| by Jamal E Watson NEW YORK, NY - Despite the war in Iraq, polls suggest that Secretary of State Colin Powell’s popularity among the American public remains strong. The same is true among Af- tican-Américans, who favor Powell even.as they've collectively de- nounced the Bush administration ‘and disagree with the war in Iraq. So when Powell, the country’s first African-American Secretary of State, announced that he was resign- ing from the post - a move that had been long anticipated - it came as unwelcome news even for some loyal Black Democrats, “T like him a lot,” said Ralph Glover, 34, of Harlem. “I thought he was the conscience of this admin- istration. He understood the issues that African-Americans faced.” Despite Powell’s alignment with the Bush administration, Glover, an investment banker who isa Democrat, said that he contin- ued to support Powell because of his public positions on supporting a womans right to choose and his strong embrace of affirmative action - two issues that have put him at odds with the Bush administration. “T admire the fact that he did not change his positions,” said Glover. oFhat says a lot about the man.” Donna Brazile, who served as campaign manager for Al Gore’s 2 Serving Eastern North Carolina's Minority Communities Since 1988 | 2000 piesidential bid, said that Powell was a “bridge builder and an important voice on issues facing the country and the world.” “He gets an A-plus in my book,” said Brazile. “He is a man of valor and a person of character.” Powell’s departure opened the way for Bush to appoint his Na- tional Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to the post, making her the sec- ond African-American to hold the job. She is also the second woman in history to hold the job. President Clinton made history when he ap- pointed Madeline Albright to he position. “The secretary of state is America’s face to the world, and in Dr. Rice the world will see the strength, the grace and the decency of our country,” Bush said in an- nouncing to reporters that Rice had been selected to replace Powell. “During the last four years I’ve relied on her counsel, benefited from her great experience, and ap- preciated her sound and steady judgment, and now I’m honored that she has agreed to serve in my Cabinet,” Bush added. Political pundits have credited Bush with appointing minorities to high-profile positions within his ad- ministration. Last week he an- nounced that Alberto Gonzales, the White House counsel, would replace Attorney General John Ashcroft when he steps down. ” iat teenth ea, _ serve him.” “I think this administration is committed to diversity,” said Brazile. “They have shown that, and I hope that the president will continue to reach out not only to Black Republicans and Democrats.” It’s unclear how popular Rice is with the overall electorate. Polls sug- gest, however, that she does not en- joy the same popularity among Af- rican-Americans that is granted to Powell. William Strickland, a professor of political science and African American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, says that both Powell and Rice have lost their way. “Powell is just our contempo- _ rary Booker T. Washington,” said Strickland. “He’s out of the loop. They're sending him around the world and he has no credibility.” Criticism of Powell has intensi- fied over the last few years. In 2002, singer Harry Belafonte compared Powell to a plantation slave who . moves into the slave owner’s house and says only things that will please his master. ’There’s an. old Saying,” Belafonte said in an interview. "In the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation and there were those slaves that lived in the house. You got the privi- lege of living in the house if you served the master ... exactly the-wa the master intended to have you At the time, Powell called the comments “unfortunate” and said he was “proud to be serving” his nation and his president. Rice grew up in segregated Bir- mingham and was exposed to the racial horrors of the South. Four of her classmates were killed in the Six- Street Baptist Ch to have dreams and aspirations when half of your neighbors see you as in- capable or uninterested in anything better,” Rice said in a speech given early this year at Vanderbilt Univer- sity. “I know what it’s like to live in progress. ST know what it’s like to live in” Segregation. ... 1 know what it means- Still, both Powell and Rice have been faulted by critics for failing to use their positions and access to Bush to push for changes that they see necessary for African-American |Complimentary Issue } Please Take One| (Retail Value: 50 Cents) against our interests,” Strickland. Some speculate that Bush, who _ will likely make two to three addi- a ras ; ¢ a . g “They have advocated posi- tions that have fundamentally been said 30, 2004 tional Supreme Court appointments during his second term, will prob- ably appoint the first Hispanic to the court and may appoint a Black woman. ————— io Above Rev. Willie Joyner is surrounded by his father and brother, along with Rev fis suri t > with an eee of hostility, cold | 100 BLACK MEN HONOREES... Attorney Paul T. Williams (left), president of the One Hindred Black men, | Payton (far left) and other ministers who congradulated him on his nomination to stares, and the threat and the ever-_ | Inc., con adulates (from left) Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, president of Bennet College, baseball legend, Hank Aaron, the position od Bishop of the South East B Conference of Churches. A lunch and Presence of violence ... a threat that SHS] defense attorney, entertainer, Willie Gray; actress and singer, Janice Ja n_ after honoring them on the then back to the planning tables to pursue their of agenda of up lifting our people behalf of the organization at an awards gala held at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan (for more on this story see Janet sometimes erupted into the real thing.” ae oe ee to work together and create better and safer communities for young people to live in prow in.., A NEWS IN BRIEF tary: Jim Rouse by Herb Boyd EW YORK, NY - While violent crime and property crime declined last year, there was an alarming increase in the nation’s prison Population, accord- ing to a newly released report. At the end of last year, there were 1,470,045 men and women in state and prisons in the United States. Including the inmates in city and county jails and incarcerated juvenile offenders, the total number of Ameri- cans behind bars was 2,212,475 on Dec. 31, 2003, said Allen Beck, chief of corrections statistics for the department's Bureau of Justice Statis- tics and an author of the repoft. The report estimated that 44 per- cent of state and federal prisoners in 2003 were Black, compared with 35 G-Unit Young Buck performs at the MTV stu- dios on Nov. 13, 2003, LOS ANGELES - Rapper Young Buck has given himself up to police after being suspected of stabbing a fan at the Vibe Awards, an assault apparently rated when Bucks musical mentor, Dr. Dre, was punched just before being handed a life- time achievement award, ent, s posse G-Unit. He the group, replacing original member Tony Yayo who was sentenced to prison for gun possession, percent of young percent white, 19 percent Latino and 2 rcent other races. Clearly, there has been little change over the last decade or so. Among the more than 1.4 million sentenced inmates at the end of 2003, an estimated 403,165 were Black men between ages 20 and 39. At the end of 2003, 9.3 percent of Black men between the ages of 25 to 29 were in prison, compared with 2.6 percent of Fispanic men and 1.1 per- cent of white men in the same age group. Raymond A. Winbush, director of the Instituté for Urban Research at Morgan State University, said that re- cent numbers of African-American men who are incarcerated should be viewed within the context of the “social condi- tions that African-American men find Young Buck was charged with at- sempoed murder an assault with a weapon after stabbing the fan last Mon- day (Nov. 15) at the awards in Santa Monica. The 23 year old rapper was released after posting $500,000 bail. He will face court of December 20, Buck fled the Santa Monica airport hangar where the awards show was bei Monday night, police Lt. F said in a statement. A warrant was dead Prepared alleging assault with a n. An audience member holds up a chair shortly after a fight broke out in the audi- ence at the Second Annual Vibe Awards. Val ces was sparked as Snoop jon about to give Dre a ean achievement award. A man later identi- fied as Jimmy James Johnson approached Dre, wh ata table in front of the stage, and appeared to ask for an auto- raph before punching the veteran Finale, ice said. Peo ‘shoving, chairs were thrown tr flew Some in the sn of out LO ct exits, t's top winner wich awards fora of he pao R&B song, was among those who fled. Johnson was away by secu- rity staff, but