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,Page4A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thuisday, June 1, 1989 ®t)6 Cljarlotte ^o£(t Gerald O. Johnson, Publisher Robert L. Johnson, Co-Publisher Jalyne Strong, Editor Editorials More Huxtable-Like Families By HOYLE H. MARTIN Editorial Writer A study released last week dealing with the nation's television viewing habits Iden tified so-called "sitcoms" as Indisputably the most popular shows, according to the Nielsen Report on Television 1989. The laughable comedies led the field In all TV show categories as measured In November 1988. The comedies drew over 23.4 million viewers during an average broadcast min ute and were first among all major demo graphic groups or categories of the viewing public. Feature films were an overall sec ond and general dramas were third with 21 and 20 million viewers, respectively. . The sitcom that led all TV programs was the ever-popular 'The Cosby Show." This NBC comedy was the highest ranked and most watched program by small children, , teenagers and women. "The Cosby Show" was ranked fourth among men who had a preference for CBS's "60 Minutes," the pre mier news magazine show that had a No. 6 overall ranking. "The Cosby Show's" viewer appeal is so strong that the two shows which follow It on the tube on Thursday nights, "A Different World" and "Cheers" took second and third place In the overall Nielsen ratings. In addition, "Cosby" Is ranked third even In the rerun category. The question has often been asked, why and how has the long-running "Cosby •, Show" been so continuously successful and ■ ranked very high among the nation's view ers, both white and black? In our opinion , the most meaningful answer to this ques- Ctlon Is found In Shelby Steele's "America's Racial Impasse - Both blacks and whites have a hidden Investment In racism," as appearing In a 1988 Harper's magazine ar ticle. Steele, an associate professor of Eng lish at San Jose State University In Cali fornia, writes, "I think the real trouble 'between the races tn America Is that tthey)... are ... competing power groups - a fact that Is easily minimized perhaps be- ^ cause It Is so obvious." She added, "...the hu- • man animal almost never pursues power ■without first convincing himself that he is entitled to it. And..." entltlement"means to "believe In one's Innocence, at least in the area where one wishes to be entitled." The skillful Ms. Steele says black people have dealt with white's presumptions of in nocence partly by bargaining with them. The bargainer, Steele says, believes that you, the opponent, are irmocent, that Is, good and fair-minded, and expects constant ‘ approval of It. This sounds all good and well, but what does It have to do with televl- , Sion ratings and the "Cosby Show"? It is here that Shelby Steele shows her percep tive brilliance when she writes, "clearly the most visible black bargainer on the Ameri can scene today Is. Bill Cosby. The remarka ble Huxtable family - with its doctor/ lawyer parent combination, its drug-free, college bound children, and its wise yet youthful grandparents - Is a black face ver sion of the American dream. Cosby Is a sub scriber to the American identity and his subscription confirms his belief in Its fair- mindedness. His vast (TV) audience knows this, knows that Cosby will never assault their (whites) Innocence with racial guilt. Racial controversy Is all but banished from the show." In all the years that most of us as black people have laughed and enjoyed the "Cosby Show," almost with a subconscious feeling that yes, it depicts the American dream, but only a dream for most of us; so what the hell, let's enjoy the dream or the fairy tale, even If only for 30 minutes a week. But wait, and we make no apologies for the lengthy quotes from Steele's golden pen dripping with nuggets of wisdom and sim ple common sense; there's something here too for us blacks as well. And so Steele begins again, "the bargain Cosby offers his white viewers - I will con firm your racial Innocence If you accept me - Is a good deal for all concerned (meaning blacks, too). Not only does it allow whites to enjoy Cosby's humor with no loss of In nocence, but It actually enhances their In nocence by Implying that race Is not the se rious problem for blacks that It once was. If anything, the success of this handsome, af fluent, black family points to the fair- mindedness of whites who, out of their es sential goodness, changed society so that black families like the (TV) Huxtables could succeed. 'Whites can watch The Cosby Show' and feel complimented on a Job well done." Steele's suggestion that "The Cosby Show" Is "a good deal for all concerned" and our note for blacks too Is to point out that we as black people can create thousands of Hux table families in the real world. One un known author in less than polite verse nev ertheless strings together meaningful words for making more Huxtable families when he or she says, "to accomplish great things, you must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost - put foundations under them. Yes you can (be a Huxtable). Believing Is magic." Finally, Steele reminds us that the civil rights movement was bom out of the real need to stop evil men from exploiting race as a means of power. Therefore, "the best way out of America's racial impasse," Steele concludes Is to realize that, "in this society, race must not be a source of advan tage (power) or disadvantage to anyone." GEKrLEWEN...WE HEEDID \im ^ Qu/cK Wir^ mjdweneedau EtfUSETO DO iC; hKMJ WD m THE CaCEQBICES/ ite WEMl/6rc/?DVTfe AHOppORTUNiP/.^n SyfJPiCATEPWRifRslA^STs / A TOKER iw A m /a/ausaa/ m m Ditwr VI vim OF MT BEFORB? viwww’r iMVtUK ■wmcrntAT/ America's Government Must Set The Pace In Helping Poor Guest Editorial By Cong. AUGUSTUS HAWKINS A number of television news shows have been hosting town hall meetings In crime-ridden neighborhoods, largely com prised of economically disad vantaged and minority Individu als. The goal of these shows, so It seems. Is to prove the psy chology of residents who live In fear-drenched communities. 