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Vol. 1
REV. HAMILTON REFLECTS
ON HIS YEARS IN OFFICE
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For years, Reverend C.S.
Hamilton, Pastor of Tabernacle
Baptist Church and City
Councilman from the Fourth
Ward, was the premier
spokesman for the Black
community.
However, in recent years,
Hamilton has not been in the
civil rights spotlight. Some
have labeled him as a
“do-nothing politician.”
In an exclusive interview
with the News-Review
Hamilton denied having
changed his position on issues
facing the community during
the past 15 years.
“I’m still doing the same
things. The difference is that
I’m not the president - nor
spokesman for the NAACP as I
was then. I don’t have the
voice on the issues that I had
then. Problems are not
channelled through my office.
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REVEREND LOUIS ABRAHAM
CELEBRITY OF THE WEEK
Reverend Abraham is Pastor of Thankful Baptist
Church of Jewell, Georgia. He was recently promoted to
Hie position of retail salesman at Forestone Tire and
Rubber Company where he Has been employed for the
last two and a half years. Married to the former
Margaret Sims, the Abrahams have five children -
Angela, Rebecca, Lewis Elliot, Pamela Renee
Demetrice, and Tyrone.
REV. CJ. HAMILTON
I don’t get the news coverage I
got then.”
consolidation as having Blacks
that are registered and will
vote.
‘‘Some political
organizations have sold us
short but this is to be
expected.” Hamilton expects
that it’ll take another ten years
before a majority of the actual
voters in Augusta are
non-white, provided that
consolidation or annexation
does not take place before that
time. “Most Blacks are in
wards 1-4 that leaves 5-8. I
don’t know whether we should
be concerned Blacks, but
people concerned about the
city. Most politicians dance to
the music of the voters. What
the voters want done, they will
do.
Hamilton places little value
in terms such as moderates,
930 Gwinnett St.
militants, etc. Instead of
categorizing he said, “If we are
to become a force politically
we will have to bring all these
forces together. Bring in
younger men and get them
oriented so they can replace
the elder men going out of
office. We will all have to come
under one heading.
According to Hamilton
officials are needed. Most
people expect you to raise sand
and get your name in the paper
he said, but you get nothing
done.
“On the City Council you
have four Black votes and
thirteen white. If you don’t
work together the result is a
thirteen to four defeat. You
have to work together if the
majority is to move.”
In addition to serving on
City Council and as Pastor of
Tabernacle Baptist Church,
Hamilton is also Director of
the Morehouse School of
Religion of Interdenomi
national Theological Seminary,
President of the New Era
Missionary Conference of
Georgia, Member of the
Feasibility Study Committee
for the American and
Progressive Baptist
Conventions.
Asked what his future will
be like as a political figure,
Hamilton answered, “Pastor of
Tabernacle Baptist Church. I
have no future political plans
beyond that. Six years is
enough. It takes time and
energy. You spend half your
time in meetings, people call
you at all hours with all kind
of problems. Let somebody
else take it and go with it.”
“I worked with B.L. Dent
on equalization of salaries and
jobs. But the news men didn’t
write about it and I can't go
around bragging and telling
people what I’ve done.”
Asked what changes he’s
seen in Augusta politics over
the last fifteen years Hamilton
said, “I can’t see too much
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
change. Blacks were more
together then than they are
now. It used to be that a Black
candidate could count on the
Black vote, and we had a
coalition with certain whites.”
Hamilton is not disturbed by
white criticism of the Black
block vote.
“Blacks have not block
voted any more than whites.
Whites are always block voting.
This is just one of the myths
that they try to use.”
In spite of the growing
impatience of young Blacks,
Hamilton feels that progress
can be achieved peacefully.
“The record speaks for itself
I can’t see where too much has
been accomplished by rock
throwing. We can get anything
we want if we solidify. We have
never unified to the point of
getting things done.
We integrated buses, bus
drivers, theaters, lunch
counters, etc., and we are
getting people jobs etc. We got
it done with as little friction as
possible. Where as people used
to call our office for jobs. We
haven’t been able to get people
jobs since May 11.” (date of
1970 civil unrest)
Blacks are impatient. If they
have to wait two months to see
progress their interest wanes.”
