P 4
..
fric
I
•
ric
I
r
n
m
n wom
n ..
oci I
movement ere at om.
ILL OT be ilent.
Bring 11 of the troop home no
and let the peopl of the Middle
Sa t re olve their conflicts
itb t military intervention.
This i not "high, " ni tized,
cle n r. Thi i dirty nd
another ugly te timony to in
humanity disguised in geo-politi
cal greed nd military vice.
o oldier hould be eng ged
in thi ensele human de true
tion. Stop the war! No blood for
oil! We are all challenged to
. prevent the continuation of thi
tragedy.
omen, m n
0- all d "theat r
of war." re
But there i th i ue of the being directed to th \ r fr nt.
racially di proportion te nd di - The fundamental i ue 1 the unc
criminatory imp--c·t ulT -war- fs - .. quai b-urdcn and di proporuonate
having. in particular, on the crifice that African American
oP
A
ag
r
e
By Le h muel
they often have better acces to
re ources. he chools in our
community suffer from a lack of
funding, among other things. A
closer look, however, reveals that
the abundant resource of ubur
ban school districts relate direct
ly to the oting pattern and
educational activi m of parents
in those communities ..
Like those parents, and like
Mrs. Mathabane, parent can get
active and involved. Now that
we ire in the high-tech, informa
tion-based last decade of the 20th
Century, we need to insure our
children a p'late in il. That means:
d g tho. · �ns &0
school board meeting askin
t 11'1 -'.'
questions, demanding an wers,
telling youth why education is
important and making them
believe it through our actions.
It's the same story that bears
retelling again and again until,
for all students, earning high
grades and preparing for the fu
ture take top priority, and drop
ping out is no longer a tangible
option.
ban chool di tricts. In thcm I
read stone of bow p rents, �c
lively involved in their children's
educ tion, participatc in various
a to insure th t tudents have
everytbing they need in order to \
succeed. I matchcd the last
name of young honor tudents to
tbe last names of parenrgroup
member. school voluteers nd
chool di trict committeeper
on -positive, producing po i
tive, productive p pils.
So drawn is the parallel be
tween a poor, Soutb African
mother and middle-class, subur-
t 1
ticularly impres ed by M rt's
mother, a trong but humble
worn n determined that her
children become educ ted,
productive citizen no matter
what it too . She worked to pro
vide them with tuition and cbool
supplies, and continued to instill
m them a positive attitude toward
education.
While working on my
projects, 1 wa reading over ome
newsletters produced by subur-
Correspondent
I wa iuing around the house
la t January on Martin Luther
Kin Jr.' holiday. It wa early
evening and I had pent the day
at home working on omc writing
projects and reading my copy of
Mark Marnabane 's Kaffir Boy, an
autobiography telling of the dif
ficultie of growing up in South
Africa.
Read i ng the book, 1 wa par-
AMERICA
My Country ..... is
at
This Country
(America)
that they
' .. _ - . FOU ,liT
, and
WAR
(America)
yet ... J
cannot
WAVE
DI' D .....
(and they DIED ..... thc DIED)
for (America)
find
)
the
FJg
Our youna
Mcn
&
Women
system they will continue to be
part of a non- top parade of
shackled Black youth who pas
in re .. iew before middle-clas
white justice, whether judge or
jury.
Hiding their vitality, par
ticularly their rage. thcy will
continue to rc emble lave on.
1771 auction blocks. The most
powcrful and menacing will
continue to be those who reck
lessty cram their bodies with
drugs and drink while bombard
ing their senses with a mass
produced splendor of sights and
sound .
The end result will continue
being the condemnation by
white America. despite similar
conduct in white communiti-es.
they ARE
(BLACKSORAM
WHOAREBLACKA
CAN)
is con tantly under
FIRE
Corre nondent
arc
I HAVE TALKED to African
immigrants livingin thi country.
