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The Augusta News-Review - October 30, 1975 -
Walking With Dignity
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Cesar Chavez :
A Grape Picking Soul Brother
Dr. Creighton Peden a Callaway Professor of Philosophy at
Augusta College concludes the two part version of the heroic
Mexican-American leader.
On Sept. 20. 1965, Chavez led the NFWA in a total strike of
the grape producers in the Delano area. An appeal was sent out
to clergy, to CORE and SNCC for the support of their members.
Cesar went to college campuses to speak seeking funds and
support Response came but it was limited. As part of the strike
effort a national boycott was started on non-union grapes. Noted
figures like Senator Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy came
out in support of the strike and boycott, pointing out that the
state and federal agencies were siding unfairly with the growers.
Part of the struggle for the NFWA was with the Teamsters
Union and their “sweetheart” contracts with growers. The
Teamsters attempted to undercut the efforts of Chavez by
providing contracts which were more favorable to the growers.
This caused a great deal of hostile feeling on the part of the
followers of Cesar and even today this feeling continues. In order
to survive under the direct challenge of the Teamsters, it became
necessary for the NFWA to join forces with the AFL-CIO.
Between 1965 and 1968, the struggles of the strike and
boycott had been exhausting. Across the United States there were
civil riots in the ghettos of the cities and growing demonstrations
against the war in Vietnam. The pressure within the farm workers
effort was increasing for a swift victory, even if such a victory was
brought about by violence. Chavez was becoming more and more
depressed over the violence in the country and the pressure for
violence within his union. Thus without informing anyone, he
began on Feb. 14, 1968, a fast. The fast was in a sense a religious
act in which he was engaged in penitence for the belligerence
being expressed in his union, as well as the fast being in process of
rededication to the philosophy of non-violence. Four days into the
fast he called his staff together and gave them a lecture on
non-violence, indicating that the attractiveness of violence was
because together they were not being creative enough and not
working hard enough. During these remarks the reality of his
being on an indefinite fast was revealed. The staff was to keep the
news of the fast entirely to themselves, for he would continue to
work as usual But in time the fast became known and members
of the press spread the news. During the fast ten thousand people
came to visit Chavez. On the twenty-first day of the fast, Chavez’s
doctor convinced him to take medication and begin the process
of returning the body to solid foods. The fast was physically
damaging to Chavez because the protein deficiency led to an
increase of back problems.
The fast ended on a Sunday. Senator Robert Kennedy, who
had offered public support to Chavez even though the political
consequences might be negative, joined Cesar in a celebration of
Holy Communion. Although very weak, Chavez made some brief
remarks, closing with the following statement: “When we are
really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all
that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that
determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that
only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the
truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice
ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice.
To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us be men.”
(Matthiessen, Peter. Sal Si Puedes. New York; Del Publishing Co.,
1969, pp 195-196. 1 am indebted to Mr. Matthiessen for his
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Black Americans should be joining forces with those who are
working to change the sexist language and other degrading
thought forms, or word pictures, from our public and private
school textbooks.
Word aas come for example, that in one of the nation’s largest
states, the State Department of Education is retiring from use in
its school all books with sexist languages. Such terms as “man’s
discoveries”, “man and wife” and “mankind’s progress” are being
eliminated. Such non-sexist - and therefore non-chauvinist and
non-degrading - language as “human discoveries”, “husband and
wife” and “people’s progress” are being substituted.
Blacks, long ago, should have objected - and must do so now -
vehemently to such depersonalizing term as “non-white’ in our
so-called “objective” social science, textbooks and even in the
U.S. government’s reports, including especially the census data.
Blacks are not to be defined in terms of “not being” something.
Whites are “non-Black”, and obviously callous and gratuitous an
observation as is the “accepted term”, “non-white”.
All self-respecting people define themselves. Maulana Ran
Karenga once observed, “only slaves are defined by or in relation
to their masters”. Hence, Black Americans unconsciously foster a
slave master mentality in White Americans and a slave mentality
in themselves in allowing, for one day, such a degrading
designation to be continued.
Our Black newspaper publishers, together with the prestigious
National Urban League and the powerful National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People could see that the federal
government halted such a practice overnight.
So far as the textbook publishers are concerned, they want to
sell books. If the federal government alone was placed in the
position of not financing any studies in which degrading racist or
sexist language was employed in textbooks, the publishers would
quickly see a new self interest in being on our side.
