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[[4 uncaptioned images]] NEW YORK IS...The Christmas Formal And it was a year in which Delegate Magazine decided to honor some "white guys" for their contributions to our general welfare. The list began with James Bowling Ross Millhiser, George Weisman, Joseph F. Cullman, III, a successful management team of Philip Morris Company for humanities way and above the call of the Board Room; Coy G. Eklund of Equitoble [[Equitable]] Life Assurance Society; Henry Ford, III, Charles Millard of New York Coca Cola Company, Bruce Lundvall of Columbia Rceords [[Records]]; Thomas A. Murphy of General Motors. It was a year in which Andrew Stein, the new Borough President of Manhattan, showed his gratitude to Black voters by firing all the Blacks left in that office by outgoing Borough President Percy Sutton. Sutton said he had assurances but Stein claimed no commitment; so Mel Patrick with 6 months to go for a pension, Hilda Stokeley, the Housing Consultant, Aretha Brooks, Community Board Director, Livingston Bryant, Presidential Assistant, were given their walking papers, along with Thomas Jacobs, one house after the new Boy took office on his first day. It was also the year the new Mayor of New York reorganized his team to exclude nearly all the Black heads he found in office. They call it tightening their belts to look good for a loan from Washington to keep the city afloat. It was a year in which Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity called Charles Woodward, Jr. of Continental Bakery their Man of the Year; a year in which Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity honored Bruce Lundvall of CBS Records for the programs he instituted at his shop which meant advancement for our side; a year in which they aired Abby Mann's production of "King" on NBC, a program dealing with the trials and tribulations of our beloved Martin. The program received mixed reviews and caused some friction among folks who thought it could be more forceful. But I liked it! It was a year young doctor Alfred Goldsen was commended for his work on Cancer at Howard University Medical Center. It was a year that William Pinckney shifted from Revlon to Johnson products and we saw Fashion Fair cosmetics available in all the department stores in New York for the first time. It was a year in which Reggie Jackson's candy bar was introduced. It was a year that some 700 plus friends came from all over the United States to attend a 7:30 a.m. breakfast to honor Herbert Wright of Philip Morris for services to our community way above the call of duty. The affair was one of the real high points of the Urban League Convention in Washington, D.C. It was also a year that confusions, law suits and embarrassments came out of the heavyweight picture. It seems as though the boys on Jacobs Beach finally succeeded in getting into the picture through a series of promotional deals with Leon Spinks. While Muhammed Ali was champ, his cohorts held on to the promotional reins for Blacks. They came up with Don King, a black promoter, who flew high, fast and loose and came up with the multi-million-dollar gates. As long as King was on the scene, the establishment was hard pressed to recapture the magic diadem. The boys schemed and plotted and finally got the Champ to forsake King. Then Ali's troubles in the ring began. Ali boasted of making boxing (and he has). But he made a mistake accepting Leon as a challenger. Ali looked at Leon as a big pay note without the risk of losing his crown to someone like a Ken Norton. But instead of a waltz—the Champ got his brains scrambled and lost his title in the bargain. But those of us who understand these things say you can bet your bottom dollar that since money talks, the next fight for the heavyweight 382
