Newspapers / The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.) / June 13, 1988, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
o A iUn ^ f ahaIiawc isorn mumcauon is uie zorce mai prop our civilization into the futui <■: preserving our past, Effective communication is recommended as the solution tc problems large and small in families, schools, the workplace—indeed in the world. Educational programs often focus on the clear expression of ideas. This, of course, is an important skill and well worth perfecting. Eut what of the other side of com munication? How does a student become an effective receiver and user of ideas and information? In our rapidly changing world, schools must prepare students to read, view, hear and use informa tion coming from myriad sources. To this end the American Associa tion of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Com munications and Technology have developed “Information Power: Guidelines for School. Library Media Programs.” This docu ment is the first revision of library media program guidelines to be published in 13 years. The guidelines are based on the V««*10V VMM v ministrators, and library media specialists must form a partner ship to design and implement ef fective programs to meet the needs of students who will be fa cing the information challenges of the 21st century. Karen Whitney, president of the AASL, says, “The effective school library media program cannot be achieved sole ly by the library media specialist. The effective program encom passes all areas of the curriculum and requires that the teachers, principals, and library media specialist share a common vision of the total educational program.” “Students who graduate from high school this year will spend most of their adult lives in the 21st century. We cannot imagine what changes they will face but we can predict that they will experience a world much different from ours,” Whitney says. “‘Information Power’ helps us realize our responsibility to ensure that our students become effective users of information, an essential skill for the future.” It's Our Fault Americans, black and white, are focused on the candidacy of Jesse Jackson and the army of delegates he may take to Altanta, the Democratic National Conven tion this summer. But what will the party of Lin coln do to get black Americans in volved in New Orleans, the Republican National Convention, or the general election this November? Since 1912, according to the Joint Center for Political Studies, the nation’s most respected black political and social research authority, the GOP has never had more than six percent black delegates at its convention, and not since the 1960 presidential election, which pitted John Ken nedy against Richard Nixon, has the Republican Party duplicated the Nixon effort—32 percent of the blaek vote. From that moment un til now, the GOP has polled no bet ter than 10 to 12 percent of the vote from black Americans. ' ~A sidebar to this fact: With the exception of U.S. Sen. Edward Brooke of Massachusetts, no black Republican has won elec tion to Congress in 56 years. One wonders, with the technology, superb organization and fundraising ability of the Republican Party, what has hap pened to efforts to attract blacks to the party? * Some black pundits, political observers and activists conjure up a gloomy picture of exclusion that characterizes the party as a negligent parent who is really more interested in the other children or voter groups. The party, some say, faces a Catch-22 dilemma: Republicans win very few votes in the black community. So, the party spends very little»time and resources in the black community. Therefore, the party receives less support from blacks come election day, due to a breakdown in real com munications. Somewhere along the way, if blacks wish to influence national policy—instead of just Democratic Party policies—inroads of influence must be made in the Republican Party. Several avenues may work, in cluding boosting black registra tion in the GOP, running black Republican candidates, and biacK Republicans acting as an indepen dent bloc in that party instead of showing a blind allegiance which generates only limited results. If the black community was more committed to progress than camaraderie, it would seek presence and influence wherever they may be necessary and found. As long as the black community endorses a segregated major na tional party, it might as well ac cept national policies of segrega tion. It is not the Republican Party’s fault that they are not responsive to black America. It is black America’s fault. On Pofiticat Jealousy Political jealousy and en » Bet ween nationally recognized black personalities can be severely damaging to the black community at all levels. Humors of differences between well-known civil rights leaders, black political candidates and of ficeholders, and other recognizable and influential blacks are both petty and poisonous. Regardless as to what other racial groups do of a similar nature, the black community can not afford the luxury of jealousies and envy between old-line leaders and others who may be getting more attention now. Those from one section of the country should not succumb to the vice of castigating those from another sector. The young