The DISH
Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use
Vol. 12 Issue 17…Dedicated to the Dialogue on
Race…April 26, 2009
Intuit's Vibe
Quicksand
By Crystal Dawn
Treading safely upon weakened sand,
And deceptive tongues
go hand in hand.
Glazed over eyes, often failing to see,
Your
sudden decrease in stability.
Words, a mere mix of salt-water clay,
Stifling
more with each passing day.
Fine grains of sand daily grinding at you,
The cold dense grip
you cannot eschew.
Losing ground as this guile grows thicker,
Yielding to fate, you
begin to sink quicker.
Slipping away, into desperate despair,
Gagged by your lies
and pleading for air.
Struggle ensues, in this coarse pool of death,
Soon betrayal shall
breathe its last breath.
Beguiling words of cryptic deception,
Has
led to sinking in faulty perception.
Slow sinking ships and sailing dreams,
Are rendered shadows
in dappled beams.
Plead with them now or hold your own peace,
Beseech those
offended for tender release.
Reach out for mercy's hand, while you still can,
Or thrash in the
turmoil of self-imposed quicksand.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: "The Iron Lady"
"We have had many governments here in the
recent past that have relied upon brute force,
instilling fear into people. We say that you can still exercise leadership
without repression. As far as I'm concerned, so far in this administration it's
working better than the use of force."
--Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President
of
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
was born October 29, 1938, in
Ellen Johnson grew up in
While serving as Finance Minister
in Tolbert's administration, a disagreement over spending created a rift and
Johnson-Sirleaf resigned. When Master Sergeant Samuel
Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group
assassinated Tolbert and seized power in a military coup, the People's
Redemption Council took control of the country. They purged former Tolbert
officials and Johnson-Sirleaf narrowly escaped to
Johnson-Sirleaf
was appointed Director of Citibank in
She moved to
Initially supporting Charles Taylor's bloody rebellion against Samuel Doe,
Johnson-Sirleaf came to oppose him. She returned home
once more to compete in elections (1997). Johnson-Sirleaf
ran second in a controversial loss to Charles Taylor and was subsequently
charged with treason. Civil war returned to the region in 1999.
The new interim government and
rebel groups signed an historic peace accord and installed a new head of state.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was proposed as a possible
candidate but was passed over for Charles Bryant. Serving as head of the
Governance Reform Commission, Johnson-Sirleaf played
an active role in the transitional government as the country prepared for 2005
elections in which she ran for president against George Weah,
leader of the Unity Party. Johnson-Sirleaf won a
majority in the election, but Weah disputed the
results.
Although an investigation postponed the announcement of Johnson-Sirleaf's victory, the often referred to "Iron
Lady" prevailed, and on November 23, 2005, she became
Setting
a new direction to symbolize Johnson-Sirleaf's desire
to break with the past, in an unprecedented move she selected 25 year-old
Liberian activist Kimmie Weeks to serve as National
Orator for the celebrations.
Thoughts and Questions for Madam President
By John Burl Smith
One of the worst civil wars raged
in
Taking office, Johnson Sirleaf not only had to confront opponents loyal to former
strong man Charles Taylor, she has had to reform a corrupt authoritarian government
saddled with astronomical debts. Successful in that challenge, she convinced
international debt holders to cancel
Presently in
And as I look back, year after
year, nothing was changing. My grandmother's village, my own village remain the
same. That emboldened me to speak out. And, once you start to take positions
and bear those consequences that strengthens you to face the next
challenge."
The title of your book, This Child Will
Be Great, came from the prophecy of an old griot
days after you were born. Did that inspire you? "Absolutely
not. I grew up under normal circumstances and had no idea I'd be
president. So that prophecy was something during difficult times, I would sort
of laugh; greatness? When I was in prison or when I was having difficulty in
exile or with four children, trying to manage right out of high school, no, I
didn't think it would happen. I think my evolution just led me in this
direction and not a thought of being great. In fact, I'm not great as
yet."
Madam President what was the mental state of the people when you took over?
"It was a legacy of total destruction. So many deaths
and the impoverishment of the people. The dis-empowerment, people living by their wits. Truly a failed state. The despondency, the
loss of hope that had become a lifestyle. The totality of destruction
was so unbelievable.
I expected some of it because I
had monitored the situation, lived with it and, along with others, advocated
for change. But still the enormity of the destruction and the challenges were
something that -- I really couldn't believe."
Confronted by such challenges,
what have been your greatest lows and highs. "Starting at the
bottom. Changing people's attitudes, getting people to
believe that it's a new day. And the challenge remains with certain
people, their habits, like dependency, dishonesty, violence,
those are the things that were inculcated into people over the many years of
conflict.
The highs were the younger people and the children, oh, they have changed.
