New Pittsburgh Courier from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 14

PACK II Till COl'KIKR. OCTOBERS, 1971 Championship fight postponed but By mm if 4ZEL Music Festival show THERE IS A tendency among us blacks to feel that we are the only minority discriminated against in this country. We forget or simply overlook the fact that we are not alone. How about the American Indian, the Oriental, the Chicano (Mexican American) the Jews and other ethnic groups such as the Italian. All have been cast in the role of "second class citizen." And some have been mistreated worse than others.

ALTHOUGH I NEVER realized it at the time, the people in the small mid western community where I was born in Indiana, were very racist in their treatment of minorities. Since we were the only Blacks in our small village of farmers, we were no threat so enjoyed going to integrated schools and mingled with the children in the neighborhood freely. ONE DAY AS a very small child, I can still remember my parents driving into the nearest town of any size, where we went shopping before stopping by to visit relatives. Looking back I recall that our relatives lived in an area where all of the homes were occupied by Blacks. '''V W' lam VARIETY CITIES COURIER The Variety Club of Pittsburgh's Tent No.

1, recently cited the New Pittsburgh Courier as a "true friend and benefactor of Variety which is dedicated to the service of the handicapped and underprivileged children." Variety is a show business organization operating on an international scale. Here Courier Editor, Hazel Garland is shown accepting the citation from Chief Barker, Atty. James Ecker (right) and Lieut. Barker Bert Sokol (left). Harris photo.

DURING OUR SHOPPING spree, I recall hearing my father ask the storekeeper about a certain item and remember very well the shopkeeper's reply. "Oh," he said, "we don't carry that. You might try a store down in 'Little or over in Mew More than likclv. vou can find it at one of the two places." Italians and Jews lived in their own private ghetto and the town's people used the above derogatory expressions to describe the two areas. ITALIANS AND JEWS have come a long way since my childhood.

Being white, they haven't been treated quite as badly as us because they easily identified. Many changed their names, had what is called a "nose job" and joined the rest of the gentiles referred to as WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant). Some blacks with very fair skin and straight hair has also "passed." However, the masses have remained in the battle, struggling to make the world a better place for all to live. ALL OF THE above was said to lead into the discussion of a television special that unfortunately appeared only locally: I hope it will be distributed on a syndicated basis because it is a special that all should see. Entitled "L'CHAIM, TO LIFE," the TV special was produced by Women's American OUT.

ORT STANDS FOR Organization for Rehabilitation through Training. Founded in 1880, the story of the order which initiated a unique concept in the training of Jews in vocational skills, was what the program was all about. The 90 minute special featured noted actor ELI WALLACH as narrators and excellent old stills as well as film produced a truly outstanding documentary. I MAY GET an argument when I say that although we blacks have suffered untold misery, what the Jews have had to endure has been much worse. They have been despised and persecuted because of their religion by people who professed to be religious at the same time.

The documentary was a real tear, jerker. One couldn't help but admire a group of people who refused to give up and to this day continue to fight to retain their own culture. THE TV FILM revealed how Jews stick together. Those who are fortunate enough to attain wealth, give of themselves to help those less fortunate than themselves. The World ORT movement, dedicated itself to the philosophy of the founding fathers that the best way to help a man is to teach him to help himself.

They don't give out money, but support a training program that will enable many to a better life. ZAIRE, AFRICA Intercontinental Hotel to a vast theatre up to 30 dancers performing at a time. The world press gathered for the fight is remaining for the Music Festival. Among the group is author Normal Mailer and adventurer George Plimpton, plus artist Leroy Neiman and others. Instead of covering a "rumble in the jungle," the stars James Brown, B.

B. King, The Crusaders, The Spinners and others taking part in the Zaire '74 Music Festival this weekend touched off a Carnival in Rio spirit that has swept the city. Thousands of fans, including Muhammad Ali, stayed up until 2 a.m. to greet the stars at the airport where African bands and dancers entertained for hours without stopping. Despite the postponement of the All Foreman Fight, the authorities are going ahead with the Music Festival determined to make it bigger than ever.

Top black artists from throughout Africa are here to join the American stars in the three nights of concerts in the 60,000 seat stadium. Promoters Don King and Lloyd Price of Festival In Zaire, Inc. announced the concerts will be moved forward one day to Sept. 21 22 23. Producers Stewart Levine and Hugh Masekela said the dates were changed because there is no longer a need to clear the stadium for the fight that was set for September 24.

