VIEWS,OPINIONS
een e cl udent. " te
emocraucParty ouldn'tallo me
to particip beca 0 dn't p y
ir bounty fee," he e I 'ned. "I
wpri tN'
udien . I d r met
before. Se tor J y oc feller,
e tin tb e nt, ordered
police to drag me out But,
to the upport of the udie
re both ted.
"I tood my ground,
he ," Agran continued. "We
tru e to ether in e hire.
So hen it coming to a cl ,I
'd to he ,'Wbatabout e York1
I i po ible for you to help? She
'd Y • And r people tood out in
the cold to put me on the ballot They
are human beinp. I didn't Y them.
__ .' I reached out to them. I wouldn't be
here tonight but for Dr. Fulani. It's
been proud and productive
rel tionship, and I 100 forward to
more con tructive activities
together. I understand that the ew
Alliance Party i controversial. But
ome honest dialogue would be help
ful."
But bonest dialogue was not to be
had. Hulbert Jam ,di regarding the
evening' agenda, chimed in, You
ay you've never met Dr. Fulani until
Maine [he meant ew Hampshire] "
he'd to Larry Agranheatedly. !lBut :
we've lived with Dr. Fulani in New '
York. She' runnationally.She'srun
locally. This woman is not an un
known in the United States and in
NewYOI City. And her politics are
not advancing democracy. They're
not the politics of inclusion. Sbe
practices a policy of divisiveness, of
exclusion. I've read about you and
how you re the hiDing light in one
of those debate . But you need to
engage in a learning proce . And I
ay to you as a friend that you need
to know who your friends are. It's not
NAP. NAP is not for democracy.
, NAP has not demonstrated in New
York."
Afterward Agran informe<i
James that be did not appreci te his
smear tactics. Jame fussed and
fwDed and finally said, "I'm too
emotional to talk about this!"
Meanwhile, Hulbert James men
tor Jesse Jackson was in New Haven,
Connecticut tourting the virtues of
Bill Clinton: he told Trinity Temple
Church of Christ parishioners that
the governor "brings to the American
scene a quality of daring and leader
ship --a willingnes to take the
blows."
Jesse is mistaken. A vote for Bill
Clinton (or Jerry Brown, for that
matter) is not a smart vote. It's a
dumb vote. It's part of a dead-end
process that will lead to the destruc
tion of our people. Jesse � lost the '
right to speak for us because he bas
lost his social vision. He has iold his
poli tical soul for a mess of
Democratic P�y pottage. He's
given up his place in history for a
show on CNN.
This is indeed an American.
tragedy. '
t w Mr. J m w repre-
ulbertJam
po e t, aying
- AT THE SAM time,
ttty/we have remaired aware 0
. m, sexism am even inOOuse
d'Iarlaiam, wOO often hide behim
predominantly eurocentric
ideologies (i.e. Marxism,
flmlinism, conservatism,
�m, capitalism, political cor-
rectness). .
It is very Important to under
taOO that even these and most
ideologi or phila;ophies have
some truth or �rit in trem,
Beca\8: of that fact, we en
� tlXIentsddm to read the
,!hcorics m1 tlm apply them from
; AfricaJH:eDlered peISpedive.
I Our tr.acJas, be� with
: our tm1hcls ml fatheIs, lowd'am
:� mwmOOesure that we
: also, respeced people of all eth
'ricitics.
I
, "When you e;docate worren,
:�u educate a ration," and "the
:hafyjs thatrodcs the aadle, rules the
: nation and its destiny."
I DR. FRANCES CRESS
:Welsing states that these two
: proverb; remind \6 ofsomeament
: and impor1ant wisdom of Africa
that remairs iilvaluable 10 this day.
, According to several leading
:,African-Americansocialscientis�
, every major rroverrent originating
I from within the African com-
munity arx:t eventually impacting
tim nation ras been led by in
divid� (many women) and or
ganizations that, were culturally,
spiritually and religiously con
mded to tb: corrununity.
. Sorheofthesepeoplewereoou
cated, many were rot Tbose of \6
i,n higmr education, along with ar-
ts and performers, rarely make or
� roove� unless we meet
above rrentiored aiteria
In fact, acoording to ore leading
ych>logist, "Mait academiciam
tend 10 trail movements." AOO
when we begin to identify
filmmakers, artists and enertairers
is leaders of a movement, the
IIlOVCment then begirs to tray.
