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The Augusta News-Review - November 4," 1978
Augusta 'Nefos-JRrtriefo
Mallory K. Millender Editor-Publisher
J. Philip Waring Vice President for Research and Development
Paul D Walker Special Assistant to the Publisher
Robert L. Darby /. i i i i iiAdvertising Manager
Mrs. Brenda Hamilton Administrative Assistant
Mary Gordon Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Geneva Y. Gibson Church Coordinator
Ms. Barbara Gordonßurke County Correspondent
Mrs. Clara WestMcDuffie County Correspondent
Roosevelt GreenCo umnist
Al Irby.Columnist
Columnist
Marian Waring
Michael Carr Chief Photographer
RoscoeWilliams Photographer
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Box 953 - Augusta, Ga. - Phone 722-4555
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AMAUAMAm
X'l" MWUAIIUM* INCc
*«—w .anao ■■'iiihuiii U*
Walking with dignity
Here is the background to the story
that helped to topple the most prestigious
Black that has graced the Richmond
County political scene. The real truth
now can be told of the reason John Swint
elected to run against Ed. Mclntyre in the
September Primary. It was promoted by a
personal betrayal. Swint was appointed to
the tax board as an appraiser. He was
making big business pay their fair share of
taxes, and the fat cats started bellyaching,
because their toes were being pinched
financially. The cry went out from the
establishment that Swint had to go.
This appeal went to the “unholy
three” of the County Commission when
the time came around to reappoint Swint.
Mclntyre was a kere was a key member of
that slick “Triumvirate.” He could have
saved Swint by voting with the majority,
but he refused and placed one of his men
on the board. Naturally, John Swint was
hurt, and he struck back by opposing
Mclntyre. All of that bash about selling
out to the whites and the Ku Klux Klan
was a bunch |>i malarkey.
SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT
Western leaders recently sit down to
blunt talk with hard-boiled Prime
Minister “Pik” Botha. These Western
foreign Ministers have held long hours of
talks with the South African Government
here in a drive to break the deadlock over
the future of South-West Africa
(Nambia). South African Foreign Minister
Roelof (Pik) Botha told reporters outside
the government buildings Oct. 16: “We
are still talking.” He and Prime Minister
Pieter Both, (Don’t get these two Bothas
mixed up) met with U.S. Secretary of
State Cyrus Vance, British Foreign
Secretary David Owen, West German
Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher,
Canadian Foreign Minister Donald
Jamieson, and Oliver Stirn, the French
Deputy Foreign Minister.
BIGWIGS MAYBE INTRANSIGENT
After almost two hours of hard talks in
Prime Minister Pieter Botha's office, the
foreign minisministers moved to Foreign
Minister Botha’s office to continue the
talks without the Prime Minister. The
talks were joined by General Magnus
Malan, chief of South African defense
forces. South Africa has some 20,000
troops in South-West Africa (Namibia),
most of whom would be withdrawn
under a United Nations plan for
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Page 4
The ‘whole truth’
about Swint,
Mclntyre debate
By Al Irby
internationally acceptable independence.
But the plan has been undermined by
South Africa’s unilateral move in calling a
December election without waiting for
proposed UN-supervised elections next
April. Western sources said the “big five”
did not plan to raise the prospects of
sanctions at the first meeting but would
sound out Africa’s new Prime Minister, a
reputed hardliner making his debut on
the international scene. “We want to
know how flexible he might be,”
one official said.
NOT AS HARD AS WAS EXPECTED
South Africa’s response to United
Nations proposals for the future of
Namibia as explained by the Western
foreign ministers during their visit, has
been more encouraging than expected.
United States Secretary of State Cyrus
Vance, speaking in Geneva after the
South African talks, said he regarded the
talks as “a step forward.” South African
Government statements October 18 made
it evident that while Prime Minister Pieter
Botha's country has not accepted the
UN-Western plan for Namibia in full,
there are signs that South Africa at least
has moved toward an
accommodation-which is regarded as a
positive step by the West. Indeed, some
regard the outcome as a face-saving
compromise which gives both sides
something to point to, while opening the
way for Namibia’s independence and
probably staving off for the moment
international sanctions against South
Africa. However, Black African states are
unlikely to yield on their firm opposition
to South African insistence on holding its
own elections in Namibia on December
4th.
