Page 4-Saturday, December 2, 1978-The Michigan Daily 0 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Eighty-Nin e Years of Editorial Freedom America'sexpanding third world youth By Askia Muhammad "It's real simple," a 28-year- Vol. LXXXIX, NO. 71 ( News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Decling black enrollment O N DECEMBER 415 when the University submits its enrollment figures to the Department of Health, Education, and welfare, a major disappointment will be officially revealed. For the second year in a row black enrollment at the University has declined. While the number of Hispanics and Asian Americans is apparently on the rise, the University has failed in its responsibility as well as its commitment of 1970 to attract a greater number of qualified black students. After the Black Action Movement (BAM) strike of 1970 the University promised to increase the Black enrollment at the University to 10 per cent of the total enrollment. Since 1970 the black enrollment has never risen above 7.2 per cent. Last year the figure declined to 6.6 per cent and this year's figure will be even lower. The University has clearly failed to work to fulfill its promise. Earlier this year the University announced that it would actively recruit well qualified studegs who are not residents of this state- That the University would undertake this campaign before making an equally overt attempt at recruiting qualified blacks in an heinous injustice. The University Regents should study the University's inability to attract qualified blacks. although the inferior secondary education received by most Americans is a significant factor in the low black enrollment here, it does not explain why the enrollment would decline instead of increase. University Vice-president for Academic Affairs Harold Spapiro points to improvements the University has undertaken in the Office of Student. Services, counseling offices, and the Coalition for the Use of Learning Skills. But if the improvements have resulted in a drop in black enrollment the University administration is doing something wrong - seriously wrong. Black students on campus must move in a substantially active political posture to - let the University administration know their concens are not being addressed and that their hard-won demands of eight years ago have barely been paid lip service. old who has never had a job said at a Washington, D.C. bus stop. "If you're not dead, they get you on a beef and you spend three or four years in jail. Maybe, if you're lucky, you go into the army. But they gonna get you off the streets one way or another." Although no one on the corner seemed to listen, he talked with increasing frustration about the lack of jobs and opportunities for escaping the ghetto life. Away from the street corners, the reality of what it means to be young, poor and non-white in this country will be affecting an increasing persentage of the population in the 1980's and 1990's. The number of voiceless and voteless brown and black youths in the society is growing, at the very time when the young white population is declining and older, mostly white, Americans are increasing by the millions. Since 1970, a recent Census Bureau survey shows, the number of people 55 years and olderhas increased by 5.3 million persons, while during that same period the youthful population (save for non-whites) was growing smaller. The number of Americans 13 and younger has decreased since 1970 by6.4 million persons. In both demographic shifts, the lion's share of the changes (4.6 million of the older gain and 6.3 million of the youth decline) occurred among whites. America's black and Hispanic population continued not only to grow but to grow younger. The significance of the changes is already beginning to be felt in urban centers throughout the country. As the largely white, niddle-class worker has fewer white youth in his community in need of services, he sees less and less need for services to the dependent, non-productive, youth minority. Schools have been especially hard hit. The "taxpayer revolt" and declining erollments have been used to justify school closings, teacher lay-offs, and service cutbacks in cities from coast to coast. The movement on ' Capitol Hill toward granting tuition tax credits to parents of children in virtually immune- from-desegregation private and parochial schools is evidence of the Congress's - if not Middle America's - attitude that the increasingly older, more suburban white population, which sees itself footing all the bills. Non-whites now account for three out of four children in the public schools of eight major cities. In 13 other cities, more than half the public school children are black, or from other non-white minority groups. In the years ahead, population trends suggest the majority white population's birthrate (and corresponding numbers of youth) is headed down; the black birthrate is slowing but higher than the white while the Hispanic minority's birthrate is up. The birth statistics, along with other factors, indicate that Hispanics will become the largest minority group in the country by the year 2000. Many predict that in some major Southwestern cities, and in the state of California, Hispanics will become an absolute majority if present trends continue. The nation's 25 million blacks now constitute 12 per cent of the population, or about twice the current estinates of the Hispanic population. Among Hispanics, almost half are 17 and younger. And though the figures are less than precise because they must be gleaned and compared from a number of census sources, the bureau's Hispanic demographersbsay that the Spanish youth population seems to be growing