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The Augusta News-Review - September 16, 1976 - Walking With Dignity By AL IRBY South African White Churches Agonize Can the so-called Christian Church in South Africa save the Southern tip of the Black Continent? Not much can be expected of a religious faith, that twist the “Holy Bible” around to suit its theological justification for depraved apartheid. The interpretation of the story of the “Tower of Babel” in the Old Testament (God divided the world into different races and languages and meanth them to stay that way) according to traditional Dutch Reformed thinking, simply cannot stand up to the teaching of the New Testament that God is no respector of persons. Also, Christianity is the only basis of moral appeal open to browbeaten Blacks in the South Africa. Unlike civil-rights leaders in the United States, Blacks in South Africa cannot call for protection of human rights enshrined in their Constitution. The only statement the South African Constitution makes is that the government stands united “to further the contentment and spiritual and material welfare of all in our midst,” (but like our Constitution was written, Blacks were not considered or included). Thus the Blacks in South Africa have tuned into the church as the channel which is not continually blocked by the white bias government, and Black Power has come to the Churches. Black consciousness and white consciousness are facts says one Black minister from Soweto, the Black township on the fringe of Johannesburg where rioting began in June, “there may or may not be Christ’s consciousness in one or the other.” A meeting of all Black ministers in South Africa called for Sept. 27 and 28 is likely to be the beginning of a united Black Church bringing together Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformed, and the 3,800 independent Chruches to confront the “Devil” in cussed apartheid. Such unity will not come out of it’s planned meeting, but “eventually that is what they will haveTs*do,” said a white South African journalist covering the religious scene. Black ministers are being pushed by the youths who are threatening and dying. These determined youths are saying they will bum down the churches if nothing is done to demand change from the tyrant government. YOUTHS ARE THREATENING TO TAKE OVER THE CHURCH Other evidence of Black leadership coming through churches is the virtual take over by the youth’s at the coming annual meeting of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). Because of the killings in Soweto and elsewhere, the Black Youths have a ready-made platform. But even more important, Black ministers have gone beyond the current situations; they are discussing the form of the future South African government. The current talk is going around over what kind of socialism a Black church and government Black South Africans should follow. Os most immediate concern, however, to Prime Minister Vorster is his own Dutch Reform Church, the religious arm of the ruling Afrikaners (the whites of Dutch descent). Mr. Vorster has agreed to talk with the top officials of the International Reform Church Synod TO BE EQUAL By Vernon E. Jordon Jr. What Poor People Want One of the problems with being poor and powerless is that a lot of people assume they know what’s best for you and don’t ever bother asking what YOU want, what’s on YOUR mind, or what YOU need. That’s why a recent survey by the Washington, D.C. Urban League is so important. That community organization designed a questionnaire and conducted a survey of selected poverty neighborhoods in the nation's Capital to find out what the people themselves think about their situation. It’s true that poor people have been studied to death, most often by scholars trying to prove that something’s wrong with the poor. Remember all of those psuedo-scientific studies purporting to show that Black families are disorganized, that Black IQs are low, that schools don’t matter, and all the rest? Such studies made the poor into objects, things to be studied the way scientists study lab animals. They didn’t treat the poor as people whose opinions counted and whose perceptions were valuable and worthy of consideration. The Washington Study treated people with respect and further, was action-oriented. It tried to pinpoint areas of concern that could be followed up with sound action to improve people’s lives, not blame them for what’s wrong. Some of the findings are interesting, and applicable to other communities. 1 don’t have the space here for a comprehensive report, but here are a few of the findings that ought to get some attention. A basic community problem was found to be the high cost of food, in part a reflection if the lack of competition in the ghetto economy as large markets and chains have abandoned inner-city neighborhoods. Many people reported they had to travel far from their homes to buy food and other necessities, and four out of five said such goods are available cheaper in other, more affluent neighborhoods. The answers to this situation, supplied by the people Deadline Mondays No Exceptions THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW § Mallory K. MillenderEditor-Publisher Frank Bowman General & Advertising Manager Stan RainesManaging Editor & Circulation Manager Audrey Frazier Editor-At-Large Al