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SCLC pushes 3 . unemployment before President Pagel VoLB,No. 46 Community leaders plan black agenda A leadership group, which recently held a conference to develop a “black agenda,” announced this week that it plans to urge the public to “use caution” before supporting candidates, issues or projects that do not embrace affirmative action and minority set-aside policies. The black agenda also proposes an on-going voter registration campaign, financial support of the suit to eliminate at-large voting, the monitoring of all governmental meetings, and the placement of blacks on all boards and commissions, and a war on unemployment and crime in the black community. The conference was sponsored by tne. Citizens Ad Hoc Committee as a first-of-its-kind session where black leaders and agency heads came together to discuss their problems and propose solutions. The two-day meeting was held at Paine College and the St. Maty’s Parish House, respectively. The black agenda calls for “the full backing” of the CSRA Business League in its efforts to get public funding to extend minority economic development. It urges that blacks make investments and purchases from business firms Harvey Johnson Citizen of the Year Harvey Johnson, executive director of the CSRA Business League, has been named The News-Review Citizen of the Year, Editor-Publisher Mallory K. Millender announced this week. Since the Business League was organized in 1970 to assist small and minority businesses, it has acquired more than 7 million in loans for small businesses, another 3 million in farm disaster loans, and close to a million dollars in bid performance payment bonds. Prior to the existence of the CSRA Business League bonding for minority contractors was non-existant. The League has gotten 88 contracts assigned by the Small Business Administration for local league members. For the last two years the Business League has received national recognition for outstanding achievement oh the local level. In 1978 it received the National Business League’s highest award, the Berkeley G. Burrell Award, for chapter achievement. In 1977 the CSRA Business League increased membership and local activities relating to business development. The league has 250 business and individual memberships. It has opened satelite offices in Millen and Greensboro. When the league started out in 1970 it had only one Augusta jew Eld ward Mclntyre Dr. Julius S. Scott 1 ' y employee. It now has 13, including CETA workers. Daily, they work to lobby for ordinances affecting small businesses, assist in apprenticeship training, loan and contract procurement and Williams ___ r?n Ave. \A 30906 Paine land over 50 years old Pagel P.O. Box 953 Conference discussants Harvey Johnson general business development. The News Review commends Mr. Johnson for the contribution that he has made to the economic growth and development of the Central Savannah River Area. ; ‘Mr ( it •• • -Mr ' »1 A R.A. Dent w - gim-ngjp. t aH Dr. C.S. Hamilton SCLC spotlights black unemployment on Dr. King memorial ATLANTA - Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) president Dr. Joseph E. Lowery is urging “every community in the country to raise the issue of unemployment among black youth” during the entire week encompassing the April 4 eleventh anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death. Citing recently published figures which indicate that 100,000 blacks joined the jobless ranks in January-Feb ruary and that black unemployment is now 243 percent greater than that for whites, Dr. Lowery said, “This issue threatens the future of all black Americans, as well as the very social-economic fabric of this nation.” The SCLC president called upon black and white ministers in every community to lead activities that would address unemployment as away of remembering SCLC’s founding president. “Some of Dr. King’s most memorable drives were characterized by the issues of racism and unemployment,” he said. “But despite the success of the movement Dr. King spearheaded, studies show that we may see a generation of young black men who have never had a steady job. There is no way to end the despair, dope peddling, alcoholism, and broken homes in the black community unless this nation takes a positive stance on youth unemployment.” SCLC is stressing five Adult Society to present 1979 Debutantes Page 6 March 31,1979 which employ blacks and advertise with black-owned media. J. Philip Waring, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee and the prime organizer of the conference, said there will be a community-wide evaluation and discussion of the projected “magnate school” concept and that the NAACP Education Committee will monitor the program, personnel promotions, and activities of die public school system. Neighborhood associations will monitor city zoning, housing and health ordinance enforcement, as well as the urban renewal project, Waring said. The group called the rate of black unemployment and underemployment “unconscionable,” and said it would seek a meeting with city officials to discuss this matter ’’(.well as the high crime rate. Waring said there would be new “thrusts” to help cultural and community agencies such as the Black Festival, The Mini Theatre, the Laney-Walker Museum and the Economic Opportunity Authority. The Ad Hoc Committee will monitor the activities of the Augusta-Richmond County Museum, he said. specific activities for April 1-8, said M.L. King Jr. Memorial Week coordinator, the Rev. C.T. Vivian. The Rev. Vivian is an SCLC board member and former executive of Dr. King’s staff. According to the Rev. Vivian, all churches are being asked to focus on Dr. King’s dream, particularly equal employment opportunity, during their April 1 and April 8 services. Special collections taken in on these Sundays should be earmarked for keeping Dr. King’s dream alive and sent to SCLC national headquarters in Atlanta. Church groups are asked to distribute and secure signatures on a petition urging the government to do more for black youth employment. They are also asked to collect the names and addresses of unemployed black youth in their areas who desire to work. Fourth, said Rev. Vivian, each community is