CI IZ
EDITORIAL
OurBu in
Community
; in Our Hand
Wh nth ie ar blu , it do n't tak much to proclaim
and stand by principle. The for a t or the economy,
however, is tormy and grey. And prin iple like "Shop in
th Black community" and" upport Black bu ines " b -
come econdary to concerns of getting th b t price. Ironi­
cally, during the time of cri oj it i more important than
ever to 10 k arm and patronize your c mmunity.
Prices, rvice, quality merchandi c and convenient park­
ing have long b en the rea on given by city-dwellers who
make their trek to suburbia while shopping for very thing
from cars to cantelopes. The uburban thoroughfares are
stuffed with Black shoppers that have relinquished hope of
tisfyingshopping opportunities within Detroit, or the other
predominately Black communities.
The problem with this mentality is that it goes against
everything that has been accomplished by African
Americans since our coming to this continent and under�
mines the moral strength of our community. We know from
history books and current new paper headline that African
Americans are not allowed the full- cale participation in the
white busine community that we whole-heartedly support.
Also it has been shown over and over again that we can .
own, manage and market our stores and businesses as well
as anybody in the world. But when we go against sound
principles, like "support your own community," we become
weaker in the convictions that have bolstered the Black spirit
through years of struggle. That same spirit which has carried
us to the heights that we have now reached.
Why, then, can't we go to the corner and buy a tomato
that isn't from the vintage 1965 crop? Why must th girl at
the local McDonalds pop her gum and stare at me when I
mention that she didn't ay thank you? Bccau c v e have not
. demanded more from our leadership. our community and
ourselves.
Only when the conviction that "I am the ommunity
. leadership" is firmly established in every br ast can we see'
change. The Black middle-class, which has fled from the
problems of the Black community, will not help us. We must
take charge of our community, by ourselve .
....; .
You-we-must talk with th local merchant and bUSI-
ness owner. Make him accountable for his store, and then
patronize the hell out of hint When the local store treats a
customer unfairly, or doesn't respond to community needs,
boycott him and put him out of your community. Only when
we recognize the true strength in ourselv s can we show
ourselves and the world that we control the benefits that we
so desperately desire and des�rve in our community.
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by the court, as those fines are
awarded to the' governmental entity
�which prosecutes the case." .
THE STATE' TATUTE
requires a minimum fine of $100 for
a conviction of OUIL and a
mandatory minimum fine of$200 for
repeat offenders. "These mandatory
minimum fines do not adequately
reflect the seriousness of the offense,
especially as they are not
proportional to the fines for other
VIEWS
y 0 0
e Tomorro
vehi le or the
independent pro
th left.
In my jud m nt buildin of
third oree (in ependent political
o niz tion) or new political party
on t left that can challen e the
t bli hment rti for power i
trategic ne ity.
Unfortunatel y, the left hown
propen i ty hi toric 11 y for
fr cturin into multiplicity of
faction nd fringe there by
q nderig it' collective cap city to
contend for power.
Another problem h b en the
inability of the left to effectively
incorporate Afri n Americans and
other people of color into vanous
left, progre ive movement and
organizations in a manner which
would attract ma -ba ed
participation of communi tie of
color.
GIVE THE REALITY of
racism and paternalism in U.S.
society, communities of color have
understandably been reluctant to
entrust their interests to white-led
and -dominated formations on the
left.
Hence my insistence from the
outset that our Campaign for a New
Tomorrow see the centrality of the
agendas of communities of color and
the leadership of communities 'Of
color as indispensable to the success
of this initiative.
TH P OGRE IVE
Convention would be an emblyof
leaders and activists from various
progressive organizations.
Modeled after the Cabinet of the
President of the U.S., the Progressive
Cabinet would have posts for
Housing and Urban Development,
Heal th and Human Services,
Education, Agriculture, Commerce,
Environmental Protection, Interior,
Consumer Protection, Attorney
General, etc., plus additionnal
posi tion for Women, Youth,
Lesbian and Gay, and communities
of color-Native American Affairs,
Latino Affairs, African American
Affairs etc. Members of the
Progressive Cabinet would articulate
CAB ET MEMBERS should
tour the nation, holding pre s
conferences, appearing on radio and
televi ion t lk show, attending
rallies and community conferences
and making appearances for
endorsed independent progressive
candidates. A trategy should be
devised to enable the Progressive
Cabinet to have maximum impact.
Finally, having converged to
wor together to organize a
Progressive Cabinet and convene a
Progressive Convention, the
sponsoring organizations should
form a loose coalition, federation or
uni ty council to promote and plan
concerted progressive programmatic
,.
VA 'A
PO
or beyond th '92 election.
d••
The conver ence .an
con olid tion of independent,
pro ive forces on th Ie .
trategic imperative if our vi ion,
value, nd program are ever to be
m de manife t in term of
governance.