The extra day will also give the musicians more rehearsal time at the stadium, Levine said. Both Ali and Foreman are scheduled to attend the opening concert when James Brown and The Pointer Sisters headline. The American stars are enjoying tremendous popularity in this central African capital city. The spirit of the Festival has swept the city, with bands playing on the streets and in front of the hotel throughout the day and far into the night and the parking lot in front of the correspondents are enjoying fine food and sipping Mouton Cadet wine. goes on 'Black Samsqn premieres Warner Bros, announced "Black Samson," an exciting tale of a modern giant battling the underworld had its premiere in 14 cities recently.

"Black Samson," starring Rockne Tarkington, William Smith, Connie Strickland and Carol Speed, and introducing Michael Payne opens in New York City, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, I Philadelphia, Atlantic City, N.J., Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Norfolk, Richmond, Atlanta, Ga. Charlotte, N.C., Greenville, S.C., New Orleans, La. and Memphis, Tenn. The movie will open in September in Boston, Mass. "Black Samson" is a contemporary action drama filmed on location in Los Angeles, Hollywood and Pasadena with many new faces in starring roles.

Produced by Daniel B. Cady and directed by Chuck Bail from "a screenplay by Warren Hamilton "Black Samson" relates the advan tures of a black nightclub owner who tries to keep the streets in his area free of dope and gangsters, and who winds up in the middle when two rival hoodlum gangs (one white, one Black) try to take over the territory. All the street people eventually come out to rout the interlopers. The title role is played by Rockne Tarkington, who grew up with the Army as the 9th Cavalry Regiment mascot, then served in Japan with a military police battalion and was wounded in Korea. He has acted in several TV series, in addition to appearing in the motion pictures, "Major Dundee," "Soldier in the Rain," "The Great White Hope" and "Melinda." While stationed in Japan, he took up the ancient Japanese martial art of kindo.

Kindo, he explains, has moves very similar to karate but employs a heavy six foot staff or pole. A minor villain in the film is played by Mike Payne, who was once a 20th Century mail boy, and is now seen as a hoodlum who has a mortuary for a front and who finally lines up on the side ol law and order. Veteran black character actor Napoleon Whiting plays the role of the down and out jazz painist. Producer Daniel B. Cady's LdL LX KINSHASA, ZAIRE: Heavyweight challenger Muhammad Ali gets some piano pointers from Jazz singer Etta James.

She is here to sing at the Festival of Zaire which was originally scheduled in conjunction with the All Foreman title bout. The bout was postponed until Oct. 29 due to an injury to champ George Foreman's eye during a sparring session. (UPI) previous film was "Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man." Following "Black Samson," he plans to make "King of Spades," from his own story with a script by Warren Hamilton Jr. BRIEF INTERLUDE Rockne Tarkington, playing a mid city nightclub owner who wants to keep his territory free of dope pushers and criminals and Carol Speed, top photo, his girlfriend, enjoy a brief interlude in the war against the two groups who are at war with him in "Black the Warner Bros, release opening soon in local theatres.

"Black Samson" finally meets the underworld forces and is joined in a climatic battle by all the people in the neighborhood. BELOW In "KLANSMAN" Football star O.J. Simpson and starlet Jeanie Bell will be in William Alexander's million production of William Bradford Huie's novel, "The Klansman," starring Lee Marvin and Richard Burton. Paramount Pictures will release film, the biggest budgeted, movie produced by a black. "(Hab fa te UNDERGOES SURGERY NEW YORK Lionel Hampton, CI, known among jazz fans as "The King of the Vibes," underwent surgery to arrest the massive internal bleeding that led to his hospitalization.

He is pictured here in a jam session with the late Louis Armstrong in 1947 photo. Fresh from Europe Fresh from its second concert tour of Europe, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will open its 84th season at 8:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in Orchestra Hall, exacUy one week after playing its final concert in Brussels, climaxing a three week tour which took the musicians to .10 cities of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, England, France, Holland and Belgium. The concert will be the first on the regular Thursda A series, although it will take place on Friday, instead of the normal Thursday evening.

