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The Augusta News-Review - July 24, 1975 -
The Trial Os Joanne Little
The attention of the civilized world is focused on Joanne
Little, a 21-year-old Black girl on trial for killing a white jailer
who tried to rape her in the early morning hours in her jail cell.
The episode, the circumstances and the leading character in this
sombre drama, are not what worries the concerned public. It is
the local of the judicial proceedings that causes trauma and
apprehension.
The trial is being held in Raleigh, N.C., in a setting where
hostility to Blacks is a leading claim to distinction by this
Southern metropolis. The jury, which is being drawn, is expected
to reflect the sentiments and emotions of the tobacco-chewing,
Bible-quoting, Negro-hating rednecks.
The Southern system of justice, once more is being exposed to
the full glare of the public spotlight. The County medical
Si? K&
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN AMERICA TURNED
THE NATION AROUND IN ITS THINKING AND ACTIONS. IT
AWAKENED MANY ETHNIC AND TIMID GROUPS,
INCLUDING THE DYNAMIC AND VIVACIOUS WOMEN’S
LIBERATION MOVEMENT. VOTING RIGHTS WAS THE
NEEDED CATALYST THAT CATAPULTED BLACKS INTO
THE POLITICAL ARENAS OF ALL BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT.
Last June, the House of Representatives voted 341 to 70 to
extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965, for another ten years.
After how the Northern states have reacted by trying to show the
South up in the early days of integration, they gave the
impression that the South was heathen and they were the
essence of pure pietism. There is no wonder, that nationally
renown columnist James J. Kilpatrick would write in this vein:
“The original Voting Rights Act also was drastic legislation, but it
addressed a serious condition. For roughly a century, in flagrant
defiance of the Fifteenth Amendment, the Southern States had
discriminated against the Black voter. By trickery, sophistry,
intimidation and brute force, the South had denied Blacks what
was plainly theirs, the right to vote. It was a plausible surmise
that this pattern of indefensible conduct was responsible for voter
turnouts of less than 50 per cent of the potential electorate in the
presidential election of 1964.”
But the pithy columnist sees danger in the continuation of this
basic principle of federalism; he condemns the 1975 act in these
words: “The Congress is now moving precisely in the wrong
direction. The pending bill not only extends the original punitive
law for another ten years, but also broadens its scope to take in
“language minorities.” Back in 1965. the “50 per cent trigger”
had some plausible basis. Clearly, Black citizens had been denied
the right to vote, on account of race, color, or previous condition
of servitude. No such body of evidence supports the proposed
expansion.” The distinguished newsman states his point
flawlessly, but the nation’s Latins seek the Voting-Law benefits,
claiming gross discrimination especially in the Southwest. For
instance Modesto Rodriquez, a peanut farmer of Frio County
Texas, and chairman of the United People’s Party spends most of
his spare time, explaining the merit of voter-recistration
procedures to his people, Mexican-Americans. Rodriquez busys
himself making speeches on behalf of party candidates and
driving voters to the polls at election time.
But he feels he has little to show for his efforts. He asks how
TOBE EQUAL
BY VERNON E. JORDAN, JR.
The Rise Os 'The New Ethnicity’
A major development in our society has been the relatively
recent rise of what has been called “the new ethnicity.”
The old melting pot concept ot America - that all citizens,
whatever their ethnic origins, be made into some sort of
homogenized “American” modeled on the Anglo-Saxon founders
of this country - is effectively dead.
In place of the melting pot, there is a pluralistic recognition of
our diverse orgins, cultures and backgrounds, with the added
realization that no one has to apologize for his forebearers, his
race or his accent because they don’t match the false ideal of the
society.
Suddenly, we see people who used to change their names and
smooth their manners adopting their traditions with gusto,
enthusiastically putting the hyphen back into “American,"
Polish-Americans, Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans,
Jewish-Americans, and many dozens of other groups are
reaffirming that this is a nation of immigrants and that while we
are all citizens of one land, each of us brings to it a special,
specific culture and background.
America is a combination of all of those different cultures and
its strength lies in a healthy, diverse pluralism that respects all and
belittles none.
In part, this new ethnicity stems from the civil rights
movement of the late 1950 s and early 19605. The Black rejection
of the white Anglo-Saxon model of supposed superiority and the
revival of pride in our own ethnic background helped influence
other groups.
