PA
4
Afrikan Affair
ill determine how the
Holo u t will fit in th ir chool
improvement pi n .
Proponents of tlu I gi
, in i t th t thin
Holoc uti the only w y to
omb t r ci m and the fterm th
of Nazi Germany during World
War II. Furthermore. it j ex­
pected tb t by thing about
one of the rno t d va tating
sault on humanity thi will have
an impact upon it not happening
gain.
It i extremely 10 i at that the
concentr tion camp urvivor
hould lobby'e ten ively for
legi 1 tion to end ure th t future
generations would not repeat the
horrors of the pa t. Many in­
dividuals and group testified for
umerou
have e tima ted that a m ny a
40-50 million African died
during th Middle Pa g and
ojourn in the Caribbean slave­
making plantation. The outher
oil of America is fertilized with
EDITORIAL
o public money for
Tiger Stadium
In the name of rebuildipg the city, Mayor Coleman Young
is ready to float bonds to raise the money to build a new,
state-of-the-art Tiger Stadium. The idea is obscene. There
are 6,000 plus homeless wandering the streets; more infants
die in the first year of life in Detroit than in any country in
Middle or South-Amen ; already limited health care and
recreation programs are under the ax. .. the list of ills facing
the people of this city is as well-known as it is lengthy.
If the city the financial standing to float bonds, let it
be for public benefit. oat a bond to finance business
development in the neighborhoods. Float a bond to fund
housing rehab efforts by community groups. Float a bond to
improve the quality of life in the city. We see no, nor has
anyone shown, any benefit from the Tiger Stadium project
other than the bottom line of the Tiger franchise.
The public should consider some interesting facts about �
the Tiger owner when debating the stadium issue. Tom
Monaghan bought the Tigers for $� million in 1983. His
money-machine, Domino's Pizza, is the world's largest pizza­
delivery operation in the world with sales of $2.65 billion in
1990. Surely, somewhere in there is enough dough to leverage
a loan at the bank for the stadium project. But Monaghan has
other interests on which to spend his money. Can anyone
forget the reports of the Labor Day party he threw on his own
personal island a few years back? He spent $1 million on one
party.'
Monaghan told the Chicago Tribune in an April 28 article
that his most persistant passion is "staying in a state of
anctifying grace, trying to attend mass every day," and
directiag his personal philanthropy into Catholic Church
causes. The Trib reports that Monaghan spends $500,000 a
year maintaining an organization called Legatus. This group
of about 700 "practicing Catholic" CEOs was an inspiration
Monaghan says came from the Holy Ghost. Monaghan is
spending $2 million to rebuild the earthquake damaged
Catholic Cathedral in Managua, Nicaragua. He stopped con­
struction of his $5 million estate in Ann Arbor because of
guilt pangs, he says after reading C.S. Lewis'Mere Chris-
tianity. "Pride is a great sin. And as I read the book, I came
to realize that I was doing all the little things right and all the
big thiJtg$ wrong," he says.
Read it again, Tom, and then pass it on to Coleman.
THE MICH,IGAN CITIZEN
PubU hed each
Sundavby
NEW DAY •
PUBLISHING ENTERPRISE
12541 Second St
P.O. Box 03580
Highland Park, MI 48203
Phone: (313) 889-0033/ Fax II: (313) 889-0430,
Western MIchIgan Bureau: 175 W. Main St
P.O. Box 218, Benton Harbor, 149022
, (818) 927-1527
Publisher: CMrl • D. Kelly
Editor: Tere.a K lIy
Western Michigan Editor: Bernlc Brown
City EdItor: D rrlck Lewl.
Copy Editor: L ah Samu I
Entertainment EdItor: Ka.cen Bark.
Correspondents:
Bernice Brown· Mary Golliday· D rrlck L wi.
William L e· D borah Culp • L ah Samuel
Nathaniel Scott· Vera Whit • Carolyn Warfield
Carl Hu ton
ProductIon Manager: Dewayn. Buchana
Production Staff: Ka.cene Bark •• Idell. -Carter
1 , public
P y hom ge to econd-
r te e rn n wb never et foot
on North or South Americ n oil.
on why
fric n-centered curricul urn
mu t be implemented in every
public chool cl room and
gr de le 1. We cannot How
our children to uffer "cultural
mne i" nd it until they
,,� kicked little butt!"
cover tbe
rep u io of" . e t d -
tiny do trine." Our polit c i and
civic leaders m t t e the initi -
live to e u e I time or the
rica oloc u t, pi t Ind
pre ent, to be researched nd
t u ht in our public. chool in
order to pre erve peda 0 ic 1
1 nee, e h ve the inherent
right to procl im to our children
"Never g in" to in tltution 1
1
I
ion nd
top m dia bia
in t lack l ad r.
by
In • eba Jr.
B n] min
Chavl.
