A T I 0
"
T contention that an
abusive society produces abu­
sive people and a violent society
produ violent people.
The long history of slavery,
This Week In Black History
c : () ;\ I, 1 'I' I () N
December 5-11
DECEMBER 5, 1955 - Mar­
tin Luther King Jr. organized
Birmingham bus boyrott, making
the begining of the Civil Rights
movement. 1972-1980-JeanB.
Hutson was chief of the Schom­
burg Center for Research in Black
Culture. 1941 - Richard
Wright, novelist, was awarded
Spingam Medal for writing best
selling novel, NATNE SON.
At what age did glaucoma
blind Ray Chariest
DECEMBER 6, 1870 - Col­
ored National Labor Convention
met in Washington, D.C. 1936-
Richard Francis Jone be­
came first African-American cer­
tified in urology. 1890 - There
were approximately 130 Black­
rwned newspapers were in the
U.S.
In what "cereal town" did So­
journer Truth die?
DECEMBER 7, 1966 - Wed­
ding band, by Alice Childress,
premiered at University ofMichi­
gan's Lydia Mendelssohn Thea­
ter featuring Ruby D , Mo
Gunn and Abbey Lincoln. 1967
- TM Great Whifl! Hope, starting
Jam Earl Jon ,opened at
the Arena Stage, Washington,
D.C. 1920 - At its peak, the news­
paper Chicago Defender claimed
a circulation of 283,571. 1865 -
Thirteenth Amendment prohibit­
ing slavery was ratified. 1985 -
Auburn University running back
Bo Jackson won the Heisman
Trophy.
Wlw was the only Black mem­
berr of the "Edison Pioneers"?
DECEMBER 8, 1925 -
my Davi Jr. w born.
What was Ethel Waters' nick­
name?
DECEMBER 9, 1872-P.B .
Pincbback, first Black governor
in U:S. was elected in Louisiana.
1984 - Eric Dickerson broke
O.J. Sim peon' record for single­
season rushing yards with 2,105
yards,in 16 games. 1910-1920-
During the "Great Migration"
about one half million Blacks left
the South for the North and West.
1916 - Millie Hale established
the first full-time hospital for
Blacks in Nashville, Tennessee.
In If-d truction
and fratricide the psycho-
cultural mar ofth opp
But let us be absolutely clear
that the opp are not th
problem. Th opp or is the
problem.
We must also be cl r, how­
ever, that the opp or has no
inte in or intent to liberate
the opp . Th battl for lib-
eration must be initiated and
sustained by the oppressed. No
matter how d perate our cir­
cumstances, no matter how
much the system of oppression is
GVE TED G
done to African people by hite
upremacy in all of i dimen­
sions, there' no uch thing
being too African centered. To be
African centered i to embrace
S OVE ENT, AS
GUEST COMMENTARY
What Novel Peace Prize winner
played football and basketball at
UCLA in 1923?
DECEMBER 10, 1950 - Dr.
Ralph J. Bunche became first
Black awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. 1968 - The New Lafayette
Theater in New York premiered
the drama, In TM Win Time, by
Ed BuDin . 1989 - Bill White
became the first African-Amen­
can president of baseball's Na­
tional League. 1941 - Dr.
Charle Drew established pio­
neer blood bank in New York.
"Since nothing is settled until
it is settled right, no matter hew
unlimited power a man may
have, unless M exercises it fairly
and justly, his actions will re­
turn to plague him. "
Frank A. V nderllp (1864 - 1 �1)
'We do not always like what is
good for us in this world. "
EI .. nor Roos .... " (1884 - 1 2)
Whe authored the book "Souls
of BlackFolk"?
The issue I find imperative at
this time is the one of rampant
crime and violence, especially in
Black neighborhoods, and espe­
cially concerning young Black
men killing each other.
The situation has gotten so
bad in Washington D.C" that
Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly has
made overtures to the White
House to call out the National
Guard to put an end to the vio­
lence!
Although I am a fervent advo­
cate and supporter of Black fe­
male officeholders, I must offer
criticism of this unwise request.
First of all, it must be said
that the National Guard is not
trained or uited for such duti .
