M ay 4,1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
ib i®
r
s
efficient procedure than, say, the infa­
EEDS O F C H A N G E ,
C O N T ’ D: C O N T R O L ­
L IN G
PLA N TS FOR
mous “ TusKeegee Experiment” where
blacks w ith syphilis were deliberately
left untreated.
Y O U R B O D Y O R A U T O M O B IL E
Y o u m ig h t say that last w e e k ’ s
M any readers
a rtic le “ sowed some seeds” o f appre­
were unaware that
it is possible to get a
hension on ve ry fe rtile g ro u n d —as
w e ll i t should have. A fte r a ll, it
revealed v ita l in fo rm a tio n co n ce rn ­
in g the “ fierce battles fo r c o n tro l o f
hum an, p la n t and liv e s to c k genes.”
One reader says he hopes this series
o f mine gets the same type o f widespread
Let me add an important not here.
Last week I recommended the relevant
W hite M an’ s Burden” ), Sugar (“ Sugar
and the Slave Trade"), Tea (“ Tea and the
book, “ Seeds o f Change” by Kenny
Ausbel (Harpers, San Francisco, 1994).
Destruction o f China” ), Cotton (“ Cotton
Please add to your
library an eye open­
say, roses, it was
possible. However, it was not lost on
anyone that there were grave im plica­
and the American South” ), Potato (“ The
Potato, Ireland and the United States” ).
ing little paperback
Professor Hobhouse exhibits the
same high level comprehension o f the
b y the S A M E
N A M E , “ Seeds o f
logistics o f food supply as the multina­
tional corporation: described last week
C hange:
F iv e
(and the W orld Bank): “ Sugar cane,
Plants That Trans­
formed Mankind” ,
Henry Hobhouse (Harper & Row, 1986,
taken by the white man to the West
Indies at the time o f the Renaissance and
patent on a new
plant variety, while
some were aware
that in the case o f
s
V
most committed ecologists and environ­
mentalists brought up short by a new
recognition o f just how greedy the cor­
porate interests (and W all Street) can be.
U n til very lately, most have been beating
cultivated on plantations by black slaves
the drum for “ Ethanol” seeing this gaso­
line additive made from com as a key
element fo r building an environmentally
has been resurrected).
However, other more cautious pa­
trons o f the “ Green Revolution” have
noted that the huge international grain
and seed company, A rthur Daniel M id ­
land Company, is spending m illions on
television advertising in beating its own
drum for the use o f “ Ethanol” to refor­
sustainable economy and eliminating the
pollution caused by use o f fossil fuels.
The “ Institute fo r Local Self-Reli­
mulate gasoline. “ H old it” , th* > cry.
This corporation is one o f the ke\ players
ance” describes a “ C a rb o h yd ra te
Economy” , clean, sustainable and based
w o rld ’ s plant gene bank. “ What car.
they be up to? Certainly not about diver-
sity” ~W hat w ill be the relationship to
in the global game o f controlling the
onlocallygrow nplantm atter. Theynote
an absolutely fascinating history o f Eu­
ropean colonization and control o f the
was the cause o f the infamous transatlan­
tic slave trade, which made the Carib­
bean black rather than red. A ll this for
tics made from cornstarch, biodiesel and
the genetics o f the com we eat? And to
the pesticide parameters set up by the
w orld as it is an important introduction
specialized lubricants made from cania
chemical companies w ith interlocking
be controlled through the proprietary
sake o f a product which is w holly super­
fluous in the diet, a luxury when expen­
sive and a menacing drug when cheap.”
directorates? O r todrug firm s who make
liv e s to c k and hum an horm ones?
before a virus can be deliberately pro­
hybrids, there w ill be no source but the
to the dynamics o f food supply.
