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Governor Pete Wilson and the
California Republican Party are al
ready acting to put an initiative on the
1996 California primary or general
election ballot to make affirmative
action illegal.
It is also quite likely that the vast
majority of Democrats, including the
President, will not adequately de
fend affirmative action. [If the Pres
ident will not defend his own wife
after she is called a bitch by the
Speaker of the House, what makes
you think he will defend affirmative
action?]
What is affirmative action any
way ? It has been called a lot of things
-- e.g.. reverse discrimination, an at
tack on the merit system, etc. It is
none of these. Affirmative action is
not reparations (repair for damage
done), but a conservative remedy to
offset historic negative action Affir
mative Action Is Equal Opportunity!
After 250 years of slavery. an
other 100 years of apartheid, the
Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of
Education (1954), which established
the legal principle of "equal protec
tion under the law" for All Ameri
cans. overturned Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896), which established the "sepa-
NATIONAL1
C O A L IT IO N
Affirmative Action
rate but equal" legal doctrine.
Following Brown, "equal pro
tection" Laws were passed outlaw
ing discrimination — e.g., 1964 Civil
rights Act. the 1965 Voting Rights
Act. the 1968 Opening Housing Act.
In one sense, however, these "you
can’t discriminate any more" laws
were Neutral. They did nothing to
overcome the Legacy of racial and
gender discrimination or ongoing
Institutional discrimination.
Affirmative action meant "go
ing out of y our way to include people
locked out historically" -e.g.. adver
tising in minority and women’s me
dia. recruiting on historically Black
college campuses, etc.
All affirmative action does is
Get One In The Pool Of consider
ation So That every one Has An Equal
Opportunity Of Being Chosen for
the job or admitted to the university'.
Affirmative action does not get you
tne job or admitted to school-and you
have to be qualified (or qualifiable)
to even be in the pool. The qualifica
tions must be job or function related
- i.e., no college degrees required
for street sweepers.
If those who have been locked
out historically get in the pool and,
over time, do not get chosen, then
one knows that discrimination is
continuing, because everyone was
in the pool and had an equal op
portunity o f being chosen. If two
people are equally qualified, be
cause o f historic discrimination,
race and gender can be used as A
factor, and could tip the scales in
favor of the minority or woman.
What happens if you d o n ’t
meet the goals and tim etable and
som eone takes you (a company
or school) to court? The courts,
through case histories, have es
tablished criteria that determ ine
w hether som eone has m ade a
“Good Faith E ffort’” to reach the
goal and tim etable. If they have,
then one can renew even more
diligent efforts to meet the goal
within another time frame.
However, if the courts deter
mine that you have not made a good
faith effort, they can impose Sanc
tions - i.e., fines, penalties and quo
tas).
Inherent in the C onstitution,
the D eclaration o f Independence
and the ideals and idealism o f the
Am erican prom ise is a certain
equality and egalitarianism — if
not a guaranteed equal result,
certainly a guaranteed equal o p
p o rtu n ity . B ut -- u n less one
agrees with the racism inherent
in C harles M urray’s Bell Curve -
- since we are all the same as
human beings, if each o f us gen
uinely has equal opportunity, then
the results too will be equal. C er
tainly, God has not given ju st
one group, one race, one gender,
or one side o f town a m onopoly
on genius, ideas, econom ic and
political power.
T h u s,
w h en
P r e s id e n t
C linton, quoting from the D LC ’s
(D em o cratic L ead er C o u n cil)
New O rleans D eclaration, says
that he believes in equal o p p o r
tunity, but not equal results, he is
operating o ff o f a racist prem ise
- i.e., that genuine equal o p p o r
tunity is not epough for some
people (or groups). He seems to
be saying, some groups are in
herently inferior and, therefore,
require som ething more than a
truly equal opportunity to achieve
an equal result.
Civil Rights Journal
Declaring War On Our Children
by
B ernice P owell J ackson
t ’s “ open season on
c h ild r e n ,”
says
DeWayne W ickham ,
USA Today colum nist. “ Not
since slavery have our children
faced greater threats from
in s id e
or
o u ts id e
our
community to their safety, well
being and futures,” says Marian
Wright Edelman, president of
the Children's Defense Fund.
