Newspaper Page Text
The Augusta News-Review - May 13,1976 -
Walking With Dignity
By AL IRBY
THE PERSPICACIOUS DR. PEDEN PURSUES HIS PITHY
LOGIC IN “FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCY” UNDER THE
SUB-CAPTION “COMMUNITY POWER”
The study done on Adult Function Competency, which we
considered last week, clearly indicates that a high percentage of
poor Black and white citizens in the South do not have the
necessary skills in order to function at an adequate level in our
society. Although such a study has not been done in Augusta, it
does seem reasonable to assume that a large number of our
citizens are in this disenfranchised position. At issue is how to
correct this situation by actually providing these persons with the
necessary skills. Such an endeavour will require a testing of our
citizens and then the establishing of a structure with appropriate
educational programs to correct the situation. The task is not
simple or easy.
The most obvious approach would be for representatives of the
community to approach various governmental and civic
organizations about the problem. Such organizations might
involve the City Council, Board of Education, Augusta College,
Human Relations Commission and the Chamber of Commerce. A
request could be made for a study of the problem and
appropriate steps to correct the situation.
If we are realistic in evaluating the potential of this approach,
we must indicate that there is little chance that much will be
done. In making this evaluation, we do not mean to impugn the
humanness or integrity of these organizations or the individuals
involved. Rather, we simply; realize that these structures already
carry full work-loads and will not accommodate a project of this
size and scope unless ordered or pressured. It is not enough to
indicate our moral responsibility to these fellow Americans or to
point our the obvious economic benefits to society for
enfranchising them. Priorities have to be established everyday; so
if the poor Blacks and whites are relatively satisfied with their
conditions, “why stir-up the situation?”
A basic realization we must face is that the priority patterns
established by the power structures of society can only be altered
by power. Too often in our community the work “power” has
acquired the overtones of being sinister, evil and immoral.
Someone is always ready to misquote Lord Action as follows:
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. What
Lord Action said was that “power TENDS to corrupt...” At issue
"GOING PLACES”
By Philip Waring
Black Community On Side
Os Angels-Consolidation Defeated
Sheer pure good luck must be on the side of the Augusta Black
community as the recent consolidation again went down to
defeat. Many soldiers voters were “in there” against it including
well-thinking whites coupled with vigorous opposition mounted
by Attorney John Watkins and tlie Black Lawyers Congress &
Associates, the newly organized Black Social Workers and our
“Mr. Civil Rights”, Attorney Jack Ruffin It is still possible
under the present structure to adjust and achieve budget
economics which are not opposed by Black citizens.... Mai
Millender also had a peach of an editorial.... Just another reason
why we must keep a forthright Black paper as our advocate
MORE PICTURES NEEDED FOR BLACK BICENTENNIAL
EDITION
In last week’s column we describe the forthcoming special
Black History Bicentennial supplement for the News-Review.... It
will be in two parts.... The first containing a group of selected
pictures (small head shots, no larger than a half dollar) of those
who “Helped Build Augusta” (others not included will be
featured later during the year).... the second page will consist of
various community institutions, churches, schools, business firms,
etc., who have long-time service records in advancing the Black
Community....
We need additional pictures including: Charles “Moose” Allen,
first Augusta Black appointed to head a key state social service
agency (which came largely thru efforts of then Governor
Carter).... (Would my cousin Joe Richardson please contact him
and include his photo along with ones on Canute and Louise
Ross).... We want Attorney John Watkins, head of the Augusta
Black Lawyers Congress; Ileen Batey Buchanan, an officer of a
national beauty service association.... Lonnie Hamilton, now
completing more than 35 years with the Housing Authority....
Also Prof. A.R. Johnson, pioneer educator (Jerry Dent please
send his in with one for Richard) Who can get a photo or
clipping re: Mrs. Laura Harper, first Black female bank cashier in
Geoigie.... And Livingston Wallace please get the one on Dr.
