LETTERS/OPINIONS
Winston-Salem Chronicle
ERNEST H. Pitt, Publi?her,Co-founder NDLBISI EGEMONYE, Co- Founder
Richard L. Williams, Executive Edm* ^
ELALNE PlTT, Director of Community Relation!
MICHAEL A. Pitt, Advertising Manager MEL WHITE,' Circulation Manager
* /
Editorials I ~
BCA on Target
Regardless of what those say who think all is fine and
well in the world of college athletics, it ain't so. And the *
jJlack Coaches Associa
tion should be commended
for forcing the NCAA to
not only take note of that
fact, but deal with it, too.
There has been much
/ <
hoopla the past few weeks
over the BCA's insistence
. that colleges and universi
ties; allow for a fourteenth
scholarship in basketball.
? But some coaches and
university presidents pre
fer to sweep this hot issue
under the rug. Their smug Chanty^
arrogance fails to allow them to see the importance of just
one more peison ? in all likelihood an underprivileged
African American ? getting a free education from each of
the 3(X) Division I schools. But that's small fry when com
pared to the money that the athlete will likely generate for
the school during his four years there. But they seem to be '
saying, Why give another black kid an education?'
The truth of the matter is that the hierarchy of most
. . . most majority, colleges and their athletic
departments are an overwhelmingly white frater
nity with black pledges disguised as ballplayers .
majority colleges and their athletic departments are an
overwhelmingly white fraternity with black pledges dis
guised as ballplayers. And the Big Brothers dn not want rn ?
? share theii powci. rnTey~see~it~as the last thing they can
? hold on k>, sim-e-bkKrks by a wide majority dominate num? . -
bers on the court and on the field.
As Arkansas basketball Coach Nolan Richardson has ?
been saying all along, the BCA issue is about more than
scholarships. It's about African Americans comprising
? nearly two-thirds of the total athletic teams of the 3QQ ?
Division 1 schools, but holding down only three" head Toot -~
ball coaching jobs. It's also about the dearth of blackiteam
doctors and play-by-play announcers at major colleges.
Chief ajfiong the concerns of the BCA is the scholar
ship limitation. But also of concern is the abolishment of
the graduate assistant coach position, an entry-level posi
Don that was occupied mainly by blacks. The BCA also is
concerned over the lack of African -American representa
tion|on the NCAA and USA Basketball executive^mmrt- ?
tceai
With all the money coaches ? nearly all of whom are
white ? are making on shoe contracts, it's no wonder, they
want to keep the doors barred.
"Blacks need not apply" is the message the NCAA
officials and top brass at universities have sent for years.
And. the BCA isTight on target for not sitting idly by and
taking it anymore.
1 Credo of the Black Press
\lhe Black Press believes that America can best lead the world
away from antagonisms when it accord* to every person ? regardless
of race or creed ? full human and legal rights. Hating no person, the
Black Press strives to help every person, in the firm belief that all are
hurt as long av anyone is held back. { *'
How To Reach Us
Production
Kathy Lee, Superv isor
Charlotte Newman
Scarlett Simmons
Karen Harmon
Reporters
Mark R.* Moss
Michael Johnson
David Diltard
722-8624
Circulation
WalteT MickJe
Vamell Robinson
Todd Fulton
Patrick Edmunds
Business Office
Lexie Johnson
Tamah Gray
Tamika Hicks
Cheryl Brown
Advertising
Carol Daniel
Judie Holcomb-Pack
'?C"*' C#>o -a
Audit Bureau
of Circulation* ^-o- -e
Despite Hardships, NAACP Survives 85 Years
To the Editor:
This is the year which marks
one of the greatest feats known ia
man ? at least this might be
believed by the NAACP's enemies
and critics.
The group has survived 85
organization in America.
Despite the fact, the main
stream media has hired only a few
so-called black journalists to help
sensitize its readership and "get the
- story."
Unfortunately, many of them
still do not "get the story." In a
world of spins and disinformation,
these two forces have iirmanjr^ises
? not all ? misled, lied, rumored,
and even tried to literally crush the
organization.
But the towering conviction of
the NAACPs founding parents has
insulated its contemporary leader
ship.
Corporate America realizes that
their definition of "fair share" to the
black community has traditionally
been peanuts.
Additionally, many blacks who
have achieved forget about reaching
back for others.
So the need for an economi
cally healthy black America
demands refocusing, strong and
consistent leadership, and the ability
to reach out and change the growing
deprivation from multiraciaTancT
multicultural achievements.
Under the current leadership of
William F. Gibson, the NAACP and
it's board have cemented what
appears t& be an excellent partner
ship with Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.,
the new executive director/CEO,
and the youths of America.
Michael Jackson waves from a carnival ride with unidentified youngsters as he hosts a Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday party at his Neve rland Ranch at Los Olivos , Calif. , Saturday. The embattled superstar hosted some 100
children from South-Central Los Angeles at his 2,600-acre ranch.
They, with others, are address
ing the needs of a sick and often
selfish society.
Here's wishing the NAACP
another 85 years of advancement for
brother and sisterhood.
Gentry W. Trotter
CRISIS magazine
Thanks for Support
To the Editor:
We thank the community for
the generous response in providing
food for the needy during the recent
holiday season. Because of your
help, well over 40,000 food items
were donated, along with monies ~
which were used to purchase perish
able items.