It's as if our children, like the
c h ild re n
of
B o snia
or
Chechnya, are under siege and
trapped in the political cross
fire.
31
Z
Those are strong words. But they
are aroused by the steamroller tactics
now being employed in Washington
by Republican Congressional lead
ers, with a few Democrats helping
them out. They are aroused by a so-
called Contract with America and a
so-called Balanced Budget Amend
ment. They are aroused because 1 am
frightened for our children and our
community.
« <. ' <
I». /A • >•
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; - r
»
Let's look at the Balanced Bud
get Amendment now being debated
in Washington. A balanced budget is
good, anyone who balances their own
checkbook knows that. A balanced
budget amendment is another thing,
however. It sounds good, requiring
the government to balance its own
checkbook by the year 2002, which
seems far enough away to make it
seem painless. But if defense spend
ing and Social Security are not
touched and taxes are not raised when
w e are forced to balance the budget,
then it is estimated that all other
government programs will face a 30
percent cut in funds. If veterans ben
efits are also exempted, then all other
government programs will face ap
proximately a40 percent cut in funds.
And if military and civil service pen
sions are added to the exemption list,
then all other government programs
will face a 50 percent cut in funds.
Such cuts would have devastat
ing impact on the most vulnerable of
our society, our children. Proven pro
grams like Head Start and feeding
programs for women and infant chil
dren would be jeopardized. The med
ical safety net for our nation’s poor
est children would also be snatched
away by Medicaid cuts and cuts in
newly-provided immunization pro
grams.
What most Americans do not
realize is that not only the poor will
be adversely impacted by the Bal
anced Budget Amendment. Such
drastic cost-cutting would be neces
sary that such things as mortgage
interest deductions for federal in
come tax w ould be in jeopardy since
they would be a source of some S50
billion in new revenues. College ed
ucation would also be adversely im
pacted as dollars would have to be
drastically cut.
One o f the most frightening
things about the Contract with Amer
ica and its Balanced Budget Amend
ment is the lightning speed which the
Republican leadership is trying to
enact it. It almost seems that they
don’t want to give the American pub
lic time to examine the legislation
and decide whether or not they really
favor it.
But there is a way to stop this
train. We can write our senators and
tell them we oppose the Balanced
Budget Amendment. Whether they
are Republican or Democrat they
need to hear from y<5u. We can get
ourneighbors, membersofourchurch
or mosque, our sorority or fraternity,
our card club or bowling league to
write our senators and let them know
we support our children and pro
grams that help them. School chil
dren can write letters. The elderly
can write letters. Prisoners can write
letters. Even if they only say, “I am
against the Contract with America
and the Balanced Budget Amend
ment,” that will tell them you did not
vote for the contract.
We also can call the offices of
our senators and we can even ask to
meet with them or their staff. Every
senator and congressperson has of
fices back home. They're our offices
and our elected representatives and
they have a duty to listen to us.
(Note: Writetoyoursenatorsat
the U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.
20510.)
Vantage Point
i
Can Jesse Jackson Revive The Rainbow Coalition?
bv
R on D aniels
ne of the g re a te st
tragedies to befall the
__ progressive movement
in recent times was the failure
of Jesse L. Jackson to organize
the National Rainbow Coalition
into a viable independent third
force in American politics.
©
Against the wishes and advice
of many of the liberal-progressive
activist who constituted the back
bone of his '84 and 88 campaigns.
