Chasten Is
Named To
Post By Long
Insurance Commissioner Jim Long
last week announced that Samuel N.
Chasten will become interim deputy
commissioner of the Insurance
Department’s consumer affairs divi
sion.
He has served in the department
since 1976 as a complaint analyst and
most recently as supervisor in the
property and casualty section of the
consumer division.
Chasten is a graduate of Shaw
University School of Business and
continued his study of accounting at
N.C. State University. A Raleigh resi
dent, he is a native of Duplin County.
“We are fortunate that individuals
like Sam Chasten are able to pick up
the reins and move the department
forward in this important area of ser
vice,” Long said in making the ap
pointment public.
Chasten replaces B.A. (Tony) Hig
gins as head of the consumer division.
Higgins will succeed William D. Bea
ty as senior deputy commissioner
over the public services group. Beaty
recently resigned to return to the
private sector.
Critics Saying
Blacks Unhappy
About Debates
BY SHIRLEY REED-BLASH
NNPA sun Writer
WASHINGTON, D.C.-While the
selection of Bernard Shaw, a highly
respected broadcast anchorman, to
moderate the last debate between the
presidential candidates helped to
muffle complaints that blacks lacked
visibility, critics were unhappy with
the way handlers for Gov. Michael
Dukakis and Vice President George
Bush sought to control the
debates—considered major political
events.
Shaw, Washington news anchor for
CNN, an Atlanta-based cable news
network, directed the line of question- .
ing for the IVi-hour showdown bet
ween the candidates, held at UCLA’s
Pauley Pavilion on the evening of
Oct 13. But the presence of Shaw did
not bring to the forefront black agen
da issues.
pie League of Women Voters
Education Fund withdrew sponsor
ship of the mid-October debate, laun
ching strong criticism against the
candidates for their attempts to con
trol the event. The Commission on
Presidential Debates—which spon
sored the first two debates—was
selected to direct the final showdown.
The commission was formed in
February 1987 by the national com
mittees of the Republican and
Democratic parties.
Dr. Ronald Walters, political
science professor at Howard Univer
sity, a predominantly black institu
tion in the District of Columbia,
agrees with the league’s decision.
“Why should they continue as spon
sor if their integrity is being seriously
violated by the candidates? They
have their own rules and standards.
If the candidates are not going to
agree to them, it is just as well that
they withdraw,” asserted Walters,
who was deputy campaign manager
for the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984 and
was a political strategist in his 1988
presidential bid.
Neither the league nor the commis
sion had the power to change one
complaint launched by Dr. Walters:
Gov. Dukakis’ and Vice President
Bueh’s failure to make the connection
Imtsmi blacks and other minorities
and some important issues. “The
candidates are addressing issues like
taxes, trade, the qualifications of vice
presidential candidates, and the
deficit. As a black person, 1 want to
know what they’re going to do for me.
You also want to hear about filings
that are closer to home,” he said.
“They have talked about drugs and
in general terms, but you
want to hear Macks and Hispanic peo
ple referred to. Their aspirations are
important. And they are a significant
part of the electorate,” asserted Dr.
Walters, the author of “Black
Presidential Politics in America,” a
hotft p.|hn«heri this year. The last
did nothing to enhance the
campaign of either candidate,
observers said.
Drive Safely
Sign Of The Times
BY YEMI TOURE
Editor's Note: The following to the
first pf a two-part series on the
Tawana Brawley case.
The entire legal and political
system of the state of New York put
its full weight up against a 16-year-old
girl named Tawana Brawley, and the
weight came tumbling down.
On Oct. 6, a New York grand jury
said that Tawana Brawley faked the
horrible condition in which she was
found after a four-day absence last
November, including her body being
covered with dog feces. The report
states that she was not the victim of
rape and abuse by law officials, as
she claims.
But despite the 170-page length of
the grand jury report, despite its tone
of reasonableness, despite its seem
ing avalanche of evidence, with this
report the legal system of New York
has smeared itself from head to toe
with dog feces. Let me give you just
one reason why I say this:
The conclusion of the report states,
“There was no sperm found... on her
body.”
After being found Nov. 28 last year,
Tawana was brought to St. Francis
Hospital in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The
hospital records, revealed last July,
say Tawana was diagnosed as a
“possible sexual assault” victim.
