March 23, 1988, Portland Observer, Page 3
The Kerner Report:
20 Years Later
Arby’s Announces First Hank
Aaron Scholarship Recipients
by Norman Hill
Joseph Pinzón
A tlanta — Arby’s, Inc., in co­
operation with Big Brothers/Big
Sisters of America (BB/BSA), has
announced the winners of its
first Arby’s/Hank Aaron Scholar­
ship award. The scholarships
were presented recently in New
York City to Joseph Pinzon of the
Bronx, N.E., and Martresa Lynn
Graves of Indianapolis.
The Arby’s/Hank Aaaron Scho­
larship program was established
in 1987 by the Arby’s Foundation,
as part of the fast-food chain s
co n tin u in g e ffo rts toward re­
cruitm ent assisting BB/BSA with
national fund-raising and recruit-
rrtent activities. The scholarships
recognize young men and wo­
men who have benefited from
BB/BSA and who have excelled in
school and donated their tim e to
com munity service.
Prinzon and Graves were cho­
sen from among many candi­
dates across the United States.
They w ill receive $5,000 per year,
dp to four years, toward their col­
lege e d u c a tio n s . P re se n te d
annually, each scholarship is
worth $20,000.
•' “ The Arby’s/Hank Aaron Scho­
larship was created to assist in
tfie development of young adults
who are not only aoademically-
ästute, but who have also shown
civic involvement and acted as
companions and role models to
younger Little Brothers and Sis
ters,” said Leonard Roberts, Ar­
by’s president and chief execu­
tive officer.
The program was named after
baseball legend Hank Aaron,who
is the national spokeman for Ar­
by’s BB/BSA program. Aaron also
serves as honorary chairman of
the fund and is a Big Brother
h im s e lf — to 9 -y e a r-o ld
“ Skeeter” Moore of Atlanta.
"It is indeed an honor to have a
college scholarship given in my
name,” said Aaron. "H ig h e r
education is an important ele­
ment for the future for some
lu c k y L it t le B ro th e rs and
Sisters.”
BB/BSA is the only national
youth-serving organization that
provides children from single­
parent homes with an adult friend
on a one-to-one basis. BBB/BSA
has 460 affiliated agencies in 49
states.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ar­
by’s is the w orld’s largest roast
beef sandwich chain, with more
than 1,850 restaurants in the
United States, Canada, Japan
and Asia. To date, Arby’s and its
franchisees have raised approx­
imately $1.5 m illion for BB/BSA.
Carrie Saxon Perry: Black Woman Mayor
Carrie Saxon Perry, Hartford,
C o n n e c tic u t’s energetic new
mayor, assumes the reigns of
control as the first Black female
chief executive of a major nor­
theastern city.
As mayor, Perry, who is known
for her extensive wardrobe of
hats, has a much bigger hat to
wear now, and a host of new
challenges to meet as well. “ The
office is a terrific forum for
ideas,” she says. “ And I have the
authority and the responsibility
to be the major spokesperson for
the city.”
W ith a population of 136,000,
Hartford, Perry's hometown,
boasts the country's highest per
capita income, and ranks as the
insurance capital of the world.
Her colleagues in city govern­
ment, however, feel that having
Perry on board as mayor is in­
surance enough. “ Once she
gives you her word,” said one
council member, you can go to
sleep on it.”
Perry, who studied political
science and law at Howard Uni­
versity, initially planned to be­
come a lawyer. A fter opting in­
stead -to become a wife and
mother, she developed an inte­
rest in politics.
Principals of Leadership
Leadership is an intriguing quality. In some people,
the ability to lead is almost second nature, while others
gain such skills through years of experience.
One thing is certain, whether in business, govern­
ment, athletics or education: leaders do rise to the top,
usually bringing their teams or institutions along with
them.
“ Principals of Leadership” recognizes the outstan­
ding men and women in our nation s schools who,
through their effective leadership, promote safer, more
productive and more positive learning climates on the
campuses they administer.
Vision, persuasiveness and commitment to excel­
lence are common threads in the profiles of the 10 prin­
cipals honored this year. Each displays the ability to
work toward tomorrow's dreams instead of putting out
yesterday’s “ fires” , to earn others' respect and trust,
and to dedicate their efforts to providing all students
with the best possible educational opportunities.
