Newspaper Page Text
The Augusta News-Review June 30,1984
Mallory K. MilleitderEditor-Publisher
Paul Walker Assistant to the Publisher
Theresa Minor Administrative .assistant/Reporter
Rev. R.E. Donaldsonßeligion Editor
Mrs. Geneva Y. Gibson Church Coordinator
Charles Beale Jenkins County Correspondent
Mrs. Fannie Johnson Aiken County Correspondent
Mrs. Clara WestMcDuffie County Correspondent
Mrs. Ileen Buchanan Fashion & Beauty Editor
Wilbert Allen Columnist
Roosevelt Green Columnist
AJ IrbyColumnist
Philip Waring-Columnist
Marva Stewart Columnist
George Bailey....,Sports Writer
Carl McCoyEditorial Cartoonist
Olando HamlettPhotographer
Roscoe Williams Photographer
“THE A UGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW (USPS 387 820) is published
weekly for sll per year in the county and sl2 per year out of the
county. Second-class postage paid at Augusta, Ga. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW,
y.Q. Box 2123, Augusta, Ga. 30903-2123.” (404) 722-4555
AMALGAMATED National Advertising Representative v
PUBLISHERS, INC. *
U.S. perception could
mean new jobs
by Sherman N. Miller
Many Black Americans lament
each month while Mainstream
F ;: ' s
A.
America lauds
the current
economic re
covery. The
U.S. Gover
nment’s mon
thly em
ployment reports
are like poison
to many Blacks
because
they are reminders that many
people remain trapped in economic
deprivation.
This sad Black commentary is
merely exacerbated when the U.S.
economy udergoes a significant
downturn. The Black leadership
must identify the 1980 s and 19905’
new job generators and form
business coalitions with them if
Black employment parity is to be
an achieveable goal in the Twen
tieth Century.
It is common knowledge that
small businesses are the prime
generators of America’s new jobs.
Blacks ought to understand small
business leaders’ feelings so they
may offer their budding political
clout to political effort to enhance
small businesses’ survival poten
tial. Mr. Eric G. Christiansen,
president of Plastic Tube
Machinery, Inc., of Toledo, Ohio
offers his feelings on the plight of a
small business entrepreneur.
Mr. Christiansen comes across
as a true survivor of the first order.
He says that survival traits are
paramount for the small business
person.
Mr. Christiansen readily speaks
of U.S. small business as being the
prime generator of new jobs. He
feels small business has made
many significant contributions to
American industry’s new product
offerings. Mr. Christiansen seems
discusted with the current way
many large corporations make
decisions. He pronounced,
“Nothing original comes out of
committees!”
He favors a more direct ap
proach to decision making.
“Evaluate what the current
situation is,” he states, “and what
you think it ought to be in the
future.” When pinned down to say
what he does, he retorted, “I just
do it, if it is in my financial
capability!”
Recounting his long tenure in
large corporation, Mr. Christian
sen felt his financial rewards were
not commensurate with his con
tributions. He muttered, “I spent
many years working in large cor
porations and I didn’t share
proportionately in what I did. This
comment suggests that en
trepreneurs sacrifice job security
for an opportunity to exploit their
wits.
He appeared to suggest that a
large corporate setting was not
conducive to fostering the en
trepreneurial spirit. He poured for
th, “You don’t have the option to
do what you want to. Over 95 per
cent of you cannot do what you
want to.”
When challenged to explain his
apparent abhorrence for being
trapped in a large corporate stric
ture he said, “Most people in cor
porations cannot make positive
decision; they can only make
negative ones.”
He have as an example a large
corporate executive committee
having to make the decision to buy
a half million dollar piece of
equipment but the proposal first
Page 4
being required to pass through a
gauntlet of managerial levels with
each manager having project veto
power. On the contrary, he sees the
small business person as one who
learns to live or die based on his
ability to make the correct
decisions.
Mr. Christiansen was asked to
tell what industries will supply the
jobs of the 1980 s and 19905. He
says the current pollution smoke
was once looked upon by many
communities as a source of
economic pride. However, once we
moved out of the Industrial
Revolution, our drive towards
materialistic gain began to fade
and people sought a better quality
of life. One sees our by-gone in
dustrial smoke now in other coun
tries. “Dirty industry is gone:
primary metals and the chemical
industray.” His valuation seems to
be an employment dirge for people
hoping to get back into high
paying heavy industry jobs.
His face beamed when he said,
“Information is power!” He feels
the information industry is the
wave of the future and he told of
owning a computer sales business.
Mr. Christiansen believes we are
not utilizing the wealth in our
waste. “We are not using our
waste. It should be consolidated so
we can come back and get it at a
later date.” He thinks we can
recover over 50 percent of the
metals in America’s waste.
He sees tough environment laws
as providing the impetus to
American industry to re-use our
waste. He recalled seeing oeoole
separate their trust to help in the
war effort during World War 11.