The racist and sexist language battle is but one of many battles.
But it has the advantages: (a) of making deals or “trading off’
with woman’s rights leaders to get them on our side, (b) of being
a manageable struggle, in that the victory can be maneuvered
quickly and (c) of being of tremendous importance in terms of
our perception of ourselves and the view that others hold of us.
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
Mallory K. MillenderEditor-Publisher
Frank Bowman Advertising Manager
Robert Lee Moore Managing Editor
Audrey FrazierEditor-At-Large
Michael Carr,Photographer
Stan RainesCirculation Manager
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Page 4
Black Empowerment
By Dr. Nathaniel Wright, Jr.
Sexist Language
insights into the life and actions of Cesar Chavez.)
Since the ending of the fast, the struggle of the farm workers
has become more difficult. The boycott in time was broken by
mass (propaganda of the growers. Under pressure from the
Teamsters, some workers deserted and signed less favorable
contracts with the growers. Cesar himself spent an extended time
in the hospital due to his back problems, being physically unable
to provide the active leadership required by the union. In recent
years the struggle has continued but with limited success. The
most favorable event occured in May of 1975, when the State of
California finally adopted a labor law for the farm workers which
provides secret ballots in determining whether the workers desire
a union and which union they desire. Chavez and his followers
suffered greatly at the hands of the growers and Teamsters
because of the lack of secret ballots and now feel the new law
provides the solid framework in which a just process of
unionization can develop for the grape pickers and other farm
workers.
It is true to say that Cesar Chavez is one of the great civil rights
leaders in the American revolutionary tradition, but just what
type person is he. His followers tell us that he is a person of great
passion for the cause of his people, who is often intolerant of
those not totally dedicated to the cause. He encounters people in
a warm fashion, being open to them while at the same time in an
almost intuitive way evaluating the new person. Out of this
intuitive process he makes swift and often stubborn judgments.
Cesar depends a great deal upon his associates and he is
determined that they be self-sufficient even to the point of
allowing them to make and learn from serious mistakes. His
commitment to a life of and with his poor people demonstrates
his total commitment, but he never allows this involvement to
serve as a dodge for personal responsibility. One of his followers
expressed that Chavez operates on the edge of irrationality and
that being able to so operate is his greatness. A true leader is one
who leads us into the frontier which often seems irrational by our
present perspective, but leads us in such away that our actions do
not become irrational. Cesar Chavez is such a leader for the farm
workers of America.
From Chavez we can gain some philosophical principles which
may be applicable to various facets of our society as we attempt
to establish “a more perfect union.” (1) The poor must manage
their own affairs. (2) Leaders should not be better off
economically than the followers. (3) There can be no room for
race discrimination, but this does not mean that each person is
not encouraged to be proud of his or her own ethnic culture. (4)
Violence has no place in the poor securing their just rights. (5)
The workers should not be out to destroy the owners but only to
seek the justice due them as workers and citizens. (6) The only
difference between the worker and the owner is that the owner
has power. Power is the key. The workers and the poor must
organize in order to attain their necessary power. But power must
be used in a non-violent way, always remembering that the
opponents in the struggle are also human beings. (7) In the
struggle for justice you must be for the people or against
them-there is no room for fence sitters! (8) Do not stand around
crying about your problems-do something about them!
Come back again real soon Creighton
Winning the racist and sexist language battle in good form will
flex our muscles to fit ourselves for better battle elsewhere.
Meanwhile it will bring us as Black people out of a perceived
non-personhood and into a much more worthy sense of what
Black humanity can be and is.
"Going
Places"
By Philip Waring
BLACK HERITAGE GROUP ON TELEVISION NOVEMBER
2ND
Thanks to Pilgrim Life Vice President Ed Mylntyre the Augusta
Black Heritage Commission will be featured on his widely viewed
“Music and Things” program slated for Chanel 12 on Sunday
morning, November 2nd at 10 a.m.
Commission members will tell about their goals and projected
plans to build a shrine-museum right in the heart of the Augusta
community. No service of this kind exists currently in the
13-county CSRA and it is very necessary that the public learns
more about the important contributions, service and leadership of
Blacks in building this part of the South. Many cities around
America have museums, shrines and monuments about Blacks,
but our Augusta community has yet to arrive.
