Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Oct. 29, 1987, edition 1 / Page 5
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PAGE AS Winston-Salem Chronicle THURSDAY. OCTOBER 29.1987 Forum On failures of black socialism COLUMBUS, Ohio - Throughout most of Africa and the Caribbean since Vi)rld War II, the phrase "socialism” has frequently represented the democratic liopes and economic aspirations of black people. As a social slogan. Third World socialism has meant redistributive justice, tire rcallocadon of wealth from the afflu ent classes to the homeless and dispos sessed, and the implementation of univer sal health-care and educational programs, /is an economic platform, it theoretically embraces the call for land reform, trade anionization, the empowerment of work ing people at the point of production, and ihe restructuring of the whole economic order by placing the interests of human beings ahead of corporate profits. But in the past decade, and par ticularly since the tragic collapse of the Grenada revolution in 1983, a rethinking of "socialism" as a politi cal concept has occurred throughout the black world. What .is the relation ship between "socialism" and those traditional democratic rights - free dom of press, free speech, trial by jury, strict limits on police surveil lance and investigative activity, etc. - which are the legacy of the Western, white countries, but which in turn had also institutionalized slavery and colonialism? Is the responsibility of any socialist party in the Caribbean and Africa to defend the interests of the common people over and above those prerogatives of the state? Turning to different countries for appropriate models, one is constantly frustrated by the vast and seemingly unbridgeable gap between rhetoric and reality. In Ghana, the initial pop ular support which empted with the revolt which catapulted President Jerry Rawlings into power nearly six years ago has almost disintegrated. FROM THE GRASSROOTS By MANNING MARABLE Ghana's ruling elite, the Provisional National Defense Council, claims an affinity for socialism. But in the past year, it has conducted a destructive campaign to harass, imprison and even eliminate opposition leaders in the Trade Union Congress, a federa tion of 17 national unions. Several left-wing organizations - - the New Democratic Movement, or NDM, and the Kwame Nkrumah Revolutionary Guards - have chal lenged the government to restore par liamentary democracy, to protect an independent judiciary, and to address economic problems. The Rawlings regime responded by sending thugs from its secret police force, the Bureau of National Investigation, to arrest its critics. A less repressive situation exists in another African socialist country, Zimbabwe, Under the leadership of Marxist intellectual Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe has managed to develop a strong economy, despite the constant subversion of neighboring white-ruled South Africa. However, ethnic minori ties led by opposition leader Joshua Nkomo have been harassed and politi cally underrepresented within the par liament. "Zimbabwean socialism" has produced few tangible gains for the African masses. A survey of the coun try’s leading corporate executives and managers shows that less than 5 percent are black. While supremacy still exists in economic relations, and the pace of internal social and educational reforms has been far too slow. If African socialism has faltered because it has not emphasized democratic rights, left-wing parties elsewhere have failed because they have lost faith in the power of social justice and fundamental economic reforms. A classic case in the Caribbean is provided by former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and the People's National Party, known as the PNP. Back in the mid-1970s, the PNP advanced a bold and uncompromising economic and social agenda. Thanks to active destabi lization by the U.S., Manley was defeated by Reagan apologist Edward Seaga. But now, after seven years of disas trous economic policies, the PNP will undoubtedly win the next general elec tions in late 1988. However, Manley is clearly singing a different tune. He has purged a number of socialist intellectuals and radical trade unionists from the PNP leadership, Manley promises to support private foreign investment, with the exportation of profits from Jamaica He's even gone to the Reaganite Heritage Foundation in Washington, requesting assistance for the PNP to develop plans for promoting entrepreneurship. Trade union veterans and younger activists in the party are confused and disillusioned with the leadership's retreat to the ideolog ical center-right. I know Manley personally, and have many friends inside the PNP, so the retreat from the vision of social jus tice inside Jamaica's left is particularly striking to this observer. It's clear that the black political world needs to find a new path for economic and social development which learns from these errors. Democratic rights and civil lib erties must be preserved, yet fatal com promises with the far right's bankrupt and repressive economic and political agenda must be avoided at all costs. Dr. Manning Marable is chairman of the Black Studies Department at Ohio State University in Columbus. Reader urges yes vote on bonds CHRONICLE MAILBAG outrage as lacking a sense of humor. One member has admitted that he and two others wrote the initial memo stating "Who Wants to See a Nigger Steal Bases?" Yet it's being passed off as "no one was supposed to see the statements." I learned long ago that jokes of an ethnic nature are pliable things; Polacks, Jews, Wops and Spies miraculously become niggers when I am out of the room. What galls me even more is the sickening feeling that my own black people won't learn any thing from the experience, and more importantly, won't do any thing to insist that those responsible be exposed and punished. Contrary to popular belief, white folks have not come to love us as a people. The sooner we, blacks, realize that, the better. Racism was, and still is, a practice with all the characteristics of a religion. People are baptized in racism's waters at an early age. Unfortunately, entering the hal lowed halls of Carolina is not going to reverse years of inbred racist training. In light of the recent