Miooriti will collectively
make up j t under half of the
nation' popul tion by 2050,
predi the United Sta Cen-
Bureau, Th Bureau ys
that non-Hispanic whit will
d to 53 percent of the
population, down from 75 per­
cent today.
By 2050, the projected
population of 383 million
would be 21 percent Hispanic,
15 percent Blac 10 percent
Asian, and 1 percent Native
American.
Howard University' Ron
Walters attributes the possible
results of the shift in one of the
following: '
-Helghtened racial ten­
ionS as economic fortunes
decline.
-More middle cia s
minorities, changing the
tereotypes on which racism is
based.
-A three-tiered class struc­
ture with whites at the top,
HispaniCS and Asians in the
middle, and Blacks at the bot­
tom.
Together, minorities already
form majorities in 51 big cities.
Reteaching children the lessons of life
yTUR KATURK
"When we got hOI from chool;
we had to give my mother a report on
what we learned that day. Then he
would reteach us the correct way and,
sometimes, go up to the school and tell
them they weren't teaching the truth.
They (the chools) had a hard tune
dtulling with hue "
• Wi ord Uttle h
; now it iscl
TIll T TISTIC L RISE i
the main n why Conter and Po -
aint, who al 0 co-authored Bl c
Child Care 20 years ago, felt the need
to reemerge with n w book. The
conditions of raci m are worst today,
Po int ys.
There' no q tion that education
begins in the home. And with the
awareness of African-American i 'ues
growing, taking hold of that respon-
iblity has become a must.
"My mother would have re d the
newspaper to her while she ironed,
yin lh t Bl c
parents need to mak kids aware that
being Black i not th problem. "There
. not om thing wrong with th child.
There i omething wrong with th
bigots.".
And with the prevalent i ue of
police brutality If cting young Black
mal .parental guidance i definitely
important. "Bla k male are till more
likely to be topped by police while
walking down the street."
1�1�.JHtA of
minorities on U of M
faculty difftcult
ANN ARBOR-Although
minority fa �.�JJ;"
tJnucalO ;fJtrii a rrbar.r{
'13 perce t, deans' and ad-
• mi�trato rtf �tn ') I
Michigan say recruiting and
retaining faculty of color are
getting more difficult.
Despite the increase, the per­
centage of minority faculty who
have left the University more
than doubled this year com­
pared to two years ago. Four­
teen minority faculty departed
in 1�91. One reason is that
other universities have adopted
U-M's successful strategies,
such as aggressive, individual­
ized recruiting and use of sup­
plemental funds.
TImes have changed ince Wilford
Little Shabazz, brother of famed
revolutionary Malcolm X (El Hajj
Malik Shabazz for the intellectually
aware), but only slightly. Black
parents in America still have a much
wider river to cross th8n white paren
considering the European-based cur­
riculum that prevails in the school sys­
tem increasing the need for strong
African-American parents.
One of the main responsibiliti of
African-American parents as well
other minorities is to reteach their
children the truth that is not obvious in
society.
AKA headquarters' value surpasses $6 million
Detroit Black seelal
success with
. ker company
DRTRorr-One of the
nation's newest and fastest
growing sneaker firms is MVP
Footwear, Inc. headed by 35-
year-old Harold Martin, the first
Black manufacturer in the foot­
wear industry. Martin says his
marketing niche is to "create
team licensed shoes to foster
SCOOoI spirit and pride and put
African-Americans in control."
Stores such as J.C. Penny's
and Footlocker have agreed to
carry the MVP line. Martin
started his company in 1989.
White rule in SoUth
Africa to end
JOHAN�uRG-The
president of South Africa's
white minority government last
week unveiled a plan for multi­
racial election in 1994 which
would bring an end to white rule
in the majority Black country.
But the country's principle
Black political organization­
the African National Congress
(ANC}-immediately declared
the government's proposal "to­
tally unacceptable".
ANC pokesman, Cyril
Ramaphosa id, "The ANC
wants elecfions in 1993." In
fact, Ramphosa was critical of
President F.W. de Klerk for
even i uing a time-table for
democratic elections without
first consulting the repre-
entative of the Black
majority.