Jesse Jackson elected to position him
self inside the Democratic Party, he
demobilized the Rainbow Coalition
as a mass based membership organi
zation opting instead for a top down
campaign type structure. As a result
of these fateful decisions there was
widespread demoralization, disaffec
tion and defections among the rank
and file activist who were the heart
and soul of the budding Rainbow
Coalition
Though remnants of the Rain
bow remain in some states, and Jack-
son has appointed his son Jesse Jack-
son Jr. to the position of Field Coor
dinator. in reality Rainbow Coalition
is largely non-existent The annual
Rainbow Conferences which Jesse
Jackson stages, though useful as a
medium for networking and infor
mation exchange, are little more than
political dog and pony shows which
give the illusion that there is a real
Rainbow Coalition. Unfortunately,
the energy, enthusiasm and work in
vested in Jackson's '84 and '88 cam
paigns resulted in great strides but
loss opportunity
Nothing illustrates the need for
a real Rainbow Coalition more than
the Republican sweep to power in
congress, the rise to hegemony of the
radical right and the drive by Newt
Gingrich and company to enact the
reactionary contract w ith America; a
contract whose appeal is rooted in
subtle and not so subtle appeals to
racism, sexism, homophobia and anti-
immigrationism If only we had a
real Rainbow Coalition in place the
task of challenging and countering
the right would be much easier We
need a real Rainbow Coalition and it
would be wonderful if Jesse Jackson
acknowledged the errors of his ways
and rededicated himself to reviving
building a real Rainbow Coalition - a
mass based, democratic, independent,
progressive political movement for
fundamental change
I have suggested that the way to
revive the Rainbow is for Jesse Jack-
son to make a decisive break with the
Democratic Party crusade would
energize millions of non-voters, par
ticularly among those constituencies
that will be most adversely affected
by the Contract with America. An
independent crusade would also re
activate thousands of liberal-progres
sive activists who have been waiting
for Jackson to break with the Demo
crats.
No one is better suited than Jesse
Lewis Jackson to challenge the con
tract with America. No one is more
gifted at articulating the liberal-pro
gressive vision of a new America
than Jesse Lewis Jackson. No one is
more capable of firing the imagina
tion of the disenfranchised and the
dispossessed and galvanizing the
locked out and left out to act than
Jesse Lewis Jackson. Having learned
the lessons from his past mistakes.
Jesse Jackson could utilize and inde
pendent presidential campaign to
shake up America and fundamental
ly change the political equations in
the electoral political process An
independent presidential crusade
would afford Jesse Jackson a chance
to redeem himself by forging a real
fighting Rainbow Coalition that could
contest for power into the 21 st Cen
tury.
Will Jesse Jackson run as an
independent? Will Jesse Jackson re
vive the Rainbow Coalition for real?
Frankly, no matter how much I wish
it were so, it is extremely unlikely
that Jesse Jackson will break with the
Democrats and build a real Rainbow
Coalition. My suspicion is that the
lucrative grants which Jackson re
ceives to do his voter registration, get
out the vote for the Democrats ritual
every two years is a major source of
revenue for what remains of his Rain
bow. Breaking with the Democrats
would cut off this source of revenue.
And, finally, by his own admission,
Jesse Jackson is a "tree shaker, not a
jelly maker." What the progressive
movement needs is some “jam ” - a
real Rainbow Coalition.
What this means is that the chal
lenge of building a real Rainbow
Coalition is a task which must be
assumed by liberal-progressive ac
tivist and organizers and a lot of
ordinary people. I am convinced that
we cannot and must no, depend on
Jesse Lewis Jackson to undertake
this vital endeavor. We must decide
to do it ourselves. "We are the lead
ers we've been looking for “
p e r s j. e c t t r e s
Blacks On The Way Out? Could It Happen Here? Ill
‘¡¡k
t first, that possibility
seemed to remote for
consideration among
my friends and associates, but
subsequent inquiries of their
own seem to have produced
more than a little food for
thought.
In itia lly ,
they were com
fortable in the
conclusion that,
unlike Los An
geles. there was
“no
obvious
pressure on jobs
or housing from other ethnics.
Really? What about disgrun
tled white males in an era of eco
nomic downturn? Also, a key pa
rameter of evaluation of either a
system or group centers on its vital
ity - that is, its ability to regenerate
itself. If there is not a constant flow
of new ideas and energies -- no
recharging of the batteries — then,
such a system or group will not
survive in a recognizable or desir
able form. Recently, I was remind
ed of a group of black males who
several years ago lunched a “busi
ness" organization that would "bring
about change!” To date, I am told
these quite mature gentlemen have
provided numerous dances - no
enterprises.