then s a serious stab audience member holds at the Second Annual Vibe Awards. Jackson on Page 5). themselves in.” We fail to connect the dots to the real-world issues of what's going on when it comes to Black men,” said Winbush, adding that record levels of unemployment for Black males and rac- ism in sentencing guidelines are con- tributing factors for the stiff prison sen- tences that Black men typically face. Alfred Blumstein, a criminologist at yanege Mellon University, told the New York'Times that such a high proportion of oung Black men behind bars not only has strong impact on Black families but is, in many ways, self-defeating. “The criminal justice system is built on deterrence, with being sent to prison supposedly a stigma,” he said. ‘But it’s tough to convey a sense of stigma when so many of your friends Rapper Young Buck wound when he was attacked by a num- ber of people, including Buck, whose real name is David Damell Brown, accordin, to police. He is signed to Dr. Dre's re label as part of the G-Unit clique, which was named best group by the music maga- zine “Brownis clearly depicted (on vid- up a chair shortly after a fight broke out in the audience Black men behind bar's and neighbors are similarly stigmatized,” Blumstein added. The report also disclosed that rough e sentencing laws led to a growth in prison population from 522,000 in 1995 to 615,400 in 2002. This increase may be attributed to the draconian Rockefeller drug laws, some activists have contended. With the recent elec- tion of David Soares as the District At- torney in Albany, the drug laws will have an active opponent who won on the platform to reform the laws. In New York, the report noted, there was a 2.8-percent decrease in new inmates, reflecting the continued sharp fall in crime across New York City. The number of women in state and federal prisons is at an all-time high and growing fast, with the incarceration rate Johnson, 26, was in stable condi- tion at a hospital. “Tt is unfortunate that an event so many people worked very hard to create as been tainted by the actions of a few individuals,” Kenard Gibbs, president - of Vibe, said in a statement. Many in the constantly feuding rap , i eotape) as holding a knife after the as- sault and is one of a number of fight participants that was pepper-sprayed b 7 ca in their attempt to stop this fight,” Police Chief James Butts told a news con- ference. “We're ashing Mt David Darnell Brown to surrender imself to police.” community speculated that longtime Dre antagonist Suge Knight, who at- tended the awards, arranged for Dre to t punched. Suge and Dre started the egendary Death Row record label to- gether in the late 1980s, then had a bit- ter separation over money. and the vio- | . for females increasing at nearly twice that of men, the report further noted. In the case of these women, most are arrested for crimes such as prostitu- tion, drug use and writing bad checks, Winbush says that there is a direct cor: relation between the crimes of Black women “looking to ially sup themselves” and their boyfriends or bands being incarcerated. USS. prisons held 101,179 women last year, 3.6 percent more than in 2002, the Justice Department said. It was the first time the riation’s women’s prison population has topped 100,000. » men are still far more likely than women to be in jail or prison, and men are more likely than any other group to be locked up, At the end of 2003, U.S. prisons held 1,368,866 men, the Bureau of Justice Statistics said. Jamal E. Watson contributed to this report. us- Surrenders lence that has surrounded Knight dur- ing his 15 years in the music business. Knight denied any involvement in the attack on Dre. i thing elds iy some- — ing, Pm (taki bility)” Knight id’ ae show. Tn not art idiot. See, an idiot would go out there and do stuff.” } Buck, a native of Nashville, Tenn., ig a member of superstar 50 Cent's G-Unit posse. pone wate solo abu t Outta in ido Serta ee 7 ‘pr those who listen to Buck and G- it’s hardcore rhymes, its no surprise thai Buck would spring to the defense of hig godfather Dre, one of the architects of gangsta rap. And although there were: ere at the door, performers aren't typically searched when th entef an as show, 7 ° It wasnit the first hip-hop awards show to be jon by violence: The 200d were marred by fights - and ever. ibe fracas was squelched thnday igh tthe taping contined. The Tuesday night on UPN; ited to remove any trace “They can't stop me, I don't care,” Dre said on television as he accepted his award, showing no signs of injury, By Dr, Marcellus Andrews, Ph.D The just concluded presidential ~~ economy lag- Bing in impor- i tance while uestions “about pov- erty, eco- racial justice languished in the shadows. As always, the concerns of black people were invisible to the parties and to white memgheiee en sonar ‘were . gain caught in a vise ful white nationalist conservatism of the Republicans and an increasingly indiffer- ent business liberalism of the Democrats. But one geis the sense that black America is at a breaking point in matters of politics, The old alliance between blacks and the Democrats is about to end while the war between blacks and conservatives is going to get much wotse. Most of all, the unique solidarity between the black middle class and the black poor will soon end as the pressure of economic sutvival turns former allies into enemies. Poor black people are about to become the victims of a great political betrayal that is as predict- able as is me i Detrayal is due to e unyie of modern economic life, whch he slowly but inexorably de- stroyed the basis for black unity. A brief assessment of our current economic pre- icament shows why the old forms of unity cannot endure. The Republican Party, that peculi union of fundamentalist i pike an fundamentalist Christians, is all about cutting the size of government through low taxes and fewer regulations, includ- When final the votes came in, - President Bush's black vote looked ike adrop in the bucket amid his na- ~ tional flood, = -but it looked : Sirhis Democeatico ponent... r na Diack vote'that surged upwar about 25 percent from 2000 to 13.2 million voters, 11 percent of it went to Which _ Rev. Jessee Jackson Dip Gop Vore REPUBLICAN? Youd think so if you listen to some of the evangelical supporters of George Bush. Regular churchgoers véted dra- matically Republican in the election. 20% of the voters identified “morals” as their major concern and voted over-. whelmingly for George Bush. (Whereas those who named the economy and jobs or Iraq as their lead concerns voted three to one for Kerry). Bush charged John Kerry, a religious, practicing Catholic, with representing Hollywood values. d many voters believed in Bush be- cause he said he straightened himself out by taking Jesus into his life, and because ¢ uses the imagery and language of evangelicals - “the culture of life” - through his speeches. Democrats, Re- publican operatives charged, are simply divorced from the values of mainstream, religious America. But Republicans have no mo- nopoly on religion or on faith: And Re- publican policies often seem a far di- vorce from the moral teachings of the Bible. The Bible tells us we will be mea- sured by how we treat the least of these. But under this president, poverty is ris- ing, Childhood poverty is up. Poor chil- dren grow with inadequate nutrition, no health insurance, no preschool, Mr. Bush’s policies of top-end tax cuts and cuts in support for the poor only make things worse. esus was born in a manger, notin a mansion, He had a manger-up view of the world, not a mansion-down view. Jesus taught that a rich man was as likely to get into the Kingdom as a camel through the eye of a needle. This isnot exactly a widespread sentiment at the Republican National convention. He urged his followers to beware of worldly ig to simplify their lives and follow him. He instructed them to serve the poor, not neglect them. Jesus taught us to love every child, to rise above hierarchies in America, Ce No Exit in Black: Trapped ‘ing public action to counter the outcomes of peivake racial discrimination in the economy or other parts of the private sec- tor. icans have done a brilliant job of buildi an alliance between capitalist and racists that does not rely on govern- __ Ment power to promote racial segregation or racial inequality. Instead, the leadi sectors of conservative America have reli on the typical mechanisms of economic inequality and social class to sustain racial ing them to champion competition, choice and indi- vidal ight in ¢ face of persistent racial ties in économic outcomes. Modern Ametica is, according to Re- publicans, a place where the economic for- tunes of different groups reflects the cul- tural and intellectual capital that these groups bring to an impartial competitive lace, which assigns value to people icles of what they do rather than what they are. So, according to this