It i true th t the pen c n be
tronger than the word. Acro
the United State, African
Americ n leader continue to be
victimized by raci t treatment in
the est bli hed media. Ironical­
ly, orne of the wor t forms of
journ Ii tic raci m are now
being evidence in cities that
have African American mayors.
For ex mple, in New York
City the major new papers and
televi ion tations consistently
blowout of proportion allega­
tion of mi conduct on the part
of Afric n American leader .
Although Mayor Dinkins has
tried to provide leadership in
healing the city's evere racial
wounds, there are some media
exploiters who continue to
spread unsubstantiated false­
hoods and allegations about
African American leadership.
The media persecution and
attempted character as a sina­
tion of Congressman Floyd
Flake from Queen, New York
is a case in point. For months,
this freedom - fighting cler­
gyman and effective leader was
the ubject of spurious attacks in
the New York Post.
Ma ive rticles ri ten
concerning Qongre sman
Flake's background, family min­
isterial life and church, Yet,
after numerous investigations
into allegations of tax fraud and
other charges. not one shred of
actual evidence was introduced
in court against Congre man
Flake.
WE ARE aware that some
will say, "Well, Congres man
Flake received a fair trial be­
cause the judge dismis ed the
charges for lack of evidence.
The ystem of justice worked."
No, the system of justice did not
work. A fai r tri 1 for Con­
gressman Flake would have
been no trial at all. Why was he
indicted in the first place? Why
did the media treat Flake as if he
were a convicted felon?
Why does the established
news media, li.ke the courts,
have a double standard based on
race? Is there no "good new "
when it come to African
Ameri n . leadership n
America? But thi is a national
problem from Detroit to Birmin­
gham, from New York City to
Selma, from Washington, D.C.
to Los Angeles, California.
Even in "liberal" New Haven,
continued on Page 5
When the numbers don't add up
by M rian Wright Edelman
A national survey of Black
eighth grade students reveals 68
percent 100 forward to science
classes, and 69 percent look for­
ward to math. But by their
senior year, Black 17-year-olds
have math and science skills
about the same as white 13-year­
olds.
Even more disturbing is that
75 percent of vocational and
professional jobs require al­
gebra and geometry skills. If
our children are not fully
equipped with math and science
skills, they will enter a highly
competitive job market
qualified only for low-skill,
work. ,
Communities need to mobi­
lize and implement a plan of ac­
lion because these issues are
critical for our children's 'sur­
vival. Without math and science
skills they will perform poorly
on COllege-entrance exams,
which limits their access to
scholarships.
An important group has real­
ized its re pon ibility and stake •
in a quality education system­
busine s. The Ford Motor Com­
pany, in particular, saw a
hrinking pool of qualified en­
gineering applicants, especially
among minority and urban
children. Ford went to the
Academy for Ed ucational
Development (AED) for help as­
sisti ng local schools to improve
science and math education in
Ford plant clues.
AED DEVELOPED the
, "Urban Schools Science and
Math Project." Project Director
Sandra Jibrell says the effort re­
quired support from everyone.
"We need to be talking to
more than choot people be­
cause in thi area ju t as in 0
many other area we recognize
that.the chool can't do it alone
and it' going take coil bora-
tive effort of educators,
parent ,busine people, profe -
ional from clence and tech-
nology, as well as community
service people, to come together
to put together strategies that
will work for our youngsters .... "
The project's approach is
three-fold: Target student sup­
port, information and guidance
o youngster are motivated to
achieve in math and science;
pi n and implement teacher
training programs; and assist
and fund schools to improve and
expand their curriculum to
bridge the gap between what is
taught in class and what in­
dustries need.
Elementary and Middle
School Science Supervisor
Juanita Chambers has seen im­
provement among her Detroit
students. Her school district im­
plemented a "Visiting Scientist"
program allowing minority re­
search scientists to share thei r
.research wi th the students.
The district also developed a
Detroit Area Pre-College Pro­
gram that exposes youngsters to
engineering and gives them a
taste of stud ing at a unlversity.
Business and industry leaders
are i,nvolved. Many act as tutors
and mentors, helping youngsters
with science projects and
answering questions. while reaf­
firming belief in Black achieve­
ment. Building self-esteem is
reinforced throughout the pro­
gram.
their children are learning.
Parents realize how important
science and math education is
for their children's future.
"We know that all parents
want their children to succeed,
so what we're trying to do is to
give them a mechani m for it,"
according to Ms. Chambers.
"We think we've sensitized them
to the need of mathematics and
science."
A Black boy today has a 1 in
,�,900 chance of geut ng a Ph.D.
m math. engineering or physics.
A Black girl has only a 1 in
21.000 chance. The effort in
Detroit and other cities may im-
THE DETROIT project in- 'prov� these odds, but we
volves parents as well. They at- desperately need every parent.
te nd special classes to educator, business and com­
experience and understand what �-munity leader to continue the
. ·struggle for improving our
children's future.
Marian Wright Edelman is
president of the Children's
Defense Fund, a national voice
for children.
•