OCT. 8, 1997
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C O A L IT IO N
T a lk in g
T h e T alk
To Be O r Not To Be: A
Black Dichotomy
white, leftist multiculuralism crusade.
t w ould seem from reader re
Others have said, “we blacks were
sponse that the last two ar
becoming irrelevant and insignifi
licles have reflected a basic
dichotomy or split in the mind-set o cant
f ciphers in a fuzzy, murky pool of
America’s
societally disabled—need
many African Americans in a vigor
ing
Affirmative
A ction.”
ous effort to reassert a threatened
C
lau
d
e
A
n
d
e rso n , a u th o r o f
identity or spirituality.
“Black
Labor,
W
hite W ealth’’ put it
And that being the case, the ap
very
well;
“It’s
not
diversity, black
parent delinkage between the ap
people
need,
its
inclusion.
However,
proaches or attitudes o f two major
inclusion
in
a
gung
ho
capitalist
so
groups has been described in no
ciety
must
necessarily
be
based
on
uncertain term s. There was the com
an
economic
development
process
mentary o f the black teenager who
where the excluded group practices
echoed the opinion o f a parent re
its won inclusion of ' all ’ members, all
garding the Million Man M arch’, “ .. .a
skills.
million black men could have as
An “Internal Affirmative Action”,
sessed themselves $100 each and
if
you
will.
s ta rte d so m e g re a t e c o n o m ic
A
process
that would include
projects.”
those
with
real-time,
experienced-
And at the other end o f the spec
based
talents
in
industry
and the
trum we had those who planned a
marketplace
-
not
just
the
philoso
spiritual excursion; “ ...it was more
pher kings, planners, novelists and
like my identity was threatened...for
politicians at the top o f the pyramid.
a moment I had to get away from this
I
African American real estate venture
that was described here at least a
decade ago.
This model is too important and too
relevant to the contemporary scene for
a hasty compression at the end o f this
article. Next week I will shed this very
revealing light on the incapacitating
d ichotom y that b e se ig e s us;
opportunity’s bruised knuckles.
Interestingly, while writing this
piece, a caller wanted to know if 1 was
“aware that the white folks are hav
ing their own Million Man March
on the Capital Mall .’ And their women
are also fussing at being left out.”
The man went on to cite that basic
African American belief, that since
the Pyram ids, the U niversity o f
Timbuctu, whatever-first the black
pioneers, then here comes the Euro
pean right behind’ (remember the
“Chrisy M instrels”).
(C ont'd next week.)
Civil Rightsjournal
Remembering The Little Rock Nine
By y Bernice
lieriin Powell Jackson
lor young people 40 years
ago may be history, but
f o irJL
r T . s some o f us it seems like
yesterday, or at least yesteryear. In
the news these days is the reminder
that it was only 40 years ago that a
governor defied the federal govern
ment in a m uch-publicized event in
the civil rights movement. It was all
about the right o f black children to
attend public school - the same pub
lic schools that whites attended,
instead o f the inferior, segregated
ones they had attended for genera
tions.
The place was Little Rock, A r
kansas, the home state o f President
Clinton and newspapers and televi
sions carried pictures o f the Gover
nor standing in the doorway ofCen-
tral High and defying the court-
ordered desegregation o f Central
High. It was only when President
E isenhow er ordered in federal
troops that the nine black students,
dubbed the Little Rock Nine, were
able to enter the building.
Escorted by members o f the 101
Airborne, the nine teenagers braved
mobs spitting on them, shouting
epithets and threatening them and
their families. Most o f us can hardly
imagine how frightening, how dis
gusting, how exhausting it must
have been for those nine children.
One recalled never once having
F
gone to the bathroom at school since
the solders couldn’t go in with her for
protection. One remembers her dress
so wet with spit that she could wring
it out. Another recalls the FBI asking
her parents for permission to finger
print her so that they could identify
her body when it was found. Several
still are uncomfortable in crowds and
at least one admits to spending thou
sands o f dollars in therapy.
Miraculously, the Little Rock Nine
members survived and even flour
ished after their frightening experi
ence. They include an accountant, a
social worker, a real estate salesper
son, a clinical psychologist, a teacher,
ajoum alist and an investment banker.
But only one remains in Little Rock;
two no longer even live in the U.S.
The lessons o f the case o f the
Little Rock Nine could be many, ifthe
city o f Little Rock and if our nation
chooses to learn them. Clearly, the
case proved that the federal govern
ment did have the authority and the
right to make sure that constitutional
rights overrode so-called “states
rights.” Indeed, the term “states’
rights is a code word even today for
African Americans, who remember
the use o f it during the Little Rock
Nine case and therefore many o f us
are distrustful o f recent moves by
states to take control o f welfare.