and the old should not wallow in bickering and nit picking. ' Differences in education, fami ly background and profession should not be die source of pet tiness. It is essential during crucial times of the struggle by black Americans for freedom that presidential candidate Jesse Jackson be able to establish an ac cord with NAACP executive director Benjamin Hooks. Newly elected Congressman John Lewis of Atlanta must have a relationship, "in the interest of progress, with the old guard of the Atlanta establishment. The late Dr. Martin Luther King should not have had to face inter nal movement squabbles with the other leaders of civil rights organizations. It does seem, however, that jealousy and envy are par for the course. The pattern of crabs in a bucket is the essential blueprint for black behavior. It is virtually impossible for there to exist a unified effort by many black Americans to achieve goals and objectives. In fact, some persons have been known to achieve their own fame via taking potshots at others. Maybe our common foes need to be a little more oppressive for all of us to learn that there is more strength and progress in unity—whether others are unified or not. OPINION BY ERNIE JOHNSTON, JR. TWO YOUNG PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WORLDS It had only been a few hours when I had read a story in the Sunday newspapers stating that youngsters as young as 14 years of age are carrying handguns as protection for the drugs they are selling. Later that day I found myself talking to a young man who had just graduated from college. The young man who was very tall and stated that he had opted for a career in financial planning rather than trying out for professional basketball outlined his career goals to me. It all sounded very interesting to me especially after I had become so depressed reading about young thugs who tuck handguns in their belts rather than carry textbooks. The scheme for drug pushers is to give these youngsters guns to protect the $300 to $500 worth of drugs they give them to sell. And from that I have read in the newspapers and seen on television, these youngsters at life just as if a person isn’t even existing. They will blow your brains out without batting an eyelash. Their goals are far different from the young man I talk ed with who has his sights set on the financial world. As far as the young punks are concerned, their goal is to sell drugs, get the money, buy drugs for themselves and get high. college is foreign to tnem ana tneir nnanciai planning comes from counting the big wads of money, going out and buying clothing they can afford and getting an expensive automobile when they can’t even reach the gas pedal. It’s always good to see a young black man talking about his future and thinking about networking with people In the professional arena so that he can develop a link toward fin ding that all-important job. Their thoughts are far different from the young drug pusher whose only networking is meeting the drug dealers and others in the sordid world of heroin, crack and other deadly drugs. It was soon after meeting the young college graduate that several people sat around a dinner table and somehow the conversation came back around to young people in to day’s society. There was more talk about the news that had hit the newspapers about young teenagers arming themselves and about their role as entrepreneurs in the drug-selling business. There was a lot of concern among those who sat around that dinner table. One of those who shared in the conversa tion happened to be a state elected official. The official talked about how bad the problem has got ten and he was asked pointedly what can be done to stop the drug problem that has permeated our communities. He told us that he didn’t know what it would take to wipe out the drugs in our communities, admitting that the pro blem has gotten so bad that answers are hard to come by. The most recent column that I wrote also dealt with the drug problem and how it has reached epidemic proportions in our communities. In that column I offered as a solution that resources must be found in order to set up some type of sophisticated drug detection at our ports of entry to halt the importation of drugs into our country. During that conversation, someone mentioned as a possible means of halting drugs would be to pay attention to where it is brought into this country. We can have our national anti-drug campaigns and we can devise all of the slogans we can think of but until there is some strategy designed to stop the flow of drugs into this country right at the point of its arrival, we are going to con tinue to have young people out there with handguns, Uzis and other dangerous weapons they use to protect their in vestment. Miller Says BY SHERMAN N. MILLER AMERICA’S NEW SHUNNED CLASS Some black professionals and management employees fail to comprehend corporate America’s unwritten de meanor rules. These professionals are hellbent on leading the charge for America’s downtrodden workers. They often realize the awesome personal price they must pay for their covert activities too late to prevent a career disaster. My first encounter with one of these closet worker rights activists was at The CAROLINIAN newspaper in Raleigh. There were