4A
EDITORIALS/ The Charlotte Post
August 22, 1996
Cljarlotte ^os!t
Published weekly by the Charlotte Post Publishing Co.
1531 Camden Road Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Gerald O. Johnson
CEO/PUBLISHER
Robert Johnson
CO-PUBLISHER/
GENERAL MANAGER
Between dog and fire hydrant
GERALD O. JOHNSON
Herbert L. White
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Black colleges source of
leadership, progess, Part II
William Gray
SPECIAL TO THE POST
Recently, the enrollments of HBCUs have grown significantly above
the national average. This can be attributed to several factors. First,
Afiican-American student enrollment is up at aU colleges and univer
sities due to higher high school completion rates and African-
Americans’ increasing recognitions of the importance of a college edu
cation. Recent data shows that Afiican-American youth believe that a
college education is important for economic mobUity; and new census
figures state that a college education does help to overcome the “race
gap” in income - the median income of African -Americans with a col
lege degree is 92 percent of that of white college graduates. Newly
released figures show that Afiican-American high school completion
rates hit an all-time high of 73 percent compared to 81 percent for
white Americans. Thus, it is not surprising that approximately
300,000 students are now attending HBCUs (this includes non-Black
students). In addition, Afiican-American students at other colleges
and universities are at an all-time high of nearly 1.4 million
I Secondly, the growth rate of HBCUs has
outdistanced the national rate because they
I are educational bargains for a community
that is overwhelmingly low-income. With
the average African-American family
income at $32,826, access to higher educa
tion is usually determined by cost. Although
j many colleges and universities have
j attempted to address this issue through
special scholarships and government stu
dent loans, the fact is that there are not
enough resources to meet the demand. With
the ever-rising cost of higher education,
Gra^ African Americans will increasingly be
attracted to the affordable, high-quality
education offered by HBCUs. A recent
analysis by Harold Wenglinsky of the Educational Testing Service
shows that the average four-year HBCU student pays 58 percent less
tuition that the average four-year student at another institution. The
cost factor is also one of the leading reasons why increasing numbers
of white, Hispanic and Asian students are attending HBCUs.
Thirdly, HBCUs are centers of excellence with unique capabilities
to address African-American needs. Of the 20 colleges that graduate
the most Afncan-Americans who go on to earn Ph.Ds, nine of the top
10 are HBCUs. While only 16 percent of Afiican-Americans attend
HBCUs, 45 percent of recent Afiican-American Ph. Ds received then-
undergraduate degrees at HBCUs. The leading four colleges in
America placing Afiican-Americans into medical schools are HBCUs
- Xavier, Howard, Spelman and Morehouse. When this is combined
with the fact that over half of all African-American professionals are
graduates of HBCUs, then, increasingly, yoimg Afiican-Americans
will be drawn to these centers of afibrdable higher educational excel
lence where they can find role models, non-hostile and nurturing
environment, professors who expect them to succeed and achieve aca
demic excellence, and where the president and professors know them
by name - and sometimes have even memorized their parents’ phone
numbers.
While only 16 percent of African
Americans attend HBCUs, 45 percent of
recent African American Ph. Ds received
their undergraduate degrees at HBCUs.
The leading four colleges in America plac
ing African Americans into medical schools
are HBCUs - Xavier, Howard, Spelman
and Morehouse.
Indeed, it is in such an environment that HBCUs do their transfor
mational work. 'These institutions have proven themselves capable of
taking students who have received modest or inadequate secondaiy
education - or those whose aptitude was not discovered using tradi
tional assessment methods like the SAT or ACT tests - and producing
talented contributing citizens. They know how to take Hiamnnd« in
the rough and make them more brilliant, as Harvard and Stanford
do. But they also know how to do something other colleges cannot do.
They know how to take a lump of coal and turn it into a diamond by
mentoring, expecting excellence, and hands-on teaching by faculty
who have been there and care.
TTiat is why these valuable educational institutions are still impor
tant, not just to African-Americans, but to all Americans.
Demographers predict that in the 21st centuiy, 85 percent of all new
workers will be women, minorities and new immigrants. By the year
2020, one-third of the nation will be made up of African-Americans
and Hispamc Americans. By 2050, over one-half of all Americans will
be the people we call minorities today.
