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Families holding more reunions By Luther P. Jackson Jr. Associate Professor Graduate School of Journalism Columbia University Though battered by inflation and unemployment, black families are criss-crossing America in ever increasing numbers in search of “togetherness” as well as their “roots.” Robert B. Hill, research director of the National Urban League, recently said the League’s “Black Pulse” poll showed that nearly half (46 percent) of all black famflies had engaged in family reunions that were not connected with weddings, graduations and funerals. Os these families, the poll found, 70 percent had reunions at least once a year. The poll also showed that black families of all income levels participate in reunions, varying from 63 percent of those with incomes of $20,000 or more to 38 percent of those with incomes under $6,000. These national estimates, Hill said, are projected from a December, 1980, sample of 3,000 families that were chosen to reflect the social and economic characteristics of all black families. At the end of the summer vacation season, Hill said that family reunions were still on the upswing despite soaring travel costs and the gloomy economic picture. This suggests that the economic pinch has strengthened family ties resulting in more sharing or “mutual aid” among family members. In a reference to the African heritage, Hill said that reunions demonstrated the cohesion of black families that are “extended” to include cousins, aunts, uncles, grand-parents - in fact, all blood relatives and their spouses. Thus black family reunions often number as many as 100 persons, and for families that have been reuniting for five or ten years, there may be many more than that. Ernie Johnston Jr., managing editor of the New York Amsterdam News, recently observed that family reunions have been enlarged to include networks of friends as well as relatives on a town or state-wide basis. Johnston cited Meridian and Greenville, Miss., Macon, Ga., and Lewisburg, N.C. as sites of town reunions. He added that the traditional “state” dances sponsored by New York City blacks hailing from the South have been expanded to include two or more activities. Whether reunions are big or small, the basic reason for them is fun - fun without the restraints of weddings, graduations and - most of all - funerals. Golden Capel Lee, a Greensboro, N.C. teacher, said that she went from a graveside in Greensboro to help plan the first of eight yearly reunions. “We were determined that we would not always meet at a time of sickness or death,” she said. Organized by her sister, Alberta Capel Pearson, the reunions have been held in Martinsville, Va., Baltimore, Southern Pines, N.C., New York City and Detroit. The Capels’ Detroit schedule from July 3 to July 7 included a disco, a barbecued chicken dinner and shopping and sight-seeing tours of Detroit and nearby Windsor, Canada, but having fun is rarely the only purpose of black family reunions. The Capels encourage interest in voting and civic participation by having a city’s mayor or his deputy address the group. The family celebrated itself in Detroit by giving awards and certificates to the Man and Woman of the Year, the Family of the Year and for political achievement and education. Using a family tree as a theme, the young Capels received awards for singing, dancing and reading at the closing banquet Mallory K. Millender, editor ™Kfisunsh moiouoßm //+ "*lll Tel el /gj, Pkl /° Oo ilSs /laiCsr ** 1 * "• MOURRGHT >fcs AGAINST (W BIRTH DEFECTS MARCH OF DIMES THIS SPACE CONTRIBUTED BY THE PUBLISHER M r ■ x- r jriflWr Mui ■L A 1 KjMF IS 4LJK#' 'VI I •/ ■** I .4,100“ itn f 1 n* I ‘ H® v 1 FOUR-PART HARMONY: At a Denver reunion the Edward F. Jacksons of Passaic, N.J. are joined by saxophonist Brian Edward Arnold in a musical tribute to the family's “Old Kentucky Home” at Lexington. Michael Edward Jackson plays trombone and Rise J. of the Augusta (Ga.) News-Review, said that meeting relatives for the first time at the Stamps-Mallory reunions in Talladega, Ala., Detroit and Knoxville, Tenn., had given him an “awareness of my history in a living way.” Millender went on to explain that hearing relatives speak for themselves was far better than getting second-hand information about them. “The Mallory Family reunions made me fully understand why my first name is Mallory,” he said. With a bow to Alex Haley’s “Roots,” 86 Denver celebrants chose a post-Reconstruction Lexington, Ky., dairy farmer as their “Kunta Kinte.” Assembling in Denver for a July romp in the Rocky Mountains, the descendants of Edward and Delilah Jackson included many strangers. Edward Arnold of the host family, however, greeted them with name tags showing the relationship between the bearers and the Kentuckians’ =PCK=3< * ' MW " MW XX —>acr Yvonne ’s Beauty Supplies for those