Newspaper Page Text
J. J. upset by
Esther Rolle’s plans
for ‘Good Times’
Page 6
Vol 8 No. 6
Beauty of
the Week
This week’s beauty, Betsy
Anderson, is a native of
Waynesboro. She is a Scorpio
and plans to major in
accounting at Paine College
where she is a freshman.
Her measurements are
34-26-36 and she enjoys
singing, swimming, and playing
basketball.
She is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Anderson.
Photo by Mike Carr
Conflict of interest ?
Civil rights leaders earn
big pay from corporations
By Alvin Poussaint, iVi.D.
From N.Y. Times
BOSTON -- The recent furor
over the energy platform of the
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People raises embarrasing
questions for our major civil
rights organizations.
In January, the NAACP
released a statement that was
widely interpreted to support
decontrol of natural gas and oil
prices, a position generally
favored by the oil industry.
Officials of the NAACP felt
that the statement was
misunderstood and
misreported by the news
media. They argued that their
energy stance would spur the
economy and bring jobs to the
unemployed and Black poor.
The National Urban League
opposed portions of the
NAACP declaration and
suggested that removing price
controls would place additional
inflationary hardships on the
poor. One should not begrudge
the right to a difference of
opinion within these groups.
Such debate, in fact, may
prove to be constructive. The
more-sensitive issue is a
possible conflict of interest
reflected in the NAACP’s
energy policy.
It is public knowledge that
Margaret Bush Wilson,
chairman of the NAACP board
of directors, also sits on the
board of Monsanto Company,
which has substantial
pil-related interests. As she
receives the usual lucrative fee
for her corporation duties -
$20,000 for serving on the
board and SSOO per meeting,
Monsanto said - some people
are wondering if she may have
divided her loyalties. Perhaps
some of the skepticism,
especially among the
rank-and-file, could have been
avoided if she had disassociated
herself from actively
supporting the energy
statement.
Despite the National Urban
League’s opposition to the
NAACP position, it suffers
similar image problems. Its
credibility is under scrutiny on
another, related issue. Vernon
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Jordan Jr., president of the
National Urbean League, sits
on the board of the Xerox
Corporation, which conducts
business in South Africa. He,
too, receives substantial
remuneration for his services:
$14,000 per year, plus $3,500
for serving on the executives’
compensation and benefits
committee, Xerox told me.
Several years ago, Mr.
Jordan took a trip to South
Africa for Xerox and conferred
with Black leaders and workers
there. On his return, he argued
that in the interests of Black
South Africans, United States
corporations should continue
to operate there despite his
statement calling for a
moratorium on future
American business investments.
Leading indigenous Black
liberation groups, however,
have demanded complete
divestment of American
business interests in South
Africa.
Without discussing the pros
and cons of Mr. Jordan’s
stance, it is obvious that he,
too, may be in a
conflict-of-interest situation.
Many people are wondering
whether he can be objective
and unabatedly pro-Black
while representing corporate
interests.
Some persons regrettably
have similar concerns about the
Rev. Leon Sullivan, head of the
Opportunities Industrialization
Center, one of the country’s
largest minority-training
programs. He also has
journeyed to South Africa and
serves as a paid member of the
board of General Motors,
which owns a comoanv there.
General Motors says it pays him
$15,000 a year, plus $250 per
board meeting, plus $7,000 for
sitting on the audit committee,
plus SB,OOO for sitting on the
public-policy committee.
Although he has advocated a
plan for racial reforms in
American subsidiaries in South
Africa, his recommendations
have been 'suspect by many
Blacks solely because he sits on
the board of General Motors.
The issues raised here
transcend specific individuals
Augusta man
is shotgunned
to death
Page 3
P.O. Box 953
and personalities. Although it
is important to have minority
input on our nation’s corporate
boards, one wonders about the
propriety of our civil rights
leaders serving in such
positions. The public has no
reason to doubt the personal
integrity and social
commitment of Margaret Bush
Wilson, Vernon Jordan and
Leon Sullivan. Each has
contributed significantly to
Black advancement.