inci dents at the UNC-CH School of Business, I hold these U'uths to be self-evident. H.B. Renwick Associate Dean IIINIIIIlllllilllllllllllllllltlllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIllll"»"UllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllinilllllHNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII)IMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIfltllllllllllll||||||||| Tb The Editor: The good news from yesterday is that the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community foresaw that our local economy could not main the same as in former times. It employed a nationally known planner, David Crane, to help us reposition ourselves for what the future would bring. And among many positive steps we've taken, we passed two bond referendums for much-needed improvements to our community. Today there is still more that is needed to prepare us for the compe tition with our sister communities around the country for investment that will bring jobs to our people. On Nov. 3, we will again have an opportunity to invest in ourselves. Wfe can send a message throughout the land that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County intends to deal with tempo rary economic setbacks by providing, with public dollars, the necessary conditions to attract private invest ment to our community, or we can risk our position in a highly competi tive environment for jobs-producing enterprise. I don't feel we have a choice. Therefore, I urge the voters of the city and county to vote yes on all nine bond proposals on Nov. 3. C. Edward Pleasants Jr. President Our Readers Speak Out Pleasants Hardware Co. 'Winston-Salem Racism: Still alive and well Tb The Editor: Racism appears to be alive and well in 1987. Personally, I don't feel that this is a revelation of earth- shattering proportions. However, people of all races have been lulled into thinking that it, racism, no longer exists. Proof of racism's healthy exis tence was shown recently in the Daily Tar Meets coverage concern ing the events involving a black University of North Carolina School of Business student and var ious memos placed in that student's file. Now, I don't intend to address the ignorant contents of those memos, as their absurdity is with out measure. The fact that they were written at all is my greatest concern. It is unsettling to me that in this "Southern Part of Heaven," this lap of Academia, this hotbed of lib eralism, Klan-like acts arc prac ticed and to some extent tolerated. It further angers me to know that many will pass the incident off as a bad or tasteless joke, citing black 1987 Rjfl Nabisco Brown Braun organized Oakland Parents in Action (later to become 'Within You) and was joined by Linda Wiltz, an experienced Bay Area activist. Together they convinced the citizens in that area that some thing can be done. Seifuddin Ali, you and the decent people on Bancroft Avenue and around this country can do the same. 'We can stop drugs. Together. Go to the Western Black Publish ers Association and the black press individually; call Delvin Williams at Pros for Kids (1710 S. Amphletl Blvd., Suite 300, San Mateo, Calif. 94402,(415) 571-6726). Contact the Rev. Amos Brown, the Buy Freedom expert in the Bay Airea, at Third Baptist Church, 1399 McAllister St., San Francisco, Calif. 94115, (415) 346-4426, for help. I'm speaking there for him on Nov. 14. He's my main man. And don't forget Within You and the police chief and all of the good people who will join our fight The Vlfinston-Salem Chronicle is published every Thursday by the Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty St.. Mailing address: Post Office Box 3154, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102. Phone: 722-8624. Second-class postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102. The Winston-Salem Chronicle is a charter member of the Newsfinder service of the Associated Press and a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the National Newspaper Publishers Associ ation, the North Carolina Press Association and the North Carolina Black Publishers Association. Subscription; $18.52 per year, payable in advance (North Carolina sales tax included). Please add $5.00 for out-of-town delivery. PUBLICATION USPS NO. 067910. How 1 in 8 Americans reads. I'or niillidn.s ol Amcrican.s. the shape (il a sign or ;i s\'nihol is the only elue to its meaning. Thex’ tire illiterate l-oroneoLit ol eight people, simple things like a menu, or an employee bulletin botirtl htive to be blulled through. ‘Can \'ou read this? I left my glasses hoine." Just getting b)' Ironi da\' to da\' is a consttint struggle. T(' help these Amerieans. Nabisco hits committed substantial resources to Project Literac)’ L!..S (PULS), In .September, Nabisco produced and sponsored "Blulling It." \\ hieh was telecast on the ABC Telex'ision Network. And this October, we’re underwriting “A job To Be ITone." a presentation ol T he Public Televi sion Outreach Alliance produced by WQED, Pittsburgh. Both programs locus on the widespread rate ol illiteracy within the workplace. And, equally, on the inroads being made to reduce it. Nabi.sco Brands, together with the Black Prccss, urge you to join the Project Literacy bandwagon. So that a lew years Irom now; substantially improved literacy will be a sign of our times. 'll llllMsi NABISCO BRANDS? II Irci-h.niinc l-HOO-:? 5-88n JOB HUNTING? ENTER r ► THE JOB SCHOOL WORK and TRAIN DAY OR EVENING JOB PROGRAMS! •k Business Management k Secretarial Programs k Media Programs k Data Processing ★ Accounting ★ Commercial Art ★ Word Processing ★ Data Entry From Page A4 for survival against drugs. Tell them I sent you, Seifuddin. Seifuddin Ali and the decent people on a drug-infested street in Oakland, Calif., need our help. Call Seifuddin at (415) 532-7418. And As-Salaam-Alaikum to you, Seifuddin Ali. Tony Brown is a syndicated columnist and television host, whose program, "Tony Brown's Journal," appears at 1:30 on Sat urdays on channels 4 and 26. ASK ABOUT FINANCIAL AID CALL 725-8701 RUTLEDGE COLLEGE 820 West Fourth Street REGISTER NOW CLASSES BEGIN NOV. 9 ACCREDITED Member of The Association of Independent Cblleges & Schools
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Oct. 29, 1987, edition 1
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