Stoney and ask Mrs. Neal to send one on W.C. Ervin, our first
Board of Education member.... Horatio or Ike Washington please
get one of Beau Jack, Augusta's only world’s boxing champoin
(Please follow up on this as information for the youth we all
10ve... they know almost nothing about him... So could we have a
Washington-Lamar team to track down this picture? Thanks)
Would Evelyn Screen send to the News-Review, Post Office Box
953, a photo of her late father, our first organizer and owner of a
mattress factory )would mutual friends please phone Evelyn now)
We need Lt. Hansel Johnson, Affirmative Action Office, Augusta
Police Dept.
SPECIAL BLACK HISTORY EXHIBIT FOR MEMORIAL DAY
CONVOCATION
We understand that Jimmy Carter 111 and his Black Heritage
Commission are moving along with good speed for the May 31
Bicentennial Convocation and re-naming for Laney-Walker
81vd.... One important item, however, is the Black History
Exhibit (these again are my personal ideas.. Let the B.H.C.
Planning Committee adapt the plan as it sees fit).... The Memorial
a THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW g
'*•* •*•
Mallory K. MillenderEditor-Publisher $
■$ Frank Bowman Advertising Manager x
Audrey FrazierEditor-At-Large £
■;j Michael Carr Photographer
••• Stan RainesCirculation Manager
Mailing Address: Box 953, Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4555 $
X Second Class Postage Paid Augusta, Ga. 30903 x
•:= SUBSCRIPTION RATES $
£ Payable in Advance
•I; One year in Richmond Countys7.oo tax incl. $
6 Monthss3.so tax incl.
One year out of County SB.OO tax incl. ¥
>: ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT £
Classified & Display Advertising Deadline
12 Noon on Tuesday
News Deadline Monday 5:30 (printed free)
AMALCAMATIO J|
-T Bill PUBLISHERS, INC. S
B a RtPRtWVTA’ivw
jftNar w •CMcaao pF J
Guest Columnist
Page 4
is the moral use of power, not whether power is essential. We
must rid ourselves of the fear of becoming morally responsible. If
we are to change the conditions of our functionally inadequate
citizens, then we must get our hands dirty in the power process
through with priorities are established.
In this Bicentennial year we are reminded that we are a
government by the people and for the people. It is not enough to
ask the power structure to do something for our disenfranchised
people, for the people must become involved. What we suggest is
the forming of a community power organization for the purpose
of correcting the problem of functional competency and then
dealing with other problems. This structure must be organized by
the people and for the people. It cannot be controlled by the
self-interest of a few persons. The purpose of this organization
must be to involve the citizens in a democratic process through
which they can exert their collective power.
A valid question is how to establish such a community
structure. From the experience of other communities who have
established such a structure we learn that it must begin with a few
committed to correcting the injust situation. Often it can be
sparked by the continuing voice of a local newspaper. Through
the educational efforts of these committed few, various groups
become involved in a discussion about how to deal with dur
problems. For exampe, these groups represent churches, business
associations, fraternal organizations and neighborhood clubs. As
the democratic process works, the complexity of the community
power structure becomes more obvious. Most groups which have
collectively formed a community power structure have
employed professional community organizers to assist the people
in their organizing and in training the leadership in effective ways
of using their collective power. Such professional are availalbe in
our society through various sources. Those trained in the Saul
Alinsky tradition at the Industrial Areas Foundation Institute in
Chicago have a notable reputation.
At issue is what to do? Many Black and white citizens in
Augusta do not have the functional skills necessary to live
adequately in our community. Do we leave things as they are? Do
we fulfill our moral responsibility by asking the power structure
to deal with the problem? We suggest that if the situation is to be
corrected the people in need must themselves participate in the
process.
(Hurry back Creighton!)
