Forum S tar J ones , Anita Hill Show Proof If You're Black, Don't Stand Back Two young and talented black women, both lawyers with really dark skin, have sur prised and delighted many people of various races by becoming nationally recognized and highly respected role models for millions of women of vari ous races. They are Star Jones. national legal correspondent for NBC News, and the well known Anita Hill, Oklahoma Uni versity law professor, lecturer and centerpiece of the women's struggle against harassment and sexism. Star Jones appears frequently on "The Today Show'- w ith Bryant Gumbel and on spe cial occasions with other anchor persons when legal analysis and interpretation are needed. - I"hc importance of Star Jones to Black people is that she is a nationally recognized "authority figure," a person whose words connote legal ?authority, instruction and remedy. This status_ contrasts sharply with the "Aunt Jemima" stereotype perpetuated by Butterfly McQueen and Louise Beavers and loved so dearly by millions of Whites because it implied Black acceptance of White superiority. Star as born 31 years ago in Trenton, N. J., where she graduated from high school alter living with grandparents in North Car - olina while her mother attended college. She earned her law degree at the University of Houston and went to New York to practice. She quickly accepted a position as assistant district attorney in Brooklyn and gained a good record as prosecutor. Her career as a "legal journalist" began when she was a "legal com mentator" on cable broadcasts during the William Kennedy Smith trial. NBC people liked her knowledge and her style so much that they drew her into their fold with a tempting six -figure salary offer. They promised to fea tuie her on a law-oriented talk shown, call "Star - Jones for4he People" planned for later this year. When people ask how she get her unusual name of "Star," she tells them that when she was born her mother was surprised by the brightness of her eyes and named her "Starlet," her real name. She shortened it to "Star," hop ing to minimize questions that she has always answered with good humor. A button in her office says "Men of quality are not threatened by women who seek equality." Most people not living in caves know INOR1TY REPORT JAMES E. ALSBROOK, Ph.D. that Anita Hill was born 37 years ago into a large family on a farm in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. She was an honors graduate from high school and from Oklahoma State Univer sity at Stillwater, where she went at age~17~to graduate four year later with a degree in psy chology. Upon graduating with the excellent4 grades she had various options, so she chose law firm of Yale because of her experience as a legal intern with a local judge. At Yale she lived alone in an apart ment off campus in New Haven. Her law clas$ contained 160 students of whom 11 were Black ? eight women and three men. In the summer between her second year and her final year, she worked as a legal intern for the law firm of Ward. Harkrader.and Ross. This firm employed her when she graduated and began her career in Washington. D. C. The special significance of these two women's ^successes is the positive effect that they, as dark-skinned Black females, are hav ing and will continue to have on the public perception of people who look like them ? dark-skinned and female. Black women with-' out white blood have been rejected by all sorts and types of people ? including some of their own kind. During slavery time the half-white, illicit daughter of the slave master was assigned to "house work" instead of "field work" while their Black sisters worked in the cotton and tobacco fields. With Star Jones an d women, public attitudes are being changed drastically and quickly. Phyllis Wheatley. Mary McCloud Bethune, Marian Anderson. Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and others welcome them into their distinguished midst. We applaud them for redefining the Black image and for gaining new levels of respect for all Black people. Rodney King Case One Year Later Several weeks from now will mark the hist anniversary of the 1992 "Los Angeles Uprising." It has been nearly one year since the injustice in the trial of the Los Angeles police officers who were found "not guilty" in the brutal beating of Rodney King. Although the initial incident happened back in early 1991. the unjust verdict in the 1 992 trial caused an unprecedented ?social explosion in Los Angeles , vl and across the ' gg luttion. By The very " name "Rodney RTtfg~ during the last year has grown to become synonymous with the strug African Americans and others for racial justice. Of course, the case of Rodney King and the subsequent miscarriages of justice are all too familiar to the African American com munity. The latest celebration of African American History Month rendered a renewed opportunity for all Americans to be reminded of the continuing price that people of African descent have to pay in a society that refuses to purge itself of its historic racism and exploita tion. One year later