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E ditorial / O pinion
Civil ‘-Rights Journal
bv Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
To Be Equal
by John E. Jacob
Stand With Native Americans
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For too long the aspirations and the
well-being of Native Americans have
been trampled upon by the forces of
power in this society. The spring of
1990 finds the stage once again set for
a racial crisis revolving around the treaty
rights of Native Americans, in particu­
lar in the State of Wisconsin. African
Americans as well as all other racial
and ethnic persons and person of con­
science in the United States should stand
in resolute solidarity with our Native
American sisters and brothers.
The fishing rights of Native Ameri­
cans should not be seen as some minor
or side issue. Native Americans more
than any other community in the nation
have contributed to our understanding
of how important it is to maintian the
proper care for the earth and the envi­
ronm ent Beyond that, the centuries of
oppression of Native Americans now
demand that all Americans be commit­
ted to eliminating the external forces
that continue to cause Native Ameri­
cans to suffer.
The New York Times characterizes
the situation in Wisconsin as “ Indians’
rights vs. whites fears of overfishing.”
yet this is an over-simplication of the
issue. First, the United States govern­
ment signed treaties with the Chippewa
Nation in Wisconsin as far back as
1836. These treaties gave the Chip­
pewa Nation as well as other Native
American nations full rights and access
to specific fishing and hunting areas in
northern Wisconsin.
We now know that this region, like
so many of the other Native Americans
lands throughout the United States, con-
dans enormous deposits of copper, gold,
silver, uranium and other precious min­
erals. We have found that a lot of the
racial animosity directed against Na­
tive Americans is being fueled by large
multi-national businesses that want
greater access and control of these lands
and minerals. In Wisocnsin, compa­
nies such as Kennecott Copper, Union
Carbide, Kerr-McGee, Western Nuclear,
and Exxon now all have extensive mining
interests.
The situation in Wisconsin has also
been made worse by the gathering of
right-wing, white supremacist groups
to intimidate native Americans with
threats and acts of racial violence. Thus,
the issue in Wisconsin is more than an
issue of who can fish and how much
fish can be caught. The slogan “ Spear
an Indian, Save a Fish’ ’ is pan of a well
planned, funded and coordinated racist
campaign to drive Native Americans
from their homeland. This cannot be
tolerated.
As the United States increasingly
evolves into a multi-racial society, the
rights and aspirations of Native Ameri­
cans cannot and should not be forgot­
ten. The treatment of Native Ameri­
cans currently defines any sense of this
society being truly democratic and just.
While other parts of the global commu­
nity appear to be attempting to address
multi-ethnic and multi-racial diversi-
tyh, the United States needs to clean up
its act, in particular for Native Ameri­
cans.
"The issue in Wisconsin is
more than . . . who can fish
and how much can be
caught."
We stand in opposition to national
media programs like the Morton Downy
Show which attempts to trivialize and
joke about this serious matter. Downy
had dressed himself in an “ Indian cos­
tume ’ ’ and had a fake arrow through his
leg as he interviewed on television rpre-
sentatives of anti-Native American
groups from Wisconsin. This kind of
media generated racism only adds fuel
to the fire.
We take note that the Wisconsin
Conference of Churches has issued an
urgent plea for peace concerning the
controversy over Native American treaty
and fishing rights. We support this plea
for peace. Yet it has been our experi­
ence that peace without justice is no
peace at all. Justice for Native Ameri­
cans necessitates, first and foremost,
respect for the right of self-determina­
tion for Native Americans as well as
abiding by “ the spirit and theletter of
the law” of treaties between the United
States government and Native Ameri­
can peoples.
The profits of multi-national corpo­
rations should in no way be used to jus­
tify human exploitation and the de­
struction of the environment. If the ex­
cessive pollution of the waters contin­
ues, then there will be no fish left for
anyone. If strip mining continues to
expand throughout the nation, then the
entire ecological balance will be se­
verely damaged. The truth is the rights
of Native Americans aie the rights of
all Americans. We must not let our
Native American sisters and brothers
stand alone.