Nevertheless, because some
people believe that these public
figures may be in
conflict-of-interest binds, they
risk the appearance of being
“bought” or compromised.
This is a risk that their
respective organizations and
the Black community must
See “LEADERS”
Page 5
Maynard and
Jesse Jackson
to speak
toPTA
Atlanta Mayor Maynard
Jackson and Jesse Jackson,
president of People United to
Save Humanity (PUSH) are
featured speakers at the
National PTA’s 82nd Annual
Convention, where some 1,500
delegates from around the
country and Europe are going
to be at the Hyatt Regency
Atlanta Hotel, June 11 to 14.
The theme of the convention is
“PTA Speaks Out!”
Carolyn Warner, Arizona
state superintendent of public
instruction and convention
keynote speaker, will discuss
the role parental participation
can play in helping to solve
today’s school problems.
Black progress report
is said to be misleading
By Martin Brown
Pacific News Sendee
The conclusion of a widely
published RAND report that
Blacks in recent decades have
taken large strides toward wage
equality with whites has come
under fire from some of the
nation’s top economists and
social scientists.
The RAND Corp, study,
funded by the Nationai
Academy of Sciences and
released earlier this month,
concludes that “between 1968
and 1975, Black male wages
have risen at a more rapid rate
than those of whites,
continuing a process that
occurred during the 19605.”
However, other economists
and government studies
contend that while the relative
economic position of Blacks
and other minorities improved
substantially between 1963
and 1969 -- under pressure
from the equal rights
movement -- the economic
progress of these groups since
1970 has slowed and, in some
cases, stopped.
In addition, experts
consulted by Pacific News
Faun troy to speak
Paine to
graduate 81
Commencement Exercises
for Paine College will be held
Sunday at 3 p.m. Congressman
Walter E. Fauntroy will be the
speaker. Os the 81 graduates,
26 will receive the bachelor of
arts degree; 12 the bachelor of
Alumni Weekend
features workshop
Alumni Weekend will be
held on the Paine Collee
campus June 9-11 according to
Mrs. Dafferneeze Pitts,
Director of Alumni Affairs at
the college.
Celebrating classes will be
those ending in the years and
8, she said. However, alumni
from all class years are
expected to attend.
National council head to be honored
at 38th Black Press Convention
WASHINGTON (NNPA) -
Dr. Dorothy 1. Height,
president of the National
Council of Negro Women, lias
been chosen to receive the
Distinguished Service Award of
the National Newspaper
Publishers Association (NNPA)
during its 38th Annual
Convention, June 21-24 in
Cleveland, Ohio at the Park
Plaza Hotel.
Announcement of the
recipient was made jointly last
week by Dr. Carlton B.
Gooslett of the San Francisco
Sun Reporter, president of
?«NPA and Jerrel W. Jones of
•ne Milwaukee Courier, first
vice president and chairman of
the Awards Committee.
Dr. Height, the first woman
to receive the coveted NNPA
Tina Turn,
now dating
Liz Taylor’s ex-beau
Page 6
June 8,1978
Service rebutted the RAND
study’s conclusion that:
*Affirmative action
programs have not been an
important factor in the
economic progress of Blacks
and other minorities.
*There is not a secondary
labor market in the United
States in which Blacks have
been relegated to dead-end jobs
with littler career wage growth
potential.
“The RAND researchers did
not even faithfully interpret
their own data,” said Robert
Hill, research director of the
National Urban League, which
is working on a detailed
critique of the report.
“In three out of four of the
nation’s regions,” Hill said,
“Black-to-white earnings have
actually fallen since 1970. 1
don’t deny that there have
been gains since 1947, but it’s
misleading to characterize the
entire period as one of
continuous gains for Blacks
when there has been a
retrogression since 1970.”
Bernard Anderson, an
economist at the Wharton
School at the University of
science degree; 22 the bachelor
of science in elementary
education, and 21 the bachelor
of science in business
administration.
The exercises will be held in
the Gilbert-Lambuth Chapel.
