SEPT. 17, 1997
(Elir Portiani» Olbscnwr
Page A4
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___ _________
T hank Y ou F or R eading T he P ortland O bserver
hy not. As I stated here
Sept. 3 regarding Gov.
Wilson ’ s virulent anti
affirmative action posture, “this
drama is being watched across the
land” (' A Dream Deferred or A Dream
Interred?’ Prop. 209.)
And very pointedly, I cited the
example o f a notorious pair o f racist
governors from another generation
- Faubus o f Arkansas and W allace
o f Alabama - who also sought to use
a ‘schoolhouse door’ as a window
o f national political opportunity.
With those disastrous failures in
mind, Gov. W ilson was adroit enough
to ‘ play a black hand’ from the very
inception o f his political plans. Or
was it the Republican political m a
chine as such?
It now appears that the infamous
Wade Connerly, the black (?) m em
ber o f the California State Board o f
Regents may have been planted
W
i
r e s
there. Ideally positioned as a ‘Trojan
H orse’, Connerly, as has been de
scribed here, made his fortune off the
“race-based” contracts he was fed
for years (before suddenly discover
ing that the concept was “racist and
un-American"). And it was his decid
ing vote against affirmative action at
the university level that was the first
volley fired in this new class war.
Since our Sept. 3 article this dema
gogic Right Wing campaign has taken
on a profile that can only be de
scribed as virulent. An “American
Indian Child Education” program is
high up on W ilson’s h itlist’ accord
ing to a 9/10/97 report by the LA
Times-W ashington Post News Ser
vice: “Wilson identified25 additional
statues that he considers to be in
conflict with Proposition 209. The list
includes a variety o f laws regarding
education, health, contracting and
government procedures.”
We are not amused or confused
by the great flood o f crocodile tears
unleashed by a sudden philosophic
awakening on the part of some Ameri
cans that any form o f discrimination
against one’s fellow citizen is wrong
(o f course, if it is wrong now, then it
always has been, right?)
It was only several decades ago
that a 99% white U.S. Congress passed
affirmative Action laws operative at
the federal level-and, subsequently,
some state legislatures followed suit.
Despite the protestations, innuen
dos and, often, outright lies o f many
in opposition to such programs, none
o f this legislation provides for the
creation o f pools o f “unqualified"
persons who are to be automatically
given job preference based on their
race, gender or handicap. A terrible
inequity was realized and an attempt
was made to deal with it.
What over 400 white congress
men realized was that America’s rac
ist approach to employment practice
was not only wrong - and indecent o f
a civilized nation - but effectively
prevented this country from reach
ing its full potential as a major nation
or representative o f humankind. Not
a good situation where one if fast
becoming a minority oneself!
Now, m steadofadjustingorrec-
tifying those few situations where
affirmative action laws may have
been inappropriately applied, there
is this killer campaign to end over
night any an all legislation that pa
tently was designed to facilitate the
entry of all Americans into the work
place without fear that such equal
ity o f employment and economic
opportunity could be restrained by
race, gender or physical handicap.
The overwhelming majority o f
Americans by virtue o f birth has
enjoyed “affirmative action” since
the formation o f this Republic or
since later forbearers got off a boat
from Europe. And when you have
enjoyed a position of pride, privi
lege and prejudice for so many hun
dred years, the appearance o f un
familiar’ colors, sexes, and physi
ognomies in previously reserved’
sectors o f the workforce can, in
deed, prove disconcerting. But
progress has always been o f that
nature, hasn’t it?
Teamsters’ Victory At UPS
The AFL-CIO ’s failure to fully
abor Day 1997 was one o f the
embrace
and back PATCO proved to
most joyous in decades for
be
a
near
fatal mistake. This lack of
organized labor and working people
solidarity
signalled a weakness to big
because o f the Team sters’ Union vic
business
which
suggested that labor
tory in the strike against the United
could
be
coerced
into making major
Parcel Service. Throwing the full
concessions
in
terms
o f wage and
weight o f the AFL-CIO behind Ron
benefit
freezes,
reductions
and con
Carey and the striking Teamsters,
cessions
and
give-backs.
The
pas
John Sweeney, President o f the giant
sage
o
f
NAFTA
and
GATT
and
the
labor federation, correctly sensed that
in
creasin
g
g
lo
b
a
liz
a
tio
n
o
f
the
this strike was potentially a turning
economy also put additional pres
point in the fortunes o f organized
sures on labor to be tame in the face
labor in this country. Ever since Presi
o f the bogeyman o f “foreign compe
dent Reagan fired the striking federal
tition.” Emboldened by the apparent
air traffic controllers (PATCO) the
weakness o f labor, corporations also
fortunes of organized labor have been
adopted the tactic o f permanently
waning in America with an attendant
replacing striking workers with scabs
decline in the overall living standard
striking fear into the hearts o f rank
o f working people in this country.
unions, these churches, the UFW,
an Francisco-it was a glon
NOW, LULAC, the Rainbow/PUSH
ous day, a historic day, a
Coalition, and so many other organi
day for standing up and
zations, plus the thousands and thou
fighting back. On the 34th anniver
sands o f people o f conscience who
sary o f Dr. K ing’s M arch on Wash
came out to march to fight back against
ington, thousands and thousands of
resegregation.
marchers streamed across the Golden
Rev. Jackson stated the case for
G ate B rid g e, c h a lle n g in g Pete
the march: “We march to protect the
W ilson’s efforts to radically resegre
American Dream, the one big tent
gate California.
