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The Augusta News-Review - July 15, 1976 -
Walking With Dignity
By AL IRBY
Tell The Truth, Brother
Wonder what came over Lt. Gov. Zell Miller the other day
when he spoke at the luncheon of the North Georgia United
Methodists. He opened his address with these biting words: “You
all are guilty of sordid hypocrisy in fighting liquor and gambling
bills before the General Assembly but not protesting welfare cuts
or trying to cure the many social ills.” Mr. Miller sounded like
some of the Black Militants of the 60s.
He attacked the Christian Church in general and calling it a
bunch of hypocrites. The Lieutenant Governor is a lay-leader
himself, and can speak with ecclesiastical authority, because het
was speaking from the inside. The number two man in Georgia was
speaking to about 600 devout Methodists who listened with
long-faces as Miller accused himself and other laymen and
ministers of practicing their faith in theory only, but not
implementing it socially or politically. t
Mr. Miller lambasted the pious church-goers: “1 think the most
damning indictment of our society is that we still have children
who are hungry and who are not provided enough to eat - that we
have children who are sick, handicapped, and are not given the
medical help they need. The most shameful aspect of it all is the
hypocrisy of the well-fed, the richly clothed church-goers who
love to sing “Jesus Paid it All” on Sunday morning, and have big
celebrations of our freedom on the Fouth of July - and cry out
loudly, and circulate petitions, and send angry letters and
telegrams to officials like me when bills on liquor and bingo are
considered in the legislature - but who never let out so much as a
peep when our already-woefully inadequate welfare benefit for
helpless children are cut again and again.”
ZELL MILLER MUST BE THE MOST SUBJECTIVE GUY IN
ATLANTA
He continued his crusading address to the men and women of
the United Methodist. “Several church groups including your
own, lobbied against the new law allowing Sunday afternoon
drink sales in Atlanta and DeKalb County, as well as a
constitutional amendment on the November ballot to allow
nonprofit bingo games. Christians far too long have promoted
their faith on the basis of a mutal admiration society, meeting
behind closed doors,” Miller said. “While this may be very
satisfying to us, it is not reaching the people outside or solving
the problems of our society.” Mr. Miller cited figures of a
national poll which indicated that only 18 per cent of the public
felt religion had a strong influence on American life, while 70 per
cent felt that the churches were not influencing laws and
government policy.
THE LT. GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO ATTACK CHURCH
HYPOCRITES
“1 think one reason for this, especially among young people, is
that too many religious leaders - and I include the laity - were too
"GOING PLACES”
By Philip Waring
Move Foward
With Dr. M.L. King Jr. Drive!
While my beloved native Augusta hometown is often slow in
getting new projects moving, I’ve been elated with several calls
supporting the proposal to change 12 Street into “Dr. M.L. King
Jr. Drive”. One caller observed: “This time there’s no excuse in
what to do about eliminating a name because the street only has a
number”.
In still another column I shall name some of the historic
business firms (like the A. Green Mattress factory), churches (like
St. Mary’s) community institutions and pioneer familes, past and
present, who have been located on this main Augusta
thoroughfare.
1 shall also tell you about my cherished talk in Chicago during
the mid-sixties wherein Dr. King told me about his friendships
with scores of Augustans who attended school in Atlanta. He was
proud of their leadership accomplishments in Augusta. More on
this in detail in another column. Yes, there’s plenty of
relationship between Dr. King, 12 St. and Augusta.
GET JET MAGAZINE ROSTER OF OUTSTANDING BLACKS
Be sure to get the recent Jet Magazine which highlights the
“200 key Black-Americans who helped build the nation”. This is
one of the most interesting Black history items to appear during
Bicentennial time. (July 8, 1976)
As an Augusta Black History Moderator, my first question
after reading it was “How did Augusta make out?” A further look
showed my mentor and one of Paine and Augusta s most
distinguished sons, the late and great Dr. Channing Heggie Tobias,
on page 52. It referred to his top YMCA, NAACP leadership,
etc. Be sure to get one.
ORCHIDS TO MRS. JOSEPHINE RICHARDSON!
May I say “Well Done Thy Good and Faithful Servant” to Mrs.
