OPINION/LETTERS
Winston-Salem Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt, Pubiiaher/co-found?r Ndubisi Egemonye, Co* Founder
Elaine Pitt, Director of Communi*y Relations
KaTHY C. Lee, Production Manager MEL WHITE, Business Manager
Educating Our Children
The dialogue concerning the education of our children has
been long, sometimes terse, sometimes insensitive, sometimes
racist and sometimes narrow-minded.
But we are beginning to see some light at the end of this
tunnel. The debate has engaged the entire community. And that
is good. We have come to see that no one individual or entity
has the quintessential answer to this complex issue.
Instead, it is likely that the final school system's plan will
look a little like everyone's plan. There will likely be some
neighborhood schools that will not have precise black/white
percentages within zones created to enable kids to stay together
throughout their school lives. There is likely to be at least one
Afrocentric school as soon as everyone realizes that Afrocen
tric does not mean anti-white or pro-black.
The Coalition on African American Education is providing
exemplary leadership and foresight in seeking out examples of
Afrocentric schools and bringing that information back for
examination. They are exploring other afrocentric schools
searching for a model. There is no need to reinvent the wheel
here if it already has proven its worth. We commend them for
that leadership and patience.
We are thrlired thar the school board and panteutafTy ~
Donny Lambeth, has worked conscientiously to come up with
a plan that can be supported by the entire community. We
believe they are very close to achieving that. At least, some of
the wild fires have subsided. We encourage the board to con
tinue being sensitive to everyone's concerns. The process of
trying to reach a consensus seems to be right. In other words,
we're going about it in a way that gives everyone an opportu
nity to be heard.
We are encouraged that superintendent Dr. Donald Martin
is excited about developing a relationship with Winston-Salem
State University that will provide scholarships to students who
agree to stay in Fbreyth County to teach. We certainly need
more African American teachers in general and more African
American male teachers in particular. We believe more male
teachers will have a positive impact on some of the discipline
problems African American male students experience in the
system.
Right now a lot of things seem to be falling into place. We
hope the community rides this tide of commitment to solving
the problem of educating our children... all of our children.
On Wednesday, April 19, a
blast ripped through the Alfred
P. Murrah Federal Building in
downtown Oklahoma City. The
blast occurred at the start of the
work day, as parents were drop
ping off their youngsters at the
day-care center in the federal
building.
Officials called it the worst
act of terrorism in the nations
history. A car bomb exploding
with the force of battleship guns
tore away the facade of the nine
story federal building.
This was a devastating
shock to the nation, as we
watched the news coverage of
collapsing walls and ceiling
coming down in a gigantic rush
of concrete, steel beams, shat
tered glass and other debris.
American watched the hor
rific television images of faces
bleeding, dazed and hysterical
survivors screaming and stagger
ing through the streets in need of
immediate emergency treatment.
Many were killed in this blast
and hundreds are missing.
Many of us have asked
"how could this have happened
in the United States?" This is a
very difficult situation that we
have. President William Jeffer
son Clinton declared Sunday,
April 23, as the national day of
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mourning and flags continue to
be at half staff.
President Clinton, the Attor
ney General, Janet Reno, and the
Government have done an-onu,
standing job in finding these
"cowards" and bringing them to
justice.
We must continue to pray
for our country and hope that we
will never have to face another
disasterjrf this magnitude.
April A. Jeter
Greensboro
Postal Problems
To the Editor:
The Articles written by your
newspaper concerning the Post
master, of Winston-Salem has
been past for sometime and its
business as usual. The reason
being is as follows;
William Henderson, no\^~
Senior Vice President, was the
District Manager when Matics
came to Winston-Salem as Man
ager, Customer Services. Hen
derson was District Manager
when Matics was promoted to
Postnvaster. Consequently,
Ronald Campbell, our present
District Manager and Henry
Pankey, presently the Mid*;
unable to correct the problem. ? >
Secondly, two EEP com-'
plaints that have been filed are
now on hold. Is it a cover-up?' a 1
whitewash? Could be, but most
likely the (USPS) do not waftt
EEO complaints settled too close
to your articles.
Your consideration of the
above is requested.
To The Editor:
1 am looking for information
about Russell Harwood whose ,
(parent's) address in 1945 was: ,
321 W. 15th Street, Winston
Salem. Russell was a classmate
who graduated with us from the
U.S. Coast Guard Radio School,
Atlantic City, NJ, 50 years ago
this year.
