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HOUSE OF PRAYER HOLDS ANNUAL PARADE
Ex-Convict
ATTICA JUST
A BEGINNING
“ft’, i bad scene in the
peniWntiaries. The main thing
is thar there should be -1 hope
that soon there is - there has to
be some outside organization
or committee that will hear
these complaints by these
inmates. At least hear them!
“Now what you’re going to
run into; when this happens, is
that the prison administration
is going to say that we can’t
allow no interference with the
running of this prison because
of security. They won’t let you
hear the complaints, because
they are afraid that there may
be some truth in it that can be
proven. And just as this Attica
thing says - because for a whole
half day, that’s all I heard on
the news - that the inmates cut
their throats. The inmates did
this; the inmates did that. Now
all of a sudden it has been
proven that the guards killed
the guards. And actually all
that killing did not have to
take place.
”I’m gla<4 that 1 made it out.
Like I said, I’ve been in and
out on several occasions. Age
(40) has a lot to do with my
views now and with my
detc nation to stay* out.
Because as a young man with
no responsibility, what the
heck? Doing five years wasn’t
nothing. But now as your
birthdays begin to catch up
with you. And as you kind of
settle and learn a little more
and face the truth within
yourself - acknowledging where
y\u went wrong,
acknowledging all fault due
yob, not covering anything up
anymore. You come to'a point
where you’re going to make up
your mind to either do right or
spend the rest of your life in
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Nfuw- Skit inn
the jifnitentiary. That's your
home from then on. Now
unfortunately you have a lot of
men and women thaf bag up
like this. The penitentiary is
their home; they are in and out
in and out all of their lives
“I just hope that the people
learn a little something from
this Attica incident. And the
only reason that that took
place is because of abuse of
authority by those prison
officials. There are just so
many little things that they can
do to a man that’s locked up; it
gets to them. It gets to ’em real
rough. And you will find that
some of these guards begin
enjoying doing these things.
They look at a prison as - what
the heck - I didn’t have
anything to do with you
coming here, buddy. The judge
sentenced you; my job is to
make sure you stay here. But
they go a little beyond their
job, just because they have the
authority.
’’They have a rule in some
prisons that you can be
charged with silent
insolence!” Silent insolence.
They stick it to you. There aint
Ino way you can get away. So
what you have to do in these
joints - you got to swallow
almost all your pride. You got
to swallow your arrogance.
You got to swallow your pride.
And you got to go along with
the program. You put up ‘Sirs’
in the right place. You don’t be
seen in the wrong place, that is,
if you want to make it.
“In the penitentiary the
officials can set you up pretty
quick through the inmates.
Because they have this ‘rat’
system that’s in effect in the
penitentiary just like it is in the
streets. If you’re a fellow who
I kind of skates on the border
line of being right all the time -
when you get into a jam with
the officials. They don’t like it.
They have numerous inmates
that they can approach. They’ll
say! There’s a wise one over
there. Remember, I let you do
so and so a while back. All of a
sudden you got a knife in your
gut. I got scars on my gut. I got
930 Gwinnett St. Augusta Ga Phone 722-4555
part 2
scars, and I’m very fortunate
for being alive. The only reason
I am alive, I guess, is because
the man set up to off (kill) me
did not know how to use a
klllfe - SEE ATTICA
Page 2
HUD urges assault on
institutional racism
WASHINGTON - Although
there has been considerable
improvement in the social and
economic status of black
Americans, it is essential that
there bfe no relaxation in the
continuing assault on
institutional racism,“ a ranking
official of the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban
Development said recently.
Speaking to the Hungry
Club in Birmingham, .Ma.,
Samuel C. Jackson, HUD
general assistant secretary
declared that the ultimate goal
of the nonwhite community
should be the total resurrection
of its rights and privileges so
that it can share fully and
equally in the bounty of
American society.
The HUD official pinpointed
housing, economic opportunity
and education as focal areas for
continued pressure by the
black leadership. “We have
come a long way,” he said “but
we have a long way to go.”
He indicated that the
Administration is well aware of
the urgency of the situation
and pointed to specific
measures taken to speed the
upward mobility of the
Nation’s nonwhite citizens.
He noted that the Small
Business Aministration loaned
$l6O million to 6,262 minority
busnessmen in 1970. Loans by
the SBA so far this year
totalled $213 million to 7,776
minority entrepreneurs.
