch is its
pre-school programs where
some three hundred children
come twice daily to listen to
pulled a revolver, fired and
struck Bennefield in the top of
the head. Then Bennefield
threw the knife at him but
missed him.
The knife was recovered by
police.
WOMAN SHOT
Ms. Anna Rue Mitchell of 15
given some type recognition.
He recommended to the
Sexauer Foundation that
something be done for Paine
College in honor of the Rev.
Booker.
Monday, W.D. Anderson was
back on the Paine College
campus. This time he was there
special thanks to
Councilwoman Carrie Mays
and Nathaniel Jackson for their
hospitality.
the story hour and to view
educational films.
They walk to the
community Wallace Branch.
One of the arguments for
closing the library is its
closeness to the main
downtown library. But, Mrs.
Cummings added, “It’s going
to look mighty strange to see
2,3, and 4-year-olds walking
from Tabernacle, Macedonia,
and Antioch churches all the
way down to the downtown
library.”
The library board of
directors have said that when
the library closes all employes
will be transferred to the main
branch.
A meeting is being planned
for the directors to meet with a
citizens’ group to appeal the
closing.
Nicholas St., was shot Saturday
while fighting over a pistol.
Ms. Mitchell reported to
police that John Lewis Cane of
the same address shot her while
they were fighting over a .22
caliber pistol.
Cane shot Ms. Mitchell in
the upper right thigh.
to present to Dr. Julius S.
Scott Jr., president of the
college an unrestricted check
for SSOO on behalf of the Rev.
Booker from the Foundation.
For W.D. Anderson and the
Sexauer Foundation, it was a
special thanks to a special
person.
For Paine College, it was
pride in knowing that it has
such employes.
For Rev. Walter Booker, it
was all in a day’s living.
A Worthwhile Struggle
Editorial
On March 25, The News-Review celebrated its fourth
anniversary. To many of us who have labored in the
vinyard, the four years have felt like forty. Nevertheless
there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes
from the fact that we have survived during one of the
most difficult economic periods in the history of this
nation.
Our mission has always been clear - to bring to this
community in general and the Black community in
particular, information that will enable citizens to know
those things that are necessary to make wise and
judicious decisions about matters that will shape their
destinies.
We know that a medium such as ours is necessary to
combat the increasingly sublte racism that still tries to
strangle us.
For instance, we are offended by the mayor’s failure
last week to name a Black to fill the vacant seat in the
First Ward. According to the 1970 census, the First
Ward is 66.3% Black, and has never had a Black
representative to the city council. The Third Ward is
March 27, 1975 No. 1
Who Will Be The Losers?
By Mary Elam
“We have a good time at the
library,” remarked the
pre-schoolers who attend storv
hour at the Wallace Branch.
Four-year-old Tonya
Jackson said, “I like to go to
the library to listen to the
story and to look at the
books.” I
Meranda Burns, 3,replied, “I
like to look at the movies there
because they are fun to
watch.”
Tara Tanksley, 5, adds, “I
like to go to the library to hear
Mrs. Cummings tell the story
and I like to look at the
movies. My favorite is ‘Cat in
the Hat’.”
But pre-schoolers aren’t the
only ones who enjoy being at
the library.
A special education student
at Lucy Laney, Eamestine
Nipple writes: “Thanks (Mrs.
Cummings) for inviting me
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Mrs. Gwendolyn Cummings leads Pre-school Story Hour.
over to the library. I enjoyed it
very much and I also enjoyed
listening to you explain the
kinds of books in the library.”
The Wallace Branch Library,
located in the Black
community, has been rendering
service to its inhabitants for
many years. It represents a
center of learning for Blacks.
Over the years, the library
has initiated serveral diversified
programs in order to create and
stimulate community
awareness. One such program,
“Teen Time”, was held for
young adults in which these
young people planned then
own programs that included
talks on such topics as drugs,
drug abuses, sex, music,
communicable diseases and
community needs. Other
programs held were an adult
book review session, a Black
Film Festival and tutorial
piogra-.
60% Black and has never had a Black councilman. The
mayor and all of Augusta must be made to understand
that Black people must speak for Black people, unless
Black people decide otherwise. It is remarkable that the
majority rules except when the majority is Black. The
mayor must be made to know that we are the majority
in Augusta and that we won’t accept minority
treatment.
The latest rip-off is the announced closing of the
Wallace Branch Library, the only public library in the
Black community. The reason is supposed to be because
of a lack of circulation. But we are told that the people
downtown order the books for all the branches,
consequently book selections are not geared toward
Black interests. Is there any wonder then that Blacks
wanting to read go where they can find what they want
to read? We urge our readers to oppose this effort to
remove this Black learning center. We believe that the
effort to close Wallace Branch and have Blacks go to the
downtown librarv is just a small part of the over all
master plan to *consolidate’(erase) everything that Blacks
have control over, including Black news media. The
Black media raise too many relevant questions.
As we celebrate this fourth anniversary, we thank
God for our continued existence. Whereas we can’t solve
problems, we can let the public know about them.
We hope that the Easter season will serve as a time for
rededication to Christian principles for all men. Therein
lies the solution to life's problems.
This community library was
founded by the Rev. Samuel D.
Wallace, along with a
community forum committee.
The committee was composed
of such pioneers as Philip
Waring, Mrs. Rosa Tutt, Mrs.
Lucille Floyd, Mrs. Lily B.
Harris and Livingston Wallace.
This group started a book drive
and books were donated by
interested citizens. The
community library was first set
up in a fire house. In 1957, the
city of Augusta took it on as
part of the public library. The
library was then named after
its founder, the Rev. Wallace.
Presently the library has
geared itself to work primarily
with pre-schoolers. These
children represent various
communities. They are
expected to gain a knowledge
of listening skills, view movies
and learn finger plays.
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