They're smiling again, and you can see hope in their eyes. But still, many of
the young adults who were subjected to violence and conscripted into war, still see extortion and violence as a way of life.
Getting them to change will take a while, education and skills training are
needed. But that doesn't happen overnight.
Madam President speak about the cleavage between the Americo-Liberians and the indigenous Liberians.
"Although it's diminished, it still lingers. I believe over time, through
marriages, education, and, of course, the war was a common denominator,
everybody has been affected. The truth and reconciliation commission is
attempting to get to the roots of this disunity. And we hope that, after that,
we can confront our history, accept it for what it is, and then begin to unite,
and heal the wounds, and move forward as Liberians."
Finally, critics say appointing so many women to your administration is
political patronage. Is that true? "Absolutely not! It is true women were my strongest
supporters. From the beginning they embraced my campaign, but they had been on
the front line all along. It was the market women who drove Charles Taylor from
power. But, without a doubt, women in strategic positions have been so
dedicated, committed and honest. They deserve the opportunity I have given
them. I mean, they really go to the task with all they have. They go that extra
mile to make sure they perform. Beyond being competent and hard workers or the
fact that I am a woman president and they want to make sure we succeed, women
also bring a certain sensitivity to the task. Their
dealings with people are much more humane. Their rapport and relationship with
people are better, even though they are quite firm in carrying out tasks."
(Sources: http://news.brown.edu, www.womensenews.org, and http://worldfocus.org)
American Violet
Initially
inspired by a National Public Radio (NPR) story by Wade Goodwyn
and based on true events during the 2000 election, American Violet tells the astonishing story of Dee
Roberts. Played by newcomer Nicole Beharie, Dee is a
24 year-old black single mother of four young girls, who lives in a small
Dragged by police from work in handcuffs,
Even though
Dee elects to fight, risking everything in a battle that forever changes her
life and the
Informed by thousands of
documents provided by the ACLU and others, a variety of media reports and legal
documents, including sworn testimony, depositions and affidavits, all of which
can be found on the public record, helped in finding authentic patterns and
voices for the storyline of American Violet. Finally, taped interviews with
community members who had experienced circumstances similar to those outlined
in this work proved immensely useful.
While not a documentary, American
Violet realistically portrays an unjust criminal justice system and its war on
drugs that targets black communities. Too often, police drug raids in
low-income communities across the county sweep up innocent people.
Unfortunately, once in the system, it can become nearly impossible for these
victims to prove their innocence. They lose their freedom and possessions;
their families are broken and their plight rarely makes the evening news. They
and their families become the neo-slaves of the prison-industrial complex.
For a preview of American Violet and to find out where
it is showing in your area, visit www.americanviolet.com.
Slavery by
Another Name
"I hope that the real relevance of
the book is to advance the idea that if we really want to understand
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement
of Black People in America from the Civil War to World War II is
the groundbreaking historical expose by Douglas A. Blackmon, a former reporter
with the Atlanta Journal Constitution and currently the
Under laws enacted specifically
to intimidate blacks, tens of thousands of black Americans were arbitrarily
arrested, hit with outrageous fines, and charged for the costs of their own
arrests. With no means to pay these ostensible "debts," prisoners
were sold as forced laborers to coal mines, lumber camps, brickyards,
railroads, quarries and farm plantations. Thousands of other black Americans
were simply seized by southern landowners and compelled into years of
involuntary servitude. Government officials leased falsely imprisoned blacks to
small-town entrepreneurs, provincial farmers, and dozens of
corporations--including U.S. Steel Corp.--looking for cheap and abundant labor.
Armies of "free" black men labored without compensation, were
repeatedly bought and sold, and were forced through beatings and physical
torture to do the bidding of white masters for decades after the official
abolition of American slavery.
The neoslavery system exploited legal loopholes and
federal policies which discouraged prosecution of whites for continuing to hold
black workers against their wills. As it poured millions of dollars into
southern government treasuries, the new slavery also became a key instrument in
the terrorization of African Americans seeking full participation in the
Based on a vast record of
original documents and personal narratives, Slavery
by Another Name unearths the stories of
slaves and their descendants who journeyed into freedom after the Emancipation
Proclamation and then back into the shadow of involuntary servitude. It also
reveals the stories of those who fought unsuccessfully against the re-emergence
of human labor trafficking, the modern companies that profited most from neoslavery, and the system's demise in the 1940s, partly
due to fears of enemy propaganda about US racial abuse at the beginning of
World War II.
Slavery by Another Name is a
moving, sobering account of a little-known crime against African Americans, and
the insidious legacy of racism that reverberates today."
