Today later, in a W n, D.C. conference of abc Raimow Q)alition Cinton decided m bow up, but to give J Jackson and rap Inger ter Souljah the second in a ries 0( laps at Black America. At the end of the peech to Jac n's group Cinton Said: "You had a rap inger here last night named Sister Souljah. HER COMMENTS before and after Las Angeles were filed with the kind of hatred that you do rot boror today and tonight, J t listen to this that she said: 'If Black people kill Black people every day, why rot have a wee am kill white people?" "If you took the words, "white" and "Black" and �\'Crsed them, you might think that David Duke was giving that speech." Souljah, n E ic Remrding star w avowed ion is to "uni Afri , youth throughout the world" had no comment regarding ainlOn's statement. , The Baltimorerreeting of the Black Press attracted over 150 Black publishers, as well as: ex­ ecutives from Corporate America; Black organizational leaders uch as Ben Hooks of the NAACP; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack ' Kemp; filmmaker Spike Lee; Arthur Ashe; candidate Leoora Fulani and Ebony Executive Editor Lerone Bennet. Another major Democrat, Representative Daniel Blue, the only' Black, Speaker of the Home, from North Carolina was a oonfe�nce participant. Karen Ne\yton, a member of a Black press family spawning three generations, said the NNP A gro� should consider the im­ pact of their "backhanded emor­ aement of President Bush" by 'the oondemnatation of Ointon for not bowing, President George Bush did respond to an invitation from the po�. He, along with H. Ross Perot, had other prior commit- ,men . ,Many of t� nation's Black publishers are long-time Republican backers. JANE WOODS of the SL LDuis Sentinal, Portia Scott of tbeAtlanta Daily World and Las . Angelea Herald Dispatch pub­ lither John Holomon where at the oonterence, but have exten­ live oontacts with Bmh and the RepubUcans. BUI Grath a lead­ Ina board member, who heads abc aucago Otizen Newspaper Group, was openly upportive of PelOt. The alight of the Black Press and Jac1cson' Rainbow Coali­ tion created much national media attention. African­ Amerk:an Wall Street Journal joutDaUIt, Michelle McQueen IIId c1 the incidents on CBS' "Flee the Nation, " "Itshows that Clinton a new trategytt for Black \'Oters. McQueen also discussed the ·probability" that Clinton's apecific rebuff of Jackson abo cd "a lack of concern" about the impact of the Rainbow CoIUtion on the national elec­ doni. BUSINESS 'FINANCE OPINION reeommen "0 PEOPL depending on their cognitive tyl , have a hard time picking out da from b r nd li graphs," he aid. a result of her tudy, Brown II Iping h African-American -workfore By NORMAN HILL MEMPHIS, TN - In early April, the Labor Department released a major report on America's workforce that highlights a growing problem within our economy. The report was issued by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Neces- ary Skills SC Sandi Arne C8 to e ncreas ng y re n1 on ·Ued se , also argues forcefully that we are not adequately supporting the train­ ing that is so crucial to those ser­ vices. II determined that businesse will in­ creasingly require solid com­ munications skills. HOW DOES THIS affect African-Americans? First, it is clear that low-skilled positions are rapidly losing ground in America's economy. Thus, now more than • tal that Americans in . ral, and African-Americans especially, take advantage of solid job-training opportunities. Second, given the $400 billion Federal budget deficit, it is also clear that a massive new Federal training pro­ gram is not in the cards. Entrants into America's workforce, including large number of African-Americans, must tum somewhere else for opportunity. The best answer, I believe, is the private sector. I have 'long believed that the best job training program is, -in fact, a job. Many entry-level positions, while not exactly glamourous, do teach invaluable skills. That's why I have taken to calling them "genesis jobs," since they are not an end, but a beginning. They com­ prise an enormous job-training pro­ gram that dwarfs anything the Federal government could put together, even if it had the money. In particular, on the same day the SCANS report was issued, the Washington-based Employment Policies Institute released an inde­ pendent poll of present and former tipped emplcyee .. By overwhelm­ ing mejortties, these individuals, all of whom worked in hotels or res­ taurants, said that in tho e positions they learned such crucial skills as problem-solving, customer satis­ faction, and communication with others. NORMAN HILL As an American, I am concerned by this trend. As 'an African­ American, I am doubly fearful, be­ cause .many Americans, of all races, come from poor or lower-middle class areas where schools are not good and learning opportunitie are few. In these cases, the workplace is the one area that promises to teach skills they need to pull them­ selves upwards, If skill-training positions are not plentiful, these aspiring employees' attempts to im­ prove themselves are vastly more difficult. The Labor Department study identified several attributes which any employee, regardless of station, who wants to be productive, must master. Those qualities include the ' ability to acquire information and evaluate it critically; the bility to work with others; a comprehension of technology; and an under­ standing of how to allocate man- . power and materials to solve a given problem. In a larger ense, underlying these qualities are some very basic ideas, also noted in the SCANS report, of what constitutes profes­ sional service. Basic school skills (the three R's) are vital, as are the requirements of integrity, creativity and responsibility. In particular, given America's tum toward er­ vice industries, the Commi sion ALL OF these are attributes the Commission identified as essential to becoming a productive employee. As someone who bas been in­ volved in the restaurant industry over many years, I can atte t that tipped employment positions are excellent proving grounds, espe­ cially for receat entrants in the workforce. African-Americans especiall y can USe the e jobs as training se ions to learn the com­ plexities of the workplace. From there, a wealth of opportunity will open up once they acquire marketable skill . Above all, we should remember that there is no magic bullet. Solid, entry-level experience - these genesis jobs - and the education carried with it are together our best road to pro perity. For African­ Americans in particular, it is a road to a more productive future. Spike Lee econd from right telle th Nationai Newepap r Publish rs A.soclatlon (NNPA) that Black pubilcatlon. would receive paid advertt Ing for the promotion of hlelateat movie. ·Malcolm X.· 'Wlth Le at the NNPA'. 52nd Convention are from left. Rev. Frank Reid III. Pastor, Bethel A.M.E.' Zion Church: Betty Shine, P p i-Cola Company: and Sonny Me. lah-Jlle •• Publl.her, Houston Defender. Motion picture distributor generally end the Black pre new and photo r I a e • . hoping for free publicity, butth distributor have been reluctantto uee paid advertising to promote their film • During a spirited ermon, Reid told delegatee representing 205 publications that reach mor than 11-million reader that Black publisher hould use their new papers to communicate to the African American community the Importance of contrOlling Its own economic d tiny. Need Information about Businesses? Call the Business INFOLINE! There are over 9 million businesses in the U.S. - and finding information about them can be virtually impossible, especially when you need it fast. But now there's a way ... a revolutionary new service called Business lNEQUNEJ Need to know the address and phone number for .XYZ Company· somewhere In Florida. or the name and phone number of a ·Cadillac Dealer- In Palm Beach? Even telephone company directory assitance can't help you in these situatlons ... but we cant . 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