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Pa^e4A - THE CHARLOTTO POST - Thursday. May 18, 1989 CJjarlotte Gerald O. Johnson, Publisher Robert L. Johnson. Co Publisher Jalyne Strong, Editor J]ditorials Separate And Unequal Revisited By HOTLE H. MARTIN Editorial Writer With thousands and thousands of young people graduating from the nation's colleges and universities this time of year, there are some little noticed but significant trends or developments that escape tiie eye of most peo ple. Such people don't see the trends because they are understandably focusing on the Joy and happiness of seeing a relative graduate with a four-year college degree. What the careful observer sees is that on any t)rplcal, relatively large university, with a history of academic excellence, is a student body of primarily white youth who come from homes where both parents are college graduates and they have a family Income of well over $65,000 aimually. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the careful observer sees an limer city community college where the majority of the students come from "blue col lar" working families where few of the par ents have college degrees and have aimual in comes of less than $30,000. Many of the students in these two-year colleges are well over 25-years of age. and a large percent of them are black females. Some of these young women have dependent children and may be living on public welfare assistance while try ing to Improve their situations. These glaring differences in the type, quali ty and presumed educational needs of our na tion's youth were stated clearly by Barbara Vabejda of The Washington Post. She wrote on May 12, 1989, "John Hopkins (University) and the Community College of Baltimore rep resent two poles, the extreme ends of a hier archy marked by glaring disparities." Vabej- da's article entitled, "Class, Color and College," Says candidly, "Higher education was once envisioned as the great equalizer in American society, providing anyone who was qualified with the credentials that would re dress Inequalities in background and truth." This separate and unequal educational fact of life is occurring in spite of the real effort of many, if not most, predominately white uni versities to recruit, educate and graduate black youth. Ironically, however, many of these same institutions are reportedly impos ing a rigid quota system In order to limit the number of Aslan students. Combined with reports on the decline of black male college students, the future of higher education among blacks appears to be bleak. Thus, the burden for alerting youth to the values of a college education falls on par ents, teachers, school counselors, ministers, neighborhood support groups and good role models. The aim of all Involved in the idea of boosting black youth interest In higher edu cation is to help change values about life and education. Without a meaningful concerted effort that must be successful economic and social racism and discrimination will push black people back to their pre-1960s status. Show Time Scholars? Last year, comedian and star of the televi sion hit, 'The Cosby Show," Bill Cosby, was the commencement speaker at the University of South Carolina. Closer to home and in 1989, actress Phylicia Rashad, Cosby's wife on the same show, was the graduation speak er at Barber-Scotla College last Sunday in Concord. Similarly, actor Danny Glover will keynote Johnson C. Smith University's com mencement on Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m. in Ovens Auditorium.' These institutions are not unique in the selection of show business personalities as commencement speakers. This trend reminds us of the Increasing charges leveled at the prime time television newscasts of the big three — CBS, NBC and ABC — who seem, at times, to be providing more entertainment than hard news. This is evident too in the way they select prime time news anchors. The men must be white males ranging in age from about 38 to 52 with a head full of hair; possibly with a few strands of gray for that distinguished look. Then too with dark conservative suits and ties to re flect the image. Add the distinct voice and you have what the networks want and will only have. If there happens to be a female prime time news anchor she must be in her late 20s to the early 40s in age, good looking, dressed sexy but not overdone, have long pretty hair that is well groomed, and have a good television voice and a pleasing personality. The intent is to get the television viewing audience to turn to their channel as much to see and ad mire the newscasters as it is to hear what they are saying. L&ewlse, we have to wonder why our higher education institutions are leaning toward show business people to deliver such impor tant speeches to their graduating classes. It would appear to us that scholars on the cutting edge of new research that would re flect the the kind of world the graduates will be living in and competing for jobs would be more in tune with what a