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James Farmer
recounts
civil rights days
The effects of the civil rights
movement continue to reverberate
throughout America today. Even
those too young to remember have
been touched by the struggle for
racial equality.
James 'Farmer, author of Lay
Bear The Heart: An
Autobiography of hte Civil Rights
Movement, was at the center of
that struggle. He is the founder of
CORE (Congress of Racial
Equality) and is the sole surviving
member of the movement’s “Big
Four” (the other three being Mar
tin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins
and Whitney Young). His was one
of the pre-eminent voices of rights
conscious America during the six
ties.
Lay Bear The Heart is James
Farmer's unmncning account of
the evolution, and ultimate disin
tegration, of the civil rights
movement. Farmer’s desire is to
set the record straight, and he
spares no one—least of all him
self—in recounting the infighting
and betrayals that led to the
movement’s demise.
He vividly describes the sit-ins,
rallies and marches, the boycotts,
the jail terms, the death threats
and assassination attempts—all the
dangers and rewards of being on
the “cutting edge” of the battle for
civil rights. In addition, Farmer’s
encounters with Jack and Bobby
Kennedy, L.8.J., Malcolm X and
many other major figures help
clarify their roles in the civil rights
story.
Interwoven with his account of
the movement is Farmer’s personal
odyssey. Growing up in the south
and, later, as race relations
secretary for the Fellowship of
Reconciliation (FOR), Farmer en
countered bigotry in all aspects of
American society—education,
housing, the church, the military.
He dedicated his life to the
elimination of racism and, inspired
by Gandhi, employed the concept
of nonviolent direct action against
discrimination, which became the
ideological basis of the rights
movement.
Farmer put this concept into
practice immediately after foun
ding QORE, with the first set-in at
an all-white restaurant in 1942.
Despite setbacks and conflicts
within the organization, he and
others arranged successful protests
all across the country in the form
Black franchise owners
less than 9 percent of industry
Franchising, one of the most
lucrative business ventures around,
has traditionally been a difficult
realm for the Black entrepreneur
to enter. But various equal oppor
tunity pressure groups, such as
Operation PUSH and the
NAACP, are rallying for signed
covenants and fair-share
agreements from franchisers which
would increase the number of op
portunties available to Blacks, ac
cording to an article in the
February issue of “Black Enter
prise.”
In 1984 the nation’s 462,000
franchised establishments had
stores which causes operating ex
penses to soar.
Payroll expenses are roughly 1.5,
percent higher in Black neigh
borhoods since they require more
counter help; training and security
costs are higher; and returns on
revenues can be as much as 3 per
cent lower than those of a subur
ban store.
Burger King Corporation is one
company which has come to an
agreement with Operation PUSH
to increase its number of Black
owned franchises from fewer than
100 to 540 by 1987. Burger King is
allowing qualified Tninority mem
bers to put up $25,000 of the
$125,000 needed to secure a fran
chise, and the owners are
arranging the remaining financing
themselves.
However, the fast-food industry
is currently the only franchising
industry that has special financing
available for the Black en
trepreneur.
An informal survey of compute
retailing franchises done by
“Black Enterprise” fialed to turn
up one Black franchisee.
Southland Corporation, owners
of 7-Eleven convenience stores,
has also signed agreements with
Operation PUSH, the League of
United American Citizens, and the
National Hispanic Leadership
Conference, which are trying to in
crease minority ownership of fran
chises to 23 percent b y 1989.
Franchisees with multiple
locations make most of the
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GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Coach
John Thompson’s policy of equally com
bining scholastic ability with athletic ability
Education first with Thompson
The Championship Georgetown
University Hoyas know they have
to star in the classroom or Coach
Thompson won’t let them star on
the court, reports the Feb.
EBONY.
Coach John Thompson, the first
Black coach to win an NCAA
Division I title and a former
of sit-ins at lunch counters, stand
ins in cafeteria lines, ride-ins in
non-Jim-Crow coaches on trains
and in front seats of buses, and so
on.
There were arrests, bail-outs,
rearrests, and often violent reac
tion to the cause; yet it continued
to gather momentum. The 1960 s
saw perhaps the most dramatic
form of peaceful protest—the
“Freedom Rides” into the deep
south. Farmer, a constant driving
force, was there every step of the
way.
