Newspaper Page Text
Its our duty—
to uplift others
Attorney John H. Ruffin Jr.
called on his brothers of Alpha Phi
Alpha fraternity to re-examine
their priorities and re-assess their
positions. “It is our duty to see to
it that we uplift others,” he said.
Ruffin, who received the frater
nity’s Special Service Award, said
the organization can no longer rest
on the accomplishments of its
former members including Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., James
Weldon Johnson, Paul Robeson
and W.E.B. Dußois.
Speaking at local chapter’s
Founders Day observance at An
tioch Baptist Church, Ruffin
reminded the nation’s oldest Black
fraternity of the importance of
former Mavor Edward M Mcln
tyre—also a member of the Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity—to the
social, economic and racial progres
of this community. “The tragedy
is that there doesn’t seem to be
anybody around to fill the void left
by Ed Mclntyre,” Ruffin said.
He said that Henry Howard and
Henry Brigham, both of whom
will begin serving on the County
Commission in January, will have
their hands full. “That’s a com
mission that doesn’t care anything
about Black folk,” Ruffin
declared.
No Black has served on the
County Commission except Ed
Mclntyre who served two terms
and was chairman of the com
mission. “Don’t judge Ed Mein-
Home ?| WEI
whmlL-m —
*g^9HMHpflr r * RRWfTHM
wSIESIr ‘ TO Wl ■KfIHI I Mn ■
Se? :Hp» liß /i 3r jiSHyi
* I i x I1 IBMHII «•--
O. * MWi - -
twj zrgHßy-, I
(Photo by Charles E. Griffin)
SUGAR DITCH Black townspeople in Association of Health Services have con-
Tunica, Mississippi, without incfoor tacted U.S. Rep. Don Edwards to call for an
bathroom facilities, deposit their wasted pro- investigation of the use of federal funds in
ducts in this, the nearby “Sugar Ditch.” the town currently being allocated for the
Black health professionals in the National beautification of streets downtown.
Millions of $ s
not a dime for 'ditch ’
TUNICA, MS Tunica, MS
has received more than a million
dollars in federal monies for
neighborhood development, but
won’t spend one dime in the worsf
area of town, charge officials of
the National Association of Health
Services (N.A.H.S.E.). NAHSE is
a national organization represen
ting several hundred Black health
professionals.
NAHSE contends that gover
nment officials of both county and
the town of Tunica, plan to use the
federal monies for purposes not in
tended by Congress. This,
NAHSE says will be done at the
expense of the Black residents of
the town of Tunica, who live in
desperate poverty along the so
called “Sugar Ditch.”
“We are writing to express to
you our shock, dismay, and con
cern about the fact that revenue
sharing money, as well as other
federal funds (E.G. - Community
and Economic Development Block
Grant funds) are being expended
for purposes other than those in
tended by Congress. In fact, we
are advised that the town of
Tunica plans to use considerable
amounts of federal funds for pur
poses such as beautifying the main
street of the town. It is reported
that this beautification project will
include bricking - in those spaces
between buildings from which the
poverty of “Sugar Ditch Alley”
can be seen. Meanwhile, there are
. -V I ■
I
tyre, Henry Brigham and Henry
Howard until you’ve walked a mile
in their shoes,” he said.
The branch of government most
critical to Black people, Ruffin
said, is the media—the Fourth
Estate. “Until we capture the
media we’ll continue to lag behind.
Estate. “Until we capture the
media we’ll continue to lag behind.
The media shapes opinions,” he
added.
He also called on Blacks to
provide adequate finances for wor-
no current plans calling for the
eradication of the obvious health
hazards which emanate from the
‘Sugar Ditch’ area,” contends
NAHSE in an October 11,1984 let
ter to Rep. Don Edwards, Chair
man of the Subcommittee on Civil
and Constitutional Rights in
Washington, D.C. The letter
requests that Rep. Edwards’ com
mittee conduct a broad-based civil
rights investigation into the
distribution and allocation of
community development, and
other funds for related purposes,
which have been awarded to the
town and county of Tunica.
“Sugar Ditch Alley” is a collec
tion of almost fifty shantytype
dwellings located inthe downtown
section of Tunica. The alley, in
fact, lies directly behind the town’s
Main Street. The bulk of the
houses in the alley don’t have in
door bathroom facilities. Less
than ten have access to outdoor
privies. The majority of the Black
townspeople deposit their waste
products in the nearby “Sugar Dit
ch;” from which the alley derives
its popular name. It is formally
called Monroe Alley. This practice
of disposing of human waste
products into the roughly twenty
feet by ten feet in size is the accep
ted practice. The ditch itself is
within inches of the nearest
dwelling.
The American Public Health
Association, in its publication,
1
1 H HLI S i I
thy candidates. “We’re going to
have to make sure our officials
who are doing a good job are
retained. We’re go to put up some
money... We’re going to have to
stop looking for federal grants.
We’re going to have to capture
these elections.”
He warned against issues that
side-track efforts that would lead
to equality. “Prayer has no
business in school except on an in-
“Control of Communicable
Diseases in Man,” lists more than
fifty diseases, some of them fatal,
others resulting in mental retar
dation in children, all of them
serious, which are caused by con
tamination by human waste
products.
Compounding the above is the
Fact that the local hospital; Tunica
County Hospital, built with nearly
$1 million in federal funds
routinely turns sick and injured
Black citizens away from its
Emergency Room. Those turned
away most frequently go without
medical attention due to their
ability to travel to the City of
Memphis Hospital, located in
Tennessee, which is some distance
away.
