The Augusta news-review. (Augusta, Ga.) 1972-1985, July 03, 1975, Image 1
Nm5-<ntW ifjlyLte AN OPEN FORUM FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE Volume 5 HRC Enters Boycott Issue Media Boycotts Abernathy’s Nonvoilence Commitment ■ i i >. i, >. i i, . <* = H J 1.4/ ’ *-• 1 •Ki ■<: st## $ *•* C fl* ♦ ni v . I^4st* i V-4 >•£*.. hi. . in#es 8 rA 4 j ! B ?: ."‘■4l fiEwfe J'JtT c *<y >ujj \ t JMVidBWn: Ifi t ’ifcdrH* S’* i ' < wBKI ! w^WK' 1 x HRC Chairman John Radeck reads affirmative action resolution. Photo by Stan Raines The Augusta Richmond County Human Relations Committee called on the city and county governments to stop “dragging their feet” and institute and affirmative action policy to increase the number of minority and female employes. This is the third year in a row that HRC has made the request; so far, city and county governments have taken no action. The commission also heard a report by “We Want Our Share” Chairman, the Rev. Michael McCoy. The Rev. McCoy repeated Z^6-191 6 Submitted by Mrs. Christine L. Gardner THOUSANDS OF SERVICE MEN AIDED BY USO SERVICES The USO (United Service Organization Inc.) has had an interesting and illustrious experience on a local level in Augusta, Georgia. It was established in this city August 22,1941 with Mr. James Hull Sr. as the USO Council President. Mr. A.M. Carter was a charter member of the Board at that time. Four USO CLUBS WERE IN OPERATION DURING THE EARLY PART OF World War 11. They were under specific direction ofUSO Agencies. The National Catholic Community Service operated at 1309 Green Street. A club for the Negro servicemen was located in the Catholic recreation hall on Gwinnett Street sunng the early 40’s. The staff and volunteers who worked at that time gave their services in many ways at the club, at Daniel Field and Camp Gordon. The National Travelers Aid Association operated two lounges in the Union Station and two information desks in the Bus Station on Reynolds Street. The volunteers gave information concerning bus schedukes and various other assistance. During the early part of the 50’s the city of Augusta took on the local responsibility for operating the servicemen center at Bell Auditorium for white servicemen. Later they saw the need for a branch center to serve a large number of Negro servicentn. A wide-awake advisory board was organized. The late Mr. Earl Pinkerton served as chairman of the board from 1951 to 1956. Under his leadership many volunteers were secured, serviceme n received free theater tickets, several families invited serviceme n to their homes for dinner, lawn parties were held as well as many other enjoyable activities. After Mr. Pinkerton’s death in 1956, Rev. Leon Lowery who was pastoring the Tabernacle BajXist Black Publishers To Sue For Larger Share Os Ads Expressing his resentment that for too long Black newspapers have been grappling over the crumbs of lucrative advertising contracts while white publications divide dices of the ad pie, Dr. Carlton Goodlett, publisher of the San Francisco Sun Reporter, announced plans for the National Newspaper Publishers Assn, to sue in federal court for a more equitable arrangement. Dr. Goodlett, speaking at the committee’s demands for a 3-1 Black to white preferential hiring policy, better recreational facilities properly maintained, advertisement in Black owned media from businesses with a substantial Black clientele and the Wallace Branch Library to remain open on a permanent full time basis. The chairman further stated that Broad Street merchants were presented a copy of the demands in April and that the demands for managerial jobs does not mean a demand for jobs like custodial supervisor and parking lot manager. “At Blacks Who Helped Build Augusta the 35th annual NNPA convention in San Francisco, said the federal government spends $5 million to $8 million on legal advertising alone, with only a trickle going to Black publications. In the private sector, Dr. Goodlett, who was reelected as president of the NNPA, noted that of $1.54 billion spent by the nation’s 10 largest advertisers in 1972, less than $500,000 went to Black P. O. Box 953 least the assistant personnel directors of the city and county should be Black”, he said. In separate testimony, Mallory Millender, assistant professor at Paine College and editor-publisher of the News-Review reaffirmed the committee’s policy to nonviolence and charged that the local news media had taken Rev. Abernathy’s speech out of contex by harping on a theme of violence. Millender further substantiated his charge by playing back that part of a taped speech given by Part Nine Church was elected chairman of the advisory board. The Club