One of the
colum ttl
(1 )
Dr. Bill Cosby. It titled
"Dr. Bill Cosby: The
Educator's Educator." Let me
no that before
and ifem their$20
million gift to Spelman Col
le .
The purpose of this two
part column . to in display
lOme of my 1988 commen
(vel'b tim for the most part)
aDd to put 0 the table the
�tion that this man, his
family, and the greater higher
education community m y be
tined to wed (i.e., Cosby
College):
A new generation of young
people "discovered" Dr.
eo by (doctorate from the
University of chusetts)
because of the success of his
'IV series.
There seems to be little
question that the Huxtable
family is okay with them. It is
also safe to y that the Hux
table family for the time being
is welcome in the hom and
neighborhood throughout
America.
ith P denti c et 0
Ointon-Gore, the Democra have
nomin ted the mo t co ervative
didat for national 0 ce in over
40 years.
Clinton is gambling that white
blue collar workers and Southerners
who cast ballo for Reagan will
return to the Demoaatic Party.
By cynically distancing himself
from Jesse J ckson, he is making a
deliberate point to appeal to whites
who oppo e ffilDlative action. Yet
only day fter the Democr tic
n lion I convention,
African-American 0 ficial are
already telling Black constituents
that we have "no choice" except to
embrace the Arkansas governor.
Now, more than ever, it is
important for Black Americans to
have clear blueprint for what
constitute "progres ive Black
poll tics," a set of values which
bauld inform our behavior in the
political arena.
INSTEAD OF
CHAMPIONING Clinton's "new
conservatism," we need to clarify
and to reassert an agenda which trul y
advances our own interests.
A Black progressive blueprint for
politic should fir t include a
cntici m of the destructiveness of
corporate capitalism.
We need to address the current
VIEWS/OPINIONS
urban c . i, e proble 0 th
c re, in dequ te hou ing,
unemployment nd hunger, by
fund ment I re tructuring of
America' economic system.
We need ma ive nation I
inve tment policy to rebuild the
economic and social infrastructure,
establi hing initiative for
cooper tive and mall
entrepreneurs in the central cities.
Our vi ion of economics for Blac
liberation must include the principle
of a job or guaranteed income
basic human right.
We need to go beyond the flawed
limitations of Keynesian economics
and the ill u ion of Black
Capitalism. .
SECO D, BLAC
progressivism hould mean a strong
commitment to the principle of
democracy. We mu t make
African-American leadership more
responsive and responsible to the
Black community.
Fighting to expand the options
and electoral choices for
African-American people is a central
part of political democracy.
But democracy is also an
approach toward leadeIShip, and our
relationships between each other.
We need to nurture a style of
politics which is nonauthoritarian
and anti-heirarchical.
, progre ive BI ck
perspective m t be internationalist.
Th end of th Cold ar revalidat
.B.B. Du Boi' prediction of
POL T C L 190O-that the "problem of the
hould reflect entieth century' the problem of
greater gender balance and the full th color lin _
rep entation of women t the top We are inevitably part of the new
leadership level of all group . configuration of the North-South
We must place greater pecific truggle. We need progres Ive
emph is on i u which pe to Blac voice to ch Ilenge Bush'
the oppression of African-American ew World Order, and to p ure
women: the violence gainst Blac . African-American leaders to pursue
women uch as rape and pouse more consi tently progre sive
abuse, exist di crimination at places posi tion on foreign policy sue.
of employment, legal restrictions on We need to make direct linkages
the right of choice, and so forth. to democratic protest movements
Fourth, a progre sive Blac throughout Africa, Brazil, the
agenda should be explicitly" Caribbean, and the entire Black
antiracist." That i , it should, world.
emphasize the necessity to dismantle . � Finally, progressive Black
the institution of white raci m politi hould explicitly reject the
throughout the U.S. and the world. implistic trategy of a long-term
We must be in the forefront of the alliance with the Democrats, in favor
anti-apartheid truggle, and make of a more flexible "inslde-outside"
the linkages between our movement re ponse to politics, supporting
and the Black formations arising progressives inside the party while
today in England and throughout working toward a genuinely
Europe. independent movement ou ide the
An antiracist perspective includes party.
challenging the criminal justice We need fairer ballot ecess for
system for its perpetuation of third party candidates, eliminating
institutional racism, fighting against unreason ble restrictious uch
II
Q
- HELP SOPPORT
6IACK
OSIN�SS
\ :-
J/:
-.....;
STUDENTS PLAN their
study se ions around it Col
lege Pan African Student
Unions adjourn their
Thursday night meetings at
fifteen minutes before the
hour.
Neither one of these ex
ample particularly pleases
educators, but are mentioned
to show in a small way what
Cosby means to studen , and .
sbicnts of Afrtcalt1!tscent in
particular.
I enjoy Bill Co by's
humor, theatrics and wisdom.
He is a teacher and gentleman
of the first order. I am not,
however, of the opinion that
his show will break down sig
nificant cultural barriers. But
then, Cosby never said he
would.
Nor do I believe that the
success of his how will open
a Significant number of doors
for other (multi-cultural)
entertainers.
Historically, European
(white) America has �d a
tendency to isolate "chosen
and safe" multi-cultural
("minority") prime movers
from their cultural bases.
IN THE PROCESS of
elevating a Bill Cosby, the
remaining members maintain
the impersonal status of
"them." Cosby and other per
ceived safe personalities are
considered different and not
a troublesome as those
others.
Sometimes those who. are
initially labeled "chosen and
safe" by European standards
fan from good graces and
return to the "them" column.
One example was Paul
.Robeson, the late actor and
athlete.
I am not ying that Cosby
is safe or that be is no longer
connected to his cultural base.
He is a veteran, a winner and
positive role model. In fact,
the consensus is that Bill
Cosby is a uper African
father.
