Readers Write
y
o
., ...
o can Colombia
ring down the U.S.?
o the editor;
W a i tyon
h brink of elf-destruction. It'
The king Is dead ... long live the king!
Third World
)
SeeOOWN. A8
for national reco ruction in or­
der to pa the way for victory at
th ballot bo
RHETORI of nation­
alization and radical economic
reform was abandoned in a ma­
jor con ion to th white mi­
nority owners who control key
sectors of the South African
economy.
The white power elite in
South African is comfortable
that everything will change but
nothing will change.·
Nelson Mandela is perceived
as ufficiently safe for busin
'as usual to continue uninter­
rupted. Conceding Black major­
ity rule under th e conditions is
hardly a crifice for those who
control th commanding heights
ofth economy in South Africa.
It is, how ver, a major prob­
lem for those who suffered, bled
and died in the belief that Black
majority rule would bring an end
to their suffering.
In th short run this gap be­
tween what Mandela and the
ANC are expected to deliver and
what they will in fact be able to
deliver could fuel widespread
disillusionment, frustration an
diaco :Jl.. _ ,.... • .,. ., I'
ONe THE symbolism of
Mandala's victory wears off the
masses of Africans will still
faced with massive unemploy­
ment, poor housing, inferioredu­
cation, poor health care and
grinding poverty. Beyond the
euphoria of the movement, Nel­
son Mandela will confront the
awesome challenge of delivering
on the promise of national recon­
struction. With the white minor­
ity firmly ntrenched and in
control of the economy, the road
ahead will not be easy.
Ron Daniel roe a Pr idento{the
In titute {or Community Organization.
and Deuelopmen.t in Youngstown. Ohio.
fie may b contacted at (216) 746-5747.
Readers Write
o
o
By Bernice Powell Jackson
mi ic. All ofth mare beingchal­
len to pro.ve heir value in the
present day world.
For xample, recently the a­
tional Association for the Ad­
v n men of Colored People
AACP, pons 0 red a national
march on J ckson to support
equal funding of all state-sup­
port HECU's. HBCU's gener­
ally r 1 di proportionately
lower funding han their white
counterpa . The State of Mi -
si ippi i proposing that Jack-
on S b downsiz , Alcorn
State m rged and Mi issippi
V II y t t by cIo
speech and that the majority of writer, Zora Neale Hurston .are
students at Howard do not agree just three of the more well­
with that speaker. In addition, known graduates ofHBCU's.
only 3 of 55 Nation of Islam
speakers have appeared at WHILE VffiTUALLY all
Black colleges; the others have Historically Black Colleges do
been at white educational insti- have a non-Black stud nts (in­
tutions. Nevertheless, the eluding foreign s udents), th ir
UNCF is fearful that its fund- principal mission is th educa­
raising efforts will be dampened tion of African Americans.
by these fal accusations. Most of these institutions also
The Historically Black Col- have non-Black faculty and staff
leges and Universities do have members as well - about one­
an unique and critical mandate third of most Black colle fac­
and rol to play in th multi-ra- ulty members are Black,
cia! society in which we live, according to the National 0-
TIles institutions have become ciation of Equal Opportunity in
havens for able students who Higher Education.
were d prived nd rejected else- As the African American com-
where. munity continues to face a crisis
Often t�ey are abl� to provide threatening its very survival, it
the rem�B:l education, self-_es- would seem that Historically
teem buIldI�g and mentormg c::ill!.ck Colleg have a special
tha� det rmm the su� of rol to pl y in th vitaliza i n
h If studen . Ind ,It IS no of our communities. With ov r
accident t�t 70 percent of �fri- hundred years of history of de­
can Amencan el�cted offi�als, signing curricula and programs
80 percent of African Amencan focusing on developing self-e _
I� wyers and �5 percent of �ll Af- teem, raising basic kills needed
rican American profes ionals for academic success and estab­
are graduates ofHBCU's. lishing role modeling and men-
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., toring relationships, HBCU's
Thurgood Marshall and the have a proven track r rd of
(
working with African American
youth.
At a time when th are said
to be more African merican
men in prison than in college,
HBCU's can play piv tal rol
in the Ii s of our youth.