� fact most sndens and fans
rom: to realize as trey eonnme to
mature.
, It is this outer reality of educa-
tion (life) tllit a Soj urrer Truth,
Harriet Tubman or a Fannie Lou
Hamer brought 10 the movement
All were leaders. All were
visionaries. 1rere are tlx>\6aIlds
like 1Iv:m still in our communities.
fro
NAACP,
Perhaps action could begin with a
meeting of the United Negro College
Fund and the NAACP. They could
take over the project, calling for help
from the v�ry capable National
Association of Black Journalists, a
young, action-oriented and
high-minded group whose
headquarters are in Washington,
D.C.
Shaw Simpson and Bradley
already know most of the
inteviewees personally and their
credential are established.
The' journalists may want to
supply cbolarship for promising,
vitally needed, youn-g print and
electronic media students.
well-rounded, ' intellectual
competence and achievement
potential, permanent and
comprehensive records of their lives
and works must be made
immediately.
By JAMES E. ALSBROOK
Would you enjoy and benefit
from seeing the live, moving face
and hearing the actual voice of
W.E.B. Duboi? Carter G.
Woodson? Ferderick Douglass?
Booker T. Washington?
Probably so, but their living
bodies, moving faces and sounding
voices have been tilled by death.
Would you, your children, your
friends and associate enjoy and
benefit from eeing the live face
hearing the actual voice and having
a permanent record of Thurgood
Marshall reviewing his life,
explaining hi' philosophy,
uggesting options and outloo for
the future of Black people? What
about the same for John Hope
Franklin, Jesse Jackson, Ron Brown
or Tom B�adley?
These persons are commendable
"firsts" and ar alive now - but for
how long?
Because the e persons and others
reoresent todav's African-American
QUESTIONS could include
something like these:
- What is your fondest hope for
African-Americans?
- What has been the guiding
principle of your life?
- To what to you attribute your
success?
- What has been the
most-rewarding thing in your life?
� What has been the most
troublesome thing in your life?
- If you could, what would you
change about your life?
- What' ,the best advise you
have received?
- What is the best advice you
ever gave?
- In' which areas are
op�rtunities best for Black people?
10. What would you plan to do if
you were of college age?
11 .. What bright spots do you see
, THEY ARE positive role model
worthy of emulation and study in the
schools and colleges throughout
America.
One way of capturing the essence
of these good people is to have them
interviewed on videotape by
professionals like Ed Bradley,
Carole Simpson or Bernard Shaw.
The videotapes would be sold to
high chools, colleges and others
throughout the nation for perhap
$25 each and the participation of the
reporter and gue ts would be
nominal or "public ervice." The
mechanics would be handled
professionally and the benefits
would go to the United Negro
College Fund and for the
establishment of a think tank for the
1 STRONGLY encourage
rollege students to look o�ide of
� academy to tiM additional
lcadeIs woo Can provide that im
portant balance to �ir usual
absttact d8rOOm lessom.
. � of � best ways to hooor
ttae m1 milliom of oeerworren
of African descent (on tb: frOnt
lines) is to alw pmctice whit trey
prt8ClEd.
� African pelSOll8lity � alive
aOO trong, aOO so is tre haOO that
rodcs tb: cradle!
TH CORDI G sessions
cpuld consist of a biographical
introduction of the guest by the
reporter, comments on the biography
by the guest, answers to questions
already. submitted and an
open-ended di cussion.
Del timiWld t>
(714) 89)..00)0.
for young Blacks in years to come?
- What would you advise young
Black people alway to do?
- What would you advise young
Black people never to do?
. ,
, - What' is the best thing about '
being Black?
- What is the worst thing about
being Black?
- What do you hope to be the
situation of Black people in SO
years?
- What do you expect to be the
si tuation of Black people in SO
years? .
Good reporters like Bradley,
Shaw and Simpson would supply
better or additional questions. .
Believe me: Tho aDds of these
tapes will be sold to thousands of
schools, college, libraries,
busine ses and community-uplift
institutions.