Josephine Allen Richardson who recently retired after almost
three decades as Registrar of historic Paine College. It is generally
agreed that her administration as Registrar was outstanding, saw
professional expansion and efficient service during the period of
Paine’s largest enrollments. Furthermore, Mrs. Richardson has
helped to train other personnel. Member of a pioneer Augusta
family, we hope she will do some more historical writing.
On still another front may I say: “Many Thanks, Joe” for your
wonderful and preceptive feature on “The Life and Times of Dr.
Lucy Craft Laney” in the recent News-Review Black Bicentennial
issue. As this is a collector’s item, I plan to lay it out for
reproduction and ask L.B. Wallace, national president, Haines
Alumni, to have it off-printed and distributed as a Bicentennial
project. This will be a fine tribute to “Sis” Laney and Haines,
too! (I’ll correct the “1954” error).
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER
Congratulations are in order to: (1) Attorney Jack Ruffin on
his election as President, Georgia Conference of Lawyers...
another thrust forward for Augusta!.... (2) Dr. Canute Richardson
on being chosen to head the Augusta-Richmond County
Bicentennial Commission-. He has wide experience on the local,
national and state levels and should bring high-level leadership to
this position. (3) Commissioner Ed Mclntyre for speaking out
forthrightly on the Grand Jury criticism of the Belair Housing
Community. As many others were in similiar categories, and no
mention was made of them, the Grand Jury move can only be
seen as racial Thanks to M.M. Scott Sr. and Associates, Belair has
been developed into one of the most beautiful and attractive
housing communities in the nation! (4) Well done to Mis. Jackie
Millender and Mai on their bouncing baby boy bom last Friday
morning with a six and one half pound weight! And mother is
doing fine.
NEWS-REVIEW PRAISED BY NATIONAL LEADERS
Last week we held an excellent and well attended three day
conference of the Missouri Black Leadership Conference (both
elected and continuity leaders) here in St. Louis. Our Missouri
conference of Black Mayors also played host to members of the .
Conference of Southern Mayors with Major Jay Cooper, the
brilliant attorney who heads city government of Pritchard,
(adjacent to Mobile) present He heads the Southern group.
During the sessions I had lunch with our local Congressman
Page 4
busy to come down from their lofty pulpits and get involved in
social needs.”
The fired-up lay leader pointed out the sins of omission of the
organized church. “For the Christain to reason that God does not
want him to be involved in politics because politicis is bad and
politics is dirty - that is as ridiculous as for a Christian to turn his
back on an epidemic because there are too many germs, too many
sick people.”
Miller said many wealthy and upper-middle class church
members are willing to feed, clothe and educate the poor in Africa,
but not at home - and the results are obvious across the country.
“He said poverty is too deeply encrenched for churches alone to
root it out, but said church members could help by supporting
political candidates and government policies sympathetic to the
disadvantaged.
“Our crisis today is a moral one,” said the Lieutenant
Governor. “In the 19605, the issue was civil rights, my friends,
the issue in the 1970 s is-social justice. Civil rights raised issue of
where men can eat. Social justice raises the issue of whether men
will eat.”
“Every white church member in America should have heard
that address delivered by the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia to a
select group of Georgia United Methodists.
“LET THE CHURCH STAND UP”
While lay-preacher Miller was sermonizing to the United
Methodists down in Georgia, 16,000 Southern Baptist messengers
were listing to Dr. Jaroy Weber enouncing the wicked world with
his rhetoric of doom, in Norfolk, Va. The retiring Baptist leader
struck out in these words: “We are suffering from the corrosive
breath of materialism, secularism, commercialism and godlessness,
and this leads to hunger, inflation, credibility gaps, loose morals,
bad government, divorce and drunkenness.”
The Southern Baptists meeting in Norfolk was about the same
time Lt Gov. Zell Miller was telling it like it was to the North
Georgia Methodists and they could have easily joined with a
Christian hand-shake, basing it on an old Baptist “Trueism”.