America under which we all must live
This list o f high-ranking officials
together. Under this big tent, there
marching was long and impressive—
are four fundamental guarantees: (1)
Jesse Jackson, Mayor Willie Brown,
equal protection under the law; (2)
Patricia Ireland, Delores Huerta, Belen
equal opportunity; (3) equal access;
Robles, Mayor Ellhu Harris, Barbara
and (4) fair share.
Lee, Kevin M urray, Rev Amos
“This march is not just about sav
Brown, Rev. Cecil Williams, Bishop
ing affirmative action. This march
Chandler Owens, Bishop Charles
stands in opposition to the radical
Blake, Rev. Chuck Singleton, leaders
resegregation o f our nation. We will
o f the Teamsters, SEIU Local #250,
not sit quietly by while African Ameri
and many other unions.
can, Hispanic, and Native American
Even more impressive were the
students are purged from higher edu
rank-an d -file m em bers o f these
S
L
cation in California, or anywhere else.
“We will not allow this country to
move from the most diverse, the fair
est, the most inclusive law, medical,
and graduate school classes in our
history, to professional schools with
no Black, Brown, or Red students.
This is not right. This is not moral.
This is not why Dr. King gave his life.
“ We march today to roll back
W ilson’s rollback o f civil rights. We
will keep marching until the civil rights
laws is a states rights issue! People of
conscience must stand up with us,
and be counted for ju stic e -a n d we
trust they will Join us as we march
again in Sacramento on October 27th
We will keep on marching; we shall
not be moved.”
Governor Wilson, the driving force
behind Prop. 209, which bans consid
eration o f race or gender as a factor in
public policy, emphasized his deter
To Be Equal
declared after the tournament that
ave you noticed? For the
she “is the best thing that has hap
second tim e this year a
young African-American athlete pened
has to American tennis for the last
20
years.”
vaulted to the top o f a sport in which
These
two young African-Ameri
African Americans have rarely oc
can
athletes
are important in ways
cupied the top ru n g s-an d in doing
that
transcend
sport.
so has spurred predictions o fa revo
For
one
thing,
Woods and Will
lution in the sport. First, it was Tiger
iams
have
restored
the public m em o
Woods, golfer extraordinaire, of
ries
o
f
the
true
A
frican-American
pio
Asian, American Indian, and Euro
neers
in
these
sp
o
rts-a
n
A
lthea
pean, as well as African descent.
Gibson in tennis, a Charlie Sifford in
Now, it’s Venus Williams.
golf-and in so doing shown that in
Williams, the 17-year-old tennis
fact there’s very little in the field of
phenomenon who powered her way
hum
an e n d e a v o r black p e o p le
to the finals of the U.S. Open in New
haven’t
done before. The newcom
York last weekend, was no match
ers
aren’t
breaking barriers; they’re
this time for the superb play o f
opening the doors wider.
Martina Hingis, the w orld’s top-
Their stardom also underscores
ranked player.
the point that, once the barriers to its
Still, the expectations o f Will
participation are lowered, no arena of
iams are astonishing: Although
human activity is “off limits” to any
she’s just begun her career at the
ethnic group.
top o f the sport, the president o f the
Tiger Woods and Venus Williams
United States Tennis Association
H
t
A P r e s id e n tia l C an d id ate?
RAINBOW PUSH
B y H ugh B. P rice
N ational U rban L eague
e■ c
Gov. Pete Wilson (CA.)
(USPS 959-680) Established in 1970
Charles W ashington
Publisher A Editor
p
are exceptional people, alright. But
they’re not exceptions among Afri
can Americans.
The qualities they’ve displayed-
talent, determination, discipline, self-
confidence, and faith in the future-
aren’t limited to a few African-Ameri
can youth. In fact, we have those
kinds o f youngsters in abundance.
Some of them are in two-year tech
nical schools, or community colleges,
orthe military, or theworkforce. Some
others o f them have had the luxury of
choosing among Harvard, Stanford,
P e n n sy lv a n ia ,
E m o ry
and
Morehouse forcollege. Lastyear still
others, seventy-nine high school
seniors who won prestigious National
Achievement Scholarships, chose to
enroll at Howard University, propel
ling that historically black institution
to the top o f the heap in the national
competition for those prized students.
That’s revolutionary activity worth
and file union members.
In addition, U.S. corporations went
on a binge o f downsizing hurling
thousands o f workers into the unem
ployment lines further increasing the
anxieties and insecurity o f workers.
Two tier wage schemes, temporary
work and part-time employment with
low wages and little or no benefits
also became fixtures within the Ameri
can labor market. Under these cir
cumstances membership in unions
dropped dramatically with the union
ized share o f the American work force
declining from 25% to 10% over the
past two decades.