two black fellows, purportedly in management for a fast food chain, and a young black lady who was a worker. These two fellows were helping this young lady in giving the newspaper a story on workers’ rights. I called one of these fellows to the side. I reminded him that he was a member of management, pointing out that the young lady was the only one who should have been at this newspaper. My words fell on deaf ears. Nevertheless, I tried a se cond time, telling this fellow that he was not hiding his ac tions from his management. I told him that there are no secrets when one works with large groups of people. I finally decided to use the symbolic two-by-four treat ment on him. I said, “You are going to get fired if you con tinue what you are doing! ” Realizing our conversation was an exercise in futility, I ended it. I later learned from Marc Lee, the CAROLINIAN reporter who wrote up this fast food workers’ story, that the young fellow and many of the ringleaders no longer worked for this fast food chain. Lee added, however, that there were some concessions made by the fast food chain. This fast food story is disquieting. I later received a telepone call from a black South Carolina professional who spoke of not receiving a promotion during his 15-year tenure at a multinational corporation. He admitted to a mediocre job performance rating. Yet he claimed great job knowledge and experience in key areas. I asked him why he was having problems at work. He revealed a history of covert worker activities. This fellow described his involvement as merely offering workers ad vice on various problems. This corporate professional spoke of being shunned by other Macks who saw him a detriment to their careers. He also spoke of receiving mental health treatments for the in tense daily pressure he undergoes. As I listened to this fellow speak, I felt he was a civil rights worker without portfolio. He seemed to have enjoyed matching wits with management. But he was ego blinded, and he ignored corporate America’s unwritten manerisms until career disaster slapped him in the face. Nonetheless, this corporate Mack fellow did manage to . avoid getting forced out of his corporation. He also now CHUCK STONE A tale of two ethnicities By Chnck Stone In 1988, a Roman philosopher’s 2,000-year-old xenophobia may help elect the next president, and Michael Dukakis couldn’t be more serene. ‘Whatever it Is," wrote Virgil, “I fear Greeks even when they bring gifts.” , , George Bush should be so lucky. Greek-Americans have brought $5.8 million worth of “gifts” to his likely opponent In the fall election. That ac counts for 20 percent of landsman Du kakis’ $29 million campaign kitty. The Duke’s 1988 presidential cam palgn might be called the Greek American community’s coming of age. It’s also the churning of Dukakis’ own “melting pot.” He speaks fluent Spanish and Is married to a Jew. For a while, such eclecticism was downplayed. The media was blinded by Gary Hart’s sex life, Joseph Bl den’s plagiarism, Albert Gore’s ado-’ laacence and Jesse Jackson’s oratori cal thunder. Now that they have all bitten the dust, Dukakis has emerged with over night swiftness as the certain Demo cratic nominee. The media then dis covered the magnitude of his ethnicity and freaked out. .‘Greeks Look to Dukakis with Pride,” headlined a USA Today May 18•^Dukaklfls'vå Ethnicity on His Sleeve,” proclaimed a Washing ton Post May 22 story. ‘Greek Americans, Home State Are Dukakis' Rich Quarry,” con firmed a Washington Post May 29 ^The** Odyssey of Greek-Ameri cans,* gushed a New Republic June 6 cover story. The modern-day Odysseus was their new hero. Besides, this bushy eyebrowed, short-statured man who looks like a Democratic version of an unshaven Richard Nixon just might be elected president. If he does succeed, he deserves it, although I still can’t get excited about him He also will have done as much as Jesse Jackson to enhance the splendor of the American dream. Yet, the two Democratic candi dates offer opposing styles as ethnic politicians. And their personalities trigger diametric responses from the media. Dukakis' Greek ancestry and his ethnic loyalists are extolled. Jack son’s African ancestry and his ethno centric followers are excoriated. j When Greek Americans dug deep into their pockets to provide Dukakis’ financial margin of difference, an awed media reported this ethnic phe nomenon as exemplifying America’s democratic spirit, when black Ameri cans rallied around Jackson, giving him 90 to 95 percent of their votes in the primaries, the media accused Jackson of manipulating black voters for racially selfish ends. The worst that has been written about Dukakis is that he is an unfeel ing organizational man, a robot, a res urrected Thomas E. Dewey. But Mbs. Paul Simon compared Jackson to Hit ler, and columnist Charles Krautham mer likened Jackson to Mussolini and Peron. Some commentators even have a cute way of keeping a black man in “his place* by applying superficially respectable euphemisms that are variations on the Insult “boy.* Arkan sas columnist Paul Greenberg repeat edly refers to Jackson In minstrel ca dences as “The Reverend’ and “Brother Jackson,* then exposes his subliminal racial hangup by compar ing “George Wallace’s racially baaed campaign7 to Jackson’s “generally populist appeal.