History Awareness
Last week on ABC-TV’s “Nightline”, host
Ted Koppell moderated a debate between a
black Chicago educator and a black actor
who was appearing in that city in the play,
“Tom Sawyer”, adopted from a book of the |
same name. The educator expressed the
viewpoint that the book should be banned
from school libraries because it uses the
word “nigger” which is very offensive,
especially to young blacks. The actor’s
view was that the book is a quality piece of
literature that reflects some of the historic
conditions of its time.
Furthermore, eminent black historian
John Hope Franklin suggests in a recent
newspaper article that historians “think
Straight” about man’s historic past. Dr.
Franklin’s article states that “...historians
and would-be historians have been remark
ably adept in using history (or the lack of it)
to promote a favored position.” The
Chicago educator wants to eliminate cer
tain aspects of history because they might
be offensive to blacks. Likewise, in 1959 the
Daughters of the American Revolution
wanted to ban about 250 high school and
college textbooks because the books con
; tained pictures of unemployed Americans
C during the Great Depression in government
; free food lines. The Daughters made the
assumption that pictures of the free food
lines represented a bad image of America
- instead of keeping them in historic perspec
. :tive. '*■
Any distortion or omission of historic
facts, whether they reflect positively or
negatively on a particular group of people,
geographic region or otherwise would be to
undermine the very value of history - that is
i a storehouse of the past experiences of
mankind, "v ;
.'Concern for integrity in this area on
even greater significance when the Associa
tion of American Colleges report that the
college curriculum has been watered down
to the point that “almost anything goes”
and the traditional ft4-year bachelor’s degree
has lost much of its intrinsic value. Among
the areas of intellectual slothness said to be
too often tolerated by colleges and universi
ties is that of a lack of “historical conscious
ness,” that is, not meaningful sense of past
events.
Thus, as we celebrate Black History
Month, we must be ever mindful of the need
to think straight about Black History in
order to assure accurate recording and
analysis of black contribution and involve
ment.
After all, a people, a region, or a nation,
are first and foremost the products of then
past and their experiences. Without our
history properly recorded we have no sense
of who we are or where we have come from.
Thus, within the hoopla of Black History
Month, let us pause to give some intellectual
thought and pursuits to what our history is
all about. If we don’t we may not have a
need for Black History Month next year.
South Africa-The Unknown
Senator Teddy Kennedy made a recent
trip to South Africa presumably to express
support for the plight of that nation’s
majority black population that is ruled by a
small white minority. While reports indi
cate that Senator Kennedy was generally
warmly received wherever he traveled, his
visit became a rude awakening for him.
Unfortunately, not adequately aware of the
complex nature of the civil rights struggle
of the blackB, “cape coloured’’ Indians and
other mixed race people in that nation,
Kennedy’s strong criticisms were severely
attacked by all factions along raainl and
political Khes.
Kennedy, like most Americans, doem’t
know or understand the many aspects of
South Africa’s highly complex political,
racial and social climate. In particular, few
Americans understand how drastically dif
ferent the colored peoples are. First, in
America white comprise about 89 percent
and black, li percent of the population. In
South Africa white comprise only 20 percent
of the population and have absolute rule
over the 80 percent black and mixed colored
peoples.
South Africa is a nation where the police
can arrest or detain a person without
official cause and imprison him-her for an
indefinite period of time. X
\ Nelson Mandela, the leader of the South
Africa’s black underground recently re
jected a conditional offer of freedom from
21-years in prison, if he would renounce
overthrow of the government by force. In
his first public statement in 21 years - a
violation of the law- Mandela said in a
^statement read by his daughter to a crowd
of 8,000 in the enforced all-black township of
Suweto, “Only free men can negotiate.
Prisoners cannot enter into contract. I
cannot sell my birthright, nor am I pre
pared to sell the birthright of the people, to
be free.” Such courage brings quickly to
mind thoughts of Martin Luther King Jr.
Other things too little understood about
South Africa is that a major part of
secondary and college education for blacks
'{ and pther minorities is paid for by Ameri
can corporations; most non-whites are
required to live in suburban ghetto town
ships often without in-door running water;
all non-whites are required to carry ID
card* when in the white areas and must
prodtice them upon demand by a policeman
at any time; unemployment among non
whites remain constant at about 22 percent;
non-whites are paid less than half that of
whites for the same work; and there are
classes of non-white people: cape colored
! (partly white), Indians, other Asian people
and blacks, each with separate schools and
living areas, each on a social pecking order
as stated but below whites. This is indeed
quite different from the racial, economic
and social problems Americans know. Yes
we need to know more about South Africa
before making policy decisions.
<aHiere Ain\ Gonna Be Ai I
mg ms political he be
aUne-"■"!»■«■
America. V '-)>-»• *<- ■*»:
Powell reached the high point »
of his career as a civil right*
advocate and a statesman when
be became Chairman of the
House Education and Labor
Committee in 1961. During his
abort five years be produced 56
of the most aggressive bills
during the Kennedy-Johnson
Administration. Such Nils in
dude the War on Poverty, the
Liberalisation of the School
Lunch Program and the Man
power and Development Train
ing for more Jobs. He achieved a ;.
high level of winning by never
having a bill from his committee •
defeated on the House floor once
it was presented.