WAY PAVED FOR UNITED NATIONS
A joint communique issued by the
South African Government and five
Western nations (the United States,
Britain. France, West Germany, and
Canada) after three days of talk in
Pretoria, the South African capital, said it
now would be appropriate for United
Nations special representative Martti
Abtisaari to resume his talks with South
Africa’s Administrator-General for
Namibia, Judge Marthinus Steyn. In an
apparent concession. South Africa agreed
that the December election in Namibia
which it has proposed .would !»■ "an
internal exercise to elect internal
leaders.”
SOUTH I||B
■1 AFRICA
-
I T V fTi H
OSiZANbad JR X. 1 *-*“
CHANGING THE HEAD OF STATE
JB*
The Laney-Walker Neighborhood
Revitalization Committee will hold its
organizing meeting this week.
Hopefully, it should mark a new
overall improvement thrust for now and
the future in this historic and main center
of the Augusta Black community.
It should include residents, persons
from business and representatives from
institutional groups (schools, churches
and community organizations, etc.) The
projected area should be seen as this
broad thoroughfare which runs from the
Walker Memorial Cemetery westward to
its terminal at Druid Park Avenue. Its
other boundaries may be viewed roughly
as Hale and Miller on its north and Perry
to the south.
Its objectives and future program
thrusts will be discussed and decided by
members at their meetings. The
suggestions offered by this writer may be
altered or changed to suit the local
situation as needed.
Our suggestions and projections,
however, come from actual experience in
neighborhood improvement work from
case histories on whafs happening in
other cities. After the organizing process,
representatives of local government
should be brought in. Advanced planning
will probably be needed, especially for
physical improvement. As an example,
the Auburn Avenue Revitalization
Committee has already received a
government grant for advanced planning.
Government cooperation is needed.
(1) Physical improvement may take
several forms. Short range conservation
which might include “clean-up, paint-up
and fix-up" of homesand property. Next
would be rehabilitation or the restoring
to state of physical health. Then
long-range planning would look towards
major physical upgrading such as new
Rather ride with Pug
Dear Editor,
Columbus discovered America almost
five hundred years ago, but Senator
Strom Thurmond discovered it just this
year - when he began his race against Pug
Ravenel. That was when Strom
Thurmond discovered that all Americans
have the right to vote, and the right to an
education, and to public facilities, and to
decent housing, and to a share in the
government. That was when the Senator
discovered the Bill of Rights and the
Constitution and learned for the first
time that Blacks did not really “enjoy”
segregation. For over twenty years he
fought every attempt to give us our turn
at bat our chance at the American
dream -- even when our brothers were
dying for that dream in the uniform of
our country and coming home in coffins
draped with our country’s flag. He fought
against our Civil Rights, our Voting
Rights, our representation on the
Supreme Court. He even voted to cut
food stamp funds!
At the 1948 National Democratic
Convention, where the late Hubert H.
Humphrey fought with Senator Strom
Thurmond on the floor of the convention
to win approval for a “civil rights” plank
in the party's platform, the Senator did
not follow in a walkout of southern
delegates in protest -- he led the southern
delegations' walkout in protest.
America was moving forward, ■ but
Going places
Laney-Walker
revitalization
By Phil Waring
parks, recreational facilities, lighting,
paving, etc.
(2) Economic development.... America
runs largely on its economic muscle.
When businesses, large and small, are
healthy then there is good employment
and a steady flow of money and
commerce. There are millions of dollars
in Federal and other funds to aid the
organization and improvement of small
business. And the healthy state of
business is often tied in with
neighborhood status Here our CSRA
Business League should be helpful.
(3) Development of the historical and
cultural base of a neighborhood is very
important, especially in Black areas which
have usually been overlooked. Public
recognition is given to historical spots;
churches, schools, homes of outstanding
leaders of the past, etc. On the cultural
front there should be a close mesh-in with
the Augusta Black Festival Project which
is one of the leading groups of its kind
with active programs. The Black Who
Helped Build Augusta Historic
Committee, now being expanded, could
well help with some of the historic
projects.
