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EDITORIAL
·King making
Part of th n er ending tru le within th BI community i
for control. Community ntr 1. We will continue to ee th chao
we now ee in th inn r citi a long th d ci ions af cting th
Black mmunity and the leade hip erving th community come
om pia other than within the mmunity. •
: A ca e in pint i that of the VA Ho pital to built in 0 troit.
A ras ro ts.Tndi en , community-b d group of c ntractors
have b en meeting frye rs, have formed n organization to erv
th ir mutual benefit. They are not paid, they do not control anything
but their own busine e which they try to build and expand. When
word first came out that a 240 million construction job wa going
to take place within Detroit -the home of these very arne contrac­
lors-they began to tudy th pro e to guarantee that 0 troit folks
go t a piece of the pie.
The group, National As ociauon of African American �usi­
nes e (NAAAB) met with Chicago contractors who had xpenence
on bidding and building government projects. They talked with
Congre sionalleaders who had directed pieces of the federal build­
ing contracts to their own home di tricts. Then NAAAB drew up a
plan based on experience in other citie . They att mpted t meet
with VA official . They informed Congre man John Conyer- that
they were dead erious about working on the VA job. .
Hundred. of man-hours-all at their own expcn e-'-went into
planning for participation on the VA project.
Then, shortly after NAAAB raised its voice for the first time, 10
and behold! one of the major daily papers ran an article on another
group of Black contractors. Th name mentioned were unfamiliar
to the NAAAB members. W':1y the article?
The process is called King-making. The contractors group who
appeared in the article in the daily paper have b.een li ted now the
'group who will serve as liason, monitor and VOice of approval,-the
official Black-to assist the white contractor who has the Job of
building and subcontracting the VA hospital.
The officially sanctioned Blacks get recognition. The community
-based group goes unnoticed, ignored, forgotten.
Take Jesse Jackson if you want another example of King making.
He earned the right to run for anything he wanted. The media
-challenged his right to run as often a they could. And a long a
the e tablishment feared he would make another run for Pre. ident,
he did not get one inch of coverage in the news papers or one minute
of time on t.v. or radio --except Black-owned media.
Now that he has announced he will not run against the iatus quo,
'he can get some media attention, if they don't write anything but to
criticize him.
Take the case of the mayoral race looming on the Detroit horizon.
Stop and think. Hasn't one name and matching face been een over
and over in the papers. The name and face are not coming out of the
community. It is a movement to elect an "acceptable" Black coming
from the top down, where melanin and manners count more than
the issues facing the community.
Pick your own leaders. Keep your eye on the issue not the cut
-ef the cloth, roll of the r's, or tone of the skin. Pick your leaders
based on solutions to problems that beat you in the face everyday.
Don't get misled by what face and name is presented over and over
until you unconsciously assume that is the best person for the job.
What do you want done? Who can stop the killing, create the
jobs, restore the neighborhoods, find homes for the homele s, who
can bind us together and get us working as a community toward our
. olutions. That's our leader.
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·
·
·
VIEWS/'OPINIONS
munitie in th
RI I TH U.S. must
bre k the provin ial ment lity which
limi our vi i n t truggling to
make economic pro re within th
confin of the U .. ex lusively.
B in and commer 'ial inter-
course betw n Afri n Am rican
and Africa can be an extremely
lu rativ ource of C onomic growth
within th Pan-African world.
Indeed, thi kind 0 economic ac­
tivity i e ential if .Africa and
African people are to emerge as a
formidable econ mic and political
power bloc on the world tage.
On the political front, electoral
politic and lobbying hould be used
as tools to promote and defend
African community development in
Africa, the Caribbean and the entire
Pan-African world.
African American political or­
ganizations and political leaders
hould actively mobilize Black
political power to decisively in­
fluence U.S. policy toward Africa
and the Caribbean.