* Why is a black American’s cam paign proudly supported by black vot ers “racially based,’ while a Greek American's campaign proudly sup ported by Greek dollars Is a ‘celebra tion of his Greeknesa*? What’s the difference between Du kakis appearing at a private black-tie dinner hosted by Archbishop Iakovos, leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, for 100 prominent Greek-Americaaa,, and Jackson appearing at a predomi-' nantly black fund-raiser hosted by black Wall Street tycoon Reginald Lewis for black business people? When we can say, “no difference,* the tale of two ethnicities will finally become a tale of one nation. i © 1*M, NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN. Child Watch BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN THE BLACK TEEN PREGNANCY PROBLEM: MYTHS AND FACTS We in the black community know enough about our teen pregnancy pro blem to be very worried about it. But do we know enough of the facts to take effective action? How many of us are still hearing and repeating the following myths? Myth: Black teens are responsible for most of the teen births in this na tion. Fact: White teens, who make up the vast majority of our teen population, are also responsible for most of the teen births. However, black teenage women are more than twice as likely as their white peers to give birth. That is the real reason that the black community is justly said to have an especially severe teen pregnancy problem. Myth: The main reason that black teens are more likely to have children than white teens is that they are more likely to be having sex. Fact: There are many reasons that black teens are more likely than white teens to have babies. The biggest one is that black teens who are sexual ly active are more likely than white teens to get pregnant because they are leas likely to start using contraceptives early or to do so regularly. The naxt; most important reason is that pregnant black teens are less likely than preg nant white teens to have abortions. A third reason is that black teens are somewhat more likely to be sexually active than white teens. But sexual ac tivity rates are up among teens of all races. Myth: The birth rate among unmarried black teens is rising. Fact: No, it has generally been falling, though it is still unacceptably high. As of 1985, an unmarried black teenage woman was more than four times as likely as her white counterpart to give birth. Birth rates among white unmarried teens are on their way up, however. Myth: Black teen mothers are less likely to finish school than white teen mothers. Fact: Just the opposite is true: about two-thirds of black teen mothers graduate, compared to 55 percent of white teen mothers and a small minority of Hispanic teen mothers. But teen parenthood still prevents too many of our young women from getting an education. Myth: Black teen birthrates are the same wherever you go. Fact: Black teen birthrates vary widely from state to state. For example, in 1980 black teen birthrates ranged from a high of 127.0 births per thousand black teens in Wisconsin, to a low of 73.9 per thousand in Massachusetts, a rate comparable to the white rate in several states. We can learn a lot from these differences about what our teens need to stop having children too young. Myth:.Thgre is oothyig we can do to prevent teen pregnancy. Fact: There is much we can all do to prevent teenage pregnancy. We can talk to our boys and girls about the consequences of premature and un protected sexual activity, we can spend time with and pay attention to our children and help them build strong self-esteem, and we can, through offering them positive life options, provide hope that a positive future awaits them. The black community is beginning to rally its resources to tackle this challenge in our churches, community groups, schools, and homes. You can and should join in. If you woud like to know what a variety of organizations are doing, write Adolescent Pregnancy Child Watch, CDF, 122 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. realizes tnat corporations are not hiring professional worker rights activists; rather, they are employing profes sionals to accomplish specific tasks. I worry about the significance of the above foolhardy minfahaa on imputing black American upward mobility in the economic mainstream. Yet I must not ignore these peo ple’s need for recognition by their management. If black professionals wish to operate solely in the economic mainstream, then the International Rotary, the Toastmasters, and so on, are excellent groups to find men tors and learn the corporate code of conduct. If black professionals feel more comfortable learning from other blacks, then there are black professional groups such as the Brandywine Professionals in New Castle Coun ty, Del. The Brandywine Professional membership is made up of people who work for both multinational and domestic corporations. Further, Delaware's business and civic leadership respect this group. Thus, Mack professionals must accept the unwritten rules of corporate America or they will become America’s new shunned class.
The Carolinian (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 13, 1988, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75