Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Feb. 19, 1987, edition 1 / Page 2
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i On two separate fronts, we fidd that the United States is now in thagrip of a dual edu cational paradox. On one hand, blacks, who ' fitaght racism and discrimination in the stfeets and in the courts for a 1U0 years, and v finally won desegregation of public facili ties, including schools, are now seeking a return to black educational institutions On ' the other hand, many of the same predomi nantly white educational institutions that os tensibly seek black students are now insti tuting quotas to limit their admission of-' The underlying reason for these-paradox- H‘ ■ •• ere twofold. Many black students look to black colleges end universities to assist them in gaining a sense of personal identity aa^ Mack pereim or to reassess whd they are * within the context of a relatively new irtte- ' grated, society developed over just the last SO ' ^Secondly mahy' Asian Ko V! tn and who hava v«rv tiioK arlnnfinnot M ^ ..r, vvUyAMUimi ValUcB, — - A « ^ * ^- dfitnym let Kaavk ^™ . S ^ rtA ■ n m rtl _ # It _ f ^ . s • f'.- 4 a a |ivrvVuii 'Ox uiaB yaar a trssnniAn ^Iasa ~giYi |||| u it . , ' | V ■ gf • . r * ivy L6igm schools. t nVJll u *~1 -_ i _ ,• _ * I ' aJr » *w*v ▼•vfcuuo tAj\f ui inc current wave of anti* fOTttffn Irfiling nrieinrr *n . tt Iw fill AIAVI Af fnvatim 1-— _ _ viubmpm wi tureiKii ianeu frees in coTinActinn cist atti^rlss btq not limH white^A»- ^ l^be ofHistmhics and Asians.-For example, flowing Castro's rise to power, ^Jcbs€^ ^u* are hostile, toward Koreans Vietnamese and ' •' Hitpanics because they have become the new nreas by not aggressively seeking to operete small businesses in their own neigh borhoods. °n the question of black identity, psycholo ,gy professor Jacqueline Fleming conducted • study of &,800 students at 18 colleges and uni versities in Oedrgih; Mississippi, Texas, . and Ohio in an attempt to find out the relative difference between the-impact 6f black and -. colleges and. universities upon black students. The study was compiled in her book, "Blacks in College." , Dr. Fleming wrote; "Black students in . white1 schools (colleges and universities) are not performing up to their maximum poten tial. The same things that black students have more of in predominantly black schools should be offered at white school*: ttore interaction with people. It makes a dif ference between hew well you do." Wisely, Fleming adds, the solution to the problem ‘ ^ •fcudent, not the SchooL There fore, we might add, the introverted, shy.'uni maginative student linking initiative will feel left out, isolated , or disconnected from JW c°N«g« or university whether he or she , . be black or white. ; ; _ Undoubtedly, the key point, of Flatting's . book is m her conclusion that students ert ro,k? at “«k colleges starting out wifh low, or educational levels than the blades at pre dominantly whitp.schools,'will by the end of their fourth year, eliminate those differences where similar aptitudes are evident; Ibis simply confirms that different educational needs of blacks like any other students are met by different kinds of educational initi tutions. . . . •; ' f. • ■* • ' ,’X. * Dual Unique Role There is, however, a dual, unique , role' V- Ployedbyblack coll eg,* and universities in aerving black youth. First; many, perhaps toe many, black youth .graduate from high school ill-prepared for college study. Black colleges are to be highly commended for helping many of their students to overcome thie handicap. The obvious aind best proof of this success is not just in how many students graduate from such .black institutions of higher learning but also in how many of these graduates who go on to attend «nd grad - uate successfully from many of the nation', leading graduate schools. Secondly, for the black'youth coming from' a environment — high school, own black identity. In a Charlotte Observer Black History Month article, David Peri mutt write about Octavia* Cannon of East Lansing, MI. Agraduate of 88% white East DttiainyHigh School, with acceptance slips from nbr two home state' universitiaa, Ms. Cannon nevertheles's caine South to attend Johnson tl. Smith University. . ' ; The Charlotte chapter of the. NAACP is about to face one of its vLilliugcs to date. This time the opponent to not wearing hooded robes and marching in downtown Charlotte. This time the'op position "isnot the manage ment of businesses denying'■« job opportunities to minoiv • ties; No, this time the foe: isn’t an entity or, a group im-. - peding the progress of the hopeless and. downtrodden; Instead, this time , the NAACP*s problem come* from within. \ ] • Several members Of the lo cal chapter are afraid that the historically rich organization * is on a collision coarse with; mem interest, disregard forfheload and national NAACP1 bylaws, election scandals, and many others. The discontent -mem bers feel that in Ontario Save the organization, they. ibu st sac rifice some individuals. *A '• ’ . * Gera^ . ' V’ frv ’ - • * ' * .Starting in this, weekV.edtf ** ™^”ing a all to this situation Vith the hope that the Situation can be resolved. JH$nce, :>*e hay? been gath* * ering information to expose - both sides 'Of-. this conflict. To dull end I must commend Now fe Tirn^ 1V> RAlices irH? Shgirtnan N. Miller BJESTSSSHL* e*n unity during the senith ef the Civil Rights movement produced significant progress egeinet overt American ra cism. B«it America's racist minority can taka solace ip the current block and Jewish schism. Thus Black History Month offers On opportunity to reassess this historical Black and Jewish alliance ip light of the teachings of Pr. Martin Luther King, Jr,; . ' - . . I shall call upon Dr. Jamas Newton, director of the Black Studiee Program at the Uni versity of Delaware, to offer a sterile view of Dr. King's teaching. Newton, speaking et a Dr. Martin Luther King/ Jr. birthday celebration hosted by The Jewish Federation pf Delaware and Bath Emoth Congregation of Wilmington, DE, said King "felt that Black Americans would fere Well by the Jewish etample." He quoted from the writings of James Washington, "A Testament of Hope - The Es sential Writings Of Martin Luther King, Jr." to point but that "unlike Jewish Ameri <nne, black people have net de veloped a sense of steward ship," . "... : -,V Newton also saw a sense ef oneness missing in the black community. A Jewish person later commented oa the Jews' belief that Jews iyho have ri sen up the socioeconomic lad der h*ve responsibility fbr those who have not broken pov erty*e Chain. J ■- ■ . . .