rather than declining. The entire Hispanic and black populationstare significantly younger than the white population. In 1977, the Hispanic median age was 20.0 yea:s; for blacks, 24.1 years, and for whites 30.2 years. "Public policy has to address itself to this situation,'dsaid Sarah Short Austin, executive vice president of the National Urban Coalition. "Communities are obviously going to have to plan now how they're going to deal with this particular situation because what you're talking about is an increased-demand for services at the same time the people who can afford to pay are saying they're tired of paying, and are voting to cut back on the services being provided." Black alarm over the crisis facing its youth reached the chorus stage by summer, 1978. "Black males an Endangered Species? homicide largest cause of death for black males aged 15 to 35 . ..700,000 black males in prison," read Justine Rector's flyers for the foundation for the Preservation of Black Males in Philadelphia. Louis Martin, newly appointed Special Assistant on Black issues to President Jimmy Carter, wrote similarly in his syndicated column in black newspapers: "It has been said that the most endangered species in our time is the young black male. This may seem to be a gross exaggeration of the plight of our young men, but there is enough truth in the statement to be disturing." The National Urban League's research division, describes the problem as "the crisis among black youth." Paradoxically, the greater the concentration of non- white youth in the inner cities, the dimmer the prospects of ever finding jobs: there has yet to be seen any strength in their numbers. More and more of the ever larger pool of young blacks are becoming part of the "hidden unemployed," according to an Urban League study. "The failure to find work is driving more and more young blacks out of the active labor force into the ranks of the discouraged workers," writes Esther Piovia, associate editor of the Urban League Review and Dr. Bernard. Anderson, associate professor of industry at the Wharton school, University of Pennsylvania. "In 1976, for example, while an average of 345,000 black teenagers were officially counted as unemployed. another 368,000 wanted jobs but' were no longer looking." Though data on Hispanic youth joblessness or hopelessness is scarce, one Spanish-surnamed expert analyzes the employment picture in much the same way as his black counter-parts. "The way to make new jobs is, first of all to create new jobs," said Leo Estrada of the school of Architecture and Urban Planning at UCLA. "White workers must also give up jobs through retirement, attrition and disability. This then permits minorities to move up into them. without these possibilities, I think the conflicts are going to get worse," Estrada said. Non-white teenagers, and particularly lack youth ,have already become the largest losers in the menial, fast-food industry jobs. (Claiming that more and more Minflation- motivated housewives, teachers, and even retired persons are now seeking part-time work. the industry is faced with a buyer's market for low-level workers. Older, more "stable" persons are now being hired at the expense of the nation's critically underemployed and unemployed black teenagers. One other index 6f black youth crisis has taken a framatic unprecedented upswing: the suicide rate for young black men. Robert Davis of Chicago's "University of Poverty" points out in a report that two-thirds of all suicides during any given year are committed byawhite males, but among young men between the ages of 20-34, the black rate is actually higher than the white rate - a disturbing trend in light of the traditionally low number of black suicides. Further, these young blacks (male and female) account for 47 per cent of all black suicides, while making up only 24.2 per cent of the black population. Once again, the figures arrange themselves conveniently around the paradox of being young and non-white. Sarah Austin of the National Urban Coalitipn believes politicians can no longer ignore the plight of minority youth. "That's what we mean when we talk about targeting," she said. "we're saying that funds should not be spread out across the board to everybody, because if we're talking about a limited supply of money, you've got to really talk about targeting resources to where there's the greatest need." Back at the bus stop in Washington, D.C., the young man continued his soliloquy. "I know people older than me who've lived here all their lives and don't know where the White House is, never been to the Capitol, and that's just eight blocks away. Hell, I'm gonne get out of here though, if it's just to Baltimore. There's got to be something better than this." (Askia Muhammad is a contributing editor of the Pacific News Service. Formerly editor of Muhammad Speaks, he, writes regularly for the Chicago Defender, the Nation, and other publications. ...- , UI li A -.W-. 