If America is to prosper in the global marketplace and maintain our
economic strength, we will have to rely on the skills and productivity
of that 21st century work-force. Thus, we need to support the educa
tional institutions that know how to take the best and brightest, but
also the talented and intelligent, and give them the skills that
America will need.
Since 1835, these colleges and universities have persevered through
difficult and challenging times to prepare leaders for America. Just
as the religious and ethnic colleges of early immigrants - Georgetown,
Yeshiva, Brigham Young - provided, doorways for their rejected com-
mumty, HBCUs continue to serve alT of us. They have a vital role to
play. From their halls have come - and will continue to come - the
business persons, physicians, scientist, engineers, architects, teach
ers, pubhc servants and artists we need to be strong in the 21st cen
tury.
In 1900,1,700 Negroes attended college.
In 1944,40,000 colored people attended college.
In 1970,522,000 Blacks attended college.
In 1992,1,393,000 African-Americans attended college.
As Maya Angelou has said, “Still I rise.”
William H. Gray, III is president of the College Fund/UNCF. This
article is reprinted from the The Washington Post Education Review.
As I
See It
Well the Republican party has
just completed its convention
and Bob Dole and Jack Kemp
got the nod to tiy to replace Bill
Clinton in the White House. As
I review the possibilities, I find
myself wanting. There is no
party, no ticket that suits my
fancy. My problem must be that
I am a black business man.
Being black and finm the 60’s
south automatically gives me a
democratic party perspective on
social issues. The total conser
vatism of the Republican puts
me at odd with most of its social
agenda. The party has gotten
even more exclusionary since
the Christian right has much
more influence. The social
agenda has even gone to the
point of being harsh as it
relates to welfare reform, abor
tion, and education.
However, being a business
man makes it difficult for me
to relate to the Democratic
party. The heavy influence of
the imions on the party puts
small businesses in a bind on
many issues such as minimum
wage, and investment tax
credits.
As the election draws near,
here I sit between the dog and
the fire
hydrant. It
makes no dif-
f e r e n c e
which way I
choose, either
way I loose.
AU of this is
a conse-
Cllnton quence of too
“As the election draws near,
here I sit between the dog
and the fire hydrant.
“It makes no difference
which way I choose, either
way I loose.”
much money going into setting
the platform agendas. Both par
ties are becoming less moderate
and more extreme. Even worse
they both are becoming less tol
erant of differing viewpoints. As
special interest groups continue
to push the parties to extreme
positions, more and more people
are pushing politics out of then-
lives. The mere fact that fewer
and fewer people are finding
their way to the polls indicates
that a lot of people are being left
out. Maybe not for the same rea
sons that I am being trapped,
but more and more people feel
like they are not stakeholders in
the system.
If this trend continues, there
will be no system to become
stakeholders of
Peace.
Gerald Johnson is publisher of
The Charlotte Post.
Blacks must lead third-party move
By Ron Daniels
SPECIAL TO THE POST
When the dust settles after
the November 5 presidential
election either Bob Dole the con
servative Republican or Bill
Clinton the moderate-conserva
tive Republicrat wiU occupy the
Oval Office in the White House.
Given the anti-Black and peo
ple of color reactionary tide that
has come to dominate the public
policy perspectives of both
establishment parties, the
issues of vital concern to Black
people and the oppressed will
continue to be watered down at
best.
It is this lack of responsive
ness to the interests of Black
people and the oppressed which
has led to the eJienation of mU-
hons of potential voters in this
coimtry.
TTie tragedy is that the lack of
participation of the disaffected
by default leaves the control of
the electoral political system in
the hands of those who have Ut-
tle or no empathy/sympathy for
the interests and aspirations of
Black people and the oppressed.
In practical terms this means
that those who control the elec
toral political system also con
trol the distribution of goods,
services and opportunities
which abound in the public sec
tor.
'The millions of people who are
increasingly locked out and left
out of the public policy dehbera-
tions and decisions in this coun
try urgently need a new political
party that will uncompromis
ingly and unapologetic^y pro
mote and defend our interests.
Black people must take the
lead because it is our people
who have been among the most
affected by the ravishes of racial
oppression and economic
exploitation in this sociefy.
