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THE PEOPLE’S PAPER <
Vol. 5
Abernathy: 'Next Time I Come, I Won’t BeComing
To Make A Speech - I’ll Be Coming For Action’
The Rev. Dr. Ralph David
Abernathy, president of the
Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC), spoke in
Augusta Saturday and
promised to return with
professional pickets, organize a
massive boycott of
white-owned businesses and
lead a march down Broad
Street.
“We are going to intensify
the picketing,” Abernathy said.
“I’ve got to bring into Augusta
additional staff from national
SCLC to organize this
picketing. Because we’re going
to picket in Augusta like
you’ve never seen it before.
“When I come back to
Augusta, I will not be alone. I
will not come to make a
speech. When I come back to
Augusta, I’m coming for
action. If we have to tear up
the town to do it, then let’s
tear up the town.”
Abernathy spoke in a vacant
lot on the comer of Ninth and
Gwinnett streets, and
emphasized SCLC’s
commitment to non-violence.
The rally was sponsored by
“We Want Our Share”, a group
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DICK GREGORY
Dick Gregory To
Climax BSU Activities
By Audrey Frazier
Renown author, lecturer and
humanitarian Dick Gregory
will climax this year’s activities
for the Black Student Union of
Augusta College. Gregory will
speak at the Performing Arts
Theater on campus at 8 p.m.
Tuesday.
The Black Student Union,
which is a public service
organization, has performed
various community services.
The members have
participated in the Southern
Christian Leadership
Conference’s anniversary, the
Concerned Mother’s
anniversary, and the Dr. Martin
* Luther King play. Also S2OO
was donted to the Bethlehem
Community Center.
A milestone in the BSU’s
history was the election of two
campus queens who were
representatives of the BSU.
Miss Sharon Aiken and Miss
Janette Simmons were elected
Miss Christmas Belle and Miss
Homecoming respectively.
The BSU had a successful
Black History Week which
climaxed with “Talent and
Fashions Unlimited,” a Black
cultured, talent and fashion
show.
Recently the BSU sponsored
P. O. Box 953
that has been picketing
downtown stores for three
weeks seeking a 50-50 racial
employment in local businesses
and in local government;
support for Black-owned
newspapers and the
Black-owned radio station, and
better recreational facilities in
the Black community. The
group also demanded that the
Wallace Branch Library be kept
open. The county has decided
to leave it open for the rest of
the year.
TIME TO CALL
PREACHERS INTO QUESTION
The Rev. Charles Wells,
pastor of Bethel A.M.E.
Church, told the more than
250 persons attending the rally
not to support ministers who
don’t support the boycott.
“The preachers,” he said,
“wear those fine clothes, ride
in those big cars, live in those
fine homes and many of you
are supporting them, and they
aren’t supporting you.
“The time has come to call
the preachers into question.
Tell them that unless they get
behind the boycott, that
you’re going to boycott that
Augusta’s first Black music and
arts festival.
Dean Roscoe Williams is
advisor of the BSU. Officers
are Charles Martin, president;
Carl Jones, acting
vice-president; Audrey Frazier,
secretary; Sharon Aiken,
assistant secretary; and John
Beal, treasurer. Gordon Ross
resided as president for the fall
and winter quarters.
The BSU expresses deep
appreciation to the community
for support shown throughout
the year.
As a lecturer, the former
professional comedian has
become the most soughtafter
speaker in America on college
campuses. He visits more than
300 colleges each school year.
The St. Louis native became a
state champion in high school
and college in track and field
and later entered the
entertainment field and rose
quickly to the top.
“The number one
firoblern in America
oday is not air or water
pollution. It is moral
pollution.”
“There is a great social
collection plate.”
Wells also berated Blacks
who shop in shopping center
stores that are being picketed
downtown. He told the rally, “I
want you to get the message
over that if we’re boycotting
Belk’s, we’re boycotting Belk’s
downtown, in Daniel Village,
and everywhere there’s a sign
that says B-E-L-K-’-S. If we’re
boycotting Davison’s, White’s
or Cullum’s, that means
boycotting everything that
looks like Cullum’s, looks like
White’s, and looks like
Davison’s. All of them have got
to go.”
Abernathy told the
enthusiastic listeners, “Your
demands are very simple, and
we’re getting ready to start a
revolution. It reminds me of
Montgomery, Alabama 20
years ago. We had simple
demands. The city could have
granted those requests and we
wouldn’t be where we are
today. But they wouldn’t grant
those demands and a
movement was bom.” If they
don’t give you more jobs then
keep your money in your
revolution going on in America
today,” he states. “And the
wonderful thing about this
revolution is thaj it is not
Black against white. It is
simply right against wrong. The
number one problem in
America today is not air or
water pollution. It is moral
pollution."
Famed Black Scientist,
Percy Julian, Dies
OAK PART, 111. - Dr. Percy
L. Julian, one of the leading
scientists of his time and a
great Black American of all
time, died Saturday, April 19,
at St. Theresa’s hospital in
Waukegan, 111., at the age of
76.
Dr. Julian, whose work as a
research chemist was hailed the
world over for many years, had
obtained 130 chemical patents.
He won international acclaim
for his work with the soybean.
In his chemical lab, he isolated
the soya protein that became
the basis of AeroFoam, the
extinguisher known in World
War II as the Navy’s
Augusta, Georgia
pockets,” he said.
Augusta, he added, labors
behind a false image. Augusta
wants everybody to believe
that Augusta is that little fine,
cultured town in Georgia. But
Augusta isn’t anything but a
city that is run by a bunch of
hypocrites and a bunch of
racists.”