The Baptists share in one common individual belief with most
God-fearing people, “If you’re hungry and a man won’t give you
bread, then that man is no-account”
(BARBARA JORDON SLAYS THEM AT CONVENTION
OPENING)
This column hopes that all of its readers heard the rhetorical
Congresswoman Barbara Jordon, from Texas, keynoting the
Democratic Convention last Tuesday night. The super lady of
words and phrases would have had them screaming in the isles
until yet if the chairman had not adjourned.
William Clay, Dr. Eddie Williams, president of the Join Center for
Political Studies (the huge Washington-based and Ford
Foundation agency on Black political life) and Mayor Cooper.
Both Dr. Williams and Mayor Cooper asked that I send hello to
Commissioner Mclntyre (who was having one of his meetings the
same weekend) and their apologies on inability to join Mclntyre.
All three of these men praised the News-Review and its special
Black Achievement Supplement”, (December 11,1975) which
saluted the Third Institute of Black Elected Officials. Most
importantly, however, it was also a salute to Ed Mclntyre, who
was a participant and speaker.
WHAT YOUR NEWS-REVIEW IS ALL ABOUT
To those good friends who wonder what the News-Review is all
about, here’s a case: When that December 11 edition was printed,
Publisher Mai Millender took one thousand copies, jumped on a
Washington-based plane, took them to the conference where
“They went like hot cakes”. This was a “first-of-its-kind”
successful effort to put Augusta and one of its leading Black
political leaders before the total national Black leadership
so-assembled with one stroke. We were the only publication
offering this service.
This is what your News-Review is all about! I was happy to
have had the opportunity of editing this supplement. But is was
so good to hear praise from such distinguished leaders as Bill
Clay, Eddie Williams and Jay Cooper six months afterwards!
WHAT ABOUT A VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN NOW
IN AUGUSTA?
Black people vote in larger numbers during presidential
election years. Augusta, now over 50 per cent Black with a total
of 16 City Councilpersons, has only 4 of us. I must agree with
those who call this situation in their hometown a real disgrace. It
can be corrected, however, if community organizations and Black
political leaders join hands together, launch this registration drive
and then get out the vote. These efforts really should be year
around to cover local elections.
Macon, Albany and Charleston are just three examples that it
can be done. Why not Augusta? Confrontation? Os course. But
remember the words of our sainted Fred Douglass who points
out few things are gained without a struggle. And unity too.
There are literally hundreds of solid employed and retired men
and women, well prepared, with a sense of civic responsibility,
who should offer themselves for public office- elected or
appointed. What about it? Americans today cannot be fired for
participating in the political process. Nor can those on retirement
pension have their support tampered with. Let’s take another
look at our civic responsibilities.
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Act Now... Don’t ABe A Witness To Our Own Doom
' 7
IT 15 UP TO US, BLACKS WHO CAPE ABOUT THE BLACK
FUTURE, TO IMPOSE ORDER WHERE NONE EXISTS TODAY—
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WE HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE WE CANNOT ASK OUR OLD PEOPLE
TO SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES PASSING THROUGH A
GAUNTLET OF MUGGERS.
OR DE CONIBS
N.Y. MAGAZINE .
Speaking Out By Roosevelt Green, Jr.
South African Situation
Parallel With United States
The current and historical massacre of Black men and women
in South Africa is analogous of racial problems in this country. A
minority of whites in South Africa are about the foolishness of
oppressing the Black majority in a historical white colonial
manner.
The current murder of innocent Blacks in that country was
started by the white minority government seeking to teach Blacks
the “white” language of the oppressors. It is significant that the
current trouble is centered around the educational system. This is
because the colonizer always uses education as a means of mind
and behavior control over the colonized.
It is certain that it is only a matter of time before the Black
majority establishes its own form of government after dealing
• appropriately with the racist white minority. It is a source of
comfort to know that whites in South Africa will not be able to
treat Blacks in that country like whites in this country treated
native Indian Americans.
Whites in this country also used Black and white policemen to
daily kill Blacks as a means of social control The May 11, 1970
massacre of six Black men in Augusta is a vivid example of this
fact. Also, the continuing murder and mistreatment of Blacks in
the Augusta-Richmond county jail and the Attica massacre help
us to view the colonizer in Amerikkka.
