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The Augusta News-Review September 8,1984 Mallory K. MillertderEditor-Publisher Paul Walker Assistant to the Publisher Theresa- Minor.Administrative .assistant /Reporter Rev. R.E. Donaldson Religion Editor Mrs. Geneva Y. Gibson. Church Coordinator Charles Beal*.Jenkins County Correspondent Mrs. Fannie Johnson Aiken County Correspondent Mrs. Clara WestMcDuffie County Correspondent Mrs. lleen “Buchanan Fashion & Beauty Editor Wilbert Allen, Columnist Roosevelt Green Columnist A1 j r byColumnist Philip Waring-Columnist Marva Stewart Columnist George Bailey...., Sports Writer Carl McCov Editorial Cartoonist Olando Hamlett.'. Photographer Roscoe Williams Photographer "THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW (USPS 887 820) is published weekly for sll per year in the county and sl2 per year out of th< county. Second-class postage paid at Augusta, Ga. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW, f.Q. Box 2123, Augusta, Ga. 30903-2123.” t (404) 722-4555 AMALGAMATED National Advertising Representative " PUBLISHERS, INC Julian Bond from page 1 portion of our population will remain unemployed,” Bond said. ‘‘They (the Regan ad ministration) have gone out of their way to be aggressive enemies of the civil rights of female Americans, handicapped Ameicans, elderly Americans and racial minority Americans,” he Civil Rights Journal Support your Black Press Charles E. Cobb In 1827 Freedom’s Jour nal, this country’s first Black newspaper was begun by John B. Russwurm with the words, “we wish to plead our own cause.” The Black press—and by this we mean Black-owned publications — has continued to play a crucial role since that time, giving shape and value to events within the Black community. It is with its coverage of the Rev. Jesse Jackson cam paign, however, that the Black press has shone the brightest. As a recent editorial in the Carolinian, the widely-read North Carolina weekly, noted, “If there is one lesson that Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign should have taught Black America, it would be that there is a definite need for Black media...lf there has been one group across America which has stood at Rev. Jackson’s elbow, recording his every word and passing the same on to ap proximately 30 million Black readers, it has been the Black press.” But, as always, the Black press has done more than simply “pass the word along.” It has analyzed the campaign, too, in away which emphasized the cam paign’s potential and its vic tories while still examining its problems. For example, when Mr. Jackson scored sweeping victories in the Washington, D.C. and South Carolina primaries, the white press ignored this. It was the Black media which publicized the returns in front page headlines, much as the white press had publicized the earlier wins of Walter Mondale and Gary Hart. By the same token, while the white media repeatedly tried to make us believe that Jesse Jackson couldn’t win, Black media across the coun try were explaining the rationale behind this can didacy and explaining that Jesse had, in fact, aleady won. Page 4 said. Bond also blasted the ad ministration for its defense of tax exemptions to sergregated schools, its actions with the Civil Rights Commission and tis fight against the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. He accused the Republican Party of writing off the Black vote. In addition, incisive national Black columnists such as Manning Marable, Ethel Payne and John Lewis not only provided infor mation about the progress of the campaign, they also provided much needed guidance and criticism. Mr. Marable’s thoughtful discussion of the direction the Rainbow Coalition should take after the Con vention, Ms. Payne’s well presented case against Milton Coleman (whom she labelled the “the Judas Fac tor” for revealing Jesse Jackson’s off-the-record remarks), and Mr. Lewis’s chastisement of Black In diana voters for allowing “the tragic primary defeat” of their representative due to low Black voter turnout —all served to educate and heighten Black political awareness. Os course, not all Black press columnists were sup portive of the Jackson can didacy. Some way Jesse Jackson’s campaign glass as half empty instead of half full. Tony Brown and Carl Rowan, for example, have continually denigrated the campaign as only “sym bolic,” claiming that it en dangered the chances of a Democratic win in Novem ber. On the whole, however, the Black press and its columnists have been true to Russwurm’s words. In fact, they have often been more progressive and reflective of the sentiments of the Black community than its own politicians. One recent editorial -by the (Black) National Newspaper Publisher Association noted, “As Jesse Jackson so eloquently stated, ’We need to turn TO each other and not on each other,’...lf we don’t who will?” In this same sense, we need to turn TO our Black newspapers, to give them the financial support they so badly need in order to sur vive. As Jesse Jackson said, “If we don’t who will?” OUCH! THESE BLACK VOTERS ARE CREATING A RoCKX ROAD FOR ME! ■ - '""‘I - I REELECTION Q <7 . v nr - g** 64 * * /’ Ar II To Be Equal Rooting out racism by John E. Jacob One