hard to find Beauty Aids We Feature Ultra Sheen Soft g heen Corne'll no Lye IE? r- . Dark & Lovely Jhirmack TCB E-Z Curl 1 2820-A King Street Corner of Lumpkin Road Yvonne Perkins - Owner and King street Bobbie Britt - Manager Phone 793-7527 MM MW MM— MM ' "-MW _MC7C Augusta Image Staffed by Professionally Trained and Experienced Cosmetologist for the Best Hair Care for appointment call: Bus. Phone: 722-2567 Claudine Broadwater 1609 Mill Street Bobby Wallace Augusta, Georgia Honey’s Flowers & Gifts 1021 Laney-Walker Blvd. - 722-0352 complete weddings from Flowers To Food Catering To all Occassions. ’Your Menu or Ours" Call or Come In For Estimates Catering Specialist Floral Specialist II William Lewis Nancy Nutter r Denase Rivers HONEY S&Jpmip 9 IIPEOPLEOPIiEASIIIGH IBONMACS] PONTIAC MASTER 11 b 4 T TELFAIR 12 children - six boys, six girls. Wearing pale blue tee shirts, the Jackson caravan of 15 cars took to the mountains with huge reunion signs flapping in the wind. After a round of picnics, hikes and disco-ing, the family was ready for the big banquet. The program spotlighted the Kentucky farm family as a shining example of how families can share. With the help of slides, narrations and a computer’s data bank, Edward and Robert W. Arnold and their cousin, Michael Edward Jackson, told of the sacrifices that were made so that all of the children could finish high school and five could graduate from college. The narrators also told how “the big 12” bought their widowed mother a home in the 1920’s at 624 Garfield Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, signing all of their names to the deed. It turned out that 624 Garfield would be a home away from home for any Ritchie plays flute while Dad leads on the clarinet. Os the 86 descendants of the late 19th century Kentucky farmer who attended the reunion, 16 are named “Edward” in his honor. member of the family. Four grandchildren of Edward and Delilah stayed long enough to graduate from the local M dollar power each HSI mlwM iEm Mllofcl iIMmI IffIWEHIESSiS ■ ■ KiSSS 11 Kn I Kga|i| 'EnII MEH IIMEHIPmIfemTI |T Sumner High School. “It was a real home,” Donald Jackson of Wichita recalled. “It was a place of love and laughter.” Muskie told U.S. Africa policy not good enough Atlanta--Black leaders recently told Secretary of State Edmund Muskie that changes in U.S. policy toward Africa during the Carter Administration have been inadequate. Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) President Dr. Joseph E. Lowery acknowledged improvement but summed up the feelings of the black leaders when he stated, “We are both saddened and infuriated at what we perceive as indifferent, low priority, noncompassionate U.S. policy Black presidential choice is focus of local forum A “first of its kind” public affairs forum, “Blacks and The Two Party System” will be presented tomorrow evening (Sept. 25) at 7:30 p.m. in the Parish House of St. Mary’s Episcopal church, 1113 Pine Street. Sponsored by the Augusta Black History Committee, it is geared to highlight the programs and policies of the two major political parties and their presidential candidates to advance the status of Black The Augusta News-Review September 27, 1980 toward the suffering of the black majority in South Africa. U.S. policy shows more aggressiveness in its opposition to Cuban troops in Angola than to racist, rapists of the human mind, body and spirit in South Africa”, he said. Lowery called for a new offensive against the apartheid system which shoots down children and imprisons dissidents. “Our position on human rights demands a policy of non-cooperation with evil, including economic sanctions and the divestiture on the part of American corporations.” Americans. Panelists will be five black Augustans who attended the GOP convention in Detroit last July and the Democratic convention in New York City last month. Representing the Democrats are: Dr. Justine Washington, who was a delegate, and Edward Mclntyre, an alternate delegate, and Dr. I.E. Washington, who was an observer. The two Augustans at Page 3 The black leaders called for more blacks in senior officer positions in the State Department and for increased aid to developing nations in Africa and the Caribbean. Lowery said that blacks would intensify their efforts to help shape the nation’s foreign policy for both moral and economic reasons. Among those attending the meeting were Mayor Richard Hatcher, Mayor Maynard Jackson, Dr. Kenneth Clark, Mr. Randall Robinson and AKA head Ms. Barbara Phillips. Detroit were William Amos Evans, an alternate delegate, and Mrs. Constance Evans, an observer. They will be interviewed by the Augusta media representatives: John Sorrells, Augusta Chronicle; Mallory K. Millender, Augusta News-Review, Ms. Joan Harrel of Channel 6 and Tony Bell of Channel 12. Philip Waring, Augusta Black History Committee, will moderate.