view of things, black people are poorer than other fo » well, they are just not as smart or as industrious as other people. Poverty and racial inequality are not due to discrimination, but rather mean that black people should imitate the culture of : if they want to get ahead. This boats "etlerale eae racial inequality is an electoral winner for free matt sdrocees who oppose most forms of redistribution as well as white national- ists who are loathe to support blacks who they view as biologically and morally infe- rior Can blacks appeal to American liber- als and progressives for support in their drive for real equal opportunity? tts doned its concern with the needs of poor and badly schooled Americans of all colors in the modern, technology driven global economy in favor ofa of business liberalisn thatis largely in-ifferent wo black interests, - The harsh reality of American eco- Bush, compared toa paltry 8 percent in 2000. He came as the Messiah segs people were expecting, praying for, a mi warrior that Tight deliver them hy their oppressors, Instead, God brought them a baby, wrapped in the manger. Jesus taught the power of love, hope and charity - not of weapons. He delivered — by sacrificing himself that they may ee. His teachings are a far remove from George Bush's war of choice in Iraq, the euphemism used to describe an sive war on a country that posed no terea to us. The Pope has harshly criticized Bush's war; the U.N, Secretary General Kofi Annon has called it illegal. Democrats, particularly those like Senator Kerry who serve in the Senate a long time, do fall into the trap often of talking about plans and programs, not right and wrong. They talk policy, not ues, Not surprising, the Democrats who have fared well politically - Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton save been raised in the church and are comfortable with the teachings of the Bible. Americans sensi- bly want their leaders.to have a stron moral grounding as they meet the chak lenges yet to come. But God is not a political animal, The Bible tells us to tell a tree by the fruit it bears, not the bark it wears. Christ warns against hypocrisy - the public dis- play of faith without a true heart or with- out deeds of faith. Coriservatives now suggest that God is on the side of Republicans at home and America abroad. That Bush is right.to » that he has a mission from above in the war on terror, This gets the stakes exactly wrong. It isn't a nothic life is that the blue-collar road to the middle class has collapsed in the face of a world economy dominated by trade and technology. A large fraction of the American work force have been stranded in the declining sectors of the American economy, even as their luckier counter- parts in the growing sector are experienc- ing a sustained economic boom. The majority of black American workers have been stranded on the wrong side of the economic divide and -un- skilled labor, a far larger fraction than among the white majority. Even skilled workers face job and employment threats from trade and technology, so they are in no mood to help people in even greater need then themselves, Black Americans need government help more than whites in order to achieve a middle class standard of living, which in America, means their claims fall on deaf or hostile ears. The Republicans argue against Big Government help for anybody, thereby ensuring that poor people stay poor forever, Every time that a conserva- tive claims that "people can spend their money better than government can," he or she isalso saying that poor people are on their own because ri wing povernmen t is not about to offer them a bridge from the broken me ad economy to the i obal economy. Even educational efor isa fraud, since most dollars for schools come from local districts which depend on local and state tax mon- ies that reflect yawning disparities across class and color lines. government conservatism, as a practical matter, means that poor people will be locked out of edu- cational opportunity for as long as the right is in ee Democrats are not much better. The Democrats’ business liberalism pto- motes the well being of the middle class majority by increasing the competitiveness of the business sector ina hyper-competi- tive world. For example, Democratic sup- lina (14 percent, up from 9 percent) and ident Bush improved his in America. On the matter of travel, | understand that his next stop is Douglas High School, Atlanta, Georgia on No- vember 18, 2004, If Cosby is accurate in his ra 0 from his pleasure of golf mij moor poetic in the Berk- shire Mountains of Massachusetts, We've pissed him off is what we have done. He wants to know how can poor Black folks justify spending $200.00 for a pair of sneakers yet NOTHING for the educa- tional Hooked on Phonics or any- thing women sal, Not that how any parent s money, ent stipend or thong 40 hours oflabor in- tense sweat, is any of his business- yet it's t some. spend money on that defies sensible thinking to him. ting that the sneaker is true, are some of us guilty child sacrifice to the Baal god lord consumerism and other lessor but as mor- ally drainitig ones? Cosby's unbridled anger has no less arrested the attention of the Media, Paula Zahn in particular, Attention that allows hay sayers to replace Clarence Thomas and meporailhdr title race traitor who's aiting our award.” Clearly Cosby is no mere anaes traitor than Farrakhan. isa Bush confi- dant. Besides whom better than Cosby to give his beloved agood tongue- ang. Lan obightench othe neglect ofthe poor, however, is obviously not one them, baal stair b | Because whatev: rt for cutting the cost of health care for families and seine par and should be especially when compared to the Republicans’ limited ini- tiatives that leave too many people with- out insurance. The same is true of Demo- Cratic proposals to reduce the burden of college tuition and housing on family bud- gets, which use various tax incentives and subsidies to help people pay for the goods that they need. Do the Democrats have a program to create genuine equal opportunity for education, health care an te chances in America? No. Middle America is far more interested in shoring up schools, medical’ care and life chances for them and their children than they are in creating real fair- ness for all. In this divided society where a sizeable group of poor and working class big draw for black Bush voters, too. his home state of Texas (1 percent, up A recent poll by the Joint Center for But the real cost to Sen. John Kerry from 5 percent). Political and Economic Studies, a Wash- appeared in key battleground states like Since African-Americans are the ington-based think tank specializing in io, where Bush received an impres- Democratic Party’s most loyal major eth- black issues, forecast a surprisingly large sive 16 percent of the black vote, 7 points nic or racial group, that’s alot of Kerry's black turnout for Bush. It also found that more than he received in 2000. political base that jumped the fence. pro-Bush blacks were more likely than And in Florida, where 13 percent Many of those fence jumpers ap- Kerry supporters to be regular churchgo- of the black vote went to Bush, almost to be new voters, part of Bush po- ets, over age 50, opposed to gay marriage twice the 7 percent he received there four litical adviser Karl Rowe's successinmo- and not as worr, about where their next yearsago. . bilizing the 4 million evangelical Chris- dollar would come from. ahaa eer nai ihich Kerry :. tianisnwho)teportedly:stayedshvonne in. 1-64 he Supreme Court put Bysh'in won, Bush nevertheless took 16 percent 2000. The “moral values” issue, however the White House in 2000,” David of the black vote, up from 7 percent in | you define it; that emerged surprisingly Bositis, the Joint Center's senior pdlitical 2000. . . in exit polls as.a bigger concern for voters analyst, observed, “the Massachusetts ~ And. in Georgia (12 percent, up than any other issue, including Iraqand — Supreme Court (which upheld gay mar- from 7 percent in 2000), North Caro- the economy, apparently proved tobea riage in that state) probably put him back @ ! | oY in the White House in 2004.” . ide Is oO n et itboinsrucie note bow . BO ff quickly same-sex civil unions, a radical } the divisions of race or tribe or religion. —_ question of whether God is on America’s idea just a few short years ago, have be- When the men gathered to stonea pros- side. The question is whether America is | come the new politically safe alternative titute, he challenged them. Who _ on God’sside. And as war in Iraq | position for candidates of both parties. amongst you, he asked, can throw the _and children hungry in the richest Even President Bush endorsed civil first stone? He asked us to stand with ° nation on » the question should so- | unions, “if that’s what the states want to the weak, the ill, the stranger in a forei ber the political operatives