The Budget Dance
The annual Washington budget dance grams. The current budget proposals
is underway and, as in past years, it will are no exception.
most likely continue right up to the end
We hear a lot about expanding some
of the federal fiscal year in the fall.
programs that serve low income fami­
The steps to this dance are pretty lies, but we hear a lot less about the fact
simple: one of the dancers sings “ no that the proposed increases for those
new taxes” while presenting an auster­ programs are more than offset by cuts in
ity budgeL
the total funding of programs aimed at
The other dancers try’ to follow, intro­ low income Americans.
ducing small variations such as slightly
After adjusting for inflation, the Ad­
higher spending for some domestic pro­ ministration’s budget plans would cut
grams and a bit less for others.
some programs by a total of $2 billion.
At the end of the dance the partners
And some o f those cuts would actu­
come together in a hectic finale that ally undermine areas where spending is
leaves them and experienced budget- on the rise.
watchers exhausted, as the band plays
The long overdue and very welcome
the Gramm-Rodman-Hollings theme.
expansion of Head Start funding, for
That’s the one that makes automatic example, got lots of publicity. But at the
budget cuts if deficit reduction targets same time, the Administration’s budget
aren’t met.
would end the Community Services Block
Lawmakers have been doing this dance Grant, which assists community action
for years, evading the “ no new taxes” agencies.
theme with an array of user fees and
What does that have to do with Head
indirect taxes.
Start?
In fact, there have been very large tax
Plenty, since those local agencies
increases over the years when the fiction operate over a third of all head Start pro­
was upheld that taxes were c u t
grams.
Those tax hikes came in the form of
The budget also proposes cuts in such
sharply higher social security taxes and key areas as community service em ­
in state and local tax hikes.
ployment for senior citizens, summer
Since the federal government cut do­ jobs for youth, community development
mestic programs so heavily, the states grants, public housing, and others.
had to step in to provide more services.
Planned cuts in low-income energy
Inevitably, that meant raising more reve­ assistance would drop some 2 million
nues through state taxes.
households from this important program.
More of the same is in the offing, as
And even the big boost in anti-drug
the federal government has set ambi­ spending is sliced in such a way that a
tious new goals in education and in trans­ mere 16 percent would go to desperately
portation, without putting up the money needed treatment programs.
to reach those goals.
So the budget dance continues, but to
Much of today’s disillusionment with a very sad song for the poor.
government derives from the budget dance
Unless the Administration and the
that tolerates huge deficits, ignores the Congress come together behind more
needs of the poor, slashes important do­ realistic priorities, w e’ll be in for a con­
mestic programs, and mandates higher tinuation of the 1980s policies of ne­
local taxes.
glecting human needs and disinvesting
The situation is made worse by lip in programs that build our future econ­
service to preserving programs that help omy.
poor people, while cutting those pro-
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national antagonisms when It accords to every person, regardless of race, color, or
creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black
Frees strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are h u rt as long as anyone
Is held back.
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BILL O F RIG HTS!--George Knox, III, Staff Vice President, Public Affairs, Philip
Morris Companies Inc., right, presents a framed copy of the 200 year old Bill of
Rights to Eddie N. Williams, President of the Joint Center for Political and
Economic Studies, while Virginia’s first African American governor, L. Douglas
Wilder, center, adds his approval. The presentation was made during the Philip
Morris-sponsored pre-banquet reception for the Center’s 20th Anniversary Dinner
at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where President and Mrs. Bush were among the
guests.
Black United Fund Wins Multi-Federal
Campaign For Second Straight Year
The Black United Fund of New York
(BUFNY), announced today that for
the second straight year it has been se­
lected by the New York Federal Execu­
tive Board to serve as the Principal
Combined Fund Organization (PCFO),
campaign manager for the 1990/91 New
York City Combined Federal Campaign
(CFC).