Typical of these, is the
recent $2,370,000 loan for the
establishment of 19 fast-food
to be owned by
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722-4555
nonwhite businessmen in
Chicago, Cleveland and
Washington, D.C.
As an indication of HUD’s
impact on the housing
situation, Jackson revealed that
36,000 low-rent housing units
are currently under public
management in Alabama with
5,200 HUD-assisted low rent
and home ownership units
scheduled for completion this
year. All told, HUD-assisted
housing in Birmingham
represents 25 percent of total
construction in the State of
Alabama.
Turning to the problem of
fair housing, Jackson noted
that President Nixon’s
statement of June 11 asserted
that the denial of equal
housing to people of all races is
illegal and would not be
tolerated whether practices
overtly or by resort to
economic considerations as a
subterfuge.
He also emphasized the
provisions of the Civil Rights
Act of 1968 which prohibit
discrimination in most private
real estate actions, regardless of
whether federal assistance is
involved.
“For the first time,” he said
“the Executive Branch, the
Congress and the Judiciary
have 'all agreed as to what
constitutes housing
discrimination and expressed a
firm commitment to eliminate
it. However, in the final
analysis much will depend on
the vigilance and the intelligent
application of pressure by
black leadership at local
levels.”
SHOULD SHERIFF AND
POLICE CHIEF RESIGN
The Attica Hour by John ruffin
Earlier this month, this nation was exposed to the foul stench
of prison life with all its attendant ingredients - ignorance,
vengeance, racism - to name just a few. To some people it was
shocking, to others it was traditional authority handling a matter
in its traditional way, to others it was of no concern. To still
others it was another step of decadence in a nation whose
headaches no amount of Excedrin can cure, irrespective of the
type. The unfortunate truth is that the “Attica Hour” is every
hour for this country’s black citizenry. Attica is but a minuscule
of this country, the only difference in blacks and Puerto Ricans
inside of Attica and those outside being the size of the prison.
No part of this country escapes the “Attica Hour.” In our own
community, citizens of the “law and order” mold are publicly
and vigorously making plans to deny black children a chance to
share a quality education (such as it is). Civil disobedience is a
virtue sometimes, with those who violate the law willing to suffer
the consequences. When the Sheriff of Richmond County and the
Chief of Police of the City of Augusta are members of the
steering committee of a group which has publicly stated it plans
to violate the law, someone needs to sober with reason and
restraint those intoxicated with fear and ignorance. Either those
persons who occupy the highest positions of law enforcement in
this community should resign from their positions of Sheriff and
Police Chief respectively, or they should not take part in the
proposed unlawful activity of this group. But the “Attica Hour”
permits this, just as it permitted the City Council of Augusta and
the County Commission to pass resolutions regarding this matter -
areas of concern which neither body has heretofore dared act.
Does this community actually realize that these chief law
enforcement officers are publicly on the wrong side of the law?
Does this community actually realize that these governing bodies
are lending aid and assistance to the wrong side of the law? Why
has the news media been silent about this? Why has no leader -
black or white - felt the compulsion to speak out against this local
ugl> hour of Attica?
This community has traditionally and erroneously in recent
years boasted of its good race relations, although it has been told
United Fund
Kick-Off
By Al Irby
Howard K. Smith, ABC’s ace
anchor commentator, and lead
announcer thrilled a huge
audience at the annual kick-off
luncheon of United Way
Campaign Fund. The spaceous
Ambassador Ballroom of the
Richmond Hotel was packed to
capacity with the joint civic
club members, staff workers,
and friends to greet the
illustrious news and television
personality.
Mr. Smith began his speech
with a demonstration of his
celebrated wit, then proceeded
to tell the interested listeners
what a glorious, and
remarkable age we are living in.
“Prospects are incredibly
bright, in this era of plenty,
and technical advancements
abound.” The pithy newsman
pointed out the current
progress of America’s black
populace; but hurriedly added,
that it was not enough, but at
least a beginning has been
made.
He asked a pertinent
question; “Why are we, as a
nation in such a perilous
condition, when we have so
much going for us?” Mr. Smith
supplied an answer to his own
paradoxical inquiry'. “Change is
the answer for it. Even with
our abundance, we cannot
adjust.” Our central cities are
decaying, and the people that
reside there are disconsolated,
and filled with rage.” The
nation’s air and water-ways are
carelessly polluted.”
“Change is still the big issue.
It is sweeping our old roots
away, but change is good for us
all. It has brought us
undreamed of progress, inspite
of all the head-aches. Our
attitudes have not kept apace
with the change around us.”