Irby News Editor $ Michael Carr Chief Photographer Mary Gordonßookkeeper $ Mailing Address: Box 953, Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4555 Second Class Postage Paid Augusta, Ga. 30903 : : : SUBSCRIPTION RATES g Payable in Advance 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) XX AMALGAMATED Ji JjjljL $ JL—i, PUBLISHERS, INC. Ik IBM NATIONAL ADVERTISING RtFRESLRTANVLS »*•’ • NEW YORK • CHICAGO ■■■ ~ Page 4 Make Your Vote Count! which met in Cape Town during the third week in September. The Synod, which represents 7 million Christians around the world and meets every four years, is asking that the South African government change its apartheid policies. The Synod has made the white South African Dutch Reform Church squirm in its theological seat. But the head of the white church, J.D. Vorster, older brother of the Prime Minister, shows no signs of modifying his hitherto hard line stance. The elder Dr. Vorster’s leadership has not had the respect of many important whites for many years, although loyalty in Afrikanerdom and deference for authority have left him in power. How to change that leadership quickly is seen by progressive church members of crucial importance. In fact Dr. Vorster has been moved off-center by a younger group of ministers from Stellenbosh and Potchefsroom Universities. He is no longer the power he once was, according to a lay Afrikaner who has closely followed past Church Synods. The fact that the Church now is going to the government is in itself a sign of major movement within the thinking of Afrikaners. And since the government is unlikely to move without the Church’s approval, there are indications apartheid may be gradually diluting. The white Dutch Reformed Church was most critically challenged by its daughter Churches, the Indian, Black, and the Colored (mixed race) Churches - and the challenge of the latter was the most telling. Church leader Vorster was even pressured by the Colored Church to ask the police to reveal details about three Colored theological students who had been arrested recently. A growing number of Afrikaners dislike the white church leadership, according* to Prof. Hendrick W. Van de Merwe of Cape Town University. A survey he conducted of opinions among the elite of South Africa included interviews with 40 Dutch Reformed men. The survey showed that none of the 40 respected Dr. Vorster and many even voiced “disgust” with his leadership. Thus the challenge of the Churches must not be underestimated. As one white South African said, “the once heathen (the Blacks) are now trying to convert the whites to Christianity.” And the whites are tom between their white nationalism and their Christianity. The result is countrywide mental and physical turmoil over trying to resolve the conflict. RETROSPECTION Every season when the football season rolls around, old-timers that swore by the “Purple and White” cannot refrain from dreaming of the long, long ago, when Paine College was a pig-skin power; and that power for four beautiful years rested upon that fame airborne combination of “Waller to Cunningham”. This was the greatest forward passing unit in the entire Southland. Paine should never forget it. themselves, are for more and better consumer education and for establishing better shopping facilities in their neighborhoods. Co-op arrangements and putting markets on city-owned land would go a long way toward making this a reality. Not surprisingly, lack of jobs and decent income are continuing problems. The interrelatedness of social problems is demonstrated by the fact that half of the unemployed Blacks in the survey lost their jobs because of health problems. The popular assumption that unemployment is effectively cushioned by jobless benefits was disproved: only about 16 per cent of the out-of-work Blacks surveyed were receiving such benefits. A majority said they needed job-training and even those who were working indicated they were looking for another job, probably because of the low pay scales. All of this suggests that training programs, with jobs at the end of the line, are desperately needed in urban areas. And consumer-oriented health facilities are tied to the job issue since they’re needed to assure the better health that enables people to work. Child care ranked high on the list of citizen concerns, with four-fifths of the people calling for more day care centers. Existing child care services are a drain on their low incomes, but are necessary if adults are to be free to work. Crime is a pressing problem, and this most victimized community wants more and better rehabilitiative programs and is less hooked on the vengeance that the law and order supporters are always shouting about. The willingness of the people in the survey to join citizens’ patrols indicates that curbing crime in low-income neighborhoods can better utilize citizen and community solutions than has traditionally been the case. There’s a lot more, but the essential point is that we as a nation have to stop berating the poor and start listening to their needs, their solutions, and their aspirations. Letter to the Editor Children Molested On Unprotected Road To School Dear Editor, We live in the housing area Barton Chapel Hills off of Barton Chapel Road. Our children must attend junior and senior high at Glenn Hills; our housing area is located one