He said, “People would segregate
trash in their own house.”
Mr Christiansen is highly distur
bed by the way American
professional managers are rated
for compensation. “All managers
in business are rated on a year-end
basis, which means no investment
in research. Nothing in long term!
He felt strongly that too many
decisions were being based strictly
on the bottom line. Mr. Christian
sen postulated that too many
financial people were in control of
America’s industries. He says,
“Get away from making decisions
soley on an accounting basis.”
One is intriqued by the impact
that all the rhetoric depicting big
government as a business chimera
has on small business. What role
can the Federal Government play
to help small business? Mr.
Christiansen sees the Federal
Government play to help small
many role as providing for the
Nation’s defense. He wants people
to be treated like adults. “Don’t
think Government should be con
sidered parents and we, children.”
He bacme melodramatic when he
touched on the size of the U.S.
Government. “It was a black day
when more people worked in the
Agriculture Department than far
mers!”
•Mr. Christiansen finally spoke
of a desire to expand his machinery
business into international
markets. He thinks some foreign
countries’ development in certain
market segments has surpassed the
domestic market development. His
apparent disdain for government
intervention appears to have blin
ded him to the fact that the U.S.
Government has active programs
underway to help American
business in international trade.
Mr. Christiansen plans to solicit
see New jobs page 2
CESQURCE-S INC-
Supreme Court’s contempt
by Dr. Charles E. Cobb
In the infamous Dred Scott
Decision of 1857, the Supreme
Court denied th<
of citizenship
to Afro-
Americans. In
that ruling the
Court stated
that a Black
man had no
rights that a
white man was
bound to
ie right
I
respect.
The current Supreme Court echoed
this statement when it ruled recen
tly that union seniority rules take
precedence over affirmative action
plans.
As the Court’s majority opinion
stated, “It is inappropriate to deny
an innocent employee the benefits
of his seniority in order to provide
a remedy in a suit such as this.”
Even, the decision continued,
when discrimination aginst a
minority employee has been
proven.
In fact, as Justice Blackmun
stated in his dissent, the lower
court never ordered that whites be
laid off. This was the choice made
by the city of Memphis and it was a
choice designed to stir up the anger
of the city’s white community.
Instead, Memphis could have
used a modified plan, laying off,
Going Places
Cal Thornton is leaving
by Phillip Waring
Let all of Augusta say: “so long,
Cal Thornton, Jr. Many kind
thanks for your long years
of top-flight,
service and!
leadership here
in the radio in-;
dustry.” Often
called a
“Dean” in this
field. Cal has
accepted one of
numerous of
fers,
Wl
I . W
and is now general manager of a
large radio station in the Charlot
te, N.C. areas. He’s really a “triple
threat” person having demon
strated unique leadership in adver
tising-promotion, all areas of news
and radio programing, coupled
with administration and
management. He once did a part
time advertising stint at the News-
Review.
for example those employees who
were nearing retirement. The city
chose not to do this.
But the real issue here is that the
Supreme Court has ruled on a dead
case. All the white employees who
were laid off have now been
rehired and are in no danger of
further lay-offs. The case was, as
they say in legal circles, moot. The
dissenting opinion itself em
phasized that this ruling contradic
ted the Court’s “longstanding
practice with cases that become
moot” in handing down this
decision.
And the Court’s stated concern
that the decision was necessary in
case the white employeess filed suit
for back pay is suspect at best. No
such suit has been filed. Nor does a
court ever base its decision on the
outside chance that a lawsuit might
be filed. This just is not done.
So why did the Court put itself
in such a legally questionable
position? The answer lies with the
Reagan Administration and its
blatanly racist campaign against
the gains made by minorities over
the past 20 years. Following
Reagn’s lead, the Justice Depar
tment, the day after the decision
was issued, stated its intent to use
the Court’s Decision as means of
removing all racially-based quotas
and goals in all aspects of job
discrimination suits. The Supreme
New honor for News-Review
One major thrust of his column
falls around communications here
and should be considered part one
of a two-part series. Mallory K.
Millender has been selected by the
Board of Director Series of the
National Newspaper Publishers
Association as national chairman
of its important Scholarship
Committee. This is another “first”
for a CSRA based Black weekly.
As importance of Black Com
munications increase, it is vital
that professional opportunities ex
pand for budding young com
municators.
Potpurri
May we say “congratulations”
to radio station WRDW. Well
done to Leon Booker and the fine
staff there on their recent
recognition...
Just one year ago kev. Jesse
Jackson visited Augusta. While
visiting with Deacon Henry
Howard he called his Sunday mor-
Court has thus tossed the sheep to
the wolves and has given the
wolves a .357 magnum for good
measure.
The Supreme Court refers to the
“innocent employee”, meaning,
of course, white employees. Well,
Black youth are now experiencing
a 50 percent unemployment rate,
due primarily to racist employment
practices. They will probably never
be in a position to take advantrage
of those sanctified seniority rules.
