FEB. 11, 1998
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Black History Month Is Here (Again) II
B y P rof . M c K inley B urt
Last week, we asked if the tradi
tional, if som ew hat perfunctory,
yearly observance of a “Black His
tory Month” could even begin to take
advantage of millenniums of glori
ous and inspired contributions to the
w orld's culture and technology?
And we rather strongly suggested
that this very same data or cultural
base could provide the experience-
based tools and solutions to contem
porary economic or social problems
facing African Americans. There is
much truth to that old adage, "We ’ ve
done it before, w e’ll do it again" -
well, haven’t we?
Several readers, academics among
them, took umbrage at my reference
to “Homer’, the Greek epic poet, as
being “illiterate.” Two doubters ac
knowledged the veracity of my state
ment after consulting ’ higher author
ity’ ; one having called two universi
ties and the Greek Embassy in Wash-
ington, D C this is why I and other
c
black historians spend far more on
research and documentation than
those of some other cultures. Even
our utterances on the weather may
come under attack.
But back to my observation that
black history provides the data base
containing the information and tools
for solving today’s problems. And
last week, I did say that data bank
needed to be searched in a serious
and meaningful way. There is no
doubt what-soever that we all simply
need to ‘feel good’ at times, to dance,
to sing, to exhilarate in the sheer joy
of who we are and that we have
survived (all G od’s children).
And then, too, there is the spiritual
strength to be gained through rever
ence of those who have gone before
and in the worship of the theological
forces, and the peace that piety brings
us. But we also must extract and
practice those hard lessons that have
sustained us whenever, as historians
put it, “barbarians appear at the gate.”
D e a n E d it o r :
The grow th o f d istance le a rn
ing affects no group m ore than
over sch ed u led b u siness p ro fe s
sio n als eag er to advance th e ir
careers. Kaplan E ducational C en
ters, one o f the n a tio n ’s p rem ier
e d u c a tio n c o m p a n ie s , h a s
lau nched the first ever o n lin e
CPA
r e v ie w
c o u rse
at
w w w .k a p la n c p a re v ie w .c o m ; u s
ing the technology o f d ista n c e
learning to set a new standard for
co n v e n ie n t p rep aratio n .
Sim ply by lo g ging on to the
In ternet, CPA can d id a te s get the
kind o f c o m p re h e n siv e , high-
quality review K aplan is know n
to d eliv er. S tu d en ts have round-
the-clo ck In tern et access to the
c o u rs e ’s 28 lectu res by leading
p ro fe sso rs and accounting p ro
fessio n als. S tu d en ts also receive
K a p la n C PA R e v ie w ’s stu d y
books, 500 fla sh c a rd s, and s o ft
w are featu rin g tu to ria ls, to pical
tests, ten actual C PA practice
exam s and c o m p u te r-a n a ly z e d
feedback on p erfo rm an ce.
“M ost candidates are busy pro
fe ssio n a ls w ho re c o g n iz e the
long-term ca re e r value o f a C PA ,
and need to fit studying into th eir
schedules w hen they c a n ,” said
Jack G o etz, vice p re sid e n t of
K aplan’s p ro fe ssio n a l ed u catio n
division. “ K ap lan ’sC P A R eview
on the In tern et offers an u n p re c
edented degree o f co n v en ien ce
and fle x ib ility . S tudents can a c
cess any part o f the co urse 24
hours a day, 7 days a w eek from
w herever they w ant.
c
t
I cited just such a circumstance
when I noted that some prudent Afri
can Americans are thinking, “care
ful, this new black middle class that
appears to have made it, may not
have. It’s easy to fall back when
you're on the lowest rung of the
ladder.” The vital statistics of this
often precarious position in Ameri
can society is easily derived from a
review of the aforementioned “Black
History Data Base,” so blithely hon
ored one month a year.
But for a realistic assessment in a
survival mode - sorely needed at this
particular time - read “Black Corpo
rate Executives: The Making and
Breaking of a Black Middle Class",
Sharon M. Colins, Temple Univer
sity Press, 1997.
The book is thoroughly researched
and represents an accurate and un
sparing assessment of the tenuous
position of a black social class in “a
political climate that has become
more conservative and an economy
that is rapidly restructuring.
This challenging and incisive As
sociate Professor of Sociology at the
University of Illinois, Chicago, has
made realistic and valuable judge
ments - most of which parallel my
own experience-based conclusions
from my 30 years of industrial prac
tice that preceded my academic ten
ure. Be sure to get this book! Espe
cially if you only have been giving
your Black History that “once-over-
lightly” review one month out of a
year.
I assure you that this author has
‘been there’ and that her honest and
accurate observations can indeed
point the way toward rediscovering
the vital tools, the economic and so
cial structures for survival.
As w e’ve said, they are there for
the taking, firmly embedded in our
magnificent historic past. O ther cul
ture have seized them, can’t we a
waken?
Concluded next week.
better ^ 0 'Ulte (SUhtdr
Send your letters to the Editor to:
Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208
No o th e r review c o u rse p ro
vides this o p tio n .”