mile from the school but extends beyond that once you get into the housing area. Our children are forced to walk to school down Glenn Hills Road, which is a mile long (our housing area is at the end of this road). This road is surrounded by trees with only a few houses on it. Many students were molested on their way to and from school last year. We are very concerned taxpayers who would like to know why our children cannot ride the bus or why can’t a bus stop be provided for this area. Cl I I ? I WE ■****’'■ This road is dangerous besides being quite a distance for our children to walk. Most parents in our neighborhood work and cannot transport their children to school. There are more than four buses that pass our housing area to go to McDuffie Woods and Barton Village, both of which are about two blocks from us. These buses will not stop to pick up our children. We feel the superintendent or school board or whoever is responsible for such action is being unfair and prejudice in their action, since our neighborhood is all Black. Concern Parents, Barton Chapel Hills Mrs. Herman Newsom. Correspondent 3603 Watergate Drive Augusta, Ga. Will You ? REGISTER . SO YOU CAN | fin WOTE! (sSaBgS. \hulth / "YOUTH IS THE OF HOPE, ENTERPRISE, Bu ANO ENERGY, TO A W NATION AS WELL AS K AN INDIVIDUAL ? A'Jr W. /?. WILLIAMS / A y •■ W* vi fry—..ZJ "GOING PLACES By Philip Waring News-Review Is Really A Meaningful Third Paper In Augusta While others have previously voiced this informally, it was the timely letter to the editor from civic leader-business executive Travis Barnes which brought it out into public focus. Yes, the five-year-old News-Review is an important and meaningful third paper in the Augusta-CSRA sector! Thank you Mr. Barnes. THE NEWS-REVIEW MOVES AHEAD The recent announcement by Publisher Millender regarding staff promotions and new changes heralds important and positive moves forward. Its subscribers, advertisers, and friends are due words of appreciation for support. And let’s not forget our columnists and special writers. * Most important, however, the real heroes are its hard working and dedicated staff. They believed in the value of this paper to the Black community and showed it by putting in years of faithful service. To them is owed many votes of thanks from the community. Thrust by the News-Review over the past five years has helped lay groundwork for racial betterment in Augusta and the CSRA. Thanks to the Good Lord, the paper has “turned the comer”, is in a sound state and is here to stay. Our staff realizes, however, that much remains to be done and only hard work and unity will help reach our objectives. ACCOMPLISHMENTS NOTED - MANY FIRSTS Let’s look at some of its accomplishments which include: (1) Affiliation with the 36-year-old National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)... This has also made possible for our Publisher to meet with the President of the United States and also an invitation to participate in conferences with other NNPA editors and publishers... Point of the storv is that “this has never been done before by an Augusta publication”... (2) In December of 1975 we published a special Family Achievement edition which was a salute to both the Mclntyre Family and the third Black Political Assembly... Publisher Millender flew copies directly to this important Washington gathering... They were distributed to the largest meeting of Black political leaders in history, thereby projecting Augusta’s image tremendously.. And we were the only publication to do this... BLACKS WHO HELPED BUILD AUGUSTA (3) During 1975 our paper won a Bicentennial award for its three-year series, “Blacks Who Helped Build Augusta”... This also has been widely hailed. It is the first involvement of the Black Press and citizens in writing about the accomplishments of our people who have been left out of the history books and records... (4) During the 1976 Bicentennial Black History month our paper presented a “Black Family Achievement Self-Inventory” making it possible for the average family to easily record and trace family roots. This was still another “first-of-its kind” given by an Augusta Black paper to the nation. Chruch and religious coverage has been greatly expanded. Stress has been given on Voter Education-Registration. (5) During the current Bicentennial Year the News-Review has presented its readers with several significant feature editions. The first, a unique Fifth Anniver&try edition (part one) and a “Happy 200 Birthday” edition at Fourth of July. Publisher Millender has asked this writer to spearhead a final Part 11, Fifth Anniversary edition. This is slated for the last week in October. I hope, God willing, to come home to Augusta to work with our staff in publishing it. (6) And finally, let’s not forget the well-placed and forthright editorials flowing from our paper. They’ve garnered wide support as racial discrimination and racism is still with us throughout the land. The News-Review has spoken out against evils facing the community and has courageously supported issues and people not always popular. Os course there have been some problems and misunderstandings among folks, Black and white, who have not always understood the role of a relevant Black paper or the Credo of the Black press. We’ve tried to be factual and objective. Above all, we’ve kept the faith. I