North Carolina Newspapers

5A OPINIONS/The Charlotte Post January 23,1997 Not all news coming from Africa is that bad By John William Templeton NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Not all the news from Africa is bad news. As of Dec. 31 Zimbabwe’s stock market recorded a 70 percent gain from 5,000 to 8,500. Ghana’s equity exchange was up 40 percent by year’s end and Mozambique had a 26 percent increase in foreign investment. On Jan. 25, Angola’s long-awaited government of national unity will be sworn in, with South Africa’s President Nelson Mandela putting the prods to former rebel leader Jonas Savimbi, in his role as head of the 12- nation Southern African Development Community. The crisis in the Great Lakes region is real, but it should not obscure some of the most hopeful news frum the world’s second largest continent in 40 years, nor the sources of the real problems. Kofi Annan’s first speech after his ascension to the post of United Nations secretary-general may not have been the most historic speech by a Ghanaian in New York during December. The address of Sam Jonah, chief exec utive of the $2 billion mining conglomerate Ashanti Goldfields of Kumasi, Ghana, to the New York Society of Securities Analysts’ first seminar on investment in Africa may actually do more to increase the paltry sum of $4 billion in foreign investment that goes into Africa. Jonah, Zimbabwe’s A.M. Chambati, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and other business leaders are increasingly becoming the new face of Africa to the outside world. The kind of oligarchy represented by Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko and Nigeria’s mihtary regime with the atten dant diversion of national wealth being put into private hands is becoming increasingly untenable in large part because of the peer pressure of goverrunents that are making progress in meeting the needs of their people while attracting international investment. More than 2,000 enterprises - finm airlines 2md steel nulls to glass factories and hotels - are in the process of being sold into private hands by government owners across the conti nent, fueling the growth of a dozen new stock markets. The citizens of the affected countries are eager to share in the wealth creation. The initial public offering of Kenya Air attracted 200,000 individui investors. South Africa’s exchange has added several new Black-owned companies built fixim acquisitions from the large mining conglomerates brokered by the new Black-majority gov ernment. One of the impacts of the torrent of disaster news from Africa is to blind Americans to the potential markets and investment opportunities. The top five nations investing $450 million into Mozambique last year were Portugal, South Africa, Britain, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. African Americans are particularly affected by the notion of Africa as a place to be ashamed of, as witnessed by the performance of some national “leaders.” Dr. Leon Sullivan, whose Sulhvan Principles helped turn the busi ness screws on South African apartheid, is once again taking the initiative in turnjng those sentiments around with the Fourth African Anierican/Afiican Summit June 20-26, in Johannesburg, South Africa and Harare, Zimbabwe. Prior to this year, the summits were held eveiy two years. Some 47 African heads of state attended The Summit in Dakar, Senegal last May. Planes are taking off from 19 American cities to feny U.S. participants on a journey across the southern part of the continent. Sullivan has always been my pick as the epitome of a “black leadeff because of his insistence on practical results, from the Opportunities Industrialization Centers to the Sullivan Principle to the smnmits. You don’t hear him speak often, but you see his work around the globe. Lake him, aU Americans should understand that we have a vested interest in the success of the African continent. That interest must extend beyond extracting the precious metals and energy for our economies, to making a reciprocal investment in raising living standards. Unlike the failed foreign aid strategies of the past, we can even make a profit, in the process. JOHN WILLIAM TEMPLETON is executive editor of San Francisco-based Griot, the African American, African and Caribbean business daily. What DuBois would say about Ebonics By Sidney E. Morse NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHSERS ASSOCIATION When the Oakland, Calif., School District sanctioned so- called “Black English” as an offi cial language, is stated justifica tion for this controversial move was to “negate the stigma” placed on African American stu dents who come from communi ties that have developed their own dialect. Sometimes, in order to strate gically understand where we are going, it is beneficial to understand where we have been. Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, arguably the most famous African American inteUectual of the 20th century, attended both Fisk University and the University of Berlin before becoming the first person of African descent to obtain a doc torate from Harvard. Throughout his life, both his vision and scholarship empha sized education as a key to improving the standard of living for African Americans nation wide. Dr. DuBois, seemingly always wise beyond his years, antici pated the ramifications of change and positioned himself on “the cutting edge” as the period ruled by agriculture gave way to the “Industrial Revolution” in the late 1800s. If he were ahye today, in his wisdom, he would see similar dynamics occurring as we wit ness the age of information tak ing control in preparation for the arrival of the 21st century. In the sinnmer of 1906, W.E.B. DuBois would give a now famous speech, “The Hampton Idea,” assailing the reliance of Hampton Institute and others like it on the dehveiy of practi cal education in an effort to pre pare the then considered “less capable” African American for jobs; a perception I might add, that has since been changed. He would go on to use these same themes across the country to warn African Americans of the dangers of this ideology and how it