(4) Many existing community,
educational and religious bodies should
serve as active resources to help bring
about change. Paine College, Pilgrim Life,
Macedonia, St. Mary’s, Tabernacle, Christ
Presbyterian, Harmony, Central, Antioch,
St. Mark’s and other churches should be
active. All of the schools and business
groups coupled with residents will give
the projected revitalization work a good
send off.
Remember, Laney-Walker is the main
thoroughfare of our community
containing our greatest historical
treasures. Included are the graves of Rev.
C.T. Walker and Dr. L.C. Laney.
Letter to the editor
Strom Thurmond was driving backward,
and he backed over quite a few folks.
Now he has suddenly discovered the
American dream Dr. King talked about;
he has found a “forward” gear on his car
and he’s busy trying to pick up all those
folks he ran over. A sad story is - there are
a few folks who want to accept a ride
from the Senator.
We are glad the Senator finally
discovered America, but we’d rather ride
with Pug Ravenel. Pug has always
believed in the Constitution and the Bill
of Rights and the American dream.
The road ahead looks full of pot-holes
- high prices, heavy taxes, fewer jobs,
unworkable Welfare, and continued
discrimination. We’ve been hit by all of
these in the twenty-odd years Strom
Thurmond has been in Washington. We’re
glad he’s sorry about running over us, but
we just don’t want to get in his car -- thus
rewarding him for his past actions. We
need a driver who has had experience
driving forward, who’s young and strong
and looking ahead, a man who has room
in his car for everybody!
So thanks, Senator Thurmond - but
we would rather ride with Pug!
T.C. McCain, chairman
Edgefield County Democratic Party
Rt. 4 Box 123
North Augusta, S.C. 29841
w* 4r * l!l .
The case is clear for the absolute
necessity of a massive voter turnout by
minorities this election year.
Congressional intransigence has meant
that many federal programs essential to
urban revitalization and to improving the
opportunities for minorities and the poor
are in deep trouble.
Congress has complied a record
awesome in its neglect ot the interests of
the nation. It has been unresponsive to
popular feelings.
The tax revolt, for example, is a
popular response to an unfair and
inequitable tax system. Congress answer
is to broaden the loopholes and make the
tax system even more unjust.
On a whole range of issues. Congress
has become a barrier to progress. Energy
and other key issues have been left to
wither on the vine. And instead of acting
constructively the Congress has gone out
of its way to bring up deceptive issues
such as the tuition tax credit and
amendments to destroy affirmative action
compliance.
Congressional committees are gutting
the Administration’s urban policy and
welfare reform is nowhere in sight, a year
after the President announced his welfare
reform plans.
One remarkable aspect of Congress’
callous behavior is its persistent and
willful neglect of the interests of its
minority constituents.
Last spring, for example, the Joint
Center for Political Studies analyzed the
voting patterns of Congressmen whose
districts include sizeable Black
populations.
The JCPS found that 59 members of
the House of Representatives represent
districts in which over 25 percent of the
population is Black. One would expect
people representing such districts to be
more responsive to Black needs than
other Congressmen. After all, Blacks form
a sizeable portion of their district’s
population. Few politicians would dare
Our new day begun
IL. T II
5h I B ®
Recognizing that a primary cause of his
pre-Camp David summit slide in the polls
was due to the public’s perceiving him as
weak and indecisive, President Carter
resolutely moved to shore up his image.
He took on the powerful military
establishment by vetoing the $37 billion
weapons procurement bill because it
contained $2 billion for a nuclear aircraft
carrier, which he felt was inflationary; he
hauled President Sadat of Egypt and
Prime Minister Begin of Israel up to Camp
David to hammer out a Mideast peace
agreement framework; he scored a very
impressive legislative victory when the
House sustained by a comfortable margin
his veto of the slO.l billion public works
appropriations bill because he felt it too
was inflationary.
Given this show of strength, many of
us had thought Mr. Carter would have
followed through and held firm to his
avowed desire not to give Rhodesia’s lan
Smith and other representatives of his
illegal, breakaway government visas to
visit the United States. After all, it was a
foregone conclusion that Smith and his
Black coterie were only coming here to
stage a last ditch lobbying effort to gain a
privileged position for Rhodesian whites
under Black majority rule.
