5A
OPINIONS/tC^e C^arbtte $ot
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Should black folks
leave America?
Ever since we arrived in this country there have been
conversations about our leaving. Movements, threats,
cooling, incentives, and every manner of effort by blacks
and whites alike, from Paul Cuffee to Marcus Garvey, and
from James Monroe to Abe Lincoln, have been discussed
and, in some cases, implemented to get black people out of
this country
While there have been several prominent black pjeople
who have left, there has been no mass exo
dus by black people since Liberia, the 1967
move to Africa by the African Hebrew
Israelites notwithstanding.
In light of all that has happened to black
people in this country in addition to what
is occurring now in the new millennium,
should black people seriously consider
leaving America? We have been here since
the b^inning, contributed more than any
one else to the foimdational wealth of this
James
Clingman
coimtry sacrificed more than anyone else for this country,
and yet we are still treated like the “three-fifths” they
called us when they wrote tiieir Constitution. Should we
now walk away?
There comes a time in the lives of most people when they
can no longer take seeing their people being left out, mar
ginalized, mistreated, abused, and murdered. They simply
throw their hands up, pack up, and leave. Although many
have followed the examples of black musicians and artists,
and other brothers and sisters who simply yearned to
“breathe fiee,” as the inscription on the Statue of Liberty
says, let’s look at two black men. Those men are W.E.B.
DuBois and Randall Robinson.
“After ninety-five years of the most courageous unflag
ging devotion to black freedom witnessed in the 20th
Century, W.E.B. DuBois not only left America for Africa
but concluded: T cannot take anymore of this country’s
treatment. We leave for Ghana October 5th and 1 set no
date for return Chin up, and fight on, but lealize that
American Negroes can’t win.”’ (An ®ccerpt fiem “The
Future of the Race,” by Louis Gates and Cornell West.)
In Amitabh Pal’s recent interview of Randall Robinson,
an eerie similarity to DuBois’ words and thoughts came
forth fix)m Robinson as he explained his reasons for
“(Quitting America,” also the title of his latest book. “I was
really worn down by an American society that is racist,
smu^y blind to it, and hugely self-satisfied. I wanted to
live in a place where that wasn’t always a distorting
weight. Black people in America have to, for their own pro
tection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just gi'ew ter
ribly tired of it. When you sustain that kind of affix)nt, and
sustain it and sustain it and sustain it, something happens
to you. You try to ste^ a course in American society dial’s
not s^-destructive. But America is a country that inflicts
iiyury It does not like to see anything that conies in
response, and accuses one of anger as if it were an unnat
ural response. For anyone who is not white in America, the
affronts are virtually across the board.”
Looks like these two brothers just got fed up with the
nonsense and the “struggle,” as we love to call it. Looks
like they just made up their minds to pursue something
better than the American status quo. Looks hke they
decided that life was too precious to spend any more time
waiting for white folks to change this corrupt, disparate,
one-sided system in which we live. Looks hke these broth
ers finally got the message. Have we gotten the message?
Before you attribute this article as a caU for Black people
to move out of the U.S., let me make it clear that I am not
advocating sudi an action, but I certainly imderstand why
it occurs. One day I may leave this country for good, but I
am not saying all black people should do so, nor am I say
ing we should stay here. Ijust want to use history, both old
and recent, to stimulate thinking around what is happen
ing to black people in this coimtry
It’s not so much that DuBois left for Ghana; it’s what he
said when he departed. It’s not so important that Robinson
quit this country, it’s what caused him to quit. The rest of
us who remain in this country must, first, see what is hap-
pCTiing to our people, and then make up our minds, both
individually and collectively, to do something about it.
Those who dioose to do nothing must keep in mind that
acquiescing to mistreatment is really doing something.
The latest cuts in initiatives that assist poor people, the
elderly, veterans, and college students, juxtaposed against
continued tax cuts for millionaires, should serve as a very
clear indication of how the majority of black people are
viewed While we play the political game, and that’s exact
ly what it is, others run off wilh the economic spoils. By
the way don’t be surprised if there is another catastrophe
in this countiy soon. If you know the history of America
you know that’s the b^ way to get “the people” back on
the president’s bandwagon.
If you choose to leave, no one can blame you. If you
choose to stay you had better prepare yourself for battle.
JAMES E. CIJNGMAN, a professor at the Vhiversity of
Cincinnati, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald newspapeR.