There is a superb bibliography and
several maps; The chapters are as fo l­
and other seed oils, food processing waste
evaluation o f the target population (race)
interests o f huge multinational corpora­
tions. Once most crops are reduced to
LIC. This
1 ILLa lddlOi
1V
grammed for genocide.
is afar 111U
more
“ w»*i^»***j
company store.
dissemination (national) as m y Jan. 8,
1992 articles, “ The O rig in and Spread o f
A ID S Is Finally Revealed.” W e were
later informed o f aconnection to “ genes” ,
fo r there is a requirement fo r a genetic
tions, indeed, i f your meat and potatoes,
bread and salad and other food could all
1987). This remarkable text is as much
lows, a. Q uinine (“ Q uinine and the
that such items as soy-based inks, plas­
and wheat are all entering the market­
place. (Sounds as i f the great black
The w orld itself is becoming more
menacing everyday, as we find even the
Monsanto, Cib-Geigy).
More next week.
chemist, Dr. George Washington Carver,
THIS WAY FOR BLACK EMPOWERMENT: The New Populism
J|
-
O F A C T IV IS T
IN D E P E N D E N T S
B la c k , w h ite and L a tin o -
and professional bureaucrats and p ro ­
R ig h ts adopted and the franchise e x­
p o p u lism dead. They have buried it
fessional p o liticia n s. O f course, the
fessional “ experts.” It owes its name
to the People’ s (P opulist) Party, w h ich
tended beyond the circle s o f the very
ric h . I t is to be found in the w o rk o f
o ve r and o ve r again. T hey have to ld
P opulists’ re fo rm planks were soon
le ft behind by the professionals when
never even s it in the same room to ­
gether not o n ly s it dow n and ta lk
was founded in 1892 by o rd in a ry
A m ericans (B la c k and w h ite ) and
F re d e rick D ouglas and o th e r B la ck
leaders w h o fo u g h t slavery in the firs t
c a l” and “ apathetic.” B u t ju s t when
the professionals had succeeded in
independent p o litic s , but go out in to
w h ich presented the Dem ocrats and
d riv in g vo te r p a rticip a tio n to an a ll-
tim e lo w , the A m erican people stood
have witnessed a tru ly extraordinary
p o litic a l process. W e have seen people
A M O N E O F HUNDREDS
w hom the p o litic a l pundits said w o u ld
w ho
have been w o rk in g in te n tly o ve r the
us the A m e rica n people are “ a p o liti­
they entered the sm o ke -fille d back
room s o f party w heeling and dealing.
Secondly, the Populists flo u n ­
last six m o n th s to ina u gu ra te a new
n a tio n a l in d ependent p a rty capable
each o th e r’ s co m m u n itie s and w o rk
R epublicans w ith the m ost serious
h a lf o f the 19th century, and i t was
w ith the a b o litio n ists and “ free sol­
together to organize.
I f this new party’ w e ’ re b u ild in g
is to prove capable o f leading A m e rica
ders” w h o united to fou n d the Repub­
up and said: W e w ill have term lim its !
o f se rio u sly c h a lle n g in g the co rru p t
and g rid lo c k e d tw o -p a rty m o n o p o ly
challenge so fa r to th e ir professional
lic a n Party in 1854.
P o p u lism , in short, is the deter-
W e w ill support and independent fo r
A m erican p o litic a l thought goes back
even fu rth e r. I t is the b e lie f th a t “ a ll
m ination to make the A m erican dream
o f “ life , lib e rty and the p u rsu it o f
cluded as fu ll and equal partners
ripped the party apart. The issue o f
o u t o f crisis and in to econom ic, social
p o liticia n s o u t o f the business o f g o v­
e rn in g A m e rica !
I have o fte n reflected on the fate
B la ck inclusion and black leadership
rem ains the c u ttin g edge issue fo r
o f the o ld P o p u list P arty. There are
tw o basic reasons w h y it fa ile d in its
A m erican populism today.
th a t co n tro ls p o litic s in th is c o u n try.
T h is p a rty -b u ild in g process be­
gan tw o years ago w hen 20 m illio n
o rd in a ry A m e ric a n s re b e lle d against
p o litics-a s-u su a l b y v o tin g fo r Ross
Perotand other independents fo rp re s i-
d e n t o f the U n ite d States. S ince then
A m e rica n s fro m a ll w a lk s o f life ,
and p o litic a l developm ent, it m ust be
party that listens to the voice o f o rd i­
nary A m ericans. It m ust be a p o p u lis t
p a rty, a broad, in clu sive party o f c it i­
zen-activists, o rd in a ry A m ericans o f
a ll colors and re lig io n s united by th e ir
rule.
