Black Horizons; 2241; Nativity

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We thought it would be helpful for you to hear from the candidates and where they stand on the issues. Harvey Adams is the incumbent candidate for president and Ed Blackman is his opponent. We invited both candidates to be here with us today. However, Harvey Adams was the only one to respond. So, joining me now to tell us about his platform and about some other important issues that are going on in the Black community is Harvey Adams. Welcome again to our program. Glad to have you here. Good to be with you, Chris. What are the most crucial issues that you face as the potential next president and the current president of the NAACP's Pittsburgh chapter? Well, you know, number one, I don't like to use crusades, but the most crucial issue is after all these years, how do we get the community, the Black community in particular involved in shaping its own destiny? We're at one of our lowest ebbs in this city and throughout the country for the Black community to take charge of its own destiny. The NAACP is an ideal vehicle

for that, not that there are other groups out there, but I think consistency has its virtue. The NAACP has never withdrawn from the struggle as some other groups and individuals have. And the struggle goes on, Chris, whether we involve ourselves into it or not. And power does not exist in a vacuum, and I'm suggesting that there's inherent power in the Black community that is going to waste or lack of participation on the majority of the Black community. The Black community has become spectators in a game that is so serious that it's tragic, that their vision is that short. You've been at this for a long time. Do you see any solutions to motivate people? Well, I'm an optimist. I look for signs and I send up smoke signals and do everything else that I can do to try and define why we're withdrawn. I haven't been able to figure that out yet on the parts of some who have tentatively

gotten over. I understand their reluctance to, they see no further need to be involved. They're doing fine. You know, some people sometimes try to include you in that same group. Oh, look at him. He's got a big job. They look back years ago to warn a cable and they talk about, oh, he made money on that deal. This guy's done this and he's done that. So he's part of that group, too, who's gotten over. He doesn't care. Oh, he doesn't care, but he still spends a disproportionate amount of his time working in this struggle. If I spent the time that, on myself, I'm trying to pursue some personal goals that I spend with an NACP, I would really be getting over. I have the intelligence to do it. I have the training to do it and I'm not bragging or being smart or arrogant, but I'm just suggesting to you that I have made a lot of money in my lifetime and hope to make a lot more legitimately and honestly without compromising myself or compromising an NACP. They didn't tell you the flip side of it that with the Warner cable deal that was buried in myself and the good sister who now sits on the

Commonwealth Court, we produced more money for the black community and one fell swoop for non -profit organizations and the black churches than have ever been delivered in the history of this or any other city. Millions of dollars went into black churches and black non -profit organizations. It couldn't have happened without our involvement. I've learned to take the slings and arrows and again I say it not facetiously, but I didn't take a vow of poverty. I'm a busted man today because I spend my money on my family, on my friends and on causes and I have no regrets about having spent it all because I'll make some more if that becomes my goal and it's not important to me. I live modestly. I enjoy people and I enjoy life and I'm going to continue to do that but the thing that I enjoy most is having my own self -respect. I respect myself only on the basis of what I produce for others and I have tried to spend my life

in changing and being a change agent and not being greedy or hungry on a personal level. What about Mr. Black when you're a challenger? I know very little about him, Chris. The young man seems to pop up every election. I think it's about his third run for the roses and I think everyone has a right to do that. And I would just rather let the people judge us on election day on the basis of our involvement. Mr. Blackman, I can say this, has not been involved with NAACP except at election time. Well, you're not shining his involvement. I mean, you just in your opening statement, you talked about the need to get more people involved. You're not shining his involvement because it's been sporadic. He has had no involvement other than to run for office, run for the presidency of NAACP. I'm saying that very clearly. I know little about Mr. Blackman and the little I know I won't talk about. You know, I don't believe in putting down anyone and I don't even believe in talking about my opponents. I'm not going to publicize him, but where the other. You would let the people judge