According to them, our chnuren
attend school in virtual palaces
compared to the shacks and huts
that must suffice as educational
institutions for the children of
Africa, not to mention the ex
treme poverty and discrimination
in South Africa that sometimes WE CAN MAKE it part of
prevents children from even at- our dedication to Dr. King's
tending a school of any kind. dream, or a resolution to help ere-
Yet, we in this country do not ate more Black history to
always show appreciation for the celebrate in Februarys to come.
luxury of a free education by get- In any case, ·providing a better
ting as involved as wc could witb future of opportunities for all
our children's learning. people requires concern about
I look at the uburbs. Their and actions around better educat-
school districts arc aucuec. ing future citizens today.
proportionally more money, and •
DYIN(;
I PRAY .....
Not too many
I PRAY
I PRAY
,. Enryday
Not too many
yet... . .1
cannot ,
A gumrncr of hope hines in
Michigan prison among incar
c e r at c d Bl ac k youth familiar
WIth America's flawed ju tice.
The sourc of hope are the loud
o u tc r r c s of concern over
America' ratus as the number
one Jailor 'among the 170 inde
pendent countries of the world.
Pr i oner · voiced an op
tirru m that the jailing of Blacks
will eventually be seen as the
natural r c s u l t of white
Arncr icas vi ion of crime and
it perpetrator. Thi , the most
hopeful predict. will provoke
white Ame r icans to "tremble for
my country when 1 reflect that
God I Just. "Thoma Jefferson,
U.S. Pre idc nt and author of the
Dcc l arau on of Independence, i
quoted a� aying.
HI remark carne after
reflecting on lavery and be
coming uneasy with the thought
of. the new republic proclaiming
it elf 'one nation under God,
wi ih liberty and justice for all'
when in reality it wa estab
l is he d through invasion, con-·
que t. lavery, and slaughter.
The hope that American
white' go beyond Jefferson's
e mo u o nu l grandstanding and
corre t the flawed law and order
e tab l is h mc nt appear to have
ub lanc .
Si n c crime is the physical
expre ion of thinking in the
American y tern of justice, the
search for the motive or intent
behind criminal behavior is the
major activity of the justice sys
tem.
from
thi
Country
(America)
So .... .1
cannot
WAVE
WAVE
the
Flag
· ..... l
cannot
ING
the
Flag
My Country .... .is
at
the
National Anthem .....
.... .in the
'LAND OF TilE FREE
(White)
&
HOME OF THE BRAVE
(White),
(America)
••• _ ... " • '0. ... eo _ ... _
WAR
(America)
It's been at
WAR
"THE LAW, . AND court of
this state and America must
stand for clear principles offer
ing freedom, justice, and
equality to all citizens," in
sisted a South Complex Law
Library Clerk.
Knowing that both Bush and
Engler disagreed, claiming the
courts, like the laws, need only
represent the majority or those
in power, the clerk 'said he
hopes the American people will
see that under Bush and Engler
everybody's rights are optional.
Before .....
I wasn't Old
enough
to
understand
the
CONSEQUENCES
ow •.. 1 Understand
(America)
and .... .l
cannot
WAVE
I Hate/Love
My Country .....
Though
I
Long
To
I cannot
JU T
the
Flag
LOVE'
This Country
(America)
UN·JU T ,
for so long
to ... so ... many
. (for o.Iong) .
Therefore .... .1
cannot
I Love/Hate
My Country's
(Pollcies")
Over
Far Away
&
Here
Today .....
When I know
those of
US
w/Deepcr
COMPLEX-ions
and the Blood
of
BLACK PRISONERS
B LIEVE the present spotlight
on the crrminat justice, system
will e po e and do away with
pre-con e i v e d notions about
Black motives and intentions
tha t have allowed w hi te ubur
ban pro c c u to r . judges, and
jurie t avoid peering into the
uglinc ,danger, and resultant
di pair that shrouds urban
Black urvival.
Many of these Jackson
South ide prisoners, admittedly
prortc toward contempt for rules
impo ed by outsider, till. see
law and order primarily benefit
ting wealthy white outsiders.
Mo t understand that unlcs
ba ic changes are made in the '
WAVE
thc
Flag
..... 1
can only
PRAY
I PRAY
for
so ... far ... away
&
the
Nile
in our •.••• VEINS
WHO LIVE .....
Will
here
Today
I PRAY
I PRAY
for .....
..... PEACE.
come
back .. to .. hear .....
FASI/ION'S NEW SPRING LINE
What?
din
.. '