va s still called the Servicemen Center. Rev. Lowery also did a wonderful job. He helped to provide a well rounded program for the servicemen and their families and would see that refreshments were available each Sunday for the vesper hour. Later, Rev. Lowery was called to pastor a church in Tampa, Florida. Then Mr. A.M. Carter took over the chairmanship and USO was reorganized. Mrs. Christine Gardner elected by National USO to serve as director, went from the servicemen center to the Ninth Street USO Club. Many volunteers shared the responsibility of carrying on the program. Staff members were Mrs. Gladys Biggers, Miss Louise Ross, Miss W.J. Hibler, Mrs. Annie Dorsey, Miss Thomasenia Williams and Miss Lavelle Diggs. USO MOVED TO GWINNETT AT PINE STREETS On the 15th of October 1963 the USO operating at 1212 Ninth Street moved to new and more desirable quarters at 1123 Gwinnett Street. At this point the national operating policy of USO was the complete integration of the personnel served and the staff. The policy has continued in all USO clubs. During World War 11, the Korean conflict and the Vietnam war, USO worked closely with the local community and the military authorities to do a comprehensive job in providing programs and services for the military and their dependents. The USO also served on post with Red Cross, as well as, with the Army Special Services. The working relationship with the community has See BWHBA Page 4 newspapers. Hitching onto Dr. Goodlett’s attack, California Lt. Gov. Mervyn Dymally, dflded, “This type of economic racism is a practice that needs to be recognized, examined and stopped.” Dymally suggested an investigation of the white press by the Black press, with emphasis on “the effect the mass media has upon the plight of Blacks in this country.’ Abernathy here in Augusta where Abernathy stated, “We are committed to nonviolence.” Millender challenged the local news media to print the truth The media gave no coverage to Abernathy’s statement on nonviolence. The HRC said it would work to help find solutions that will be satisfactory to all segments of the community. Man Shot To Death on Eighth Street After twice breaking up a fight Saturday, an Augusta man used his wife’s pistol to kill one of the participants, according to police reports. Robert Brinson of 705 Fifth St., went to 433 Watkins St. where he got Mrs. Emma O. Baldwin to go to Charlie’s Bar Sheriff Acquitted of Beating Charge By Robert Lee Moore In a court room case which took on the trappings of a A HI .4 fa? * f Mrs. Charles I. Williams, 3216 Tate Rd., enjoys Block Party. Photo by Stan Raines Augusta, Georgia HRC Chairman John Radeck also requested a copy of the manifesto that is being prepared by the Martin Luther King Survival Coalition. In a separate action, the commission resolved that the local governments voluntarily adopt an affirmative action program. The commission recognized the city and county government freeze on all non-essential hiring but stated on Ninth Street. There he got into a fight with a Jerome Smith. Mrs. Baldwin and her husband, Joseph, broke up the fight. They all walked to the 1000 block of Eighth Street where Brinson again jumped on Smith. Baldwin broke up the country preach-in where Andy Griffin humility and fingerwaving reprimands presided, twelve jurors acquitted the Sheriff of Richmond County and two of his deputies last Friday of any wrong doing in beating up Charles Mongol at the Speakeasy Club on Bth Street, September 26, 1974. The jurors decision brought an end to court proceedings which would have been the beginning of the political downfall of the Sheriff if the verdict had gone the other way. Sheriff Anderson’s counsel contended that he acted as a human being provoked by Charles Mongol who went looking for trouble. Mr. Mongol was accused of inciting the incident by writing a note to the sheriff which made reference to his wife not being with him so that he could play around. He was also accused of threatening the Sheriff and his two deputies by saying that he would get Warren Martin, one of the Sheriffs deputies to beat him and his deputies up. When this occurred, the Sheriff James Brown/WRDW Present Block Party July 3, 1975 that the time has come for those persons charged with the responsibility of implementing such a plan put forth positive efforts. In its resolution the commission stated that it apparently takes inference by the Federal government before any positive action can be achieved, as evidenced by the current situation with the Augusta Police Department. fight. But, according to witnesses, Brinson picked up a brick and came at Baldwin with it. Baldwin took a Colt .38 from his wife’s