tomoMAD. Ancestral Paths This is a time of romance, and stress and the only place we can’t return is to the simple life. But when life ever simple for black lerica? It is discomforting to that our ancestors were not in their time. But it is a let we came through a people those lives were lived in mostly itmarish conditions, toiling relessly often aeainst rheiming odds in prayers promises for our today. This is part of our history and one of its elements that can help shape our future. We see the beautiful women and handsome men on the covers of our magazines, in the cinema and on the TV screen, teasing us into lusty, romantic reverie and fantasy. The dream of having it all—trendiness and materialism is showered with the scent of exquisite perfumes from ancient times and the enchanting lil only ;black women can deliver-like the Isongs of Nefertiti. This is •jutaposed by our struggle for survival which casts us in a Seemingly surrealistic relief: JAIDS, drugs, crime, poverty, ancarceration and all the ills and •problems related to stress. In this time of romance and dreams we face another passage :and must reflect on the spirit and preative genius of our ancestors who overcame formitable obstacles, which evolved in a legacy of truth, compassion and perservance. Our ancestors were men and women along whose path we walk, who through intelligence provided this promise of today. To ensure our future as a people changes and adjustments are imperative. Today many African Americans are confronted with a syndrome that is extremely stressful and poses a very special problem, which if not solved, borders on destruction by making cities uninhabitable. The situation is moving beyond prejudice and discrimination to great cultural differences and isolation between blacks and dominant middle class America, while in major cities people of very different cultures are now in contact with each other in dangerous, stressful concentrations. Many blacks face a devastating double-whammy: overt racism is on the upsurge at the same time the socio-economic condition is getting worse because of the longstanding consequences of racial inequality. Full assimilation of blacks in a color blind society is unlikely in any foreseeable future and this leaves the ingredients of stress and other factors existing for new racial confrontations and violence. Everybody wants to be a winner in a time of romance and dream and a little more accentuating the positive may be the best way to win friends in the 1990s and reduce stress in the African American community. The Future For Blacks & The battle against racism has 'ays been partly a moral one. ether appealing to the ideals of American creed or to fairness ind justice, blacks and their allies have used moral suasion to mobilize support for civil rights and against racism. However, in recent years, moral themes have been disappearing from the struggles over racial justice, and when evoked, they seem to have lost their force. A stable, long-term commitment by government at every level is essential if we are to make significant progress in eliminating racism. At virtually every critical turning point in the |long struggle for civil rights, the {federal government was a major ■actor. ; Much of the deterioration that has occurred in race relations jeame during the Reagan administation when the federal government ceased to be an agent ;of social change. This fact is most {dramatically reflected in Reagan •administration policies and in five 1969 Supreme Court (tensions that seriously weakened workers’ •rights to fight discrimination in the workplace and to persuade business set-asides. The irony, of course, is that the Supreme Court was once the staunchest proponent of affirmative action. The president is especially vital to progress in the struggle against {racism. This is why you have seen such a flurry of meetings between black leaders and President Bush in recent weeks to discuss the Civil Rights Act of 1991. That act seeks to overturn the disastrous decisions rendered by the Reagan majority on the Supreme Court. The president’s veto of this legislation has turned blacks against him. Two decades of massive immigration have brought new ethnic groups into the potential competition. Strengthening old ties and forging new ones are essential steps in protecting civil rights and ensuring further racial progress. Surveying the progress that has been made in civil rights and the political gains among African Americans, we see a clear transition. What began in the streets, at lunch counters, on the doorsteps of City Hall is not continuing in the halls of legislatures, in corporate board rooms, and at the ballot box. The movement for justice and equality has been transformed from the protest to politics and we look ahead to see it being transformed to yet another plane: economic empowerment, which is the outgrowth of poltiical action. This Mr. Bush seeks to deny to African-Americans, women and minorities, by rejecting the Civil Rights Bill. Afrocentrism Abroad ; After Egypt, Afrocentrists teach children about the glorious West African emperors, the vast lands they ruled, the civilization they achieved; not, however, about the