A variety of activities have
been planned for the 3-day
event. Highlight of the
weekend will be the alumni
workshop which will be lead
by Dr. Alandus Johnson, vice
president at Miles College in
Birmingham, Ala.
Following the workshop, the
National Alumni association
meeting will be held at 2 p.m.
and is open to all alumni.
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Dr. Carlton Goodlett
Award, has been president of
the National Council of Negro
Women since the death of Mrs.
Pennsylvania, also criticized
the RAND study conclusions.
“I don’t disagree with the idea
that the relative wages of
Blacks have been improving ...
But it doesn’t prove that the
economic status of Blacks have
been improving generally since
1970.
“In the 1960 s many Blacks
got good jobs for the first time,
especially during periods of
economic expansion. Those
Blacks who managed to keep
their jobs through the recession
of 1969 to ’7O have con inued
to benefit through the
continued improvement in the
relative wage ratio. But in the
recovery of 1972, and the
current recovery, fewer Blacks
recovered their jobs, and in the
recession of 1973 to ’74 more
Blacks lost jobs. So that since
1970 the relative
unemployment situation for
Blacks has grown worse, in
contrast to the 1960 s when it
got better.”
Anderson said that Black
unemployment is higher today
than at the last peak of the
business cycle, while white
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PERFECT ATTENDANCE FOR EIGHT YEARS Christine Wright (R) a
student at Fleming Elementary, has had perfect attendance for eight years or
1,440 days. She says she wants to continue her perfect record through high
school.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mollie Wright.
Her teacher, Mrs. Mary Thompson, presents Christine with an award of
recognition.
Photo by Mike Carr
’
Dr. Dorothy Height
Mary McLeod Bethune, its
founder, in 1955. She is a
renowned social worker who
Urmplo Copy
a > jor
re-kindling passion
for Pam Grier
Page 6
Less than 75% Advertising
unemployment is the same. He
believes that the latest recovery
has produced fewer jobs for
Blacks than for whites.
Employers have been hiring
white women instead of Black
women and men.
“Employers see white
women as substitutes for black
labor, and, especially in periods
of slow economic growth, this
results in decreased labor
market opportunities for
Blacks.”
The RAND study used data
on only wages and salaries to
support its conclusion of
increases in income equality.
However, using government
data for total income, a picture
is revealed that shows no
significant improvement in the
Black-to-white income ratio
since 1970. A similar pattern is
found for nonwhite-to-white
income.
Government statistics on
toal income as opposed to
wages and salaries only, show
that from 1948 to 1963,
nonwhite male income
averaged about 50 percent that
of white income. Between
i Ki
Jerrel W. Jones
was associated with the YWCA
for many years as an executive
director and as a member of
1964 and 1970, the nonwhite
income improved, reaching 60
percent of that of whites by
1970. This improvement
continued through 1975, the
last year government statistics
are available - but the rate of
improvement was only half as
fast as the earlier period.
A similar pattern was
revealed when statistics for
family income were used in a
recent study on income
disparities between Black and
white Americans conducted by
the Congressgional Budget
Office. According to that
study, the ratio of nonwhite to
white family income improved
from 55 percent in 1960 to 63
percent in 1969. But from
1970 to 1974, the ratio
decreased from 64 percent to
62 percent.
James P. Smith, who with
Finis Welch wrote the RAND
report, said that the statistics
using wage and salary earnings
might give a more optimistic
picture of Black economic
See “PROGRESS REPORT”
Page 2
the national board.
Under her leadership, the
Council has become an
international organization,
servicing women in developing
countries around the world and
especially in Africa. For her
work, she has received nine
honorary doctorate degrees
from such universities as
Howard, Harvard, Tuskegee,
and the University of
Massachusetts.
Previous recipients of the
NNPA Award are: Benjamin L.
Hooks, executive director of
the NAACP; Congressman
Charles Diggs; Business League
President Berkeley Burrell;
Judge Damon Keith; M. Carl
Holman of the National Urban
Coalition; Mayors Richard
Hatcher and Carl Stokes, and
QIC Chairman Leon Sullivan.
25'