P ag e 2 ...T h e P o rtla n d ()b s e rv e r...J u ly 22, 1992
B la c k S o lu tio n s
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money
For The Love Of Sister Souljah
BY JAMES L. POSEY
A t the risk o f sounding like a seri
ous Black capitalist, as far as I am
concerned, there is nothing that would
heal the woes o f the Black community
more than the infusion o f “ duckets.’
And w h ile 1 believe that money is not
the answer to all problems, you would
have to be from another planet to be
lieve that you can do very much w ithout
it. It doesn’ t take a rocket scientist to
figure out that w hat A ln can Americans
need most is economic capacity. But it
is hard to understand why some Black
people seem to have an aversion to
m aking money and frown on the whole
idea o f entrepreneurialship. Guess what?
Black people’ s representative numbers
in the business comm unity reflect this
attitude. I f you want some interesting
insights into this problem please read
“ Black Econom ics-Solutions for Eco
nomic and Com m unity Empowerment
by Jawan/.a Kunjufu. It Black people
count just accept and act on the fact that
their lack o f educational opportunity,
jobs, health care, housing and etc. is a
direct consequence o f their lack o f eco
nomic capacity, great progress could be
made.
Are Black people on a one way
street and trapped into this mind-set?
You can bet your boots they are. Are
Blackpeopie more lik e ly to be consum
ers rather man producers? O f course
they are. M ote ihan any other segment
o f society, Black people are being p ro
grammed via shvk marketing strategies
to buy, buy, buy. On the other hand
there seems to be a conspiracy to deny
Blacks opportunity to be producers and
to make money. That explains why
often no matter how bad your credit is
or how unstable your employment, you
can gel a loan to buy a Mercedes. On the
other hand, no matter how good your
credit is or how w ell established you
are, it’ s almost impossible to get a small
business development loan. S im ilarly,
the establishment is w illin g to concede
jobs to the Black comm unity and God
know that’s good. But the focus is a l
most exclusively on jobs in contrast to
business development. The Black com
munity is almost totally dependent on
jobs as its source o f income. (Please
read the National Urban League’ s 1992
edition o f the State o f Black America).
In comparison, the white community
has a range o f sources o f income that
includes real estate, stocks bonds, busi
ness investments etc. besides substan
tial employment revenue. Black people
have just got to wake up and stop chas
ing the phony economic rabbits.
What to do about this? Its obvious
the concern about this Black economic
imbalance is not in Black fo lk s con
sciousness. Black people are not even
moving in the direction o f changing this
imbalance. We just don’ t get it. Part o f
the problem is that Black leadership
“ ain’ t got it.” Most o f our leaders na
tionally and locally have no business or
economic development background or
experience and ain’ t trying to get none.
Don’ t take my word fo r it, please read
the voter pamphlet on our local p o liti
cal leaders. Pay close attention to all o f
their resumes. Our political as w ell as
our social leaders tend to describe, de
fine and solve problems according to
their education, experience and asso
ciations. W hile some o f them try to talk
economic development, they really
don’ t have a clue. W hat’ s worst is that
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
they are not w illin g to concede their
lack o f knowledge and experience and
are content to fake it. W e ll, w hile they
are faking it, the Black com m unity is
not making it. As important as they are,
the salvation o f the Black com m unity
w ill not come through political or social
processes. The Black comm unity must
move sw iflly to get a balance in a ll three
areas. Therefore the comm unity should
insist that our reluctant leaders push a
real economic development agenda. For
example, the Black com m unity should
constantly talk to a leader like Gladys
M cCoy. We should ask her about con
tinuing efforts to bring true economic
development to the Black comm unity.
This is particularly true in Gladys’ case
because this is her last term in office,
she ain’ t beholding to nobody, and she
has proven that she is not afraid to take
an unpopular position. And believe me,
any attempt to shift economic empow
erment to the Black comm unity is an
unpopular position. For example, this
plays outevery time Black people try to
raise the issue to city officials about the
racism in city contract awards. I t ’ s a
shame to watch D ick Bogle in his lame
duck status kick and scream about rac
ism now. For years. Black contractors
have complained to D ick about those
same racist good ole boys who are now
giving him fits. These are the same city
department high and m id-level manag
ers who have for years hid the facts,
distorted the issues and made it v irtu
ally impossible for Black folks to re
ceive contracts through the city. Its sad
but maybe one o f these days we w ill
realize that we can’ t afford to straddle
the fence and play it safe when it comes
to a Black com m unity at risk.
BY BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR.