Even though he reigned in
glory on the House Committee,
the vast political empire be had
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From Capitol HUl
r
Restoration Act
By Alfreds L. Madison
Special Te The Pest
Last year the Supreme Court
made it possible for states, local
governments and most institutions
that recieve federal funds to dis
criminate against minorities, wo
men, the disabled, and senior citi
zens The decision limited anti-dis
crimination to a particular educa
tion department that discriminated.
Before Grove City, all agencies that
received federal finds were prohi
bited from discriminating against
minorities, women, disabled and
senior citizens. r ~ -
The IBM Civil Rights Mil which
restored the pre-Grove City cuts was
passed by the House of Representa
tives, overwhelmingly, only to be
killed by the Senate.
Senator Bob Dole, the new majo
rity leader, hastily drew up a bill,
during the last day* of the Wth
Congress, which states that there
can be no discrimination in the use
of federal funds by educational
institutions. In a press st si smart.
Dole announced that he bap Intro
duced his civil rights Mil. He feels
this is a com promise that civil rights
groups should accept. Dole empha
sized that the grandfather’ provision
contained in his bill which states,
"that in circumstances not Involving
eduattonal institutions, the Joriadic
tkprial reach of these laws as It
existed prior to thb Grove City case
should continue to apply.’* The
majority'leader says his bUl is a
middle ground approach which can
build consensus support
Ralph Naas, Executive Director of
the Leadership Conference, an or
| ganizatioo of a cross of ethnic,
religious, racial, sex and national
groups says the Dole bill only refers
-—.
to educational institutions, but does
not ban discrimination in federally
supported areas of health, social
service^ transportation and hous
ing. Even in education It is flawed.
It could codify Grove City. The
Leadership Conference says, “while
Ifee Administration-Dole bill pur
ports to remedy the consequences of
the Grove City decision, it could leave
millions of American unprotected by
our civil rights laws Such a result is
unacceptable to those who believe in
equlity of opportunity for an our
nation's citisans’’
The Dole-Administration bill could
deny medical care for blacks at a
state hospital, even though it re
ceives federal funds, could refuse to
permit adoption of disabled child
ren, the elderly could be denied
im m uniat >n by a city’s clinic.
Even in education, elementary and
high school girls could be denied
Senator Kennedy characterized
the Senate’s action hi refusing te
pass the 1W4 Civil Rights bill ss
highly unfortunate. He stated that
-if
a» congress committed to the priaci
ples of equal Justice can permit the
Grove City decision to stand.
Senator Mathias, who will take the
lead, along with Senator Kennedy, in
channeling the bill through the
Senate said, “I am pleased to Join
with members from both Houses of
Congress and from the civil rights
community to get the 9fth Congress
started on the right foot, by introduc
ing the Civil Rights Restoration Act
of IMfc”
Representative Lei and, Chariman
of the Congressional Black Caucus,
emphasised that for two decades all
Republican and Democratic Admin-I
istrations made sure that ail institu
tions receiving federal funds did not
discriminate. Lei and said that since
Grove City the Federal Government
subsidizes discrimination against
minorities, women, the disabled,
and aemor citizens
I Representative Pat Schroeder
gave statistics which supported the
fact that Title IX increased the
number of women in all of the
professional schools She stated that
congress modeled Title IX after
Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
She noted that if Grove City is
allowed to remain, the number of
women in these professions could
certainly decrease. Schroeder says
it is an outrage to allow government
that collects taxes, equally, to spend
them in a discriminatory fashion.
Senator Allen Cranston, said flint
the 1996 Clvll Rights Restoration Act
is shout only one thing and that to
discrimination. He said the question
is whether funds of the U S. govern
ment should be used to support
discrimination against any class of
individuals in our society. Cranston
•
stated that many thought the ques
tion was answered in the Civil
Rijjhts Acts of the 60’s and 70’s. He
continuad “the IMS bill will restore
civil rights that existed wider the
Administrations of Presidents John
son, Nixon, Ford and Carter.”
Cranston called the Grove City
Supreme Court decision a “a novel,
suprisingly narrow interpretation
and an ominous precedent that
threatens to restrict severely the
coverage of four major civil righto
laws.”
Senator Gary Hart gave two rea
son why the IMS Civil Rights
Restoration Act muat be passed.
First, he stated that the Supreme
Court's infamous decision eliminated
vital mechanisms for combatting
dtacrtainatfcm against women in
schools and second. Congress must
consider what the Reagan Admini
stration is likely to do. Hart stated
that this Administration has seized
upon every opportunity to retreat
from established federal commit
ments to civil rights and equal
righto. The Justice Department has
indicated its intention to apply the
Grove City decision in its broadest
interpretation.
*«*w«Utlve Hawkins said the
difference in this MU and last years
MU. la that it eats out speciflcTH.
said that Use IMS pu. in addition to
broad congressional support, baa
the advocacy of a wide coalition of
civil righto, labor, education and
religious groups
The Grove City decision, its spoil
cation byitti Aciminiatratkm. imf
the P^AdmwjKuon are
Administratio^Msai*-on civil
fiAnA > , • 1 , fji
European tour with his 21 year
tee of House members • reason
hoincv iKef D II l _ _m ,
run os co uutc uig tour find thst ho
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