5A
OPINIONS/The Charlotte Post
January 30,1997
Importance of African American famUy
By Junious Ricardo Stanton
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
One of the most devastating developments over the last
half of the 20th century has been the impact of urbaniza
tion, industrialization and advanced technology, especial
ly the mass media, on the rapid dissolution of the African
American family.
All human beings crave a sense of belonging, accep
tance, mutually-affirming interaction and positive self-
identity. The family unit is the first place a person gets a
semblance of who they are or what they are capable of
through mingling with other family members. Africans
brought to America had a strong tradition of extended
family with emphasis on communal responsibility and
cooperation. Weakened by slavery and subsequent exter
nal forces, the African-American family still provided
nourishment, sustenance and support for its members.
As we looked for ways to escape servitude, peonage and
oppression in the South and as more opportunities
opened up prior to and following World Wars I and n,
the African American family began to experience major
changes. As blacks migrated to the North and West life
in urban America broke down many of the communal
ties and agrarian folkwa3fs our people knew in the South.
Ongoing racial discrimination, higher hving costs and
lower wages (the black tax) made it even more difficult
for our people to live in the cities. Many blacks filed for
welfare or “relief” to supplement their incomes or just to
survive following World War II. These conditions and
subsequent changes in the qualifications for and the way
most welfare programs were administered in the mid
‘60s, forced many men from their homes. Prior to the
changes in welfare, more black men were present in
their homes making an impact on their families and in
the communities at large. The wide scale absence of
responsible proactive males is now devastating our com
munities.
So, here we are on the cusp of a new milleimium. If
ever we are going to make a resurgence and thrive in
America as a cohesive, stable, well-organized people, we
must strengthen our families. By strengthening them I
mean we must validate the institution of marriage, men
and women joining together to form bonded units that
the conummity respects, sanctions, recognizes and sup
ports. We hear so much talk about "family values." To
have “family values” one must be proud of the family
from which he/she comes. We must support the family
and family members as best as we can. Filial duiy and
reciprocity are essential African values/traditions. This
means we have an obligation to help and assist our fami
ly members and they are obligated to do likewise for us.
Selfishness and alienation are not traits of African peo
ple. We carmot adopt the values of Euro-America and
survive. We carmot disrespect our elders and ignore our
young and expect to five in a sane, peacefirl and progres
sive society. Sadly, most of us look outside our families
for validation and support. We have succumbed to the
siren song of an aspiritual, materialistic and anti-life cul
ture. The insanity of America is magnified by the power
of its mass media. We hive become mesmerized by the
fool's gold of selfishness, greed and alienation. Small
wonder the homicide and suicide rates for Black
Americans are at an all-time high. These are indicative
of the spiritual disorientation, moral uncertainty, hope
lessness and despair of our time.
The key to our survival is strorrg and stable families
both nuclear and extended. We must instill in our family
members the can do spirit, the indomitable spirit of our
ancesiors. We have to recognize greatness flows in our
veins, that genius is in our genes. We have to convince
our people there is a better way. Start where you are,
right in yoirr own family. If you haven’t had one in a
while, plan a family reunion. Get to know your relatives,
begin to network together. This is a long-term venture,
be patient and think positively.
Booker T. Washington said "start where you are with
what you have knowing that what you have is plenty
enough.” Start rvith your own family. What you have is
plenty enough.
JUNIOUS STANTON is a syndicated columnist.
Saving kids means extending our families
Marian
Wright
Edelman
Nobody understands better
than Black Community
Crusade for Children Working
Committee member Kent Amos
the miracles adults can work in
the lives of young people who
have been marked by society for
failure.
For the past 15 years, Kent
and his wife. Carmen, have
been opening their hearts and
home to scores of children in
Washington, D.C., where they
live, and in cities across
America. In 1981, Kent invited
three young men into his home
for dinner, conversations and
study sessions. Before long, he
and Carmen had 25 young peo
ple eating, studying, and shar
ing stories in their home every
night. Kent kept an eye on their
class work, went to their ball
games at school, and put his
arms aroimd them when they
needed a friend. Even when
they got into trouble with the
law, Kent stood by them before
the judge. In one case, he talked
a judge into probation instead of
jail. And even after the young
man violated his probation and
went to jail — where his father
and stepfather were incarcerat
ed - Kent visited him and
encouraged him to get his GED.
“There are too many of our
children dying needlessly,” says
Kent, who lost three of his
“adopted” sons to violence; one
was stabbed to death in a dis
pute over a basketball game and
two others were shot. “I commit
ted to my sons that their deaths
would not be in vain.”
Within 10 years, Kent’s
extended family grew to nearly
100 yoimg people, and in 1991,
he took his efforts to an even
higher level, establishing the
nonprofit Urban Family
Institute, which proyjdes safe,
nurturing environments for
children. UFI is financed by pri--
vate donations and public fimds.
Kent has also spent his own
money to keep the project run
ning. At two locations in
Washington, D.C., and 13 sites
in Oakland, Calif., UFI has
opened “Kids Houses,” based on
the idea that Kent started in his
home.