Sister Souljah is a strong African
woman who at a young age has engen
dered the love and respectof m illio n s o f
persons throughout the w orld. She has
already done more than an adequate job
in explaining her message o f demand
ing justice and freedom. Am erican
Apartheid is the problem ......not Sister
Souljah.
Long before the controversy in
volving Governor B ill C lin to n ’s m is
guided attack on Sister Souljah’ s char
acter, we had a direct personal k n o w l
edge o f the integrity, d ignity and com
mitment o f Sister Souljah. For five
years, Sister Souljah, form erly known
as Ms. Lisa W illiam son, was the Na
tional D irector o f the Y outh Program o f
the Commission for Racial Justice o f
the United Church o f C hrist based in
New Y o rk C ity. We had observed her
effectiveness as a student leader at
Rutgers U niversity during the mid-
1980’ s, particularly on the issue o f the
university divesting from corporations
doing business w ith the racist apartheid
regime o f South Africa.
Sister Souljah joined our staff in
1986 and immediately began to suc
cessfully organize A frican American
and Hispanic American children who
were caught in the web o f poverty,
exploitation and oppression comm on
place at that time on the streets o f New
Y o rk C ity. These children were re
ferred to in the media as “ welfare hotel
children.” As a national church-based
agency, we were very pleased to have a
staff person like Sister Souljah who
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ence in San Diego, C A.
The League’ s conference w ill be
held from July 26-29 at the San Diego
Convention Center and is expected to
attract more than 18,000 people during
the four-day meeting.
Arkansas Governor C linton w ill
speak at the Monday plenary session on
“ Election ’92: New Paths for Am erica.”
Undeclared 1992 Presidential Can
didate H. Ross Perot w ill be the speaker
at the S unday, July 26 plenary session at
2:30 p.m. That session w ill also be on
“ Election ’92: New Paths for Am erica.”
This year’ s conference has as its
theme: “ M aking a Difference in the
*90’ s: Bringing the Future into Focus,”
and w ill be meeting in San Diego fo r the
first time. Delegates to the conference
w ill gather to address the issues and
concerns o f A frican Americans.
The conference begins o ffic ia lly
w ill be a gala concert on Monday, July
27 at 7:30 p.m. featuring singers Peabo
Bryson and Regina Belle along w ith
ering the keynote address.
In announcing the conference, M r.
Jacob said: “ We welcome conferees in
this critica l year for A frican Americans
and fo r all Americans. This w ill be a
conference that challenges our thinking
and inspires us to greater heights o f
Flutist Sherry Winston.
The conference w ill end Wednes
day night, July 29 beginning at 7:30
p.m. w ith adinner speech by actor Danny
Glover who is currently starring in Le
scholars, politicians, and corporate ex
ecutives in six plenaries and 15 forums
and a special sessions who w ill debate
ideas and offer solutions fo r the survival
o f the African-Am erican comm unity.
The Conference General Chairper
son is Roy S. Roberts, National Urban
League Trustee and M anufacturing
Manager, F lin t Autom otive D ivision for
Cadillac M otor Car D ivision o f General
Motors Corp.
One highlight o f the conference
thal Weapon 3.
Also featured during the confer
ence w ill be over 400 exhibit booths ol
companies which w ill include the fo r
tune 100’ s and majors government and
social service agencies as well as a Job
Opportunity Showcase, the A rt Expo
featuring works o f local San Diego art
ists and the African-Am erican Vendors
Showcase.
Founded in 1910, the National U r
ban League is the premier social service
and ci v il rights organizations in America.
The League is a nonprofit organization
headquartered in New Y ork w ith a W ash-
ington O ffice in the nation’ s capital and
112 affiliates in 34 states and the D istrict
o f Columbia.
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In fo llo w in g the shocking revela
tions in this series, the reader w ill be
come aware that the dangers to African-
Americans from environment p o llu t
ants like lead and toxic wastes gener
ated in A M E R IC A are just the tip o f the
iceberg; as Marshall M cLuhan said, the
w orld is indeed a “ Global V illage,” and
thecontincntsarc poisoningeach other.
I l is not just that Am erican C hem i
cal companies sell pesticides abroad
where there is little or no restrictions on
their application, and the fruits and
vegetables arc shipped back here; or
that these same firm s provide 80 per
cent o f the chemicals used to process
Columbian cocaine. But, rather, that
there is a deeper and more pernicious
ravaging o f lands and peoples going on
— a devastating process o f exploitation
and destruction that began w ith the
Industrial Revolution. Now the ch ick
ens have come home to roost in a w orld
wide crescendo. I t ’s getting hard to
blame the victim s any more.
