Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 7, No. 40
Murder and extortion charges
catch innovative ghetto school
in Black Panther legal storm
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Ghetto school with small classes, parent-teacher support yields superior student
performance.
Newark Boys Chorus
to perform at Paine College
The nationally known and
critically acclaimed Newark
Boys Chorus, a highly trained
group of 34 carefully selected
singers, will appear at Paine
College, Gilbert-Lambuth
Memorial Chapel on Feb. 8 at
8 p.m.
To be presented is a program
entitled, “An Entertainment in
Three Parts.” A widely varied
program designed to appeal to
all musical tastes, the program
includes works of Porpora,
Schubert and Handel, folk
songs, gospel choruses and
spirituals as well as popular
selections. A special feature of
the program, calling on the
boys’ acting talents as well as
their musical talents, is the
performance of “The Golden
Vanity".
This short, staged vaudeville
for boys and piano, was
written by Benjamin Britten
after an old English Ballad.
Complete with pirates and
sailors, this charming sea story
is filled with fun and action.
Costuming and stylized props
add an interesting visual
dimension to the concert. The
entire program is suitable for
the whole family.
The Newark Boys Chorus,
founded in 1966, has appeared
all over the United States and
in Europe and has given a
special concert at the Vatican
for Pope Paul IV. The Chorus
has also performed with such
leading symphony orchestras
as: The New York
Philharmonic, under Leonard
Berstein and Pierre Boulez; the
Philadelphia Orchestra under
Eugene Ormandy; the Atlanta
Symphony, under Robert
Shaw; and the New Jersey
Sympnony, under Henry
Lewis. Most recently, they
appeared with the New Jersey
News Deadline Friday
Our news deadline will be on Fridays effective next
week.
>, Paine College Library
-> 1235 15th St.
XB Augusta, GA 30901
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Newark Boys Chorus
State Opera under the
direction of Alfredo Silipigni.
These performances have won
the Chorus critical acclaim and
P.O. Box 953
a reputation of excellence.
Boosting its international
recognition during the 1977-78
season, the Chorus will give
premiere performances of
choral works written especially
for them by famed composers
Gian Carlo Menotti and Peter
Menn in.
The Newark Boys Chorus,
an independent, non-profit
organization, is the only boys
By Pat Roberto
Pacific News Service
Pat Roberto reports for
Time magazine from the San
Francisco Bay Area.
Oakland, CA -a pace-setting
private elementary school
which has provided first-rate
educations to some of this
city’s poorest children - and
high acclaim to the Black
Panther Party which runs it - is
facing an uncertain future as a
result of charges of attempted
murder, extortion and fraud
brought against party
members. The allegations,
some believe, may threaten the
survival of the Black Panther
Party itself.
The accusations, including
welfare fraud, extortion and
two shootings supposedly
connected with the murder
trial of Panther leader Huey
Newton, have already created a
breach between the school and
public officials such as Oakland
Mayor Lionel Wilson, who
recently resigned from the
school’s board.
Yet, while officialdom is
maintaining a discreet distance
from all Panther activities, the
school’s grassroots support in
this predominantly non-white
city of 328,000 has grown even
more loyal.
chorus in the nation to provide
both academic and musical
training for its members and
trainees. It operates a full time
day school in Newark, New
Jersey, where the 34 members
of the concert chorus and sth
and 6th grade trainees
participate in a rigorous
schedule of regular academic
studies, classes in music theory,
piano lessons as well as
February 2. 1978
“I go down there and 1 see
for myself the love and
concern they have for tile
children,” said one mother.
“Why should I care who runs it
or what is being said about
them?”
If reading and math scores
and a demanding (curriculum
are indications, the progress of
the Oakland Community
School’s 150 two-and-a-half to
12-year-old students is
remarkable.
Children enrolled in the
program from the start
consistently score one to two
years beyond grade level on the
Comprehensive Test of Basic
Skills, which the school
administers at the beginning
and end of each year. Transfer
students from the Oakland
Public Schools, where students
score among the worst in the
state and the nation in reading,
usually reach grade level in two
years’ time.
The staff, who devised the
curriculum and plan to market
it, feel the achievements of
their students are small cause
to marvel.