Mr. Smith implied that we
are beginning to see the
glorious light. Movements like
the United Way of sharing are
living examples, that we are
concerned with those less
fortunate. He reminded us
indelibly, that we are most
certainly our brother’s keepers.
Atlanta Black Leaders
to Attend Caucus
Several Atlantans will join
black leaders from throughout
the nation who will meet at the
O’Hare Airport Motel irr-
Chicago Friday night for a
strategy session on the 1972
presidential election.
State Rep. Julian Bond, who
was nominated for vice
president during the 1968
Democratic Party convention
despite the fact he w'as
underage, and Mrs. Martin
Luther King, Jr. are among
those extending invitations to
black leaders to come to the
session.
State Sen. Leroy Johnson,
the Rev. Andrew Young, Vice
Mayor Maynard Jackson, State
Rep. Ben Brown and John
Lewis, director of the Voter
Education Project, are among
other Atlantans expected to
attend.
Gary, Ind.’s Mayor Richard
Hatcher, Jesse Jackson, head of
the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference’s
Operation Breadbasket and
Percy Sutton, president of the
Borough of Manhattan, were
others exending the invitation.
On tap for discussion is
whether black leaders hould
support candidates of either
major party, a third party or
form an independent party, a
source said. Also to be
discussed is whether a black
man should run for president
in primaries in states where
there is a large black
population.
Bond has suggested this
route in a memorandum to
black leaders. An article in
Sunday’s New York Times
Magazine proposed Young as a
possible vice presidential
candidate on the Democratic
ticket.
Young denied any real
interest in a national campaign.
“I just want to be
September 30, 1971 # 28 I
repeatedly that such is not the case. This community does a
“statistical analysis” and boasts of having one black on the Civil
Service Commission out of five; one black on the Housing
Authority of five; one black on the Hospital Authority of five;
one black on the County Commission of five; one black in the
legislature; two blacks on the Board of Education of sixteen; and
four blacks on the City Council of sixteen, - and it has the
audacity to say “all is well.”
The tragedy of this community is not that it is confronted with
a series of ugly events - some more notable than others - but there
is a void or a vacuum in leadership, both black and white with no
recognizable potential for eliminating or at least minimizing
community ills.
Meanwhile, the clock continues to tick, and the ugly hour of
Attica continues unabated.
It is indeed frightening that no blacks were included on the
Augusta Commission Disaster Planning, out of a total
membership of twenty-eight. The absence of blacks creates a
disaster. This is especially true when one notices some of the
persons who are on the commission. As the ugly hour of Attica
ticks by, hour by hour, “we rot and rot.”
Who, with any semblance of fairness, would permit a judge of
Recorder’s Court to represent police officers in civil and criminal
proceedings when, as judge of the Recorder’s Court, he sits in
judgment of disputes between citizens and the very police officers
he represented? Who, with any semblance of fairness, would
exclude blacks and females from jury service? Who, with any
semblance of fairness, would permit black school teachers to be
intimidated by school officials and police officers? Who, with any
semblance of fairness, would permit discriminate killing of blacks
by police officers who shot six blacks in the back last year? Who,
with any semblance of fairness, would not require the Richmond
County Coroner to conduct an inquest Aietermine the cause of
death of blacks shot in the back when theraw requires an inquest
to be held within sixty days from the killing?
Meanwhile, blacks are being misdirected by quasi-politicians
who are dousing them with political marginality, and the ugly
hour of Attica continues.
congressman,” said the man
who lost to U.S. Rep. Fletcher
Thompson in 1968.
States in which a black
might enter primaries include
Illinois, Maryland, Wisconsin,
Florida and perhaps California,
Tennessee, and North Carolina.
There were reports that the
meeting was to have been
Wednesday night, but a
number of black leaders in
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FOR PRESIDENT - Promising to “shake the system up,”
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, D-N.Y., says she will formally
announce as a candidate for president on New Year’s Day. Rep.
Chisholm, 47, said she will enter three primaries if she can raise
SIOO,OOO. She expects to draw heavily from women, young
people and minorities. Primary target states are Florida, North
Carolina and California.
Atlanta confirmed Thursday
that the session would be
Friday nightof black leaders in
Atlanta confirmed Thursday
that the session would be
Friday night.
The Rev. Ralph D.
Abernathy, president of the
SCLS, was invited, but is in
Russia. Members of the black
congressional delegation are
also expected to be on hand.