Now, I have written here in
detail of earlier days in the Black
community when young men like
myself had the inspirational role
models that are necessary to moti
vate the youth or ‘seed’ which sup
posedly constantly regenerates the
system. Fifty years ago there was no
dearth of middle-aged blackmen
who pooled their resources to pro
vide housing, business enterprise
and other urban infrastructure nec
essary to the viability of neighbor
hoods.
Of course, we must consider
the fact that these ethnic environs
were established and maintained
with restrictive covenants and other
racial barriers just as real as in
M ississippi or South A frica
(Bantustans). I can attest to this fact
(and others) without refutation for
included in my accounting practice
were not only the aforementioned
black entrepreneurs, but several of
the white middle class, business
men, realtors, investors.
One of the greatest farces in the
American University' system is the
fact that on the shelves of the "Urban
Studies Programs”, there is not a
single text’ writ-
ten by an African
American. Some
By
instructors attempt
Professor to fill this gap with
Mckinley
“suggested read
Burt
ings”, or by bring
ing in controver
sial' presenters from the communi
ties.
Occasionally, I am heartened
by reports on the activities of inno
vative entrepreneurs like "Roy J ",
and I have been made aware that the
recent influx of out-of-staters has
included several very talented
blacks, however readers often re
mind me of the content ofthose very
realistic "Black Economics” cours
es I taught at the University years
ago. I led with the premise that be
ginning with the critical decade just
before the turn-of-the-century and
lasting until World War II, at least
half of the admired, respected and
emulated African American leader
ship came from the ranks of success
ful businessmen, industrialists and
inventors. Not bureaucrats.
This is why I so often quote
from that book o f startling and
well docum ented) revelations:
“ Evidences o f Progress Among
The Colored People.” by E. G
Richings. My own realistic ex
periences being from business
and industry, I tried m ightily to
reach a g en eratio n o f young
blacks who had been shaped,
bam boozled and exploited ( as
many o f us still are) by the so
cial engineers and program m ers
- the social Sciences elite who
never m anufactured a product
grew a crop or invented a ma
chine. So they never told us who
we were or what we could do.
Now, we all must strenuously
strive to reach this generation
before we lose it com pletely. To
be concluded
-1 <&etter ‘Cd Che (SLïïiter
Send your letters to the Editor to:
Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208
I want to thank Michael Grice
and Ken Berry and all their helpers
for their dedication to the continua
tion of the annual Martin Luther
King Day celebration. Thank you
for your perseverance and selfless
energy. It is an inspiration to listen
to the speakers challenge us. It is
heartening to watch the young peo
ple - our hope for the future - with
their enthusiasm, talent and possi
bilities, be involved in positive ac
tivities. It is encouraging to learn of
the many adults who are actively
giving of themselves to influence
and direct the lives of others, espe
cially young people.
Each year as I attend the MLK
recognition day, I am caused to
look at myself, to look within at
what I am doing to contribute to
our community and what I am
doing to give o f m yself for the
betterm ent of life. It puts a bal
ance in my perspective o f w hat’s
going on in our society. We all
need that. We need to see the
power o f the forces o f good
against evil or the negative.
It was last year's program that
moved me to volunteer at Beau
mont School once a week during
my lunch our to work with a 6th
grade boy who needed extra atten
tion. I hope that many others hear
the message of the life of Martin
Luther King - that of being of ser
vice and making a difference - some
difference - small or great.
Velma Heckman
íjfíartlatth (Obstruer
(USPS 959-680)
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j
fter “ law and order,”
“ b u s in g ,” “ w e lfa re
q u e e n ” and ‘ W illie
Horton,” it is quite likely that
the Republicans will choose
a ffirm a tive action as th e ir
“ wedge issue" to divide the
electorate (and the country) in
the 1996 elections.
25, 1995 • 1 he
.