As a result, we were privileged
to provide holiday meals for 326
families during Thanksgiving and
Christmas. A total of 1269 people
outside of the mission received
food. We also prepared and served
380 meals for Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinners at the Winston
Salem Rescue Mission. During
1993, wc provided 88,500 meals
and almost 30,000 nights of lodging
to th^v* in need. Over 140 decisions
for Christ were recorded. Thank you
fin helping to make this possible. .
v
llaynes Moore
Winston-Salem Rescue Mission
About letters . . .
The Chronicle welcomes letters as well
as guest columns from its readers. Let
ters should be as concise as possible and
should be typed or legibly printed. The
letter must also include the name,
9 ^
addre\s and telephone number of the
writer to ensure the authenticity of the
letter. Columns must follow the same
guidelines and will be published if they
are of interest to our general readership.
| The Chronicle will not publish any let
ters or columns that arrive without this
information We reserve the right to edit
letters and columns for brevity and clar
ity. Submit letters and columnslo
Chronicle Mailbag
PO Box 1636
Winston Salem, N.C. 27102.
Europe's Fascism: International Dimensions of Racism
I stood on a Pahs street last month, as dark
ening clouds rumbled above. Beneath intermittent
showers, marching in crude military formation,
weie several hundred members ot the French
racist political party, the National Front.
Most of the party* members were wearing
casual work clothes, blue jeans and worn leather
jackets, the majority of demonstrators appeared to
be in their twenties and thirties. All were shout
ing, and all were white.
*? I followed the motley procession as it made
it way from the Boulevard Raspail, through the_
business district of tfie narrow Rue De Rennes,
on the wall of dozen of buildings and doorways.
One poster attacked French participation in the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotia
tions, which were just being concluded in
Geneva, Switzerland. Another flyer condemned
symbols of "American imperialism" which sup
posedly undermined French culture.
The symbols included the Statue of Liberty
? which was made in France originally and
? given tu America as a gitt ? the trademark of
McDonald's hamburger chain, and a gross depic
tion of an African-American basketball player,
with huge lips and grotesque eyes. The National
Front's slogans were Provocative: "France for the
French!" "Immigrants Out of Europe!"
The demonstration blocked an intersection,
trapping a small automobile. Evidentially, the dri
ver made the mistake of showing his outrage at
the fascists. National Front members surrounded
the vehicle and pounded it furiously. The
motorist fled for safety, as his automobile was
smashed. As the panic in the street s escalated, I
wondered aloud, "Where are the French police?"
Saturday afternoon shoppers who had come
to the busy district for Christmas shopping now
huddled anxiously against the walls of the
brightly decorated buildings.
One elderly woman ^vith red hair, perhaps a
survivor of ihe German occupation of France a
half century ago, was not intimidated, Stepping
forward, she bitterly denounced the young thugs:
"Fascists!" "Fascists!"
When the demonstrators reached a McDon
ald's restaurant, they began to shout in unison,
pounding against the large glass windows and
doors. Terrified patrons and employees fled.
-Then
m ob, abotit-20 " sk i rr- ?
heads" covering their
faces with red handker
chiefs sprinted forward!
They smashed a large
plate glass window in the ^
front of the restaurant, as I
well as the front doors.^
Triumphant and cheer
ing, the National Frppt mprnhprs marrhrri tn thn
Tour Montpamasse, thrusting their ram-soaked
racist banners into the dark skies. Once more, the
police were nowhere to be found.
The neofascist National Front has tens of
thousands of members and has garnered the sup
port of several million French citizens. The Front
appeals chiefly to the country's unemployed and
working class whites, who feel that they are los
Tng^tfrelF jobs to nonwhftc immigrants. By purg
ing Arabs, Africans and other lacking French cit
izenship from the country, the Frbnt declares,
poor whites will ad^nce economically.
Fascist, anti-Semitic and racist movements
are growing rapidly across Europe in the post
Cold War period. In the past three years, right
wing extremists in Germany have murdered 30
non whiles and have burned- tf*e homc-ot Turkish
and African workers.
In Russia's reccnt parliamentary elections,
the racist ana uiitranauonlisi pany of Vladimir
Zhirinovsky received significant support. In Italy,
the granddaughter of fascist dictator Benito Mus
solini, running on a reactionary program, was
only narrowly defeated in hcrbid for mayor of the
city of Naples. The near political outlook in
Europe is more dangerous today perhaps than at
any time since the defeat of Hitler's fascism 50
ALONG THE COLOR LINE
By MANNING MARABLE
<>
years ago. As the real wages of white wutkeis fall
and unemployment grows, the foundatioiur^or
scapegoat politics and ethnics chauvinism
increase. We must monitor closely the growth of
parties like the National Front and provide sup
port whenever possible to progressive and anti
racurt-orggnizations throughout Europe.
As I walked toward my hotel after the
National Front's rally, 1 encountered one final
poster, the most vicious all. A white man shown
violent assault, with two black hands covering his
mouth from behind. The slogan beneath read
simply: "Freedom of Expression for Whites!"
(Manning Marable is professor of history
and political science and director of the
African-American Studies Institute , Columbia
University , New York City.)
Where I'm Coming From
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