“This is ordinary every day
stuff,” said Carol Granison,
language arts director and
former staffer for Scholastic
See "LEGAL STORM”
Page 6
three-hour daily rehearsals. All
boys are on full scholarship. By
performing up to 100 concerts
per season, the Newark Boys
Chorus earns approximately
one third of its annual
operating budget. The rest is
provided by grants from
private citizens, industry,
foundations and government.
The public is invited to'
attend this free concert.
Less Than 75% Advertising
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FACING A CRUCIAL IES I Ihuiiie (,ase\ (right) portrays Joe Louis, who
contemplates his upcoming fight with Max Schmeling, as his Hainer (Julius Harris)
stands by in "Countdown to the Big One" a World Premiere drama on “NBC
Saturday Night at the Movies" Febmars I.
I ernonjt rdan assesses
State of Black America,
jobs top priority for ‘7B
The key national issues
facing Blacks in 1978 will be
the proposed tax cut, the
development of an urban
policy, and the fate of the
Humphrey-Hawkins Bill and
the Administration’s welfare
reform package, Vernon E.
Jordan, president of the
National Urban League,
declared as he released the
NUL’s annual assessment of
the status of Blacks - “The
State of Black America-1978.”
Based on the documentation
contained in the 200-page
report, Jordan said that overall
“for Black Americans, 1977
was a year of continued
depression, with unacceptably
high unemployment and a
widening income gap...
“The generally dismal
picture is worsened by the
widespread expectations that
the new Administration would
right the balance and would
accelerate Black progress,
based on campaign promises
and commitments. Those
expectations have been
disappointed,” he said.
Calling attention to the
“many positive steps” taken by
the Administration in recent
Fir*t Black
John Ruffin to head
state lawyers group
Attorney John Ruffin Jr.
was elected president-elect of
the Georgia Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers at
the association’s annual meetin
in Atlanta. He will be the first
Black attorney to head a major
organization of white lawyers
in the state.
There are only four Blacks
in the association which has
508 members.
Ruffin is completing his
second term as president of the
Georgia Conference of Black
Lawyers, Inc.
He is a graduate of
Morehouse College and the
Howard University School of
Law.
months, such as the expansion
of public sector jobs and the
beginning of a youth jobs
program, Jordan noted,
however, that given the
extreme social and economic
deprivation faced by Blacks
and urban residents, the
Administration has to face up
to two realities.
“First, more, much more, is
needed byway of federal
actions to assist poor people
and the cities. And second, it
(the Administration) must
finally recognize that the
priority of balancing the
budget in 1981 cannot be
reconciled with more pressing
priorities as full employment,
urban revitalization and
economic recovery’ for all.”
On the issues described by
Mr. Jordan as being of
paramount importance to
Blacks, “The State of Black
America-1978” makes the
following recommendations:
TAX CUT: “Any tax cut
should be limited to the
replacement of proposed social
security tax increase and to tax
benefits to industry for job
training, job placement, and
investments in high
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Atty. John Ruffin
unemployment areas and in the
cities.”
URBAN POLICY: “A
national urban policy should
go beyond the simple physical
rehabilitation of the cities and
include measures that would
materially improve the lives of
urban residents. Such a policy
should encompass such vital
needs as better housing,
improved education, decent
jobs at decent wages, minimum
living standards to replace the
welfare system, health care,
physical safety and adequate
public transportation.”
Commenting on the reports
that have already circulated
about what the Administration
may propose in an urban
policy, Jordan said:
‘‘The way the
Administration's urban policy
is shaping up offerjs) little
encouragement for a varied
Urban Marshall plan-type
program. Anything less than
that is unlikely to reverse the
deterioration of our cities.”
HUMPHREY-HAWKINS:
‘‘The compromise
Humphrey-Hawkins Bill as
accepted by the President
should be passed by Congress
this year.
“Actions should also be
taken to greatly increase
publicly funded training
programs, provide incentives to
the private sector to create jobs
at prevailing wages, and offer
assistance to the private sector
in the training of the jobless
and young people.”
WELFARE REFORM: “The
Administration’s welfare
reform plan is major
advancement over the present
system, but it is in need of
further refinement if it is to
accomplish its basic intent. As
an example, while the basic
benefit level will represent an
increase over what many
AFDC families are currently
receiving, it still compels the
overwhelming majority of
participants to subsist below
the poverty level. The
minimum floor should thus be
raised.
TENTH ANNIVERSARY
OF COMMISSION REPORT:
See “BL ACK AMERICA”
Page 2
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