HERITAGE GROUP HAS ASSETS ON HAND
Let’s support plans of the Black Heritage group. There are
several important assets already realized and they include, thanks
to Addie Scott Powell, (1) an 11-room house immediately in
front of Lucy Laney High School which has been made available
on a long time basis, (2) Mrs. Scott, a highly trained and
experienced library professional, who has volunteered her services
as curator, (3) Jimmy Carter 111, chairman who is in a position to
give unique leadership, and lastly and importantly, (4) a lay board
of prominent community leaders who are working actively to get
the project on its way. We should also mention that this is the
Bicentennial era, many Augustans are interested in the projected
Black museum-shrine, and will donate materials for exhibit. When
all of us support this project, we then pay homage to the memory
of our own foreparents.
FIRST SOUTHERN BLACK FEDERAL JUDGE IN SIGHT
We ve just read that both Louisiana United States Senators,
Russell B. Long and J.B. Johnson, have sent letters to the
President urging the appointment of a Black federal district judge
in their state. Both pointed out that it is past time for the
selection of a Black. There are nine judges in their state. As
previously mentioned in “Going Places”, there has never been a
Black federal judge in the 1 1-state Southland. Change of heart by
Senator Thurman (for Matthew Perry of Columbia for the U.S.
Military Court) and the two Louisiana senators comes directly
from increased and effective Black Southern voting. YET
AUGUSTA, OVER FIFTY PER CENT BLACK, HAS ONLY
FOUR OUT OF 16 COUNCIL PERSONS. When will our Black
neighbors get themselves together? Or, are we satisfied? Who will
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TO BE EQUAL
The Welfare System
I recently saw a documentary by filmmaker Frederick
Wiseman, “Welfare,” on New York’s public television outlet. It
ought to be seen by everyone, especially those who think welfare
clients are all “cheats and chiselers.”
If it were up to me, I’d chain every congressman and
administration official responsible for making public policy to a
chair and force them to watch it. Better yet, I’d like them to
spend a day - at least - at a welfare center like the one in the
film. That way we’d hear less about welfare cheats and more
about how to establish a decent and sane income maintenance
program.
The broadcast didn’t go into any long analysis about the way
the system works, nor did it show the reader with facts and
contradictory opinions. All it did was to record scenes in one
welfare center in New York City.
Clients, social workers, guards, old people, homeless people, all
interacting in a desperate struggle with bureaucratic regulations
and forms on the one hand and poverty and hunger on the other.
Dozens of figures flit across the screen and you know what -
not a single “chiseler” in the bunch!
The overwhelming impression one draws from the film is of
masses of people crying out for help, for some assistance to meet
the necessities of life while struggling to regain their
independence.
Some of the scenes tell us in powerful, emotional terms, about
a part of society few middle class persons ever see. And they tell a
lot about what is cruel and heartless in the way we use up and
dispose of our fellow human beings.
Several categories of “cases” are made vivid for us:
* Emergency aid. Some of the people come to the office with
survival needs -- no money for food, for a night’s lodging, or even
for carfare. Some people are shown getting some emergency
money. Others are told to “come back tomorrow” and plead
uselessly, “What am I supposed to eat today? Where am I
supposed to sleep?”
* Bureaucratic confusion. We see people in need because their
take lead in getting things together?
ABOUT THE WALLACE BRANCH LIBRARY
It is very good to see that the “We Want Our Share” committee
is still on the case as it sponsors increased attendance and support
for the Wallace Branch Library. We noted on our visit home last
summer that Mrs. Cummings and her associates had enriched
program activities and attendance. God knows the Wallace Branch
Library is badly needed.
BLACKS WHO HELPED BUILD AUGUSTA MOVING ALONG
Livingston Wallace and this writer are gratified with phone calls
and messages of praise on the recent “Life and Times of Dr.
George N. Stoney”. Yes, we too are happy that this gives Black
Augusta another solid presentation for the Bicentennial. Other
articles are on tap. And I am writing those who promised to also
write. BWHBA belongs to the Black community - not Phil Waring.
