Charles Walker
Responds To
Media Critics
Page 1
Volume 11 Number 16
Reagan Tells NAACP He’ll
WorkForA Racism-Free Nation
In his address to the
NAACP convention,
President Reagan called for
the economic emancipation
of Black people and spoke
of the ‘"economic freedom
at a solid j0b....n0t one
concocted by the
Government and dependent
on Washington winds, that
a real job” where a person
can “put in a good day's
work, complain about the
boss, and then go heme
with confidence and self
respect.”
The President noted
that some government
programs “have created a
new kind of bondage,
Blacks Not In The Running For Court Vacancy
Because nobody ever
knows exactly how a
Supreme Court justice will
act once on the bench.
Blacks cannot be sure what
♦he surprise decision of
Justice Potter Stewart to
resign will mean.
Though designated as
a swing vote on the court
recently Stewart most often
has voted with the
xnservativies.
Appointed in 1958 by
Charles Walker: His Side Os HRC Controversy
EDTTOR’S NOTE: In an
effort to be su;e that full
Human Relations
Commission story is known
by the public, we are
printing the full text of
Executive Director Charles
I know that most of
you, like myself, are very
curious as to what in the
hell is going on at the
Human Relations
Commission. Well, I am
here to tell you today that I
am just as puzzled as you
are. Ulis whole circus that
has been lurking for the
last three months somehow
seems to be so elusive that
the characters and players
do not know what stage
they are supposed to be
on so, I will make every
attempt to try to explain to
you where we are with the
Augusta-Richmond County
Human Relations
Commission.
As most of you know,
this Commission was
created in August, 1971 as a
result of the May 11th riot
in Augusta and Richmond
County. I Clink that when
the county fathers created
the human relations
commission they felt very
strongly that they would
create an agency that would
be ineffective, quiet, and
that somehow, with the
insufficient amount of
funding ava ’.tble, it would
just simply go away it
reminds me of the Biblical
story of Moses...when the
Pharaoh took him to the
Sinai Desert and gave him
a stick and told him, "This
is your staff, and that is
your kingdom. You shall
rule over the serpents and
the deserts." But, as you
know, Moses went into the
desert and he struggled.
Augusta Neius-ißeutetu
because regardless of how
honest their intentions in
the beginning, those that
set out to help became
clients essential to the well
being of those who
administered the
programs.” The President
favors the kind of program
that would make people
independent -- no longer in
need of government
assistance.
On the subject of
education, the President
said that the Administration
will “take a comprehensive
look at the education of
Blacks from primary school
upward and strengthen the
President Eisenhower,
Stewart at 66 was the
second most senior member
of the Supreme Court.
When he steps down
July 3 he plans to go on
senior status, this making
himself available to serve
occasionally on lowet
courts.
His departure opens
the door for Reagan to
fulfill an Oct. 14 campaign
pledge to include a woman
among his first
Walker’s recent report to
the Commission. We are
also printing the full text
and HRC response to a
letter from internal auditor
David I. Rollins wrote to
County Commission
Chairman Travb Barnes.
and somehow he managed
to prosper, anyway, in spite
of the odds against him.
Somehow I feel that the
Human Relations
Commission was given the
same mandate. We were
given SIO,OOO by the county
government in 1972 and a
legal pad and literally sent
to the' 500 building to
perish... However, what has
happened is very simple.
Through the leadership of a
lot of dedicated citizens and
the staff of the Human
Relations Commission, we
have not gone away, and
we have not become a tool
for the power
structure...We have not sat
idly by and allowed
injustices and inequalities
to be perpetrated upon the
poor and economically
disadvantaged...We went
out to seek funds from the
Federal government to do
the job that the county
government should have
been willing to supply us
with... And, this is what the
problem is. The County
Commission and some of
the press feel that the
Human Relations
Commission is too big for
its britches... And that
Charles Walker,
specifically, must be
harnessed.
It appears to me that
the question is whether the
Human Relations
Commission should have
gone out and sought
Federal funds or not....but,
I submit that if th« oounty
Goldwater
Supporting
Voters Rights Acts
Page 3
base of Black colleges
which., are a prouc
tradition...a symbol of
Black determination and
accomplishment." The
Reagan Administration has
already increased the funds
spent on Black colleges,
and the President said that
trend will continue.