Prior to BUF’s management last year,
the United Way had managed the cam­
paign since its inception 33 years ago.
The United Way also made a bid to
manage this year's campaign but James
Fox, Assistant Director in charge of the
FBI and the 1990/91 CFC Campaign
Chairperson cites, “ particularly the
competitiveness of the budget estimate
and the track record of innovation and
energetic effort made during the previ­
ous years campaign” , as the principle
reason for selecting BUF to manage
this year's campaign.
As first-time managers, BUFNY
raised 1.9 million dollars for 914 chan­
ties. BUF also increased the average
gift over the 1988/90 United Way-
managed campaign, from $50 to $56
and increased payroll deductions from
$71 to $76 with less campaign cost and
within less time than the United W ays’
managed campaign of which 1.8 mil­
lion was raised.
The CFC, which started in 1957, is
the only workplace solicitation of Fed­
eral Employees reaching 73,000 in New
York City.
“ We are pleased to have the oppor­
tunity to raise funds for the needy here
in New York,” said Kermit Eady, Presi­
dent of BUFNY, “ and we look forward
to raising even more money than last
year," he continued.
The Black United Fund of New York
is an independent philanthropic organi­
zation designed to organize the human
and financial resource of African
Americans to support the growth, de­
velopment and empowerment of the
Black Community and in turn, society
at large. During its 10 year history,
BUFNY has provided financial and
technicial support to over 200 commu­
nity based organizations and has com­
pleted 41 units.
Sign Of The Times
Well now, last week’s little adven­
ture in curriculum, “ Humpty Dumpty” ,
played quite well. Several teachers
called to say they will try this exercise
in logic/imagination. One parent asked
if I was “ serious” ? "Q uite,” I replied
and went on to relate all the wonderful
little games and fables that teachers
(and parents) once used to capture a
child’s attention, and to develop his
reasoning powers.
The seemingly
“ simplistic” exercises I described in­
by Professor McKinley Burt
volve a methodology which is the basis
of the so-called “ scientific method.”
We just received some interesting
information that relates here and to my
A sign, of course, may take on many
April 18 critique of the S A T -I quoted a
forms and many shades of meaning.
major university administrator (white),
We have the alphabet, pictographs,
“ We find these tests (SAT) very reli­
images, hieroglyphics, traffic lights, map
able in predicting future performance. ’ ’
symbols, words, icons, you name it!
But in the mail this morning I got the
But the underlying logic that makes
April issue of New Directions, the How­
signs useful is the fact that the people
ard University magazine. Just installed
using them have adopted a “ conven­
as the new president of this prestigious
tion’’-th ey can communicate because
institution was Dr. Franklyn G. Jenifer-
it is their tradition that a specific sign
a D.C. kid from the wrong side o f the
shall have a specific meaning.
tracks whom Howard U. rejected for
When, next I give another example
admission in 1957 because his SAT
of learning models I’ve used with small
scores were so low.
children (as well as older ones), we
wish to keep in mind that it is conven­
tion and mutual acceptance which makes
a “ new” language workable, e.g. in
"The genes are still
computers and other technologies. As
there; it is the learning
Humpty Dumpty would put it, ‘ ‘Things
mean
what I say they mean . . . Things
system which has a
are whatever I say they are.” With this
disability"
in mind let us look again at some o f the
learning models I introduced last week.
