4A
EDITORIALS/ tElie Calotte
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Cljarlotte $os(t
The Voice of the Black Community
A Consolidated Media Group publication
I5il Camden Road Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Gerald O. Johnson
CEO/PUBLISHER
Robert L. Johnson
PUBLISHER/GENERAL
MANAGER
Herbert L. White
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Using ‘massa’
to mis-educate
black children
By Celia Daniels
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
“I pray that the teachers of my children will be godly men and women
of integrity.”
From “Prayers That Avail Much, Vol. II.”
It all started with a phone call from my nephew, a third-
grader in a suhurhan Chicago school, who wanted help with a
reading assignment. As he began to read from his book, I was
shocked by the storyline that was unfolding about George
Washington and his slaves. I summoned his mother to the tele
phone and as she began to read the tale, I could hear the dis
beliefbuilding in her voice as we both tried to understand why
in 2004 her son was reading a book published in 1942 about
life on the plantation.
As you might expect, the family homework hotline was heat
ing up that cold January Monday, the day the nation honors
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
She continued to question her son about his homework, only
to learn that he also had to write a definition of slavery and
draw a slave doing his chores.
By now, the Chicago branch of the family hotline was on fire,
with “Auntie C” suggesting a few drawings showing the slaves
burning down the master’s house.
Over in the sixth grade, things weren’t much better. We dis
covered that the students were going to learn about slavery by
watching the movie “Uncle Tbm’s Cabin,” based on the novel by
White abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, who even in 1852
recognized the evils of slavery.
'The teacher, however, had a different spin on America’s
greatest sin. He told the class: “Slavery is not a sin because
God allowed slaves in the Bible. Besides, do you think that
White people just rowed over there [to Africa] and gathered up
all the Black people? No, because other Black people helped by
selling them.”
If the teachers at this school in Bolingbrook, lU., needed help
in designing a lesson plan or purchasing materials, they could
have stopped by their local bank, grocery, dry cleaner, or funer
al home and picked up a free “Black History” calendar chock
full of the achievements and contributions African-Americans
have made. And there are always the PBS specials.
But this school and its teachers were not strapped for cash.
This is Calvary Christian School, a private institution run by
the Assemblies of God Church.
“This statement is no longer about the Christian viewpoint or
made for historical effect, it is purely designed to justify a
wrong by diverting the blame,” the mother said of the teacher’s
lesson on slavery.
At CCS, two or three black staff members, which is aU the
school has, asked the mother why she objected to the books
and the movie. They even defended this white teacher who
refused to meet with the mother despite repeated requests
from her to discuss alternative reading materials. He did man
age to say through his black surrogates that he “was misun
derstood and this wasn’t about politics.”
In letters to the teacher and school officials, the mother said,
“I refuse to allow [my son] in a setting where young children,
imcomfortable with what they are watching, are joking, snick
ering and making inappropriate comments while he is the only
other African-American they see besides the ones in the movies
who are slaves.”
But this white teacher didn’t see any harm in showing the
movie and sent a copy of “Uncle Tbm’s Cabin” home for the
family to review, pointing out that it features Phylicia Rashad
and Avery Brooks, as if that would make slavery easier to swal
low.
The third-grader was shocked that Christians could be so
cruel to one another. “Why are they beating black people,” he
asked after watching the movie? The older boy made it clear
that he did not want to be in the classroom when Black people
were called “colored” and “nigga,” grown men called “boys,”
and families separated and sold.
It’s also a sin and a shame that many hard-working black
parents are paying good money — thousands of dollars in
tuition — for a bad education not only in suburban Chicago but
also across this nation. Black parents send their children to
church-affiliated schools to instill reUgious fundamentals and
principles, but they must not let their guard down just because
a child attends a private school.
“Parents must stay involved because some will try to hide
behind religion,” to further their agenda, the mother reminds
us. “Don’t assume you don’t need to look over yom child’s
work.”