But what have we learned about
t was a great week for speeches, ering in Pittsburgh:
“American workers find them
and Reverend Jackson rose to
selves
in a box today, a box with four
the occasion 3 times in only 6
solid
sides
carefully constructed by
days, at m ajor conventions. On Sat
the
apologists
for unrestrained capi
urday, 9/20, Jesse had the Teamsters
tal.
fired up and on their feet.
“One side o f the box is corporate
“When we stood together on those
strategies
to oppress workers-to roll
picket lines, we were not merely Black/
I can now write that early evidence
B y H ugh B. P rice
back
safety
standards, hold down
W hite/Brown/Yellow/Red, male or
indicates
Texaco is en route to be
P resident
female, gay or straight, disabled. We wages, weaken labor law, downsize,
coming
a
better, stronger company.
N ational U rban L eague
were working people, standing strong outsource, and in many cases, simply
Notice
what I have said here: a
ast November Texaco, Inc.,
against corporate greed . . .This land is to win organizing battles by breaking
better,
stronger
company. For the
the n atio n ’s fourteenth-
the law.
our land.
evidence,
now
being
marshalled at
jargest company, drew a
nother side o f the box is
“Teamsters, when you won, we all
Texaco,
and
already
proven else
sharp blast from African Americans
the Fed-the Federal Re
won. Teamsters, when you won, the
where, shows that the allegiance to
and others, damaging coverage from
serve Board, which makes
Reagan Era really ended. Teamsters,
equal opportunity is good for busi
the
m
ed
ia-
and
a
significantly
nega
it
very
clear
that
if
wages
begin
to
rise,
when you won, the new activist labor
ness.
it
will
restrain
growth
by
raising
inter
tive
reaction
from
investors-when
it
movement won.
It’s good for business because it
est
rates.
Our
current
national
pros
became
apparent
that,
despite
its
pub
“The great gap in America today is
opens
up the avenues o f advance
perity
isbeing
subsidizedby
working
lic
statements,
equal
opportunity
was
not so m uch a horizontal gap be
ment
within
a company to new talent,
families...
not
a
reality
there.
tween men and women, nor between
which
enhances
its internal strength.
“The
third
side
o
f
the
box
is
public
The
now-infamous
Texaco
Tapes
the races, though those gaps are wide.
And
it’s
good
for
business because
disinvestment,
the
systematic
loot
broke
open
the
racial
discrimination
The great gap—indeed, the grand
it
enables
the
company
to more skill
ing
o
f
our
children’s
futures...
lawsuit
that
several
of
its
African-
Canyon o f American life at the end o f
fully
pursue
customers
across the
“The
final
side
o
f
the
box
is
inter
American
employees
had
been
pursu
the 20th century-is the vertical gap
breadth
o
f
the
consumer
marketplace.
national
trade
policy,
on
which
we
are
ing
against
the
company,
prompting
between wealth and workers, between
That is illustrated by the docu
the company to quickly settle the case
rich and poor, the canyon between about to engage in a major public
ment
Texaco produced this summer:
policy
battle,
to
slow
down
the
fast
before
it
went
to
trail.
haves and have-nots.
Equal
Opportunity and Diversity at
track...
We
fight
for
trade
agreements
In
its
wake,
Peter
I.
Bijur,
Texaco’s
“For the wealthy, the roofhas been
Texaco:
1997 Report.
that
protect
environmental
standards.
chairman
and
chief
executive
officer,
removed...For the poor, the floor has
This
29-page
document is loaded
We
fight
to
lift
workers
up
in
other
who
had
vigorously
condemned
the
collapsed.. .For the working family and
with
charts
and
graphs about the
countries,
not
bring
our
workers
down
blighted
attitudes
that
led
to
the
suit,
the middle class, there is an anxious,
Texaco
workforce,
details on what
“The
only
way
to
break
out
o
f
their
pledged
to
change
Texaco’s
corpo
sinking feeling, with stagnant wages,
cunent
programs
have
accomplished,
box
is
to
fight
back
to
knock
down
the
rate
culture
for
the
better.
stuck in a house with no floor and no
and specific pledges that the company
walls.
T
hat’s
what
the
Teamsters
fight
I
wrote
back
then
that
“the
evi
roof."
intends to honor within five years.
dence indicates that he has a great
On Thursday, 9/25, Rev. Jackson was all about-knocking down their
For example, Texaco states that in
restraining
walls.”
deal
o
f
work
to
do
there.”
closed out the annual AFL-CIO gath-
I
Many o f the marchers attributed
much o f the loss o f identity and their
spiritual angst to lack o f cooperation
at the community, or even the neigh
borhood level.