00" 1US \ STOP Nt s7- 11 Letters to the Daily I ( 'rt " A itf i uK " 't1 ' " 4AvE some K'ooL-alp ... VI Nixonian renaissance EARLIER THIS week the French public provided frightening proof of the old adage that "time heals all wounds." After former President Richard Nixon appeared on French television, there were reports that the French believe he was hounded out of office by the press. Mr. Nixon fueled such beliefs by saying that he never lied, "it only seemed that way," and that he "screwed up" Watergate and that he' paid the price by having to resign. He paid nothing. When Gerald Ford pardoned Mr. Nixon he made a mockery of the tenet that "all men are equal before the law." And as a result, future generations may misinterpret the iVtergate affair, and make a martyr of Nixon by blaming the press. Mr. ixon was guilty of high crimes and tnisdemeanors, and would have been Impeached had he not resigned, and vonvicted had Ford not granted him a pardon. It is ironic that the press is peing made the scapegoat for Mr. ixon's crimes. Without the press, his hue- of nt nrr mwnnri navir ha hann Had Mr. Nixon been tried, the truth would be known. But now he is traveling around the world blaming himself for mistakes in judgment instead of crimes, and all at the taxpayer's expense--he receives a government pension. Critics will claim that this is simply an unnecessary rehashing of an old vendetta against Mr. Nixon. Many of these critics are the same persons who said it was paranoia on the part of the press to believe that history would portray Mr. Nixon as a martyr. While it is true that we are restating old arguments, it is necessary to do so when Mr. Nixon tells the world that he has never lied, and that he has paid for his mistakes. We, the American people, are paying for his crimes as well as his crusading. Mr. Nixon was simply a criminal who used his office for his own means, and it is our duty not to allow his self-serving efforts to blur that truth. Each time he proclaims his innocence we must reaffirm his guilt. Mr. Ford let him off without paying for his crimes, but the Anti-Camp David arrests To the Daily: It has been recently reported by the New York Times (Nov. 27) and Washington Post that Israeli military authorities have initiated a "crackdown" on public opposition by the Palestinians tosthe Camp David accords. Israeli authorities have said that they will not grant permits for any meetings which criticize the autonomy plan. In the Israeli occupied West Bank, within the past few days eight students and seven residents were arrested for voicing their opposition to Israel's plans for "civil autonomy." Felicia Langer (defense attorney for Sami Ismail) was requested by Bir Zeit University authorities to represent the students arrested in Ramallah, Jerusalem and Bir Zeit. The following are brief accounts of their experiences under interrogation within the past few days, according to Langer and Lea Tsemel : "RIZZO SHUQAIR (student) - Attorney Langer reported that when she spoke with him he had difficulty hearing her as a result of being beaten around the ears. He had a wound on his left cheek which he said was inflicted with a floor the interrogator forced him to lick it off the floor. His hair was pulled and his head shaken violently causing him dizziness and severe headaches. He was also kicked all over his body. " RIBHI ARURI (student) - Attorney Langer reports that he had been forced to lay down on the floor and then was beaten all over his body with a stick including the soles of his feet. " MAHMOUD HALASAH (student) - After delays and attempts to see him Attorney Langer was finally allowed to see aim and was able to secure his release for medical reasons. - HATEM QADRE (student) - fate unknown. * YOUSEF JOUBEH (trade- unionist) - Attorney Langer, who knew him previously, was' "astonished" at his condition upon visiting him. He could not talk and had pain in his throat and larynx which was a result of being strangled. He could not stand up because he had been beaten on his legs and genitals. On his left wrist she saw 5 brown wounds which he said were a result of being hung by his hands in handcuffs. On November 28 attorney Ibrahim Nasser attempted to see Adelle Samara (student), Omar Samasa (student) and Sameeh Samara who were arrested on November 25, but was not their homes were raided at 2:30 a.m., and their homes were searched for anti-Camp David literature. They were taken away blindfolded and arrested. The Israeli military authorities have cancelled a number of lectures at Bir Zeit University recently that were expected to be critical of the autonomy plan. The lectures were part of a special school programrcalled "Palestine Week" that emphasized Palestinian nationalism, folk art and customes. The Israeli military authorities have also forbidden the publication of the names of those arrested in the local Arab Press (New York Times: Nov. 27, 1978, page A4). We urge you to write to the Israeli Embassy demanding the immediate release of those detained. -Palestine Human Rights Campaign Farber To the Daily: The Daily, it seems, is no different from a cricket, U.S. Steel or myself-it looks out for itself. Throughout the Farber controversy, the Daily specifically and the press in general have been auite the right of confidentiality for sources is the premise that the right of confidentiality for; sources is necessary to preserve that freedom. The first amendment is unquestionably a precious piece of legislation. Your recent editorial ("The Supreme Court on Farber," Nov. 30) however, hints that it is the most precious writ of law. I explicitly disagree with your implicit assumptiosh Equally dear is tI right to a fair and speedy trial and the philosophy that it is better to set the guilty free than to convict the innocent. Never in your editorial did you deal with the grizzly possibility which this time did not occur. What if a person's innocence could only be substantiated through access to a reporter's notebook? Is free speech so compelling an issue that the Daily is prepared to see an innocent man spend 20 years in prison? If Myron Faber chooses to go to jail rather than provide his noted, that is his unfortunate predicament. Itis quite debatable though, if his speech is more important than the years of another person's life. Newspapers are special, agreed. However, I do not know if they should be exempt from subpoenas-as Richard Nixon said he was. I do not know the