After school each day, about
65 children, ages four to 16,
pour into the basement of a
building in the Park Morton
housing development in north
west Washington, D.C., which
houses UFI’s largest Kids
House. In one room, a staff of
volunteers helps children finish
their homework. Story time is
being conducted in another
room. In yet another room, chil
dren are coloring, working with
colored paper, and playing edu
cational games.
“I love it here, because I get
help with my homework,” says
nine-year-old Shanece Colvin.
Demetria Pelote, also nine,
says that Kids House makes her
feel like she can be whatever
she wants to be. “I like it here
because I get to draw,” she says.
“People say I don’t know how to
draw that well, but I’m gonna
show them, because someday
Fm going to be an artist.”
The children at Kids House
can also count on a healthy
meal each night. “My favorites
are lasagna, spaghetti, ribs,
com, chicken, and mashed pota
toes,” Demetria says. "The eas
iest thing to do is to reach out to
True grit of America’s soldiers
Bernice P.
Jackson
Maybe you remember the
scene from the HBO movie
about the Tuskegee airmen -
black World War H airmen,
ready to die for their native
land, but having to ride in seg
regated railroad cars while
German prisoners of war rode
in the better “white” cars. A real
fife scene about racism faced by
Afidcan American World War II
veterans took place at the White
House, nearly half a century
after the war ended.
Seven black World War II vet
erans were awarded the Medal
of Honor by President Clinton,
who proclaimed, “History has
been made whole today and our
nation is bestowing an honor on
those who have long deserved
it.” In 1993, in response to a
request by African American
veterans, the Department of the
Army began an investigation
into why not even one African
American veteran of World War
II had received the nation’s top
honor for soldiers. Two African
American Korean War veterans
and 20 Vietnam veterans had
received the medal and
President George Bush had
awarded the medal to one black
World War I veteran who had
been nominated for the medal
in 1918 but had never received
it. Investigators found that a cli
mate of racism existed.
Lt. Baker, when asked what
that felt like, rephed that it was
“kind of rough” racism had pre
vented the extraordinary hero
ism of some African American
soldiers from being recognized.
One awardee was Ruben
Rivers, whose captain, David
Williams, a white officer, had
worked diligently to make sure
that Rivers’ heroism was recog
nized.
“This was the toughest battle I
ever had,” said- Capt. Williams,
explaining, “The Germans — I
knew my enemy. But this time,
racism, it’s tougher to defeat.”
When Staff Sergeant Rivers’
tank was hit by a mine, he
refused to evacuate, taking com
mand of another tank and
directing fire at the enemy for
three days. He was killed while
defending his company.
Another was First Lt. John
Fox, who died in Italy in 1944
when he stayed behind to direct
defensive fire as his unit with
drew and then insisted that all
firepower be directed at his post
because it was the only way to
defeat the attacking Germans.
A third awardee was Vernon
Baker, the only awardee still
living, who destroyed four
a child, because they reach
back,” says Kent. “You may be
in a gang-infested community
and forced to go through aU the
evil stuff that goes with that.
But if you make it clear to a
child that you care for him and
are available to him, he’ll come
to you. Kids don’t want what’s
going on out there. I haven’t
found one yet who won’t change
if you present yourself to him in
a positive way. If you come at
them with a speech or a lecture,
then you’ve got a different prob
lem. But if you really commit to
them, they commit back to you.”
The children are not the onLv
ones who benefit from Kids
House. Aside from the joy of
working with children, virtually
every volunteer has advanced
his or her education since join
ing the Kids House staff.
Acipss the,street from the Park
Morton Kids House, D.C.
Housing Police Officer Mike
Padin is surrounded by a swarm
of excited children. He’s hand
ing out basketball cards and
promising to have a new batch
next week. “Places like Kids
House are important, because
most of the kids here don’t have
any place to go,” says Officer
Padin, who has been patrolling
the area for the past three
months. “In housing projects aU
over the city, children are at
risk of getting shot by the neigh
borhood thugs or being involved
in the different crews [gangs].
An of us have a responsibility to
these children-police officers as
well as civihans-because we are
the last line of defense between
them and the streets.”
Officer Padin is right. We all
have a responsibility to see that
every child has a chance to
reach his or her full potential,
and that's the primary goal of
UFI. Kent offers us just one
example of what can be accom
plished when a few committed
adults make up their minds
that children are important. We
aU need to ask ourselves what
we can do to ensure that the
children in our communities are
safe, healthy, arid loved.
Bennettshille, S.C., native
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN
is president of the Children's
Defense Fund, which coordi
nates the Black Community
Crusade for Children . For more
information about the BCCC,
call (202) 628-8787.
machine gun posts, killed nine
Germans and drew enemy fire
to allow his comrades to evacu
ate.
Those who argue that racism
is a thing of the past or that
their ancestors were not slave
holders deny the racism that
these African American soldiers
experienced and which denied
them this nation’s highest honor
until this year. The irony of
black soldiers giving their lives
for the nation which denied
them human rights is striking.
Baker never thought about risk
ing his life while serving in a
segregated unit.
“I was an angry young man.
We were all angry. But we stiU
had a job to do and we did it.”
'This nation had a job to do -
to recognize these black heroes
— and half a century later, it
finally did it.
