, "no tru e, no pro re " .
. The contribution e m e
-: ·need not be monumenta). e
mu t come to under t nd that
m 11 c and deed con titute
import nt contribution to the
-.,., truggle.
,:; :.'. Afric n Amen mu t bed
''_;-' . tb notion tb t my little contribu­
'4 .\ " tion on't m uer. mul ti­
.,:.,. ' plicity of mall contribution can
� -, ! become the collective e pre -
ion of a people ill nd deter­
min tion to h uer the bond of
Amertc n hould join or eon­
tnbute to one or more or aniza­
lion it in t community that
re fi hti If of Blac
p ople.
Hum n ener y nd fin ncia!
r e ource re the critical in-
redient that lac or niu­
tion need in order "to carry out
their t ted mi io on behalf of
BI c people. Even if you cho e
not to join an e ' ting organiza­
tion, there re ran e of thing
th t f milie or individu Is can
" ',: I *
: :': .
EDITORIAL
On
go
Ie '
co r
it righ
all Ii
,
n
'��u t • •
The California court that ruled the Richmond, Califor­
nia school system could not close down for lack of money
because the state had the responsibility to educate all
tudents, renewed our faith in the future.
It was refreshing to see someone; somewhere reiterate
what most tate constitutions affirm: the citizens have a
right to a· free public education and the t te h the
responsibility to provide it. ,
Texas and Tennessee courts have upheld the concept
and forced those states to revamp their methods of school
diag. .
_M��JljIP Iegisl tan d with "schoo of ch· "
and other gimmicks instead of facing up to their respon­
sibility.
But the real issue has yet to be cut: all the tax money that
flows from the cities and hinterlands into Washington, D.C.
is the people's money, to be used for the people. The crisis
that afflicts schools across the country is because the
people are being robbed for fat cat interests.
The flag-waving yeUowites loved the oil war at a cost of
SSOO,OOO,OOO a day, but growl and menace when presented
with a tax bill to fund education for any kid but their own.
The �oney is there, the priorities aren't. The howl for
good schools has to be pitched higher than the local school
board. The message has to carry to Washington. And We
can't sit back and wait for some national leader to carry the
colors for education. The pols pay lip service to quality
education with all the correct messages: our future com­
petition depends on education; our quality of life is at stake;
'the very exist�nce of the democracy demands an educated
public.
But no politician will turn his back on the dollar­
generating pacs to listen to us unless we force them"to hear.
The rumbles in the streets of Washington, D.C. this
week were peaking the same message as those parents in
Richmond, California who went to court to keep their
schools open: the people of this COUDtry are in need and
the politicians better listen.
; � ..
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J/O!
THE MICHIGAN CITIZEN
Publlahed Noh
Sunday by
NWDY
PUBLISHING ENTERPRISE
12541 Second St
P.O. Box 03580
Highland Park, MI 48203
Phone: (313) 889-0033 I Fax I: (313) 889-0430
Western Michigan Bureau: 175 W. �aln St
P.O. Box 218, Benton Harbor, MI 48022
(818) 827-1527
Publisher: Charle. D. Kelly
Editor: Tere.a Kelly
Western Michigan Editor: Bernice Brown
City Editor: D.rrlck L.wl.
Copy Editor: L.ah amu.'
Entertainment Editor: It ac.n. Bark.
Correspond nts:
. Bernice Brown • Mary Golliday • Derrick Lewla
Carla Huaton • William Le. • Debor.ah Culp
Leah Samu.1 • Nathaniel cott
Vera White • Carolyn Warfl.ld
Production Manager: Dewayne Buchana .
.Productlon Staff: Kaacene Bark. • Idella Carter
Advertising Representative' : WIlliam Lee •
Terry Broyl ••
.
I
,
I ' •
I
I
I
BI c churche to le rn about
A ric n hi tory nd culture.
Sa turd y School could al 0 pro-
vide v riety of tutori 1 an
ill development ervices.
Blac youth hould learn the
philo ophy, vi ion nd value re­
quired to i t Bl c people to
chieve liber tion. The re our­
ce of the Black church need to
be redirected to provide thi kind
of elf-development progr m.
- Organize or become in­
volved in bloc club on your
treet. African America need
to reconnect with each other in
neighborhoods and re-in till the
en e of community, cooper tion
and togetherness which w
character! tic of the neighbor­
hood/communitie where many
of u grew up. Block clubs and
neighborhood as ociation are
an excellent means of regaining
control over our neighborhood
•
MO� To L.I\. ANO
&uoME A (..Or: .
J
Fatigued donors want
permanent solutions
Americans are generous
people; yet they are questioning
"whether their donations can ever
help end hunger:
"First we're asked to help the
Kurdish refugees, now hungry
people in Sudan, Somalia and:
Ethiopia.
How can we help everyone?"
"Why didn't all 0/ the dona­
tions to the Live Aid concerts
end hunger in Ethiopia?"
Fortunately, many American
are finding answers to these
que tion. They are learning
that the primary cause of famine
is not drought, lack of food or
over-population� but military
conflict that makes it difficult 0
raise and distribute food.
War-not crop fail ure-is the
primary cau e of famine not
only in northern Iraq, but in
Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia a
well. A multitude of Live Aid
concerts cannot permanently
end these famines. For famine
to be alleviated, political olu­
tiona mu t be found to the
various regional �nd interna­
tional conflicts.
