Forum
Black Contributions Not Taught in School
With a student's car radio loudly remind
ing passersby that Dr. King died 25 years ago,
one white Ohio University coed asked, "Dr.
King wanted America to do things for his peo
ple - but what did his people do for America?"
Although the loud question was not spo
ken to me, I was tempted to say, "We want
nothing more than other Americans want --
simple justice, fair play and equality." As I
walked farther away frtim the group, I realized
the coed considered black people an
appendage to America -- not a part of America
but a tolerated liability, a burden.
So I walked around the campus and asked
two white students,,
"Do you know any
e'" b Du Boi sT' MINORITY REPORT
Both looked at me
with blank stares
and suggested that , By JAMES E. ALSBROOK
1 look in the faculty
directory for his
office
fables such as George Washington and the
apple tree, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed,
Davy Crockett and others. America had its
national "image" problem to solve.
2. America wanted to display to the world
and to pride themselves with some type of
exclusivity and homogeneity to dispell the
"Stench" of the "melting pot" and "mongrel"
image. Therefore, European-Americans used
the barrier of race instead of the barrier of
class that was used in Europe.
How can Afro-Americans gain the respect
that brings genuine equality and first-class citi
zenship? ? 1. - ?
name and office 7
number. I walked farther into the Campus
Green and stopped several white students to
ask, "Do you know about Dr. George W.
Carver or James Weldon Johnson?" Again,
none showed a glimmer of name recognition.
Several more interviews revealed equally
futile results.
Then I drove home and called several of
my white colleagues -- professors. Three did
not recognize any of the names. One recog
nized the name of DuBois and another recog
nized the name of Carver, but their informa
tion about these^ black men was hazy skimpy.
The one who recognized DuBois1 ft 'a Canadian
neighbor who teaches geography and the one
who recognized Carver teaches journalism.
- Obviously, main stream America know
practically nothing about the historically sig
nificant contributions black men and women
have made to this nation. This ignorance
causes second-class citizenship for blacks.
Two factors obviously caused this wide
spread lack of knowledge about black people
in history:
1. America was populated largely by the
underclasses of Europe -- its "losers." Carv
ings on the Statue of Liberty describe them as
Europe's "huddled masses," its "wretched
-refuses-Americans need to i'edefine-them^
selves to themselves, to Europe and to the
world.
They need to bolster their own egos and
appear to be special. Therefore, Americans
used real and mythical heroes to build their
own self-confidence. Some of these included
1. By realizing that trivialities such as
hyphenated names and changed initial place
ments are merely amusing, cosmetic flourishes
and do not consititute solid, substantive
achievement. Real achievement and respect
come with the performing or developing of
some kind of service or some kind of product
or thing that serves or benefits people. Self
appointed status without real substance is self
defeating.
2. By winning the battle to incorporate
knowledge of black historical events and per
sons inconspicuously but effectively into the
narratives jof historical textbooks at all levels
of American education -- elementary schools
through colleges. African-American Studies
belp, but their content must be distributed and
infused throughout the entire fabric of Ameri
can education.
With the NAACP at a crossroads, trying
to plot a new course, and with Jesse Jackson
at a crossroads, trying to plot a new course,
these two could join forces to win the com
mon goal of educating America ? its black
and its white people -- about the real contri
butions blacks have made.
If this information were taught nation
wide in public schools with good textbooks
and dedicated teachers, a new day ot over
due respect for blacks would dawn in Amer
tea i! til i t m W
Economic Rebound Could Lead to Complaceny
While Washington debates the Adminis
tration's economic-recovery plan, many have
an uneasy feeling that events ma> be passing
us all by.
They point to a worsening employment
outlook and suggest that the only thing that can
pull the nation out of a long-term job drain is a
massive, long-term public works improvement
program that goes beyond anything yet pro
posed.
Those voices need to be heard in the
debate, because the economic recovery now
under way may lead to a new complacency
about America's ability to generate jobs for all.
Such faith is unwarranted, for there is evi
dence that this is what has been called "a job
less recovery ." The statistics say that the reces
sion is over, but employment is higher. Fewer
new jobs are being created, and many of those
are ?Dart-time:
where job growth was strong.
Because the technological revolution is
making it possible* to increase productivity
with fewer workers we may be in a long
"Silent Depression" different from any in our
history. The economy could grow, but job
opportunities could be stagnant.
The Great Depression of the 1930s didn't
end until World War II soaked up employment
with military service and defense production.
It didn't return after the end of the war,
because of two development: the Cold War,
which created jobs in the military and in
defense industries, and massive government
investment in the infrastructure, such as the
federal, highway program that opened up the
suburbs and spurred a housing and consumer
boom: ?
According to a
recent Wall Street
Journal story, some experts estimate that re
engineering could wipe out as many as 25 mil
lion jobs, or almost a fourth of total private
employment.
It would he easy to dismiss that view as a
scare story, if there wasn't so much evidence
to support it.
Almost every day another major corpora
tion announces massive layoffs, plans to shrink
jobs by attrition, or restructuring of operations
to cut its workforce.
We've come to expect technology to
destroy manufacturing jobs, but now it threat
ens service jobs as well. That's especially wor
rying because the service sector is where the
jobs are.
The Journal article quotes one expert who
predicts that over the next seven years re-engi
neering will destroy over a third of all jobs in
the banking industry - and financial services
has been one of the few areas in our economy
Despite stagnant job growth, last year's
productivity growth was the biggest in twenty
years. largely
because many com-.
panies'are restruc
turing, or as the
current term has it,
"re-engineering" to
produce more
goods and services
with fewer workers.
How do we end the "Silent Depression" in
today's changed economy?
TO BE EQUAL
John E. Jacob
Some say all that needs to be done is to
cut the deficit and spur private investment. But
much of that investment will go into labor-sav
ing technology that cuts potential job growth.
Another view says that public infrastruc
ture investments will create jobs and will lead
to a boom in consumer goods and services that
will create more jobs.
But the huge deficit stands in the way.
Even supporters of federal job creation and
infrastructure investment programs fear a bal
looning deficit that could lead to financial col
lapse.
The trick is to find the right balance of
politics that lay the groundwork for an ade
quate public investment program while reining
in the long-term deficit
The Ginton Plan tries to do that which is
why it inspires so much hope. Whether it is
bold enough, or goes far enough, is something
time will tell.
YOU KNOW, MR. AMBAS5AP0R,
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LIKE YOURS MY l/MXt
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SINAI, SLOGGING THROUGH
THB PELTA, SWEAT I NO OUT
AIR. RAlPS IN BAGHPAP...
(25s
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Hours MY
PEAL COM
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great, man,
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we've got a
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/
BUT UJE'RE GOING TV HAVE TO
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YOU'LL GET ON THE AIR FIRST,
J PROMISE YOU! WE'LL WfTH
HOU> SOME KEY ELEMENTS ANP
THE RESCUE CREW PEAL MU 60
INTO TURN- N,
AROUNP...
//
NO MY,
SIP. HONEY
ALREADY
.TOOK CARE:
OF THE
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I THOUGHT SO,
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PARBLTIY THEY
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HONEY'S
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sum
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Me, sir.
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THE SUPERBOHJL '
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT OiSNBY'S
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