Some people see renewed confidence by other ethnic groups as
being somehow “bad for Blacks” since the “ethnics” are
commonly perceived by the media and others to be more liable to
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
Mallory K. Millender Editor-Publisher
Frank Bowman Advertising Manager
Robert Lee Moore Managing Editor
Audrey Frazier Editor At Large
Mike Carr Photographer
Stan Raines Circulation Manager
Mailing Address: Box 953 Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4555
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Page 4
Editorial Comment by Pittsburgh Courier
Walking With Dignity
by Al Irby
New Voting Rights Act - Friend or Foe?
examiner who was summoned to the jail wrote in his report that
he found the jailer in Joanne Little’s cell dead, naked to his waist.
He had been stabbed 11 times with an icepick. This report leaves
little else to wonder about the cause of the jailer’s death. The
conclusion seems to point to a terrific struggle by Miss Little in
the defense of her womanhood.
The macabre scene, no doubt, will be depicted in the
courtroom. One can well imagine the kind of verdict a Southern
jury composed of ignorant white racists would bring in the
Joanne Little case. In the Dixie racist folklore, no Black man or
woman ever has the right to self-defense against a white man’s
assault, sexual or otherwise. Below the Mason Dixon line, the
tradition of racial hatred has no yet caught up with the morality
of the twentieth century. The disease seems incurable.
can it be, that the county is 70% Mexican-American, yet only one
of the four county commissioners is a Latin. Mr. Rodriguez and
most of his fellow Latins blame the condition on gerrymandering
of commissioner district lines and other monkey-business by
whites to disenfranchise Latin voters. This is one of the
ramifications even unbias conservatives can’t understand about
minorities in America. When members of a minority resist this
type of treatment, they are call over-emotional. “Politics here is
so racist we can’t win no matter what we do,” Mr. Rodriguez
complains. “Chicanos are a majority here, but the gringo scares
our voters and steals our election. I’m beginning to think the
whole system is against us.” Mr. Rodriguez’s bitterness is
symptomatic of a widespread sense of frustration among many of
the nation’s 12 million Spanish-speaking citizens.
LATINS, LIKE BLACKS ARE HASSLED ALL OVER THESE
UNITED STATES- Not only in the Southwest, but from
California to Spanish Harlem, Latins are getting the “Ebony”
treatment in politics. In every part of the country, with large
Black and Latin populations the whites play dirty tricks
politically. Latin leaders point to these glaring statistics. In
California, where Latins represent 19% of the population, less
than 2% of the elected officials are persons with Spanish names.
For example Hoboken N.J., with 32% of its population Puerto
Rican, but no one Latin on the city council. Sometime the
population count plays funny games on results. A good example
of this is there is two States with Spanish-sumamed governors:
Raul Castro of Arizona and Jerry Apodaca of New Mexixo; yet
these states have less than one-third populations of Hispanic
voters.
But cities in the Southwest with large Chicano populations
none have even elected a mayor. The discrimination aeainst
Latins is different from that which Southern Blacks had to endure,
such as lynchings, firebombings and Jim Crow laws. But there is
an ugly sublety there just the same. Latin lobbyists are bringing
these complaints to the attention of the Congress. A bill
extending the Voting Rights Act with broadening provisions that
will benefit Latins has passed the House, and about the time this
goes to press, the Senate will have made it law.
SOME CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS ARE OPPOSING THE NEW
LAW-On the ground that the language-minority formula may
prove the entire law unconstitutional, thus depriving Blacks of a
tough anti-discrimination tool and setting them back a hundred
years.
racism than others.
But a report of studies made over the past several years
indicates just the opposite is true.
Writing in a new research publication, The Urban League
Review, Dr. Robert B. Hill concludes that:
“Generally, we have found that white Protestants throughout
the nation are more likely to hold unfavorable racial attitudes
than white ethnics in similar size communities and regions.
“These findings strongly suggest that white ethnics, who
comprise only a small fraction of the population in most parts of
the nation, have apparently been ‘scapegoats’ for many anti-Black
activities spearheaded by white Protestants. Thus, special caution
should be exercised in the future before snap judgments are made
about the ‘racism’ of white ethnics and the ‘liberalism’ of white
Protestants.”