Lay Bare 7he Heart stands as a
tribute to the thousands of people,
Black and white, who actively
worked for racial equality against
powerful opposition during a tur
bulent period in our history. It is
an unforgettable personal account
of the movement that forever
changed the face of America.
profits in the franchising business,
but Eugene Brown, a minority
owner of a 7-Eleven Store in Lan
dover, MD, feels that his request
to open another store was unfairl
denied by Southland.
Brown, whose store has grossed
revenues of over $1 million, told
“Black Enterprise,” “They have
no problems opening another store
less than a mile away. But they
would not even discuss giving it to
me.”
$457 million in sales—one third of
all retail sales. Black consumers
were responsible for a healthy per
centage of those sales, (for exam
ple, 15 percent of all fast-food
sales.) But Black franchise owners
constitutes less than 9 percent of the
total industry.
George Riddick, executive direc
tor of Operation PUSH, told
“Black Enterprise”, that the
biggest stumbling blocks for Black
would-be franchisees are red tape,
financing, location, and expenses.
Aside from the initial costs to
a franchise, Black-owners
are usually placed in inner-city
Paine College
to host
Hypertension talks
An all-day workshop on hyper -
tension will be offered at Paine
College on Feb. 28. Professors and
medical specialists will come from
various parts of Georgia to present
a number of topics including
“Renal Response to Hyperten
sion”, “Exercise in Controlling
Hypertension” and “Com
plicating Factors”.
The program has been organized
by ur. Herbert Ashline, professor
of chemistry and physics at Paine,
who himself has conducted exten
sive research in the area of
cholestrol movement from high
density lipids to the liver.
The lectures will be conducted in
Haygood-Holsey Hall, Room 208.
There is no registration fee, and
the public is invited to attend.
paid off when his team won the NCAA
Division I title.
backup center to Bill Russell on
two Boston Celtics championship
teams, is very rare in his profession
because of the ideas he holds about
the importance of education. Says
Thompson, “I see my total
responsibility in a higher
educational institution as one of
being able to win ball games and
Paine students named
to Who’s Who
Eight students from Paine
College have been nominated to be
included in the 1985 edition of
Who’s Who Among Students in
American Universities and
Colleges.
Campus nominating committees
and editors of the annual directory
have included the names oi these
students based on their academic
achievement, service to the com
munity, leadership in ex
tracurricular activiteis, and poten
tial for continued succes.
They join an elite group of
students selected from more than
1,500 institutions of higher lear
ning in all 50 states, the Distict of
Columbia and several foreign
nations.
Outstanding students have been
honored in the annual directory
since it was first published in 1934.
Students named from Paine
College are: Jimmie Butler, a
junior majoring in business ad
ministration, is president of the
pre-alumni club, a member of the
new student orientation staff, staff
photographer for the 1985 Lion
and president of the Epworth
Housing Council; Sherri Hobbs, a
senior majoring in English, is vice
president of the Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc., and editor of the
student newspaper “The
Paineite”. She is also a member of
the Special Services Club, and
holds the title of Miss Ervin Hall
and second attendent to Miss
Paine College; Levita Lampkin is
a junioir majoring in Early
Childhod Education and holds the
title of Miss Paine College, 1985.
The Year Os The Ox
benefits the industrious
SAN FRANCISCO —ls
you’re looking for an excuse for a
mid-winter party, keep in mind
that the Chinese New Year arrives
Feb. 20, sparking major
celebrations in the Untied
States. Feb. 20 will mark the
beginning of the year 4683 on the
lunar calendar. And if you think
you’ll be alone in your plans, think
again. In San Francisco, for exam
ple, where nearly 100,000 Chinese
Americans live, preparations have
been in progress for some time.
And eight-day period of
celebration begins here with lion
dancing in the streets noon
Feb 23, and climaxes the night of
March 2, when a huge parade is
scheduled to celebrate the advent
of the Year of the Ox.
The Ox is one of 12 animals
celebrated, established under the
complex system of Chinese
chronology dating to nearly three
millenniums before Christ.
“The Year of the Ox is regarded
as a period of productivity, a time
to cultivate practical pursuits and
to finish projects, a time when life
turns mild and benefits fall to the
industrious.”
making sure that my players
graduate. If one of those com
ponents is missing, then I don’t see
myself as being successful.”
For more insight on this giant of
a man who is widely respected yet
misunderstood, don’t miss the
Feb. EBONY.
