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Minority Business Enterprise
; Programs ;
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Spectacles: A Closer Look - . . v
Historical Perspectives:
i
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r ; . ' By Ada M. Fisher
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Efforts to encourage more blacks and women in business to get
a slice of local government business is an admirable intention.
One, cannot deny that these small, struggling businesses often
need considerable assistance. But these so-called MBE or
MWBBwhen women are included) programs raise serious ques
tions, not to mention controversy. ' ' .
Controversy is stirred,: often by the predominantly ;white
business, sector because it , believes' that such programs are
preferential, and force social concerns upon the marketplace that
have no business there. ' 'v
Blacks, on the other hand, particularly those who own some of
these small, struggling businesses, seem to believe that the:
"edge" these programs give them is the onl way they are going,
to have any access to some of the big money local government
spends. 1 ' " l ' N -V V
And while there is some truth in both of these positions, we
- If black Americans are to continue to
: grow and succeed, we must be willing to
critically analyze our history, letting it be
our guide away from paths which have led
us astray. There must be a concerted ef-.
: -t fort to record facts and events as they are
and were, not as we would like them to;
be. Credit must be given where credit is
due so that all who have lifted our banner;
high are noted on the historical roll. And,
we must continue to appreciate those "jit- ?
tie people" who. daily make their mark t
and are frequently overlooked.
v Now that we have sung Happy Birthday
: ; to Martin Luther King,1 Jr could we
., move on to others who have helped to br
5 .ing us thus farT To many of us have
t lurgoucn ine,cnuaren wno aarca lane
social relationships based on skin color
and artificial markers ofhcre we work,,,
live, what car we drive,.who are parents
are, etc.1 and we fail to appreciate that in ......
each of the least of these our. brothers"
goes us. by the grace of God.- ' '..;'
The . recording of history can .often
mislead if one does not try to gain a
historical perspective to look not only at ,.
action but impact: v v; -;: -.
r Thurgood Marshall's ascendency to the
Supreme Court is significant. Yet;- too .
often, in his brilliant minority opinions
which have been1 written, he is the lone,,
voice saying this is not fair. As a Supreme
Court justice, he is one voice in nine. As
an , attorney for the NAACP, Marshall
reportedly argued 52 cases before the
those first steps to integrate the eating Supreme Court relating to our civil rights
facilities and those who subjected
peers in opening schools for us all. The
sight of the bombed churches, homes, and
buses of those who bravely ventured into
equality should remain vivid in our minds
believe thatMhe programs as presently constituted around the themselves'-' to the harassment of 4heir .
country create far more problems than they solve. t".-
For example, these'MBE programs be they "set-asides" which ,
means put some of the money, in a separate kitty for blacks and
women, or goals, which means keep the money in the same pot,
but award it only to those general contractors who come up with
minority sub-contractors, short circuit the market place's natural
filtering capability. - ,!J
There are some people who go into business, but who should ,
not stay in business because they provide poor services and are -
not competitively priced. Under normal -conditions, the
marketplace would drive these businesses out. t r "
These programs also create an atmosphere for fraud and
deceit, because if a certain businessman sees the difference bef;
ween a number one marjeet share and a number two market share
being siphoned off by the government for a minority business ,
enterprise project;' some: have proved that they: will lie and cheat,
rather than willingly give up that money. .
We believe that attitude transcends race. We believe this could
happen even if the set-asides or goals were aimed at lefthanded
white businesses. -
But, by far, the more devastating problem created by these pro
grams is, the "crutch" mentality it develops among some black
and women business owners. 1
It seems that these programs block black businesses from the
mainstream, rather than propel them toward it. The result is that ,;
a small group of black and; women owned concerns find
themselves competing, for from ten per cent to twenty per cent of y
any given contract, never even imagining the possibility of going;'
after the whole contract. ;
With the discussion heating up locally on how blacks will par
ticipate financially in the proposed downtown development pro-'
ject, we hope that local Government leaders and others can ap-
nroHcn mis niiesiion mcire tnntjvaiiveiv. r . n i
we ao not see me wisaom in merely repucaung misiaKes mat
have apparently happened in-other places around the country,
and civil liberties; winning his argument
in fifty of these. A historical perspective"
says,- if you're only given one choice,, .