* * * , r * • • »“• *4»« M • • ► — •> t . ■ • • .••• to. . , to, Newton offered a rationale for a disunited black commu nity which, is often exploited njr many blacks to excuse fail ure., “The separation during slavery, family from family, caused a disunity amohgst blacks that still persists to-, day," proclaimed Newton.'*• Another Jewish person sug gaeted that blacks ere continu ing to use I960*' legal taetics , in hopes, of cireymventiftg 'mainstream standards rer- . sus demonstrating higher ca liber performance. This par* son cited, ail an example, the ease of the Wilmington black police officers who failed the .promotion examination and the black, leadership taking this issue to court- instead of the** officers working barter to improve their promotion po: tenttal., *.i V; *<--r -V 1 chatted with several jaw-’ . v -ML. . ■ -‘i'.’-M -jsf.- 'Vrv<v ... v i*h people after the program. These conversations con vinced me that Affirmative Action was a key impediment to good-black and Jewish rela tionships. One issue which lurked just under the surface in many of my eonversatioihf was, "Should excellence take precedence over raciaT quo tas?" My first inclination was to ignore these Jewish- people's concerns over Afflrniatiyo Action because they hold « dis proportionate number of the hijfh paying professional jobs- i It was not' until I was watching a professional basketball game on television that the Jewish side of the issue started • to trouble ms. As beat I recall, there were five black chaps . froln the Atlanta Hawks play ing five black felloes from the Houston Roeketa with a predominantly white audi ence. I called my wife into the room and asked her what Hap ?pened to the hopes and dreams of the many rising young black basketball stars if pro . fessional basketball teams wars required to hire players by racial quotas? Are not ’v black players picked/because they are the best basketball players? \> ' ;'s< 'V: Numerous Black AmeH cans. have - clearly demon strated their ability to excel ht sports and show business. If. th% -black community is Seri ous sbput massive black up ward mobility, than they must accept Dr. King's teaching on -: excellence and apply it Jin America s educational are- * na. * ' 1 . t £*cM**i KecrivEs Appointment Washington -: Congressman . Ate McMillan was appoint*! rs «wrtly to tha Joint Bsendud* Com mltta* of tha 100th Cba*i»aa by Hauaa ffpsaksr Jim 1ft1|M. McMiUdn Waa nominated by Htaaa^pdUtean Lteddr R**»rt Miehal. , «* • > *, "tha Joint Economic Commit tea la important bscausa itatudiaa •nd makaa proposals on currant • economic laauas,’ aald Miehal in ' nominating lfclf|llan for tha Commlttes. ’Only four Houaa Rapublioans could ba appointed and Alas McMillan waia r claar ohoisa. Ha is uniquely qualified hr this poat Wane. of Ma axtan . MV! Oeonomie and bttainada background and hte thorough on JU' . ■.' a ’• ' •! i'- :■ /• 1 /• .. •: ' ? t*-: ■ i ' . those individuals who stepped forward, with their story. Their sincerity pf purpose Whs constantly demonstrated as they often-showed concern for th& continuing viability of the-organiration. This'is not. to say'th at they arfcncccssarily right with their accusations. But it is to say that they dem onstrated an unselfish convic tion for what they were do-, ing- It is not about simr • grapes. It isabout it group of individuals that feel that their ■organization'is being torn apart at the segms; Conse nudntiy, by going public wjth 1 the problems, maybe a form of/nendmg will occur. -Our jo$> as a . newspaper is to gather and report the facts. ’This is what WC have attempt ed to do. Unfpnaaaielwjoime people Will bi hurt IjSMriuU * are trying to accomplish with this series; Many of you will undoubtedly say that this should not'be made public . Many ofyouwiB sey that is the busmC&s of the NAACP and no one else should be concerned.. • To all of .you that feel this way, l can only say this. The tradition of a great organization like the NAACP historically represented the mood and atti tudes of a people. The organi zation served as the spokes man for justice and freedom. It acted as the knight in shining armor tor.fight for those things that were constitutionally ours by right, but were only given to us through a fight Even to day as this organization strives to find its rightful place in to day's changing society, many people are resting theinhopes and dreams on tins dyiqg.war rior to wage just one more fight if the need arises. Therefore, the Series .should be iihportant to ns all because of what the NAACP once was and because of what it can stiH be. As a Community we can not afford to have tmroegaai zation divided. The internal fighting must'end. go that the organization can get on with external ionoerhs. By airing the internal issues of both sides publicly, we hope to make the organization account able to its membership as well w&SEfr is faiM flence, let the facts flow and let the healing begin.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 19, 1987, edition 1
2
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