Meanwhile, a debate con­
tinues to rage within the ANC
abow. the compo�tion of the
new multi-racial government.
SIX MILLION PLUS Alpha Kappa Alpha officials are all smiles following the completion of a
19,OOO-square-foot addition to its corporate offices, now valued at more than $6 million.
. Dr. Mary Shy Scott, international president (foreground), Dr. Eva Evans, first vice-president (center),
and Mrs. Allison Harris Alexander, executive director (back), were among the AKA officials,
Chicago, IL--In the midst of a
recession, a Black women's group's
resolve to expand its humane services
has resulted in a 19,I44-square-foot­
addition to its corporate offices, in­
creasing the value to S6 million plus.
Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the
nation's oldest Black Greek-letter
service group, showed off its third
floor �dition during an open house
held there recently.
AKA provides services to com­
munities via. a network of more than
850 chapters, and "The addition will
provide re space for program
resource packaging and distribution,
thereby enablingstatI members to get
vital resources to the chapters in a
more timely manner so that our chap-
ters can better serve their com­
munities, said AKA international
president Dr. Mary Shy Scott of At­
lanta, GA.
The original two floors for the
state of the art building, located
across from Chicago's historic
Museum of Science and Industry,
were completed in 1?84.
DNR urged to protect
minority communities
Th A oclated Pr The De troit group is seeking a slmilar
DEI'ROrr � _ A group of Detroit office from the DNR at the level.
activis ys the Michigan Depart- In I meeting two ka with
ment of Natural Resources smuld tab the 'DNR, the ll-member group
a cue and pay for more miDority birlD& in the
aw���l"�'w"�u._¥-d'bDl .. ���tO��D.
on Mie hipn mtnorfti ; beller bUb
arnil1gs for people who eat fiahl
The group recently met with DNR caught in the Detroit River: a Ibare of
Director Roland Harmes and Deputy' federal Superfund money 'to remove
Director Mindy Koch. It said the DNR lead�ntaminate d soil and paint from
soould put an office in Detroit, in- Michfgan; and better enforcemc:ot of
te�te all-wh ite key regulatory com- air pollution regulation! for Detroit.
nu IOns and appoint a lOp-level liaison
for minority communid •
Little told her children to
al w tch for the one t
most human and when they q tion
you, t I to him. t one, he ld,
will probably m e the othe bac 0
"And," Shabazz id, "it orked m t
of the time."
Comer fee that paren need to
giv their children the lls to avoid
difficulti -dru ,police, anybody
that is a detriment Self teem and
If-re pect are sure fire ways to ch
how to deal with ituatio ,
Comer ys.
The Little household w taught
that I en very early. With a Gar­
v yite father and racially proud mother
in the 1�, the Uttle children were
remarkably proud and oblivio 10 the
stereotypes African-Americans face.
"WE NEVER LOOKED
DOWN at our feet or bed our
heads when talking to white people. In
fact, we'd look them dead in the eye
and for that they toought we were
crazy," Shabazz laugm.
"The fact that Mr. Hannes came to
the meeting w a tart, " said Barbara
Perkins, a representative of the Detroit
group.
Recent national studies have bown
that minority oommunltiea are more
likely to have incinerators or toxic
waste dumps than mainly white com­
munities ofthc same income level.
"HISTORICAlLY, THE DNR
hasn't necessarily focused on wban is­
sues related to the eftViromnent,"
Koch said. ":rb.ose issues are new to us.
They should n't be, but they are."
Although the ve c
i� the rearing of the Uttle children,
their paren ' relevant
y it then. In Comer
followed . trategy in his home.
"Our kids used to y we were
beea e Wonied about . 0
race, when they didn't prob em.
We told them they would face it, and
the conditio they created it. Later,
when they did, they were ready."
Another common theme to :
be the fng of intern nee - .',
capon gainst racism. I
"My motber esed to y:Youcan't
force, beca e they've got that and
a whol lot more than you too. You've
got to be intelligent. You've go to
flgure out an intelligent y 10 get out
of the ituation. 1bcy're waiting for
you to use force beea that way they
can hoot you and justify it be yin&
'That ni r went crazy.' Intelligence
. the key," Shabazz d.