Lest anyone think that such conclusions are tilted by the
predominance of white Protestants in the south, where there are
relatively few ethnics, Hill states that:
“In regions outside the south, white ethnics are still less likely
than white Protestants to favor school segregation.”
Some inter-group friction is almost inevitable in the early
stages of ethnic self-discovery, but never as much as the media
maike it appear, and even such biases tend to melt away.
In this regard, Blacks consistently come off as the most
tolerant of all ethnic groups, evidencing less semi-Semitism, and
less anti-other group feelings than others. Recent statements by
leaders of the Black Muslims indicate that the religion will now
accept white members, which illustrates the tendency of once
exclusive groups to become more inclusive once their own
identities are more solidly established.
The basic point both Blacks and other ethnic groups should
keep in mind is that none can afford inter-group conflict. To one
degree or another America’s minorities, be they Black, brown,
yellow, red or white, have suffered exploitation and deprivation.
By working together they can help overcome their disadvantages;
by getting sidetracked by manipulated confrontations, they can
only sabotage their hopes and aspirations.
Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
This question comes at a
time when the most pressing
issues seems to center around
our day-to-day survival, how to
make ends meet, and the
uncertainty which tomorrow
holds. While these issues are of
primary concern, we should
note that the masses of Black
people have forever dealt with
such seemingly unsurmount
able odds. Check-out the Black
pioneers during the physical
slave era who survived and
sustained a purpose in life in
face of oppressive slave drivers.
It was these Black pioneers
who held on to their
creativeness and resilience and
found ways to deal with the
consequences of forced labor
and inhumane abuse.
These examples have
implication for the ‘era of
scarcity’ which Black people
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THE BALL OF PROGRESS IS TOO BIG FOR US TO THINK
THAT WE CAN SIP TEA ON THE SIDELINES AND WATCH OTHERS WORK.
Benjamin
r.
Hooks
FCC
Commissioner
More About Equal Opportunity
In The Communications Industry
When I first came to the Federal Communications Commission,
the agency’s equal employment opportunity program was
sporadic at best, staffed by part time Equal Employment
Opportunity officers and directed by a division chief who, though
well intentioned, could give only a part of his attention and
energy to this most important project. Today, the Commission
has established fulltime in-agency EEO program, staffed by a
young Black woman with a Latino assistant.
The Commission has also established an external (industry)
For What Purpose?
On June 30 and July 1, former President
Richard Nixon testified for eleven hours before
two jurors of the Special Watergate Grand jury.
Evidently it was to complete the work of the
Special Prosecutor and the Watergate Grand
jury. Mr. Nixon was not subpoenaed. He went
on his own free will.
It is know known what the former President
was questioned on and the public does not
know what answers Mr. Nixon gave to
questions. Speculation has it that such topics as
illegal campaign contributions, the 18!/i minute
gap in an important White House tape, recording certain conduct
of his friend Charles G. Rebozo, the misuse of federal agencies,
such as the Internal Revenue, and the CIA, and wiretapping.
Knowing that many questions were left unanswered, the
speculation list could be fairly accurate.
I do not understand why all this should be kept from the
people. What Mr. Nixon did wrong was done against the
American people. Os course, I know that religion played only a
small part in national politics. The government does what a few
decision makers decree. The question is mainly what is expedient
and not what is the right thing to do.
The Nixon eleven hours with the two Watergate jurors will be
put under lock and key and the people will never know, certainly
are experiencing today.
Namely, how do we begin to
utilize our available resources
and prepare for the way ahead?
This question brings to mind
the fact that our self-appointed
community leaders are
allowing themselves to become
entrapped in the
self-destructive, idealized
dreams, and obsessions for
material articles, which have
lead to the downfall of men in
the past. We are allowing these
forerunners to lead us into
false dreams (nightmares)
which have proven to be only
passing promises of deliverance
from oppression. However, the
weight of responsibility is not
to rest on these ‘leaders’ alone.
An old African proverb best
illustrates this point. “THE
LEADER IS THE BEST AND
WORST OF THE
COMMUNITY AND THE
* fl
rm “X AV
. • a
REASON THAT ONE IS A
LEADER IS BECAUSE
CORRECTNESS IS
DISPLAYED AND
PRACTICED NINETY-NINE
PER CENT OF THE TIME
WHILE INCORRECTNESS IS
A DECREASING ONE PER
CENT.”
