November 17. 2004 Page A4 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer O pinion Teachers A Bitter Reality We Must Overcome Minority Increase ranks Day will come when we will be stronger for this defeat by U.S. R ep . E lijah C laimings On the night of Nov. 2. most of us shared the disappointm ent that made it difficult for nearly half of America to sleep. Despite a hard-fought and historic effort, we fell short in our campaign to elect a President who would re­ store a measure o f fairness and balance to the government of the United States. The consequences of this de­ feat cannot be minimized - nor should they be. The next few years will be more difficult for tens o f millions of Americans, including many people in our own communities. We must do what we always have done. We must reach out to those in need, offering whatever help we can provide. We must encourage each other - and our neighbors - to hold onto the faith that better times and a bet­ ter country are never beyond our reach. We lost an important battle, a loss that will cost us dearly. I am convinced, however, that the day will come w hen we will be stron­ ger for this defeat. Consider all that we accomplished. The more than 13million Afri­ can American voters who cast our ballots on Election Day rep­ resented a 25 percent increase; Improve School Lunches and our percentage of the overall vote also increased to more than 11 percent. No other group of Americans matched the 89 percent Black vote for John Kerry and progressive change. Although a number of com­ mentators have made much of the fact that the African American vote for President Bush increased to 11 percent nationwide, the more lasting political realities cut the other way. It is no surprise to us that A fri­ can Americans continue to balance Congressional Black Caucus that I have been honored to lead for the last two years. In the upcoming Congress, our numbers will increase from 39 to43. This gain will be significant not only in the quantity but also in the quality of the representation that we can provide toourcom m unities. Sen. Barack O bam a o f Illinois, only the third Black Senator to be elected to the Congress since Re­ construction, will restore our pres­ ence in the Senate. Rep. Cynthia struggle has never been a cam ­ paign for momentary power for pow er's sake alone. Like those great Americans on whose shoul­ ders we now stand, we have been called by God and history to par­ ticipate in a great movement. We are both the beneficiaries and the trustees of the most im ­ portant calling in life - the mis­ sion to create a more fair and humane country and a safer, more peace-filled world. This is the true, unalterable vision of our move­ ment toward universal civil rights. At this time when we must set our sights on creating a better future, I recall for you a lesson from our past. Dec. 10th o f this year will mark the fortieth anni­ versary o f that moment when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood before the world in Oslo, Norway, and accepted the Noble Prize for Peace on behalf o f all who struggle for civil rights. Dr. K ing's words at that diffi­ McKinney of Georgia will be re­ turning to her seat, joining a strong cult time are worth remembering and principled class o f 2(X)5 that today. They remind us that we are includes Reps. Emanuel Cleaver o f a strong people, a people of abid­ M issouri, Al G reen o f Texas, and ing faith - and they encourage us Gwen Moore o f Wisconsin, the first to move forward toward the mis­ African American to be elected to sion that we have been called to fulfill. the Congress from her state. “ W hen o u r d ay s b eco m e It is true that we have lost a campaign at acritical moment in our dreary with low-hovering clouds history. This is a bitter reality that and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights,“ Dr. we must face and overcome. Yet. as Americans of color, this King observed, “we will know election year has also evoked an that we are living in the creative em otion that has even greater turmoil o f a genuine civilization power — a sense of ourselves that struggling to be born." Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., is is the very foundation of our char­ chairman o f the Congressional acter as a people. We do well to recall that our Black Caucus. We must encourage each other - and our neighbors - to hold onto the faith that better times and a better country are never beyond our reach. our support for progressive eco­ nomic, foreign and military policies with a significant appreciation for more traditional social customs and religious beliefs. Likew ise, it should be no surprise to anyone else that we remain the Democratic Party's most loyal constituency. I am especially heartened by the knowledge that more than 21 mil­ lion Americans under the age o f 30 voted this year, 8 m i 11 ion of them for the first tim e - and that these younger voters supported Senator Kerry over President Bush by a margin o f 54-45 percent. Finally, although progressives lost strength in the Congress over­ all, this was not the result within the Some 28 million children in 100,000 schools and childcare centers partici­ pate in the U.S. Dept. o f Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, the lunch fair is made up largely of U SD A 's surplus meat, milk and cheese commodities, which k contain excess protein, saturated fats and cholesterol and account for the epidemic o f obesity, diabetes and heart disease. These early dietary Haws be­ come lifelong addictions, contributing to an escalating public health crisis. A number of national health advo­ I t cacy groups are mobilizing to improve school food. Parents and others who care about this critical issue should work with their Parent Teacher Associations in demanding healthy school meals, snacks and vending machine items. Lionel Inman, Southeast Portland This means money. As we all know, teacher is a grossly under funded profession and a lot o f times, prom ­ ising minority candidates choose to enter into professions based upon financial considerations. by J udge G reg M athis Providing school loan forgive­ It may take an entire village to ness, graduate study scholarships raise a child, but it takes excellent and housing financing plans are teachers to educate and nurture a just a few methods the government child. could use to entice top quality mi­ A recent report by a coalition of nority candidates into the teaching school groups indicates that a lack profession. As part o f their orienta­ o f minority teachers is tion, non-white teachers hurting minority stu­ could undergo training to dents' chances for suc­ make them culturally sen­ cess in school. While sitive to the needs o f their the federal government minority students. These suggestions are focuses on increasing student standards and but a few of the possibili­ ties our government could testing, perhaps a bet­ and should be doing to ter public policy would be to minister to the source o f stu­ ensure that new teachers receive dents' achievement and failure: the the proper incentives to do their teacher. The problems in education can­ not be solely laid at the feet of our children. Teachers suffer real bud­ get and training constraints that frustrate their ability to lead, teach and inspire. Although black and Hispanic students make up nearly 35 percent o f A m erica's public school student population, black and Hispanic teachers make up less than 10 per­ best to educate, uplift and empower cent o f Am erica’s educators. our children. Ninety percent o f the teachers Rather than spending time and that minority children learn from resources creating artificial hoops look differently than they do. Why through which our children can does this matter'.’ Because research jump, the federal government would shows that minority children excel be much better off bolstering the at higher rates when taught by ranks of the teaching profession teachers from their ethnic group. with qualified and dedicated minor­ When minority teachers teach mi­ ity teachers whose very presence nority children, the children face would help to leave no child be­ higher expectations. The teachers hind. Indeed, it takes a village to raise expect more, demand more and the a child, but it takes a teacher to raise children achieve more. The current focus on increasing a nation. Judge Greg Mathis is chairman o f student performance will not suc­ ceed without additional resources the Rainbow PUSH-Excel Board anil that increase and enhance the na­ anationalboardmemberof the South­ tions cache of minority teachers. ern Christian Leadership Conference. with teacher incentives When minority teachers teach minority children, the children face higher expectations,