So, who’s the real “innocent” vic
tim and who will protect thei
rights?
What’s more frightening, howe
ver —even more than the ruling it
self—is what if forbides. President
Reagan pushed hard, through the
Justice Department, for this
decision. If he is re-elected in
November, five justices will turn
80 before his second term is up.
This means that President Reagan
would likely have the supreme
responsibility ot appointing five
more justices to the Supreme
Court. Think what havoc a Reagan
court would wreak for years to
come on legislation and legal
decisions designed to eliminate
discrimination and in justice.
Remember this frightening
possibility on November 6 when
you question whether your vote is
important. Generations to come
will be affected by your answer.
ning gospel show “one of the
finest in the nation.” This is chan
nel 6...
So long and thanks to Loretta
Colvin who is now in Atlanta, and
Donnell Jones is doing sports in
the Virginia Tidewater area. Last
year our Black History Committee
cited Jones and veteran Channel 12
director Hans Krause for their
television leadership with United
Negro College Fund...
It was good to note a play-back
on the same station of the recent
Paine College graduation
ceremonies on the college’s early in
the morning Sunday telecast. I was
especially elated in again seeing
former Paine President E. Clayton
cainoun receiving a weli-aeserved
honorary degree. I’ve always ad
mired this gentleman. Here’s a
Southern white minister, Black
college president, standing firm
when Augusta was undergong the
change from segregation to in
tegration back in the late fifties
Walking With Dignity
A sordid
racial .
perspective
This article is one of two in
credible experiences that 1 wit
nessed on my recent trip
in and around
the New York!
area.
Mrs. Dor-]
thothv Ford, a
39-year-old
Black mother
from the heart
of New York’s
Harlem
.■k
I
community donated the heart of
her 4-year-old son, John Ford,
who died after he fell from a sixth
floor fire escape.
Little John Nathan Ford was
buried following a 10 a.m. service
at the Church-on-the-Hill on
St. Nicholas Ave. More than 500
family members and friends atten
ded the service for little John.
Rev. Ulysses Jackson told the
emotional mourners, that “that
this is a different kind of funeral.
This a funeral where there is more
life than death. And has someone
so young given so much to so many
that meant so much.”
Little John David fell to his
death on June 6th and was
declared dead two days later. His
mother, Mrs. Dorothy Ford,
authorized the donation of his
heart and kidneys for three
separate transplant operation. The
Amsterdam News and Daily News
both reported that at burial time
for little John, neither of the two
white families that recieved his
heart and kidnevs had even sent
flowers or card of appreciation
to the Ford family.
Rev. Ulysses Jackson, who
eulogized the 4-year-old Ford lad,
made this timely statement:
“They, the ungrateful whites,
saved a white child with a black
child’s heart.” Rev. Jackson
roared out, looking directly at the
large group of white news men;
then asked this pointed question, is
that white child, that has little
John’s heart in his body, white or
black”?
“The good Lord doesn’t ask any
questions about color, which is so
important in this racially biased
society. The learned Rev. Jackson
praised the mother’s decision for
so unselfishly donating her little
boy’s organs so that others might
live, even through, they were
ungrateful.
The cry of little John David’s
for his mommy had hardly disap
peared from the West 163rd Street
home where he had plunged from a
sexth floor fire escape to his un
timely death. His tiny body was
rushed to the famed Columbus
Presbyterian Medical Center where
there was a frantic but unsuc
cessful struggle for hours to save
the little boy’s life. A special group
of medical men and women fought
hard, but little tot had suffered
massive brain damage.
His grieving mother when told
that there was no hope for little
John Nathan to survive, without
any hesitation decided to donate
her “baby’s tiny heart,” and
other vital organs to the hospital’s
organ bank. Two days after her lit
tle boy’s tragic fall his heart was
transplanted to the chest of a little
white boy, four and a half years
old James Lovette from Colorado,
and another patient at
Presbyterian, who became one of
the world’s youngest kidney tran
splant recipients.
Mrs. Ford was seen after her
great gift to humanity on several
nationwide broadcasts. She said
that when the little Denver
Colorado white boy goes to pre
school in September it will mean
that my little John Nathan will be
there too. “I’m glad the heart of
my baby son is beating in the chest
of the Lovette kid. I believe that as
long as John’s heart beats, he is
alive. I didn’t ask about race—l
was just happy that we—l mean
my whole family could be of ser
vice, after our great loss, to
someone else.
‘Little John Nathan Ford died
that others might live’
and sixties. And Paine College
owes history more historical
publication on its splendid stance
in helping Augusta achieve social
change...
Bravo and well done to dynamic
little Joan Harrell who has had the
difficult iob for the past several
months of handling the Ed Mcln
tyre court case for her
station.. Pretty and talented Gail
Bell Saxon is now the reeptionist at
channel 26. This newly wed Paine
College graduate was formerly
program director at Shiloh Com
munity Center...
see Barbara Gordon page 5