Blackmon penned his first newspaper story at the age of 12 for his Leland,
Obama's First 100 Days
President Barack Obama's report card is impressive. Even his critics must admit
that the first black president has performed well over the course of his first
100 days in office. Faced with enormous challenges, including wars on multiple
fronts, legacies of torture and rendition policies of the previous
administration that have tarnished the nation's international image, an
economic downturn that may have started in the US housing market but that has
infected the global economy, worries over nuclear proliferation, global climate
change, illegal immigration, a sizzling drug war south of the border, an
historic level of federal debt, domestic splits over tax and spend policies to
ease the economic morass, and more, President Obama has weathered the first 100
days well.
According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, President Obama enjoys
strong public approval. A majority of Americans, 69 percent, approve of his
overall job performance. Although down slightly from the eve of his
inauguration, 72 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of President
Obama and approve of his handling of domestic problems, including health care,
global warming and taxes. In foreign relations, two-thirds of those polled
generally approve of the president's handling of international affairs.
Key civil rights groups,
including the National Urban League and NAACP, have praised the president for
reaching out to
In looking forward to the next
100 days, these groups and others are calling on President Obama to fine tune
his economic policies to lift the boats of those at the bottom of the nation's
economic ladder. Specifically, President Obama needs to face head-on ongoing
racism, which preys on the country's most vulnerable.
Even former President Bill Clinton began a dialogue on race; President Obama
should be able to do more, including addressing the plight of black men, who
suffer most from the nation's rising unemployment, the disparate impact of the
war on drugs and a lack of opportunities for advancement.
Disgruntled says:
During the recent Summit of the Americas, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
decided everyone needed a "little love." Empathizing with US
President Barack Obama, who had been excoriated and depreciated by his
colleagues the first day, Hugo presented him with a copy of Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the
Pillage of a Continent, a book that tells how for 500 years Europe
and then the US exploited Latin America, leaving it impoverished and governed
by corrupt leaders. Diverging from most Latin American's, Hugo's show of love
was aimed at getting the
Disgruntled feels: Played! After
releasing the torture memos, the Obama administration told those who carried
out illegal interrogation tactics that there would be no consequences for
obeying orders. The administration also let it be known that it wanted to move
forward and not look back in anger. It was basically letting former Bush
administration officials know they would not be prosecuted; they soar above the
law. In a reversal hours later, Obama signaled his administration is not
opposed to prosecuting Bush administration officials on torture. I have seen
this song and dance before, as recently as the executive pay brouhaha. It is
classic! There will be a brief dust up fanned by the media; and then, the storm
will subside. Nothing happens, except the public is masterfully played like a
fine fiddle.
Disgruntled wants to know: This week
President Obama took part in a holocaust remembrance ceremony, eloquently
speaking of the loss and the period's stain on modern human history. He also
addressed a group marking the 94th anniversary of the mass murder of Armenians.
Yet, the president has said anything of substance about the disparate treatment
accorded blacks in
Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and
Phone Calls
Email www.cqpolitics.com
...Rep. Harman on NSA Tap Promising to Lobby Justice on AIPAC Case, Sources
Say...By Jeff Stein...Rep. Jane Harman, the California Democrat with a longtime
involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a
suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department to drop
espionage charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs
Committee, the most powerful pro-Israel organization in Washington. Harman was
recorded saying she would "waddle into" the AIPAC case "if you
think it'll make a difference," according to two former senior national
security officials familiar with the NSA transcript. In exchange for Harman's
help, the sources said, the suspected Israeli agent pledged to help lobby Nancy
Pelosi, D-Calif., then-House minority leader, to
appoint Harman chair of the Intelligence Committee after the 2006 elections,
which the Democrats were heavily favored to win. Seemingly wary of what she had
just agreed to, according to an official who read the NSA transcript, Harman
hung up after saying, "This conversation doesn't
exist."
Email www.blackagendareport.com...Avoiding World
Conference on Racism Shows Obama's Disrespect For Blacks...By Glen
Ford....President Obama's "fawning, damn near servile behavior when
accommodating Zionist demands" to boycott and sabotage the Durban II conference on racism
"should have been a deal breaker" in his relations with African
Americans. But what passes for Black leadership accepts any and all insults
from Obama, who naturally treats them like the spineless creatures they are.
Meanwhile, the White House keeps "Jewish leaders" up to date with
conference calls on how Obama is protecting
Email www.ap.com...
Promises, Promises: Obama and black farmers....By Ben Evans....As a senator,
Barack Obama led the charge last year to pass a bill allowing black farmers to
seek new discrimination claims against the Agriculture Department. Now that he
is president, his administration so far is acting like it wants the potentially
budget-busting lawsuits to go away. The change isn't sitting well with black
farmers who thought they'd get a friendlier reception from Obama after years of
resistance from President George W. Bush. "You can't blame it on the Bush
administration anymore, said John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers
Association, which has organized the lawsuits. "I
can't figure out for the life of me why the president wouldn't want to
implement a bill that he fought for as a