would be better served having Marshall
argue our cause or judging it? j f :
Another man hidden in history died in .
in u this ' month : designated for Afro- obscurity, deserted by much of his consti
American history.' For those blacks who
feel no loyalty to black Americans and the
struggles wrought in surviving, they
would do well to remember that their jobs
in the public schools systems, on the
boards of various organizations, in the
Research Triangle Park, rn the entertain-'
ment media, and in other sectors of the
corporate establishment came at the ex
pense of these lives. s
' y, In all of our struggles to get our people
and their achievements recorded, we
desperately heed to deal with the struggles
within. Though we don't like to publicly
discuss it, our preoccupation with color
and status is as bad now as it was at times
in the past. It's distressing to listen to
discussions by blacks who "have made it"
about those who are less fortunate. Even
some of us are saying that blacks aren't
ready and that is sad. We are developing
clubs and organizations to exclude other
blacks. We too often are guilty of stroll
ing blindly down the street ignoring those
that we know with our noses tilted in the
air behind some job which puts us in a
white shirt and tie. We too often look to
tuency who looked at the superficial and
misjudged the significance, of ijis work.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was a hero for
blacks who has yet to be given his due. As
a' preacher, Powell's flamboyant style
with beautiful women and his enjoyment
of the good life were roundly criticized.
But whatever he was1,' the man was no
hypocrite and left his life open; for all to
judge. As a legislator, few men; black of ,
whit, have wielded the power that Adam
Powell did; Powell headed the Congres
sional Education Committees which gave
birth to the student loan programs, rul
ings on non-discrimination in institutions
receiving federal funds and all of the
other programs now threatened by
dismantling procedures. Though many
have jumped forth to take credit for much
that has occurred in getting blacks into
the various institutions and jobs, a review '
of the record . will show that Adam
Clayton ;Povell, Jr,'5 legislative skills and
legislation was the enabling factor, Powell
helped to change the laws which opened
doors with legal protections available. A
historical perspective asks was he dealt
: with so harshly by his congressional peers ,
to prevent him from instituting further '' I
.equality into the laws,?
Booker T. Washington has been judged ,
by many of this generation as a "Tom", ':
because he encouraged the development '
of one's brawn. By virtue of his efforts at :' '
Tuskegee Institute, he didn't' forget the -. ;
v brain. Were blacks now to be found in;
r significant numbers in trade unions and
jobs of skilled labor, many of which pay :
in excess of $15 per hour, would we be .
better off? ' ', . ,
Thomas X SoWell - has been harshly j
criticized for his book, , Ethnic Amerkq. '
Some of his commentary .was indeed a v
rehash ; of old ' stereotypes and, trite;'
.'phrases. But how many read hi? notes f
about ; economically ; upper and middle
class blacks having less children than any
other groub, black, white,- Spanish,, etc,
. "Much of the struggle that brought ;
1 some blacks up from poverty has had to
be repeated . in i successive generations
because Successful blacks did not have
. enough C children : to reproduce
themsdvesl He pointed out that a vcif-.
; trail feature: of fny slave system was
"keeping the slave ignorant, dependent
and in fear." Examining the literacy level r
for the black population and the numbers
-, of our children who drop out of school,
, historically can we be shown to be regr(?siH
ing though no longer in chains? In this
same . :; ven the great ' abolitionist,
Frederick Douglass, - talked about , the
talented tenth, Many saw this as an eli(ist
outlook rather than ask how often it js
: that ten pet cent of a group will be the
doers and he other ninety per cent ina-
vtive.H"'VA,''.-r' v'-. '-':r'. ::''Vfi'..";
, There are less than 1000 slots yearly
? available in the major competitive sportk,
yet so many of our children have visions
of fame and glory while history goes
' unrecorded, unanalyzed and too often
unappreciated. This generation of blacks
needs to expore its foots to lend some
'historical perspective, The ; month after
Roy Wilkins died, Diana Ross made lhe
cover of Ebony magazine, One can only
wonder where does our historical perspec
t tive lie?
to Be Equal
Turning the Clock Back
mi
SSIS5ES
By John E.Jacob .j.