Last week I revealed the fact that
another important meeting took place
in Brazil right along w ith that highly
touted “ Sum m it.” This crucial gather
ing was “ The W orld Conference o f
Indigenous Peoples on T erritory, E n vi
ronment and Development.” Now, this
was reality, hundreds o f delegates from
26 countries and 5 continents - Third
W orld peoples for the most part, des
perate to save their crops, forests, r iv
ers, children and health. It was a
nonevent for most Americans media. I
noticed one o f their tepid, superficial
articles tided, “ Indigenous Peoples Meet
To Save W orld From ‘ W hites’ ” (O r
egonian).
The Apache and Zuni Indians from
our Southwest were there. You w ill
recall that I described the destruction o f
their lands and rivers by strip m ining for
coal to fuel the p olluting power plants
on their tribal lands - to dispatch elec-
NAACP Crisis
Magazine Honors
NNPA Executive
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the streets o f the city.
In 1988 Sister Souljah’s dream be
came a reality. O ver 100 children from
New Y o rk ’s welfare hotels were taken
to North Carolina fo r an A frican Youth
Summer Camp held on the expansive
campus o f Franklinton Center at Bricks,
in Enfield, North Carolina. Later, other
youth camps and after school programs
were organized by Sister Souljah to
benefit more children in need.
BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT
on Sunday, July 26 at 6 p.m. w ith John
E. Jacob, President and C hief Executive
O fficer, National Urban League, deliv
service and relevance.”
The four-day conference, which is
considered the nation’ s premier forum
on race relations, w ill present noted
its back on.
O f all o f the activists and commu
nity organizers that we have had the
privilege to work w ith during the last 30
years, there was a unique quality in
reference to Sister Souljah. She exhib
ited a consistent undying love for her
people to such an extent she regularly
put her own personal needs aside. Sister
Souljah was Sister Serious Business 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
Sister Souljah’ s extended fam ily
soon included lite ra lly hundreds o f
homeless children from New York and
New Jersey. She not only cared for their
socioeconom ic needs, in a d d itio n ,
Souljah cared fo r their cultural and po
litic a l education needs. Study sessions
were a requirement to participating in
recreational activities. Sister Souljah’s
success w ith the children grew to the
point o f needing expansion toward the
dream o f establishing a Summer Camp
experience for the youngsters away from
Address^
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hank Y ou F or R eading
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Baltimore, M aryland - The Crisis
Magazine, the o ffic ia l organ o f the
National Association fo r the Advance
ment o f Colored People, recently hon
ored Colonel Steve Davis, Executive
D irector o f the National Newspaper
Publishers Association for his long and
dedicated service to the newspaper o r
ganization. The presentation was made
at the recent 1992 N N PA Convention
held in Baltimore, Maryland. Accept
ing a special crystal W aterford clock
are fa m ily members Pamela Davis
(daughter) and Christine Davis (w ife )
from Gentry W . Trotter o f St. Louis,
M issouri, who is the new President o f
the Board o f Directors, Crisis Maga
zine, Inc.
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experience.
Sister Souljah is not a racist. Her
whole life has been a liv in g testimony to
challenging racism. Her candid expres
sions may make some people feel un-
com fortable. Lest we forget, the expres
sions o f M alcolm X made a lot o f people
feel uncomfortable, yet today m illion s
o f persons are revisiting his wisdom and
candor.
Presidential candidate Clinton needs
to apologize for taking Souljah’s re
marks out o f context. But more im por
tantly, all the candidates for President
should listen carefully to this young
woman who has given voice to the voice
less and courage to the oppressed in
America. Sister Souljah’ s love has cre
ated a rare respect among the young and
old o f all ages in the A frican Am erican
community. The future o f this society
w ill be determined by how w ell we are
able to hear and listen and love all those
who dare to cry out for justice and
freedom.
tric ity to far distant high rollers in Las
Vegas, Phoenix, and the rollin g greens
o f the a “ Bob Hope G o lf Classic.” Like
most o f the delegates, they not only
cited the need fo r the creation o f a
special “ U.N. Conservation Fund” to be
directed by themselves as “ Earth Stew
ards” -- but a S P IR IT U A L CRISIS
brought on by the disintegration o f their
culture and ways o f life.
Particularly ugly is the American
media’ s treatmentof increasing destruc
tion o f the Brazilian and other rain
Forests as simply the consequence o f
“ Slash-and-bum” tactics o f “ ignorant
native peoples” . I especially emphasize
the pressures brought to bear on debt
ridden T hird W orld countries by inter
national banks and monetary funds to
produce cash and do it q uickly. There
fore we have the deforestation occa
sioned by strip m ining for iron ore and
the massive destructive o f forest to pro
duce the charcoal necessary to smell the
iron. But these poor people are blamed
for Global W arming and other environ
ment disasters.
