FORUM
The legacy of Carter G. Woodson
Benjamin
F.Chavis
Guest
Columnist
The best way to cele
brate Black History Month
is to make more Black his
tory. Black History Month
is now celebrated around
the world. We are grateful
for the visionary leadership
of noted historian and
scholar Carter G. Woodson
for being the founder of
what was known as Negro
History Week in 1926 that
44 years later evolved into
Black History Month.
It is also important to
note that this year marks
the centennial celebration
of Woodson's founding of
the Association for the
Study of African American
Life and History
(ASALH). The mission of
ASALH is to "promote,
research, preserve, inter
pret and disseminate infor
mation about Black life,
history and culture to the
global community."
Established in 1915, the
association has no peer in
the preservation of our rich
history.
ASALH continues to
extend the legacy Carter G.
Woodson "speaking a fun
damental truth to the world
- that Africans and peoples
of African descent are mak
ers of history and co-work
ers in what W. E. B. Du
Bois called, The Kingdom
of Culture." Yes, it is clear
ly of the greatest necessity
for all of us to support and
spread knowledge about
the accomplishments of
Woodson, which included
his landmark, The Mis
Education of the Negro.
Written in 1933, the book
13 413
timely
today as
it was 82
years
ago.
W e
must not
allow
anyone
or any
thing to
diminish
or to dismiss the uninter
rupted relevance and
importance of Black
American history, culture
and intellectual genius. The
"fundamental truth" about
the glorious and triumphant
history of peoples of
Wood sort
African descent needs to be
retold and appreciated by
all people throughout the
world.
We are a proud people
We are an African people
We are the Black family,
community, nation and
global community. We are
a people of the long cen
turies-long struggle for
freedom, justice and equal
ity. Our history did not
begin or end with the
tragedy and holocaust of
transatlantic slavery. The
history of African people
begins with God's creation
of humanity. We are the
original people. Human
civilization had its birth
and evolution in the cradle
of the heart of Africa.
When I hear people
today say that Black
Americans have a chal
lenge with science, tech
nology, engineering and
math (STEM) academic
courses and disciplines, I
ask: Why? We are the orig
inators of math and sci
ence. One of the reasons
Black History Month is so
important is because it
forces us to remind our
selves that high achieve
ment and excellent aca
demic performance are a
vital components of our
historical evolution.
Being skilled in science
and math is not tantamount
to "acting White," whatev
er that is. Rather, it's think
ing Black in the finest of
traditions.
In a real sense Black
History Month is Black
Achievement Month. We
must do a better job in
defining and controlling
the narrative about Black
Americas in the past, cur
rently and the future. The
so-called "mainstream"
media is still full of nega
tive stereotypes and debili
tating caricatures when it
comes to reporting news,
sports or about the cultural
arts of people of African
descent.
Let's make more histo
ry together. Our future will
be determined by what we
do today. Let's make this
Black History Month a
time of both reflection and
action to advance the inter
ests of Black America and
all African people every
where.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
is the President and CEO
of the National Newspaper
Publishers Association
(NNPA) and can be
reached for national adver
tisement sales and partner
ship proposals at:
dr.bchavis@nnpa.org: and
for lectures and other pro
fessional consultations at:
http://drbenjaminfchav
isjr.wix .com/drbfc.
MIS-EDUCATION
NEGRO
Carter G.
Woodson
?
Prominent alumnus: SCSU needs some changes
Rep.
James
Clyburn
Guest
Columnist
.
The letter below was recently sent to
the South Carolina State University
National Alumni Association:
To: Our Fellow "Loyal Sons and
Daughters," Her Friends and Supporters
From: James E. and Emily England
Clyburn, Class of 1961 We, for obvious
reasons, have refrained from speaking
publicly about our beloved alma mater's
current crisis, until now. We love SCSU
and have never been hesitant to "sing (her)
praise(s) far and near." We have always
given to her cause religiously.
Many of you attended and contributed
to the Galas in Columbia and Spartanburg
that launched the James E. and Emily E.
Clyburn Endowment for Archives and
History at SCSU.
Over the past 30 years we have hosted
an annual golf tournament and "Bid Whist
Luncheon" in Santee, and have donated all
our honoraria to these causes. These activ
ities have funded hundreds of need-based
scholarships for college-bound students.
These events and others have contributed
over $1.2 million to the Archives and
History Endowment and over 5Z million m
scholarships and aid to 1,400 students
attending SCSU and various other colleges
and universities throughout South Carolina
and the country. We have also endowed
scholarships at Allen, Benedict, Claflin,
Morris, MUSC, USC and Voorhees.
But today's crisis is about more than
giving, and bulldog tenacity is going to be
required to survive. If SCSU were to close,
we probably could find other appropriate
entities to support, but that would not
remove the stain or lessen the shame of
closing South Carolina's only state sup
ported HBCU, although that state support
has been tenuous to say the least. In fact,
one might say, it has been much less than
"minimally adequate."
The economy, less than equitable state
support and dramatic cuts in state and fed
eral studeht aid are making college educa
tion for blacks in South Carolina less
attainable. The recent ad hominem attacks
on SCSU and ill-conceived proposals for
its future have sullied the school's storied
reputation ana win runner eroae enroll
ment and undercut faculty and student
recruitment.