on the basis of his involvement if they judge on that and I lose, I would feel terrible. But you say it's something to suggest that you don't think he's qualified. I didn't say that. I said he has not been involved. He just suggests that. I didn't say he's suggesting. I'm letting people draw their own conclusions. Mr. Blackman appears at election time and he brings with him his own baggage and he brings with him if he runs his campaign as he has in the past, he will say a lot of negative things about Harvey Adams. What is he said about Harvey Adams? Well, I mean, some things that I wouldn't even repeat, some things were very hurting to me on a personal level because they were so felaciously wrong. Listen, when you don't have a platform, then you attack the opponent. What he's going to say this time, only he can divine. I don't know. But there will come a wealth of negative comments from his camp and that's tragic. Let him be judged on the basis of what he has contributed to the community. I stand on what I have tried to contribute

and I stand on the record of what we at the NACP have contributed. And it's an ongoing contribution. We've just in the last year, there are 37 new jobs created with the Turnpike Commission plus a jobs created with EEOC director. Goodsburg Captain, WAC. He takes credit for that. No. We were in the forefront of it, along with other chapters in Western Pennsylvania. We have been doing most of the coordination on that. And Mr. Adams has carried that water for all of the chapters in Western Pennsylvania. Extremely successful. We're going to be successful. We're in negotiations with Presbyterian Hospital. That will come to fruition. We've been involved with Jobs for Peace with the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Very recently, Mr. Charles Powell was appointed to a director ship, which will be a reporting to the director. There were four other Blacks in that department who were upgraded. Now, that's not the whole ballgame with URA. There's still other issues to be decided. The latest

venture that we've embarked on, one of them in the East, as it's posed, the fact that the stadium authority obserates in the absence of any Black on the state of authority board, which Sophie Matsloff sits on, is that for years, not in one Black person there. No Blacks in the management team of Spectre Corp. No Blacks in the management team. Let's look at that for just a second. Now, we're pursuing it. You know that the Urban League and the Champions Association are having big events down at the stadium, the stadium club down there, and they're doing it with our blessing. They had entered into the agreement before any of us knew the abysmal situation over there. They have a little... This is before you're a boycott. That's right. They have a legal binding contract. We did do a press release. The Corps you're carried in, and I don't think the White Media even cared to pick it up. But anyway, because they would try to make division, we're in full agreement with the Champions. I will be at their affair. I will be at the affair for the Urban League. In fact, I'll be seeing you in the... You don't see that as a contradiction in terms because their agreements preceded you or seeing it what is today. The whole thing

came about because I was invited to the club and then... You were the use of the word boycott, I guess. Well, selective purchasing, selective attendance, and we're encouraging blacks and well -thinking whites not to go there. And we're going to sit over there some of these days and watch the politicians, black and white, who frequent the place, and we're going to publish their names. Okay. I don't think any white politician or black politician should go. Well, black people can't work. There was not... That day I was there. There was not one black waiter or waitress. There was not one black bus person, male or female. There's no bartenders. Let's change the subject to the media for an instant. How do you think that you have been treated in the media print and broadcast, and will you be looking at those areas for improvement? I know there's so many battles to fight and so many... You would work with us. You would work with us. On publishing, not in the discompass, the media

report from NACP. That's in the works now. We will be coming out with that the first of the year, which will show the conditions as they are today, and we'll do an analysis of improvement. There has been great improvement, at least with on -air people. I mean, you can see that on any of the channels. Has been a greater spirit of cooperation, especially with the television industry. And I don't want to be rude to you, but your station is one that I have wanted to get to for quite some time, but I want to do it as professionally as we try to do everything else. And as soon as we get enough new train persons, we will be visiting this station. I think this station, as a non -profit, is one which I make contributions to periodically and many other blacks do, and that non -text -exempt status in the whole bit is doing an abysmal job of trying to bring some parity and equity to the black community. And I hate to say that, you know, I don't want to be a rude guest, but it's a fact of life, at least from our vantage point. We will be coming over here next year. They have a lot of dues to pay

for past and current policies that are exclusionary of black people. And we know of the monumental waste that has gone on here in the past, where they held these lavish parties, and where people drove Mercedes -Benz and just lived in the lab, were luxury off of our tax exempt status. And we want to do something about that. And that's what we feel bad about it. We do do things, Chris. We're always working. But again, the proposition comes down to the fact that we should have a negotiating team in every white institution in this town. And therefore you need more volunteers, volunteers, and we control, we beg, we jump up and down, we never ugly about it. But the load is carried by a few. And that's fair to the rest of the community. It will be on the 12th of December at Hill House Auditorium from 8 a .m. to 8 p .m. And we encourage all the NAACP members can vote, you have to be a member for 30 days per election.