Concluding his
address, the President gave
an example of great
heroism-- and caring -by a
Black soldier in Vietnam:
A live grenade fell among a
group of American soldiers.
They were frozen with
horror knowing they were
only seconds away from
appointments to the
Supreme Court.
The president has said
he intends to appoint
someone who has a similar
philosophy to his own.
That means staunchly
conservative.
He also intends to pick
a nominee who he believes
will interpret the law rather
than attempt to use
decisions to legislate.
Reagan was advised a
month ago that Stewart
government did not want
the Human Relations
Commission to seek Federal
funds, then I say that they
should have supplied us
with the necessary funds
and the necessary staffing
to enforce the civil rights of
this county and the civil
rights laws passed by the
County government.
It would have been a
dereliction of our duty and
responsibility to sit idly by
with the nominal
insufficient appropriations
from the County
government and allow
racism and injustices to
continue to afflict the
workforce without some
attempt to bring justice and
equality to all citizens both
Black and white, male and
female....so, as I say to you
all today, it is not an issue
that the county government
did not know about the
EEOC contract It has
Legal Services Corporation’s Life Extended
By Ed Kogers
The House has
overwhelmingly passed a
bill to extend the life of the
Legal Service Corp., but
the controversial agency
remained in the shadow of
a possible presidential veto.
Unless the bill is
enacted by Congress and
signed by President
Reagan, the agency will go
out of existence Sept. 30, to
be replaced by funding
through Block grants to
states.
White House counselor
Edwin Meese announced he
is advising Reagan to veto
the bill if Congress passes
it.
The corporation is an
Indapandant body whtah
death. Then a young Black
soldier threw himself on the
grenade, covering it with
his helmet and his body.
He died to save his
comrades. His last
whispered words were:
“You have to care.”
“Let us care,” the
President said. “Let us
work to build a Nation that
is free of racism, full of
opportunity, and
determined to loosen the
creative energies of every
person of every race of
every station to make a
better life. It will be my
honor to stand alongside
you to answer this call.”
planned to step down. The
search /or a successor has
been underway since then
and women are known to be
among the potential
candidates.
However, the
president’s campaign
pledge was not to name a
woman to the first
vacancy, only that he would
include one among his first
appointees.
White House
been mentioned in all of
our annual reports, and
when they passed the
ordinance they knew we
would become a deferral
agency and would establish
a contractual relationship
with the Federal
government.... That is no
myth. It appears to me that
in the midst of the
innuendos and inferences,
that somebody wants to
accuse the Human
Relations Commission and
Charles Walker,
specifically, of malfeasance
and misuse of federal and
local funds... That is what
appears to me.... And I am
reminded of another
Biblical parable involving
the same Pharaoh and
Moses....lt goes something
like this.... Pharaoh told his
son, who was to become
the Pharaoh upon his
father's death, “I hear that
there is a Messiah in the
dispenses federal funds to
legal aid societies to
represent the indigent. It
has come under severe
criticism for supporting
suits to achieve social
changes.
The House approved
the bill 245-137. Fifty-nine
Republicans voted for the
bill. Only 21 Democrats
voted against it. The
breakdown indicated the
House might be able to
override a presidential veto.
Conservative
Republicans and Democrats
spent three days debating
the agency's past abuses,
locking a number of
amendments onto the bill
ami cutting lha prapaaed
Atlanta
Investigating
Mass Female Murders
Page 2
July 11,1981
'St
fl ill <
P / r I wPM 1
spokesman Larry Speakes
says Reagan will use as his
standard “excellence,
competence and judicial
temperament.”
Blacks are not
' considered to be even
longshot potentials in the
replacement process.
Somewhat surprisingly,
one of the names being
bandied about is that of
Deputy Secretary of State
William P. Clark He was
named to a high judicial
town called Judea. I want
you to go to Judea, and if
it is a myth, bring it to me
in a bottle, and if it is a
man, bring him to me in
chains.” well, lam saying
to the press and the county
Commissioners ...If you
have some allegations..
