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EDITORIAL AND OPINION/ C|4r(iint $oit
Thursday, February 9, 2006
tCl)e Cl)arlotte
The Voice of the Black Community
1531 Camden Road Charlotte, N.C. 2H203
Gerald O. Johnson cecvpublisher
Robert L Johnson caPUBLISHER/GENERAL manager
Herbert L White editcjr in chief
OPINION
Dreadlocks,
braids and
Angeia
Lindsay
CAJiP^Nl&TS OISCtNAieR-- I /tfWLOQIze INAMSm
IF THIS IMAoe OFtfeN09 PesSlMISTS WORU>W/1D0...
‘Reverse Robin Hood’ on the poor
Hampton University rules on hairstyles
reveal truth in corporate world
There has been an increase in the number of black people opt
ing to sport these natural hairstjies, and they are slowly becom
ing more accepted by mainstream society But one place were
they will no longer be accepted is at Hampton University—that
U, if you are a business administration student
Apparently the school feels the natural stjdes are not being
accepted quickly enough in the business world, so, in an attempt
to better prepare their students for the real world, the private,
historically black school in Virginia has banned comrows and
flowing dreadlocks for students enrolled in a combined program
which allows them to obtain both a bachelor’s
d^ree and master’s degree in business adminis
tration in just five years.
The hair code, which does allow “nicely
tapered” afios, is just part of a strict academic
and dress doctrine for these students, according
to business Dean Sid Credle. Credle said that
the dress, grooming and behavior rules are
intended to prepare students for the “starched
business world”
As expected, the university has received its
share of criticism for implementing the rule,
including references to the institution and the hair code as being
“oppressive ” Some may feel that Hampton’s policy only perpet
uates the cycle of discrimination and stereotyping As unfortu
nate as this rule may be for those wishing to don these natural
styles, the condenmation being expressed toward the school is
misplaced. The problem is not Hampton University The prob
lem is society
As an institution of higher learning, Hampton should be dedi
cated to preparing its students to succeed in the reed, and not
always kind, world that awaits them. Credle further justified
the policy by pointing out that of the top 75 Afi*\can Americans
in corporate America, none of them have “extreme hairdos ”
Apparently recognizing the fact that the particulaiiy image
laden, good ol’ boy field of business may disapprove of potential
job candidates with such locks, the school seems to be trying to
best prepare their students in ev«y way possible for obstacles
that will most surely face them.
We all long for the day when we will be judged on our ability
versus our appearance But in many arenas, image is still every
thing People often attach certain pre-conceived notions and
stereotypes to a person based on his or her outward appearance,
not the least of which includes his or hei* choice of hairstjie.
Unfortimately, black people with natural styles are often viewed
as being militant, rebellious, or even intimidating—traits that
do not translate well in corporate America. I attended the
screening of a documentary about black hair titled ‘Twists,
Dreds, Perms & Fro’s” that was shown in Chariotte last year
and after which an open forum followed. During the discussion,
one woman sadly reported that a pc^cy fcxbidding natural hair
styles was actually written into the guidelines of the company
for which she woriced. Others in attendance relayed various sto
ries of how they were treated differently by others at work and
by society in general, including other Hacks, based on their ded-
sicai to grow their hair out into natural styles.
Given that such barriers exist and are imposed by the outside
world, I understand how students at Hampton may feel offend
ed that a historically black institution of higgler learning, of all
places, would implement such a policy dictating what is accept-
aUe If nowhere else, students should feel fi^ to express them
selves fully on a black college campus and be accepted regard
less However, there is a certain expectation in the worid of busi
ness which still defines what acceptable is.
Therefore, it would behoove the students to become accus
tomed to looking the part business professionals now while
they are, essentially, in training because it could ultimately
make the actual transition into the woHdng worid easier. The
effects of such practices could particularly be seen here in
Chariotte. the second largest banking and finance center in the
naticn after New York City, where a good number of black busi
ness professionals have come fium all over the nation to fill posi-
tions here.
There are those traditionally conservative inchistries that are
beginning to tolerate differences I have, for instance, seen sev
eral law offices with lawyers and staff members who have locks
and twists—the law bdng a predcxuinately white male dcnni-
nated professicn.
Other companies even recruit en^oyees who are diverse in
scxne way. |>articularly in li^t of the ubiquitous hip h^ culture
Advertisers, for instance, are seeking more and more those indi
viduals whom they perceive to represent the urban youth, the
demographic off of which they greatly capitalize today They
want employees who reflect their target market By the same
token, corporate America wants employees who reflect their
business clients and custcauers, and that image is still prett>'
rigid and slow to change
Ha\'ing said that, there is sconething to be said for taking a
stand and wanting to change the way in which society; in gen
eral. (^)a^tes and the way the business world, in particular,
views certain things However, it would help to get your foot in
the door and your body in the office riiair first befcne you can be
in a position hopefully to begin to enact change.