OUf nation' foreign policy
often play a more important
role in ending hunger th n dona­
tions given to relief organiza­
tions. Consequently, people are
becoming more vocal in ex­
pre sing their concerns to Con-:
gres about our foreign policy.
In the past two months,
thousands of people have been
writing their members of Con­
gress in support of a new ap­
proach to ending famine in
Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.
As part of an "Offering of Let­
ters" campaign, hundreds of
local churches have collected->
not money-but letters seeking
pas age of the Horn of Africa
Recovery and Food Security
Act.
The bill calls on the United
States to promote peace and
development in the Horn of
Africa region in three ways: by
providing effective emergenoy
aid to civilian In government­
and oppoosition-h�ld area; by
giving more development assis-
- tance directly to gra root or­
ganizations, by-p ing the
military government; and by
mobilizing international pre -
ure for peace in the region.
Fatigued donor are realizing
that the most important con­
tribution they can m ke toward
ending hunger co t very little:
29.cent for a tamp on letter
encouraging their members of
Congres to. cospon or the Horn
of Africa Recovery and Food
Security Act.
e duc tio, eco 0 lc
politi , ocial life.
- Volunteer to ecome
pe on committee, if nee ry,
to 0 to 0 nei hbor ood
chool to periodic Jly monitor
h t i h ppenln i t rm of the
ed cation 0 Blac childre.
eport your findin to t
club nd/or to p rent ho e
children 0 to t t chool. 0
o your effort m y i pire
others to get involved.
- You might I 0 elect to be­
come one person committee to
monitor the employment prac­
tices of bu ine es, large and
mall, bo benefit from ub tan­
ti I BI ck p tron gee Report
your finding to civil right or­
ganiz tion or community ba ed
org niz tion nd encour ge
themto ct. If they refu e to ct,
then org nize your own commit­
tee of 5-7 people nd confront
just 0 E bu ines . Your com­
mi nee hould work for equitable
Blac employment opportunitie
at the one busine s you target.
Once you h ve ucceeded, move
on to another bu ines .
- You may also want to iden-
o decide 0
ill be countle oppor­
tunitie for you to co tribute to
the tru e. oter re i t tion
nd education nd political ac­
tion re I ay in order. en
there i legitim te call to ction
in term of a pic et line,
demon tration or boycott, be
willing to contribute hat you
can to tri e a blo for Blac
liber tion. The imperative is to
ct - "no truggle, no progress".
Ron Daniels serves as Presi­
dent 0/ the Institute lor Com­
munity Orga1lizatioN and
Development in Youngstow1I,
Ohio. He may be contact�d at
(216) 746- 5747. .
II African American ale
are not th problem II
During the last several yeats
there has been a growing em­
pha is on the plight and condi­
tions of African American male
in the United States. To be sure
there are erious and life
threatening circumstances con­
fronting African American males
and the ituation ppears to be
getting worst. The incarceration
and homicide rates of African
American m le continue to es-.
calate. In some urban area the
. .. drop-out rate of Aft cab
. 'Atneri�an "mal�s from high
school is now over fifty percent.
Yes, these realities and others
being revealed point to a cri tical
situation.
In response there have been
national conferences, seminars,
workshops and prayer ser-
. vices ... all which we support.
Virginia Governor, Douglas
Wilder, and other African
American leaders are now par­
ticipating in a federal commis­
sion concerning the plight of
African American males. We
support all efforts' to respond to
the deteriorating social condi­
tion of African American males.
USA TODAY issued a pecial
news report entitled "Young
Black males increasingly are at
risk." The report concluded th.t
"With economic opportunities
dwindling, family life disin­
tegrating and slayings reaching
an all time high, the American
dream of 0PP rtuni ty has be-
come a n tmare for many
young Black men."
There is growing debate about
the development of special
schools for young African
American males. But, while this
debate occurs, the reality is that
more than 25 % of all African
American males continue to be
incarcerated between the ages of
18 and 29.
WE SUPPORT the efforts of
the Rev. Wintley Phipp of
Washi gton, D.C. to convince
political and corporate leaders to
take concrete steps to provide
resources nd programs
Benjamin
Chavl. •
d� iancd It provide African
American males "vision, values,
and vehicle of opportunity."
Dr. Ida Mukenge, the execu­
tive director of the Morehouse
Research Institute in Atlanta,
Georgia asserted, "This problem
will not be solved in a ingle
generation .. .lt is a national crisis
not just limited to African
American males. They are Dot
men in isolation; they are men in
ociety." We believe that Dr.
Mukenge has put her finger on
the essential point and the place
where more attention needs to
be focused. In other words, any
attempt to re olve or solve the
problem associated with the
plight of African American
males that doe not deal with tbe
sys temic social and racial in­
equi ties of the society at large i
an attempt in futility.
We caution against the over­
simplification of the difficultie
that beseige African American
mal es and females in this
society.
African American males are
not the problem. The problem is
a racist and exploitative society
that seeks to blame the victims
for their victimization.
'Yes, we must provide" ocial
services" and program for
African Americans and all others
who are in need of help, but a
fai I ure to reco gnize the necessl ty
for demanding "social change
and transformation" of the fun­
damental structure of thi
ociety perpetuates the real
problem. .
.'
OR6FRrJ