who see God | do,” in an October interview on ABC’s land. The Good Samaritan stops for the asa political weapon rather than an abid- | Good Morning America, disagreeing wounded man on the Jericho Road, stop- ing guide. — with his own party's platform. ping to aid someone from another tribe, . even when his own tribesman cross to t We Sacrifice the ea ai ithe road o pas him by We are called on to be our brothers’ . . aaa Fae Ezekiel 16: 43-63, Genesis 18:20 and ae . ar pE .B : is , se The division politics practiced in of Jon shed aan ed 19:4-1) the last election, the appeals to our fear (Theodore Shaw. Wash; n Post, May Cosby while on CNN Paula Zahn of the other contrast starkly with those ‘2 ree Now, Thursday, November 11, 2004, asks 27, 2004 "Beyond What Bill Cosby the lot of poor Black America: "How Nordocs George Bushs rollback of Si’. a: you ging wp whisper hore [¢) . environmental regulations reflect well. missions erase He hab i ni epidemi Sn your apartment when the The bible teaches that nature is God’s launched ea < hosts knoe but ies are coming out in sheets?" The creation. We may use it for a while, but not caring who us willbebrened epidemic to which he's refering (pet tran- we have no ownership of it. We are as b ‘nego het script records), that Blacks make up 65% stewards to the bounty that God has °Y La his words in missile styl of the prison population can neither read created. We should be working to pre- formation, while traveli through our 2F write and a are thus termed illiterate. serve it, not rolling back regulations to communiti holding town hall style meet- Add to that the issue of black teen preg- poison our air, neglect our seas and turn ings, his is an in your face effort to save dene apreportionately high con- a blind’s eye to a global warming that ote chil dren from the sacrificial altar he S#dering that Blacks in general are only may threaten all of God’s creation. hints'that we've fashioned for them here 13% of the total population. To that he Finally, Jesus was a man of peace. adds, "We're off the board [with these fig- ures}." (Paula Zahn Now, Interview wi Bill Cosby, Transcript November 11, 2004). his In this fight, Cosby is leaving no stone unturned. He ing on politicians, com- munities, and especially parents and fami- lies. Although accused of using back bit- ing techniques to drive his point, he prom- ises that we ain't seen nothing yet! No doubt with his money and clout, in White America and as Black America's beloved Heathcliff Huxtable, might there be forced house cleaning in the near future? All dust balls and cobwebs of immorality out, out, out! I find myself just as anxious as I am scared that he's gonna denounce our most revered institutions as the greatest eminent front there ever was. Remember, he said we ain't seen nothi cee ing the question 'sthe money?), you can be rest assured that we're about to witness a modern turning over of the tables in the » OOPS, Don't know about you but I'm looking for a bomb shelter lay-a-way plan at this writ- However unthinkable the practices of child sacrifice it is not new. . .rarely dis- cussed, but not new. Evidence of its an- cient practice was found some time ago in a place called Carthage. There bones of children and animals were discovered at a Phoenician altar or so called Ti . Old Testament records that parents made their children pass through the fire in worship of the Baal gods Molech and Chemosh at such places, 1 Kings 11:5-8, for such favors as good crops, rain, for- breed chil- dren for this purpose. In 2 Kings, 23:8- Bi ippe ) -_ -" 0 people simply cannot make it on their own, black vote to Black ns nomy and Politics ; Pee 0 a¢ Co, a oe Y ‘pal eh de me: a an insecur F € middle clas is not about to spend money on other people, particu- llyiftheyareblck. PP” The Democrats have no reason to - champion real equal opportunity because it is expensive and would take at least a generation to achieve. The problem with the Democrats is that they do not have a common program of economic reconstruc- tion that can unite the poor and the middle class. The fact that there are mil- lions of people who cannot make it on their own, no matter how hard they try, will not convince Middle America to help out their ling countrymen unless they see something in it for themselves. This sense of looking out for number one is not just or even racism, but is also rooted in the politics of economic sur- Despondent Democrats should take heart from that shift as they wonder where and how they lost their mojo: Most Americans eventually grow more comfortable with new frontiers of free- dom and equality, but you can’t push them too fast. So, take heart, dear Democrats: Come in, come in off that ledge. Please step away from that circular firing squad. is wet lost ~ FRO Vis is a party at onice indisput- , ably held the mor high ground in the \bnids of most American voters, and you can seize it again. . First, you've got to stop letting the other party do a better job of defining your “moral values” than you do of de- fining theirs, oure not likely to win over many hard-core liberal-haters, but you can win back many of the persuadable, middle-of- the-road i ts who see themselves as the people who President Clinton said “work hard and play by the rules. Their moral values question, for example, the withholding of full fund- ing for educational reforms (like “No Ram in the Thick 10, King Josiah dismantled the altar of sacrifice in the Valley of Ben of Hinnom. re Child sacrifice ir also manifest itself ough instances of unrepented genera- sonata The problems associated with this can be so strong that one must break all ties of iniquity coming down the fam- ily lines ten generations backwards and ten generations forward (Richard In Spiritual Warfare, Whitaker House, 1996), Biblically speaking the matter must be at- tended to either before the fourth genera- tion or immediately following it. See Nehemiah 1:4-9; Jeremiah 14:20 and Daniel 9:1-21. More importantly, it's not only that the origins of generational sin stops and begins with the Cl also of discussion amongst pete ists whose research points to ity and family experience in addition to commu- ity as the contributing factors to the moral issues of children. (chn Santrock, Chil- dren.1997). In the absence of solid parental val- ues and moral framing, of which Cosby speaks, can we then attribute the unnatu- systemic occurrences of delinquency, pregnancy lack of educational attainment, of self respect in the absence of re- spect, poverty, through the roof rates of incarceration to the sacrifice of Biblical ori- gins? Ifsuch events are happening who's gaining the return or rewards? Is it pos- sible that the reward be discourse and fail- ure for the unsuspecting subscribers to this madness? I recall reading last year, that a thir- teen year old child a teacher to go a knife and kill him. In this instance I, didorkurhgresin Chee! or generation ose sins of the family had completely claimed his soul. Was the child aware thaps, on some other plane of thought, that his death would meet the sacrificial requirements that would allow his family to go on existing? Might we sacrifice not our children, but the ram re thicket instead? I remain Yours in str uggle, Susie Clemons, opinionsandtalk@yahoo.com Lamentations 5: 1-21 Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our re- proach, (2:) Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens, (3:) We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. (4:) We have drunken our water r happens to ‘ tag KIDICKICA yirskt... an _ on »butitis America vival. So why do black people stay with the Democrats, even ifthe party no real program for creating genuine equal ~ opportunity that can command enough support from Middle America to counter opposition from free market co: iv and their racist allies? A different politics of survival: the black middle class needs the Democrats to protect them froin white ioe 7 class Ir majority are just h for dear life. Black America ica.is in an existential bind between a party that will tolerate their presence so long as they sup- Port business liberals and the fierce white nationalist wing of the Republican Party bent on pushing blacks back into society's CONTINUE ON PAGE 12 since 2000 Child Left Behind”) to help fund tax breaks for wealthy corporations. Their moral values agree that when a senior citizen has to choose between paying for her prescription medicine and paying her rent, it makes all of our lives poorer, as Illinois Senator-elect Barack Obama told the Democratic National Convention. “No, people don't expect govern- ment to solve all their rrr AA that with just. a change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a ore shot at life, and that the rs Of opportunity remain open to all, They know we can do ae they want that choice.” : Yes, not every American voter shares those moral values. But, as conservative author Phyllis wrote in the year of Barry Goldwater's disastrous loss 40 years ago, all of us deserve to have the choice, not just an echo. Page is a Pulitzer Prize-winning syn- dicated columnist specializing in urban issues. He is based in Washington, D.C. cpage@tribune.com) Instead? Susie Clemons for arene is sold unto us. (5:) Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest. (5) We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. (7:) Our fathers have sinned, and are notyand we have borne their iniquities. (8:) Ser- vants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. (9:) We gat our bread with the peri of our lives because of the sword o: the wilder- ness. (10:) Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. (11:) They vished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. 