In observance of the 50th
Anniversary of our graduation, 1
am attempting to locate or find
out what happened to, each of
the 79 graduates. So far I have
current information on 42 of the .
79 who graduated.
Please reply to: Dennis D. ,
Dowling, Rte 2, Box 381, Wina
mac, IN 46996', Telephone
(219)946-3027.
Director/ are
Thomas S. Perkins
Trp/ici<r?r U/.C A
>
Classmate Search
Dennis D. Dowling
What is Obvious to African
?America is Not Necessarily Obvious to Me
If you arc an African American, you probably don't know what
it is that I need to know about race relations. And I assure you that I,
a white woman with a major interest in this subject, dofi't know what
to ask. While this might seem like a totaf communication break
down ? an impasse so to speak, I hope that speaking openly about
this problem will allow white people to own it and black people to
acknowledge its presence. Unnamed problems can be easily ignored.
From my reading I gather that often people aren't very con
cerned about what white people don't know. Considering our coun
try's history, I really can't say that I blame them for this attitude.
Black people have been reading and talking about racial issues for so
long that their very lives seem permeated by them. Seeing the racial
element in life's situations and every striving to overcome its detri
mental effects have been necessary for the survival of the African
American.
White Americans have never been required to view racial issues
in this manner. In fact, we often refuse to face these issues at all. We
pretend that racism, is not a real problem ? or. at least, not an impor
tant one. By closing our eyes, we can make racial strife vanish.
When we see nothing, we pretend that nothingness is reality. White
people would love to see racial problems go away. Alas, our work
never does itself!
To get ahead in our present society ? and most people are con
cerned, at least to some degree, with getting ahead? we must be goal
oriented. Most people want to see tangible results for their efforts.
This is logical. If nothing will change, why put forth effort? Since
energy is finite, why not channel it into a more profitable arena?
While these questions make sense, they do not tell the whole
story. For taken to their limit, they imply that if we aren't sure we can
solve a problem, we won't even try.
Presently I see white Americans adopting a more positive and
^ ?
7%.
realistic stance.
White people are talking about race these days, and it s not just
for show. Most conversations are held in
the privacy of our own homes and mmmmmamam
offices ? well out of earshot of black peo
ple. Under these circumstances, we say
what we want to say. What I often hear has
gFeat potential. Maybe this interest in
racial issues has been present for longer
than I am aware. Perhaps I'm just more
observant now and more attune to these
issues. But the fact is white people are
talking about racial issues.
Although sensitive white people want to understand racial prob
lems, more fully, we really don't know how to go about it Reading,
often from a black point of view, gives us some insight. Gaining
information in this manner allows us to save face because our vast
ignorance is not exposed. We can approach biracial situations with a
more educated view.
But here's the clincher! Black people often speak of racial issues
in terms that are obvious to them, but these terms are unclear to
white people. Much of the time we understand part of the issue. In
fact, we often see several parts of the issue. But we find ourselves
unable to put the pieces together into a unified whole. We sense that
we are missing something, but we don't know what it is. Even if we
have a relationship with a black person to whom we could ask the
question, we can't. ?
Allow me to give an example. For approximately a year and a
half, I have been reading books by African American authors so that
I might gain empathy for black people in our country today. My
reading has revealed one dominant theme: "the black experience."
Black people know that life's situations are shaped by racial compo
nents and racism.
GUEST COLUMNIST
By HELEN LOSSE
As I tried to comprc- ?
hcnd this concept, I real- i
ized two things. First, there
Js no such thing as "the
I white experience:" It just ?
doesn't exist. And sec- .?
ondly, from personal expe
rience I know that some
? times life's experiences are
shaped bv factors nth*r
than racial ones. Yet I see myself developing empathy for African
Americans. I can see their view ? sort of!
My reading continues. In a book I read a couple of months ago,
the authors ? one black and one white ? present a model for race
relations set in ari~cvangelical church in urban Chicago. One state
ment made by the black pastor, for me, hit pay dirt.
He said that black people want white people to admit that there is .
a racial ELEMENT in most biracial situations. He explained that the
percentage of the racial element would vary in each individual case.
Eureka! I had found it! Black people were telling me that life has
a racial element not that all of life is racial. Yes! 1 get it!
I'm not hearing this spoken often in a clear voice. Maybe some
black people are explaining issues such as this, but few within my ?
earshot are. I'm listening, but I'm not hearing (without considerable
^research) that situations in America today almost always contain
racism as ONE of their major components. What is obvious to the
African American is not necessarily obvious to me.
(Helen Losse is a student at Wake Forest University )