Guest conductor for the occasion, as well as for the ensuing two weeks, all of which will be devoted to Russian music, will be the distinguished Soviet conductor Gennady Rozhdestven sky, who recently was named principal conductor of the Stockholm Philharmonic. Promoters goof on 'Tough' "Tough" was left out of the Jamaican Film Festival by an an oversight of their promoters. Many of the black films to date have reached the height of exploitation and giving the black community a very little chance for a choice. "Tough" has been the only film created by the genius of The Third World, Horace Jackson, who wrote, directed, and produced "Tough" has been enjoying the success of the black community throughout the metropolitan areas of the top 25 markets in the United States. "Tough" has been acclaimed by teachers and school boards in St.

Louis, Detroit, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington, Atlanta, and Baltimore. Renny Roker, who has been on a national tour, has reached over 40,000 young people in the summer camps and day camp centers in 25 markets. He has started a new image building role with these youngsters. "Tough" is the rated family movie that leaves the whole family feeling the message, that has been told. Dion Gossett, the ten year old star, gave a performace of a neophyte actor, that will draw your heart strings.

Pittsburgh Plan works; hailed as good investment By WOODROW L. TAYLOR National Editor 4,: ml3 NATE SMITH Pittsburgh unions, con tractors, and industry moguls are finally getting the message that The Pittsburgh Plan is a good investment of the taxpayer's dollars. The basic principal of the Pittsburgh Plan is to get more blacks and other minorities into the construction unions and industry at substantial wages. Back in 1971 when the voluntary plan began it cost $1,285 to train apprentices. Some 158 Blacks went under training in construction unions, contractors and the Black Construction Coalition.

The Pittsburgh Plan has been a successful venture to the extent that the first part of this year the cost of training and placing Blacks into construction positions has been drastically cut to $4,128. Originally the Federal government pumped some $1.7 million into the Pittsburgh Plan to get if off the ground. That figure too has been considerably reduced to $908,000 in 1972 and 1973 and $791,000 in the first six months of 1974. Already in 1974 some 119 Blacks in the unemployed and underemployed categories in Pittsburgh under the pre apprentice program according to Ellis McGruder, Pittsburgh Plan Coordinator. McGruder said: "We'll come close to our goal of 201 this year," even if there has been a slow down in construction all over.

Nate Smith, president of the Pittsburgh Plan reflected during an interview on the stormy beginning back in 1960 when the Plan was first conceived. The Pittsburgh Plan is the first "hometown plan" to get Blacks into the mainstream of the construction industry. Smith said: "The reason we succeeded is because the unions, contractors and coalition were willing to sit down and come up with a workable solution. "We were fighting for our lives. tThey had the whole pie and only had to give up part of it.

"In almost four years of operation to date, 573 Blacks have been placed in construction unions here." Commenting on the aims of the plan Smith said: The Pittsburgh Plan concentrates on quality as opposed to quantity qualified journeymen as opposed to em ployment only." Observing that most plans in other cities were mostly concerned with placing Blacks on certain, projects Smith said in Pittsburgh the emphasis has been on union membership. Smith also noted that other plans have resulted in the government instituting a quota system on construction positions. This has resulted in the Failure of many of those plans, he said. According to Coordinator McGruder job retention under the Pittsburgh Plan has been about 79 per cent. This has been 20 per cent higher than the retention rate of whites in the construction industry, McGruder averred.

Nate Smith added his comments that $8 to $10 an hour wages of journeymen, which Blacks have been able to obtain under the Pittsburgh Plan convinces "the guys to stay there. Those wages are not available for most of the Black community." According to a two year study made by Carnegie Mellon University "The pre apprenticeship program of the Pittsburgh Plan yields a return of six dollars in benefits to those participating in the program for every government dollar invested. Smith stated that the Federal Contract Compliance Office investigates the Pittsburgh Plan every three months. He said: "they want to see, touch and smell each journeyman." The bricklayers, painters, tile setters and glaziers have been placed under sanctions by the government because they neglected to meet the minimum requirements for admitting Blacks. The other unions, out of a total of 21, have complied.

The four unions placed under sanctions have a specified number of Blacks they have to use on each job on which they receive federal monies. The bricklayers and painters may soon be relieved of the sanctions because they are now meeting the requirements a construction spokesman has been quoted as saying. Increasing unemployment has plagued the construction industry in Pittsburgh Coordinator McGruder says. McGruder observed that: the electricians, contry to previous trends.are now faced with unemployment. McGruder said in commenting on the effect of the job picture on Blacks stated:.