Newspaper Page Text
Man critically
wounded in 13th
Street shooting
Page 3
Vol. 10 No. 26
To present to Reagan
Abernathy, Williams
planning ‘black agenda’
ATLANTA-Two veteran
civil rights leaders, Dr. Ralph
David Abernathy, closest
associate of the late Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., and Georgia
State Representative Hosea L.
Williams were invited to the
home of President-elect Ronald
Reagan last Wednesday
afternoon to discuss concerns
relevant to black America.
Dr. Abernathy and Rep.
Williams received personal
phone calls from
President-elect Reagan in their
Beverly Hilton Hotel room,
inviting them out to the
Reagan home for a private
conference.
At the closed conference
meeting with President-elect
Reagan, the two civil rights
leaders emerged with their
wives, calling the conference
“most successful.” Dr.
Abernathy said, “Again
President-elect Reagan most
graciously thanked us for our
endorsement and support. The
President-elect and his most
charming wife extended their
heart-filled thanks to us and so
warmly welcomed us into their
lovely home, as members of a
new national political thrust.
“Now, 1 am more pleased
and convinced that the 40th
President-elect is not a
warmonger, and unlike
President Jimmy Carter, he will
do everything possible to keep
his promise to the American
people, particularly in the area
of putting black and poor
Americans back to work.”
“There are many very vital
issues facing our nation today,
Amos Evans congratulates president-elect
William Amos Evans
recently sent telegrams to
President-elect Ronald Regan,
Vice President-elect George
Bush and U.S. Senator-elect
Mack congratulating
them on their recent victories.
Evans, one of the new black
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BLACK COLLEGE DAY-The largest gathering of blacks in 1980,
Black College Day ’BO, drew 30,000 supporters to the nations capitol
who marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol Building to
demonstrate their concern over the threat to close black colleges.
Augusta Nms-Sett|rui
PRESIDENT-ELECT Reagan is congratulated by Dr. Ralph Abernathy (c) and
State Rep. Hosea Williams.
but none is more vital to the
survival of black and poor
Americans than the right to
have decent paying jobs. The
President-elect understands,
our able-bodied men and
women don’t want welfare,
they want decent paying jobs,
they want the opportunity to
become productive tax-paying
citizens instead of being taken
care of by some dead-end
participants in local Richmond
County political affairs,
reported to the community via
a public forum in September
on his attendance at the July
Republican national
convention in Detroit. He
carried his family to the
convention and was the only
WRDW radio
may be sold
within 30-60 days
Page 3
federal program.”
Williams said he and
Abernathy informed the
President-elect that in the very
near future they will be
turning over to him “a priority
Black agenda,” which he
agreed to receive and work
with. The President-elect also
said one of his greatest
desires was to reunite all
Americans, poor and rich,
black Augustan to attend. He
was an alternate delegate and
paid his own expenses.
A member of the special
Republican Black Caucus at
the convention, he worked
with that group in persuading
top Republican officials to
Tony Brown, coordinator of the event, corralled the support of
colleges, churches and social organizations nationwide to establish a
powerful coalition which will, each year, call attention to the
significance of black colleges to higher education.
November 15,1980
black and white alike for the
common good of our entire
nation, Williams said.
The Rev. Williams, past
National Executive Director of
the late Dr. King’s SCLC, and
elected to his 4th term as a
Georgia State Representative
See “BLACK AGENDA”
Page 5
invite NAACP Chief Ben
Hooks to .speak at the meeting.
During this period he had the
opportunity of meeting Gov.
Reagan, Ambassador Bush and
other officials. Evans called for
a strong two-party system
which included ijjack
Americans.
CETA-trained
woman is N.C.
chief of police
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BEAUTY AND BRILLIANCE--Drawn from a pool
of more than 40 black college queens, the winners oi
the Ist Miss Black College Day competition stand
before a cheering crowd and accept their honors.
19-year-old Sandra Simmons (center), Miss Mississippi
Valley State University, gracefully adorned the
competition’s highest accolade-a literal queen ol
Greene wins re-election in
predominantly white district
T HOM SON--McD us fie
County school board member
Joseph D. Greene won
re-election to a third term on
the school board last week by
defeating a white candidate in
a district where 80 percent of
the registered voters are white.