12: Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of re hs not honoured. 13: They took young men to grind, and the children fell under dewee T ee he » the young men from their musick. 15: The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourn- ing, 16: The crown is fallen from our head: Woe unto us, that we have sinned! 17: For this our heart is faint; for these things our cyes are dim. 18; Because of the moun- tain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it. 19: Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from eration to generation. 20: Wherefore tos thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so {ong time? 21: Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. 22: But thou hast ut- terly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us. . By Alton H. Maddox, Jr After listening to Black leaders, Age in a post-election analysis of the 2004 oe ture of the political process nor its aims and goals. Theit call now is for a political summit to figure out what went wrong, Speaking for the “Founding Fathers, nothing went wrong except the partici- pation of Blacks inthe conical process. These political science neophytes lacka fundamental kn of con- stitutional history. It is for this reason - @¢ rf -By Bruce Smith : the “first Negro president” and Bill Clinton as the first Black president” il- lsat the problem that Blacks have -failed to Slave power, an oxy- moron, and Black power, respectively, accounted for their political ascendancy. Balance of power is an ancient concept in international relations and relates to the distribution of power. secretly Phiedeipie si 1787 heen in in 1787, - uitable distribution of political poe was a matter of great concern in mere- ing thirteen nations under one is was a novel approach for Europe- ans in fashioning a representative gov- emment. Federalism wa copied fom roquois C a Jefferson became the third presi- dent of the United States thanks to the three-fifths” provision of the Constitu- tion. In order for the rural nations of the | populous nations of the Bi ann mp i en Mark 60th in Tuskegee, Ala., in 1945 Singe ger Lena Hore poses with cadets at the . il! : . . ) In an era of Jim Crow when the Army brass didn’t think they were capable of flying, a group of pilots changed the way the military looked at blacks, The Tuskegee Airmen, their ranks thinnig 4 se Wor me WERE LA | EE pilots age "Horr rredni Carolina that begins Friday. This year marks the 60th anni- versary of the creation in 1944 of the advanced combat training rogram for the black airmen at asm | Army Air Force base in Walterboro, S.C. The program had started three years earlier in Tuskegee, Ala. In all, almost 1,000 pilots would be trained, 450 deployed overseas and 150 would lose their lives in training or combat. The pilots deployed to North Af- rica and Europe flew support missions including strafing enemy ammunition dumps, rail lines and highways. Later, the airmen flew escort for bombers. Including ground support per- sonnel, there were about 14,000 Tuskegee Airmen, said 85-year-old Hiram E, Little, Sr., a retired school- teacher from Atlanta. Fon Suz » Puno Rasponsne ronson vee ro tas rma Low on BEAUTIFUL COMOOLE PANG MAYBE SN LocaLLy Naru St, Pos 106 Goons Dur, Pauw Gr Bec $04 1 90 78159, Newspaper Call (252) 7§7- 0365 for Rate Plans and Information!! To the military, the program at first was simply “an experiment to rove the Negro could not fly and ight,” said Herbert Carter, of Tuskegee, who went on to a 25-year “We were just determined that ‘ all we wanted was an Opportunity,” he says. But even after the pilots of the first squadron were trained, the Army delayed deploying the unit for months. “No commander from Burma to England wanted this all-black squad- ron,” said Carter, 85, “They said it would create problems. They were firmly convinced no white personnel would take orders from black officers. The Negro press and other organiza- tions and sympathizers brought pres- sure on the War Department to do something about this unit.” he airmen then proved they could handle anything asked of them. None of the bombers escorted by Tuskegee Airmen fighters were lost one to keep the Tuskegee Airmen go- ing states to merge with the sang pines peo maintain parity, nations in- voked the balance of concept to protect their ideas and interests, An Electoral College would be es- tablished to decide the presidential elec- tion. This institution was foreign to Eu- ropean politics, Instead, it was copied from the “savages.” The League of the Iroquois’ Grand Counc was the model for the sapresryat the ae College even thor ois fai to a Supren yommaiandee The Electoral College, which is based on the three-fifths principle of the Con- stitution and is ive action for rural counties, aliens the “one peony one vote” principle. It is rooted in design Whe nay culevemen of Aca, exercising the franchise, the slaveholders’ litical ie was enhanced in the ouse of Representatives by one-third and, concomitantly, their electoral votes, After the Civil War, the rubber, litically, hit the highway. In 1868, Gen, Uses ee won the presidency. razor-thin margin of victory was 310,000 votes, Southern Blacks, wi federal protection, cast 500,000 votes during World War II, although 66 of the fighter ilots lost their lives and 33 other fighter pilots were shot down and prisoner, Carter said. At war's end, the airmen returned to a nation where little had changed. “We were not so naive as to ink ~ America was pein to change that « much,” he sai en we returned after V-E Day things were as biased and racist as they were before World War Il. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that __ the airmen began to receive recogni- tion for what they had done. Now, through conventions and meetings, the group wants to pass its story to future generations. People with an interest in the history and in getting young ple involved in avia- tion can join the airmen. “The Buffalo Soldiers were with Teddy Roosevelt in the late 1800s but their organization is still living,” Little said. “We're trying to bring new people in as we die there will be some- Greenville’s Newest Cab Company!! i Faith Cab Sampany = Call Stacy at 347-2347 SPECIAL INTROUCTORY OFFER Senior Citizens Ride Free Every Tuseday (Limited Time Offer Only) “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for” NoriaH.Wamaz Don't Make COLDWCLL BANKCR (3 LANDMARK PROPERTIES (252) 756- 1403 BUSINESS (252) 756-7144 FAX (252) 341-3552 CELLULAR 1-888-537-1403 TOLLFREE noria.namaz@coldwellbanker.com 1] Each Ofice 1s ixtependenty Owed And Operated. {3} OE bie’ semana Ow ners Arata rato A Move Without Me 252-321-6991 NC 27834 VV ; | Tonya's Small Home Dayear ailing. | | Nine - Seven Hair Gallery : in i 2 17 W. 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He served honorably in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a young man and was honorably dis- charged December 21, 1945. Pete worked for many years in the banking industry where he did various jobs. He retired from BB&T. Some of his civic involvements included being one of the first “ruff & ready” volunteer fireman in the city of Greenville; A civil right activ- ist during the turbulent years of school desegregation; served one term as Presi- Pete Hagan: Community Member of“ iki” the Cornerstone Of Communi _ODB passes away in| conditio phone call that is every mother’s worst dream; “Mrs. Jones stated the night she was told of her son's death. “He was the pines most pe soul on earth and ' appreciate all of the support and prayers t I have received. “Russell,” his ai ing mother added, “ was more then a rapper He was a loving father, brother, uncle and most of all “my son.” Jones had complained of chest pains before collapsing at the Manhat- tan studio, according to a statement from Roc-A-Fella Records, the Jay-Z/Damon Dash-owned label he signed with last out aly Tear te loved un- dent of Eppes Alumni Association and a member of the.Sertoma Club at the time of his death. A self-professed chef he had a passion for cooking. He loved cooking at home and relished the op- portunity to put on display his culinary