Day weekend affords a “first-of-its kind” opportunity for a full
fledged physical exhibit about people, programs and institutions
who’ve helped build Augusta.... This rich material is located right
in Augusta, Ga. .. (Not in New York, Chicago or even Aiken or
Atlanta).... Almost no money is needed.... There are plenty of
exhibit sites such as: Pilgrim Community Hall, Wallace Branch
Library, Tabernacle Baptist Church, A.R. Johnson and Lucy
Laney Schools....
TEAMWORK WILL PRODUCE A GOOD EXHIBIT
This project can be accomplished with a bit of hard work and
planning cooperation and teamwork ability to “work
across age lines”.... stretching out to contact and communicate
with persons in other churches or institutions whom we may not
have known very we 11.... The ultimate purpose is to show at
Bicentennial Time some of the rich Black history and
accomplishments as examples for our children, a source of pride
for adults, and basic information for white people. There is lead
time available.
MANY COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WILL VOLUNTEER THEIR
SERVICES
The exhibit should be under the direction of the B.H.C.
curator, Mrs. Addie Scott Powell, a well prepared professional
who is able and ready to move forward We must realize,
however, that neither Addie nor the B.H.C. can do it a10ne.... A
corps of community volunteers are needed and should be publicly
invited.... (Again my suggestions).. May I suggest Mrs. James
Hinton, Miss Louise Laney, Prof. M.B. Braxton, Miss Laura
Garvin, Mrs. James Carter, Jr., Mrs. Nellie Cummings Waring, Mrs.
Edith Buchanan, Mrs. Josephine Richardson (who has copies of
the Georgia Baptist newspaper of around 1905, a Haines year
book containing names of graduates from around 1897 up
through the mid-1920’ 5, and an invitation on the coming of
President-Elect William Howard Taft to visit and speak at Haines
Institute around 1910.... This is real Black Augusta history.... So
please invite Joe Richardson).... Mrs. Jerrylyn Dent, Mrs.
Charlotte Homsby Watkins, members of the McNatt and Frieson
families, M.M. Scott, Ed Mclntyre, the venerable S.M. Jenkins,
L.B. Wallace, Horatio Lamar, W.B. Bryant and let’s ask Dr. Ike
Washington and Dr. Charles Butler to please come up with some
of that rich history on Walker Baptist... The same for William
Brown for Immaculate Conception Yes, lam indicating that
B.H.C. should organize a special “Citizens Black History Advisory
Committee” with the aforementioned persons and others to help
put this project over with the success it should have... All of them
have solid information and have been a part of the building of
Augusta....
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PLENTY OF HISTORIC MATERIAL
There’s loads of annual reports, souviener programs, group
pictures, news clippings, etc., from such groups as: Greek-letter
units. Masons, Elks, Eastern Stars, Links, Women’s Civic Club,
NAACP, SCLC, OIC, Human Relations Commission, many, many
churches. Frontiers, Paine Alumni, Stoney Medical, etc. Within
the past four years Pilgrim, Bethlehem Center, and Dent
Furniture produced anniversary programs... Let’s get together... I
don’t want to be disappointed.
TO BE EQUAL
Food Stamps Fate On The Line
By Vernon E. Jordon,Jr.
The fate of one of the most important federal programs - and
one of the most often attacked - will be decided soon.
The Senate has passed a measure revising the food stamp
program and the House is considering a version of its own. No
one knows what the final changes in the program will be, but the
struggle to preserve the food stamp program as an essential
weapon in the arsenal against hunger faces an uphill fight.
Congressional reconsideration of the program comes after
many months of abuse hurled on the program, ranging from
outright misstatements of facts to name-calling by people who
URL
f
i
Time For Action In The Black Community
WHITEY COULD, EOR ALL
INTENTS, AW PURPOSES PUT \
HIS GUNS AWAY.WE VE ALWAYS
REENABLE TO HILL OUR— S, \ 1
SELVES BETTER THAN HE CAN V i \ flb
NOW WE SEND EACH OTHER //" \ K.