So they can't stack the election? That's right. No, we can't last minute surge of voters. It's very democratic. In fact, we are the only democratic board in this town. The other boards perpetuate themselves. We have to stand in front of our constituents and stand for reelection. All right. Well, thank you for being here. I look to you and Mr. Blackman in the election. Again, we did invite Mr. Ed Blackman, Mr. Adam's opponent. But he did not respond to our request to appear. In just a minute, we'll find out all about the holiday musical going on in Wilkinsburg. But first, if you are familiar with WQD and Black Horizons, then I'm sure you will remember make a joyful noise. For those of you who may not have seen the program before, it is an hour long special filled with inspiring gospel music from a lot of terrific groups. Let's take a sneak preview. It's make a joyful noise with your host, Reverend Richard Allen Farmer and Chris Moore, along with some of Pittsburgh's finest ministers of music, including one accord,

soloist Eva Driver and Alpha. It's good news, a celebration of gospel music on Make a Joyful Noise. Join the Reverend Richard Allen Farmer and myself for Make a Joyful Noise. It's coming up December 11th at 8 p .m. Most traditional tales of Christmas tell how Christmas Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem. But the program being performed by the Wilkinsburg Arts Theatre relates the story a bit differently. Lagnativity tells the story of the birth of Christ in an African setting with poetry by Langston Hughes and a familiar gospel song like My Way Is Cloudy and others like Go Tell It On The Mountain. Joining me now to tell us more about the musical are two cast members from this year's production, Lee Hayes and Kim Lankford. Welcome, welcome, welcome. They're listening up there like a bump on a lawn, man. We've been talking and landing on it and he's going to come up on the show to sit there like this. How

you doing? Okay, tell me a little bit about Blacknessy. Well, Blacknessy was a piece that was requested to be written by Langston Hughes in the 60s. It wasn't originally Carl Blacknessy, it was actually Carl. What was it actually Carl? Wasn't that a mighty day? And it's one of the songs. Yes, it is. And they decided that he says, well, I'll just do a Blacknessy. He did it originally. Alex Haley was one of the future dancers in that play. Alex Haley? I'm thinking of Alex Haley over time. I thought you said Alex Haley, I'm sorry. It's kind of close. What happened is that the same day. Yeah, right. And he left when they changed the black activity. And originally, it was setting in Bethlehem from an African American viewpoint because it is held in a village. It's a birthplace, a birthplace of Christ. Kim,

as a Christian, do you think that taking the historical and changing the historical nature of the birth of Christ, do you think that some Christians would be aghast, if that? No, I really don't. It's bringing it home. Well, not this particular play. It did not get away from the storyline of the Bible. It stays right in the line. It did, you know, being that it's a play, but they didn't deviate at all from the storyline of the Bible. They took the actual birth of Christ, even in, you know, the very story. And they brought it out as far as Mary not having a place to stay. You know, there are songs in the play, no room, you know, things like that. And there are about 25 to 28 songs that are in the play that our director, Keith Monkryff, who is one of our musical directors in the play. He taught, and I tell you, no one can lay it down like Keith. He's bringing it

to gospel. You know, I've done gospel for the last 13, 14 years, and I gave my life to Christ. And the way he describes music, you know, he makes you know, like, I'm like, I'm like in awe of this man. I'm like, what? Yeah, that's it, that's it. That's it. That's it. That's right. So it's on. It really is. And I don't, there's no one that will be offended by it. If you are, if you know anything about the birth of Christ, you won't be offended by it by it at all. You will be truly excited. The only thing different is that it's done in an African setting the first scene. But then the second scene takes place in the black church. And if you know anything about black church, then you're going, you know, you're going to really answer. You're going to answer. Okay. All right. You mentioned that it's a musical. Can you say, you all give us a little sampling. I'll put the pressure on you right now. Okay. Okay. Okay.