skills at his church whenever he was needed. His parents Jonah and Cora Hagans, a sister Elizabeth Hagans Cherry and two brothers William and Lawrence Hagans, preceded James in death. “Pete” leaves to cherish his memo- ries... his wife of 55 years, Eleanor Cherry Hagans of the home; daughter Patricia Ebron of Bloomfield, New Jersey; four sons, Deacon James “Jimmy” (Peggie) Hagans and Pastor Jay (Debbie) Hagans both of Greenville, NC, Jeffery (Sharon) Hagans, Jace both of Atlanta, Ga., a brother, Alien of Chicago, I., and “This evening I received a ° [Catton D. Love |P0.Bor384 [Enfield NC 27823 pe Designing For A Change yey Home Improvement | | Job is too large... No Job is too smal” JUST GIVE ME A CALL! (252) 445-2531 -Home (252) 904-9532 - Cell Your m if You Have Had Credit Problems No Matter How Bad They May Be... Call 13-3924.., Me at (289) 4 1 CAN HELP y Contact Glen Coward at glimescoward hotmail.com | OU RESTORE YOuR CREDIT! | year; and for whom he was in the oe ‘cess of recording a new comeback album at the time of his death. The life of Russell Tyrone Jones | began in Brooklyn, New York, in 1969. | He grew up in Brooklyn's Fort Greene section as a welfare child. Growing up he hung out with his cousins Robert Grice, sharing a love of Diggs and G rap music and kung-fu movies. Their obsessions with hip-hop and ki the Wu-Tang Clan, and renaming them- selves “Dirty Bastard, the RZA, and the Genius, respectively. The Wu grew into an innovatively structured hip-hop col- y Communications Passes Ot sain Nastnee, munications ASSES ‘ "” bums of the decade. a beloved sister Gladys Hagans Clark of Greenville, NC and devoted friend Dea- con JJ Brown of Ayden, NC, sister-in-law Virginia Hagans of Greenville, NC; brother-in-law, John Singleton of Conway, SC; twelve grandchildren; four great grandchildren and host of nephews, nieces and cousins. Thrée special friends, Joe Louis Daniels of Scotland Neck, NC, James Anderson of Greenville, NC and Sue Creech of Greenville, NC. GREENVILLE - Due to the constant increase of HIV cases among youth and young adults in Eastern North Carolina and the current phenom- PiCASO AND ECU PRESENTS WORLD AIDS DAY 2004 enon of the "Down Low" population, the Pitt County AIDS Service Orga- nization and East Carolina Univer- sity is collaborating to present a spe- cial World AIDS Day 2004. This event, featuring renowned - author and speaker J. L. ing, will be held)at ECU's Hendrix Theater on paonedan December 1, 2004 at n'addition' to Mr. King's appearance, there will be a youth pres oor “7:00 pm. sentation, panel discussion, rizes, and free onsite, confidential IV testing. Do your part in the global fight against HIV and AIDS by joining us for this spectacular event. For more information, contact Shanae Couch at (252) 830-1660 or Hope - McPhatter at (252) 328-6794. For ung fu morphed into the founding of ec barred delivery and concepts. Although his career often soared, the law, mostly for drug possession. Per- happened in February 1998, when he rushed the stage at the Grammy Awards q = a i : a Shawn Colvin as she ted ani award. ODB aka Russell Tyrone Jones ODB was apparently upser over loei lective designed to hit big and then spin off as many solo careers for its members Daddy. as possible. Later that year, he was wounded in Buoyed by the RZA‘s production = - genius and a number of strong person- alities, the Wu-Tang Clan’s first album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” Earlier that year, ODB had been convicted of second-degree assault in New York, the only violent offense ever Proven against him. However, trouble caught up with him again in 1994 when he was shot in the stomach by another rapper in the Bedford-Stuyvesant sec- O.D.B., Method Man, REA female-sung chotus, made ie a damic ODB hit. : | unfortunately Jones, the father of seven children, was frequently int trouble with haps his most infamous public display and grabbed the microphone from singer the Best Rap Album Grammy to Puff den and tragic death of our brother and friend, Russell Jones, Ole Dirty Bastard,” said Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash. “Russell inspired all of us with his spirit, wit and tremendous heart. He will be missed dearly, and our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences go out to his wonderful family. The world has lost a great talent, We mourn the loss of our . hd » e nd. Another ironic aspect of ODB’s death was that this summer, the Wu- Tang Clan reunited after a 10-year split, with all of its principal members. Along with ODB, the group is featured on the € fap group launched the careers of Killah. tion of Brooklyn following a street argu- The WuSTang clan filming a video in 2000. ment. After surviving the attack, he got and Ghostface on with his life. . = After a long hiatus from the Wu- shooting during a robbery in his apart- Tang Clan, with his offbeat, unortho- dox delivery, ODB parlayed his talents into a successful solo career, releasing sev- eral hit singles His first solo release, 1995's “Return to the 36 Chambers”, demon- strated that he could easily hold his own, showcasing his semi-crazed, no-holds. ment. In 2001 he was sentenced to two to four years in prison for drug posses- sion, plus two concurrent years for es- caping from a rehab clinic. He was re- leased in 2003 and immediately signed with Roc-A-Fella records, for which he'd been at work on the above-mentioned comeback album before he died. Ironically, Jones’s 36th birthday After working with a number of other artists including Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey, Dirty returned in would have been on Monday, Novem- 1999 with a new chapter of his quirky ber 15th. ' . magic and unmistakably unique cha- “All of us in the Roc-A-Fella famil risma. * The 1970s-Black-exploitation- film-style video for the smash hit °Got Your Money’ is arguably his best-known and appreciated solo single. Produced by the Neptunes, ODB’s ruckus raps and syncopated singing over the song's boom. ing bass line and handclaps, and a sexy are shocked and saddened by the sud- By Roderick C. Willis BALTIMORE, MD - The fastest grow- ing segment of the U.S. prison popula- tion is women. A recent government re- port cited that the incarceration rate for women increased almost twice that of men. There were 101,179 women in prison in 2003, 3.6 percent more than in 2002, the Justice Department re- ported. This ngarks the first-time that the women’s prison population has topped 100,000 and continues a trend of rapid growth. Overall, men are still have the greater likelihood to be in jail or in prison, and African-American men are more Aly than any other group to be incar- aied Net QPCR A. DE. By the end of 2003, U.S. prisons held 1,368,866 men, according to the Bureau of Justice. That total was 2 per- cent more than in 2002, and es into one in every 109 U.S. men in prison. The report cites the fact that longer sentences, especially for drug crimes, plus fewer prisoners granted parole or proba- tion, are the main reasons for the expand- ing prison population. ticket information, contact the ECU Central Ticket Office. Christian Barber Shop BOB'S BARBER SHOP 921 Dickenson Ave.; Suite #1 - Greenville, NC 27858 (252) 758-0773 The number of women in prison has grown 48 percent since 1995, when the gu was 68,468. The male prison population has grown 29 percent over that time, from 1,057,406. Year by year, the number of women incarcerated an average of 5 percent compared with an average annual increase of 3.3 per- cent for men. . 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Some may have dismissed ODB as just ere thug-thinking, somewhat- ip-hop criminal. are wrong. Theiuth is Russel Jones Wi one of the most innovative, creative and important hip-hop artists ever to bless a micro- phone. He was a true original, with a ong track record of successes in an in- dustry plagued with imitators and 15- See wonders, His death came too soon. May ~ Russell ODB Jones rest in eternal peace. Groups partner to address incarcerated women’s health issue natives to long prison sentences. Alfreda Robinson is executive di- rector of the National Women’s Prison Project. This advocacy group has de- veloped programs to assist women to make the transition from incarceration to “living on the outside.” With its national office in Baltimore, the orga- nization has taken on the task of sen- sitizing the public on the issues of women who are incarcerated and the adverse impact female incarceration has on families. On Nov. 18, the National Women’s Prison Project will hold a Thanksgiving luncheon for women recently released from state or federal __ Prisons, at2219 Greenimont Ave, ~~“Te is important that women ré- turning home from prison reconnect with friends and family and have a sup- port group to help them transition back into the community,” said Robinson. “The luncheon is our way of fellowshipping and giving thanks to for the opportunity to