college or a univer sity has as its mission. Both Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad gave their respective graduating audiences some motivational thoughts to carry along with their degrees but both addresses lacked any depth and there left little, if any, impressions on the graduates' minds. The listening audi ences appeared to be more awed by who they were seeing and listening to than by what the speakers had to say. Undoubtedly, the graduating classes liked the excitement of seeing a show business but that is not what academic higher education is all about. Reid Made The Right Choice The Jack Claiborne/ Eki Williams Charlotte Observer debate (May 13) over whether J. R Reid did the right thing in choosing to leave UNC-Chapel Hill to pursue an NBA career ap pears to be of little value. First, Williams referred to his personal ex perience as a two time dropout before getting a college degree. Since there are literally thousands of students who dropout out of col lege each year to go to work, some out of eco nomic necessity as did Mr. Williams, and some simply because they desire to move more quickly into the world of work. Wil liams and the thousands like him who left college to earn a living cannot be compared to the situation involving J. R Reid. Secondly, while we don't disagree with everything that Claiborne said, one very im portant factor was left out of his analysis. That is, if we as a nation did not have contin ued lingering racism there would at least be some role models outside of sports that youth, especially black, could look to. There fore, we find it difficult to agree with Clai borne's viewpoint that J. R Reid is setting a bad role model by choosing the sports/work world as opposed to one more year of college. Let's face it, there are few people in any en deavor who would pass up a possible million dollar plus contract to finish one more year in college. J.R Reid did in our judgment the best thing for himself. Rethink Jesse For D.C. Mayor When the news first broke about Jesse Jackson's possible run for mayor of Washington, D.C., 1 Immediately thought it was a splendid Idea. Proponents said he would win the election hands-down, gain the govern mental experience critics say he lacks, and be in a better posi tion for a possible presidential run in 1996. At the same time, the move could cure Washing ton's malady of low spirits, and save the Democratic Party from Itself. Sounds great, doesn't it? It sounded great to me too, at first. But then everyone was for it, even those in the Democratic Party leadership and the Re publican far-right, I became suspicious. Neither of these groups has ever been in Jack son's comer before, and I found two theories particularly puz zling. Some suggest that Jackson's withdrawal from the 1992 presi dential sweepstakes wUl diffuse the dlvlslveness with in the Democratic Party. They must have short .memories. There was division in the party long before Jackson ran for presi dent. And with no clear front- mnner at this time, if Jackson does withdraw, there will likely again be at least seven "dwarfs" entering the primary season. The Democrats have to identify and nominate a nationally- known candidate who has a good chance of beating an in cumbent Republican president: and there is none — Michael Du kakis is too wounded, Lloyd Bentsen is too old, Albert Gore is too combative, and Richard Gephardt is too duU. In 1983 when black leaders were looking for someone to mn for president, Jackson came forth as the only person with the guts and the national recog nition to pull it oif. The "other blacks" Broder mentions, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and Atlanta's Andrew Young, held elective office and were on the political scene before Jackson National Minority PoKtics by Gweneveve Daye Davis and chose, for whatever reason, not to throw their hats into the presidential ring. Jackson's campaigns have made it more palatable for the American pub lic to accept a black politician as a presidential candidate. Rather than create a roadblock, he destroyed one. Almost everyone has said this move would make everybody a wlnner--the party, the city of Washington, and Jackson. But there are drawbacks, from the vantage point of Jackson's po litical career. First, if Jackson's goal is to someday be president, the posi tion of mayor Is not on the ca reer path. None of the resumes of our last eight presidents lists "mayor" as the experience which put them on the fast track to the White House. And if we look at the careers of most mayors in office today, they often have dif ficulty getting elected on a statewide basis after their terms expire. Being mayor can sometimes be a dead-end job. Second, the District of Colum bia is in such dire straits that it wlU take more than four years to fix it. The problems have be come intractable in many seg ments of the population, and it will take almost an entire gener ation to change the attitudes and lifestyles of those most af fected by the guagmlre of drugs, poverty, family