see the beginning of change which should help the entire community... SEEKS BETTERMENT FOR ENTIRE COMMUNITY (7) Now after five years there is general agreement that the News-Review is the leading spokesman, advocator and informer-educator for the Augusta-CSRA Black communitv... It has supported such programs as: The “Build It Black” at Paine College, “Black Festival ’76”, Laney-Walker Blvd, project, the upgrading of downtown, colosseum as well as the crucial need for better housing, recreation and social services within the Inner-city JE Gia t ' ** she 9 ave U P desserts 11111111 l and put ,^le mone Y ' n t* l6 'III H r 'X Mission Sunday collection, l iUlln/// she wouldn't have to worry." areas. FACING REALITY The News-Review has given support to the building and expansion of business and industry as well as the general welfare of Augusta and the CSRA... The most responsible American institutions point to continued major racial discrimination in employment, housing, social services, allocation of Federal monies, etc.... The News-Review lent its approval to such groups as the Dr. M.L. King Jr. Coalition, NAACP, SCLC and others who are fighting to bring about positive change... Better Black employment, health, housing, etc. adds dollars to the marketplace coupled with democracy living up to its promises... LUCRATIVE BLACK PURCHASING POWER With a proven lucrative multi-million dollar market and the purchasing power of Blacks in Augusta and the CSRA (who also pay taxes), the News-Review remains greatly disappointed with the paucity of advertising given to local Black-owned media... More on this later... NEW BLACK MUSEUM NEEDED “Blacks Have Been Left Out of American and Augusta History”... Our paper has constantly reminded its readers of the tax-supported Augusta-Richmond County Museum which has historically excluded Black history (as though our group has never existed in Richmond County!)... Our paper stands solidly behind the thrust of the Black Heritage Commission to establish a Black Museum - Cultural Center on Laney-Walker Blvd, (a building is already available)... At the May 31 convocation at Tabernacle Baptist Church the 1200 persons present raised their hands in agreement that the Augusta and Richmond County governments should back this proposal... A LOOK AT DEDICATED NEWSPAPER STAFF Who are these wonderful persons who’ve worked so hard to give Augusta a good Black accredited family newspaper? They cover college age through world travelled military veterans and retired writers... Let’s look at Frank Bowman, the U.S. Navy man who is our very able ambassador to the business and industrial sector... He is all about showing merchants and economic institutions the value of their News-Review advertising to reach the lucrative multi-million dollar Black community... (May I also say “Many Happy Returns” to Frank and his charming bride)... DEAN OF BLACK WRITERS There is Al Irby, “Dean of Augusta Black Journalists”. His interesting column and writings over the past 30 years have added to dialogue about racial questions. Other papers outside Augusta have picked up his column. Now retired from employment in an industrial setting, he should bring experience about the structure and people of Augusta. Stan Raines is a retired U.S. Army combat veteran who has fought and traveled all over the world for his country. A good organizer, Stan has brought new dimensions in the sale, circulation and distribution of a new Black weekly. His colorful weekly entertainment column is widely read by thousands. Keep on! BEAUTY AND BRAINS It would be impossible to forget brilliant and beautiful Audrey Frazier who will now play an important role in putting the news program together. A graduate of Augusta College where she was trained in communications, Audrey is a veteran News-Review staffer as well as a beauty contest winner. She should offer a fresh young approach with a female point of view. The paper has a newly promoted staffer who is its first Chief Photographer. Suave Mike Carr has compiled an outstanding record of taking all kinds of news pictures which have helped build the/ News-Review into its present attractive state. Wisely majoring in business at Augusta College, he has wide contacts with the Black Students Union and thousands of young people throughout Greater Augusta. While I have not met Ms. Mary Gordon, new bookkeeper,secretary and John Hardy 111, the news sports reporter, I’ve heard many nice things about them. Welcome aboard! MORE THANKS FOR JOBS WELL DONE May I add my personal “Thanks for a job well done” to Tracy Williams 111, who now returns to Yale University after some exciting writings during the summer... Good luck to George Wright, interim news reporter last summer, who goes on to new assignments... And above all, let’s remember with appreciation the L.D. Waters Family and firm which has contributed so skillfully towards physical lay out and production of the News-Review.. STAFF READY TO SERVE THE GEORGIA-SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC The occasion of promotions and change has civen me opportunity of reviewing the paper’s accomplishments and describing our able staff which is ready to serve the pi blic. They are there ready to steer the Good Ship News-Review towards meeting the challenges of the last half of the 1970’s while building a great third paper in Augusta!