OPINION/' COMMENTARY,! LETTERS/ EDITORIALS • .1 AWAY BUT NOT THE LEGACIES California boat marinas. Those are not the businesses that promote Blac development Eighty percent of all new jobs in the American economy are generated by small businesses, but' these small inesses re­ quire seed capital Those same pension funds wilh all Ole Black-earned dollars could provide th· much�aeeded capi­ tal. . I penalize 10 -iaco J?COple . are still OIl public ce but struggling for inde­ pendence. For example, t e beaeifts of Ifare recipients are re eed do for dollar by the t of any . they get from busine ses they oepeate, yet they are not al­ lowed to write off associated ex­ penses And myriad restrictions preve welfare reci· IS &om accu ulating any t . In some jurisdictio be fits may BLAe be cut off entirely if the recipient EEDED . �n an item valued more Blac leaders must also �n- than $1,000. courage Black !O pateonize B leaders m t embr ce Black-owned busmesses More an economic nda is con- I than 150 Black civic, religious crete and specific. To oontinue and political organizations bold to make v gue demands for ann� conferences ea� year, j peace and freedom· to spending t least S3 �illion on render the IYes irrelevant _ travel, meals and lodging. If, for the· form of 00 • ouL example, these groups banded Art fletcher a civil r",ts together nd committed to movement veteran-turned- holding their meetings in Black­ entrepreneur, ted the . run faaf·. it could foster the cle r Iy: -B au e they have construct. of more Blac - ca ital ts in tho (X)UDtry - owned hotels and conference com rcial real estate, in- centers and thu expand the dustrial plants and billions of BI ck employment b . Even­ u.s. dollars to in - both the tually, we wouldn't need alra-m- Japanese nd the South live action progams. Africans have more influen�, Many will argue that this tYPe especially ·th America's i- of development will never occur and industrial leaders at aD because of ongoing racism in leve than do 30 .. Black America. Yet Blacks historical- #) Americans.· Iy have achieved eoonomic- sue- , They have d ce in the face of the st doe't. And if we pe . . chas- . ent racism. At the beight of ing that elusive dre called sla\'ery, whole towns were bui "social justice," opposed to chools, churches, mutual aid \ .economic independence� tho societie were establi hed. predicament ·U �r change. These institutions provided the Blacks miDi of dol- socia� spiritual and econimic Ian invested in pension funds, b for Black survival then. especially the pens' funds of And can do it today. predominantly Black ullio Because of Ia ipulating the prudent lise of tbe e funds, ho ver, they are in­ ve ed in uch enterprises Florida orange grove and SOLIDA ITY Robert L H!oodson is president of the NGtiotaIll Center for Nei bomood Enterprise and chaUmQII of the �il for II BIflck EConomic AgenIIIL By ., Jr. OWDCC stated, "Reagan and As the date for the presideD- B have DOt really been that tial eIectioas, November 8, 1988, "bad, t least we know their le the American eooaomi<; social. to lose tIIeir Iiw:s because of the ' for the.perpetuation of the cur- and political systems will not Re an-Bush policy of COD­ rent R -Bush policies. It . adequately meet the needs of structiYe eapgement with racist for . reasoa that we will be African-Americans, and they apartheid in South Africa and giving 00 iclerable attention will DO( ever share fully in the the immoral and illegal support through Civil Rights Journal on abundanceofth' land. To over- of the UNITA terrorists against the necessity to "get out the vote" oome this dreadful potential Cu-' the people of Angola. on NOYember 8th. . ture, dramabc and policies willi Yes, do have something to I have just returned from the have to be undertaken, and vote for. Yes, e do Deed a 18th Annual Legislative practi�inmaayspberesoflife cbangeincurren U.S.domestic Weekend of the Coagressional will have to be substantially al- and foreign policy. If strug­ Black Caucus in WashiDgtoD, red." The legacy of the S . to CODtinue, then 'It'e must DC. The theme of this largest Re,gan-Bush years directly march in record number to gathering of African Amer·can oontributed to the deterioration vote OIl election day. Michael leadership s "The Struggle of the state of the African Dukakis has stated hi oommit­ Cootin : A Look Into The Fu- American oommunity. ment to cut off funding to ture. - Throughout all of the At the community level, UNIT A, to i pose mmprehen­ workshops, forums and however, there needs to be sive sanction gains South braintrus there was a com- greater atteDtion given to dis- Africa, to redirect millions of mon sense of urgency and seminar" the wealth of infor- dollar from the senseless responsibility that so�ething mation that circulates at eon- militaray buildup to vital has to be done pQlitically weU· ferCD� like the Coagresional domestic social progr� and ' as economically to stop the Black Cauaas. For example, a to help the United States be­ devastating trends of die youogAfricanAmericansaidto oome a more racially inclusive Reagan-Bush years apinst the ,me receDtly, "Hey, I really �'t and equitable society. We must - interest of the African have aaything to vote f9f this get out the wk. And must American community, year." Another African mobilize now to e ure that we One publication that was dis- American who was a smaU busi- vote in record numbers. o m e waiting for good chi d care I By Mari -Vi PrrsiMnt, ChikWn's Defense Fund Children cannot wait any tonger for good child care. They have been waiting for years for decent safety and health stand­ ards to protect them from harm while they are in child care . Many have been waiting in vain fur�ildcarethe�famWycanat ford - awaiting bome alone, or in the care of siblings. Some, like young Jermaine James and Amanda' Cro in of Reston, Virginia, have died . ling - killed in accidents en they were left at home without adult upervision. IParents canDot wait any longer for good child care. Mother and Cathe who must work to put food on the table have been for� to chose be­ tween feeding, clothing or providing decent dilld are for their chDdreo. Pare who can afford child care haYe-bad to i and worry while on the job that . their children may not be in healthy, safe urroundiags. We cannot wait any longer for federal government 'leader­ ship on child care, and we should Dol There is now a bill before Congress called the Act for Better Child Care Services, or ABC bill ABC would tackle our nation's child care crisis, in­ vesting much needed resources in helping parents pay for care, inaeasing tbe supply of care vailable, and making such child care is a safe and heal y p ce to be. Our nation' rea to pass this bill. Polls sho th t a majority of Americans upport ABC p oacbto child care. The bill bas strong bipartisan upport in Coogr d· e- �d to come. up for vote in the 'next few weeks. Every Black organization backs this bill. Important Black leaders, fr Rev. Jesse Jack­ to Co etta Scott King to the AACr's Ben Hoo have all . spo eo out in support of AB� The entire Black community needs thi bill. it is your turD • .lf you are tired of waiting for dece t child care, and if you wan to help Bia children get a stroeg early childhood foundation, u have a chaDce tomake a difference in the next few days and weeks. Call 202-224-3121 and for your House Speaker Jim Wright or Senate Majority leader Robert Byrd As them to do everything they can to make the ABC child care bill become law thi year. Ask five of your friends and neighbors to do th same and call and write your own Senator and Representa­ tives if you have an eXir ten minutes. Congress will n act unless its leaders bear from you. But - they win act if they do. It' time to op . iDs and tart taking action no , together, for the e pf our children.