purse and shot Brinson once in the temple. He was charged with murder. and his deputies reportedly manhandled Mongol into the lobby area of the club where he was severely beaten. Roy Harris, Mongol’s attorney, stated that in all of his years as an attorney he had never prosecuted a police official but felt that this case warranted it. Harris admitted that his client acted foolishly in writing the note but emphasized that the Sheriff is the conservator of the peace in Richmond County charged with protecting people and not beating them up. He further stated that the issues involved in the case were (1) Whether the Sheriff and his men had the right to beat up Charles Mongol? and (2) How bad did they beat him? Hanis refened to the Sheriffs deputies, Gene Stalcup and Ed Goode, as two fighting roosters who are going to get into serious trouble if they continue the way they are going and requested that the jury give him several hours notice to get out of town if they find the sheriff and his men innocent of any wrong doing. referH W v. - -jßfe ffr .IMi B -g/ | uJM »< ’Jllti r®S James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, sponsored a block party in the Southside Terrace subdivision Sunday. No. 15 Equal Opportuity A Commitment To White Superiority Editorial In light of Augusta’s daily newspapers criticism of “We Want Our Share” for demanding preferential hiring for Blacks, and of Federal Judge Anthony Alaimo, who has asked the civil service commission to hire three Blacks for every white until the racial composition of the city population is reflected in the Department’s employment ratio, we would like to share our thinking on the subject. America has always had preferential hiring, and the preference went to white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants. America has always had racial quotas, and. until recently, our quota was zero. This is a matter of historical record. Blacks have been denied, until recently, everything from education to the right to vote. Now all of a sudden -- after almost 400 years of enslavement we are offered "equal opportunity and we are suppose to be happy. Are we suppose to be happy that we, who historically have been denied, will have the same opportunity to compete with whites who have been historically favored? We must first understand that the only thing equal about equal opportunity is that it will guarantee that Blacks who are 400 years behind the opportunities of white America will remain 400 years behind. If there is an auto race with two automobiles starting at the same point, racing on the same road under the same conditions, then it can be said that each car had an equal opportunity to win. But if one takes the same cars and starts them on the same road with one car 400 miles behind the other, then insist that they travel at the same (equal) speed, that guarantees that the second car will stay 400 miles behind. With whites having a four hundred year head start, equal opportunity only insures that we’ll stay four hundred years behind. So the issue is clear. If we are interested in the second car catching up, we have to make sure that it travels at a considerably faster speed. To insist on equal opportunity at this time in history is to make a commitment to white superiority. For equal opportunity to be equal, you have to start off on an equal basis. You can’t let one team cheat tor half the game, then play the rules in the second half and say that the game was fair. The second team has to have its share of privileged play. So what we need is not equality, we need equity. How are Blacks to be repaid for centuries of slavery and degradation? America’s answer is that we won’t be. Any attempt that is made closeto the economic gap between Blacks and whites is called “reverse discrimination” which would make whites appear to be “victims” of discrimination. The point is real clear. Bigots are not saying, “We had our half playing with advantages, now you take yours so the game will be fair.” They are saying, “We’ve had our share, and we’re not going to let you have a fair chance to catch up.” So this is a moral question. America, as wealthy as it is, is not capable of paying Blacks for the suffering it has caused us. But America must decide whether it is interested in maintaining white superiority or correcting centuries of injustice that the Black man has suffered in America? The Black man needs ot be compensated in so many, many w-ays. Preferential hiring is just one of them. Approximately 2,500 persons of all ages and walks of life braved the scorching heat to listen to the latest in soul music as rendered by Bobby “Cigarette” Jones and the Soul Dimension. 2oe