1 am somewhat skeptical of these types of shows, because they many times project a negative stereotype of Black Americans. On the other hand, these media discussions do provide a forum which offers the actual resi dents of the community an op portunity to air their frustra tions. A tangible value for these shows can be realized If we view these frustrations from a sensi tive and humane perspective and then take the necessary ac tions to address the social Ine quities. TTie final speaker on the Ted Koppel town hall meeting, which was recently broadcast on network television, perhaps best expressed the frustrations and trappings of jxrverty In her comments. She Is a mother who probably has experienced every bad hand that life has to deal: loss of a son; drug addiction: In carceration; poor education: etc. Despite a series of economic and social deprivations she has chosen to survive and succeed. Her simple request: "Make me know that I'm worth fighting for." The first step In helping ad dress this request Is to explode the myths and stereot}rpes re garding blacks who live In poor communities. The vast majorlfy of persons who live In predomi nantly black neighborhoods are law-abiding citizens who take pride In their community. Most youngsters aren't violent, and If given a choice, don't want to en gage In criminal acts. But for many young f>eople, ■violence Is the short-term answer. It gets them what they want — adult at tention, clothes, money and ap proval by their peers. It Is no surprise that 80 percent of young people in jail are func tionally Illiterate. Dr. Alvin Poussaint, a Harvard professor and a top expert on black vio lence, thinks that poor, black teenagers with little education and low self-esteem resort to macho displays of violence to uphold a "tested sense of dignl- ty." This Is not to suggest all the crime and drug peddling is the result of wayward "wannabees." It Is to suggest, however, that many of these young kids are preyed upon by hardened, re peat offenders. Therefore, the aspirations of the majority In a community are dashed by a handful of criminals whose ac tions disrupt peaceful continui ty- The traditional response to all criminal behavior has been to build more prisons. But this short-sighted strategy does not address the root causes of crime. A prison Is a symbol of failure. Why invest In failure when we can Invest In hope? This positive agenda of hope can be realized by: providing universal pre-school education: building a community school where parents, teachers and principals work together; pro viding decent and affordable public housing with on-slte supportive services (child care. Job counseling, recreation and cultural activities): building self-esteem through community and fraternal organizations, churches, and professional and business groups: and securing both government and private sector Jobs, In areas near the community. Last, but not least, we have to Invest more on the war against drugs: In terms of drug educa tion In our schools, added drug treatment facilities and stop ping the drugs from getting on the street. We can't Just talk anti-drug rhetoric; we have to back It up with hard money. For example, the anti-drug bill which passed the Congress last year, promised $2.5 billion to wage war against drugs. But when all was said and done, the appropriation was only $500 million. Ninety percent of all drug addicts seeldng treatment In America are currently turned away because there are not enough drug treatment facilities available. Let us simply admit that the Reagan experiment of le^ gov ernment has failed. Let us now embark on an agenda which uses government as the engine which pulls and motivates our public and private resources. We must begin to respect the dignity and resolve of our poor. If we are going to "let our people know that they are worth fight ing for," we must begin this In vestment now. Should High School Students Work? Cut out part-time Jobs for high school kids? I always thought that work was a good thing--and not Just for kids who had to work to sup plement their families' budgets. But I am in the minority around here. Our legislature Is just about ready to severely restrict em ployment of high school age stu dents. All my political friends think the restrictions are a good Idea. Do my colleagues In the educa tion profession? I am starting to feel lonely, but I have not changed my mind. Those who want to restrict the kids' right to work teU some hor rible stories. They tell us about 16 and 17 year olds who are working 40 hours a week, stay ing on the Job until late at night, falling asleep (and behind) In class, and spending all their money on car pa3rments and en tertainment. After-school Jobs, these folks say, are one of the chief causes of poor academic performance and dropouts. All of that brings tears to my eyes. But it does not convince me that prohibiting or severely restricting after school work would magically keep students In high school and make them productive. But even If the restrictions would work to help a few kids stay In school and do better, I still might not support them. I would have to balance the gains against aU that would be lost. What would be lost If we kept kids from working? Here are some of the things my daughter got from her part time work while she was In high school: She learned to look for a Job. That Is something schools don't teach veiy well, but It Is a lesson that pays off when graduation Is D.G. Martin One-On-One over. (Do you know any recent high school or college graduates who are waiting around for a Job to seek them out? Kids who got jobs while they went to school know that it doesn't happen that way. Oftentimes, the hardest work Is finding the right Job.) She learned what the word "boss" means. Maybe family emd school should have done a bet ter job teaching her about the Importance of supporting lead ers. We didn't. The Job did. Kids with