New Federalism is such a nice sounding
, . " , dt e ... . - j i pnrase it is a sname to poim oui mai is
where no one that we know of can prove that black-owned or, - f -lwbHerertrm for the old.
long discredited, idea of states' rights,
' The President, in his State of the Union .,
address,' Went whole hog' for his "new
Federalism," stopping jus,t short of mak
ing it seem a panacea' for what ails ,
America. '
It is nothing of the sort: Rather, the ,
New Federalism is a prescription for in
flicting further misery on the poor and for
splintering what oughr to be a national
concern with national issues.
It all reminds me of the tale of the
emperor who had oo clothes. All his sage
advisors nodded their heads and agreed
with the emperor that his new suit of
clothes was beautiful. But .- when the
emperor ventured outdoors; it was a small
boy, who had no illusions and no need to "
curry favor with power, who shouted that
the emperor had no clothes on. - ,
So it is with the New Federalism", a plan
that strips the clothes of decency from na
tional life. The seductive idea of transferr
ing programs and powers to the states is a
non-starter. Those programs and powers
came to Washington "because of state
abuses and turning them back to the states
is bound to lead to. new abuses.
, The New Federalism was a mistake
women-owned firms have benefitted substantially from these,
.programs.- 1 ,:' "1-, . '..
Therefore, we urge our leaders to break the mental shackles ,
that seem to bind us all sometimes into ruts of frustration, and
let's approach this question of mainstreaming black businesses
creatively and in a way that will be mutually rewarding, and will
have long term benefits.
On Black History Month
February is Black' History Month, and while we are notably
proud of the recognition this signifies, we would love to see the;
' time when the tremendous contributions that blacks haye made to ,;
this country are recognized year-round and included in the total
history of America's development.
The major irony of this entire issue of Black History is that in
most instances, thexontributions of blacks were not just for
black people, but served America. A good example is Dr. Charles
Drew's efforts with blood plasma. There arc thousands of others.';
So while a month is good, let's aim for the time when Black i
History is a-daily recognition of all that we've, done for America!
side by side with all others. ; - 1 : .
fepi Ton S&oaTd Kbo;7
ys y - a
I''-'::.. 882; .;, .
I -A
when it was limited to packaging various
federal health and social welfare pro
grams into block grants . to ,be , ad-
ministered by the states. The new plan to
turn basic surival programs like welfare "
and food, stamps to the states' promises
nothing less than a disaster.
.- Logic if missingi from the plan: why
does the Administration acknowledge
that care for- the elderly is a federal -responsiility,
while care for younger peo
ple is a state one? What makes Medicaid,:
a health' plait fot the'poor,'a federal
responsibility while welfare and food
stamps become a state responsibility?
The conceptual flaw behind the New
Federalism is the idea that local govern
ments can best deal with local problems.
But poverty is not a local problem; it is
national.;;.. ',l:;jv'..;''-, y:-:;?:;'r-:.
Fully i federalizing i welfare would
acknowlese that. It would recognize that
i national problems require national solu
tions; that hunger in Michigan Is ihe same
. as , hunger ; as in .Mississippi and that
fairness demands poor people receive the
' same treatment wherever they reside.
Making welfare a state responsibility
' means that poor people will be treated dif
ferently depending on where they live, the
strength of their state's finances; and the
willingness of state legislatures and. local
tvt) Jsnjrro sirf tsrit c y. '.rl j inspn tor tnh ?rfT
, power Diocks to aeat rainy witn me poor.
v IX Educated atotcida institute hs
',AJJ CZCAME A COECRATFD pRt!Tjm
Q&$) RIAN. PREACHER AKD UXTlCTllC
,U 1 1 f A KEVER-TO -CE-FDnCOTTEN
Afn-SUVERY3PEECH IN I343 TO THE
CUnN.Y.HZ TOURED ENGLAND
(v
m, THEN SERVED AS A fcKCCIONAnV M
yG JAMAICA, D-WI.OY THE l3C0f$ HE
; UfiQIIfl IIIIIISWII w IKVM a
Experience shows the states are likely to
deal callously with their poor. Welfare
benefits are down sharply due to in fTation '
as state governments refuse to raise those
benefits to keep pace with lost purchasing ;
power. There is a tremendous disparity
among the states on a range of benefits
poor people are entitled to.