Since safe, quality schooling requires student, staff
and community involvement, these principals special
programs and talents take on varied emphases. For ex­
ample, programs that integrate school activities with
local businesses to provide job training and student
scholarships help reduce dropout rates. Staff and stu­
dent recognition programs boost morale and reduce
discipline problems. Special campus cleanup projects
instill a “ pride of ownership" among students for their
campuses and reduce vandalism. And law-related cur­
ricula teach students about their rights and respon­
sibilities as citizens.
These 10 education leaders and their achievements
are positive examples for all leaders of children and
adults alike.
The 1988 “ Principals of Leadership’ are (counter­
clockwise from top left): Yvonne Allen, Whiteville Ele­
mentary School, Whiteville, Tennessee; Robert Cacca-
mo Chandler High School, Chandler, Arizona; Gary A.
Faber West Bloomfield High School, West Bloomfield,
Michigan; Minnie W. Floyd, Palms Junior High School,
Los Angeles, California; Felton M. Johnson, Interme­
diate School 229, Bronx, New York; Karen R. Kundin,
Kachina Elementary School, Glendale, Arizona; Shan­
non Reffett, Westville Correctional Center School,
Westville, Indiana; Carroll A. “ Butch" Thomas, Estaca­
do High School, Lubbock, Texas; Vera M. White, Jeffer­
son Junior HighSchool, Washington, D C.; and John R
Young, Schenley High School Teacher Center, Pitts­
burg, Pennsylvania.
The Day
Dr. King Died:
20 Years Later
Atlanta mayor Andrew Young,
nutritionist Dick Gregory, poet
laureate G w endolyn Brooks,
film m aker Spike Lee, actress
Marla Gibbs and others recall
what they were doing 20 years
ago upon hearing of Dr. Martin
Luther King's death, reports the
April EBONY.
“ There was a great shared fear,
a gut-wrenching fear,” said May­
nard Jackson, former Mayor of
Atlanta. "It was not related to any
fear for our own well-being, but
just a fear for the future. We talk­
ed about Dr. King’s death being a
summons to action," he adds.
"I was in San Francisco in a car
driving to a lecture," said Dick
Gregory, who frequently march­
ed with King. “ I pulled the car
over and said to the person with
me, ‘I don't believe what he just
said (on the radio).’ He was
always loving, kind, peaceful and
g e n tly ... one of the finest human
beings who ever walked the
planet."
Considered the principal ar­
chitect of the civil rights move­
ment, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
was killed 20 years ago this
month.
n atio nal ,
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It’s been 20 years since the
Kerner Commission issued its re­
port on the causes of the 1967
c iv il disorders that wracked
black neighborhoods in many of
this country’s largest cities. The
report concluded that the pro­
blem of blacks in America were
caused primarily by white racism
that was leading to the emer­
gence of two societies.
The Com m ission also took
great pains to distinguish bet­
ween racist attitudes and racist
behavior. In so doing, it was
pointed out that the fundamental
problems centered on racist be­
havior by American institutions,
and the behavior of these institu­
tions was influenced more by
overt racist actions than by pri­
vate attitudes.
The distinction was important.
While racist behavior by in stitu ­
tions could be changed by laws
and regulations, private attitudes
could not. To cite an example,
schools could be desegregated
by decree, regardless of the pri­
vate attitudes of parents, stu­
dents or teachers. This analysis,
while not ignoring the necessity
of revising private beliefs stres­
sed the democratization of Ame­
rican institutions.
Much has changed since the
report was issued two decades
ago. Thanks to antidiscrim ina­
tion legislation, regulations, and
affirm ative action, blacks havn
made substantial progress in
such institutions as government,
business, education, the public
sector, and labor. Although overt­
ly racist behavior continues to be
a factor in black advancement,
great strides have bene made.
There are more black elected of­
ficials than at any time in this na­
tion's history, and a black man is
dem onstrating that he can be a
viable candidate for president.
Blacks are steadily clim bing the
corporate ladder, although per­
haps not at a rate warranted by
our overall population. These
same trends hold true in the
other institutions.
Private attitudes are more d iffi­
cult to gauge. Ugly incidents
such as Howard Beach, the ha­
rassment of a black FBI agent,
and racist confrontations on se­
veral campuses are a dramatic re­
minder that racial intolerance is
still with us. But it must be re­
membered that racism and bigo­
try are not a uniquely American
phenomena. The relatio nship
between the upper and lower
castes in India is in some ways
more brutal and systemic than
the operation of racism in Ameri­
ca. Tribal hatred is common all
over Africa. The point is, that any
m ultiracial society w ill always
have ethnic tensions. But if that
society and its in stitutio ns place
a premium on social justice and
human rights, then racism will, at
least, be reduced to an irreduci­
ble minimum.