make things right this time around. We will have a est speaker, Minister Lorraine Heigh, tom Calvery Baptist Church, We will also have guest musicians and great food, so we encourage women returning home and supporters to attend.” Two local groups address the need of incarcerated women in Maryland. National Women’s Prison Project has recently formed a strategic part- nership with Baltimore Area Health Center. “The strategic partnership will go into prisons help educate women who are iicatcersted | on health issues,” said Kim Williams, executive director of BAHEC. “We will also develop pro- ramming to assist women ae th ilies live healthier lifestyles and re- duce preventable diseases. Baltimore and Baltimore County have been de- clared as having health disparities as it relates to the number of African- American physicians and the access to affordable health services.” Roderick C. Willis writes fOr the Afro Amaerican Newspaper em The power of words is immense. A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory and to save an empire. -Emile de Girardin aH BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ee Business pportunity Principles Only Call 752-5842 ABDUL19602002@Yahoo.com Attention Advertisers Your Best Media Mix for the Holidays is WOOW AM & The M-Voice eir - No Exit: Trapped by the middle class's slow abandonment of the Economy and Politics miei ere CONTINUES FROM P, 8 : would be a relatively small population - Washington) is, byitsnanure, the defense of those in society's basement. cary havesowen, yi omiet oe black poor is a sell out to white America, of ten to twelve million were it to magi at fomewieae The United States would become an even einer g ichigo pr basement. White nationalists in America the act of sélfish Uncle Toms who have instantaneously, but would velopment tht so suck oppose’ meaner place than it is now. and senior research og + Sas. New, are convinced that black people are an forgorten what itis like wo suffer as racial be force in regions with the marriage of conservatives and racists An ascendant, angry, confident and pape: laps Andrews writes inferior sub-race that could never tise a class outcasts in this society. Nothi 7 ions to theextent that its. that defines the Republi Party, The — successful black population in acold war on economic policy and economic justice a lowly station without help from could be further from the truth or more interests in economic growth, competi- whole point of the New Washington so- with conser tive America; the abandon- iii lat ieee ee ees, iberals.. But the black imelevant. Black middle lass abandon. tion nmol and public policy con- lution isto gather together the economic _ mentoftheblac:poorby theblack middle cluding The Politica Sener ef Hope i class believes that the only way ment of the black poor is consis- verged with those of other groups. For and al resources of black people of class; a permanent war of words and im- Sacra eet ers ee the Black: Con it can resist the onslaught of white na- tent with a strong sense of racial pride that example, a diverse but cohesive, asser- moderate means to build a self-sustaini ages, and worse, between success- bora eee Sb Press) and tionalism is to make common cause with nonetheless blames poor black people for _ tive, achievement oriented and self-reli- culture of achievement motivated by a ful blacks whites who waited too long Taking Back Capitalism: Capitalist Road the Democrats by offering to deliver the ing their bad situation worse. It is ant black community of 300,000 in profound historical sense of ¢ to jettison their racist parmers or who 0 Economic Justice (forthe NYU votes of the black poor to the ballot box. Possible for middle class blacks New York City could tip the balance of st white conservatism as well as blac treated blacks like permanent junior part- Press). Dr. Andrews received a PhD in Of course, black people are ina to be angry at conservative white pe power in that kaleidoscopic city of war- Shure. 7 ners. This is the bitter legacy.that two de- haar eyo nmr, Sa ining position vis-t-vis the and poor black people at the same ime ring tribes, using its growing financial, ‘The emergence of an assertive black cades of conservative victory and liberal iat pera tedbicou ta parties. The Democrats can plausibly The Revenge the Black Middle Class: cultural and political influence to shape middle class in response to the victory of _ dithering has in store for Avnerica, ‘The as the City University insist that black people fold some of their The N ington Solution public discourse on everything from tax the right in American politics will bring a a carmen — interests under the party's genet van the black middle class survive policy to the arts, very heavy price in sof national unity. | Pe ———— - and shut up about’ else without political alliance with the black key point here is thatamiddle The New fashington solution is, by its hy el inane forint oor? Can they survive without the class community intent on estab- very nature, based on the perception that tection from racist bullies. Republican Democratic Parr? Middle class lishing and expanding its place in the the United States is so tainted by race ha- entreaties for black support are-cruel black Americans could, if they choose,cré- worl would be in a position to trans- tred that black self-sufficiency is the only 7 jokes since the right has no intention of ate a culture of academic and commercial late its current advantages, meager way for ‘poorte of Absidin descent to sur- ing with the economic sources of i and success based on a shared though these may be when compared vive. The New Washington solution black di ‘nor do they intend to ding of the black American ex- to whites, into an ine for growth if it would not be a liberal p in camangstheit white narionalistcoali- perience that thrives in the face of white edefincsinmdaion os eet because itis would prow out of tion partners for a smaller, poorerand nationalist assault. Indeed, the marriage _ ing its poorer cousins to one of aggres- bihure of liberal itics to create a genuine darker that does not command of conservatism and gacism that is the sive accumulation and competition. A post-racial society. Instead, the New Wash- the respect of large iori of the white modern Republican Party might recom- community whose ethos is founded on ington movement would be a sophisti- ulation. President Bush's appeals mend just such a srateay provided that achievement and competition will, like cated, multi-generational, non and even to blacks to vote Republican anger” the of racial solidarity the nation as a whole, see failure as an anti-governmental movement aimed a a vicious mockery of a people caught a subtle shift along lines by individual matter linked to Particular creating a secure place for black Ameri- an indifferent liberal protec- Cosby's complaint, choices if it has the means to prepare its cans, and those who would band together tor and an conservative assailant. that black American middle children to co: in the wider world. with them, to live, work and grow. The Dilemma -_—s.dlass ies begin an aggressive intellec- Persons who fai in school, or who make Ifall this sounds. bit of paranoid, it There are two ways out of this trap: tual and cultural movement that sees learn- 2 ald tin ati por - should: the program outlined here is a riff either black people themselves must ing, savings, competition and development city, would no longer be able to "blame on that of the Nation of Islam, stripped of come up with a program of national _as the primary weapons in the war against the white man" for their troubles, but its cultish Nonsense, its racism, its sexism economic policy that creates equal op- white nationalism. ine a situation _ would instead have to accept responsi- and homophobia. It retains two things portunity under modern global capi- where black Americans not only accept _ bility fof'their mistakes. One hopesthat from the outlook of the Nation of Islam: talism or else find a way to expand the the marriage of free market conservatism this middle class community is suf- first, a deep belief that politics is a dead size of the black middle class without and white nationalism as a fact of Ameri- ficiently fair-minded to give peoplewho end for black development in America government help. There is rather little can life, but as an assault that must be pe nine though han rug precisely because blacks will never be ac- chance that blace Americans will beable resisted through independent develop- ped individualism is not inconceivable. cepted as genuine equals, and second, a to craft a program of opportunity and ment rather than relying on American li N any case, once the community is able permanent antagonism to the dominant economic renewal that willcommand erals. Suppose thatthe number and den- to establish a common culture of suc- political and cultural discourse of the cae cee the assent