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Volume 2 Issue 40 …..Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race….. October 15, 1999

Note: The DISH is based on themes from T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New

Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution. President's Initiative on Race says, "The issues that this book brings to the forefront are important in our efforts to achieve the goals set forth by the President for the Initiative. This work will serve as a solid resource for us as we begin to examine these critical issues." For your copy, call (404) 244-6023 or e-mail us.

 Bits of Black History

UGA Integration?

by Dot Smith

U.S. District Judge Avant B. Edenfield's ruling, i.e., "The University (University of Georgia at Athens (UGA)) cannot constitutionally justify the affirmative use of race in admissions," ignores the historic use of race in Georgia higher education. Although its use is questioned in admissions today, at one time, the state's flagship educational institution used race exclusively in denying African American admissions. In all the hype and hoopla over affirmative action, politicians, talking heads and judges overlook this crucial bit of history.

On January 10, 1961, under protection of a court order and an armed escort, Charlayne Hunter Gault and Hamilton Holmes became the first African Americans to attend UGA. Prior to this effort at integration, black citizens totally subsidized white education. Less than four decades later, African Americans, an estimated 30% of Georgia's population, represents 6% or less of UGA student enrollment. Whites are about 60% of the state's population, but make up more than 85% of UGA enrollment. Today, African American enrollment is less than two thousand students. UGA faculty and staff demographics paint an even more dismal picture of integration/diversity.

The affirmative action debate is sad commentary on the state of race relations. It boils down to the unwillingness on the part of a society made rich by practicing its prejudices to pay for its discrimination. UGA never achieved integration, affirmative action grants only a few African Americans admissions. If this small measure remains a "constitutional" bone of contention, then we need to amend the Constitution. Other Bits of Black History

Disgruntled says: While the gurus rating televisions are silent, the black boycott of network TV can and will work, if we keep it up. We will see an impact; more blacks will be seen on the screen, behind the cameras and in the industry's boardrooms. I just hope when it happens we create roles beyond black buffoons in "white" sitcoms.

Disgruntled wants to know: If Tennessean Lamar Alexander's red and black checkered work shirt did not fool voters into thinking he was one of them, what does Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore hope to achieve by pretending to be laid-back and down-home Nashville country?

Disgruntled feels: Unrestricted by money limits, Bush is the un-constricted B.O.A. of 2000. Awash in cash, Bush is Bought On Arrival. Disgruntled

ICIM Boycotted People, Places & Things: Death penalty, Hypocritical cops, SELF (Southeastern Legal Foundation), its supporters, like Flowers, Inc., lying politicians, such as Bob Barr, Trent Lott and the Bush babies, compassionate conservatism, Marriott Hotels, white psychologist and other legal drug pushers, Zoloft/Ridalin, churches with fences, security guards with itchy trigger fingers, Aspartame, hormone-treated meat, beauty salons promoting white imitation and other weapons of mass destruction. See boycotted items on the ICIM Consumer Alert Home Page.

By John Burl Smith

While discussing Yohannes' performance at the Grand Marnier "Speak Eazy Poetry Slam" Dot remarked, "Our son is different from most performers, he is on a mission. He truly wants to educate young people about their power to create beauty with their minds. T.H.I.N.C. is not about answers; it is about asking the right questions. Who am I, and why am I here?" The hairy-faced descendants of primates asked the same questions as they gazed into watery pools. Humanity's efforts to address this quandary stimulated human advancement. Perched on the precipice of a new millennium, humanity is no closer to the answers today, than was old shaggy face.

Trapped in an increasingly hypocritical world, young people are victims of punitive and vindictive attitudes toward self-expression and other individual rights. Drugs for impulse-control, zero tolerance, minimum sentencing, increasing criminal prosecutions of juveniles as adults and criminalized behaviors, which were indiscretions a generation ago, re-enforce the attitude that children cannot make mistakes. They are no allowed to explore their world like George W. Bush, Jr. and their parents. Who do they look to for everyday models? Where is zero tolerance for adult mistakes? How can adults force young people to measure up to standards they never met? Hypocrisy is the number one problem facing America, followed by racism.