1 If, as we are told, 4300 students is the
break-even point, and SCSU's current
enrollment is 2,900, immediate and dra
matic action need to take place. We believe
several things need to occur:
(1) A five- to seven-member governing
board of retired executives and college
presidents needs to be installed to serve for
a time certain, 18-24 months;
2) A highly qualified Chief Executive
Officer who is committed to the mission
and respects the legacy of HCBUs should
replace the current president, who has pre
cious little support from alumni and sup
porters, and minimal credibility with those
who determine the school's funding and
academic status;
(3) The law regarding qualifications to
serve on the Board of Trustees should
allow ? in addition to a member from
each of the 7 Congressional Districts, a
gubernatorial appointee and a Student
Body representative ? 4 at-large members
regardless of state residency, two of which
should come from recommendations by
the National Alumni Association (i.e. The
Citadel).
Representatives from several out-of
state HBCUs have recently begun recruit
ing our best and brightest. If things contin
ue along the current plane, the legislation
to close the school will not be needed.
There will not be enough students showing
up in September to open the doors.
Of course, that could be the aim of
some legislators, and we are among those
who believe that.
We will probably have more to say at
the proper time. In the meantime, you can ?
find a concise and precise history of this
controversy ? which we know to be man
ufactured and orchestrated ? on pages
274 thru 278 of "Blessed Experiences,
Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black."
Amazon.com readers rate books by
stars from 1 to 5, and have given "Blessed
Experiences" 5 stars. There is not one
.Jhing in the book that is NOT true. But, as
you may surmise, there are a lot of truths
that are NOT in the book.
US. Rep. James "Jim" Clyburn repre
sents S.C.'s 6th Congressional District,
serving since 1993. He is assistant
Democratic leader in the House of
Representatives.
?
The silence of U.S. businesses is deafening
Mary
Anne
Howland
Guest
Columnist
The film "Selma" calls
us to consider where we
stand today and what we
are doing as individuals
and communities about
racial justice.
In the past few months,
a rainbow of people has
taken to protesting in cities
throughout the country.
Racial injustice brought to
light by failures of grand
juries to indict white police
officers after the deaths of
unarmed black men is
moving citizens of all
backgrounds to action.
The media feature voic
es of passionate, concerned
black, brown and white
people, students and, of
course politicians. We see
the arts community in soli
darity with the movement.
Athletes and entire sports
teams put their careers on
the line to speak up.
But where are the voic
es of the business commu
nity?
As a businessperson, I
am deeply disturbed by the
silence of my peers. Is the
travesty of justice and
police corruption, lack of
respect and utter disregard
for human dignity not our
concern? Many of us are
already leaders in our com
munities, working hard to
strengthen local and
regional economies. Most
are good people running
responsible businesses. But
what does our silence say?
Silence is a signal of
acceptance. Silence is seen
as an endorsement of the
status quo. Silence is not
good for business.
anH mrtrp hnci.
1T1V1V UIIW <?V*W UMUV
nesses owners are turning
business into a force for
good. We recognize the
interconnected and circular
nature of our economy. If
we take care of our
employees, they take care
of us. If we pay a living
wage, then our community
has purchasing power that
ultimately benefits our
business.
Ensuring just policing
and a fair justice system are
part of the same value
proposition. Many police
officers and grand juries
already act this way. But
when they lose sight of
these principles, it's bad for
"We should call our local, state
and federal officials and tell them
we want to see solutions."
-MaryAnne Howland
residents, bad for the police
themselves and bad for the
community.
It gets in the way of the
mutual trust and respect we
need in order to get along
with each other and do
business with one another.
It doesn't help our
employees bring their best
selves to work if they live
in constant fear that they or
their children or partner
will be singled out for
state-sanctioned violence
and an unfair justice sys
tem for no reason other
than the color of their skin.
I run a small business in
Nashville, Tenn. I do
everything I can to run a
fair and just workplace, one
in which everyone is
judged according to their
contribution and not how
they look. 1 believe my
workplace is better off
because of this commit
ment. I serve on the board
of a national business
organization, the American
Sustainable Business
Council, which seeks to
bring these principles of
justice and opportunity to
the economy as a whole.
As business owners, we
have a special obligation to
stand up at times like these.
It's time to stop holding our
collective breath.
We need to push for the
course corrections neces
sary to stop racial injustice.
We must demand change
that will help create
resilient communities in
which everyone can suc
ceed and thrive.
We should call our
local, state and federal offi
rials and tell them we want
to see solutions. We should
engage with others in our
communities, such as faith
leaders and social service
agencies, to push for
change. And we should
start by letting our employ
ees know that we are com
mitted to making a differ
ence.
We also should support
organizations that are
working to uplift black and
brown men and women.
Even better: Employ them,
train them and, most
important, stand behind
them. If the police knew
there was a businessman or
woman behind the individ
ual they are about to attack,
surely they would think
twice.
The American business
community is the most
powerful economic force in
the country. We are its lead
ers. We have power. We
can make a difference. So,
let's make it.
Mary Anne Howland is
president and CEO of Ibis
Communications in
Nashville, Tenn., and a
board member of the
American Sustainable
Business Council.