of enough white people to siy of idle class blacks has reached criti- cess, failure would beseen asthe excep- United States so long as these are orga- - . . pclae picleliiecers A mass so that they are able to sustain Neha Fe ee encase a OK KOK Ok ADVERTISEMENT KK ok new growth wi ityis i t institutions - schools, media, ote that this sort of community remacy in daily life. to say, thi :, enough for the richest and most ing, churches, businesses - that can does not rely on affirmative action to tance villa erent nta- WILL S MOBILE HAIRCUT SER VICES powerful segments of American liberal- support a vibrant, diverse, but defiantly achieve wealth and power. American tion of American life by reducing the pos- Will Carroll i a graduate of Mitchell's Hairstyling Academy. He has 13 yrs of ism, much less a group pushed to the bi intellectual and cultural universeca- white nationalists, for all their hostility, sibility of a shared sense of American na- experience,” I've been into hair since the ape of 17.” Growing up without a wall by the economy on one side and Pable of sturdy interaction with the wider are not about to reinstate literal apart- _tionalism. The New Washington solution, lot of money wasn't always easy so he could not always afford to go to the ignant conservatism on the other. _ world. This black world would be ableto —_heid, which is extremely expensive and born out of the victory of white conserva- ___ barber shop and geta professional hair- ile the emergence of BarackObama _ insulate black children from the noxious economically inefficient. The free mar- _tism and the weakness of egalitarianism, cut.” So he ae himself how to cut that a growing portion of non- influence of white nationalism over school- ket partners of white nationalists within represents the emergence of intransigent, hair and like the saying goes” the rest is black America might be willing to lis- ing, media and character formation - per- the Republican Party go along with ob- post-liberal black nationalism at the hear history”! really enjoy making people - ten to public policy proposals from an haps by insisting ona high ofracial sessive racism because they want the of the republic that ultimately turns its look good because I feel that if'a person African face, it will be some time before segregation in housing, schooling and in- votes of racists in order to keep taxes back on Martin Luther King's dream of a looks good outwardly then they will feel Senator or someone else presents _tet-personal association, pethaps by the down. There is no way that a business" community". better about themselves inwardly. Now acomprehensive program to thenation. —_ evolution of communities that are raci oriented white capitalist class is going to The Wi of the Nation he has created a totally new way for that leaves the road of self-reliance diverse but which share a common and use government policy to reinstate afr What would become of poor black people to get there haircut. He calls it as the sole road to black economic de- Positive view of black intellect and ability. mative action for incompetent whites people who were abandoned by their WILLS MOBILE HAIRCUT SER- velopment in these times of economic ese communities would also de- over competent blacks in a global baer middle class partners? They would VICES. Carroll says, “no longer will you a and right wing assault. But the yt arate i forcontrolling an economy t severely Punishes ineff- ai further into the shadows of American have to sit and wait in long line at the community isnomoreimmune = - parti young men - whose y ciency wi ptcy and unemploy- |j , Suffering ever greater poverty, si ane, ‘ : to internal class conflict than the larger behavior threatens isrupt the teaching ment. Blacks who succeed, and who are and early death the their white, prown i ha ei seme he Aen, particulary when eco- and farming process, || dumm able to establish dbthiena ear and Ccountetpa aa Buck adds that, the only thing you will fave to do is pick up your phone make When Bill Cosby lambasted what _ believe in black achievement, and that in a position to compete with whites, that poor strike at society - through home He added thathismain jer: is making life easier for poate he described as "a culture of deliberately set themselves against the and, more importantly, just might be crime - ey would find themselves as- feels . “Let's face it, living in such a fast ace society getting a haircut can be an victimhood" and the failure of black larger white nationalist project of Ameri- able to break up the agreement between _ sailed by a tainbow coalition of middle d ” T feel tha dy will be abl Bene. from this f America to take responsibility for its ac- can conservatism as well as the fecklessness free market capitalists and racists > lass folks insisting on "law and order." service "because, now nde de, and age i is all about pa ee i tions, he made national headlines and —_of liberalism, would allow for the emer- ing the political utility of racism. Ifaf- Indeed, one can imagine a situation where money. ” I don't know anybody that does not want to save time and money.” | spurred the usual round of pundit de- gence of strong norms of individual re- _ firmative action disappeared, and blacks the New Washington solution would lead Ages 13 and up haircuts will only be $8.00 that includes facial hair also, ages / The real story behind the Cosby sponsibility to self and community that were excluded from elite universities and to ever more Punitive approaches to crime 12 and under haircuts will only be $7.00 He specializes in cutting all hair uproar is not what he said, but what it make it easier for these mini-societies to from high paying jobs by virtue of "color and punishment once the black middle types and hairstyles Another one of his objective for this service is tobrake All reflects about black America, which is promote character formation. This world — blind" admissions and hiring criteria, one class sto ped tying the fate of the black racial barriers ,to him it does not matter what color you are he lives by this itnessing the fraying of a historic bond would, in time, be able to build up black can stillimagi asituation the tem- poor to the nations history of slavery and ing” HAIR Is HAIR” he the only color h see is the col between the black middle clas ender ital so that succeeding genera- Gllofin lack reresenation esa apartheid. Sympathy would shrivel still | °2¥98 > give Willa call and stat roto ngcan see. the color black poor. His sentiments reflect the tions of lack children would aoe the Ee followed by a resurgence powered by more for the poor social outcasts, with given tnoney)-So gre Will ; ee sea : Heal tle i easier For b of a bond between middle tools for success in academic and economic very skilled, very elegant an very angry no segment of the middle class coming to Mee MSD isiness hoursare Monday-Friday from 10a.rn, an class and poor black people being torn —_ competition, including access to pools of people. apart by the « economic reality that the financial and cultural capital that permit Itisimportant toemphasize that what . are riding high while the them to succeed in b multicultural we will call the "New Washington" solu- poor black folks are battered by the US environments. tion of black middle class development economy's turn against poorly educated This new, assertive black America (in honor of, and irony about, the legacy | workers. The hard truth of our time is that the economic needs of poor black people are much closer to those of other poor Americans than they are to those of middle class blacks. Poor blacks, like all poor people in America, need an im- mense array of social goods and services that they cannot pay for - from health care and education to safe streets and housing. Middle class blacks, like all middle icans, want high qual- ity public services balanced against low a in a society of self-reliant individu- Middle class black people support greater degrees of regulation and redis- tribution in economic life because they are poorer than whites and are still sub- ject to discrimination. But the black i not need or want gov- ernment to the same degree as poor blacks because they are no longer trapped in the basement of the Ameri- can job market. Many middle class black people are no more interested re paying taxes to support poor people than ther white ieciles not : because they see themselves as proof that hard work and perseverance in the face of white nationalism can pay off in Cosby's complaint about poor black people, unfair mM itis, is aria less = view of many middle class Slack 0 See poverty as a trap m. Seer eetin Suggest that poor themselves to heme fot hee erate e ® * DAY Ce ew CORNERSTONE LOAN CENTER INC Y69-0055 REM atm ei TE om Com P Type, Prepare and Certify Death Certificaves & Burial Permies ' yey. D Provide obituary information to newspapers P Prepare forms for che Social Securiey