• • •
Black people must take the
lead because throughout history
the Black Freedom Movement
has led the way in producing
significant gains not only for
Black people but for other peo
ple of color and poor and work
ing people in general in this
nation. Black people must take
the lead because when we move
other oppressed people move
other people of color, women,
lesbians and gay men, senior
citizens, the disabled.
Black people must take the
lead because in a racist society
the interests and aspirations of
Black people, people of color smd
the oppressed must be at the
very center of the agenda of any
new pohtical party. Indeed, the
most critical challenge con
senting Whites who would join
a Black and people of color led,
multi-racial political party is to
develop strategies and initia
tives to overcome racism in the
White community. Defeating
racism in the White community
is a vital pre-condition to forging
genuine multi-racial unity with
in a political party with a “rain
bow” character.
• • •
Black people and the
oppressed must join hands to
build a new political party, and
that new political party must
advance a basic core
platform/agenda of issues of
vital concern to the masses of
the disadvantaged and dispos
sessed in this nation: Full
employment/good jobs with good
wages; Resources for economic
development (the most pressing
need of Black people and people
of color is good jobs and the cre
ation of an economic infiastruc-
ture to nourish our communi
ties); Housing, decent places to
live for our people; Quality edu
cation to ensure that our people
have a fair opportunity to r^-
ize their full potential in this
society and the world;
Affordable and accessible health
care to rid our people of crip
pling and life threatening dis
eases; And, a safe and clean
environment to allow our fami
lies to thrive in wholesome and
healthy communities.
It is for these kinds of basic
human rights that Black people
and the oppressed must march
on ballot boxes and march in
the streets as a part of a new
visionary, fighting political
party. Neither the Democratic
or Republican Party can be
counted on to fight for such an
agenda..
Ron Daniels is a New York
based columnist.
Higher standards for black business?
By James Clingman
NA'nONAL NEWSPAPER
PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Why do we hold our brothers
and sisters to a higher standard
than that to which we hold oth
ers?
Have you ever thought about
that? Like me, you have proba
bly heard a brother or a sister
say. “I’m not doing business
with any more Blacks; “they
didn’t do what they promised” ...
“they charged me too much” ...
“they messed up my order.” And
the beat goes on.
It is unfortunate that some of
us start immediately to mea
sure, compile, analyze, and
chronicle the mistakes and,
admittedly, the malfeasance of
Black business persons and
never do the same thing for
businesses owned by others.
Certainly most of us have
been “ripped-ofi” at least once in
our lives, and many of us are at
least once a week. However, we
tend to punish our own people
for their transgressions and
serve as apologists for eveiyone
else.
That does not make much
sense, especially if we want to
gain parity in the marketplace.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not
saying we should overlook bad
service or an inferior product —
finm anyone. But, I am suggest
ing that we apply the same
yardstick and the same punish
ment for any business that
betrays our trust.
For instance, while we are
railing against Black-owned
businesses, we should also be
aware of the fact that Black peo
ple give 95 cents o£ eveiy $1 we
make to businesses other than
our own. Do we get a fair
return? Do those businesses
hire our sons and daughters? Do
those businesses pEirticipate in
and support Black communi
ties?
Do those businesses, as a mat
ter of pohcy, see that a portion
of their business goes to Black-
owned businesses? Now some
might say this is an unfair com
parison, but is it?
Our greatest economic
strength, as one of the largest
consumer groups in the world,
is our buying power — at least
for now. We must take into
account our $400 billion contri
bution (and that is exactly what
it is) per year to this country’s
economy. What do we get for it?
If we can criticize and insti
tute a virtual boycott of our own
businesses because of a few dol
lars, in most cases, what’s so
outlandish and unfair about
applying the same rules to oth
ers? An excellent example of
what I am talking about is
something a friend told me. He
said a Black friend of his
refused to buy his gasoline from
a Black-owned station because
he could get it five cents cheaper
per gallon at a White-owned
station, in another neighbor
hood. Keep in mind the Black-
owned station had black
employees, the other did riot.
My friend asked the “brother”
the capacity of his gas tank.
Twenty gallons,” was his reply.
My fiiend then asked if support
ing another brother’s business
was worth $1 per fiU-up to him.
“Hmmm,” the brother said. “I
never thought of it that way.”
Too often we fail to see the big
picture when it comes to eco
nomic empowerment. In this
case it was not about the cost of
fuel per gallon, it was about the
collective cost of 20 gallons; one
dollar.