This point brings about
another question of do we
actually choose our leaders or
are they appointed « our
oppressors just as federal
money is allocated for ‘Black
capitalism’ in this country?
The state of our Augusta Black
community is directly related
to this issue. If we conclude
that our leaders are chosen by
us, then we admit that they
have our sentiments in their
actions. Also, if we confess to
have no incut in their decisions
and actions, then we make
allowances for possible misuse
EEO unit, staffed by two Blacks, one of whom is also an
attorney. This unit will deal with the powerful industries we
regulate. I have been designated the “EEO Commissioner” as well
as the “Backlogs Commissioner”, the latter having to do with
trying to unclog the FCC pipelines of the thousands of petitions
and und undealt with business matters we must urgently handle.
It is instructive that the Commission first established and
staffed the in-agency EEO unit before turning its attention to
setting up and staffing the external EEO unit. We felt we would
be remiss in our duties if we asked the industries we regulate to
deal with minority hiring and upgrading in a positive way, if we
ourselves were not doing so.s
The external EEO unit has a mammoth task ahead. The 690
commercial T stations in the U.S., only two are managed by
Blacks. Few Blacks are managers of the nation’s 7,000
commercial radio stations or 700 commercial TV stations, and
the record of employment of Blacks and other minorities,
including women if women can be sai to be a minority, in
positions of responsibility is a sorry one.
Nor is the employment record of public broadcasting any
better. No Black managers a single one of PBS’ some 200
television stations, and few of its some 700 radio stations. It is a
matter of sorry record that while some 36 Blacks own radio
stations in the U.S., there are only five Black owned TV stations,
but only one in the Virgin Islands is on the air.
The road ahead is long and perhaps rocky. But I believe we are
beginning to make definite progress. If the presence of one Black
- it could have been any Black not just me -- can cause these
kinds of positive ripples in terms of Black hiring., upgrading,
training, etc., what would the presence of a dozen Blacks in
influential positions in the communications area do? The though
is titillating.
By Benjamin E. Mays
those of us now living will never know. A new generation will
have no interest in what turned out to be the greatest scandal in
American history. ,
Much of this reminds one of the old adage, “The king can do
no wrong.” People in high office have the facilities to cover up
what they do. If Mr. Nixon knew about Watergate and tried to
cover it up, it may have been an effort to protect his friends and
if the finger pointed to the White House, it was to protect the
President for the “King can do no wrong.”
As one who has some interest in the Christian Religion, I
believe in comfession and in forgiveness. If Mr. Nixon had
admitted the error at the beginning, the American people would
have forgiven him and he would have never had to leave office.
But really people cannot forgive a wrong or sin. This has to come
from God.
Admission to the people may enable him to be restored in the
fellowship of the people. But the peace that comes which passes
all understanding has to come from God. The people come into
play because so many people believed in Nixon and he let them
down. They deserve an apology.
I still hold that Mr. Nixon will never have peace of mind until
he levels with God and the American people. It may be that such
repentance is not the political way. But for one to live with
himself facing the people unashamed, 1 believe there is no other
way. There is time and Mr. Nixon may still do it.
of our trust. Since those who
proclaim to be leaders occupy
potentially life-giving positions
in our lives, they should be
held accountable for their
actions by those they
supposedly represent. We as
members of the community
should seek to challenge and
question the direction of our
leadership for in the final
analysis we are to be our own
leaders.
Work for the Race now!!!
Randy Gunter
1320 Cherry Ave.
Dear Editor:
This is a little note of
appreciation to Mr. George
McElveen, and the chairman
and members of the county
commission for the very fine
way you went about restoring
our recreational building,
which had been almost
completely wrecked by
vandalism. You were most
diligent in seeing that each
item was fully restored to its
former usefulness.
Special commendation is
also due Mr. J.T. Cadle and Mr.
W.P. Roland who worked as
faithfully and as steadfastly, as
if they were dealing with their
own personal project. The
same might be said about Mr.
Jack Hixon, the student
assistant who worked under
them. Again, thanks for a job
well done.
Sincerely,
Mr. Y.N. Myers
Business Manager
Rev. LR. Neal,
Pastor