We’re partners in
building viable
public education
Charlotte-Mecklenhurg must
take initiative to move ahead
As I look back on 10 years as a Board of Education member, I
encourage us to celebrate the commitment of CMS staff and oui*
conmiunity—a commitment that has brought tremendous
improvements in student achievement, with
national recognition.
Looking toward the next 10 years, vsdll we
become like so many urban centers-losing our
focus, blaming each other for failures, dividing and
deserting our public schools? Or will we unite with
a renewed focus to take our public schools to a new
level?
Our accomplishments are clear. In 10 years,
more than twice as many subsidized-lunch and
minority fifth graders have reached grade level on
Louise
Woods
the state ABCs, with Afiican Americans jumping Jfiom 35 percent
to 84 percent on grade level in reading. Recently on the National
Assessment of Education Progress, CMS students excelled, and
Afiican-Americans here outscored African-American students in
NC, nationwide and in all but one other state. These gains, made
despite increasing numbers of high-needs students and Elnglish
language learners, did not come easily They were made despite
more economically and racially isolated schools.
They required our diverse school board—the first elected both by
districts and at-large—to put aside personal differences and unite
aiound goals of literacy and equity With this focus, we hired a new
supeiintendent committed to those goals.
Superintendent, staff and board focused on high standards and
a common curriculum with high expectations for students in all
schools. We addressed student needs with better fimding and
lower pupil-teacher ratios. We began to bring experienced, suc
cessful staff to high-needs schools, created more positive learning
environments, and uj^aded facilities to support student learning.
Where these initiatives were fully implemented, students
showed success. But the job is far fium finished. (Dur achievement
gap is far too high. High poverty middle and high schools stru^e.
Our h^h schools need change now. Without continued progress-
and support to raise us to a new level—CMS will not be able to
educate all students well.
We are stiU millions short of funds to staff high-needs schools at
the levels that produce success. FTve thousand more students a
year, increased student needs, hi^er accountability goals-all
require additional fimding.
There are also troubling signs that the goal of educating every
child is slipping down the priority list of the state and the commu
nity The state has required millions in cuts, and despite Leandro,
has allotted no additional fimds for the moie than 50,000 students
of poverty in CMS. Despite inadequate facilities, school bonds
failed.. (Growth needs absorbed funds fix)m property tax increase.
Yet, elected officials refused to support Commissioners’ request for
alternative funding sources. Locally the challenges of suburban
growth dominate public discussion.
Is this (Hiarlotte-Mecklenburg’s “perfect storm’? Is this when,
despite solid evidence of increased student success, more active
parents reject public schools? Will we continue the blame-game,
divide, and decline? Or vsdll we courageously step forward, as citi
zens did 35 years ago, and work to reunite our community? Will
we support our public schools with our time, our resources and our
children? Will we re-commit, create new solutions, and keep our
promises to our children?
(Dur success or failure as a community may rest on our answer
to this question.
Strong leadership is critical. Board members must treat each
other respectfully and commit to working with the Superintendent
to unite the community around success for ALL students.
Successful teachers, equitable resources, a common curriculum
and hi^ expectations at all schools remain essential. Engaged
School Leadership Tbams are key
Additional funding is necessary However, CMS cannot succeed
without a level of community commitment which goes beyond
funding. It must involve elected officials at every level working
together around policies that support children and families and
reduce racial and economic isolation. (Dovemment agencies and
nonprofits must join together around early childhood, after-school,
parental involvement and quality teacher initiatives. Finally, a
broad range of businesses, individuals, parents, students, nei^-
borhood organizations, community and faith groups must turn
their energies to the schools which need them most.
Successful principals name advocates, mentors, and volunteers
as unsung heroes who make the difference in many schools. But
there are too few for the task at hand.
As we end this season of holy days, let’s pray that (jod will lead
us, individually and collectively, to find ways we can help His chil
dren, our children. (Dod has given this community the resouioes
we need to provide a quality education for every child ^Tll we
choose to use them?
LOUISE WOODS is a member of the Charhtte-Mecklenburf> School
Board.
The real King
remembered
‘Life is a profound mystery” said my older brother,
Rev. Isadore Mims, a retired Baptist pastor in
Richmond, Virginia, during one of our* routine theo
logical disarssions about 40 years ago.
