OCTAVIAHA
I •
KI S-
Labo 0 gan·z ; civil
rig leader laid to est
aYQrs Warn
Of II� ng Hot
Summer'
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Mayors of two of the nation's
leading cities warned last week
that America could be in for a
repeat 1960's style inner city
J 0 HAN N E S BUR G , rioting if something is not done
soum AFRICA - For years soon to provide greater job op­
South Africa's Dutch Reform portunities and curb the spread
Church had maintained that of illegal drugs.
Bible scripture supported that Mayors Terry Goddard of
country's policy of oppressing Phoenix and Sidney Barthelemy
the human and political rights of of New Orleans made their
Blacks. The policy is known as prediction during a visit to
apartheid. Washignton, D.C. to meet with
However, about two weeks President George Bush's new
ago the white church reversed drug czar William Bennet.
itself and declared apartheid a According to Barthelemy,
"sin." "you are going to see some
conference on The move was welcomed by Ilareups." He added th�t if
Black church groups and talks urban disturbances do occur
adole cent .male ligi leade they may be more violent than
began on how re ous rs the riots of the sixties because
r pO I b 1.lty· could wor together to end the the flames of unrest would be
system of racial oppression. . de .
The Nafonal Urban League "But last week, the white fanned by the drug epi .1Dle..
d· .•••••••••••••••••••••
will host its second conference church reverse agam - at , •
on ood and Fatherhood: least in part. Church leaderssig- • Patterson :
Adole ent M le Re pon- nificantly'watered down their s: R I E a e :
sibility In African-American condemnation of apartheid.: ea •
Families" at the Oarion Hotel in The latest move angered Blacks : :
New Orleans, LA from April 30 and prompted the Rev. Allan : :
to May 2, 1989. Boesak to declare, "Our en- : •
The conference will ddr thusiasm to work with the white , : :
some of the most critical issues church is goael" :. • •••••• : .
facing the African-American ���������������������I
family in the 199Os, including: ��
teen ge pregnancy, child and � lid red 's Beauty art
familypoverty,crimeandincar- � 12846 Woodward at Glendale near D�
cer tion, and the urvival of the I Free Conef ioning Treatment on Tuesday & Wedr1!Sday
African-American male. � We look forward to seeing you
Dr. Na'im Akbar, Associate �
Professor, Department of �
Psychology, Florida Stat� �
University, and former Pres 1- �
dent of the ationa) ��- � If your hair isn't becoming to you.
tion ofBlac Psychologists, will � You should be coming to us.
de�r the keynote speech on � 867 -9707
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I
Her passing a
10 s for the
cause of
justice
COVERT - Mrs. Octavia
(Charles) Hawkins, 80, civil
rights activist and former labor
union organizer, died Friday,
March 31, at home after a long
illness. She resided at 39502
76th si, Covert
Her passing marks the end of
a remarkable chapter in the
struggle for justice in South­
western Michigan. When there
was injustice of any kind - not
enough decent housing;
misspent funds in the Meals On
Wheels J?l'ogram; or a need to
elect good candidates -
whatever the cause, the com­
munity could look to Octavia
Hawkins for leadership and ac-
East St. Louis on
hard times
EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL -
The predominantly Black city of
East St. Louis, Illinois has fallen
into what some residents are
labeling economic chaos. As a
result of the latest crisi 600 of
the city's 1,800 school
employees are being laid off.
h Currently, the city has nearly
$10 million in unpaid bills and is
two weeks behind in payments
to employees.
National Urban
Leagu ho ts
tion.
Her funeral was held Wed­
nesday, AprilS, t the rust Bap-
, tist Church, Covert. Burial was
in Covert Cemetery. Arrange­
ments were by Robbins
Brothers Funeral Home, Ben­
ton Harbor. Memorial may be
made to the Van Buren Civic
Organization Building Fund
Mrs. Hawkins was born
April 18, 1909, in Georgia. She
had liYed in the Covert area for
30 years. She formerly served on ·
the State Board of Human Ser­
vices; was a Covert Nutrition
Site representative; former
chairperson of the VanCas CAP
- Covert" area PAC; former
legal redress chairperson for
the Van Buren National As­
sociation for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP);
former supervisor of Van Buren
County's Private Industry
Council summer youth workers;
a member of the state Mental
Health Board; and a member of
the First Baptist Church of
Covert
Survivors include: her hus­
band, two sons - Sylvester of
South African
church does
double reverse
OCfAVIA HAWKINS
Covert and Alfred of South
Haven, who is superintendent of
Covert Public Schools; a
daughter, Phyllis Walker of
ClUcago;16granddbildren;and
7 great-granddbildren. She was
eceded in death by two sons,
Herman and Cortez.
The community will miss her.
We aU live better because she
came this way.
1
F( conditioning tre8tm nt on Tuesday & Wednesday
W 100 forward to serving you
9
I Th Trip orth
Editor. e following article WQS submitted in January,
1989 by . Haw1ciiaS for Block History MOIl
By Octa'" Hawid
The tri north from Cohutta, Ga. to Chicago Illinois,
My fath �� �eath, the funeral and then the diiaJSSion
about the �dren's welfare ..
My A . t, Mrs. Lizza Lee Hendricks, was a resident of
Olic:ago . ois. Residing at 4125 Dearborn St., she was
the oldest of the Henry Pitner family, and my father's
sister.
I can re mber her coming to the funeral and taking
charge. I a girl abo 6 years old I remember her tell-
ing my ther that the children would attend my
fathers eral. Someone had said we were too young.
After th funeral, \vIIat would happen to the children?
My aunt s ke up that my mother with the youngest would
be returni to Chicago with her. My oldest brother would
be sent for as soon as possible with my oldest sister, �e
three othe children - John, Laurance and Octavia
would re .' with another aunt until enough money came
to send for thelQ.
A year ter we three were put on the train for QUcago,
Illinois, 19 November, My oldest brother Walter Pitner
had got a j b at the stock yards. He was now 14 years old.
My mothe became the house keeper and my aunt
worked.
I We had a good childhood life. As other came from
the South ey stayed with us until they could get settled,
We were a ose united family and on Saturdays they all
came to A t Jack's house fOT fried fish and beer. We
were all r . tered in t 41st and Federal, the
Horace M Bran. No Black chers, then our first
I Black tea er was Miss. Sablett, a pretty, tall, young
women. M' . Sablett was a good eacher and demanded
discipline. give all my learning abilities to her a�t:
My Aun Jack, as we called her, was a teacher m race
Pride. The ictures on the walls reflected her out look.
I She be . in hard work �d good edu�tioo. She.st�
at the top f our family Wlth ack prl� an� dignity.
Church education yes, and a deep believer 10 you are
your broth's keeper.
If there going to be a polit cal meeting, � all had
to go. So ou political education began early. I am 81 �
old, and I 1 back today to what has happened. I believe
firmly in th ability of Black people to deter�e their o�
destiny. I mly believe that there's no difference m
.people whe their environment's have been the same. Yes,
Racialism in America is like it is because it has been con­
doned by 0 nations government first. And only in the last
]() �s or ore years have we took the lead to eliminate
;acialism. I a believer that we' will overcome.
,
I