Last week I put it that “blacks have
becom e as celebrity-obsessed as
whites”, an ill omen for a people whose
cultural and economic integrity is so
threatened. There was some very in
teresting and valuable commentary
in the book, “Million Man March/
Day o f Absence: A Commemorative
Anthology,” Third World Press, 1996,
edited by Haki R. Madhubuti: and
Maulana Karenga (Jesse Jackson,
Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Conrad
West and others).
Addressing that economic scene
which the black teenager described
and putting it in relationship to the
other side o f the dichotomy just dis
cussed; I think our case is best illus
trated by a failed W ashington, D.C.
that question. Indeed, what might
schools and integration? In most large
have happened if white children
cities students o f color attend schools
walked next to the black children?
which have few white students. Mean
What would have happened if white
while, the Supreme Court has been
clergy
had walked next to the black
overturning desegregation orders
,
children?
W hat would have hap
and has ruled that suburban school
pened
if
white
mothers and fathers
districts cannot be forced to accept
had
been
at
their
sides?
urban students as a means o f re
Finally,
what
have
we learned
dressing segregation.
about
the
toll
taken
on
those who
Terrie Roberts, one o f the Little
dare
to
challenge
racism,
to be on
Rock N ine comments,” it ’ s not about
the front lines? Young people were
separating or integrating; it’s about
often in the forefront o f the civil
trying to find a formula that’s going
rights m ovem ent - at the lunch
to supply black children with what
counters, on the Freedom Ride bus
they need to succeed in society .” He
ses, in desegregated schools. Many
also recalls that their hope was that
o f them, like that member o f the
when whites saw that not all blacks
Little Rock Nine, have needed ex
carried weapons and that they were
tensive psychological treatment;
real human beings that they would
many others have needed long
accept the black students. “ But after
term medical care for damaged kid
they knew us, they still didn’t like
neys, crushed skulls and other in
us,” he said.
juries.
And what have we learned about
The Little Rock Nine believe their
how we must all actively participate
parents’ bravery and determination
in ending racism? In a recent CBS
have never been recognized either.
Sunday Morning interview, a white
At least one family had their house
citizen o f Little Rock, who was a
bombed and one father lost his job.
student during the time o f the Little
Have we ever really acknowledged
Rock Nine, commented, that most
the sacrifices these heroes and
people believe that the near-riots
sheroes made for all o f us? As we
which accompanied the desegrega
carry on this national conversation
tion were the actions o f a small minor
on race, the Little Rock Nine case
ity o f the people. He was then asked
has lots o f lessons for us. We just
by the reporter, “Well, why didn’t
have to ask the right question to
the majority speak out and say this
learn them
was w rong?” He had no answer to
To Be Equal: Report on Texaco
A
t
L
“striving to achieve business goals,
not meet inflexible quotas,” it expects
its workforce to increase from nearly
20,000 to more than 22,000 in three
years. O f that number, it forecasts
that women employees will increase
to 35 percent o f the workforce, up
from the cunent 32 percent, and that
A frican-A m erican and Hispanic-
American employees will increase
from 9 to 13 percent and from 8 to 10
percent, respectively. Overall, Texaco
said that women and people o f color
would comprise 29 percent o f the
company, up from 22 percent now.
The report also names more than a
score of internal and external programs
the company now sponsors or sup
ports and ones it will establish to open
up the corporate ladder within the com
pany and open wider the pathways
into the company from the outside.
They range from internal mentoring
programs to improve employees’ op
portunities for advancement to schol
arship and internship programs to en
courage African-American, Hispanic-
American and Native-Amencan high
school seniorsentering college to major
in such fields as the physical sciences
and engineering.
In addition, Texaco promises that
within five years it will be doing more
than $ 1 billion worth ofbusiness with
women- and minority-owned compa
nies and professionals in engineer
ing and construction firms, and law,
advertising, accounting, and govern
ment and public relations firms.
It said it has already increased the
number o f women- and minority-
owned banks with which it does busi
ness from 21 to 50 and that it will expand
its use o f other banking services and
money-management activities with
women- and minority owned financial
firms. And it intends to double the
number o f minority- and women-
ownedwholesalermarketersfrom43 to
85,11 percent o f its network, by 2002.
O f course, Texaco still has a long
way to go to reach its goals. To its
credit, the company has embarked
upon the journey, one that other cor
porations should follow- for its report
on diversity at Texaco demonstrates
that equal opportunity is sound busi
ness.