B u t p o p u lism as a c u rre n t in
men (and w om en) are created equal.”
happiness” real fo r a ll A m ericans,
It is the c o m m itm e n t to “ W e , the
regardless o f th e ir econom ic status,
People” as the ultim ate source o f pow er
th e ir race, th e ir re lig io n , th e ir sex, o r
th e ir sexual preference. It is the b e lie f
o f society.
P opulism is to be fou n d in the
president! W e w ant the professional
that o rd in a ry A m e rica n s can and
m ocracy to A m erica. F irst, it re lie d
too h e a vily on program m atics. W hen
patriots w h o massed along the road
fro m across the tra d itio n a l p o litic a l
com m on co m m itm e n t to governm ent
“ o f the people, b y the people and fo r
fro m L e xin g to n to C oncord more than
200 years ago. I t is to be fou n d am ong
the insurgents o f the Shay and W h is ­
the D em ocratic Party adopted some
o f the P o p u lists’ demands as p la tfo rm
spectrum have been w o rk in g to con­
so lidate that v o te r re b e llio n in to a
the people.”
P o p u lism - w h ic h predates the
the p o w e r to set social, p o litic a l and
econom ic p o lic y we w o u ld do a h e ll o f
a lo t better at the jo b o f lo o k in g a fte r
p o litic a l p a rty th a t can w re st p o w e r
fro m the p ro fe ssio n a l p o litic ia n s and
categories o f “ le ft” and “ rig h t” in
A m e ric a — is the stubborn b e lie f that
key R ebellions w h ic h fo llo w e d inde­
planks, m any pa rty members were
w illin g to g ive up th e ir independence.
re tu rn i t to the people.
O v e r the la st year and a h a lf w e
o rd in a ry A m e rica n s should run the
co u n try , not professional p o litic ia n s
pendence. It is to be fou n d in the
struggle o f Thom as Jefferson and his
A n ti-F e d e ra lists to have the B ill o f
clusion. The fig h t o ve r w hether o rn o t
A fric a n A m ericans were to be in ­
T h e o n ly w a y n o t to re p e a t
the m is ta k e s o f h is to ry is to le a rn
fr o m th e m . W e ha ve an e x tr a o r d i­
m ission to b rin g about greater de­
should ru n A m erica; that i f we had
fro m a ll e th n ic and ra c ia l groups, and
dered on the issue o f racism and in ­
ourselves and our lo ve d ones — n o t to
m ention the country and the w o rld -
than the professional p o litic ia n s do.
The dem ocratic a c tiv ity o f b u ild in g
the P o p u list party was g ive n up in
T he professionals have declared
exchange fo r a prom ise fro m the p ro ­
n a ry o p p o r tu n ity o v e r the n e x t
fe w years to open up the A m e r i­
can p o lit ic a l p ro ce ss, to re ig n ite
th ro u g h
p e a c e fu l
m eans
th e
A m e ric a n R e v o lu tio n , to m a ke
re a l the A m e ric a n p ro m is e o f l i b ­
e rty and ju s tic e fo r a ll.
L e t’ s go fo r it.
p,
Send your letters to the Editor to:
Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208
A R E L Y DOES T H E
P U B L IC H A V E A N
O P P O R T U N IT Y
TO
V O T E F O R A N O F F IC E S E E K E R
W H O IS A L R E A D Y Q U A L I F I E D
o f M r. M ig g in s ’ talents through m any
years o f personal and professional
association. M y o w n background and
experience as an A u d it D ire c to r re in ­
fo rce s m y c o n fid e n c e a b o u t M r.
T O D O T H E JO B .
A n elected o ffic ia l that can h it
the g ro u n d ru n n in g e ffe c tiv e ly and
e ffic ie n tly isa ra re o c c u rre n c e in p o li­
M ig g in s q u a lific a tio n s .