ANGELA UNDSAY w a Charlotte attorney. E-mati her ai lindsay-
ktvXXKasahoorom.
George E.
Curry
Both Congress ' and
President Bush have come up
with theii* budget proposals
and both sets of figures do the
same thing —
cut domestic
prcgianis that
would assist
the poor while
extending tax
cuts to rich
people who
need them the
least. In other
words, they
are pulling a reverse Robin
Hood by taking from the
needy and giving to the
greedy
This is done under the guise
that the federal government
has gone on a "spending
spree" and that domestic pro
grams are the culprit. That
might make for good propa
ganda, but it is far fiom the
truth.
“Overall funding for
defense, homeland security,
and international affairs
(which includes funding for
post-war operations and
reconstruction in Iraq and
Afghanistan) rose fiom 3.4
percent of the GDP [Gross
Domestic Product] in 2001 to
4 2 of GDP in 2006,” an
analysis by the Center for
Budget and Policy Piiorities
notes. “By contrast Ofimding
for domestic discretionary
programs shrank during this
period, declining fixun 3.4
percent of GDP in 2002 to 3.1
percent in 2006.”
Bush is taking some heat,
even fix>m some moderate
Piepublicans. for mismanag
ing the federal deficit.
When he took office, Bush
inherited a recoixi $236 bil
lion surplus. By 2000, a $158
billion deficit had developed
and the White House esti
mates that this year, the fig
ure will reach $400 billion.
Some of the deficits can be
attributed to Bush's decision
to wage war in Iraq and
Af^anistan. Tb a much less
er degree, there was also the
unaq^ected federal expendi
tures associated with
Hurricanes Katiina and Rita.
But a large — and avoidable —
reason the federal govern
ment is sinking deeper into
the hole is because Congress
and the Bush administration
have enacted a series of tax
cuts that favor the wealthy
The president defends the
tax cuts, the first to be enact
ed by a U.S. president during
wartime.
“American families all
across this country have ben
efited fiom the tax cuts on
dividends and capital gains,”
he said in a Jan. 6 speech to
the Economic Club of
Chicago. "Half of American
households — that's more
than 50 million households -
now have some investment in
the stock market.”
As is often the case with
politicians, it's what is not
said that you'd better exam
ine.
'What this statistic ignores,
however, is that nearly two-
fifths of this stock is held in
retirement accounts, sudi as
401 (k)s and IRAs,” the
Center on Budget and
Priorities points out. "This
distinction is crucial, because
capital gains and dividend
income accruing inside these
retirement accoimts are not
subject to taxation, and thus
would not receive a tax bene
fit fiom the reduction in the
tax rates on capital gains and
dividend income.!
So what's the real deal?
More than half- 54 percent
— of all capital gains and divi
dend income go to the 0.2 per
cent of households with
annual incomes of more than
$1 million. By contrast, only 4
percent of this income reach
es the 64 percent of house
holds that have annual
incomes of less than $50,000,
according to the Center.
An analysis by the Urban
Institute-Brookings
Institution Tax Policy Center
shows that tax legislation
that heis gone in effect since
2001 has exacerbated the gap
between rich and poor. The
middle fifth of households
received an average after-tax
reduction of $742 or 2.6 per
cent. Households with annu
al incomes of more than $1
million received an average
reduction of $103,000 or 5.4
percent, more than double
the rate for middle-class fam
ilies.
Yet, Bush brags that "tax
cuts are working" by reinvig
orating the economy
The non-partisan
Congressional Budget Office
disagrees It observes:
"increases [in the revenue
projections] occur mainly
because of a lise in projected
GDP, which derives from
higher prices in the economy,
not real economic activity”
Finally, the wealthiest sec
tor of the U.S. population is
being showered with
favoritism.
“Some of the tax cuts that
were enacted in 2001 are still
being phased in,” stated the
Center on Bucket and Policy
Priorities. “These taxes are
heavily tilted to those at the
top of the income scale. These
tax cuts include the elimina
tion of the tax on the nation’s
largest estates, as well as two
tax cuts that started to take
effect on January 1, 2006 and
will go almost entirely to
high-income households.
"The Tax Policy Center
reports that 97 percent of the
tax cuts fiom these two mea
sures will go to people with
incomes above $200,000. As a
result, the tax ciAs ultimately
will be even more skewed
toward high-income house
holds than they were in
2005.”