There is an interesting sidelight to
all o f this, directly connected w ith the
beginning o f that Industrial Revolution
I mentioned earlier - it got underway in
Europe at the beginning o f the last
century and had gained fu ll momentum
by the time o f our C iv il War. G lo rified
(and deified) early on by the self-de
scribed “ Superior races,” we should be
reminded that England, like most o f
Europe, was once covered by huge ex
panses o f verdant forests (remember
Robin Hood and his adventures in the
w ilds o f “ Sherwood Forest” ?) Then
England had coal deposits but early on
did not have steam pumps to keep mines
clear o f water. So the m agnificent fo r
ests were cut down to produce charcoal
for the forges whic h made finished goods
from the iron ingots brought from the
Am erican colony. History repeats itself
in Today’ s environment destruction.
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I ’ m sure you remember the docu
mentation I cited including that from
the form er “ British Colonial O ffice ”
(now the “ The O ffice For Foreign A f
fairs And Territories” ). From Saugus,
Massachusetts down tot he Chesapeake
Bay Area there were over a hundred
IRON P LA N T A T IO N S “ operated ex
clusively by complements o f A frican
slaves, men, women, and children.” W ith
skills brought from the West Coast o f
A frica, they proved so efficient that
they were used to completely replace
the German bond servants. The B ritish
were very meticulous in their record
keeping and we find daily production
lists w ith the names o f each slave and
their output (see Lewis, “ Coal, Iron and
Slaves,” Greenwood, 1970).
Just as today in much o f the Third
W orld, the raw ingots were shipped to
England where they were forged into all
types o f machinery and finished goods
- which were immediately shipped back
to the American colonics to be sold at
exorbitant prices w ith the profits re
turned to England. The same process
happened w ith the manufacture o f fab
rics and clothing that was woven from
the cotton produced by the slaves —
except that early on an enterprising
Englishman stole the British technol
ogy and brought it to America where
New England became paramount in the
trade.
As I have suggested, nothing has
changed but the name o f the game.
South Central A frica , like Brazil, is
being destroyed by huge vistas o f fo r
ests devastated by open p it or strip m in
ing fo r iron ore - driven and financed,
again, by the insatiable appetites o f
mineral deficient island nations like
Japan. But a day o f retribution may be
facing all o f the industrialized nations,
even as they attempt to bribe and sub
vert the officials o f T hird W orld coun
tries to accept their toxic wastes in
return. More revelations next week).
Summer Can Be Hazardous To
Children
Although it does not come w ith a
warning from the surgeon general, sum
mertime can be hazardous to your
children’ s health. One o f the most com
mon dangers is drowning.
Dr. Joan Shook, a pediatrician at
Baylor College o f Medicine in Hous
ton, suggests that parents place barriers
around the fam ily pool and inspect other
pools in the neighborhood. A portable
phone for conducting business and an
swering calls can help keep parents
poolside.
To m inimize other common sum-
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Many o f the leading rap groups in
New York became interested and sup
portive o f Sister Souljah’s efforts to help
inner-city children who were crying out
for help. Sister Souljah herself then be
came very active in the evolving rap
revolution that was gaining support from
increasing numbers o f young people
throughout the nation and w orld.
Sister Souljah self-defined herself
as a “ raptivist.” Her history as an effec
tive student and comm unity activist and
leader certainly gave her an edge in the
“ rap arena” because her message set to
rap are born out o f actual struggle and
African American Views On
The Environment
Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill
Clinton To Speak At 1992 National Urban
League Conference In San Diego
Democratic Presidential Candidate
B ill C linton w ill be the guest speaker
Monday, July 27, 1992 at 9 a.m. at the
1992 National Urban League Confer
could not only understand and relate to
“ the least o f these” but also who had the
extraordinary g ift o f being able to in
spire both “ hope and snuggle” among
children whom this society had turned
♦ ‘ IM »ift *
mer hazards. Shook suggests:
"■Cautioning children to watch for
snakes around creek banks, ditches and
lakes during time o f high water.
*Lcarningcardiopulinonary resus
citation.
"■Teaching children about the im
portance o f sun screens w ith a sun
protection factor (SPF) o f at least 15.
*N o l assuming that rafts, water
wings and inflatable pool toys w ill keep
youngsters afloat.
•P rotecting children from pro
longed heat exposure.