Despite this, she was given a “com
plete bath” by hospital staff at 4:30
p.m.
Police routinely warn women NOT
to wash after a rape, so doctors can
do a rape test and internal examina
tion to find sperm. But hospitals
records show Tawana was not given a
rape test and examination until 8
p.m., 3!~> hours AFTER she was given
a bath!
The grand jury conclusion, though,
says nothing about Tawana being
given a bath. No wonder there was
“no sperm found.” There are other
similar distortions and omissions
throughout the report.
DID TAWANA FAKE HER CON
DITION? The medical records from
the ambulance team and from St.
Francis use such phrases as “un
conscious,” the pupils of her eyes
were “dilated” and showed “no reac
tion” to light, her pulse was “ir
regular,” she had first- and second
degree burns over 36 percent of her
body, “patient did ndt respond to
pain, voice or ammonia,” “patient
unresponsive to painful stimuli.”
If Tawana was faking, as the politi
cians, police, grand jury and press
say, how could she fake all this?
THE SUN SHINES: Our com
pliments to the City Sun newspaper in
New York for boldly publishing ex
cerpts and analyzing the medical
reports of doctors and medical staff
who examined her. The black
weekly's expose is invaluable, and
you may want to order it. Send $3 to
City Sun, Circulation Department,
GPO 560, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11202. Ask
for Vol. 5, No. 27, dated July 6-12,
1988.
Next: What about Rev. A1 Sharp
ton? What about the other black
woman who was similarly attacked
less than three months later? And
Tawana speaks for herself.
Toure is a syndicated columnist
based in Los Angeles.
CREATING EXCITEMENT—High-spirited performer Lrta FsIsm cafe her beet
with multiple sclerosis God’s “perfect timing,” explaining that far alert 10 years,
“I really wanted out, but I couldn’t get out” of her gracing shew e-i^t
schedule. She says her faith in God was the main reason far her mbaculeys
recovery.
i Students Urge
Reinstatement
Of Professor
! BOSTON, Mass. (AP)-Some Suf
folk University students are calling
for the reinstatement of a black pro
fessor they claim was forced out
because of bis race. The school says
the professor resigned voluntarily
earlier this month.
Fifty student-age protesters took
part in a rally at Suffolk on Oct 14,
chanting slogans and carrying signs
demanding reinstatement of David
Mudavanha, an associate profeasor
of government.
“No matter what they say, to us it’s
a firing,” said senior Frit* Ellen, tf, a
former student of Mudavanha. He
said Suffolk provided no reason for
the action.
“They made up charges against
him,” Ellen said. “They never let
him answer the charges.”
“He formally tendered his resigna
tion to us,” said Suffolk spohawnan
Louis Connolly, who declined to give
details of the case. “Itae was no
racism here.”
“He wasn’t fired. We can’t talk
about it further because it’s a person
nel issue. He told us be was leaving
for personal reasons.”
Mudavanha also declined to com
ment on the case.
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“There was a common
bond,” says Lt. Governor Lawrence
Douglas Wilder of Virginia,
speaking of his college experi
ence. “We all knew who we were
and where we needed to go, and
what we needed to do to get there.”
Wilder, the nation’s highest-rank
ing Black elected state official,
attributes that world-beating
attitude to the inspiring role
models he found at Virginia Union
University, one of America’s Black
colleges.
In an atmosphere of high
intellectual quality, young Douglas
Wilder discovered what he calls,
“the high possibility of the
individual.”And following in a
tradition that has produced
outstanding scholars, profes
sionals and public servants, he
went on to a brillant career as an
attorney, state senator and civic
activist. Is it any wonder that,
though they enroll only 20% of
Black college students, Black col
leges produce 40% of Black college
graduates?
When you’re considering
colleges, doesn’t it make sense to
consider the ones that educated
achievers like Lawrence Douglas
Wilder? Attending one could lead
to a great future.
America’s Black Colleges
Are You Smart Enough To Go?
SfflHSPS! .
This food for thought is brought to you
by JELL-OP Brood Gelutiu umd Puddings,
a supporter of America's
historically Black colleges.
* Qmrnm Foods Caporaion