VOL XIII NO, 41
m rican Wor
African
by ry Hell
"Our history in merica is full of examples of outright deceit, abuse,
violence, discrimination and exploitation. This p nomenon is in­
grained. We have come to accept, without question, the premise that
African mericans and other people of color are assigned to the most
dirty, hot, hazardous, tressful, and low-paying job ."
- Willie Jackson, Executive Director
White Lung A soc iation
'See LABOR, A-8
SEPTEMBER 1 - 7. 1991
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By Terry Kelly
DETROIT-Aware that Black
and small contractor in metro­
Detroit are "becoming demoral­
ized" and losing hope they will
have the opportunity to help
build the proposed $250 million
Veterans Administration (VA)
ospital in the city, U.S. Repre­
sentative John Conyers is making
demands of the VA.
In a letter dated August 26 to
VA Secretary Edward J. Der­
winski, Conyers requested a
meeting with Derwinski and out­
lined hi concerns regarding the
VA ho pital construction project
and the enforcement of laws man­
dating Small Di advantaged
Busine (SDB) participation on
such project .
Conyers has already been in­
strumental in pushing back the
bid opening deadline from
A ugu t 29 to September 13 to
guarantee SBD contractor's par­
ticipation.
Willie Mae Cole, director of
the National A ociation of
Afric n American Bu ines e
(NAAAB), a group who ha lob­
bied inten ely for guaranteed
mall and minori ty bu iness par­
ticipation in the construction of
the ho pital, said she and the
Black contractors were elated
with Conyer' action.
"WE FEEL some hope tire.
ring," she said.
Conyers, who is chair of the
House Commi ttee on Govern-
Mentor program
By CAROLYN WARFIELD
COI'rWuottd.",
"Self-e teem i If-knowledge,"
said Tony B n ,a Chicago
businessman and enrichment in­
tructor. "You' must first know
omething about yourself to have
self-e teem and self-confidence."
Banks is progenitor of Youth Ex­
cellence Support Mentors (YES),
Black prof Ionals who volunteer
time and expertise to develop in­
trapersonal and academic skill .
ment Opera-
t ion
reminded
Derwinski '
in the letter
that a chair,
he "has
juri diction
over federal
procurement
policy": and
that one of the concerns i that
the manda tes requiring SBD par-
.VA,A-8
CONYERS
The outloo i not good for the African American worker in the
coming decade. But it even been good? Th history of the African
American wor er h been influenced, more than that of any other
community by American- tyle raci m in the workplace and in the .
boardroom.
Every ment of our workforce i challenged by raci m, institu-
tion 1 and pe onal. Th Challenge for African American workers i
to find w ys for our young p ople to enter the workforce and to defend
agai t the debilitating effec of raci m in pite of the deteriorating
economic climate. A larg job.
The greate t economic challeng facing the African American
worker in the coming decade will be: ,
- The continuing diversion of capital investment from ind try.
Wilne the U.S. teel industry which w decim ted because profi
were not reinvested. Tangible goods and service provide real job C
with wag that can upport families. But we now ee the manipulation
of toe and financial peculation a the place where profits are _
reinv ted, to the detriment of society.
The growth of multinational corporations will furth r distance the
needs of worke from th goa of ma ment.
- Free be n t Unl d , Ca a nd Mexico, with
1'tJII._ .... ift�)f·--··n·Mex· an ers for d
• day.
- New wor place ideologie ,such worker particip tion
programs, which encourag competition between workers or group
of workers.
In addition, we are still suffering under Reagan-Bush ideology,
which hold that social programs for education or job are wrong. H
African Americans haven't made it by now, this line of reasoning goes,
it's their own fault.
The e forces, which affect both workplace and communi ty, will put
a new face on racism as w know it. African American wor cr.
We will examine these forces in more detail. But first let's look at
the state of the African American worker today.
ANTHEM SINGER - Four year old Jazmen Wbe lley ang
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" at tbe "Say Kind Word" talent
sbow, Saturday, Augu t 24 in Hlgbland Park. (photot by N. cou)
addresses Black male
"We pride ourselve on Dr.
Jawanza KunJufu' Project 2000,
which i a prerequi ite for participa­
tion in YES," B nks continued.
"Mentors are elected from achieve­
ment, moral character and will in�
n ' to love Black children. Energy
and patience are also requi ites.
YES has many dimensions and
includes attorney, athletes,
phy icians, educators, mili tary, law
enforcement and bu ines and
management profe ional.
One such dimension is the Eagles
International Trade Corporation, a
company own d by third through­
eighth grade students at the Dixon
Elementary 'School on Chicago's
southside where children are bing
tutored in business.
BAN , THE ON of a busi­
n s franchiser during the 1940's,
tarted working in his father'
magazine and new paper. booth in
Chicago's L Station at the age of 9.
"I learned how to handle inventory,
cu tomers nd money," he ald.
"The responsibilities of a nd-on
bu ines experience m de every­
thing in scbool more applicable -
Math became simpler."
"The custom in mo t African cul­
ture is to learn busines at an early
age. but American blac don't learn
busine acumen.
"The glaring facts that our
children are not tayingin boo I nd
See MENTOR, A·7
. .