I o ffe r the fo llo w in g a d d ition a l
tics. M r. H a n k M ig g in s , M e tro A u d i­
to r can d ida te , is th a t rare exception. I
can m ake th is statem ent w ith firm
based on these c ritic a l facts:
F o r o ve r fo rty years, led p rim a ­
r ily b y the A m e ric a n In stitu te o f C e r­
c o n v ic tio n as I am p ersonally aware
tifie d P u b lic A ccountants (A IC P A ),
in fo rm a tio n and recom m end y o u r
papers endorsem ent o f H ank M ig g in s
J.L. Lawn Service
Black America Should Rally Around Ben Chavis
accounting and a u d itin g standard set­
ting and professional ce rtific a tio n was
dom inated by priva te sector interests
- governm ental interests ta kin g a
back seat. T hree events that s ig n ifi­
ca n tly increased the awareness o f
Pager 940-7721
S ELE C TE D DR.
B E N J A M IN F . C H A V IS
AS E X E C U T IV E D IR E C T O R A
W A V E O F O P T IM IS M A N D
EXPECTANCY SW EPT BLACK
governm ental a cco u n tin g and a u d it­
ing changed a ll th is and increased the
A M E R IC A .
B la ck people were lo o kin g fo ra
awareness and im portance o f the g o v ­
ernm ental accountant and a u d ito r.
new d ire c tio n fo r the N A A C P . D r.
C havis has not disappointed. He
im m e d ia te ly set the tone fo r his ad­
Those three events were: (1) the es-
ta b lis h m e n to f the G overnm ental A c ­
co u n tin g Standards Board, (2 ) the
passage o f the S in g le A u d it A c t, and
(3 ) the establishm ent o f the C P A des­
ig n a tio n , “ A c c re d ite d G overnm ental
A u d itin g Spec ia lis t. ” T he la tte r event
was A IC P A ’ s acknow ledgem ent o f
the c o m p le x ity o f m odem govern­
m ental a cco u n tin g pra ctice and the
Phone (503) 288-4906
HEN TH E N A A C P
in cre a sin g ly in v o lv e d accounting and
a u d itin g rules, c o u rt decisions, and
governm ent sp e cific regulations. The
A IC P A also acknow ledged that its
R odney K in g beating tria l. He has
been a m a jo r in sp ira tio n fo r the
Urban Peace M o ve m e n t w h ich is
tio n a lis t, p a n -a frica n ist and pro g re s­
sive leaders. Hosted b y the 50,000
m em ber D e tro it branch o f the N A A C P
m e e tin g
w o rk in g to end the fra tric id e fueled
by gangs in B la c k c o m m u n itie s
(the largest branch in the A sso cia ­
tio n ), am ong those a ttending th is h is ­
across the nation. Indeed, the crisis
to r ic m e e tin g w e re : D r. C o n ra d
a fric a n is t and progressi ves are par­
tic u la rly troublesom e to his detrac­
to rs in s id e and o u ts id e o f the
o f B la ck youth had become a m a jo r
W o r r ill, C h a irm a n o f the N a tio n a l
focus fo r the N A A C P . The struggle
B la c k
fo r “ econom ic dem ocracy” has also
M itc h e ll, C o-C hairperson o f the N a ­
tio n a l A llia n c e A g a in st R acism and
c ritic o f D r. C h a vis, described the
P o litic a l R epression, D r. M aulana
K arcnga, C h a irm a n o f the US O rg a ­
the S u m m it as an “ extrem e m ove
and labeled the leaders w h o attended
the D e tro it m eeting as a group o f
m illio n F a ir Share A g reem ent w ith
dard setting fo r both the governm ent
and p riva te sector was g iv in g p rim a ry
the D e n n y ’ s co rp o ra tio n .
B u t perhaps the m ost im p o rta n t
d im ension o f the d yn a m ic new d i­
(U S PS 9 59-680)
OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION
ing Standards B oard (G A S B ).