DEATH IN SMALL BAGS. r'K
CLAYTON RILEY hl \ /
liberator I \ (\ / / \ .
\A \ U
’I, vx \ vx ‘ 4
L2l
4* | • By Roosevelt Green, Jr.
Speaking Out
My View Os The Candidates
Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter has my support and
endorsement for the presidency of the United States. He is the
best candidate in the running and he should make a good
president. Carter seems to also have some strong grass roots
support among Blacks and a few Negroes.
This action may come as a surprise to some of my friends and
readers but current political reality must be faced until and if
times are to get better. Carter is scoring quite well with the
democratic electorate and the fact that he is a Southerner makes
him more acceptable to me. Former president and Southerner
Lyndon B. Johnson is the only president who has ever done
anything worthwhile for Black progress.
I think Blacks are tired of white Northern establishment liberal
politicians who suddenly become “conservative” at expedient
times. A notable example is tired and worn Senator Hubert
Humphrey who tried to “out Wallace Wallace” in the Florida
primary during the last presidential election year. Old Hubert also
got “carried away” when the issue of aid to a Black African
Nation came before the Senate this year.
“Hustling” Hubert used an expletive on the African aid issue
while touting the need to focus on domestic American aid.
However, he failed to use expletives when aid to Israel or a white
nation comes to his attention. Does that also impress you as
“ethnic purity” in political sensibility?
Speaking of “ethnic purity”, I doubt that any of the white
aspirants running for the presidency does not harbor notions
bespeaking this belief. The point to remember is the past
commitment of former Governor Carter to issues that helped
Black people. The concern of Blacks must be with results rather
than alleged “slips of tongues”. And Carter has a commendable
political and personal reconi on Black progress and humanity.
Senators Henry “Scoop” Jackson and Mo Udall hope to
capitalize on Carter’s, however, neither white senator has come
out as strong for Black oriented issues as has Carter. It would be
helpful if their tongues should “slip” and have their positions
openly stated. Besides, Senator Jackson is an old Viet Nam Hawk
who strongly supported the illegal and immoral war in the
country wherein around sixty thousand soldiers died for the
profits of big business and the war lust of the Pentagon.
Old “Scoop” has a fair record on civil rights but he is opposed
to busing which is the best current tool for school desegregation.
He seems to be an establishment opportunist who is a
liberal-conservative political chameleon.
Senator Udall and the other white liberals are just not trusted
any more because Blacks are fed up with liberal “cream puffs”.
There is no point in even mentioning Governor George Wallace
and his appeal to Black voters because he has none. A few
should know better. Secretary of the Treasury of William Simon,
for example, made a big splash a while ago with his now-famous
statement that food stamp recipients are “chiselers”.
A good part of the hostility toward the program is due to the
simple fact that it’s effective. Some 19 million people receive
stamps, making it one of the really successful federal programs
that relieves some of the burdens of poverty.
Big as the program is, it still reaches less people than it should;
a recent Congressional study found that up to a fourth of the
population could become eligible for food stamps at some time
during the year.
So long as the program was relatively small and ineffective it
was tolerated but as soon as it began to accomplish its aims of
supplementing the incomes of low-income families it became a
taiget for the budget-cutters.
There is in our society a reluctance to subsidize people who are
poor and in need of assistance that’s balanced by an enthusiasm
for subsidizing the better-off and politically-powerful blocs. The
food stamp program for example, started out as a subsidy for
farmers, helping to distribute surplus crops.
With the big rise in food prices in recent years, the program has
become transformed into one that helps low-income families
afford to buy food for the dinner table. And that’s when the
howls about chiselers and the high cost of the program started.
The numbers of recipients started to mushroom when the
economy went into its down-spin and people were thrown out of
work. The high cost of the program is part of the high cost of
keeping our economy on a high unemployment basis, and it will
decline when people get back to work at decent wages. Every
time unemployment rates go up just one percent, another
750,000 people get the stamps.