would not only result in the handicapping of intellectual ambition, but also create a com- fortability with “second-best” status in society as a whole In this debate. Dr. DuBois would astutely observe that as was true at the turn of the cen tury, the power and ability of a people to move up the socio-eco nomic ladder in America is pro foundly impacted by its ability to read, write, interpret and cal- Too much political power, not enough economic independence By C. Mason Weaver NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION What is the goal of the black community? Economic power or political power? Political power is a group experience; it is usually acquired through a structured organization, run by clearly defined leaders for the purpose of meeting mutually agreed upon goals. People can join together for political power under many different organiza tions and groups. You can be a member of a political party or an ideological constituency. You can work toward gaining political clout as a member of a group like the Concerned Women for America, the National Organization for Women, John Birch Society or your local church. This is a proven, successful way to ensure pohtical power. But does political power ensme economic power? Have you ever noticed that Japanese “communities” do not seem to worry about how many Japanese Congressmen there are? Ever wonder why you do not have a Korean Congressional Caucus? It seems odd to me that “Arab Americans” and “Jewish Americans” with such strong and traditional political priori ties seem more interested in economics in America than poli tics. Why? Because economics, not politics, is the path to achieving real personal freedom. However, economic power empowers the individual, not social leaders. Social leaders of every group are only interested in pohtical power because that empowers them. If the individ ual becomes powerful that indi vidual does will not need a leader. That is why we have so much focus on political power. not the power of self-determina tion. While we prepare ourselves for the season of black cultural awareness, let us prepare our selves for independence from our cultural chains. While we honor Martin Luther King Jr. in January and clothe ourselves in African clothes during February, let us remember the reason some of us still feel oppressed by drugs, crime, high taxes, bad schools and welfare is due more from lack of money than lack of political power. I do not care how you define the “black culture.” If the culture has no strong semi-independent economic base, then it resem bles a plantation, not a commu nity. The civil rights movement was very much about gaining control over economic means, and not so much about gaining political power as an end in itself Of course, voting rights were a very important issue during the civil rights move ment, but the March on Washington, boycotts, demon strations and civil disobedience often focused on jobs. Jobs were the reason Martin Luther King traveled to Memphis the week of his assas sination. Jobs were the inspira tion for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the motivation behind the passage of afiirmative action laws. Civil rights are of little help if the individual cannot secure income and take advantage of the right to live and work where he pleases. Economic freedoms are not decided by political par ties or a social culture, they are decided by the individual who is willing to sacrifice all he has for aU he desires. That is freedom and that is America. C. MASON WEAVER, a mem ber of the national Advisory Council of the African-American leadership group. Project 21, is president of The Committee to Restore America in Oceanside, Calif. Fresh prints of Bundy By Dennis Schatzman SPECIAL TO THE POST Critics, like CNBC’s Geraldo Rivera, are claiming that “the other shoe has dropped” on acquitted double murder suspect O.J. Simpson after another series of 1993 photos have surfaced allegedly showing the pro foot! all Hall of Earner wearing the infamous Bruno Magli shoes. Although the first photo, which appeared in the supermarket tabloid The National Inquirer, has been pretty much deemed a fraud, the second series of photos show an equal nmnber of inconsistencies. A close look at the photos, allegedly taken at a Buffalo Bills football game, show that Simpson is wearing a jacket with a pin in the lapel and a handkerchief in the upper pocket. The first photo, however, shows a different jacket and no pin or hankie. Go figure. The releas ing of these latest photos, and Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki’s admittance of them, has brought additional howls from blacks nationwide that the civil trial against Simpson is “fixed” and that the news media and major talk show hosts are heavily biased against Simpson. DENNIS SCHATZMAN is a journalism professor in Los Angeles. culate. Dr. DuBois would have most assuredly declared that the pro motion of “Black English” as an official language is to say that illiteracy is OK for African Americans. He would also strongly denounce it as a condi tion that is unacceptable in the context of our struggle. He would not retreat to a secondary language that would imply in any way, form or fashion that we cannot compete with any measure of inteUectual prowess. Just as he did then, today. Dr. DuBois would recognize that English is the verbal currency of commerce the world over. He would have grave concerns about Ebonics because he would also know that so-caUed “Black English” wQl not be the contex tual language of the near 60 million people now using the Internet to create a new venue for a global economy. No, in the end, William Edward Burghardt DuBois would not be happy to see an investment in regression, occur ring at the very dawn of progress he foresaw and hoped would be realized in his own lifetime. He would promote a language that stimulates growth, opportunity and partici pation in an ever expanding socio-economic universe. Lest we completely forget our com mon sense, contemporaries con cerned about African American progress and that of the nation as a whole, would be wise to do the same. SIDNEY MORSE of Los Angeles