ugly incident dating from the dim days of World War II con tinues to haunt America—the for- * 1 cible removal! of Japanese- 3 Americans from the West Coast and their internment in relocation camps for the duration of the war. A presidential commission that examined the incident concluded that the removal of the Japanese- Americans “was not justified by military necessity,” but was caused by “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leader ship.” What takes all this out of the realm of history is the com mission’s recommendations, which include a national apology for the treatment given Japanese- Americans, and financial compen sation to survivors for their material losses and for the abuse of their constitutional rights. Bills are pending in Congress to implement the commission’s recommendations, which appear to the quite reasonable. After all, a national apology is the least to be expected for such an Walking With Dignity Unrest in South Africa by Al Irby Those opposed to the so-called “new Parliament” have urged voters to boycott the elections, hoping that a dismal turnout would discredit the t h re - chamber body I 1 before it gets J off the ground. I Take n together, the results and the backdrop to the recent colored elections suggest South Africa’s program of bias reform may be winning the racist government more enemies than friends. The government could muster only halfhearted support from coloreds at the polls. And the ruling whites reverted to heavy handed security tactics to deal with a swell of discontent —over the elections and other issues—from all quarters of the nonwhite population. The discount is seen by neutral analysts as a massive “vote” against Apartheid-styled “reform” in general. Still, racist Pretoria is not expected to change its stripes. But it may well be under greater pressure to try to enhance the legitimacy of its new political fraudual dispensation as a result of its recent attempt to divide colored people from their Black neighbors in misery. Coloreds went to the polls to elect represen tatives to a new tricameral Parliament. The significance of the new Parliament, in the eyes of South Africa’s whites is that it will in clude “nonwhites” for the first injustice. And financial compen sation for losses is only fair since virtually all who were relocated suffered the loss of homes, businesses, farms and personal goods. But the most important aspect of the proposed redress lies in its affirmation of American values. Few other nations could face the facts and say “we made a terrible mistake over forty years ago and even though much time has passed, we will remedy the wrong we committed.” Only a people that is secure enough and wedded to lasting values of fairness can do that. So the case of the Japanese- Americans is a test of our com mitment to those causes. It is also a test of our resolve to root otir racism. What happened to the Japanese-Americans was possible only because of virulent racism. This can be seen in the statement of the general in charge of the removal that: “The Japanese race is an enemy race.” Others said worse. So the Japanese-Americans were removed from their homes while Americans of German an cestry were not, even though we were also at war with Germany. The difference in treatment was due to the difference in race. time. Both coloreds (persons of mixed race descent) and Indians were supposed to be represented. But there is deep opposition from nonwhites to the biased Parliament because it will exclude the country’s Black majority. Power will also remain firmly in the hands of race-hating whites in the new setup. Many urged a boycott of the elections to discredit the new Parliament. In the end about 25 percent of the registered colored voters went to the polls, the gover nment estimated. Analysts regard the outcome as poor but inconclusive. It doesn’t amount to total rejection. Neither does it show colored acceptance of the “new racist deal.” The Colored Labor Party led by the Rev. Allan Hendrickse, won all but four of the 80 seats at stake. The relatively low turnout means the new tricameral Parliament suf fered a lack of “moral legitmacy,” says political Analyst Lawrence Schlemmer, president of the South African Institute of Race Relations. But he says “moral legitimacy” is not the immediate issue. “The white government has never had moral legitimacy but it has con tinued to function.” The low polls are not expected to force the government to deal with South Africa’s fundamental problem of how to accommodate Black demands for meaningful political rights. But it is expected to make par ticipating coloreds anxious for some early benefits —in the form of better schools, housing, health facilities, and other social services. It seems incredible today that such a thing could happen to people supposedly protected by the Constitution. Some cases challenging the exclusion and relocation went to the Supreme Court, but the Justices abdicated their responsibilities and did not interfere with the military’s racially biased judgments. In our multi-racial nation, we can’t afford to judge people on racial grounds or to identify them with the countries of their an cestry. , For example, Japan’s trade practices have