HOWEVER, WHAT I
m saying is that cultural
biases dictate our pleasures
and displeasures.
African Americans, col
lectively, watch the show and
feel a bond. Many European
Americans watch the show
and see the Huxtables as being
safe, harmless and different
from those other African
America�. Yes, this is' 1988.
HILTON: HIGHER
EDUCAlTON is desigMd to
dialogu« with college and
world readers. Education is
ongoing and certainly not
limited to clas room study.
Let's talk: (714) 899-0650.
I
I
\
�
YO' HOMEY ... I THINK YOU COULD USE A CATCHIER SLOGAN.
olin
Quayle to resign from the GOP
ticket They said he has become the
laughing stock of the nation.
WITH BUSH's popularity low
and Quayle's image so poor,
Republican bigwigs are wondering
how best to replace Quayle.
However, if Bush were to dump
Quayle and get Powell to join him,
the GOP Convention almost
certainly would approve Powell.
Conservatives and gung-ho
patriots adore military heroes as
evidenced by the populari ty of
Presidents George washington, U.S.
Grant, Teddy Roo evelt, and Dwight
Ei enhower.
But what hould Black voters do?
They would see avowed advocates
of civil rights and affirmative action
heading the Democratic ticket while
on the Republican ticket would be a
highly competent Black man who if
elected would be one heart beat way
from the Presidency.
uayl
Several factors must be
considered:
- Bush would continue his
anti-civil rights and anti-affirmative
action policies and Powell would
Simply preside over the Senate and
be a well-liked figurehead and lure
for Black people to rejoin the
Repulbicans.
- At the end of the four-year
Bush term, Powell would be a strong
contender for the GOP nomination if
his poli tical savy were as effective as
hi mill tary and administrative savy
while with Reagan and Bus1l.
- Powell is compared to
Eisenhower. He and Ike arc notable
for their engaging personalities,
knowledge of mili tary tactics,
mental flexibility, readiness for new
ideas, leadership qualities and ability
to get things done. Powell is the
uthor of mili tary writings used now
in the services.
- If Powell were on the GOP
ticket, Clinton and Gore would do
By JAMES E. ALSBROOK
For which national political ticket
should Black people vote if George
Bush were to "dump" Dan Quayle
and replace him with Gen. Colin
Powell?
Many Blacks would be in a
quandary, for they would have to
consider many conflicting factors.
The Powell issue i "hot" because
Dan Quayle is under fire from many
quarters despite Bush's' tatement
that Quayle will be his 1992 running
mate.
George Will, the conservative
mouthpiece who has oppo ed civil
rights law and attac ed Blacks
repeatedly, proposed on national
television that the Republicans shift
from Quayle to Powell because of
Powell's popularity among bigwigs,
his competence, diplomacy and
personality.
The Chicago Tribune sugges ted
editorially that Quayle be replaced
and orne Republicans are calling for
one of two things. They could
emphasize more strongly their
appeals to. Black voters, so as to
offset the appealof Powell; or they
could become more conservative,
reverse the present Democratic trend
and thereby try to appeal to the same
voters that liked Nixon, Reagan and
Bush.
IF CLINTON and Gore won,
would they know how to help
Blacks? If Bush and Powell won,
nothing meaningful would be done
to aid the cities and their people
unless another Lo Angeles-type riot
occurred.
Then, the co ts in racial discord,
billions of dollars, international
embarrassment and world prestige
might persuade conservatives and
white upremacists (including ome
Blacks) that the national interest
required a type of "Marshall Plan"
Whitney Young advocated long ago.
The Planners must understand
e ce ive ign lure requirements
and llot maintenance rul. e
need to incre e effort for
African-American voter edu tion
and regi tration, bringing into the
electoral process millions of new
vote.
" ticket of
Clinton nd Gore i certainly
preferable to the opotion presented
by the race-baiting B h and idiotic
Q yle.
But hat' more important is to
be clear about what e land for, and
what we want African-American
people.
Dr. Manning Marable i
Pro r of Political Science and
History, University of Colorado,
Boulder. "Along the Color Line"
ppeara m over SO radio stations
internationally.
READERS
WRITE
Joe.ph R. Bid n, Jr.
Chairman
S nate ay
It I eh eking
out Smletanka
EDITOR:
The follOwing letter was
sent to Kenneth Snodgrass,
Detroit, in response to a letter
ICIlt bySDOd king tbc'�
Judiciary Committee to in
vestigate the Jury tampering
charges in the Maurice Carter
Cue. Snodgrass wishes to
share the letter with our
readell.
Thank you for your letter
regarding the nomination of
John Smietanka to be a
United State Cireuit Judge
for the Sixth Cireui t.
The Judiciary Committee
received President Bush's
nomination of Mr. Smietanka
on January 27, 1992, and is
presently conducting its own
investigation. As it does with
all nominees, the committee
will thoroughly examine Mr.
Smietanka's record and
qualifications.
Again, thank you for your
letter. As the committee.
review thi nomination, I
will certainly take your con
cerns into consideration.
(A) that we cannot reclaim the cities
until we reclaim the people living in
the cities, and (B) that the doctor
cannot cure the patient until the
illness is diagnosed a d a good
remedy is found.
-'The Sickness of the inner ci ties
is the same that aftllcts me and other
Blacks. Like cult victims, Blacks
have been psychologically damaged
and brainw bed by slavery and i
consequences - programmed for
dependence; frustration and failure.
In varying degrees, our hope,
dignity, confidence and values were
destroyed.
-The remedy is a good program
to rebuild cities, to rebuild Black
people in the cities and to revive the
hope and dignity that slavery
smothered.
Billion pent could change
human liabilities into human assets
and return more billion in
production and radal harmony.