OPINION/ FORUM
Oh RON 1C LE
ERNEST H. PlTT Pub)isher'Co-Foun<Vr
Elaine Pitt buuiws* Manner
Michael A. Pitt Marketing <"
T. Kevin Walker Managing Editor
The Lash Tournament has become a venue for rising young
players from area high schools.
It 's About
the Kids
Despite a tough economic environment arid many financial
setbacks. The Chronicle / Lash Junior Varsity Holiday
Tournament was another great success'. We had record crowds
in attendance at each of the three-day event's games. The
excitement level w as high as was the caliber of play from each
of our voung. growing athletes. .
Therein lie5"the real reason we have put this tournament on
for the last 15 years or so. It's about the kids,
The tournament's name stems froin the legacy of Coach
David Lash, a tremendous leader and encourager of young ath
letes who passed away several years ago. It has been the
beginning for many ninth and tenth graders, giving them an
opportunity to feel what it's ltke to compete in tournament
play. They get to experience the thrill of playing before a large
crowd. .the drama of an important game, the important free
throws and the last minute scrambles to either catch up or
maintain one's lead.
The fervor of the. tournament would rival that of a UNC
Chapel Hill .championship game' One. attendee said that his
son. who plays for RJ Reynolds High School, had been talking
about the tournament" ever since he made the team.
Another -remarked. "This is as close as you can get to the
true spirit of athletics."
In describing how great a venue the tourney is for kids, one
family commented. "Ifcere is nothing else like this anywhere
for our kids I watched aiHlie games and enjpyed every one of
them." . ' ' '
People from all parts of our community attended, and that's
what it's all about: bringing people of diverse backgrounds and
cultures together to enjoy what we have in common rather than
allowing ourselves to be separated by our differences.
Perhaps the most telling evidence of the posirfve\pipact of
this tournament K the way that one \1t. Tabor player described
it% crying, "We really wanted to win this tournament."
Why? he was asked "Because it is The Chronicle tourna
ment." he said.
Another member of-the team said, "You just don't know
What it means to win The Chronicle" tournament "
We do now. It's about the kids _
We would like to thank all the sponsors, schools, players,
coaches and parents for making this year's event one to
t remember
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Obama, Justice
Thomas and Lil Wayne
Rev.
Barbara
Reynolds
it . v
Guest
Columnist
?The greatest gift of all this Christmas was the
emancipation of the human spirit, a present everyone
can receive, but virtually no one can buy.
With plant closings, homeowner evictions and
unemployment on a frightening rise, this Christmas
w?js not jusr another celebration of the .acquisition of
more stuff. As we lost stuff? wages, stocks, houses -
we were forced to see what else there is about our
selves that gives us meaning and purpose.
? And when the euphoria fades from the election of
our first Black President Barack Ohama, we must still face those issues of self-hate and
cultural rot that no one person in the White House can fix.
But for now at the highest level, virtue is making a comeback. For eight long years
under George Bush, we have seen how mega-lies, cronyism, unbridled greed and cor
ruption have destroyed our economy, tarnished our image around the world and at the
very worst cost the lives of thousands of our own soldiers and Iraqi civilians needless
ly v ' '
Today, with the election of President Obama we see the re-birth in the American
character of the blessings of hard work , integrity and the pursuit of excellence as reali
ties rather than storybook .
fantasies .
1 see the torch pass
ing. not just from Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. to
Baraek Obama, but from
our African slave ances^
tors to every living soul
with a vision, a dream, a
legacy to be built and to
pass* on.
.1 first noticed that
foreigners were looking
at African- Americans
differently, perhaps as an
extension or a reflection
of a rejuvenated spirit,
when T was touring
Egypt this summer along
with *a group from the
Howard University
School of Divinity. t)ther
tourists, not only from
Africa, but European
countries were smiling
and waving at us calling
us "Obamas," which,
based on past experi
ences abroad, 1 found
surprising. ? Chart-topper Lil Wayne
Now as. the entire
world looks at" African- - ,
Americans differently because riot only is one of our own the leader of the most pow
erful governmental Earth, but he's also the new face or symbol of professional excel
lence and morality. - - . . .
Nevertheless there is still a demand for a change in our culture to embrace this new
global reality. The greatest gift we can give to our first Black President is to put forth
our best efforts on all fronts: the best parents, the best students, the best politicians, and
the best caretakers of our senior citizens.
For those who believe in miracles, there are a few more we need. Barack cannot fix
all our problems; .some- solutions must come from above.
For example, my Christmas wish is that a lightning bolt hits the Supreme Court
building and knocks Justice Clarence Thomas to the floor, and miraculously revives
him as a principled Black man. He .continues to be an embarrassment.
The latest -scandal is how Uncle Thomas took up the cause to deny Barack- Obama
his history-making presidency based on the stupid challenge th.it he was not a "natural
borrt" American, which would forbid him from becoming president under, the
Constitution.
None other than Republican Alan Keyes. who had parachuted into Illinois tu run
against Obama for president, teamed up. with Thomas to press the case even after other
Justices ignored it. .The argument was that since Obama was born in Hawaii and his
father was a Kenyan national. Obama had dual citizenship at birth, which disqualified
him from the presidency. Happily on December R. thts Court rejected the case. Only a
lightnifig bolt from heaven could release Thomas of his inbred self-hatred, which he bit
terly projects on other Blacks . .