She is an active member in the
Paine College Cancert Choir and
history and is president of the
campus Fraternity of Masons,
second vice president of the
Student Government Association
and a member of the Kappa Alpha
'Psi Fraternity. He is also the
student representative to the Paine
College Board of Trustees;
Darlene Rabun is a junior
majoring in education and is a
member of the Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, Inc., is secretary
for the gospel choir as well as a
member of the new student orien
tation staff; Audrey Roberts is a
junior history major, and is
president of the Student Gover
nment Association as well as being
a Presidential Scholar. She is a
member of the Alpha Kappa
Alpha Soririty, Inc., the women’s
basketball team and the new
student orientation staff. She is
the recipient of the Hattie Gordon
Bruston Award and the William L.
Graham Award, and served as a
studednt itinerant for the Black
College Fund during this past
summer; Connie Watkins is a
junior majoring in business ad
ministration and retains member
ship in the Business and Accoun
ting Clubs. She is also editor of hte
1985 Lion and treasurser of hte
junior church of the Bethesda
Baptist Church in Austell, GA;
Angela Webb is a senior education
major and is a member of the
Paine College Gospel Choir and
the Pep Club. She is also editgor
ofhte Student National Education
Association newsletter.
Art Poon of San Francisco, ex
plained.
Other animals in the system in
clude, the rat, tiger, rabbit,
dragon, serpent,horse, ram,
monkey, rooster, dog and boar.
The animals serve as constellations
in the zodiac. “Folklore tells of a
lengendary Chinese emperor,
Huang Ti, who invited all the
animals in his kingdom to
celebrate the new year with him,”
Poon said. “Only 12 came, and
the emperor named a year for each
one as a mark of honor.”
Like astrological signs, each
animal sign is reputed to have cer
tain characteristics, Poon ex
plained. “Peopel born under the
Ox are said to be dependable, calm
and methodical. They are tireless
workers who generally stick to
and conventions, traditionalists,
they are steady and trustworthy
and can be entrusted with positions
of authority and responsibility.”
Individuals born in the Year of
the Ox include Sammy Davis Jr.,
Richard Nixon, Vincent van Gogh,
Richard Burton, Margaret That
cher and Robert Redford.
The Augusta News-Review February 23,1985
GROWING IN GRACE
Fatherless but loved
By Cynthia Butler
“My mother was very helpful in
my professional development,”
Rise Collins continued.
“My mother
acted in high
school and
studied drama •
in college. In ’
fact, she was
accepted into |
the choir of the I
Cleveland
Symphony orchestra. That was a
big honor in those days. She was
not able to accept the opportunity
because she had the responsibility
of raising two children.”
“My mother was a single parent.
She had a hard row to hoe. Within
five years, I attended at least eight
elementary schools. We moved
from city to city seems like all the
time. Constant movement became
away of life. Whenever we moved
I was exposed to music, ballet, or
modeling lessons. Now I travel
constantly. Last year, I experien
ced 52 airplane rides in as many
weeks. Despite the movement and
changing schools, my mother was
very consistent in her PRESENCE
and her LOVE. She read fairy
tales, played the paino and sang to
me every night before I went to
bed. By the age of three, she had
taught me to read.
“She was also very fashion con
scious and instilled that value into
me. I have worked in fashion
design and enjoy creative fashions.
When I was seven years old, my
mother gave birth to a second
child, my beloved sister. I love her
Penne graduate
celebrates 103rd
birthday
Ida Allen Prather, a Paine
College graduate, cited as one of
Georgia’s 25 Historic Mothers,
celebrated her 103rd birthday over
the weekend at the Imperial Health
Care Center.
“She is very weak now,” said
her son George, 59, but “she has
made contributions to her church,
profession and her community.”
Mrs. Prather is the person for
whom the YWCA at 3911 Cam
pbellton Road is named.
Born in Elberton, Mrs. Prather
worked as a teacher in Elberton
and DeKalb and Meriwether coun
ties, and served as a teacher,
assistant principal and principal in
Fulton county until her retirement
in 1953.
She was an active worker in her
church, West Mitchell Christian
Methodist Episcopal, and in
YWCA activities. In her church,
Mrs. Prather was active in
missionary work and served on
Hornsby Elementary
to observe
25th anniversary
W. S. Hornsby Elementary
School will celebrate its 25th An
nual Founders Day Program Feb.
25 at 9:35 a.m. in the school
auditorium.