Many Blacks however are
justifiably sick of being put
off, Hamilton said. The
establishment of a Human
Relations Commission as
recommended by the National
Urban League (see June 24
issue of the News-Review) is
one example. He says that “the
whole study is a delay tactic.
When they decided to have the
Urban League come in this was
a delay tactic. You don’t have
to wait for a study to be done
when there are inequities.
When there are problems, they
can be solved.
Asked whether he felt that
public officials were interested
in seeing that justice is done
Hamilton said, “No. Racism is
ingrown in the structure.
Racism is so interwoven that
it’s like the sunshine. It’s like
the day. It’ll take major social
surgery to straighten it out. We
don’t have to wait when we see
that something is wrong.”
Hamilton sees the ballot as
the key to Black progress.
“Every year that I was the
president of the NAACP we
had a voter registration drive
each year. What will have to
happen is that Blacks will have
to register and vote. They can’t
make this a completely Black
thing. We’ll have to have
coalitions with whites who’ll
work with Blacks. We may not
always have a Black candidate.
But we should support a fair
candidate. When we vote
Blacks against whites - Blacks
lose.
“Consolidation probably
will be good for the
community, if it is done right.
I don’t think that Blacks have
to worry so much about
William R. Candley,
sociology instructor at Paine
College will participate in a six
week summer training program
for College Teachers at
Columbia University.
Candley received his A.B.
degree from Bishop College in
1967 and the A.M. degree in
1969 at the University of
Pittsburgh.
He has also studied at the
University of California
(Berkeley) and at Yale
University as a Ford
Foundation Research Fellow.
Augusta Ga Phone 722-4555
REV. ERION TO ASSUME
EXECUTIVE POSITION
WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG
CONTROL
Rev. Henry Erion will
become Director of the
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counsel and Referral Center at
1143 Druid Park Avenue, it
was announced by Dr. Neil
McFadyen, President of the
Official Board of the
Augusta-Richmond County
Council on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse.
Rev. Erion, who is now
serving as assistant pastor of
the Fairview Presbyterian
Church in North-Augusta and
Part-time Chaplain in Augusta
V.A. Hospital, will assume his
new duties July Ist.
Rev. Erion spent his
childhood in Nebraska,
attended the University of
Nebraska, Mercer University
when he received his B.A.
Degree and Columbia Seminary
where he received his B.D.
Degree in 1947.
He has held pastorates in
Macon, Ga., Jackson, Miss.,
Lake Mont Presbyterian
Church, Augusta, Savannah,
Ga., and presently Fairview
Presbyterian Church.
Rev. Erion has been active in
community affairs both as a
layman and as a minister. He is
presently serving as President
of Augusta Clergy. He has been
Key Club Advisor, Scoutmaster
as well as officer of civic clubs
and Ministerial Associations.
He has directed many
Children’s and Youth Camps
and conferences for the
church. He has twice been
commissioner to the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church.
Rev. Erion is married to the
former Burrdine Jones. They
have two children: Mrs. J.D.
Toole Jr., of Carrollton, Ga.
and Charles T. Erion: attorney,
of Macon, Ga.
Police Brutality
Charged
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Claude E. Freeman, 22, of
Clark Hill, S.C., was arrested
on June 23 along with three
other men, Henry Griffin,
Freddy Houston and Willie
Marshall.
The four Blacks were riding
in a car driven by Griffin when
they were stopped for
speeding.
They were taken to the
Warren County jail where
Freeman said he was walking
behind his three companions
when a policeman told him to
“wait a minute.” Freeman said
that without provocation he
was beaten and charged with
assaulting a Georgia State
Trooper and being a public
drunk. He was released on
SI,OOO bond.
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(Left to Right) Attorney John D. Watkins, children - Stanley and Deedee,
Hosea Williams, Mrs. Alma Ree Mack, Elaine (in mothers arms but not
visible) and Tony.