expected to have an April 4 mass meeting “focusing on unemployment and the meaning of Dr. King’s life and death for the present crisis in American life.” Finally, he continued, “We must ensure that this drive shall not end on April 8. We are requesting interested clergy to form committees which will visit businesses on an on-going basis to seek work and job training for black youth who See “SCLC” Page 5 Our eighth anniversary Survival is victory Since the News-Review began publishing, on March 25th 1971, we give a sigh of relief almost every time an issue comes off the press. Many, many times, this year included, we didn’t know for sure that there would be another issue. We don’t celebrate our achievements, we celebrate our survival. Although we are still, after years, struggling to survive from week to week, there has been substantial growth, much of it coming within the past year. A very big addition to the News-Review came when J. Philip Waring, retired executive of the Urban I League moved back to Augusta a year ago, and made the development of the News-Review his number one project He has brought with him to the staff his wife, Marian, Mrs. Geneva Y. Gibson, Mrs. Clara West, Mrs. Heen Buchanan and Mr. David Dupree-all, outstanding in their own right have brought their talents and expertise to the News-Review staff. The News-Review has always been blessed with talented people, willing to volunteer there services. Such is the case with Paul D. Walker. After being interviewed one day, he said: “You know, it galls me to see errors in black newspapers. I will volunteer to do proofreading for you.’’ Since that time, for almost a year now, he has come to the office every week to proof read. Granted, there are still mistakes. But they are due largely to the fact that many of the stories are typed late, after he Paine land sought for over 50 years Editor’s note: For decades there have been rumors of a “master plan” to acquire land occupied by Paine College. Most recently it has been said the land is needed by expansion of the Medical College of Georgia. More than fifty years ago, there was a plan to acquire the same property for Richmond Academy. The following letter to the Augusta Chronicle appeared in the Paine College newspaper “The Pameite” Jan. 15 1925. Editor Chronicle: To begin with the one necessity for any cause or condition is thoughtful considerate co-operation. In the forward march of Augusta toward her future developnent, of which every worthy citizen should be interested, there must be that co-operation above stated, and with reference to the Paine College matter, I am thus addressing myself to that thought First I am a negro with every aspiration of true development of country, state, county and city. My parents and grandparents were slaves and Business League’s Harvey Johnson Citizen of the Year Pagel Lew than 75% Advertising southerners to the manner bom. This is also true of the majority of negroes now residing in Augusta. For more than thirty years I have proudly trodden southern soil. I know no other, hence I will state that it is not my intention to live anywhere else, “I will stay here and fight it out if it takes all summer.” Paine College is the pride of every southern negro and is the most sacred gift of southern white Christian beneficence to black humanity, it is the vestibule between white and black hearts, it is Jesus Christ working in the hearts of southern Christian men and women under the golden rule - ‘As ye would that men do unto you do ye even so to them.’ It is a defence and a bulwark against northern, eastern and western accusations that the south is opposed to the education of the negro to any appreciable extent. You are perhaps of the opinion that only white people of these sections represent the accusers of the southern system of conduct of the white people of the south towards his less fortunate brother, but there is an element of our own has done the proofreading. During the past year we have seen our advertising increasing, slowly but surely. And the ground work has been laid for a circulation program that we expect to double our circulation. Much of our survival is due to people whose names don’t appear in our staff box, and whose names may never have appeared in our news pages. Almost nobody on our staff knows who Charles Jones is. During our first year, Charles Jones and his sons, Eric and Brian walked many-a-mile, building circulation for the News-Review. Jones’ automobile was totaled when it landed in a ditch in Hyde Park where he was delivering papers. A similar, but less eventful story could be told of Mrs. Alma White who worked the Sparta-Mayfield area, or Elijah Millsaps and his son, Wayne, in Belle Meade and the inner city of Augusta. Luther Jackson, an Associate Professor of Journalism at Columbia University, reads every word in every issue of the News-Review, and mails it back with scathing critiques! Churches like Beulah Grove Baptist, without being asked, took an ad in our church directory, paid a year in advance. These are but a few examples of the people who have given so much of themselves to help us survive. And although we hate to go out on a limb when hard times are the forecast for the years ahead, we believe that we will survive. Too many people are trying too hard, and God has brought us too far for us to do anything less. people who daily through letters and the press, are urging, persuading, and enticing our people to break up and leave the southern farms and cities and come to a clime where the best educational facilities are to be had. It is to this argument that the maintenance of this and similiar institutions give a complete refutation, and is a mighty weapon in the hands of those of us who desire to remain here in the south and to develop and grow in love, respect and confidence of our white neighbors. This is no time for a division of negro and white sentiment in Augusta, Ga., along educational or any other lines, when men like Eastman, and Duke in other sections are giving millions to foster negro education in Tuskegee, Alabama, Hampton, Va., and in North Carolina. It would be a sad spectacle, after reading such glorious news of such gracious gifts, for Augusta to say that for the See “PAINE” Page 8