Some more good news about BWHBA. Some 10,000 delegates
recently came from around the nation to St. Louis for the
National Baptist Convention. My wife and I entertained several
from thefr national publishing-public relations departments. I
naturally shared copies of the AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW with
its three features in the BWHBA series on religion. These three
features received warm praise and compliments from public
relations people. And they too said “No other community or
Black newspaper is using this approach towards Bicentennial
Black History.”
AUGUSTA PRAISED BY NATIONAL BAPTIST LEADERS
The three articles were: (1) All About Springfield Baptist
Church by Mrs. Nellie Waring, (2) Trinity CME - The Mother
Church - prepared by Mrs. Edith Buchanan and Associates and (3)
The Life and Times of Dr. C.T. Walker written by Mrs. Mary
Cummings. I thought you’d like to know about this. It will now
be necessary to get additional reprints to send to several
religious-publishing officials in various cities.
SALUTE TO “PLAYING THE CHANGES”
I want Stan Raines to know that many of us thoroughly enjoy
his new column, “Playin’ The Changes”. It brings to life past and
present happenings in the world of music and entertainment.
Keep it up, Stan, because yours is a real contribution to the Black
Press and its readers of all age groups!
Start treating V1 u l
, . & like brothers
vour brothers , •
' . • and sisters.
and sisters
BY VERNON E. JORDAN, JR.
records have been lost. We see many cases in this film of people
being shuttled from one office to another, “take this paper
downtown,” or “go to the fifth floor,” or “I’ll get you an
appointment to see another office,” are recurring themes in an
ugly litany of red tape.
* No help available. We see people the system can’t help with
checks. An elderly man plaintively wishes he “could get into a
hospital and have the doctors straighten me out.” People in need
of psychiatric care who can’t cope with daily problems.
* Racial friction. A white man throws racial insults at a Black
guard because he was assaulted by three Black hoodlums. The
guard calmly tells him that if he had been there, he “would have
laid my life on the line,” to help him. But that doesn’t change the
man’s opinion - all Blacks are responsible and he’s going to get a
gun.
The film also helps explode the myth that welfare is for Blacks.
Since it was shot in New York City, many of the recipients are
Black and brown, but we see a parade of the white elderly, white
teenage mothers, and white young couples applying for aid.
Nationally, far more whites than Blacks are on welfare.
Not enough Americans are familiar with this underside of our
national life, this brutal way in which our nation sweeps its
unwanted people into the dusty corners of our society, this
demeaning and degrading dehumanization of our fellow human
beings.
As one man, an Indian, cries out: “I’m a human being , too.”
So are we all, and what humans do, they can undo. The implicit
meaning of this film is that the welfare system has to be scrapped;
that it must be replaced by a better mechanism to enable poor
people to survive, and that concerned social services should be a
national priority.
This three-hour-long procession of the poor, the elderly, the
halt and the lame, victims of an uncaring society who are forced
to seek aid not through their own failings but because of our
society’s inequalities, should move complacent middle Americans
to call for changes that will make ours a more humane system.
Letters To The Editor
Praises Book Review
Dear Editor:
On Oct. 21st I attended the
Wallace Branch Library’s
monthly book review which
turned out to be one of the
most stimulating and
informative reviews it has ever
been my pleasure to experience
anywhere. The review of
Samuel Yette’s “The Choice”
was expertly carried out by
Mrs. Ann Brown. And thanks
New Home Care Department
At St. Joseph
Dear Editor:
St. Joseph’s Hospital is
starting a new department of
home health care.
To be eligible, the patient
must be homebound, under the
care of a physician, and need
skilled nursing service or
SAND BAR PLAZA !;
200 BLOCK OF SAND BAR FERRY ROAD I j
!• THRIF-TEE HYDER'S BLACKMON'S j!
■l SUPER LAUNDERMAT BARBERSHOP <
i| MARKET Jj
I GROCERIES NEWLY OPENED HAIRCUTS
[ MEATS ALL MODERN HAIRSTYLES
(' BEVERAGES EQUIPMENT BLOW-OUTS
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to the hospitality of the
Wallace staff the evening was
very well spent.
After such an evening I am
now eagerly looking forward to
future reviews at the Wallace
Branch and shall encourage
friends to do the same. Maybe
the News-Review should review
future reviews. Thank You!
L.A. Larcheveaux
P.S. We need that library!
physical or speech therapy.
Medicare or Medicaid cover
some of these services.
If we can be of service to
you, please call.
Sister Rose McLarney
Director