The educational, cultural and historical background for it RESOLUTION: Now be it resolved that the Greene County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People commits its full approval and support to the establishment of the museum here. It further urges every State and National Representative of Ohio in the Congress to likewise give it their full support. mh March 2, 1978 115 SIGNED Ander Armband Snyder Garland, President Chud Wie Mattiurth-Eter this. On behalf of the members, officers and members of the Board of Directors, we would like to take this opportunity to join with the many citizens, educational institutions, both civic, religious and social organizations in support of the National Afro American History Museum being placed in Wilberforce, Ohio. Be it resolved that the Concerned Citizens of Xenia, Inc., will support the efforts of Congress and any committee to help make the dreams and hopes of a people surrounded by such a rich cultural heritage a reality. Finally, be it resolved that we will assist in any way we can with this project. RESOLUTION The Ohio AAA Association met in regular session this twentysixth day of April, 1978, and unanimously adopted the following Resolution: WHEREAS, On October 18, 1976, President Ford signed into law P. L. 94-518 Title 111, Sec. 301, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility and suitability of a National Museum of Afro-American History and Culture at or near Wilberforce, Ohio, and, WHEREAS, It is well known and therefore is documented evidence of the rich history surrounding Wilberforce, Ohio, and, WHEREAS, This organization representing 43 clubs and over one million members is well aware of the need for a Black History and Culture Center in this country, and, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, this organization lends its support and urges The National Park Service to find in favor of Wilberforce, Ohio, as the site of the National Museum of Afro-American History and Culture. Senator GLENN. Mrs. Lewis, we welcome any statement you wish to make. Mrs. LEWIS. Senator Glenn, Congressman Brown, thank you for the privilege of speaking to you this morning. My remarks will be brief and later I will give them more emphasis, if desired. I am generally speaking for the citizens, the grassroots people in the Greene County area or the Greater Miami Valley area. Specifically, I speak for the Wilberforce Community Property Owners and Voters Association. Members of this association and other citizens of Greene County have been concerned with the museum idea since 1968. We have been working behind closed doors to assist local government in any capacity. The members of the association, as citizens of Greene County, Ohio, are deeply concerned about the need for national recognition of the tremendous contributions of black Americans to the United States and the world community. The citizens have been most distressed by the lack of more adequate, inclusive, and centralized endeavors and financial support of our government for Afro-American citizens as significant cultural and educational contributors. WCPOVA feels that positive consideration, a vote of yes, of the bill will: One. Definitely give due recognition to the black ethnic groups in this country and label it as one of the life roots of this Nation; passage of the bill will serve as a treatment for ethnic pride; Two. Increase public consciousness of the overwhelming contributions made by blacks to this Nation, from its inception to current times; therefore serve as a cure for lack of positive recognition; Three. Realistically enable the public to envision the role of blacks in the perpetuation of American cultures via education, health, ideals, safety, technology, industry, and welfare; Four. Establish adequate financial support from the Federal Government for a statistically evident, human and technological or industrial need; Five. Provide evidence for the coexistence and mutual respect for urban and rural living under a national and State program. WCPOVA also envisions the center as serving the following functions: One. Centralizing and housing historical data, equipment, and materials at a site located in the Wilberforce area; Two. Serving as a nexus, or link, with smaller agencies or museums striving to show the role of American blacks in our country and the world; Three. Developing and enriching research on black contributions and coordinated ethnic group endeavors; Four. Providing a data bank for black historical documents, et cetera; Five. Conducting a teaching center, running educational programs, and providing audiovisual materials to educational institutions; Six. Providing a means for the assimilation and dissemination of new information through appropriate communication or media procedures and programs; Seven. Providing job opportunities for citizens; Eight. Providing organized displays of cultural and educational significance; Nine. Coordinating programs with other current or future agencies in the area in order to show intercultural relationships between local, State, national, and world endeavors-such as Indian mounds and forts, old American villages, National Air Force Museum, outdoor Indian drama, black universities, et cetera; The association fully supports the contents of S. 1814 and begs you to push for its passage. Support of this endeavor today will mean a lot for our national image and recognition of all citizens. Thank you for this opportunity. Senator GLENN. Thank you, Mrs. Lewis. Your statement-I was looking at it here while you were reading-almost provides the purpose of the whole thing, all spelled out in 1, 2, 3 order. The next witness is Dr. Paul McStallworth. We welcome your testimony, Mr. McStallworth. Mr. McSTALLWORTH. Thank you very much, Senator Glenn and Congressman Brown. I have here a summary and expression of support for the National Afro-American Center of History and Culture. At a later date, at your wish, I can submit facts on the dates given and communication that was sent to me. Senator GLENN. We would welcome having that. Mr. McSTALLWORTH. Sir, please accept my sincere thanks and appreciation in making the movement for a National Afro-American Center a joint endeavor in Congress. Your constituency is active and vibrant with anticipation and hopes. As a member of the Greene County task force as well as being a resident and long associated with the Wilberforce community, we wish to direct your attention to the fact that we have and are attempting to support your efforts by calling on various black national organizations, leaders and important figures to lend their support. The list and manner of our approach we submit for your review.1 We, however, trust that you and your colleagues will continue to go forward with greater effort than that in the past. Thus, we petition, despite the action and mood to cut and hopefully balance the national budget. There is no issue or opposition from us to improve and cure the national economy. We look upon this matter-the national black experience-as cost within the philosophy of long overdue consideration, as a mere drop in the financial bucket. Thus, neither should there be political apathy, reticence, evasiveness nor procrastination on the part of this committee and our Congress to support that which you call Alternate D: "Congress, we hope, will create an Afro-American Center of History and Culture which will be federally funded and have the power to hire employees and accept donations. It would undertake the study of the best cost location and type of operations for the Center and would submit to Congress a plan for the same.' Distinguished members, please note. In comparison to the multimillion dollar budget of some $20 million as an appropriation to place this endeavor, that is in no-wise comparable to the gain that your great fathers' fathers and this country profited from mine 1 See p. 76. |