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:
A rtic les: M o n d a y , 5 :0 0 p m
A d s : Tuesday N oon
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,
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ing techniques unique to the p u b lic
sector. M r. M ig g in s co u ld not have
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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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