The topic so this occasion will be
“Educational Excellence Is Our
Nations Strongest Defense.” Cap
tain Donald J. Williams from
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base-
Ohio, will be the speaker.
This program is held annually to
honr the late W.S. Hornsby Sr.,
one of Augusta’s outstanding
citizens who worked hard to
strengthen the educational advan
cement for boys and girls of Rich
mond County.
Employees of C & S Bank,
Pilgrim Health & Life Insurance
Co., and the Hornsby Familya re
to be recognized.
Lucy C. Laney
to observe
Black History
Lucy C. Laney Cornprenensive
High School will observe Black
History month with a special
program presented by the Fine Ar
ts Department, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. in
the school gym.
Special emphasis will be placed
on Black Music with several
spirituals performed by the Laney
Chorus. A modern dance group
and the Laney Concert Band will
also highlight this observance. The
Art Department will portray out
standing pictures from some of its
top art students.
The public is invited to attend
this celebration.
very much. I babysat for her after
school while momma worked. Os
course, she slept most of the day.
While she slept I listened to music
on the radio. Not only did I lister?
to it, I sang along and danced.
That was one of the richest
emotional experiences I have en
joyed. I was taking* care of my
baby sister whom I loved so much
and listening to music and dan
cing. Tell me, is there a better-way
to get in tune with Universal Light
and Sound?
How did I feel about not having
a father. From the age of 0-25
years, I felt cheated. I believed that
something was missing in my life
because I did not have a brother or
father. At the age of 25 years, I
began to understand. Because I
was raised with females, my
mother and sister, I missed and felt
pain over not having a brother or
father. This percieved deficit was
magnified by socialization. I was
conditioned to believe that
something was wrong, because my
father was absent.
After the age of 25 years, I
began to realize that what ap-'
peared to be a stumbling block was
really a stepping stone. Not having
a father was no longer a deficit but
rather resulted in increase. The
“deficit” taught me that life is a
creative problem solving process. I
learned that I was responsible for
myself. I had to make my own way,
by my own steam. There were no
free rides for me.
Having to make my own rules
meant more, responsibility for my
acts which added up to more per
sonal freedom. What I needed
from my father was a role model. I
wanted his counsel, his advice. But
I had to be my own advisor and
give my self counsel and be my
own role model.
The absence of a father, at a
point, in my life appeared to be a
negative experience, but I now see
it in a positive light. I used that
time to focus on my inner self and
therefore, turned to my fullness as
opposed to my lack.
Because of the absence of men in
my early life, I was curious about
them. Admittedly, some of my fir
st imagesd of them were negative.
Sometimes what I had seen in the
lives of people who had men was
not promising. I developed cliches,
generalizations for lack of per
sonal experience. I saw a lot of the
dirt and grime of life. Sure, for a
while, I wondered, where is the
man for me... the good, creative,
eloquent man. But I learned that
nothing can be kept away from me
or brought to me except in accor
dance with my own consciousness.
For as many of the men that you
see who are brutal, unfeeling,
deserters of families, there are
good spiritual and creative men
who are dedicated and committed,
who are there looking for good,
spiritual and creative women. I
believe that usually a person at
tracts who and what they are.
This process taught me to judge
a person by his character and not
by the character of my absent
father. I learned to measure people
by the present reality and not by
my past experience. I try to view
people individually and not collec
tively.
I believe that I can have
everything in life. Os course some
trials must be borne. Some
tribulations must be overcome.
But life is so rich and so joyous
that the sorrows are worth it.
In reality men aren’t such a
mystery, for they too are souls.
Survival under any circumstan
ces is not only enhanced by but
rests upon spiritual training. In my
case that training comes via
Eckankar.
What work experiences have I
had during the in between acting
times? I have worked as a cashier,
salesperson, waitress, hostess,
jewelers’ apprentice, fashion coor
dinator, singer, and writer,, ano
held numerous other positions.
These varied jobs have helped me
keep focused and balanced. They
were steps on the path to the
Augusta Mini Theater. And I look
forward to traveling all over the
world viewing the highlights.
And yes, Dr. Butler, at the ripe
age of 32 years, I am finally able to
say that 1 want many of the same
khings that you want-marriage, a
stable home and two children. I am
looking forward to having a
daughter and also a son.
“You know, Rise Collins,” I
thought, “I believe you will
get all that you want because you
give so much. Life will definitely
pay you in kind.”
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