tyrannous authority they exercised, the ferocity of pieir wars, the tribal massacres, the squalid lot of the common people, the captives sold into Slavery, the complicity with the Atlantic slave trade, the persistence of slavery in Africa after it was abolished in the West. : As for tribalism, the word tribe hardly occurs in the Afrocentric lexicon; but who can hope to [understand African history without understanding the practices, loyalties, rituals, blood feuds of tribalism? Black historians of an earlier generation, like Carter Woodson, wrote of the “orgies of war and Sacrifice of human beings” in West African societies. That note is not struck in the Afrocentric curriculum. One can go on indefinitely citing dubious claims Afrocentrisl ideologues represent as facts—that Pythagoras anc Aristotle, for example, stole theii mathematics and philosophy from black scholars in Egypt. Bui there is no reliable evidence tha either Pythagoras or Aristoth ever visited Egypt. In the case o Pythagoras, writes Prof. L Pearce Williams, the Cornel historian of science, th< Babylonians and Egyptian: certainly were acquainted witl the Pythagorean relationship, bu the Pythagorean theorems, tlx proof of the relationship, wen Hellenic. Wajid’s Word I '"if .. BV F. GODFREY J The following facets are noteworthy for the week of June 2-8: June 2: Harriet Tubman 11823-1913) led Union Army guerillas into Maryland, freeing more than 700 slaves. James Augustine Healey became the first black Catholic bishop in the United States, 1875 June 3: Charles Drew bom 1904-1950 Physician, pioneer of blood plasma research June 4: Mississippi Valley State University founded, 1951 June 6: First annual convention of “People of Color" held in Philadelphia, 1831. Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Toure. newly adopted African name) launched Black Power movement, 1966 June 7: Gwendolyn Brooks, poet, born 1917. Mary Church Terrell wins struggle to end segregation in Washington, DC. restaurants, 1953. June 8: Homer A Plessy refused to move to segregated railroad coach in New Orleans, initiating Plessy vs. Ferguson suit, 1892. First Civil Rights Act passed, 1886 As you can see, the first Civil Rights Act was passed in 1886. Now, in 1991, congress continues to debate the African living in America, while the African sits back and waits on those in power to decide on their rights as citizens. It must be mentioned that if Africans and women were considered as full citizens by the European men who are in control, we would not need any civil rights. The Africans must understand that if the European man is not willing to give his European counterpart certain rights, then we know well what we can expect from him It is time for the African to turn the pressure on those who are in control. We must begin to use our numbers and our economic might to dr ind our rights We must seize our righu, and quit begging massa for some more scraps. I mentioned before that the African can literally “close” America down. If we used the economic boycott and stayed away from our numerous jobs on the various plantations, we could force the Europeans who are in power to beg us to come to the table and work things out. As long as we continue to wait on others to give us what is rightfully ours as so-called Americans, we u ,11 never achieve full citizenship We should make attempts to align ourselves with any European women who are serious about liberation, but we should also remember who the European woman goes home to each night One must fully know who the enemy is before he or she can effectively conquer that enemy We must throw away the ridiculous barriers our coming together as a people and begin to recognize that we are all in the same boat Whether you are an Episcopalian or a Baptist, you are still an African. Whether you are a Delta, an AKA. an Omega or a Sigma, you are still an African. Whether you are dark or light, or have brown hair or black hair, or have straight hair or coarse hair, you are still an African. Whether you live in North Raleigh or South Raleigh, you are still an African. Bob Marley once warned us that 'They don’t want to see us unite. All they want us to do is keep on killing one another " He also urged, “Africa unite, unite for the benefit of your people.'' It is time for us tc heed the urging and warning of our greal brother and seize our rights Do you remember Rosa Parks and the bus •boycott? It was also the boycott which ultimately ended segregation in many ol the public facilities and privately ownec businesses throughout the South. We are depending on a Congress which i; not representative of us to represent us This borders on the ludicrous. Until we art able to send people to Congress who wil represent us we cannot expect to ge anv more than the crumbs we have beer receiving over the past 100 years. We must gain our freedom by any mean: necessary! PEACE! A Different Voice BV IIOBorilV SIIAW-TIIOMPSO,\ THK 01.1) WAV CONTRADICTIONS When I was a little girl ' was fascinated By the song "Que Sera, Sera or “Whatever Will Be, Will Be" (I’m not sure that's the title). Now that I'm all grown up, I’m much more fascinated by the contradictions that life presents. In