LL 0 TH collective ::
e perience, ill, re ource and:
capacity of the progressive:'
"
movement mu t be galvanized •
behind the proposition that' the ::
progressive movement will fight for ::
the power to transform and govern a ::
new America. "
Our Campaign for a New::
Tomorrow is committed to playing a .:
leading role in thi exciting and ::
ential process. ::
In January of '92 it is our intent to ::
convene a preliminary meeting of I:
progressive forces tro discuss the :
necessity and prospects for:
mobilizing a unified thrust for the ::
'92 election and beyond. ::
II
I'
ROil Daniels SCIWS 4S P,.suw.1 of 1M .:
[",titlllc /01' COMIfUUIity O"'�M and ':
Dc..,./opmcIII in Yowa,JIowII, Ohio. He may I
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'WELCOME
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Stop Asian bashing in the U.S.�
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By BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS. JR. people are now being caricatured as
American racism feeds its "demons" not to ever be trusted
perpetuation by fostering negative because of the "sneak attack" on
racial stereotypes concerning people Pearl Harbor. Some U.S.
. of color. Since the December 7, automakers were even running
1991 50th commemoration of the television advertisements stating,
military attack by Japan on Pearl "We lost Pearl Harbor, but today you
Harbor, there has been an alarming can stop the destruction of our values
increase in incidents of racial and society: Buy American
violence against Asian Americans automobiles." It was also reported
and Pacific Islander Americans. _ that a recent PBS television program
This form of racism involves on this issue ended with an American
niuch more than random acts of manufacturer pleading for a "Desert
brutality and violence. Throughout Storm" for the economy against
the nation's social, economic and Japan.
political insti tutions, there is The Washington-based Center for
. growing evidence of the use of Public Integrity bas released a report
demeaning and disrespectful that seeks to criticize Japanese
characterizations of people of Asian financial contributions to U.S.
descent. It is as if the United States colleges and universities.
The study emphasized, "For their
money, the Japanese get the obvious
.benefits" includi ng access to
knowledge and "influence over what
some students learn about Japan." If
the private and public sector in the
United States would give more
financial support to U.S. colleges
and universities, then the worry over
so-called "foreign support" for
American higher education would be
a moot issue.
We agree with the edi torial
position of The Atlanta Constitution
that tated, "We need to reconsider
thrives in terms of national social
consciousne s by having a nation,
people orperson to hate.
Racial hatred is an abnormality.
Yet, when it come to racial matters
in this society, that which is
abnormal is made to appear normal.
No one i born a racis 1.
Racism is a complex
phenomenon that is nurtured over a
period of time by the use of
stereotypes and the spread. of
ignorance.
JAP N A D TH
Japane e
traffic violations." Kirk noted that
speedin 16 miles per hour over the
limit ha a chcduled fine of $75:
while carele s driving has a
scheduled fine of $100. The City's
revi ed ordinance would carry a
minimum fine of $200; $500 for
repea t 0 ffenses. The revised
ordinance would take effect January
1st.
"Pas age of the proposed
ordinance will allow the City to
prosecute drunk drivers to the fullest
extent provided by law. It wHl
facili ta te prosecution of repeat
offenders, and could provide
additional revenue to the City," Kirk
concluded.
our racial attitudes toward the
Japanese. We can begin by dumping
the notion that Pearl Harbor was a
sneak attack typical of and unique to
the Japanese." Racial attitudes can
be changed, but it requires an
ongolng public education and the
building of a process leading to
mutual understanding and respect
for the equality of all peoples.
WE ARE aware that there are
tensions between some Asian
American communities and some
African American communi ties as
well as social conflict with other
people of color communi ties. Our
point here is that incidents of
inter-racial injustice must be dealt
with forthrightly and fairly. But
even these incidents cannot and
should not be used to promote or
substantiate inter-raclai hatred �d
stereotyping.
We must have the same passion
and sense of moral outrage in
response to race bashing no matter
what the geographical or societal
context. We must be committed to
building an effective national
multiracial and multicultural social
change movement
A major aspect of such a
movement would have to be its
moral integrity and capacity to
BENJAMIN
CHAVIS
CIVIL
RIGHTS
challenge all forms of racism.
.'
THE DOMESTIC economtc-
problems cannot be blamed on:
"others" as President Bush i :.
attempting to suggest. The United
States needs to look into a mirror,
rather than a tele cope. Thi nation' :
economic and racial problems are.
inextricably linked together in th .
social fabric of ociety which needs;
to be rewoven with equal justice. :
'Ie , the attack on Pearl Harbo '.
was wrong. Yes, .the bombing ot;
Hiroshima and Nagasaki was wrong
But, if we all do not learn from thes :
wrongs, history will repeat itself � �
more devastating proportions. We,
therefore, stand rigidly against Asian.
bashing and any attempts to justifY.,
it "