BERNICE POWELL JACK-
SON is executive director of the
Commission for Racial Justice
in Cleveland, Ohio.
Pilgrims at civic shrine
DG
Martin
Washington, January 20,
1997.
It is presidential inauguration
day.
’Thousands are gathered here-
people like you and me, who
care about democracy, the
orderly transfer of power, and
our rules and customs that
accommodate change peaceful
ly. We have come on pilgrimage
here to celebrate these things at
the shrine of our dvic rehgion—
like Muslims to Mecca.
Of course, there is more to it
for this crowd. It is mostly parti
san - Democrats celebrating
their retention of the presidency
and dismissing their failure to
win either house of congress.
“Oh, let the other side have con
gress. Our guy is the one who
gets to ride down Pennsylvania
Avenue at the head of the
parade.”
This cynical dty does not give
in to the enthusiasm of its visi
tors. The local newspaper’s
experts say that presidential
second terms are usually fail
ures. This crowd doesn’t care. It
also dismisses the commenta
tors’ cliche that the recent victo
ry is a fluke - that Democratic
presidents seldom win reelec
tion.
“The heck you say,” says one of
those whose optimism and loy
alty cannot be repressed. “Oidy
one Democratic president this
century has been defeated in a
reelection bid (Jimmy Carter).
Four Republican Presidents
didn’t make it (Taft, Hoover,
Ford, and Bush).
“Look at it another way. ’The
Democrats have returned their
presidents to office seven times
this century (Wilson, FDR -
three times, Truman, Johnson,
and Clinton). The Republicans
have done it five times (Teddy
Roosevelt, Coolidge,
Eisenhower, Nixon and
Reagan).
“Total it up. The Democrats
have a reelection won-loss
record of 7-1. The Republicans
barely eke out a winning record
of 5-4.1 am tired of all this “rare
Democratic reelection victory’
talk. We do it aU the time.”
Maybe.
But the 1992 presidential elec
tion victory was the first for
Democrats since 1976. The
string of three straight defeats
had been painful - and left
some Democrats believing that
any presidential win would be a
miracle win. Four years later,
some in this inaugural crowd
are still savoring the magic of
the “92 victory — even niore than
the one just past.
The president now speaks.
Like a minister preaching on
Christmas Day, his words are
not equal to the high occasion.
But, thaiikfully, he is brief.
When he is finished the cere
mony ends. It is time to go
home. But I don’t want to leave.
Others must feel the same way.
We mill around like the congre
gation on the last night of
preaching at a summer camp
meeting.
D.G. MARTIN is vice presi
dent for public affairs for the
University of North Carolina
system.
Letters To The Post
On ship exhibit
“I did not like it.” “It was
wack!” These are quotes finm
people who toured the
Heiuietta Marie. Yes, every
one has a right to their opin
ion. So, in my opinion, these
are the same people who
always expect bells and whis
tle when they attend an
event. Subtleness always
makes a strong impression.
This event takes African
Americans from our past to
our future. From physical
slavery to mental and eco
nomic slavery.
The Henrietta Marie event
did not grace our presence for
entertainment. However, its
arrival was for knowledge
and enlightenment. Also, to
teach us one more important
asset about African
Americans that no one ever
taught us or wanted us to
know.
I am very disappointed in
the people who made the
above quotes and also in the
people who wifi not find the
time to experience the event.
The disappointment is
because the black community
does not realize that conserv
ative Charlotteans did not
want this event here. StiU in
the present day “they” do not
want us to educate ourselves
about orrr own culture. Also,
this is the second time that
this event has been held on
the East Coast.
It amazes me that there
are, from direct decent,
Jamaicans and Africans who
have become so Americanized
and truly believe that the
“system” is in favor of their
success. The same “system”
that has given the black com
munity self-doubt.
Wake up brothers and sis
ters. Find time to embrace
your ethnicity. Go experience
the wonderful event of the
Hemietta Marie for yourself.
Do not believe what you
always hear.
Yes, caU me a radical! I am
fighting for the cause to stop
the inferior attitude that my
brothers and sisters have
about themselves.
Inger Zeigler
Charlotte
Don’t drop BET
I am writing this letter as a
formal request that
TimeWamer Cable discontin
ue the practice of having
Black Entertainment
Television go off air on
Simdays at 11:58 am..
“Real Business” one of my
favorite programs, comes on
at 12 p.m. and the only time I
am able to see it is when I am
out of the Charlotte area. The
station that pre-empts BET is
a Hispanic station. I realize
that the Hispanic population
in this area is growing, but I
am sure that with aU of the
resources available to your
organization another scenario
could be worked out. With the
increased growth of the
Hispanic community, you
would probably benefit from
adding, or changing a station
to provide a 24 hour Hispanic
station
In any event, I am extreme
ly frustrated when I am
denied the ability to see one
of the few programs that I
find informative and enter
taining. My wife and I have
called and stopped by your
office on Morehead to express
our dissatisfaction with this
practice and were told that
we did not have a choice
because it was a marketing
decision. I am sure that you
are preparing for the time
when we as consumers do
have a choice.
David Murdock
Charlotte
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