The ongoing busing violence in Boston and the resistance to
this primary tool of school desegregation is symptomatic of the
colonizer mentality in our 50 plantations we call states. There is
no real difference between what happens in the educational
By Kenyon C. Burke
While attending the 36th Annual Convention of the National
Newspaper Publishers Association- Black Press of America - in
Philadelphia, Pa., thoughts on the Bicentennial celebrations and
the rich history of the Black Press along with its potential for
effecting change in our society emerged.
The Black Press has played a vital and historic role in the life
and development of thought among Blacks and whites in the
United States. The appearance of Freedom’s Journal in New York
City in 1827, America’s first Black publication, served as a means
of answering attacks on Blacks by another paper of that city, the
White New York Enquirer.
Considering the state of race relations and the low level of
literacy among Blacks at that time, it’s not surprising that the
Journal’s founder, John Russwurm aimed the paper’s content
mainly at white readers. This early advocacy role concentrated on
influencing whites who were in a position to help free the Black
man.
The history of the Black Press is packed full with colorful,
controversial, strong advocates for improvement of the oualitv of
life for Black people. John Russwurm, Frederick Douglass, Booker
T. Washington, W.E.B. Dußois, Marcus Garvey, Adam C. Powell
and Elijah Muhammad effectively utilized the Black Press as a
vehicle to advance their causes and ideologies.
Indeed, the legendary role of the Chicago Defender in
providing accurate information to Blacks in the south on how to
migrate to the north, find a job and start a new and better life is
well known to previous generations. I am also reminded of, as a
young person, how helpful the Cleveland Call & Post and the
Pittsburgh Courier were in providing our household, on a weekly
basis, with information that was vital to my own development
and to our survival.
It’s no secret that white owned newspapers have paid little
attention to what happens, of a constructive or positive nature, in
our respective Black communities. Os course, exceptions were
always made for the sensational news items or perhaps a story on
Black superstar athelete or entertainer. Significantly the reporter
on white dailies assigned to cover news in the “colored
community” were those that specialized in writing about
activities at the local police precinct and court.
This practice of writing a story based upon what appeared on
the police blotter tended to insure that a distorted picture of
Black life was communicated and also that only the criminal
aspect of Black life was of interest to their Black and white
readers. The Black Press served to counteract this unfair
distortion of our communities.
Throughout its history, the Black Press has played several
significant roles and provided a meaningful and functional service
for Black and white Americans. By assuming the institutional
roles of advocacy, protest, information source and business
enterprise, the Black Press continues to demonstrate its unique
contribution to improving the quality of life for all people alike
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
The Black Press
systems of Boston and South Africa except in degree.
White racism and colonialism must be destroyed by whatever
means necessary by Blacks and other ethnic humans all over the
world. The white men in this world must be forced to establish
detente’ and peaceful coexistence with non-white ethnic
majorities. The world is now a neighborhood and we must live
like neighbors or die like fools.
It is interesting and noteworthy that white liberals and white
churches and Christians in this country have virtually nothing to
say about the massacre of Blacks in South Africa or anywhere
else for the matter. It is also revealing that economically and
politically captive Negro leaders are also silent for the most part.
If whites anywhere in the world had suffered a massacre the
white liberals and conservatives would have raised a banshee howl
that would crack the Liberty Bell into pieces. It is tragic that
white Amerikkk can celebrate its birthday and independence
without really caring about Black independence in Africa.
Blacks in Africa and this country must form greater unity for
liberation from white oppression. Whatever affects either group
or Blacks must be of greater concern to all Blacks. We cannot
afford the luxury of silence in the face of violence by white
oppressors and colonizers.
1 hope more Blacks and the increasingly small number of
humane whites can carve out of mountains of oppression hills of
liberation and freedom. The oppression of a single human is
dangerous to all humans and this truth cannot be forgotten.
Harambee!!!!!!!!!!
11
in the Bicentennial year. '»
The theme of this year’s NNPA Convention: ‘The Unfinished b
American Revolution: The Political and Economic Empowerment b I
of Black America - The Role of the Black Press”, reminds us tha it
this Black institution is responding pragmatically to the struggle
for survival that we face today. (NNPA) ie
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Tilings You Should Kuov*
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STINGUISH ING HIMSELF IN BATTLE THAT HE
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