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 .. '