is a strategic develop ment consultant and the author of “Strategic Progressivism-A Solution For African-American Empowerment.” Parallels for black empowerment By Keith Hilton SPECIAL TO THE POST The Million Man March, like the 1963 March on Washington, was bigger than any one man, however, four men deserve to be recognized at this time - A. Philip Randolph, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Minister Louis Farrakhan. We strongly urge readers to take the time to re-read Dr. King’s entire “I Have a Dream” speech. Don’t just recite the sound bites that you/we hear each January. As to the Million Man March: You can’t separate the message from the messen ger. In other words, those who were in favor of the 1995 March should continue rallying around Minister Farrakhan rather than distancing themselves. It should be noted that even when pressured, Mandela refused to denounce Castro, Arafat, Gadhafi and others who supported South Africa’s libera tion movements. To paraphrase attorney Johnnie Cochran, who said in his closing arguments in the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial, “If you cannot believe the messen ger, you must reject the mes sage.” Therefore, ‘Tf you cannot believe Minister Farrakhan, then you must reject his correct call for black re-empowerment.” It is important to note that Dr. King’s organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was supportive and right on stage at the Million Man March. If in 1995 SCLC remained true to the legacy of King, then it stands to reason that he would be proud of his organiza tion, the Nation of Islam and the other groups that came together on Oct. 16. By 1968, five years after the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. King, however, was also being criticized by some groups that praised him earlier. They didn’t like the fact that he was “straightening his black back” when he opposed the Vietnam War. Some who now criticize Farrakhan and evoke King’s name also distanced themselves from King because he made such an “anti-American” state ment; “...My nation is the great est purveyor of violence in the world.” Those who say that the MMM was bigger than one man are correct, however, one man stepped forward in the tradition of Randolph, Delaney, 'Trotter, Muhammad and Garvey and initiated a call for re-empower ment just as another man did 32 years earlier. Although Minister Louis Farrakhan continues to down play his role in this march, he deserves full credit for jump- starting this event. Only the dis ciplined, strong Fruit of Islam could have organized such a massive march. “One million black men will not be ignored,” he said. “We must rise up in this time and seize the hour, seize the moment, because this moment can never be again.” Some may be surprised to find that King’s message about black empowerment was veiy consis tent with that of Minister Farrakhan’s speech about black re-empowerment. The 1963 March on Washington was about jobs and freedom. Yes, racial equality was an impor tant issue then and remains so today, however, the March was primarily about empowering the black community. KEITH HILTON is a syndi cated columnist. Letters To The Post Police cameras not the solution The unfortunate incident with the armed Police Officer and the unarmed Mr. James WiQie Cooper starts vrith one basic principle, fear. This, I think is the main issue. We all, as humans, fear oth ers at some time or another who are different and possi bly display identities of cer tain profiles. These profiles may include outrageous attire, very unusual hair styles, certain ages, sizes and races of individuals. Fear within a person may or may not be changed/modified through additional outside stimuli, such as recognition and awareness training. In this culture, we should not allow fear to govern all “legal” actions. It does not in most cases. Individuals involved in violent behavior with another person fear some type of con sequence. Whether it’s fear for personal safety, fear of los ing something and/or fear for the protection of another per son or property. In any case, logical, correct and legal judgments should take place. I hope that the City of Charlotte is not send ing the message that police officers are god-like, where there actions are above any other citizen. I hope that the City of Charlotte is not send ing the message that a citizen that fears a person, for what ever reason and/or back ground, can harm another person because of that fear, alone. From the reports on the television, radio and newsnaper, this citizen dis played actions that probably anyone of us in this city would display. Should we be met with a armed law enforcement officer with fear, I would hope not. I would imagine if this incident involved two citizens in the middle of the street, one would be dead and the other would be charged and proba bly convicted of first degree murder. To put fear in its proper perspective, would we approve of the following; 1. A commercial pilot in fear of his duties, pertaining to the aircraft and other planes. 2. A surgeon in fear of responsibilities that may be incurred in the process of an operation. 3. A chef in fear of the preparation of a gourmet meal. Or 4. An armed police offi cer in fear of the persons he is suppose to serve and protect. Wayne K Drake Charlotte Panthers do Carolinas proud Everyone across the USA sportsworld seems sur prised by the success of the Carohna Panthers. The way they are “cutting down” the established teams in the NFL is phenomenal. It has never happened before. The Panthers are unapologeti- cally kicking butts and call ing names, and making a Carolinian shout, “This is no fluke, bring ‘em on.” No matter where they come from all of the Panthers to the man have adopted that real Carolina attitude. A kind of arro gance that comes from the soil, the smell of oak wood burning, the water of Carolina and its loyal peo ple of North and South Carolina. Thomas H. McPhatter San Diego, Calif. What’s on your mind? Send your comments to The Charlotte Post, P.O. Box 30144, Charlotte, N.C. 28230 or fax (704) 342-2160. 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