All right. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Yeah, Bill. How about it? on. This is golf, too. We have a lot so I mean, with this, can we reach school, it's going to be over or is at school. We changed a lot for It starts the

29th of this month, it's being November, and it runs through to December 22nd. That's Friday and Saturday. There's going to be plenty of opportunities for people to do it. Now, you all have suffered a slight tragedy of sorts. This program airs Saturday, we're taping it on a Tuesday, but on Monday of this week. Actually, Thursday. This program black horizons, but so you all open Thursday of this week, but on Monday of this week, all of your costumes were stolen, right? And it was a serious tragedy. The woman was taking them from the her shop, Tina, to the school for our dress rehearsal and in the transit transportation of it, so when this quickly came in and stole the costumes, they didn't know what they had, though. They really didn't know, and even now, if they haven't gotten them back, we would like to have them. This is not something. Somebody can walk down the street. Oh, no. This is something to America. That's right. After getting dark, there was hand -made and the traditional colors are after her,

and I'm saying hand -made. I'm not talking about where you brought up this lady. Tina spent hours and hours of doing work on this. She was dead instead. In fact, that's where our real feelings were, it was the fact that she felt so much time. So much time was put into it and then have it be just snatched away like that. Well, what do you get? The show must go on. Well, our director, Anthony Thompson, he's very encouraged about it, and the show is going to go on. And if we have to just make shift costumes, Tina's on the, she's working back again right away. She wants it to go on right, and it will. And we're committed to having the show. It's one that's going to be one of the best. That's right. The Pittsburgh scene in here. Now, you've also moved from that small intimate space in the middle building to the Wilkins there. What's that going to mean to your cast in the early autumn? Well, you know, there's two things. One, the intimacy is not as an intimate, but we're going to bring them into church. That's right. We're going to bring them

on up there. We just want to make sure we get more men as soon as we come further up there, you know something. And the other part is that this is the first time that we're using, actually, Wilkins for a high school youth in the, in the part of the, in this place, the State of the Minute. And they've been selected and chosen, and they're having fun, they're working with professional. That's right. And we're having fun because they give us energy we draw from them, and they're learning from us to this part. And there's amendments when you're tired, that the participants, all of us get tired, you know, we have limits too. But we're going to have this show. It's going to be a snap band. Mark them down. Don't miss it. Come on out there. And he's certainly looking forward to it. One of the things I really like about the Wilkins for Garsted is that blending of people, the professionals such as yourselves, the young people get involved, and it's, it's real theater too. You're up with no theater for the people. Oh yeah. Yeah. This is not going to corner across the street. This is down town town. This is down town. You don't have to go down this way. You come with me and bring me six of a group. You go up town. Up down, down, down. Yes. Yes. It's an

athlete's armistice worked diligently with this cast along with Keith, the musical director's from Alabama. I mean, he's taking people have never sung a song in their lives and made them into singers. Maybe I should go like that. You can use a few chords in that group. Get the backgrounds. You can do it. We're thinking of being here. We wish you much success. And we hope that whoever did those costumes with you. Yes. All right. Thanks for being here. Again, Black Nativity, a holiday gospel musical by Langston Hughes. Open this past Thursday at the Wilkinsburg High School Auditorium and run through December 22nd. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8. For ticket information, please call 2414 -67 or 3719 -667. Well, that wraps up another almost a little half hour, but before we go, I would just like to mention that starting January 5th, Black Horizons will become a part of a public affairs block here on WQED and can be seen at 5 .30 pm instead of 4 .30. So please make a note of it. Thank you for joining me on this afternoon. All of us here

at Black Horizons. I'm Chris Moore. See you next week.