The uthors address more than
1,CXXl questions regarding racism in
Raising Black Children that should d
paren .
more upportive of the business com­
munity," Studley said.
I don't think that's swprising when
you look at some of the individuals and
interest groups that are oonstituents of
the Democratic Party," he said men­
tioning organized labor an example.
Studley said the biggest challenge
the MCC now faces in the Democratic­
controlled House is the inability to
bring issues outof committee and to the
floor of the House for a vote.
Kalman Smith, senior political ad­
viser to Republican Leader Rep. Paul
Hillegonds, R-Holland, a.id the
deliberate opposition te manybills has
occurred because Democrats have
declared war on Gov. John Engler and
the legislation he supports.
Smith said with a deadlocked
House, the Republicans would have the
philosophical majority because there
are many Democrats who want to p
legislation and are willing to vote with
Republicans to do it.
"WHAT WE HAVE found over "WE'RE REALLY excited,"
the years' that often members of the Smith ide "Representative Hil-
Republican Party have been somewhat legorxls very optimistic."
MCC Director of Government
Relations Nancy McKeague cited an
example she said occurred this urn­
mer.
McKeague said the Chamber's at­
tempt to pass the package of Senate
Bills 413 and 414 related to medical
liability reform were upported by 13
Democrats, but failed in the House be­
cause House Speaker Lewis Dodak,
,D-Montrose, disapproved and
J¢iciary Committee Chairman Perry
Bullard, D-Ann Arbor, wouldn't
schedule them for a hearing.
The MCC failed by two votes in an
attempt to discharge the bills from
oommittee, with Only one Democrat
voting against the party leadership Me­
Keague said.
"It was clear there that there was a
philosop ical majority th t the
Democratic leadership j t t on in
order to accomplish their agenda, " Mc­
Keague said. "SO at 55-55, it's much
harder for a Republican or Democratic
leader to have a personal agenda that'
in conflict with the rest of the caucus."
"IT WAS A VERY good meet­
ing," Koch said. "We've ked them
to give something � writing '10
together we can work up an agenda for
a follow-up meeti 08."
Koch said she already had been
considering establishing a DNR office
in Detroit. But she said It would dupli.
cate federal efforts if the stue studied
th e effects of environmaUaJ polfdea
on'minorities •.
Community leadcll were hopeful
after the meeting.
"We've been disappoimcd • lot
before" with the resul of such pUlbea .
for DNR action, Perkins said. "But I
won't be prejudiced by put perfor-
maece.' ,
The U.S. Environmental Protection "I think there's a posslbWty that
Agency has established on office something will come of the mcetiDg,"
charged with getting rid of any racial said Lawton Jaclcson of the Detroit of­
inequides in environmental regulation.. flee of Cean Water Adion.
REP. LYNN JONDAHL, D­
OkelOOS, said the Senate's pauage of
the health care padcage "a political
statement," not seriously meant for
House approval. .
Jondahl said � bills bad problen
Chamber drooling qv r Oem, drop in Hou ........ .-
in how . patients would be covered and
who would pay for the coverage.
"It', relatively easy for the
Republicans to get upport from the
Ownber of ColJllDerce for whatever
they propose," Johdahl d.
By NICHOLAS M. COQUILLARD
c.pIY' New. SMIle.
lANSING-Michigan Cwnber of
. Commerce officials are licking their
lips they see the apparent 55-55 state
House deadlock next year improve
their chances of passing bills they sup-
�rt.
The MCC two-thirds comprised of
small business owners, believes a plit
House or a Republican majority would
end a long eries of Democratic-led
"log jamming" efforts. of bills they've
sponsored, said Rich K. Studley, MCC
, vice president of government relations.
Studley said there is a philosophical
majority in the House 9f moderate-to­
conservative Democrats and
Republicans who are willing to tackle
tough economic issues.
Studley said some Democrats up­
ported recent property tax relief and
medical liability reform efforts, only to
be stymied by Democratic leadership.