B y its actions, the A IC P A cle a rly
sectors o f the N a tio n a l A fric a n
A m e rica n C o m m u n ity . G ive n the
in d ica tes th a t in d iv id u a ls (C P A s)
massive c ris is rip p in g at the ve ry
fa b ric o f B la ck life in our co m m u n i­
4 747 N E M a r tin L u th e r K in g , J r. B lvd.
P o rtla n d , O regon 97211
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Deadline for all submitted materials:
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in the priva te sector are not q u a lifie d
to practice in the p u b lic sector unless
specialized tra in in g and expertise has
been demonstrated.
T he g o ve rn m e n ta l accountant
and a u d ito r has a lw a ys required a
broad specialized level o f know ledge,
P O S T M A S T E R : Send Address Changes to: P o rtla n d O bserver,
s k ills , and ju d g m e n ta l de cisio n -m a k­
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a member o f the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and
The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc,
New Y ork, N Y . and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving
Portland and Vancouver
achieved his past m anagerial account­
ing and a u d itin g successes in go ve rn ­
m ent la ckin g such kn ow ledge and
s k ills . It is fo r these reasons I strongly
recommend and support your endorse­
m ent o f H ank M ig g in s .
T he P u b lic can be assured that
M r. M ig g in s ’ C e rtifie d In te rn a l A u ­
d ito r d e sig na tio n , coupled w ith his
board base o f experience in govern­
m ental accounting and au d iting q u a li­
fies him fo r the M e tro A u d ito r p o si­
tio n .
S incerely,
Robert H. S trickland, M P A .C F E ,
m edia, p a rtic u la rly the N e w Y o rk
T im e s, have been severely c ritic a l o f
D r. C h a vis in an o b vio us attem pt to
d is c re d it h im and his top associates.
D r. C h a v is ’ s refusal to distance h im ­
s e lf fro m Farrakhan and the D e tro it
B oard (G A S B ), charged w ith stan­
p ra c tic in g a cco u n tin g and a u d itin g
S u m m it.
M o s t re ce n tly, D r. C havis to o k
the new d ire c tio n charted by D r.
C havis. A n d certain elem ents o f the
p rom ote u n ity in the B la ck co m m u ­
n ity by co n ve n in g a m eeting o f na­
re ctio n set b y D r. C havis has been a
new openness to reaching o u t to a ll
Joyce W ashington
Publisher
T h e P O R T L A N D O B S E R V E R is located at
w ith o u t d iffic u ltie s , how ever.
Some w ith in the N A A C P w h o
were/are co m fo rta b le w ith the old
N A A C P have consistently resisted
“ h o o d ” in S outh C e n tra l Lo s A n g e ­
les to a w a it the v e rd ic t in the second
m ent o f the G ove rn m e n ta l A c c o u n t­
E stablished in 1970 by A lfre d L . Henderson
u n ifie d approach to s o lvin g the crises
a fflic tin g the B la c k c o m m u n ity . D r.
C h a vis made i t cle a r that M in is te r
Farrakhan w o u ld be in clu d e d in the
tenure at the h e lm has n o t been
another b o ld step in his cam paign to
S ta n d a rd s
focus and interest to the p riva te sec­
tor. T h is changed w ith the establish­
new lo o k at the N A A C P . M ore than
60% o f these new N A A C P m e m b e rs
are under 30 years o ld . D r. C h a vis’ s
m in is tra tio n by g o ing d ire c tly to the
been in te n sified as D r. C havis scored
a m ilestone v ic to ry b y sig n in g a $50
F in a n c ia l A c c o u n tin g
M uham m ad a ffa ir. R efusing to buckle
to outside pressure (as m any B la ck
leaders d id ), D r. C havis courageously
called fo ra B la c k L c a d e rs h ip S u m m it
conference to discuss and agenda and
U n it e d
F r o n t, C h a rle n e
n iza tio n and the creator o f K w anzaa,
C ornel W est, V ice . C hairm an, D em o­
cratic S o cia list o f A m e rica , G w en
Patton, D ire c to r, Southern R ainbow
Education P roject, A d jo a A iy e to ro ,
D ire c to r, N a tio n a l C o n fe re n ce o f
B la c k L a w y e rs and D r. L e o n a rd
Jeffries, C hairm an o f the B la ck S tu d ­
w it h
n a tio n a lis t, p a n -
N A A C P . Joe M adison, a board m em ­
ber w h o has emerged as a m a jo r
in clu sio n o f Farrakhan in the c a ll fo r
“ washed up radicals fro m the past.
