The Roanoke Tribune has adopted several slogans within its segment of 84 years of continuous publication! Among them “One man with courage makes a majority,” “Because we love you, we care what you read” and the current “Making and Recording Black History since 1939.” In between, however, there was a period when we used the biblical passage “…and the Voice of the Turtle is heard throughout our land” from which came the “Turtle Talk” editorials as frequent reference is made to past and present Holy Writings.
Originally we used the symbol of a snapper land turtle with the reference. We have been occasionally reminded through the years by readers that the biblical reference was to the turtle dove instead. At that particular juncture of the Tribune’s various struggles for survival, however, the old slow, tenacious snapper seemed more appropriate. But as we continue to celebrate our 84th year of “making and recording Black History,” the voice of the turtle dove is becoming clearer and more melodious.
Eighty-four years ago the Roanoke Tribune was launched by F.E. Alexander, (father of the present owner/editor) to serve a racially segregated society whose boundaries were clearly defined. At that period of time, the world was much younger, mankind moved at a much slower pace and technology was in its infancy. But through the quantum leap in science and technology over the years, today’s multi-segregated modern society is not so black and white but is easily camouflaged instead in multi-ethnic, socioeconomic and multicolor, selfishness, greed, insensitivity, and contradiction on different levels. (“Beware, O people, lest your words differ from your deeds,” we are constantly reminded in the Baha’i Holy Writings).
These flames are fanned by the winds of modern media which instantly program us to look, think, act, and react in any given manner at any particular time. Yesterday’s drive to become educated and assume a responsible, respectable place in society has been replaced with “get rich quick” schemes through the lottery or increasingly popular TV game shows, etc., instilling and reinforcing an “easy come, easy go” attitude centered solely around the individual and a select small associated group. Subsequently, today’s print media (fast becoming a thing of the past) has to refocus in order to survive.
From the beginning of my assumption of proprietorship of The Roanoke Tribune (in 1971), it was publicly declared as, The paper with a purpose: To promote self-esteem; to encourage respect for self and the differences in others, and to be instrumental in establishing lasting vehicles through which diverse peoples can unite on some common voluntary basis and to date we proudly continue to fulfill that purpose.
Through the framework of this purpose, The Roanoke Tribune also prides itself in consistently providing what we refer to as “thermostat media” as opposed to the more common “thermometer media” that simply registers the (mostly bad) climate about it, locally, nationally and internationally. Simply put, our purpose is to make us feel good about ourselves and about others and to make those with whom we come in contact do the same. A simple formula (in theory) for peaceful existence and cohabitation from immediate family to world scale.
This voluminous task is unattainable through mere knowledge alone. Here again, we have had the indescribable bounty of perpetual “basic training through a heavenly stream of Divine utterances” that constantly flows through the new Revelation of Baha’u’llah, which I ironically became introduced to within my first year of assuming responsibility for the awesome power of the press (in 1972). It requires not just reading, but memorization of such tools as: “One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise.” This is one of the first passages taught in children’s class at the earliest stage which remains applicable at any age.
Today the overall purpose of The Roanoke Tribune is to continue to weekly share such wisdom to assist in the imperative process of eradicating the egotism that prevents us from becoming “instruments through which God’s love may flow to others.” Hopefully, their thirst will eventually drive them directly to the Fountainhead where they can drink their fill of the refreshing, transforming waters for, in this day of contradictions and confusion, a transformation of the world or of any organized segment of it is contingent upon a transformation of the individuals who comprise it! Only through such spiritual transformation can “the voice of the turtle (dove)” be heard throughout the land.