stirred up many people, just as its militarism in the 1930 s got people justifiably angry. And just as racists associated Japanese-Americans were associated with Japan’s militarism years ago, today many people use foreign imports to justify racist at titudes against other fellow Americans. Last year a young Asian man was beaten to death by two men in a fight sparked by an argument about Japanese auto exports. So ugly racism still lives, and is directed against many groups as well as against the historical targets of racism—Black people. By recognizing past wrongs and present injustices, and by remedying them, we become a stronger, fairer country. In effect, analysts expect the new Parliament to suffer a second test of legitimacy quickly after it convenes. Although the gover nment has much at stake in making the new system work, the country’s deep economic recession will make it difficult to “hand out the goodies,” as one political analyst put it. The election results were almost overshadowed by the social tur bulence surrounding them. Prior to the election, the gover nment arrested a large number of people leading the campaign for a boycott. The United Democratic Front (UDF), the primary pro boycott organization, claimed more than 400 of its members were locked up. About 500 people were detained on election day for allegedly staging protests near polling booths. Government officials said more than 800,000 colored pupils boycotted classes countrywide to protest the elections. And in South Africa’s Black schools unrest has been growing for the past few weeks. At election time an estimated 40,000 Black students were boycotting classes, but the Black unrest appeared focused largely on dissatisfaction with the Black education system. The government’s crackdown on the day before the election amoun ted to reversion to heavyhanded tactics. Most analysts say this was not so much to influence the election —it probably backfired in that sen se—but rather to deal with ac celerating unrest among non whites. Going Places Augusta to be on exhibit at World’s Fair by Philip Waring It appears that the Augusta Black History Committee (ABHC) will be able to mount a mini exhibit at the ... II - Ne w Oilcans World’s Fair Ip • t AL, during Georgia W Week, Sep-- ? tember 10-15. | j te This will of V / * dygfc course mark W..„ the very first time that the Life and Times of Black Augusta” will have been exhibited at a modern world’s fair. This thrust relates to the Georgia Business, Trade and Agriculture exhibit at the fair. Only ours will have to do with the Black Experience, and hopefully will be able to include such non-profit groups as Springfield Baptist Church, oldest of its kind in the nation; Trinity CME, also the oldest of its kind, data on Lucy Laney, Dr. C. T. Walker, Dr. Channing H. Tobias, etc. The fair also has an Afro- American pavillion which highlights “I’ve Known Rivers.” This had to do with how Blacks were brought down African rivers, across the Atlantic in slavery and thence up American rivers to work hard on plantations and cities, helping to build America. Our local thrust is that the same happened on the Savannah river with Black slaves coming up from Savannah to Augusta and also worked hard to build up this com munity. We’d advise Augustans to consider going to the fair. The pavillion was only built because of the hard work, imagination and thrust of Mrs. Sybil Morial (the mayor’s wife) the various educational institutions, civic, business and religious leaders there. My thrust is to try to take over a small mini-exhibit and link up for one day (September 15) with the pavillion. Augusta has a unique past in that thousands of Blacks were also brought up river from Savannah, landed here and have been working hard ever since. I’d also want to show them of our achievements such as Springfield Baptist church, oldest in our nation of its kind, Paine College, unique among educational institutions, Pilgrim Insurance Company coupled with a number of other institutions and organizations. Can any one around tell of a similar attempt by little Augusta to market its Black achievements at a world’s fair? I’ve been in touch with officials at the Afro- American pavillion and at this writing don’t know if our last minute request can be granted or not. May I also urge Augustans to attend the fair. Good vibes are still coming in on our August 19 fifth public assem bly and awards program. I am glad that the Latimer family phoned me. We were then able tc meet and have former Lieutenant Benjamin Latimore recognized for his overseas service with the 367 Infantry of the 92 Division in France in 1918. At this program we were also able to pay tribute to the late W. T. “Turk” Johnson, who also with L. B. Wallace and H. V. LaMar, were co-founders of A.B.H.C. We were also able to say thanks to Mrs. Lillian Johnson for her many years of faithful service to the A.B.H.C. It is a source of delight to note that she will continue and serve ac tively as a consultant in helping the group write the forthcoming historical handbook. And we will be calling on many others to assist also. Please keep your fingers crossed and prayers with us on the projected New Orleans World’s Fair project. SUPPORT I SCLC