So is white racism still the pri­
mary im pedim ent to black pro­
gress? W hile it clearly remains a
factor, the focus has shifted in 20
years. The terrible problems pla­
guing the black underclass have
more to do with rapid, systemic
changes in the economy than ra­
cism or race. While the black
m iddle-class has made great
strides since the Kerner Com­
mission report, the plight of the
black urban poor have been exa­
cerbated by such factors as the
loss of m illions of manufacturing
jobs, the flig ht of companies to
the suburbs, and reduced em­
ployment opportunities.
Our agenda for the 1990s must
focus on the economic and class
dimension contributing to the
growing social isolation of the
black poor. If we do not, then the
Kerner prediction of two socie­
ties w ill be fulfilled, but the
demarcation lines w ill be drawn
primarily along class not racial
lines. The black poor w ill have
more in common withe the white
poor than their brothers and sis­
ters in the black m iddle class.
Norm an H ill Is P resident of the A. Philip
Randolph In stitu te .
Southern California to Ship
Clothing to Southern Africa
O fficials from the city of Los
Angeles M ayor’s O ffice and
BARAC (Black American Re­
sponse to the African Commu­
nity) announced a major ongoing
shipment of clothing and medi­
cal supplies to Mozambique in a
w a te rfro n t news conference,
Wednesday, March 9th.
The
news conference took place at
the Port of Los Angeles, Los
Angeles Harbor, San Pedro, Cali­
fornia.
50 tons of clothing and sup­
plies collected from the south­
land was immediately prepared
for shipment to war torn Mozam­
bique in a joint relief project
organized by BARAC and leading
members of the clothing manu­
facturing industry.
The President of BARAC, Rev.
Frank W ilson and officials from
the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office,
together with Mr. Larry Carroll,
the BARAC National Media Di­
rector, Dr. Paul Martin, President
of the Inter-Denominational M ini­
sterial Alliance, Mr. Fernando
Lime, News Editor of the Mozam­
bique Information Agency, and
several members of the enter­
tainment community, including
singers Ray Parker Jr. and Phillip
Bailey, issued a joint statement
to kick off the project which w ill
send 500 tons of supplies to the
front line state.
Headquartered in Pasadena,
California, BARAC is continuing
its work in order to return hope to
those left hopeless in Africa.
“ Almost half of Mozambique’s
population of 14.36 m illion is now
affected by the emergency situa­
tion. Twice the 3.5 m illion affect­
ed earlier this year. It includes
some 3.2 m illion in rural areas
and another 1 m illion in towns, in
all providences. Roughly 1 m il­
lion of those affected have be­
come displaced due to the war
and food shortages. Many are on
the move searching for food,
clothes, medicines, agricultural
tools, and other essential item s."
(A frican Recovery/U nited Na­
tions, December, 1987).
States Mayor Bradley, “ Don’t
let this be a ‘one tim e’ effort —
the need goes on. The depriva­
tion w ill continue unless our ef­
forts are ongoing. In this pros­
perous country of ours, most of
us enjoy an abundance. There­
fore, ours is a continuous com ­
m itment to help the unfortunate,
here and abroad, and to assist
organizations like BARAC who
have already begun to help."
"C lothing, trucks and man­
power are avenues in which one
of us can lend a hand in one
united effort ot Meeting the
Needs and Rebuilding a Fam ily’
in Southern Africa,” says Los
Angeles businessman, Mr. Char­
les Patrick, the Project Coordina­
tor for the clothing drive.
BARAC is a coalition of clergy,
enterta ine rs, jo u rn a lis t, b u s i­
ness people, health profession­
als, com m unity leaders, and con­
cerned citizens. Its headquarters
are located at 261 E. Colorado
Blvd., S u ite 210, Pasadena,
C a lifo rn ia 91101, te le p h o n e
number (818) 584-0303. For fur­
ther inform ation, please contact
Miss Natalie McCray, Press Con­
fe re n c e C o o rd in a to r at the
BARAC office.
This space provided as a public serv<e
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