breakdown, and lack of preparedness which cur rently prevails. Jackson could get locked into a situation where he is forced to remain un til the problems are resolved, or face harsh criticism if he leaves before the job is done. Third, he would not be broa dening his base, but rather li miting it. Critics already charge that Jackson is only addressing the interests of blacks and that his "Rainbow Coalition" is es sentially a fraud. The portion of the nation's capital wlfich elects the mayor is overwhelmingly black, and he would be locked into representing this consti tuency for four or more years. This would not create a problem for his base, the black commu nity. But it would add to the p>er- ceptlon that he only has their interests at heart. Finally, detrators will never be satisfied, no matter what he does. If, by some miracle of mir acles, Jackson can, in four years, transform Washington, D.C. into a topla, some will say that it is not enough, that it doesn't mean that he can govern the nation, and that he is still too radical. Affiliation with Jackson has now become a lit mus test for many politicians, black and white. To alert poten tial voters that candidates are either liberal, radical or black, the description "endorsed the Rev. Jesse Jackson" is being used to characterize would-be public servants in political campaigns. Few are neutral about him and those who sin cerely dislike him will never be converted. Still, the prospect of having so much power in a city which is a center for media, culture and in ternational decision-making, may outweigh any negatives that go along with running for the job. As Jackson ponders his decision, my only advice is: If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Ms. Davis, based In Houston, Texas, is publisher/editor of the monthly newsletter National minority politics. Memorable Words Are Hard To Come By It is commencement time. A lot of us will be at some kind of graduation exercise this spring. There will be lots of speeches. Who will remember them? I don't remember any of the speeches at my high school graduation--even though I gave one of them. Can you remember anything that was said at your gradua tion? I mean anything other than your own name as you crossed the stage to get your di ploma, shake the hand of a school official, flip your tassel, and head back to your seat thinking, "It's over. I am all done with this." Come to think of it, how many speeches of any kind can you remember? If you are like me, not many. Can you even remem ber last Sunday' sermon in your own church? Can you remember the newspaper article or col umn that you read just before you got to this one? Be honest. And know that re calling what we hear and read does not come easy for any of us. It makes you wonder about those of us who like to give speeches and like to write newspaper columns. I guess we are arrogant enough to think that we are different—and that people will remember what we say or write. In my mind I know that few will read these words, fewer still D.G. Martin One-On-One (if any at aU) will remember, but In my heart says, "Keep talking, keep writing, somebody will hear you say something that wUl be helpful to them." That must be what most grad uation speakers think, too. And that is why there will be so many long graduation speeches this spring. Fortunately, some speakers are different. Did you hear about the speech Greensboro College ear lier this month? "Never give up. Never, never, never give up." That was it. The entire speech. Too short? Maybe, but every body who heard It will remem ber it. Is the message too sim ple? Maybe, but it is a good strong, message. Better to be too short than too long. There is a graduation speech that most people in my home town remember--even though it was given 30 years ago. A top graduate at Davidson College gave the following commence ment address: "More than 1900 years ago, a wise man said, 'Love thy neighbor as thyseif.' I have nothing significant to add." The crowd was stunned. It seemed rude and disrespectful. It broke so radically from the normal. But today, looking back, that message seems right on point. And I remember it. Short speeches are hard to write. So are short columns. But short ones are better ones. Someone once asked Presi dent Woodrow Wilson how long it took him to prepare an hour long speech. He said that it took about five minutes to prepare. 