Author Dyson critical of 4 safe Negroes'
Di 1 IVI Vlit WALKhK
THE CHRONICLE
Borrowing lyrics made
popular by rap bad boy 50
Cent, new-school intellectual
Michael Eric Dyson told stu
dents at Winston-Salem State
University that he was a
P.I.M.P. - "a Public Intellectu
al with Moral Principles."
"I pimp pages," Dyson said
to a roar of laughter and
applause. The author and Uni
versity of Pennsylvania pro
fessor spoke at the school Fri
day night as part of a sympo
sium on black males spon
sored by Black Men for
Change, a WSSU student
group. }
Dyson peppered his serious
perspectives on the state of the
black male with popular rap
lyrics and even hooks from
songs made famous by groups
like The Stylistics. It is an
unorthodox style that has been
gobbled up by audiences
throughout the country.
Dyson told the overwhelm
ingly African-American
crowd, that most blacks still
do not know who they are. He,
pointed especially to young
black men, who Dyson said
are far too often falling into
the thug/ criminal role made
popular by rappers and perpet
# # Photo by Kc\ in Walker
Author Michael Eric Dyson talks to a fan after his speech at WSSU Friday.
o
uated on the evening news.
"We are reading from a
script. We are just repeating
lines we have been handed,"
he said. An equally as pressing
issue, Dyson said, is the "safe
Negro" - the black who is so
comfortable at his or her social
or business level that he or she
is afraid to make waves by
challenging the status quo or
reaching back to help those
struggling. Dyson sauf safe
Negroes exist in Hollywood,
in corporate boardrooms and
especially in Washington, D.C.
Dyson was critical of three
black Republicans: Supreme
Court Justice Clarence
Thomas. National Security
Adviser Condi Rice and Secre
tary of State Colin Powell. He
said each of them has ignored
the needs of the greater black
community in order to
advance their own lots in life.
"What is it with Negroes
with C names," he joked,
referring to Colin, Condi and
Clarence.
Dyson said he has been
criticized for speaking out
negatively about arguably the
most powerful Dlack people in
the nation. But Dyson told the
crowd that blacks must stop
supporting people simply
because they are black. He
said skin tone does not neces
sarily determine a person's
racial identity.
"We must not have solidar
ity for silliness," he said. "You
have to earn it. You just can't
be born with this blackness."
Dyson,. whose books
include the recent best seller
"Why 1 Love Black Women,"
suggested that young blacks
look to older African-Ameri
cans to learn how they sur
vived with less and worked
cooperatively to make great
social change.
"You have to ask questions
of people whose hairs are
gray," he said.
Black Men
from page A 1
have grown tired of the lack of
respect and authority given to
young black men. He hoped the
symposium would inspire young
black males to take up worthy
causes, much like those of the
generation before his did during
the Civil Rights Movement.
"Being young men in college,
we need to communicate with
other men; that's the key," said
Murray, a senior and a founding
member of Black Men for
Change. "We want to break the
cycle of not feeling wanted and
not knowing our history and
building on a foundation that our
generation can stand up for."
Murray said there is room at
the table for every black man.
even those who may share differ
ent ideas about how to reach the
same goals.
"From our difference come
our ideas and from our ideas
come change," he said.
Topics as diverse as voting,
hip-hop and the criminal justice
system were discussed during the
daylong event.
Urban League employees
Photo by Courtney Gaillard
Alvin Borders
Alvin Borders arid Steve Jones
opened the symposium with a
discussion on the "State of Amer
ica for Black Males." They didn't
have much of an audience,
though. Just before the forum
was to begin that morning, many
students opted instead to attend
the hearing of Darryl Hunt, who
was wrongfully convicted of
murder in 1984. Hunt had his
conviction formally vacated Fri
day. The lack of students did not
bother Borders.
"I see the need for us to get
involved with each other and
share." said Borders, who is an
educational specialist with the
Urban League. "I would have
liked to see the room fuller but
I'm still happy about the men
who did come because those men
File Phoio
The Rev. J.T.
McMillan was
the popular
pastor at St.
James AME
Church for
many years.
He died in
1992.
McMillan
from page A 1
community so strong. It's
important for young people to
see these markers and remember
the people who fought and died
for their freedom and opportuni
ty that they enjoy today."
Burke remembers McMillan
fondly. She was a member of St.
James for 15 years. But she
fears that young people won't
remember him like she does - as
a leader who refused to shy
away from adversity or inequal
ity.