As usual, that leaves poor
and middle-class citiz^is out
in the cold.
GEORGE E. CURRY is editor-
in-chief of the National
Newspaper Publishers
Association News Service and
Blackl^ressUSArom. He appears
on National Public Radio three
times a week as part of "News and
Notes with Ed Gordon.”
Like her husband, Coretta Scott King
lived to advance rights of all people
Dignified, elegant, refined,
courageous, strong.
For more than 50 years
these words were used to
describe Cbretta Scott King -
human rights and pea.ce
activist, the wife and partner
of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Jr., and the “First Lady of the
Qvil Ri^ts Movement.” We
are hearing them one more
time as people around the
world mourn her passing
Coretta Scott
King was a
good, strong
woman and
keeper of the
dream that
was Dr.
King’s and
America’s
dream. She
stood by his
side through
thick and thin and fou^t
tirelessly to keep his legacy
alive.
Cc»^tta King said that even
as a child, she felt she was
going to lead an extraordi
nary life. Many people might
not have expected that fium a
little Black girl who grew up
in V’er>’ rural Alabama during
the DepressicHi. picking cot
ton and walking several
miles each way every day to
attend a segregated one-room
school. But fitxn the start,
she was exceptional. She
attended a semi-private high
schoH in Maricai, Ala., where
she. a gifted young musician,
was able to study piano and
Marian
Wright
Edeijvian
voice and graduated valedic
torian of her class. She got a
chance to leave the segregat
ed South when she won a
scholarship to join her older
sister as one of the few Black
students at Antioch CoUege
in Ohio.
Coretta King was already
politically active. She joined
the college’s NAACT* chapter
and Race Relations and Civil
Liberties committees, and
was a delegate to the found
ing convention of the Young
Progressives organization.
She first moored in eariy
education but was inspired to
change her plans after she
sang on a prc^aim with Paul
Robeson at an NAACT^ event.
He encouraged her to study
voice full-time and she
dreamed of having a career
like his that combined music
performance with social
activism. After college she
pursued that dream with a
scholarship to the New
England Conservatory of
Music in Boston, where a
fiiend set her up on a date
with a theology doctoral stu
dent at Boston University
named Martin Luther King.
Jr.
Coretta King wrote that at
first she was reluctant to get
married because she knew it
would change her 'cal^r
dreams. As it turned out, of
course, becoming that young
minister’s wife gave h«- the
c^^rtunity to serve on an
entirelv different national
and world stage. Less than
three years into their mar
riage, Dr. King was thrust
into the national spotlight
with the Montgomery bus
boycott. Her own activism
and deep commitment to dvil
rights made her an ideal
partner as he became the
international symbol for the
C^vil Ri^ts Movement. She
often took on a behind-the-
scenes role, staying at home
with their four children while
Dr. King traveled as a public
leader. But in the most
important battles of the Civil
Ri^its Movement, she was.
always right by her hus-
bandis side.
After Dr. King’s death,
instead of retreating with her
young children or into her
grief, Coretta Scott King
stepped out into the forefiont
to continue her husband’s
legacy She began this the day
before his ftmeral, leading
the sanitation workers’
march he had gone to
Memphis to support. She con
tinued standing up for social
justice all the rest of her life.
She was devoted to pa'eserv’-
ing Dr. King’s legacy and
fou^t successfully to estab
lish the King C^ter and the
national holiday rect^nizing
his birthday and became an
internationally recognized
human ri^ts leader in her
ownri^t.
A stnmg antiwar and anti-
aparthrid activist, she spoke
to audiences around the
world, calling for racial equal
ity and economic and social
justice and received many
honors and awards for her
tireless work. Mrs. King was
especially passionate about
women’s rights, and urged
women to take their rightful
place at the table to create a
better nation and worid. She
once said, “If American
women would increase their
voting turnout by 10 percent,
I think we would see an end
to all of the budget cuts in
programs benefiting women
and children.” How true this
remains in this era where a
Congress of the United
States, aided and abetted by
a callous administration, has
just cut $39 billion fiom the
budget from programs low-
income children and families
need in order to give tens of
billions of new tax cuts to
powerful special interests
that don’t i^eed it.
Throughout her life, Mrs.
King was a lantern for fiee-
dom and justice. We will all
miss Coretta Scott King’s
presence but carry her and
Dr. King’s spmts as we con
tinue the struggle. May she
rest in peace and may we
worit for peace with justice
with renewed vigor.
^Bennettsvdle, S.C., native MAR
IAN WRIGHT EDEIMAN is
president and founder of the
Children's Defense Fund.