Secondly, I must chide Mayor
Kelly for thi kn -jer reaction
to a r fears of violence with
violent force, which' what the
National Guard is trained for.
DECEMBER 11, 1938-Jazz
pianist McCoy Tyner was born.
1962 - Moms Mabley made her
Carnegie Hall debut. 1900 -
ooker T. W hington helped
organized National Negro Busi­
n League.
In what South Carolina city is
Voorhees College located?
wer
5th - Seven years old.
6th - Battle C k, 1\11.
7th-Howard Latim r.
8th - Sw t Mama String-
bean.
9th - Ralph Bunch .
10th - W.E.B. Dubois.
11th - Denmark, SC.
THE GE 0 the Na-
tional Guard as ubstitute sol-
a
dytot
By n-, John Cashin, Jr.
diers is inescapable, even
though they have provided in­
dispensable domestic help in
times of national disasters.
Although th violent murders
of young Black men by other
young Black men is indeed a na­
tional disaster, the National
Guard would be totally out of
place if deployed to Washing­
ton's Black and Hispanic neigh­
borhoods, where the majority of
the bloodshed is taking place.
There is enough of an "Armed
Police State" image abounding
in America now, and the pres­
ence of alien armed guardsmen
in ethnic neighborhoods will
only cause further entment
and alienation.
Mayor Kelly probably made
her unwise panic appeal without
adequately pondering such ron-
uences, which can be well un­
derstood, considering the
immediacy and danger of the
situation. But, in doing so, sh
has overlooked the most rational
as well as the most effective and
optimal solution to her problem.
. S CE THE ROOT cause of
ghetto violence among young
Blacks is the obvious lac of
trong Black male role models,
the optimum olution would
would be to place strong, disci­
plined, upright Black male role
models in the problem communi­
ti . And, a concentrated well­
spring of pow rful, disciplined,
upright Black male role modes
can be easily tapped by calling
for help from Minister Louis
Farrakhan, not the National
Guard!
Every youngster in the ghetto
knows that the clean-cut, bow­
tied "Disciples" of Farrakhan
mean busine !
And, Minister Farrakhan
would more than pleased to
show th way to peace, tranquil­
ity, and brotherly love. As
Quincy Jones said, "You can't
talk to no man with a hotgun in
his hand," which i th alienat­
ing image of the gun-toting a­
tional Guard, and other phallic
ymbol worshipe .
T DI CIPLE 0 Far-
rahkan, however, having al­
ready elevated th I from
th living hell of gh tto behavior
through disciplin and elf-ron­
fidence, are the absolute t
ambassado of law, order, self­
Y'OC!"I"'I.CIo�, ce and po r to our
. ali nated black youth.
Th y are certainly our
hope, and sadly, they may also
be our last hope! P id nt Clin- .
ton can solve this problem in
Wa hington handily with two
phone calls. Ifhe will invite Min­
ister Lou is Farrakhan and
Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly to the
White House for a one-hour
m ting, I will wager that the
violence in the District of'Colum­
bia will how a sharp downturn
within two w kstime, and will
fade slowly out of existence in a
year or so.
Give Farrakhan the author­
ity, and th pect he d erves,
and the only problems left will
stem from those elements in
America who do not want the
problem solved because they
have fed off ?f it for so long!
INCE I HAVE had almost
a few w ks' 1 ve of absence
from DOWN HOME, I really feel
good about getting back in har­
n ! I hope that my editors and
readers have not neglected to ex­
erciseth "DOWNHOMEMAN­
TRA," beca it is the key to our
ultimate salvation. It like
t'his: "Save your money! Get eve­
rybody registered to vote! And,
Keep' on reading DOWN
HOME!"
This struggle is not over yet,
but at least it IDS as though
we a aware of its magni­
tude. We are gaining, though. If
we continue to take advantage of
present opportunities a d open
up even larger opportuniti for
our people, we will be 0 y! We
Shall Overcome!!
Send corr :pondenoe to Dr.
John Cashin, Jr., Post Office Box
6975, Huntsville, AL 35814; or
call (206) 721-9875; FAX. # (205)
722-8588. .