Weeks later, the parents’ vigilance paid off. Back in the third
grade, the teacher pulled the George Washington book and the
drawings of slaves on master’s plantation and replaced them
with an assignment on the masterpieces of African-American
folk artist Horace Pippin. Over in the sixth grade, they never
saw the movie and the older boy went to the school library, as
his had parents requested, during discussions on slavery.
'The “misunderstood” teacher said he only meant to “spark
debate” among the students. The principal said the teacher
really beUeves that “slavery is morally wrong.” The church,
pastor and principal have agreed to review CCS’s curriculum
and “not to offend any races in the future.”
Which is what the debate is about, the future - the future of
all the children.
CEUA DANIELS is a Chicago-based journalist.
Johnson sells horses; is CIAA next?
As I See It
Gerald O.
Johnson
Bob Johnson, owner of the
Charlotte Bobcats, held a
reception at his downtown
penthouse a couple weeks
back to announce the horse
show-jumping competition
he is bringing to Charlotte.
The event will be held April
9 -11 at the Charlotte
Coliseum. The Charlotte
Jumper Classic will be an
annual event. The new
downtown arena will host
the event once it is complet
ed.
What fascinated me even
more than the announce
ment about the event was
the diverse crowd the recep
tion drew. Quite a few of the
guests wouldn’t know a
show-jumping horse from a
jackass, but they were
enthusiastic about this event
Johnson
coming to Charlotte.
Initially, I thought it was
because they
were taking
part in a
high-class
event. But as
I mingled
through the
crowd, I real
ized it was
something
stronger
than that.
Then I thought maybe they
have had too much to drink.
Then I noticed, not eveiy-
body was drinking.
Then we were asked to be
quiet because Johnson was
about to speak. Bob got up
and gave a welcoming and a
brief talk about the equestri
an event and what he was
trying to do and what this
event would do for Charlotte.
There was nothing spectacu
lar about the speech, yet the
entire crowd seemed some
what mesmerized by the
talk. Then it hit me. The
crowd was not here for the
horses, they were here for
Bob. It wouldn’t have mat
tered if he was pushing a
bumper car derby, the crowd
would have been just as
enthusiastic. I have no doubt
the equestrian event will be
successful because Charlotte
is going to support Bob.
Consequently, as I was
leaving the CIAA tourna
ment the other week, I
couldn’t help but think of
how Bob’s charisma could be
used to lure that event to
Charlotte. The CIAA is
accepting bids for hosting
the tournament for the next
three years starting in 2006.
Raleigh’s current contract
ends with the 2005 tourna
ment. Charlotte should have
the new downtown arena
built. Bob Johnson’s new
television network venture
will be well on the way
(regional sporting events is
high on the radar screen for
the network). We have more
than enough nearby hotel
capacity to be attractive to
tournament organizers. The
stars appear to be properly
aligning to finally make this
happen.
However, we are dealing
with the CIAA We have put
together some decent pro
posals in the past just to be
told, “nice try, maybe next
time.” I know Raleigh will
push very hard to keep the
tournament. Washington,
D.C., and Atlanta will put
forth very strong bids to lure
this very prestigious event.
But none of them have our
hold card: Bob Johnson.
If we haven’t already, we
need to put together a strong
team of individuals to go
after this event. Bob
Johnson should be asked to
throw his hat in the ring to
help make it happen. The
tournament organizing com
mittee \vill announce the
next event host in
September. With the right
proposal we stand a very
good chance to make it hap
pen.
GERALD O. JOHNSON is
publisher of The Post.
Right to remain silent under attack
George E.
Curry
For more than three
decades, law enforcement
officials have had to advise
anyone suspected of a crime
that they have a right to
remain silent, that they are
entitled to have a lawyer
present during questioning
even if they can’t afford one
and that anything they say
can be used against them in
court.
Those are collectively
known as one’s Miranda
Rights. The United States
Supreme Court issued its
ruling in 1966 protecting
those safeguards in the case
of Miranda v. Arizona and
ordered a new trial for
Ernesto Miranda.