Indeed, the D e tro it m e e tin g has
caused such concern am ong some o f
the B oard m em bers that D r. C havis
m ay be in serious jeopardy.
F ro m m y vantage p o in t, as a
life tim e m em ber o f N A A C P , its tim e
to R a lly A ro u n d Ben C havis! T o o
ties D r. C h a vis has p rio ritiz e d cre a t­
ing greater u n ity am ong the various
ies D ept. at C U N Y .
The m eeting was an o v e rw h e lm ­
ing success. I t is a trib u te to the lead­
leaders, o rg a n iza tio n s and c o n s titu ­
encies in o u r c o m m u n itie s D r.
ership o f D r. C havis that leaders w h o
w o u ld not have com e to a m eeting
C h a v is has p r io r itiz e d c re a tin g
greater u n ity among the various lead­
convened by the N A A C P a year ago
sat around the table together to d is ­
cuss w ays and means o f w o rk in g c o l­
people have fa lle n prey to forces
e xternal to the B la ck co m m u n ity
and th e ir a p o log ists inside the B la ck
m any B la c k leaders w h o have had
the courage to stand up fo r B la ck
co m m u n ity . B la ck A m e rica should
la b o ra tive ly to cope w ith the crisis in
n o t fo rg e t that no less a personage
than W .E .B . D u B o is was run o u t o f
A m e rica w atched w ith great satis­
the B la ck c o m m u n ity. B la ck leaders
the N A A C P . A ll to often the B la ck
fa ctio n as D r. C h a vis p a rticip a te d in
w h o in some cases had serious d iffe r­
masses a p a th e tica lly w atch as co u ­
a n a tio n a lly televised U n ity Forum
convened by C ong. K w csi M fu m c ,
C h a irm a n o f the C o n g re s s io n a l
ences w it h each o th e r a g re e d to
rageous B la ck leaders are cu t dow n.
set a sid e th e ir d iffe r e n c e s to e x ­
p lo re c re a tin g o p e ra tio n a l u n ity
fo r th e sake o f th e g re a te r g o o d o f
Ben C h a vis should not become a
v ic tim o f o u r apathy and inaction
The voice o f the masses o f B la ck
the B la c k N a tio n .
It has been th is k in d o f new d ire c­
tio n and b o ld new leadership w h ich
people needs to be heard in a rin g in g
endorsem ent fo r the new leadership
ers, o rg a n iza tio n s and co n stitu e n ­
cies in the B la c k co m m u n ity. B la ck
B la ck Caucus. The new E xecutive
D ire c to r o f N A A C P stood on the
same p la tfo rm w ith Jesse Jackson,
M a xin e W aters and M in is te r L o u is
Farrakhan and entered in to a c o v ­
enant to advance the struggle fo r
has been lik e a breath o f fresh a ir
and new d ire c tio n o f the N A A C P
W ith o u t o u r support Ben C h a vis and
the new d ire c tio n he has blazed m ay
ju stice fo r B la ck people. A n d , the
re v ita liz in g o u r o ld e st and largest
c iv il rig h ts o rg a n iza tio n . D u rin g the
masses o f B la ck people beamed w ith
last ye a r the m e m b e rsh ip o f the
enorm ous p rid e w hen D r. C h a vis
N A A C P d ra m a tica lly increased from
refused to break the C ovenant w ith
490,(XX) to 650,000 as B la ck people
to support D r. C h a vis and his new
d ire ctio n fo r N A A C P should c a ll the
M in is te r Farrakhan o v e r the K h a lid
fro m across the n a tio n have taken a
n a tional o ffic e : 410-486-9100.
be in danger.
Persons interested in w o rk in g
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