Second on my wish list that we can't expect President Obama to fix is the obsession
with thug culture. The spectacle of so many "credible" adults stafiding and applauding
Lil Wayne at a recent BET event was typical of why'so many of our young people are
drugging, gang-banging and busting through the charts with HIV/AIDS.
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (Lil Wayne) has a CD on the charts called, "Ttye
Lollipop " While the lewd lyrics are too pornographic to be quoted here, 1 assure you
the lollipop Little Wayne is encouraging our hoys and girls to lick is not candy. Yet,
respectable adults who appear, to be in their right minds stand and cheer this porno
graphic rapper with his pants down showing his underwear.
Lil Wayne, who is up for several Grammy awards, is a hero to many young peQple
partto because of his thug cred??fi^ds. which includes several arrests for possession of
drug^ind guns.
The rappers and the thug culture are chsjUing a homicidal environment for our young
people as more Blacks die in Black-oji-BlacWiolence than soldiers killed in a declared
war in Iraq Again, as HIV is pandemic ifi our community. those who sing about ram
pant sex are cheered instead of denounced.
If we can elect a Blackjyesident surely we can achieve the next miracle of creating
a culture where a Supreme Court Justice and a pornographic rapper can stop projecting
values that kill and destroy
The Rev. Barbara Reynolds is an adjunct professor at the Howard University School |
of Divinity and the author of several hooks, including "Out of Hell A Living Well:
Healing From the Inside Out. "
Now a Digital
TV Divide?
When most te^ision broadcasts in the
US go all-dipHffin February, it will mark a
new JHurflph tor communications technolo
gy. Across the country, the conversion from
an older method of transmitting TV signals,
known as analog, will give way to digital
technology
The transition to digital TV, which is tak
ing place around the world, will bring vast
improvements in both picture (high defini
tion) and sound quality, and the ability of
broadcasters to multicast - sending multiple
signals over the same airwaves used for one
analog signal There are other benefits as
well. There will be more space on the air
waves for public safety communications,
allowing police, fire and rescue squads to
keep, us
safer. In
addition, it
will make
a new gen
eration of
wireless
technolo
gies avail
Wade
Henderson
Guest
Columnist
able. *
Multicasting may allow more free ethnic
media broadcasts.
Yet, there may also be a serious down
side: We may be creating a new digital
divide.
While many Americans take their cable
and satellite TV services for granted, mil
lions of families still rely on rooftop anten
nas and rabbit ears to receive their television
stations. On February 17th, when most tele- ?
vision stations must broadcast digitally,
those old over the air televisions sets will not
pick up the stations many Americans rely
on. . <>;? -;v. .?
Not surprising, low income families and
communities of color will be impacted the
most. The Nielson Company, leaders in tel
evision viewer research, has completed a
study with stunning results. Their report
shows that 12 .5 percent of African American
households and 1 3' percent of Hispanic
households are using analog televisions and
are not ready for the digital transition.
Moreover, households with annual incomes
less than $25,000 are five times more
likgly to be unprepared for the digital con- ,
version than households earning, over
$75,000.
The impact on communities of color is
underscored by Nielson 's listing of locations
with the highest percentage of households
with analog televisions; most have large ..,,
minority populations. For instance, 15.8 per
cent of Houston households aren't ready for
the conversion. 14.3 percent in Dallas-Ft
Worth, 14.1 percent in Tulsa, 13.4 percent in >
Salt Lake City, 13.3 in Milwaukee, 12.7 per
cent in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, 12.0 percent
in MinneapOlis-St. Paul. It.tf percent irt
Austin. 1 1 .6 percent in Los Angeles and 1 1 .6
percent in Memphis.
The data paints a disturbing picture.
Many low-income and people of color who
were part of the broad coalition that lifted
Illinois Sen. Barrack Obama to the presiden
cy face- the real possibility of not being able
to follow his progress once he takes office.
Moreover, as the nation confronts one of its
most challenging economic crises ever, mil
lions of people won't be getting the latest
news and information about public policy
changes from their television sets.
It's crucial that public officials, as well
as corporate, community and. civic leaders
join in the effort to inform those with analog
televisions how they can obtain converter
boxes that will allow their televisions to con
tinue receiving stations after the conversion. '
The government is sponsoring a conver
sion assistance program. A Digital-to
Analog.Converter Box. Coupon is available;
households can receive two MO coupons for ?
the purchase of-cotiverter boxes. Depending
on the television . converter boxes cost
between $40 and $70. For more, informa
tion, visit www.dtv2009.gov, or call 1-888
388-2009 (voice). The process can take up
to six weeks, so people must order their
coupons now.
The Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights is urging civic, community and polit
ical leaders to help their constituents keep
their televisions on. Here are ways to assist
those who need our help: Post flyersto com
munity and office bulletin boards; Place
announcements in newsletters, bulletins,
and newspapers; Send postcards or emails to
everyone in your address book; Give book
marks out at your neighborhood school;
Attend conversion education events in your
community *"*" &
, There are 2 1 million households current
ly relying on analog television. As our
nation breaks many barriers, including the
election of its first African American presi
dent, we can't allow millions of people to
lose their source of news and information.
That would be taking a giant step back
wards.
Let's help those who can't afford new
televisions keep their access to the airwaves.
Wilde Henderson is the president and
CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights, which is the nation's premier civil
and human rights coalition. Information
regarding the digital conversion can he
found on their website at
wwwjcivilrights.org/dtv/.