The President has often said that if peo
ple don't like the way state governments
treat them, they V are free to move .
elsewhere,, That's i an extraordinarily in
; sensitive way of looking at things. The
mass black exodus, northward exemplified
people voting with their feet to escape op
pressive local segregation and imposed
poverty. But think of the tremendous cost
to individuals and the nation of that kind
of human and social disruption.
. "The new state's rights practically invites
states to export their poverty by making
. conditions so tough for their poor (hat
. they'll want to move elsewhere. I can't see
our national government adopting , the
sort of caveman ethics that alloy this.
Federal assumption of full costs of
social welfare coupled with iniform na
tional entitlement and benefits would
. relieve states of fiscal strains; rationalize
i the inefficient and wasteful hodgepodge
of current programs, and deal fairly with
poor people.- - . " .
'A View From Capitol Hill: v : :
The President's Performance
SSSS!
ssssissssgseasssss
While listening to .President Reagan's
auueoi me union aaaress, this impres- unemployment. He correctly noted that
v..uC iiuuicuiaiwy im my mina; nc ; (hc Democrats have ottered' no new alter
.is ignoring the sad state of the economy, nat.vc, but didnot point out that the
me nypwnsv in ms neari, ra ure 0f one oartv to discover the right
' ' , , By Gus Savage
- v. , Member of Congress
sea a aaaa sjastsi ei' bibb bb as m i'Ibibb'b b bjb!b
of inflation, but evaded blame for higher ; .-. : .0.
the backwardness of his beliefs, and
displaying his ability to act. '
Later, I was to tell myself, I have never
before seen a man appear so cocksure
who at the same time is so wrong.
However, the President $ cocksureness
road does not justify the other party con
tinuing down the wrong one. ' ; s ,
1 Surprisingly, he even promised to sup
port equal rights laws, generally, and
ten-year extension of the Voting Rights
Art crvcfirnt ThSc nncttSnn ' kftvrvrr '
might enable him to. do something no. : seems hypocritical in light of his recent
decisions regarding cutting back affir
mative action requirements and permit
ting tax exemption for private . schools
that ' admittedly discriminate ; against -blacks.
" i i
The President was just plain wrong in
claiming that by increasing our capacity
to wage nuclear war1, we have regained the
respect Of Our allies I know that the op
posite is true, because I just returned from .
an on-the-scene study of attitudes towards
American foreign policy in the NATO na
tions in Europe. 1 ,
, Finally, as the heart of his New
,i Federalism, Reagan plans to dump onto
""the already financially overburdened
states $47 billion a year in heeded though
less popular federal -; programs, ' im
mediately arid permanently but pro
; mises to contribute only $28 billion a year
' '(Continued on Page 16) , ,
President has been able to do since Lvn-
don Johnson. It now seems certain that'
Reagan's New Federalism will join
Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, Harry.
Truman's Fair, Deal, ; John Kennedy's .
. New Frontier and Johnson's Great Socie-'
ty as a household phrase which represents -the
essence of an administration.
This confidence in himself, in my opi
nion, also was the primary reason why he
rejected the advice of his advisors, both in .
the White House and the Congress, and '
stuck by his four-point program , for .
economic recovery: 1) less government
spending, '2) lower taxes for the wealthy;
ana larger corporations, 3) weaker public
I restraint of corporate greed and concen
tration of ownership, and 4) a tight"
monetary policy. .
. Within these guidelines, the President
. in his address took credit for a lower rate
;., CStSoeStsESV ...........
L.E. AUSTIN -
. Editor-Publisher 19271971
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