Recipients are all poor or near-poor. Neariy half are on welfare,
a fifth are “working poor”, a tenth are elderly people who qualify
for supplemental social security aid. Nine out of ten households
in the program earned less than $6,000 last year.
So there’s not much room for chiseling there, regardless of the
ill-tempered remarks of the program’s wealthy critics. Such
cheating as occurs comes from that part of the program its critics
“Negro” opportunists support Wallace but that is to be expected
from “Oreo Cookies”.
The so-called Congressional Black Caucus members have failed
miserably to represent Blacks since they are busy imitating white
politicians who do the “hustle” for racist and ungodly greedy
capitalistic businessmen of non-Black ethnic hue and color. Th<
Caucus must quit or stop romancing white false liberal politicians
and imitating their behavior politically. The Caucus is toe
“Negro” or middle class oriented while foigetting that roughly
sixty per cent of Blacks fall into the low-income category.
The Caucus must develop Black perspectives on issues th;
affect the masses of Black people even though some member;
come from areas of predominantly white electorates. Any Blac
politician who seeks to be color blind simply overlooks the whi(
orientation of white politicians. It is interesting that the Caucu
can berate Carter and say nothing about Wallace or Jackson. Anc
Jackson supported a war where Black men were killed greatly out
of proportion to their numbers. Such hypocrisy does not serve the
best interests of Blacks who depend on the group of some
leadership and sense of direction.
President Gerald Ford and actor Ronald Reagan should get on
the Republican elephant and perform in a circus where their
political beliefs and behavior can get the harmless laughs they so
richly deserve.
This country does not need a used Ford pawned on it by used
car salesman Ticky Dick Nixon. Four more years of Nixon
politics would cause all of use to build a spaceship to some
distant planet.
Jimmy Carter is also impressive as a religious person and the
White House could use some old-fashioned repentance. All of the
current sinners in the White House, C.1.A., F. 8.1., and other
federal agencies could get on a giant mourner’s bench on the
White House lawn. The Gospel of Jesus Christ would certainly
have more positive impact than the gospel of Amerikkkanism as
espoused by the politically captive prophet Billy Graham and
others of his ilk.
The Watergate mess should teach all of us to avoid the shame
and shambles of democracy as espoused by Nixon, Ford, Jackson,
Wallace and Reagan. Carter did what Nixon has yet to do in terms
of apoligizing and seeking to make amends for errors in political
activity.
Carter has a number of Blacks on his staff and he is supported
by well respected Black leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther
King, Sr. and Congressman Andrew Young. The political scene in
this country could be helped by Jinfmy Carter becoming the first
duly elected president since Lyndon Johnson.
Harambee!!!!!!
most want to keep untouched -- the purchase provision.
Instead of giving stamps to qualified families, the government
distributes them through 6,700 vendors who sell the stamps to
eligible participants for cash. One report suggests that millions
have been embezzled by some of the vendors, so cheating in the
food stamp program is laigely a matter of white collar crime, not
recipient fund.
The purchase requirement also costs about SIOO million to
administer, so the cost-cutters could do themselves a favor by
doing away with an element of the program that seriously
impedes its effectiveness since it makes poor families come up
with big up-front payments. And this requirement means that
many who are eligible, just can’t afford to buy the stamps.
The faults of the food stamp program are largely restricted to
those regulations that discourage its use, make eligibility a matter
of bureaucratic whim and impse burdens on the needy. Any
changes in the program should be those that make it work better,
not those that restrict it because it is already working better than
some would wish.
SAND BAR PLAZA ’
200 BLOCK OF SAND BAR FERRY ROAD I
THRIF-TEE HYDER'S BLACKMON'S J
SUPER LAUNDORMAT BARBERSHOP «
MARKET J
GROCERIES NEWLY OPENED HAIRCUTS
MEATS ALL MODERN HAIRSTYLES ■
BEVERAGES EQUIPMENT BLOW-OUTS
£3 —
-I
. OH/