'Then how long does it take to prepare a five minute speech?" "TTiat takes hours and hours," the President said. It does take longer to figure out how to say something im portant or complicated in a few words. But those of us who want people to remember what we say or write had better learn how to do it. Wait. I know what you are thinking. "This guy has made his point, t^y doesn't he stop? Why doesn't he follow his own advice and keep his own column short? You're right. I'm done. Probe Into School System's Handling Of Discrimination Cases Is Badly Needed Guest Editorial By Rudolph Seth In an unprecedented move, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board upheld a decision made ty Chairman Ashley Hogewood, to deny a hearing to a group of black men who work at the School Supply Warehouse lo cated at 3901 Craig Avenue. This action has sparked outrage from the black community and among other school employees. Few understand why such a neg ative posture was taken by Hogewood in den3dng the hear ing normally called for as a rou tine part of the school system's Equ^ Employment Opportunity Complaint Process. Some speculate that Hoge wood himself violated the pro cess by singularly rejecting the request from the men for a hear ing and then giving at least two separate invalid reasons for his actions. Hogewood was later faced with the relentless deter mination of these workers to be heard, and the request from Board member Arthur Grtflln, to bring the issue publicly before the full Board. The discourse during the Board meeting by Board attorney Hugh Campbell was clearly designed to confuse the issues and support Hoge- wood's decision. Hogewood even asked for support and urged de feat of the motion by Grtffin to allow the hearing. The motion was, in fact, defeated by a 6-3 vote. Board members Griffin, Battle, and Martin were out voted by the other members. The surprising aspect was that six Board members, two of them lawyers, voted to set a precedent by improperly denying the men access to the hearing process. Few observers accepted the rea sons given as valid. The poten tial impact of the decision af fects all workers and students. There is reason for concern. Arthur Griffin reports that in researching the issues, he learned that such an action has never before been taken. In fact, he recalled a previous hearing whereby a parallel situation ex isted. Also, Griffin learned that contraiy to statements made at the hearing, a fact finding inves tigation was done by the sys tem's EEO Office and a decision was rendered with recommen dations to rectify the problem. Griffin admitted that he is trou bled by this new direction. Longtime board member George Battle, is said to be stml- larly concerned. While expressing concern and admitting to being confused about the reasons for den}dng the hearing, Thelma Johnson, the CMS Elqual Opportunity Offi cer, said she does not foresee any significant changes in how her office processes complaints. She said that she has received no prior or subsequent direc tives regarding the matter and therefore expects to proceed as in the past. Nevertheless, the SCLC plans to examine the impact of the Board's actions and to launch a probe into the workings of the process for addressing employ ment discrimination and for ad equately supporting those who are affected by discrimination and racism. The events leading to the decision to deny the hear ing and the decision Itself, are viewed as acts of oppression. It is most disheartening to realize that administrators and Board members would engage in or support oppression. It is the in tent of SCLC to force out the sources of the oppressive condi tions in the school system, de nounce it, and demand it be dis continued. While one might expect the Board of Education and administration to deny that prejudice and oppression played in their decision, there are too many questions related to the reasons given: evidence of inaccurate information present ed about decisions made: argu ments against the hearing which distorted the truth: mis representation of the facts about the process used inside the system: false information about the cases having been re solved: and inconsistent appli cation of a rule on using the complaint process. One can't help but wonder how many oth ers have suffered oppression at the hands of those tn whom we have so blindly placed our trust. These men have not lost their faith. They have sent a letter to Ashley Hogewood clarifying some of the misinformation and asking for a reconsideration of the decision. We support these brave men and urge tihe Board to respond in a positive fashion. What is there to fear? The truth? The truth must be told. SCLC is planning a cooperative community venture to address issues similar to this one. A Call for Action Hearing will be scheduled in the near future to bring together concerned citi zens, community leaders, organ ization representatives, and persons affected by experiences of this nature. The goal is to de termine and prioritize critical issues and to assess the level of commitment to work toward change. Issues to be discussed Include such topics as student achieve ment, pupil assignment, sites for new school buUdlngs, build ing renovations at current sites, employee promotion, student participation in school clubs and activities, the black drop out and suspension rate, and the treatment of employees. An all out attempt will be made to determine the nature and extent of the problems students and employees face on a dally basis.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 18, 1989, edition 1
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