StiU, various efforts have
been mounted to chip away
at Miranda’s broad protec.
tion.
Two months ago, the
Supreme Court unanimous-
' ly ruled in a Nebraska case
that suspects must be told of
their right to see a lawyer
before police try to obtain a
confession from them. The
case has been remanded and
John FeUers, who argued his
case all the way to the
Supreme Court, will get an
opportunity to have his 12-
year federal sentence
reversed.
His case, FeUers v. United
States, involved the distribu
tion of methamphetamine.
In a different challenge to
Miranda, the Supreme
Court has agreed to hear a
case out of Nevada involving
the right to remain sUent.
The case began on tbe
evening of May 21, 2000
when a bystander tele
phoned the Humboldt
County Sheriff’s
Department in
Winnemucca, Nev. to report
that the driver of a pick-up
truck was striking his
female companion.
According to court docu
ments, Deputy Lee Dove
responded to the scene and
was directed to a truck
parked on the side of Grass
Valley Road. Larry Hiibel
was standing next to the
truck. The deputy
approached Hiibel and
asked him to identify him
self. After Hiibel chose to
remain sUent each time he
was asked to give his name.
Deputy Dove handcuffed
Hiibel and placed him under
arrest. Hiibel was later con
victed of delaying an officer,
a crime under Nevada law.
He was never tried or con
victed on any other charge.
The Supreme Court of
Nevada was sharply split in
its 4-3 decision finding
Hiibel guUty. The four judges
in the majority said it was
constitutional to arrest
Hiibel for exercising his
right to remain silent by
refusing to identify himself.
'The three dissenting judges.
on the other hand, issued an
opinion stating that “being
forced to identify oneself to a
police officer or else face
arrest is government coer
cion - precisely the type of
governmental intrusion that
the Fourth Amendment was
designed to prevent.”
This case pits the power of
the government to compel a
citizen to speak against his
or her right to remain silent
or rely on the Fifth
Amendment protection
against self-incrimination.
Like many civil liberties
issues, this case finds groups
on the poUtical left and right
uniting to advocate on behalf
of Hiibel.
In its friend-of-the-court
brief, the libertarian Cato
Institute observed, “If citi
zens have the right to volun
tarily engage in conversa
tions with police officers (and
they assuredly do), they
must also retain the option
of declining to engage in
such conversations - espe
cially when the law enforce
ment agents are employing
interrogation tactics that are
purposely designed to have
the citizen waive his right to
reject a consensual stop or
search or his right to
silence.”
It continued, “If the gov
ernment can criminalize citi
zen silence, citizens will no
longer be able to rely upon
their ovm wits when they
find themselves confronted
with law enforcement
agents. There would simply
be too much legal jeopardy.”
Ernesto Miranda, whose
case spawned the landmark
ruling, was given a second
trial after the court ruled
that he had not been proper
ly advised of his rights.
During his initial interroga
tion in 1963, which involved
charges that he had stolen
$8 from a Phoenix bank,
Miranda not only admitted
to the theft but also kidnap
ping and raping an 18-year-
old female 11 days earlier,
according to police. During
the questioning, Miranda
was never read his rights.
After the Supreme Court
sent the case back for retrial,
Miranda was convicted
again of kidnapping and
rape. He served 11 years and
was paroled from prison in
1972. Four years later,
Miranda got into a fight and
was stabbed to death.
Ironically, his suspected
attacker was set free, in
part, because he chose to
assert his Miranda rights of
silence.
If Miranda’s suspected
killer can remain silent, the
Supreme Court may have a
hard time saying Hiibel
could not maintain his
silence in the face of unwant
ed police questioning.
GEORGE E. CURRY is editor-
in-chief of the NNPA News
Service and
BlackPressUSA.com. His most
recent book is “The Best of
Emerge Magazine, ” an antholo
gy published by Ballantine
Books. He can be reached
through his Web site, georgecur-
ry.com.