the nation braces for another trial of the police officers who assaulted King, but this time the trial will be in federal court. Will there be justice this tome around in the Rodney King case? What should all people who believe in equal justice do now concerning the unfolding drama once again in Los Angeles? Last year the jury in the trial in state court had no African Americans. The trial now underway in federal court has two African Americans and one Latino Ameri can on the jury. No one can really predict how the trial will end. But one thing is for certain: "The United States is on trial in Los Angeles and the issue is ending the double standard of justice based on race and socioeconomic class." Although this trial in federal court is expected to last at least two months, each day that goes by during the trial will serve to remind the nation that there is still a great deal of work to be done to ensure equal justice in our society. No one wants to see more racial violence in Los Angeles or anywhere in the country. The simple reality is that there is a steady increase in racially motivated violence throughout the United States. The point here. however, is to emphasize the fact that as in the case of the beating of Rodney King, in many instances the increase in racial violence is per formed by police officers gone mad wittwracial hatred and bigotry. What should concerned people be doing the next six tonight weeks? We believe it is important for the entire nation to follow closely the details of this particular VIL RIGHTS JOURNAL BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. trial because it willliapefully provider clearer judicial and criminal justice system. For too long our system of "injustice" has not-engen dered a broad public review. Secondly, the United States Department of Justice needs to hear from hundreds of thousands of people demanding that justice be done in this case. During the past Administra tions, the Justice Department exhibited little interest in prosecuting law enforcement offi cers who had been involved in racially moti-' vated attacks. The Clinton Administration needs to forcefully speak out against all forms of social violence, and in particular racial vio lence. Yet. the Clinton Administration will not speak loudly on this issue unless there is a groundswell of public demand that justice be done in the Rodney King beating trial. Lastly, in every community we should resurrect a sense of vigilance and steadfastness of commitment to "be thy brothers and sisters keeper." In other words, racial injustice sim ply cannot be tolerated. We must say boldly and directly to every level of government in our society that we demand equal justice and we demand it now. And this demand must be backed up by a revived and expanded civil rights movement. Every generation is called to the challenge of life and there is not a more pressing challenge before us today than to renew our struggle for justice and freedom, not with idle rhetoric, but with an effective orga nized and mobilized mass based "movement" of committed sisters and brothers in every state, in every community joining forces together toward the same long term goal: jus tice.freedom and empowerment for all. 3/U, UINTONS COHERE7 / IN OUR. LIVING ROOM I gosee1 - HH I P i> - TO EXPLAIN MY PROGRAM 70 YOU. I'M NOT KIPPING..: RIGHT . CORNELL? ZONK' GUESS UJHO JUST PROPPED BY, MAN! I WANT 70 THANK YOU FORINVITINGMEINTO )OUR HOME ANO GIVING METHE CHANCE ID EX PLAIN H06U TOGETHER UJE CAN RECLAIM THE FUTURE. it's an Ambitious program 7 V Be SORB, BUT I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARB REAPY FOR CHANGE, FOR A eCU ?, NEW DIRECTION! PIP* YEAH. PONT GIVE HIM ANYTHING TO EAT, MAN, HE [WNT LEAVE. r FIRST, I'M PROP05 INGA PE&CJT REDUC TION PROGRAM THAT U)!LL SAVE NEARLY *325 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS'. _r ? y NOW, HOW SHOULPNT CAN ME UJE GO PUT DO THAT? ON TIES OR \ UJEU-... SOMETHING? \ SHH' K, J/k. MR.PR&iPENT, HOW ABOUT THE AVERAGE ACTREGE> * HOW WILL YOUR NEW PROGRAM / AFFECT HER ? WELLtTHATLLPE PENPONYOUR INCOME. UXXJU? )OU SAYKX/REMIPPIE CLAES?^ WBLL,IWA6 LAST YEAR. ANP/N '87. IP/IP A LOT OF PI - SO THAT'S WHERE I COMB OUT ON WELFARE REFORM. WE'VE GOT TO BREAK 7 VIS CYCLE OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PBPBNPENCY' / WE ARENT RICH ENOUGH IN HUMAN RESOURCES THAT COB CAN AFFORP TO IGNORE ANY OF OUR CITIZENS! WE NBEP TO LIFT UP ALL AMERICANS' IN '80 ANP VI, I PIP SOME FEA - TORE WORK AND MAPE THE UP PER MIPPLE CLASS. ANP/N *90, I HAP A SERJBS ANPMAPE THE UPPER CLASS. BUT NOW IM JUSTWORK I NO CLASS. \ ANYMORE YES, SIR, QUESTIONS f I HAVE / ONE ... J-5 rMN0T WORKING i : II, / SIR, COULP I GET ONE GF THOSE COOL NEUJHK?" WAY JOBS'2 HOWPOI YES* GET ON THIS / " WELFARE " YOU'RE 1 THING? IT ALPEAPY SOUNPSUKE ON IT! AN EXCELLENT SO IF YOU SUPPORT ME, LET YOUR REP RESENTATIVES KNOW' TELL THEM IT'S OKAY TO MAKE SOME HARP CHOICES! WELL, I GUESS I BETTER BEGOm.. I'LL GO TELL YOUR SECRET _ SERVICE AGENTS, -SIRS /L BROCON IBS,..? . NO/ FOR PETE'S SAKE. ZONK, THERE'S PLENTY. YOU MAPS DOZENS. \ ssmn ?