The consequence o f the down
turn in the fortunes o f American labor
was dire if not disastrous for large
num bers o f w orking people in this
country. While corporate profitabil
ity and the stock market have soared
to record heights in the last five
years, the standard o f living for
w orking people has continued to
rem ain stagnant or has actually de
clined. D espite the p e rsiste n c e o f
ra c ism in the ranks o f labor, as a
g en eral ru le, w hen o rg a n iz e d la
bor has been stro n g the sta n d a rd
o f liv in g o f w orking p e o p le , in
clu d in g B lacks and o th e r people
o f c o lo r has im p ro v e d . C o n
v ersely , w hen o rg a n iz e d labo r
has been w eak, it has had an a d
v erse e ffe c t on the liv in g sta n
dard s o f B lacks and p e o p le o f
color.
Freedom March
mination to enforce state rights over
the wishes o f county, city, or local
governments. He made it very clear
that he would crack down hard on
any mayor or county executive who
continued to allow affirmative action.
Our question is obvious: why
aren’t the President, the Vice-Presi
dent, the Attorney General, and the
U.S. Department o f Justice following
that same logic? Governor W ilson is
asserting the State o f California’s
pow er to override city and county
officials. It is long past time for the
Clinton Administration and the Fed
eral government to assert the U.S.
G overnm ent’s right to supersede
states’ wishes, especially concern
ing issues o f civil rights.
This has been a wedge issue for
W ilson, and a hedge issue for prom i
nent Democrats.
The radical resegregation ofhigher
education in California is at heart a
states rights issue. Pete Wilson is
attempting to overturn civil rights
laws and regulations that were won
by Rosa Parks, Dr. King, and the mass
civil rights movement o f the 1950s
and 1960s. (A movement, by the way,
in which Pete W ilson-like most of
those now so concerned about the
falsely-named issue o f “reverse dis-
crim inatiori’-was not prominently
featured, despite being old enough
to participate at the time it was hap
pening...)
States rights and civil rights have
a certain history in America. When
Orval Faubus tried to assert states
rig h ts in A rk a n sa s, P re sid e n t
Eisenhower sent in the National Guard
and overrode him. When George
Wallace tried to secede Alabama from
the civil rights laws o f this Union,
Presidents Kennedy & Johnson over-
rode him. W hen Lester M addox
waved his ax handle in G eorgia’s
school doors, these same presidents
backed him down.
Now itis PresidentClinton’stum .
This is a decisive moment for the
President, and for the Vice-President.
A single state is trying to undo Fed
eral laws and rules that were passed
to eliminate discrimination and over
come the effects o f centuries o f sla
very and segregation. The Federal
government should be on the side o f
existing civil rights laws, and the fact
that California passed a misleading,
mis-named, massively-funded initia
tive trying to undo those laws is
neither legally nor morally relevant.
The truth is, the real race conver
sation is now being held, in Califor
nia, on affirmative action and states
rights.
Pursuing Excellence
talking about.
W e’d be the first to say that we,
Black America and all o f America,
need more young people like this.
That is to say, we need to inspire more
young people to cultivate the quali
ties, which will enable them to achieve
in school, contribute to their commu
nities and build productive hves for
themselves.
T hat’s the purpose o f the annual
national celebration we at the Urban
League call “Doing The RightThing.”
To show off our youth all across the
country who are doing well in school
and in their communities—and to
show their peers that excellence is
worth pursuing and will be recog
nized and rewarded.
We began this event last Septem
ber with great success; nearly 100 o f
our League affiliates sponsored street
fairs, parades and award ceremonies
which showcased the good things
young people do. This year we ex
pect it to be even bigger because we
have joined with nearly a score o f
other black professional, fraternal and
church organizations to launch the
Cam paign for A frican-A m erican
Achievement.
As Bishop Roy L.H. Wincush,
chairman ofthe National Congress of
Black Churches, says, our purpose is
to harness the power of the African-
American community to lift the aca
demic achievement levels o f black
children.
We ’ 11 help education officials reno
vate school facilities and improve
curricula to give young people a
proper scholastic learning environ
ment. And w e’ll ally ourselves with
local community organizations and
parents and young people themselves
to spread the culture o f achievement
within these neighborhoods.
Our young people must have ac-
cess to o p p o rtu n ity —to q u a lity
ed u catio n , to am ple ch a n c e s to
develop so cially and sp iritu a lly
through w ork and co m m u n ity
serv ice.
T hey need to feel su rro u n d e d
by carin g adults w ho p ro v id e
em o tio n al su p p o rt and ad v ice
and guidance.
T hose are the q u a litie s w hich
have pro d u ced a T ig e r W oods,
a V e n u s W illia m s a n d u n
co u n ted others.
W e and our p a rtn e rs in the
Cam paign for A frican-A m erican
A ch ievem ent know that th ere
are m any m ore o f th ese a c h ie v
ers out there in the n e ig h b o r
ho o d s in w hich A frican A m e ri
cans live.
A nd we know th at i t ’s our
re sp o n sib ility to m ake sure that
all o f them get the o p p o rtu n ity
to let th eir talen ts draw c h eers.
l