short, I am really much more just fascinated by people and in awe of life. When I say in awe of life what I really mean is that I'm in awe of the "givens" in life, the "What is-ises." My fascination with people is really more, my fascination in the contradictions that present themselves as our human perceptions. I thank God that along the way I have been given companions who wonder about things too. What has helped me maintain my sanity or lack thereof (depending upon your perceptions! is that my dearest people share my views, understand my views, clarify my views or encourage my views. For the purpose of this article, let me share some local and national ! contradictions. I recently lieard a caller on ■ Frank Roberts’ show, “Let’s Talk." discussing Dan Blue's move to another house. He perceived that Dan is moving • out of the district, as a matter of fad he • thought Ik* had already moved. Not so on ! both cases. I wonder if lie were correct, ’ what business is it of the public? Unless of course the law (that once a representative I moves out of the district he is no kmgei that district's representative is not 1 upheld Also, il would lie our business if l Dan attempted or intended to effect the I redistricting so that wherever he moved j the lines would Ik- redi aw n sohal he could | remain the repre - -dative That is not only • immoral, but also illegal. At any rate ! since neither premise i.% , -rect, tin questions are moot Then, the question again becomes does Dan and his family have a right to move anywhere in the district they please? I say yes, because I believe that I have a right to live anywhere I please and so, I extend that right to others I was told that there was a caller on a talk show who was offended by comments I made about the Black Unity Day. 1 hav. pondered whether or not I owe him ar apology I believe I do and to that caller I say. “I am sincerely sorry that you wert offended, hurt, or angered by m\ comments. My intentions were to d( neither, but rather to share an opimor about the definition of the word leader,' it response to your definition. If m; definition angered you. I m sorry. Tin other side of this is that it brings up th. reality of the society we have created u America, it is generally the "rules" tha public comments are open to public response. What an individual does with the public devate by his personal reactions comes from somewhere inside himself based on his perceptions, his thoughts, aw feelings and his behavioral patterns 01 motives. Recently, I understand that Dan Blue invited those he believed to be "leaders" t< a dinner Most present were electee officials and so being, I guess it ’s probably true that publicly they are consideree leaders If not leaders, they certainly art representatives by virtue of their status a: "elected” officials. It is my understand^ that a "sore spot' with some of thesi people is the bad press that they get fron the “Let’s Talk” show. They attribute this to Frank Roberts. I guess they neec somebody to blame, because It’s obviou' to me that callers to the show give then the bad press based on their actions or lacl thereof. There are also some callers wh< say "they” shouldn't be talked about, believe differently. 1 do believe chat the; shouldn't be lied about or misrepresented out l also believe that when they becomi representatives of the public, theii representation is as open to criticism as i is open to support. I personally suppor their representation when it supports me mine and ours and I criticize it when i .See ,» DIFFERENT VOICE, V. 10) BiBLb Thought Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may drover itself. When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach. The words ot a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the well»P™8 ” wisdom as a flowing brook. It is not good to. “* person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous m judgmenl Proverbs W:l-S TONY BROWN'S JOURNAL BY TONY BROWN , AMERICA IS C ERTIFYING BLACK INFERIORITY Donald Trump was turned into a folk hero by the media without any examination of his personal views. Now we learn that the man many blaeks vicariously live through said, T have black guys counting my money... I hate it... Laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is. I believe that,” writes John O’Donnell in his new book called “Trumped!” Is Donald Trump an aberra tion of white opinion" Not hard!) A University of Chicago survey of racial attitudes found that 75 per cent of whites, that *• three or of every four, believe nlack people are lazier, less intelligent, less patriotic and more prone to vio lence than whites To accommodate these beliefs and institutionalize opinions of innate black inferiority or to help this "inferior” race survive BROWN among a superior species, wiuc whites have instituted “race normmg " Employment-aptitude tests are ranked or bunched by race comparing blacks to blacks and whites to whites. In ’his institutional confirmation that African genes retard intelligence, whites must score on exams 405 out of a possible 500 points to be ranked at the top, while a black must oniv earn 355. fiacia equcbtv under race norming means whites can sp