r---------]
L___��-}--j-�-- ----- -- -_
People become empowered through action. They d elop a nse
of power, that they can and do make a difference. That erse i very
much lacking in the city. The leaders that call people together to erve
rubber tamp for their decisions, do no favor, move no farther
ahead.
We need leadership that will listen and seek oommunity involve­
ment in planning our way forward. Then and only then will we e
action or progress. All the money, plans, strategies and votes can't
suffice for the power of the people.
T e figh
o a.
uinier
•
Editor's Note: Tbe folJowing arti­
c1e was' written prior to President
Clinton'S withdrawl of Ms. Lani
Guinier's nome on 11runday, June 3,
1993.
From the very moment 'that, Presi­
dent Ointon nominated Attorney C.
Lani Guinier to become U.S. is­
tant Attorney General for Civil
Rights, a counter move to block her
nomination to this important position
in the US. Department of Justice w .
nchcd by right-wing extremists.
Lani Guinier i a determined,
yo gifted, African American legal
gem , who has already made ignifi­
cant contributions to advancing the
came 0 the Civil Rights Movement.
As a distinguished law prof rat
the U . ve ity of PelllBYlvania and
mey in the Civil RigbD Divi-
ionofthc U.s. Deparimentof J nee
under the Carter Admini tration,
Ouinier championed the' ues of
voting righ ,scblol desegregation,
CCI . [ustice Wlderthe law forall
peaom and communities.
VOTE 0 Guinier' nomina­
tion before the Comminee on the Ju­
diciary in the U nited States Sena .
expected very soon. Already me of
the members of the Committee on the
Judiciary, like Senator Alan Simpson,
who d' pcctc:d Professor Anita Hill
dming the Clarence Thomas confir-
. bearings, have exptascd their
intemio to give Pro cssor Guinier a
difficult time. .
Will the nation wi another na-
tionally televised attack on an ou po-
en African American woman by the
predominately European American
maI�.s. Senate Committee on the
juci"ciary1
Let be clear. We und land and
support the proc of questioning
proposed candidates for high govern­
me offices. On occasion we have
oppOsed nominees for various posi­
tio on their trac records on
civil rlgh not because of their race or
gemer.
o one to list details of the
history of racism in the United States.
No one hould have to remind our
'on 0 the role and function of race
in the everyday affairs ofour society.
It' for all thcsereasonsand more that
we are lng out now before "the
show tarts." .
WE GO 0 record 10 the fullest
upport and eooorsement 0 C. Lani
Guinier for the crucial po t of is- .
tant Attorn y Gen ral for Civil
I I
CML
RIGHTS
JOU AL
Righ .
Further we can upon the Leader­
.s ip Conference on Civil Righ , the
'NAACP, SCLC Operation Push, the
Urban League, the Congressional
Black Caucus and other national- or­
ganizations to mobilize quickly to ex­
hibit massive popular upport for this
freedom fighting law prof r and
civil righ leader.
After 12 years ofbaclcward motion
on civil rights enforcement, it would
indeed be a great tep forward to have
Guinierconfinned by the US. Senate.
But this will oot happen witOOut a
large outcry of upport. In fact,
have already seen that President Clin­
ton bas had to fight for approval of all
his recommendations, nominatio
proposals and programs.
TO GET GUI , confirmed,
the President hould oot have to fight
alone. The civil rig community
cannot afford to be i1ent on the ide­
line.
History' alway important to
note. While Guinier was working in
the Civil Rights Division of the J -
tice Department, he was the key drnf­
ter of the amicus curia brief that the
Carter Administration filed in upport
of freeing the Wilmington Ten from
"prosecutorial misconduct" and po­
litical imprisonment in orth Car0-
lina during the 197 .
In addition Prof or Guinier has
becom one of th nation' leading
scbolars on voting nghts.
In 1989 h courageo Iy wrote
" ubstantive equality hould be meas­
ured by equality in f.act._ the P
must be equal, but the rcsul m t
also reflect the effort to remedy the
effects of a century of 0 icial d' -
crimination. "
We agree with this position be­
ca e we must monitor 00w the Vot­
ing Rights Act' enforced m terms
r ul not Just by process alone.
Hl I ighr we can and
bould win, but we must roo i1ize our
co nstitu fries. By letter mai lgramm
telepbore or 10 person contract Sena­
tor Joseph Bid n of Delaware, Chair­
man of the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Senator Bid n and the other
m mbers of the commi koow that ·
there is a tremendo ground well of
upport for Lam Gwnier. Oearly, the
struggle for civil righ and human
righ rontinues.
Tbus,tobe" l-American"i gen­
erally umed not to be an Asian
American, P ific i I American,
American h¥lian, Latino, Arab
American or African American.
" To be defined "white" in tli
hierarchy' to have increased access
over otbers within the 51 ms of de­
ci ion m . ,private and public
ector authority, and intellectual
leadership.
Ironically, because of the central­
i ty of hiteness" wi thin the domi­
nant national identity of being
"American", mo t of make few
distinctions be ceo our "etbnicity"
troy race m the deJnoc..
nut!:8tiC)ll of the leadership of 0
country, 10 reflect the full spectrum
of 0 ethnic, coder am c diver­
ity. By going be nd I8Ce, C may
begin 10 recognize the common
nen�.apalDele m 'ty and CK8tivi ty of all divergent
ethnic groups wi thin our oountry.
Dr. MQlUling Marable is Profes­
sor of Political Sc:ietaa 0Nl HislDry,
UniVtD'$ity of Colorado, Boulder.
"Along 1M Color Line" appeors in
� 250 rpopers and is bT'Otltl-·
cart by IJfDI'e ... 60 radio SlQliotu
tJrrfMgItOf4tNoraAMericQ, Engltwl,
1M Caribb and 1Nli4
Lester's World
�5:�@93
Copyng t @ 993
Ker OM gn Inc. II 'ghts served
"Aw come on Bob, you know I'm not seriously genna' replace you.
, This is just 'til them uppity coloreds calm down." .
'·�/·
.- r
READERS WRITE
1 've been a long time with you my
friend,
... You've been a wonder to behold,
1 've walked a LOng time with you my
friend \
1 've shared the trauma and pleasure
you unfold.
...... 1 believe in'life everlasdng I
.. .1 believe 1 will always be,
1 believe there is a niche for me
For wi h you life, l know L'll alway
be.
M, dreams an my shortcomings ...
For m dreams are of now, not
ahead,
.. Life ... Pll be who you let me be
. . .But when will I. ... find my ead?
.. .1 've hail love and understanding._
There's been turmoil sir and 1 've b en ood, happ, and sad,
strain... I've been helpful and also re em-
Happine love and loneline too, ful.:
W�'ve ran so many emotional gam- Andalongwith thac.Ltoohavebeen
uts.: bad.
Thall wonder what next in life will :
we do? 1" d
....... ve never me to move moun-
tains
. .. 1 'l'e never diverted ri us nor
stream, .
I've alway tried to live with ou
liJfe.- �
And find with you, my disconcerted
dream.
. 1 really thought 1 knew it aU ..•
But 1 was young and not knowing
you ee,
y tomorrow were forever com-
ing
And I've yet to learn, ho to b me.
-ROVd .Fow rJr. 1 1
.. .1'U live today so that 1 may be ...
.. .sOlMthing, sonuday to someone,
But ijit's not to be, I'U understand ...
I'U liv my tomorrow as they're said
and done.
So Ufe .. Be m, guide, and too my
friend.:
As we move together dlJy by dlJy,
Let us travel on and never weary ...
..Let us continue along, OUT ven-
turesome way.