Greene said that he had
grown concerned because a
recent change from at-large to
district voting ruling placed
him in the predominantly
white District 4 Post 7.
But his fears were not borne
out by the vote. He defeated
his opponent, Mrs. Meridith
Sienath, decisively in every
precinct. He won 80 percent of
the vote in Thomson, 69
percent in Dearing (Mrs.
Sienath’s home district) 60
percent in Mt. Auburn and 71
percent of the absentee ballots.
Overall he received 73 percent
of the vote.
Greene, who has served on
the school board for nine years
and as vice president since
1976, is the first and only
black to serve on the
seven-member McDuffie
County school board. He has
missed only one regularly
scheduled meeting since 1971.
He attributed his landslide
victory to a strong coalition of
blacks and whites in education
who worked for his re-election,
as well as liis proven ability and
outstanding qualifications.
The 40-year-old Greene is a
Area citizens wary
of new president
By Fannie Flono
President-elect Ronald
Reagan may have won the
nation’s highest office, but he
hasn’t won the confidence of
black citizens.
Area black residents don’t
see the Republican president as
their president.
A spot check showed that
most felt a Reagan presidency
will mean hard times for blacks
and poor people.
There are some exceptions
though.
One 26-year-old man who is
unemployed said he thinks
he’ll now be able to get a job
because Reagan will turn the
economy around.
Al Irby, News Review
columnist, said he feels a little
conservatism won’t be bad for
blacks.
“Reagan did a pretty good
job with welfare in California
(where he was then governor),”
he said.
Reagan’s presidency is
simply a result of the country’s
pendulum swinging from the
left to the right,” Irby said.
“Mr. Carter just got caught in
Area citizens
wary of
new president
Page 1
Less Than 75% Advertising
queens. Her court from left to right is 4th runner-up
Patrice R. Stephens, Miss Clark College; 3rd runner-up
Karen Bazzell, Miss Fisk University; Ist runner-up
Lauretta Battle, Miss Winston-Salem University ; 2nd
runner-up Robin McKinzie, Miss Florida A&M
University.
Joseph I). Greene
an avalanche that’s been
building for years.”
“Contrary to some opinions
we won’t be going back to the
cotton patch,” he said.
“Though if it was a
money-making thing people
wouldn’t mind. If I could get
$3.10 an hour to pick cotton,
I’d be picking cotton.”
State representative R.A.
Dent said he feels the one good
thing to come out of the
election may be that it will
“give more cohesiveness to the
black community.”
“I think it may draw us
closer together.”
But Dent said Reagan’s
statement that he never knew
race problems existed and here
he is 70 years old surprised
him.
“We should hold some ray
of hope and optimism, but I
don’t believe it.”
Samuel Smith, a soldier,
considered Carter the least of
all evils. There were things he
didn’t like about Carter, but “I
think we had the best in
there.”
Willie Taylor, a fireman,
agreed saying Reagan’s plans to
cut programs will hurt blacks.
graduate of Augusta College.
He earned the master’s degree
at the University of Georgia,
and has completed 35 hours of
graduate studies through the
American College.
A vice president of the
Pilgrim Health and Life
Insurance Co., he is a member
of the Thomson-McDuffie
County Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors, a member
of the Thomson Progressive
Civic Club, and the Board of
Directors of the CSRA
Business League. He and his
wife, Bonnie, have two
children-Cathy Jo and J.
David.
Local NAACP president
Georgene Hatcher-Seabrook
thinks Reagan will have a real
challenge in garnering the
support of blacks.
As long as there is a high
proportion of unemployment
among blacks, the president
must keep some social
programs.
“I would like to see a
balanced budget, too, but not
at the expense of blacks. We
have endured enough.”
Addie Scott-Powell said the
biggest surprise is going to
come to those who elected him
when they find out he can’t
deliver what he promised.
“We blacks will slide across
because we’re already on the
bottom. But now some of
those in the middle may join
us.”
Human Relations
Commission Chairman Charles
Walker sees the situation even
worse.
“It’s a devastating blow - not
so much Reagan, but the
ideology behind him. It’s a
devastating blow to civil rights.
I’m afraid the
ultraconservatives will take this
as a cue.”
25 c