He lashed the white news
media and called for leaders to
file a complaint with the
Federal Communications
Commission.
“I want to know where is
the news media,” Abernathy
repeatedly demanded. “What
I’m trying to get you to see is
that those stations are
controlled by white people.
They think that what we are
trying to do is not important,
is not significant enough to be
covered. He called upon Black
leaders to file a complaint
against all three of the local TV
stations. You let the Ku Klux
Klan have a rally, I’ll bet
they’ll cover that.”
Rally organizers said a
survey of Broad Street
businesses found that 85 per
Justice North Carolina Style: pARTI "
Rev. Ben Chavis And
The Wilmington Ten
by Angela Y. Davis
On December 3, 1971,
convicted Watergate criminal
Robert C. Mardian sent a
confidential memo, as
Assistant Attorney General to
John Mitchell, to the U.S.
Marshalls Service. “It is
anticipated,” Mardian wrote,
“that Walter David Washington
and Theodore Alfred Hood will
be key witnesses in the trial of
James Earl Grant, Jr. and
Benjamin Franklin Chavis,
known Black militants, after
evidence secured by the
investigating agents has been
presented to a Federal Grand
Jury to be convened in the
Eastern District of North
Carolina the week of December
6, 1971.”
Subsequently, $6,522.22
was paid to Walter Washington
and $7314.77 to Alfred Hood.
Many people are now
insisting that Hood and
Washington are two cogs in a
secret, government-sponsored
plan to put Ben Chavis behind
bars for the rest of his life.
If you should ever meet Ben
Chavis - he will probably be
wearing the black shirt and
white clerical collar of his
calling - you will undoubtedly
be shocked to learn that this is
the man who is one of the
DR. PERCY L. JULIAN
See “Dr. JULIAN” Page 7
cent of the customers are Black
but only 15 per cent of the
employees are Black. “You’re
not asking that they fire whites
but that they hire Blacks three
to : one,” the Rev. Abernathy
said.
The Rev. Wells, who
introduced the Rev. Dr.
Abernathy, said it was difficult
to assess the impact of the
picketing so far.
“When whites start to feel
an economic crunch, then I
think we’ll get some results,”
the Rev. Wells said.
Os the employment goals, he
said, “People keep talking
about qualified people. We're
talking about qualifiable
people.” The Rev. Wells said
employers should make an
effort to teach Blacks
necessary skills if they don’t
already have them.
Pressed to be specific on the
date of his return to Augusta,
the Rev. Dr. Abernathy said he
would keep a “watchful eye”
on the progress of the
locally-organized picketing but
would not wait for an
invitation to return if he felt it
necessary.
most wanted ‘criminals’ in the
state of North Carolina. Slight
of build, he is warm and
softspoken. His manner is
gentle, yet intense. His
Christian beliefs are, for him,
an imperative to social action -
action against racist
discrimination, needless
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DEBORAH MANOR & PETER MILOVAN
Josey’s Top Grads
Photo by Mike Carr
Deborah A. Manor and Peter
Philip Milovan who have been
named respectively
Valedictorian and Salutatorian
at T. W. Josey High School.
May 1, 1975 No. 6
EBHk |Bbß| 9
The Rev. Ralph David Abernathy (second from right), leads in singing of “We
Shall Overcome” after he addressed rally at Ninth and Gwinnett streets. (L-R) Mrs.
Marguerite Bryant, Rev. Michael McCoy, Rev. Charles E. Wells, Rev. Nathaniel Irvin,
Dr. Abernathy and Rev. Robert Pagett.
poverty and all the prevailing
inequities in our society.
He has fought for quality
education. He has protested
the casual and conciliatory
attitudes of southern
governments toward the Ku
See “JUSTICE” Page 7
Deborah is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Sibert of
Savannah, Ga. but resides in
Augusta with her aunt and
uncle, Mr. and Mrs. James B.
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SHERRY NEAL
"Little Miss Paine”
“Little Miss Paine” for 1975
is Sherry Neal, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. William A Neal of 3114
Palm Court, Augusta, Georgia.
Sherry won the crown in the
“Little Miss Paine” contest,
sponsored by the Paine College
Pre-Alumni Club. She raised the
highest amount of money in the
contest. The Queen’s court
includes: Clarissa Walker,
Parker. Deborah serves as
treasurer of the National
Honor Society, co-editor of the
yearbook, vice president of her
senior class, secretary of the
Debutante Club, co-captain of
the Girls’ Varsity Basketball
team and is a member of the
Student Council, Math Club
and Pep Club. She has been
selected to participate in the
Pre-Freshman Summer
Program at Spelman College,
and plans to attend Spelman or
Paine College for a degree in
mathematics.
Peter came from Germany
to join his parents here in
America five years ago. He is
the son of Mrs. Ana Helga
Milovan, foreign language
teacher at Paine College. Peter
participates in Air Force Junior
ROTC. He is the president and
founder of the Aerospace Club,
vice-president of the National
Honor Society, and a member
of the tennis team. He plans to
attend Geoigia Institute of
Technology.
daughter of Mrs. Yvonne Walker
of 504 Sand Bar Ferry Road;
LaSonya McCain, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McCain of
1225 Beman St. and Mary Jane
Norris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
James Norris of P.O. Box 382,
Leesville, S.C. The total raised
for the event was $1,032.00
Shelia Gibbs, “Little Miss Paine”
for 1974 crowned Sherry.
HI
’MT
KENNETH ARMSTEAD
Graduates
From MIT
Kenneth Jerome Armstead,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Furness J.
Armstead of Charlotte, N.C.
See “GRADUATE” Page 2
20P