And one of these great mysteries, in
part, is how the general public, retro
spectively can aeate heroes, real or
mytholcgical-like Dr. Martin L, King
Jr., Abraliam Lincoln, the gospel
Jesus, Socrates and Asaru (Osiris)—
highly praise and honor them, but
only after they are physically dead.
For these same people, during their
eaitlily lifetime, often were demo
nized, vilified, persecuted and even
Gyasi
Folukh
crudfied-killed by apparently stronger* opposition
forces in society. Indeed, if these same heroic charac
ters would retiun physically to earlli today, I predict
that, again, they would be killed, if not DOA-dead on
arrival; for, par*adoxically “the more things cheinge,
the more they remain the same.”
Fortunately however, a few of us in the C3iar*lotte
area, including Dr*. Reginald Hawkins and tliis
author, can remember the real Dr. King, for we
worked with him, however briefly, and/or shar*ed the
same basic communal-hmnanitar*ian ideals for which
he fought and died. Moreover*, these ideals included
reparations, a “Mai*shall Plan” for blacks, altliough
today we hear only the relatively empty rhetoric, “I
Have a Dream,” devoid of any substantive progr’arn-
matic proposals, truly, to implement this dream,
reflecting blatant hypocrisy, par* excellence.
Equally germane, some of us can recall how the
overwhehning majority of whites in America, perhaps
over 90 per*cent. if measured statistically, utterly
detested Dr. King, while strongly opposing those of us
who worked against tremendous odds, metaphorical
ly swinmiing upstream, in this protracted, ongoing
struggle for black liberation in America or “Seven
Dimensions of Freedom”-physical, mental, economic,
political, cultural, emotional and spiritual. Moreover,
in the context of such strong white opposition to us-
while hypocritically proclaiming “liberty and justice
for aU”—I can never forget a mjyor philosophical-
emotional turning point in my life, perhaps an
epiphany, in April 1968 when Dr. King was brutally
murdered by domestic terrorists, with the probable
secret involvement of the FBI and/or the CIA,
Indeed, when King was murdered, I was in
'\fretnam as an Air Force officer, sent there involun
tarily because of my expressed opposition to that
immoral-inane and militarily “unwinable” war. And
when the death of Dr. King officially was announced,
virtually all-white military personnel in my unit
openly applauded this terrorist event. Therefore, I
knew then, very consciously, what perhaps I had
always known, subconsciously, that black
“Americans” as a group, psycho-spiritually, was a
population without a coimtry i.e., we did not ‘iDelong”
(Maslow, 1954) to this essentially white nation, as
symbolized by the American flag-a tragic reality, past
and present, the latter reflected, most recently,
throu^ the Katrina disaster in New Orleans.
Additionally, some of us also can remember that
during this era, some black or “kneegro” pastors
would not permit Dr. King to visit or to apeak in their
churches. For totally apart fi*om their fear of “massa”
and his ‘low-life” terrorist lackeys, they were not
attuned, theologically or philosophically to our black
struggle, forever preaching-teaching an irrelevant,
obsolete, otherworldly “(Christianity” that was “the
opiate of the masses,” in the profound words of Karl
Marx; that is, they were “too heaven bound to have
any good earthly sense.”
And this ugly reality remains operative, even in the
year 2006. Indeed, in painful corroboration of this
reality, a most brilliant Black sister. Dr. Julia Hare,
on a nationally televised program, recently, has stat
ed (paraphrasing): “We have about a million black
men in prisons waiting on justice and millions more
black people in church waiting on Jesus.” IVagic, a
despicable-abominable posture that reflects adverse
ly on many of our churches-one that I am addressing
in a forthcoming book.
Accordingly as we observe aU of the “celebrations”
of the birthday of Dr. King duriijg this speciail season,
let us be reminded tihat some, if not most, “celebrants”
who belatedly or in retrospect, claim to admire or to
love Dr. King, are acting through palpable hypocrisy
For the litmus test of their love or admiration for him
is their embrace, pragmatically, of his noble ideals,
including reparations, obviously and tragically a
political non-starter in about 90 percent of white
America, as it was during tl^ King era. Again, “the
more things change, the more they remain the same.”
GYASI A. FOIJJKE MA, DD, is part-time CEO of The
Kushite Institute for Wholistic Development in Charlotte.
by Aiiri»i McCntder