Marilyn C. Farray, a
Washington, D.C. - based lawyer
is coordinating activities relating to
both complaints. Ms. Farray
holds a law degree from the Yale
Law School and a Masters Degree
in Hospital Administration from
the Columbia University School of
Public Health and has had some
fifteen years of experience in the
health field. She has express
cautious optimism that the Federal
authorities will provide prompt
and complete relief for the Black
citizens of Tunica, demonstrating
thereby that both the current Ad
ministration and the Congress
respect and will preserve the civil
and Constitutional rights of “all’
citizens.
MEMBERS OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY
dividual basis. Prayer is what sees
me through and what sees you
through but it has no business
being dictated in schools.”
On capital punishment, he said,
“The only reason capital punish
ment is retained is because they can
use it against us and to keep Blacks
from raping white women.”
Ruffin said that conservative
whites are trying to mobilize this
country while Blacks are “dam-
Check your taxes closely this year
The tax reform act of 1984, with
its hundreds of minor adjustments
to the tax law, could mean your tax
bill will rise sharply unless you take
steps to prevent that from hap
pening. You have until the end of
the year to make your tax moves.
The Florida Institute of CPAs
sayS there are some new twists this
year to year-end tax planning; new
rules on deadlines for Individual
Retirement Accounts and on
deducting for medicine, plus a
larger deduction for those
nonitemized charitable con
tributions.
Individual Retirement Accoun
ts, which have become America’s
favorite way of sheltering income
from taxation, are still attractive.
One change removes a popular
feature: Taxpayers may no longer
delay making IRA contributions.
Under last year’s IRS
regulations, a taxpayer could file
Form 4868 by April 15 for an
automatic four-month extension.
The taxpayer then had extra time
to make the maximum $2,000 IRA
contribution. But now, an IRA
contribution made after your 1984
tax filing deadline must be deduc
ted from your 1985 return. Smart
taxpayer plan now to have their
IRA contributions ready.
Self-employed persons who
qualify for Keogh accounts,
another retirement plan, must also
■l} |aw »r w
Iflk wL
1984 OLYMPIAN Benita Fitzgerald-Brown gold medalist, 100 meter hurdles
adds another medal to her distinction.
Ms. Fitzgerals-Brown receives the Tiffany designed National Black Leadership
Roundtable Avon Youth Award from Robert R. McMillan. Congressman Walter
E. Fauntroy displays the Olympic medal she won earlier this year in Los Angeles.
Nine young profesionals were recognized for their exemplary achievements in
sports, business, communications and the performing arts.
T ? Augusta News-Review Decembers, 1984
ning each other. We haven’t lear
ned that we need each other.”
Recognized for 25 or more years
of membership in the fraternity
were: Henry Brigham, Silas
Ingram, Allen N. Brown, Lee
Beard, James Hinton, Willie G.
Marshall, Tracy Williams,
Harleness H. Butler, Dr. Charles
Butler, Horatio Lamar, William
take money-saving steps before
1984 runs out. The maximum that
can be placed in a Keogh was
boosted to 25 percent of earned in-'
come. The maximum contribution
is $30,000. Although you can con
tribute to an existing Keogh until
tax filing deadline (with extensions
allowable), new Keogh accounts
must be opened before January 1.
Taxpayers who do not itemize
will be pleased to see the new short
form; it permits a larger deduction
for contributions to their favorite
charity in 1984. Last year,
someone who did not itemize
deductions was entitled to a
maximum deduction of $25 if they
donated SIOO to a charitable
organization. Twenty-three
million returns listed that deduc
tion. This year, those not
itemizing may take up to a $75
deduction if they donate S3OO to
charity before January 1. Keep in
mind, however, that in 1985
charitable deductions that are not
itemized will be even more
valuable. Then, half of a
charitable contribution can be
deducted with no dollar limited on
its size.
Medical expense deductions will
change slightly and if you qualify
for that deduction, money-saving
steps should be taken before the
year-end.
Medical expenses can be deduc-
Patterson,J. Philip Waring,
Emory L. Russell Sr., S.M.
Jenkins, Robert Calhoun, Henri
Freeman, A.C. Redd, Johnnie
Jackson, William Brown, Herbert
Evans, Harvey Johnson, J.B.
Eilis, Augustus Thurmond, Albert
Greenlee, Charles W. Francis,
John Walkins, John Floyd and
Lloyd K. Reese.
ted only if they exceed five percent
of adjusted gross income. For
example, if you report an adjusted
gross income of $20,000 you can
deduct medical expenses that are
above the SI,OOO. That’s not new.
What is new is that you can now
include the cost of unreimbursed
prescription drugs and insulin
when you add up medical expen
ses. Last year, medicines were
only deductible in excess of one/
percent of income. To make the
most of the new rule you may want
io buy before year-end those
medicines you would purchase,
early next year.
Another twist in year-end tax
planning to use the income
planning requires quick action by
the self-employed who have been
planning to use the income
averaging method to calculate
taxes. If you have been making ex
timated tax payments based on the
income averaging formula in force
before the tax law was ratified, you
may find your quarterly payments
are no longer adequate. The new
income averaging law is tougher.
Under the new rules, some tax
payers are disqualified from in
come averaging. Consequently,
they will owe more tax than they
anticipated. Although nothing can
be done about underpayments for
previous quarters, there’s time to
increase your payment in this last
quarter.
Page 3