Some proof that there has
been some irregularities
Associated with the Human
Relations Commission's
fund.. Then Let’s get It
on! If it is a myth or
Something you wish had
occurred, then put it in a
bottle and set it on your
shelf (applause).
Let’s tell the press to
put up or shut up.
I don't think the
Commission should sit idly
by while some people
continued to make a
mistake and seize an
opportunity to destroy not
only Charles Walker as an
individual, but the Human
annual budget ironi $260
million to $241 million.
Amendments make the
corporation subject to
scrutiny of the General
Accounting Office, the
investigative arm of
Congress, and forbid the
corporation to "promote"
homosexuality, defend
illegal aliens or file school
desegregation suits.
Rep. Larry McDonald,
D-Ga., created a heated
debate over the amendment
that would forbid the
corporation to "promote,
defend or protect"
homosexuality.
McDonald said it would
not prevent the corporation
from protaatifii
post in California by
Reagan but testified
recently during confirmation
hearings for his present
post that does not have a
law degreee. He did study
law and passed the bar
examination.
Any change in the
composition of a Supreme
Court which has handed
down the number of close
decisions the present one
has, cannot but stir
Relations Commission as
an institution.
There is a need for
more local action to combat
racial and prejudicial verbal
attacks and discrimination
against racial and ethnic
minorities in our
community. In recent years
there has been a significant
increase in racial outbursts
against Blacks and the
Black leadreship. Further,
certain groups who are
openly committed to racism
and to acts of racial and
ethnic outburts have surged
in recent years. In these
times of inflation and of
economic uncertainty,
people's minds become
more vulnerable to this
kind of racial outburst from
local groups. We must
take the activities of racist
groups and individuals
more seriously and tell the
press to produce, to put up
or shut up.
homosexuals trom
discrimination or
harassment; it would only
forbid use of taxpayers
funds to advocate
homosexual life styles.
"This amendment is
condoning blatant
discrimination," Rep.
George Miller, D.-Calif,
told his colleagues.
The House approved
by voice vote an
amendment of Rep. John
Ashbrook R-Ohio, to forbid
school desegregation or
school busing advocacy, but
defeated, 218-176, his
proposal to forbid any suits
against school boards.
The members shouted
approval of a substitute
Young Terrorist
Pick On
Wrong Woman
Page 3
concern.
Among the priority
issues that could be
adversely affected by a
stronger conservative tint
would be affirmative action,
busing for desegregation
and the right of poor
people to public assistance
in a number of important
areas.
Noted for, simple,
direct language and as a
strong supporter of First
Amendment rights, Stewart
We do not subscribe to
the notion that the proper
way to reduce racial tension
is to retreat from our
commmitment to racial and
ethnic equality and justice.
We cannot stop our effrots
to affirmatively redress the
injustices which still
survive...our community's
long and not yet successful
battle against discrimination
and prejudice. Rather, we
must forcefully pursue full
equality for citizens of our
community, and we must
also vigorously oppose acts
or outbursts motivated by
racism and prejudice.
We cannot afford to oe
distracted. The full force cf
our resources must be
utilized to protect the civil
rights of the population in
our community.
Every
Augustan... whether Black
or white Must
understand that this
proposal of Rep. Bill
McCollum, R-Fla., to deny
legal aid to illegal aliens
Read The
Augusta
News-Review
25C
also wrote some important
civil rights decisions.
One of them, Jones vs.
Alfred H. Mayer, held that
a Civil War Era law could
be used to ban racial
discrimination in housing.
However, he dissented
last year when the Supreme
Court upheld the setting
aside cf 10 percent cf
federal construction project
funds for minority
contractors.
Commission will not
tolerate innuendos that are
calculated to destroy HRC.
There is a need in our
community for the
establishment of a plan of
action to counter these
attacks from certain factions
of our community. These
groups are a threat to our
society. We implore the
help of all citizens in this
community.
One of the shameful
tragedies of history is that
the very institutions which
should inform man,
participate in creating and
perpetuating the concept
that man should be
misinformed.
The shape of the world
today does not permit us
the luxury of Soft
mindedness. A city or
county that continues tc
support soft-mindec
institutions purchases its
death on an installment
plan.
except political refugees,
permanent residents and
relatives of citizens