Yohannes presents T.H.I.N.C. as a beginning for young people trying desperately to build self-esteem and find a positive direction. T.H.I.N.C.'s principles serve as guides for creating a better world. It is a start. Yohannes' poetry serves as a point of reflection, which enables one to see beyond the mask. "The best one can do is figure out where they are, and what they can do to change things that really matter." THINC re-enforces the need for personal responsibility. One idea can change the world! Essays by Mr. Smith

Planning a Florida vacation? Be sure to check environmental conditions before making reservations. This could save you some heartache and money!

Even early October is normally a good time to visit Florida. In hurricane season, there are plenty of bargains, and the weather conditions cooperate much of the time. Definitely a departure from the usual, my most recent visit was downright traumatic. In fact, it was life threatening. Dead fish, eels and rotting seaweed fouled the beaches. At least forty dolphins have died in the past six weeks. Not only is marine life dying, the ocean's breeze is caustic. Red tide, a microscopic plant-like organism (Gymnodimium breve) is blamed for beach and ocean conditions. Red tide releases airborne toxins that cause coughing, runny nose and itchy eyes flu-like symptoms in humans. Those with respiratory problems run an even greater health risk than most, because it can exacerbate their conditions. The Florida tourist industry should be issuing this health warning! Avoid the red tide. Stay away from Florida until conditions improve! Other News You Use

Pets are luxury items, which represent dependent care expenses that cannot be claimed for tax purposes. With human dependents, such as children and poor relations, there are exemptions. Moreover, their dependence is generally a temporary situation. Pets remain in a perpetual state of dependency.

Psychologists and others who study people/pet relations recommend pets for all kinds of reasons, including longevity. Pets may be good for those who can afford them. However, it cannot be healthy for pet owners to leave pets tied to trees, a common practice in the hood.

There is something wrong about sentencing any animal to life tied to a tree. Psychologists need to take a closer look at this aspect of pet ownership. This desire to control or otherwise enslave something could be learned behavior? Other Hood-Notes

Ode to Red Tide

by Dot

Red tide overtakes the sun,

Scales back the fun

In red tide, we trod alone

Few footprints mar this surface worn

Smooth by the ebb and flow

Of mother's nature.

Red tide kills shorelines and maritime natives

Locals seek refuge behind closed doors.

Sealed windows offer false security.

There is no escape from airborne spores.

Red tide rides the wind,

Sneaks through cracks and invades crevices,

Like any good virus.

Red tide overworks good lungs,

Assaults the senses.

Sinuses over-produce mucus

Mimicking flu and cold symptoms,

Like an incessant cough.

Red tide paints pristine expanses

Unfit for human inhabitants or dung masters.

Even on sunny days perfect to sunbathe,

Worshipers avoid the sun, hiding their faces.

Red tide evacuates choice places.

At high noon, among the dunes,

Sandy beaches are left free of bums,

Absent are the squeals of little ones

Dipping toes for the first time in earth's womb

Instead, the beach and ocean are lifeless,

Emptiness looms

When red tide blooms.

About Me: Somehow greater than the sum of my experiences, every once in a while I get the urge to try my hand at different forms of expression. I like the cadence of my thoughts in reflecting on a recent Florida trip. I can't remember another vacation that generated more thought. For more about me, visit the Web at ICIM Director's Resume. Venue for an Artist

By John Burl Smith

Turnout 75% Participants: Campaign 2000 reflects the lowbrow cheesy antics of Jerry Springer. Devoid of content, it is as dishonest in it sleazy advertising gimmickry, as it is racist in the way African American children are used to sell policies that destroy their future. Reminiscent of George Bush's use of Willie Horton or Michael Dukakis' ride in a tank, candidates act as if America has no collective memory of the last century.

After fighting a Civil War to free up black labor, whites closed the bloodiest centuries ever for Native Americans at Wounded Knee. By the late 1890s, whites had secured all the land and its natural resources for their descendants. Consequently, labor was the only wealth available to Indians and slave descendants. Adding insult to injury, gains made while Union troops were stationed in the South were reversed. Black politicians, judges and businessmen were chased from office or killed by white mobs. Armed with Plessy v Ferguson's "separate but equal" doctrine, whites erected a segregated socioeconomic and political system, which deprived blacks of the right to live and compete as other citizens. Segregation's impact on slave descendants can only be compared to the Nazi-led Jewish holocaust.