"1 wish that the young
minority people would know
what we have gone through in
order for them to have what they
have today.... People you, don't
even see and don't even know
did so much for you to have a
better life here in Winston
Salem," said Burke. "(McMil
lan) was brave enough to say
'we're not satisfied with the
conditions in Winston-Salem
and that it must be improved for
minorities.' He worked hard for
that to be accomplished by
opening up the doors of the
church and the church members
supported him on a number of
causes."
Burke also remembers how
McMillan took a strong stance
on issues dealing with civil
rights and the homeless. "She
believes if he were alive today
he would be saddened by the
Nissen
from page AS
Pres Kabacoff is active
both nationally and regionally
in the issues of urban policy,
regionalism, conservation in
land use, historic preserva
tion. and the long-term health
of the economy.
Adding to the program of
the partnership annual meet
ing will be the presentation of
the Downtown Excellence
Awards by Mayor Allen
Joines. The awards have been
presented annually for the
past nine years to recognize
individuals or businesses lhal
have made significant contri
butions to the downtown
environment through new
projects, rehabilitation of
properties, special events, or
creative business practices. A
video produced by City TV 1 3
will highlight the five win
ners.
The Downtown Winston
Salem Partnership is a mem
bership-based organization
dedicated to the development
and enhancement of the cen
ter city and to the support of
the businesses. cultural and
educational institutions and
residents located there.
number of people who remain
jobless, homeless and hungry on
the streets of Winston-Salem.
"We have a man who came
to this city and opened up so
many hearts and minds, right
here in this church, "said Burke.
have to start a revolution by talk
ing to other men. It's still great
that we had this (foram) and they
can pass it on."
The most important issue fac
ing black men - young and old -
in this country. Jones said, is the
disproportionate number of black
men who are incarcerated.
"We've got to do something
about every black man. What this
means is that to my right in my
mother's family and to my left in
my father's family, there's some
body in jail. That i& astronomical
in our community. It erodes the
family structure that our commu
nity is based upon.'' Borders said.
"If men are locked up. they can't
be there to parent their children
and they can't do necessary
things in the community. We as
black men have got to talk about
this issue, and we've got to share
our talents."
Jones, an employment divi
sion coordinator with the Urban
League, shared some dismal sta
tistics released by the National
Urban League that stated that
black men are still not finding
jobs despite the improving econ
omy. He reminded the students
that the way to change the bleak
economic picture for all people
of color is by voting in the
upcoming election.
"One of the most important
things you can do is vote. Vote in
a new administration - one that
will respond to the needs of the
people," said Jones. "You've got
to get out and vote. You saw what
happened in the last
election.. . Please don't take the
attitude of 'I'm just one persort
and my vote doesn't count.' It
does count. Think about all of the
people who went before you w ho
had to suffer just to get you
where you are."
Following the morning
foram. students spent an hour
with Jones. Ernest Lawson of the
University Counseling Center
and Willard Tanner of WSSU's
Career Services, generating ideas
and strategies for moving for
ward as a unified male front in
the community.
"We wanted to get a dialogue
going, raise questions, come up
with some answers and develop
solutions for what we can do.
now." said Lawson. "We want
ihe guys to really think and think
about the issues."
Politics and voting were the
focus of the afternoon forum.
"Black Males and Electoral Poli
tics," which was led by Rep.
Larry Womble. Students also
heard from writer and activist
Michael Eric Dyson later that
evening.
Writer
Quindlen to
speak at Wake
SPECI AL TO THE CHRONICLE
Anna Qoindlen. best-selling
author and Pulit/er Prize-win
ning journalist, will give the
rounders
Da^Con
vocation
address al
Wake
Forest
Universi
ty at II
a.m. Feb.
19 in
Wait
Chapel. Quindlen
The even! Q
is free and open to the public.
Quindlen, a novelist who has
written both fiction and nonfic
tion books, has published work in
some of America's most influen
tial newspapers and most widely
read magazines during the past
25 years. She writes the presti
gious Last Word column in
Newsweek magazine, and her
latest novel. "Blessings," is a
New York Times best seller. The
book was recently made into a
television movie starring Mary
Tyler Moore.
Quindlen, a columnist at The
New York Times from 1981 to
1994, became only the third
woman in the paper's history to
write a regular column for its Op
Ed page in 1990. Quindlen won
the' Pulit/er Prize for commen
tary in 1992.
Quindlen left newspapers in
1995 to become a full-time nov
elist. She has written four best
selling novels, including "Object
Lessons." "One True Thing."
"Black and Blue." and "Bless
ings."
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