HOSEA WILLIAMS SAYS
MACK WAS LYNCHED
Hosea Williams, Chairman of
the State-wide Black
Leadership Coalition, held a
press conference in Augusta
Attorney John D. Watkins’
office Wednesday where he
charged that Thomas Mack was
lynched in the Jefferson
County jail.
Mack was found dead in his
jail cell June 1. Jail officials
said he committed
With Williams at the press
conference were Mack’s widow
Alma Ree and their four small
children, and attorney John D.
Watkins who has been retained
as the family’s attorney in the
alleged lynching.
Watkins said the evidence
indicates beyond a shadow of a
doubt that Mack was
murdered.
In a prepared statement
Williams said, “the State-wide
Black Leadership Coalition
called this conference to bring
to the attention of the nation,
and particularly the state
officials of Georgia, that our
investigation into the death of
Thomas Mack has been
completed with the exception
of the family’s private autopsy
Freeman was photographed
immediately upon his release
from the Warren County Jail
with a torn blood-stained shirt
and had been beaten about the
face and head.
He said he had been beaten
by two Georgia State Troopers
and Sheriff A. Roger Dye.
According to informed
sources Freeman is the fourth
person known to have been
beaten by Dye in the last
month, three of them were
Black.
According to news reports
Dye paid a SSOO fine in U.S.
District Court two weeks ago
for having beaten a Black
woman.
He pleaded no contest.
report. Yet, we anxiously await
the results of the United States
Justice Department’s and
Governor Carter’s
investigations.”
All demonstrative evidence
and all oral evidence we
discovered in our investigation
controverts the conclusion of
the law enforcement officials
of Jefferson County that
Thomas Mack committed
suicide by hanging himself. The
evidence we gathered, both
demonstrative and oral,
indicate beyond question that
the life of Thomas Mack was
taken by persons with the
approval and the involvement
of law enforcement officials of
Jefferson County and that a
slave labor camp is now in
operation in Louisville. It will
be incumbent upon the Sheriff
of Jefferson County and his
Deputies, along with Mr. A.P.
Jones - the employer of
Thomas Mack -- to proceed
forthwith taking a lie detector
test administered by the
federal government, if they in
fact still claim that they had
nothing to do with the death
of Thomas Mack.
The State-wide Black
Leadership Coalition has
decided to assist the family of
Thomas Mack in seeing to it
that those responsible for this
outrageous crime are brought
to trial in the proper courts.
The family of Thomas Mack,
on the advice of Hosea
Williams, Chairman of the
State-wide Black Leadership
Coalition, has employed
Attorney John D. Watkins to
take whatever steps are
necessary in seeing that the
ends of justice are met and
HBHB mm! Hhlh
James Brown Cites
Problems, Plans Rally
Entertainer, James Brown
told the NEW-REVIEW that he
felt that the three major
problems confronting Augusta
are (1) drugs (2) racism (3)
July 1, 1971 No. 15
retribution and compensation
are delivered.
The family of Thomas Mack
is certain that their beloved
one did not hang himself, nor
did he commit suicide, and
evidence will overwhelmingly
show that he was lynched
while in the custody of
Jefferson County law
enforcement agents.
All persons of goodwill -
Black and white - interested in
assisting the widow of Thomas
Mack and his four small
children, are urged and
requested to send whatever
contribution or donation they
may have to the ‘THOMAS
MACK FUND,’ Citizens Trust
Company Bank, Atlanta,
Georgia.”
Commenting on Governor
Carter’s statement that he
(Williams) is more interested in
publicity than in trying to help
people, Williams said that “it is
very unfortunate” that the
Governor would stoop to such
a low ebb. Seven Blacks have
gone to their deaths in the last
thirty days at the hands of the
police.” It is a shame Williams
added, “that the Governor is
too busy trying to become
Vice-President to solve
problems of the people. The
friend of the poor is now the
friend of the establishment.”
Referring again to what he
called Jefferson County’s
“slave labor camp,” Williams
said, “Thomas Macks death
was not exclusive but inclusive
of what is going on in Jefferson
County Mack was killed to
teach other Blacks they must
come to work everyday.”
Blacks who lack the guts to ask
for what they need and
demand it, and whites who are
See JAMES BROWN
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