work experience generally learn that If you don't cooperate with your boss--you lose your Job. That Is a valuable lesson, especially for kids who look at most adults as some kind of en emies. She knows more about budget ing. The value of things that she wants Is now measured by how long It takes her to earn the money to pay for It—rather than by how hard It Is to p>ersuade her p>arents into buying It for her. She Is a better citizen. She knows about tax withholding and Social Security. Thus, she knows first-hand that the things that we do for each other through the government have a cost that we ^ share. She has developed greater confidence and maturity. E>en kids who are successful at school don't automatically have a lot of confidence themselves. Succeeding at work helps. Hav ing value, in the form of a pay check, placed on what a student worker does must be good for self-esteem — for p»or students and for good ones. She found that looking out for other p>eople Is "part of the job." At a time In life when many p>eo- ple turn Inward and limit their friendships, the contact with co workers and customers helps keep some young people In touch with the rest of tiie world. She learned that there are some Jobs that she does not weint to do forever. Thus, she Is better equipped to choose her first "real job" when she finishes school. And, finally, she Is better pre- p>ared to go to college. Her jobs have helped her appreciate how helpful good education can be— for those who want something more than just an ordinary job. Convlnc^? If not, I hope you will think about this matter a little more. And study It. Try to find out where the kids that you want to prohibit from working will go-- and what they will do—-during their extra time. Do you think that all the time will be spent working on their homework? Maybe, but I doubt IL Or will It go for watching more T.V.? More parties and time at teenage hangouts? Exp>erlment- ing with alcohol and drugs. Oth er trouble? Getting Into other trouble? None of us know for sure, but let's be careful and not kick the kids out of their jobs and put them on the streets. Still disagree? Let me know why. Write me In care of this newspaper or at Box 2688, Chapel HUl, NC 27515. America's Airline Industry WiU Do Better To Help Passengers Enjoy Flying Because I travel worldwide, I ■ km often asked which airlines ' are the best. Since major air car riers use similar aircraft, my ex- ' pjerlence In regards to service ' and personnel becomes the ' dominant features on which I rate airlines. Until recently, Sln- ' gapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Del ta, and Piedmont were the only • ! airlines on which I looked for- ,' ' -ward to riding. ' ' I must have a strong Incentive to fly other airlines such as their being the only flight going ' In my destination for me to pass : ^ over my top four carriers. Yet on ■ ■' a recent trip from St. Louis to ■ ' Philadelphia, I was forced to re- ’ ' assess my closed mind pwllcy. I was riding first class on a ■ ' TWA flight when the flight atten dant asked me to give her my first name. I was disquieted by this request because no flight attendant had cared In the pmst. Flight Service Manager Rachael L. Jenkins' face was etched with a soothing smile that demanded I respwnd to her question. She wrote down each p>erson's name with his seat location. Throughout the flight she ad dressed each person by his fli st name. When we disembarked, she said good-bye to each first class person using his first name. Jenkins also provided a level of high quality service that was a throw-back to pre-alrline dere gulation days. She was also an attractive member of the Yuppie generation rather than the late Miller Says By Sherman Miller baby-boomers who pervade the airline industry today. An Indlan-Amerlcan, Taracad K. Venkatachalam, sat next to me on this TWA flight; so we chatted about Jenkins' excellent performance. He had been lec turing me on how to travel first class. His words brought to mind my wife's complaints, 'You have no class!" She sees me as a college-trained. Inner-city hous ing project fellow who does not appreciate a lot of pomp and circumstance. At the flight's end, I asked Jen kins for her business card. She responded, "Have I done some thing wrong?" 'Venkatachalam and I responded, "On the con trary, you have done things right." Jenkins' actions caught my at tention because I had always rated "first class" on domestic airlines below "business class" on Singapore Airlines or Luf thansa. I formed this harsh opinion traveling first class on PanAm to the Orient, New Zea land , and Australia In the early 80s. 1 experienced other airlines In travel across Vietnam or In ternal flights in many countries. 1 must adrhit that PanAm had the best frequent flyer plan of all. I have not seen another air line frequent flyer program which remotely compares to Pan Am's frequent flyer program of the early 80s. I took the family to Hawaii, got a free rental, car, and was offered 35 p>ercent off a hotel on PanAm with only 70,000 pKJlnts. I think the U.S. airline Industry could save themselves mega bucks on Incentive plans, which are merely surrogates for good service, if Jenkins' style p>ervad- ed the Industry. They also need to project an Image of newness both In flight attendants and equipment. It would also greatly help the airline Industry to rec ognize that business travelers The airline Industry must rein carnate the enjoyable experi ence of flying. Simple things as a table cloth and restaurant class meals, complete ■with a glas.'s of wine, are God-sends to tired business travelers. I am sure tourists would also appreciate this shift away from medlc.cre service to world class service. Jenkins' high quality service forced me to open my mind to TWA. I will see If Jenkins is merely an outlier before I s'art to tell people that I have a top five airlines list.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 1, 1989, edition 1
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