W hen s tu d e n ts sign up for
K aplan C PA In tern et R eview ,
they are issu ed a personal p a ss
w ord th at allo w s them unlim ited
use o f the site and rem ains valid
until te st day.
S tu d en ts have the fle x ib ility
to view le c tu re s re p e a te d ly as
n e e d e d , d o w n lo a d s lid e s and
handouts from the le c tu re s, and
stop se ssio n s at any tim e to e-
mail q u e stio n s to K aplan CPA
instru cto rs.
As o f F eb ruary 15th, stu d en ts
can enroll in Kaplan CPA Internet
R eview by c a llin g 1-800-K A P-
T E ST . In terested stu d e n ts who
lack In tern et access can request
a free 30-day trial through A T& T
o r A m e ric a n O n lin e , c o m p li
m ents o f K aplan. For stu d en ts
w ithout co m puters w ho w ant to
take ad v an tag e o f the d istan ce
learn in g option, K aplan offers an
audio tape series.
If you are in te re ste d in le a rn
ing m ore a b o u t K a p la n C PA
In te rn e t R eview , p lease co n ta c t
m e at 2 1 2 -4 9 2 -5 8 9 0 , or K ate
L efer at 212 -9 7 4 -2 7 6 9 .
S incerely,
A ndrea W ilson
/M /M B 0 IP P U $ H
C O A L IT IO N
The State of the Union
As the President said, “the state of
our union is strong.” Examining the
m ajor points o f the P resid en t’s
speech, we find much with which we
can agree. We also find that, on issue
after issue, the Republicans are stones
in the passway to improving the lives
of working families. W e’re right.
They’re wrong.
Education
Our nation’s public schools are in
d isrep air and classes are o v e r
crowded. To combat these problems,
President Clinton intends to push for
100,000 new teachers in grades 1-3
and 6,000 new schools. Instead of
fixing the problem, the Republicans
want to rely on private and parochial
schools and abandon the founding
fathers’ commitment to public edu
cation. W e’re right. T hey’re wrong.
Crime
Most juvenile crime is committed
between 3pm and 8pm when kids get
out of school and do not have any
thing to do before their parents get
home from work. The President wants
more after-school programs to give
kids something productive tododur-
ing those critical hours. The Repub
licans want to spend more and more
money on jails and longer sentences.
W e’re right. They’re wrong.
Minimum Wage
To keep pace with inflation and
give working families a fighting
chance to support themselves, the
President has proposed an increase
in the minimum wage this year.
Claiming that the minimum wage
costs jobs. Republicans like Dick
Armey would like to eliminate the
minimum wage entirely. But the facts
show that, since the last time we
raised the minimum wage (August
1996), the economy has created 3.9
million new jobs and inflation has
fallen from 2.9% to 1.7%—its lowest
level in a generation. W e’re right.
They’re wrong.
Day Care
Far too many families today have
to choose between the job they need
and the children they love. To cor
rect that problem, the President wants
$21.9 billion, targeted at low-income
working families, to make child care
better, safer, and more affordable.
The broken-record Republicans dis
miss it as “big government” and will
use this issue to call for more tax cuts.
W e're right. T hey’re wrong.
Medicare
One of the great success stories of
the federal government this century
has been lifting seniors out of pov
erty and into the middle class. Medi
care is central to that accomplish
ment. The President now wants to
give people in their 50s the opportu
nity to buy into Medicare-a modest
proposal that would give millions of
uncovered Americans health insur
ance and would not increase the defi
cit. The Republicans have opposed
Medicare from its inception and have
already announced their opposition
to the President’s new plan. W e’re
right. T hey’re wrong.
Civil Rights
There is currently a backlog of
60,000 cases at the Equal em ploy
m ent O pportunity C om m ission.
The President asked Congress to
bolster the staff at the EEOC so
that these A m ericans can find ju s
tice.
By their exploitation and dem a
goguery of affirm ative action and
im m ig ra tio n , the R e p u b lic a n s
would rather use race as a wedge to
divide us than as a bridge to unite
us. W e’re right T h e y ’re wrong.
‘Paradise” & The Civil Rights Movement
(Washington, D.C.)-Author and
Nobel Peach Prize winner Toni
Morrison believes there are some
serious questions to be addressed in
Black literature “Even when I keep
explaining to people that the era
sure, or absence, of Black women
writers on the screen has been so
long, so profound... the presence of
ten (Black women writers) looks like
millions,” she says.
As for the recent “absence” of
Black male authors. Morrison as
serts it’s not the issue. “Where are
the Black men buyers?...Black male
writers are all over the place,” she
states.
M orrison’s latest book, "Para
dise,” is the final chapter in a trilogy
about “investigations into certain
kinds o f love.” Loving something
or someone completely, according
to Morrison, is very difficult for
most African-Americans. “ ’Para
dise’ is... about the love of God,”
she says. “It’s about faith, and how
it can suppose, build and lead.
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INTO TRIUMPHS.
AS THOSE W HO TURN CHALLENGES
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