Tran -Africa i the principal
African American in titution which
has a sumed a major role in thi are?
p W' U African com­
munity in th U.S. can erve a vital
force for th tot 1 lib ration nd
unifi tion of Africa a a power b
for th Pan-African world. However,
Africans in the U.S. cannot imply
leap b yond the urgent and immedi­
ate need in Black neighborhoods
and communitie to a vague and
eemingly di connected program of
African redemption.
Strengthening the economic and
political capacity/power of the
African community in the U.S. will
enhance the capacity of African
Am rican to upport the develop­
ment of Africa. And a powerful
Africa can and must erve as th
power ba e for Africans everywher .
That i th crucial and indispensable
connection which hould be upper­
mo tin the mi nd of African
Americans.
Programmatically, Africans in
the U.S. hould vigorously eek to
develop cultural. economic, and
poluical linkage with Africa, the
Caribbean and people of African de­
scent in Central America, South
America. Canada, Europe and el e-
where. .
Private programs which provide
technical a si tance and material
support educational: and economic
development projects in Africa
should be een as a major priority,
however.
Inspire of our many problems in
the U.S., African Americans are
among the most technicall y en­
dowed and skilled Africans in the
world.
CURR l NTLY, U.S. aid to
Africa amounts to about $1.00 per
African citizen. Meanwhile aid to
Israel amounts 'bout 1.000 per
Israeli cit' ten. The vast di crepancy
betw aid to I racl and aid to
Africa is a function or our lack of
consciousne s and commitment and
the failure to u e our own potential
political muscle to support Africa.
African Americans must force­
fully demand rna ive increases in
economic aid and technical assis­
tance to individual African nations
and regional economic coalition
and alliance .
No one else will prioritize the
liberation and development of Africa
BLACK CHURCHES,
sororities, fraternities, civic associa-
1992 Re
I
,_
r
I
By Dr. Chari W. Faulkn
"Dear Dr. Faulkner:
Supreme Court J�tice Ctarerce
Tbomas and Anita Hill med in­
tentondestroyingeachother. Could
you please give an analysis of what's
happening between Black men aOO
women? I am so confused that 1
don't even koow how to interact
with my own wife. Mr. G., Boston."
Dear Mr. 0.:
Here is what seems to be becom­
ing a typical scenario of Black male­
female interaction. It is not very
pretty, so if your behavior resembles
anything that occurs below, you
hould immediately reverse it, if you
expect your friend, spouse or ac­
quaintance to be happy. If helshe is
'oot ppy, they will not make you
happy. Th\.6, you would be respon­
ible for your own unhappiness,
even though you might blame it on
the other person.
Most relationships begin on
mething of an upbeat Both in­
dividuals actually like each other,
initially. But after being arourd
each other for a period of time,
something distatcful bappers, espe­
cially if one or both of the in­
dividuals harbors deep-seated
feelings of personal inadequacy or
Irsecuriry (and, if you are Black,
living in America can create a
wealth of personal insecurity).
"I feel so angry right now that I
don't like anybody, not even my
partner. I rally don't care whose
feelings I hurt. In fact, it would
, make me feel good to have an op­
portunity to get into a good argu-
ment and make m body feel bad.
Right now, I have a need to attack
somebody, and I don't care who it
is."
THE ABOVE PEECH is
often so deeply imbedded in the
psycbe that the individual doe n't
know that he/: h is making such a
speech. But it is the beginning of a
downward spiral in the relationship,
especially if the two individuals are
married.
TIle filSt person who comes into
contact with the victimized, angry
individual is likely to be the first
casualty, the first target. th first
psychological punching bag, the
first opportunity for the ngry in­
dividual to get ncr of his/her anger.
If the poise happem to be at home
when the anger surfaces, so be it!
"You didn't put your shoes in the
closet. You left your socks on the
chair. 1 don't like the way you made
the bed this morning. Every time
you do anything you screw it up and
just make more work for everybody .