America is following Reagan/Bush's playbook, an instant replay of what happened to slaves' descendants following Reconstruction. Republicans and Democrats refused to acknowledge that problems in education continue, because attitudes fostered during segregation persist. Presidential contenders will not concede the fact that generations of being barred from attending school or reading reduced the importance of education for slave descendants. Moreover, the image of "smart Niggers" hanging from trees left indelible marks, imprinting an aversion for intellectual pursuits.

Though Brown v Board of Education ended legal segregation, it did not end its practices. Segregationists maintained control and refused to give up "separate but equal." Those who enforced segregation used the power of government to block changes. Assisted by Congressional confirmation of only judges, who agreed with "separate but equal," segregationists continued to limit educational opportunities for black children. Parading African American children in a display of their impoverished eighteen-nineties' education for campaign photo-ops is the height of hypocrisy; it exemplifies the fact that blacks are back on the slave block. Politics2000

Researching the Chasm

by Dot Smith

Published in the Mid-South Journal of Economics (1982), "Recession and Unemployment: A Retrospective Analysis of the Economic Welfare Loss" concluded that the empirical data show some non-quantified residual called institutionalized racism influences American markets for goods and services, especially human capital. In 1997, Yohannes Sharriff Smith found this analysis paralleled his life experiences, which produced T.H.I.N.C.: The Chrysalis of Evolution, a self-published book of poetry and short stories. T.H.I.N.C. validates and extends the analysis of the chasm of inequality, an economic gap created by slavery and maintained through racial discrimination.

A recent ABC poll shows Americans believe prejudice and racism are the top problems facing our country in the new millennium. Moreover, recently published Harvard inter-disciplinary research echoes their sentiments. More important, it further validates our work on the chasm of inequality. Conducted over a five-year period, Harvard's study looked at four major metropolitan areas, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. The Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality concluded "racial stereotypes and attitudes heavily influence the labor markets, with blacks landing at the bottom." (AJC 10/2/99) For more on the interdisciplinary examination, see www.russellsage.org/special_interest/index.htm More Hot DISHes

I am seeking an intern/research/teaching assistantship at an Atlanta University. I hold an AS in political science, an MA in economics and have private and public sector work experience. Having my work validated as indicated above is a great honor. More important, it speaks to the depth and quality of my research work. In addition, I have worked as a volunteer for a number of programs supporting community activism. As editor and publisher of The DISH, I rely on the Internet as a powerful communication tool. Here's hoping it aids my return to school. Thanks for all you do to make it happen. Dot

All along the eastern seaboard, the environment is a hot topic. In the wake of the flooding started by Hurricane Floyd and worsened by continual rain, North Carolina is awash in pig shit and other environmental hazards floating in flooded areas. With reason, residents are concerned about an increasingly polluted environment.

In Jacksonville, FL, residents fear the worst as more than 300 landfills have been identified in this coastal city. As if the red tide plaguing the area has not wrecked enough havoc, residents believe these sites pose health hazards. In an area where drinking water is precious, landfill runoff can pollute wells and streams. Centuries of individual and business dumping, without regard for the environment, mean all kinds of toxins are in these landfills. Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney has announced his commitment to examining these sites. (Florida Times-Union 10/5/99). This hazard probe is seen as a giant step forward by the local press. However, area residents who have tried to get the city to look at this environmental mess for years are skeptical. Some, like Sheila Andrews, a long time environmental activist, see Delaney's study as a little too late to remedy the situation for those exposed daily to landfill toxins.

After spending a cool million dollars or more to examine the contents of these landfills, one cannot help wonder will Jacksonville's residents encounter the same runaround experienced in DeKalb County? Probably! Andrews, one of the most vocal activist, was recently arrested on an outstanding warrant, a move we hope does not dampen her enthusiasm for environmental concerns. For more, see www.jacksonville.com. Issues in the FunkyHood

WILLIAMCAIN@webtv.net: "Thanks for running the article about "Black Wall Street". I am dismayed that Spike Lee or any other movie producer has not made a movie about that horrible historic event. It's incredible to me that no one seems concerned about the situation in Centreville, MS. I have this depressing feeling that there are hundreds of untold atrocities that have never come to light. What really irks me is, that there are survivors of those atrocities, that for various reasons, won't step forward and say anything." More from the Mailbox

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