When I did several of my demon­
I love it! That the career of this strations in computer applications (as
erudite microbiologist from a single­ in Montessori Schools or in the Dalles
parent hom e-establishing an enviable Junior High School), I began with such
reputation in academia (Rutgers), and explanations about the nature of “ lan­
in the laboratory (D ept of Agricul- guage” . Since the “ electronic” im­
tu re)-so pointedly underlines my con­ prints on magnetic tape are invisible, I
tention that “ the genes are still there; it used the earlier “ punched tape” (pa­
is the learning system which has a dis­ per) mode in my machines. Children of
ability.” I am sure that when Mr. all ages easily understood my exposi­
Jenifer became “ Chancellor of the tion of signs as alphabetical characters
Massachusetts Board of Regents (1987) or numerals, no matter what form they
he remembered particular “ m entors” took (last week’s apples, potatoes, or­
described in the New Directions article, anges, whatever). In this demo the
especially those who intervened (in­ code was “ hole or no hole” , as ap­
spired) immediately following the high peared in the paper tape. For instance a
school SAT disaster. But as fortunate sequence, “ hole-hole-no hole-hole” was
as those encounters are-even the struc­ agreed by convention (mutual accep­
tured remedial prognim s-m ust we tance) as the letter “ C ” . In the same
always wait on fortuitous circumstance? vein, the sequence ’ ‘no hole-hole-hole-
So let us return again to our “ Humpty hole” might be mutually accepted to
Dumpty” mode. What we do early on represent the number 8 (Actually, I
is so very, very important. Though it used “ eight level” tape).
need not be so, perhaps what follows
In no time at all, children of all ages
should be directed to “ curriculum de­ were able to count, multiply, write let­
signers ’ ’—but from my own experience ters and otherwise communicate or
a teacher spends a lot of time doing just compute in the new language. Soon,
that; preparing a lesson plan quickly and without pain, they very well under­
evolves into an exercise in the same stood that beside the absolute or spe­
type semantic judgements we wished to cific “ meaning” of a sign, any such
train the children to make. No matter symbol or image can become the basis
how many “ blue books” and similar of a new language. And, on their own,
teacher aids furnished by school ad­ they will go on to extrapolate new
ministration, one is always, by defini­ applications that will surely amaze you.
tion, preparing a curriculum for the We note here that “ hole-no hole’ ’ logic
day; “ a rose is a rose, is a rose.”
used to parallel the electrical format in
Last week’s exploration into the computers and microchips is a “ bi­
“ meaning” of meaning is, at a higher nary” operation originated by the an­
level, the subject of extensive studies cient Africans 6000 years ago. Their
and analyses by experts in language, se­ innovation is preserved for us on the
mantics, mathematics, and computer
Rhind Papyrus” and other recovered
design, just to list a few investigators.
documents. I hope the Portland School
There is an entire field devoted solely
District is using this and other lesson
to the “ meaning of signs” : semiotics.
plans I designed for them.
Six in 10 Blacks Had Continuous Health
Insurance Coverage, Census Survey
Shows
Sixty-two percent of the nation’s
Blacks had continuous private or gov­
ernment health insurance coverage from
February 1985 to May 1987, according
to a survey by the Commerce Depart­
ment’s Census Bureau.
Three out of four Whites and two out
of four Hispanics had continuous health
coverage over the same period, the sur
vey showed.
About 6 percent of Blacks had no
coverage over the period, 5 percent had
coverage for one to six months, 6 per­
cent for seven to 14 montlts, 9 percent
for 15 to 21 months, and 12 percent for
22 to 27 months.
Forty percent of Blacks had continu­
ous coverage from private health insur­
ance, while 25 percent uad no private
health insurance coverage at all. The
proportions for Whites were 65 percent
and 10 percent, and for Hispanics, 35
percent and 26 percenL The difference
between the percentage of Blacks and
Hispanics with no private health insur­
ance coverage was not statistically sig­
nificant
Blacks were more likely to have had
continuous Medicaid coverage (14
percent) than Whites (3 percent) or
Hispanics (9 percent); the proportions
with no Medicaid coverage were 92
percent for Whites, 79 percent for His­
panics and 73 percent for Blacks.
The survey also showed that about
80 percent of Blacks had some type of
coverage during the first quarter of 1986
and the last quarter of 1988. Coverage
rates increased over the period from 87
percent to 88 percent for Whiles and
from 67 percent to 74 percent for His­
panics.
As in all surveys, the data are subject
to sampling variability and other sources
of error.
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