I'm getting damn sick of you. You
had better get your act together or 1
am going to make your life
miserable."
For most people, this is the
beginning of hell, unless they ta�
immedia steps to rechannel their
'friend sanger.
Next week's column: How to
save a troubled relationship.
Dr. FaUlkner's new address is:
P.O. Box 22219. Sacramento, CA
95822
olution:
liThe movement"
Revive
in the U.
-
, -
The new year 1992 offers yet BE IT THEREFO� resolved
another opportunity for all persons 'that we, together with you, will work
commi tted to justice and freedom to . harder than ever before over the next
rebuild and revive the progressive 12 months to rescue the United
"movement" for social Change in the States from the historic clutches of
United States. 1991 was the year of racial discrimination and
profound changes in many regions of exploitation by reviving the justice
the world from the former Soviet and freedom movement in every
Union to racist apartheid South community in the nation.
Africa. It is unfortunate that many of the
But here inside the Uni ted States announced candidates for President, ,
'of America, there are many in places both Democratic and Republican,
of high political power, from the have cho en campaign logans like:
White House to governor's "America First" or "America Only."
mansions, who remain determined to It is a if politicans believe that the
prevent thi nation from achieving way to get elected in 1992 i to
the kind of fundamental social engage the nation in a new round of
transformation necessary to myth-making by blaming "others"
eliminate racism and economic for the sad state of the domestic
exploitation. economy.
We have witnessed in many Yes, God has blessed America,
communities throughout the nation a but shouting "America Perfect" is a
growing "grassroots demand for myth and another attempt to submit
justice and empowerment. This is to a dangerous form of national
good news for "movement building." elf-Idolatry.
History teaches us, however, that Even though it was watered down
effective movement for social to the extreme in terms of
change, particularly in a nation that compromi es , the successful
denies its deep-rooted racial enactment of the Civil Rights Act of
inequity, do not occur through the 1991 over strong opposition from the
mere coincidence of popular or White House should be viewed a
minority outrage. An effective victory for the cause ofsocialjusuce,
ocial justice movement has to be This past year is a good example
organized, buil r, nurtured, and of "one tep forward amidst a strive
consistently revived with new vi ion of taking two teps backward." The
and leadership. important point i that it i till
po ible to wage an effective
)}
struggle .... but it takes organization
and mobilization; most importantly
it takes persistence even in the face
of formidable odds.
FOR ALL OF these reasons we
believe that 1992 becomes a pivotal
year beyond the election of the
President. We need to indicate to
ourselves and to the world
community that the just social
transformation of this society is not
only possible but absolutely
necessary.
We recently caught a glimpse of
this potential in the current efforts to
build an "environmental ju tice
movement" as a.
mul tiracial/mul ticul trual grassroots
effort to Challenge environmental
racism and injustice.
An important factor in reviving
the struggle here will be the
leadership role and participation of
young people who arc tudents or
communi ty activists. We have
received numerous inquirie from
youth leader who want to be
involved and committed to
challenging the various forms of
injusti in their commUDiti •
THE GE IUS of the
"movement" of the 1960's how
it opened up and allowed ma
participation by youth and tuden .
do DOt believe t tbe current
.A.
BENJAMIN
CHAVIS
CIVIL
RIGHTS
generation of young people are the '
so-called "lost generation." There I
are literally millions of young,
persons in the nation who would like :
to be in the "movement" of today if '
given tbe-opportunity to join.
We intend to give greater ·
emphasis this year to the emergence
of some of the new youthful voices ;
that are at the cutting edge of saying I
no to oppression. The reality is that
there is ample room for all of tho e
that desire to be involved in the
truggle no matter what age'
category.
We, therefore, begin the new year
with ense of optimism and
l'UEKlIlIibllity. Whether or not there
is to be revival of the "movement" :
in 1992 ill be dependent upon hat'
we together do, what we together
tolerate, and what we together.
demand.