For these reasons, the NAACP
expressed its strong objections to Smith’s
visit in a telegram to President Carter. He
explained that:
(1) The granting of such visas would be
clearly illegal and violative of present
United Nations policies to which the
United States ascribed. U.N. Resolution
Black folk
In American civilization
By Dr. Howard James Jones
PRINCE HALL
The oldest fraternal organization among
Black men in the United States is Prince
Hall Masons. This organization had its
beginning on March 6, 1775 when Prince
Hall and fourteen others of his Black
brciherns were initiated into the masons
by members of the British Army Lodge
No. 441 of the Fifty-eighth Regiment of
Irish Infantry.
Born sometime around 1748 at
Bridgetown, Barbados, Prince Hall, the
son of a free woman of color and an
Englishman, migrated to the United
States about 1765. In Boston, he pursued
the trade of a leather worker while
studying to become a minister in the
To be equal
Black-Brown
election
turnout needed
By Vernon E. Jordan
ignore the interests of a quarter of their
constituents.
Well, the arrogant disrespect some
politicians feel toward Black people and
their interests becomes evident in this
JCPS study. The JCPS identified key
legislative issues in which Black people
have a major stake, issues such as child
nutrition, Vietnam-era veterans benefits,
the minimum wage, and others. The
Black Caucus position on these issues was
taken as the standard against which the
Congresspersons would be judged.
The basic result - 21 of the 59 voted
against the Black Caucus position more
often than not on 16 key roll call votes.
Since 14 of the Black Caucus members
are included among the 59, that means
that 21 out of the remaining 45
representatives with significant Black
constituencies voted against Black
interests most of the time.
And some of them voted against the
Black Caucus position all of the time.
The message to Black people is clear.
We have to assume the responsibility to
reward our friends and punish our
enemies. We have to register in massive
numbers, and then turn out to vote.
Any group that constitutes a fourth of
a Congressional district’s population
ought to be able to influence the way
that Representative votes. At the very
least, it should be able to make sure that
Representative votes right on key issues.
So long as Blacks register and vote in
lower than average proportions, this sort
of Congressional misrepresentation will
continue. The full power of the Black
vote has to be mobilized or we will
continue to have our gains eroded and
our interests betrayed.
Those who are cynical about the
possibilities of advancing Black interests
through the electoral process are wrong.
The ballot box can be an important
vehicle for progress, but only if people
get out and register and vote.
lan Smith’s
U.S. victory
By Benjamin Hooks
No. 253 explicitly states: “All member
states shall prevent the entry into their
territory save on exceptional
humanitarian grounds of any persons
traveling on Southern Rhodesia passports
or on a purported passport issued by or
on behalf of the illegal regime in
Southern Rhodesia.”
(2) Freedom-loving nations around the
world have applauded your strong
commitment to human rights and the
incorporation of such principles into the
Carter Administration’s foreign policies.
Any move, therefore, that would pretend
to grant, or actually grant, recognition to
the illegal lan Smith regime would be
violative of these policies.
(3) The granting of visas to the illegal
lan Smith regime leaders would be a
clear, unmistakable signal to Africa and
the rest of the world that the United
States has turned its back on its avowed
policies of supporting the principles of
majority rule for Southern Africa. Such
an act by the Carter Administration
would be an open invitation to the
Soviets to enter the rapidly escalating
conflict in that region. No action, we
stress, would more invite communism
into Rhodesia, Nambia and South Africa
than such recognition of a government
which, until now, no nation has seen fit
to recognize.
By permitting lan Smith to come to
the U.S., the Carter Administration might
have appeased the 27 senators who
invited him here. But the damage to
America’s long-term interests in Africa
will be difficult to repair.
Methodist Church.
An enlistee in the American militia
during the American Revolutionary War,
he became a prime mover in the
establishment of African Lodge No. 1 on
July 3,1776.
Today, the organization of
brotherhood, dedicated to the uplift of
men everywhere, founded by Prince Hall
includes in its fold most of the
outstanding Black men in America. In
1977, it was reported to have been
composed of nearly 5,000 lodges and
almost 300,000 members in the United
States, Canada, the West Indies and West
Africa.
Prince Hall, the driving force behind
Black masonary in America, died in
December of 1807.