Volume 5 Issue 49…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…December 13, 2002

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870)

The most popular and perhaps the greatest of English novelists, Charles Dickens was born February 7, 1812. John Dickens, his father, led an unstable life. Whether due to misfortunes or his own poor judgement, his father's uncertain status, which included debtor's prison, influenced Dickens' literary contributions. Indeed humorous and tragic caricatures of his father can be gleamed in his most famous novels. Dickens' childhood experiences, menial labor, which included working in a blacking factory, and his family's poverty, shaped his future sympathies and views of society.

Trained as a stenographer and lawyer's clerk, Dickens began his literary career as a magazine contributor, under the pseudonym "Boz." Sketches by "Boz" was published in 1936. His comic work The Pickwick Papers (1837) made him famous. Most of Dickens' novels were printed in monthly installments for popular consumption; it affected their style and structure. Concerned with the effects of immorality, corruption and crime on society, Dickens created memorable characters, such as in David Copperfield (1850), which were based on his experiences.

In general, Dickens displayed a certain hostility toward political economists and capitalist greed. Throughout his life, Dickens defended the pleasures of the poor, ridiculed the pomposity, avarice and cruelty displayed by the well-to-do and perpetuated the joyful mystery of Christmas. His extensive works that are very much social commentary include Oliver Twist (1838), Nicholas Nickleby (1839), Barnaby Rudge (1840), The Old Curiosity Shop (1841), A Christmas Carol (1843), Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), Dombey and Son (1846), Bleak House (1853), Hard Times (1854), Little Dorrit (1857), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1861) and Our Mutual Friend (1865).

Dickens' novels were dramatized, and he made successful reading tours of England and the U.S. Like most British writers, Dickens saw Americans as rude, ignorant, boastful and greedy. US Southerners were even worse; they were seen as tyrannical and brutal slave beaters. Dickens' unfavorable views were colored by the fact that American publishers "pirated" his work.

Suddenly, in 1870, Dickens dropped from his chair at the dinner table and died. He was buried in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. Other Bits of History

Global Attitudes

Conducted by the Global Attitudes Project, which is funded by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, a survey of attitudes in 44 countries identified a marked decline in the image of the United States. Pew researchers found the level of discontent with the US had increased worldwide over the past two years. "Opinions about the US, however, are complicated and contradictory. People around the world both embrace things American and, at the same time, decry US influence on their societies." Clearly, people distinguish between the positive things that are uniquely American and the negative impact of US foreign policies that exploit the natural resources of other countries and invariably impoverish their citizens.

Particularly telling are the survey's findings on the Iraqi situation. Even among its traditional allies, a majority of the people is suspicious about US motives. When asked whether the US was more interested in achieving stability in the region or controlling Iraqi oil reserves, majorities in Russia, France and Germany said, "the US wants to control Iraqi oil." Majorities around the world oppose the use of force to effect regime change in Iraq. Even in Great Britain, only 47 percent of its citizens favor the use of force. For more on the Global Attitudes Project, visit http://people-press.org/. Politics Y2K2 Homepage

Expectations

by John Burl Smith

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens' timeless classic, challenges the notion that the social status of one's parents and circumstance of birth fixes one's station for life. During the 1800s, it was believed these factors determined an individual's place in and worth to society. Through Pip, the protagonist, Dickens illustrates that one's inclination toward justice and equality defines true virtue and value. For Dickens, one's good faith effort, no matter the circumstances, is the binding truth to be honored across time. Masterfully, Pip's maturation reflects how even casual encounters can change one's expectations about life and come to dominate individual choices. Sometimes words spoken in jest or malice can ablate hopes or open doors. In Dickens' world, it is the expectation or inclination toward truth that determines intent, even if justice and equality are not achieved.

Dickens' drama focuses on a child, who is a pauper on all accounts, without prospects for the future. However, following two chance encounters that are very proximal in occurrence, but coincidental to one another, a mysterious benefactor intervenes. Avoiding clues that justify a very generous offer, the benefactor pledges to pay for Pip's education, which changes his future prospects dramatically. Pip's positive beliefs about one of the encounters and the negative implications of the other color his choices as he rises in society.

Climatically, our hero is torn between the facts of his life and his beliefs about the person he assumed responsible for his good fortune. Pip's expectations for life, what he could accomplish and who he could become, although founded on false premises, enable him to overcome societal barriers and emerge to meet his expectations for himself. His emergence defied the ironclad belief that one's genetic inheritance totally determines who and what an individual becomes.

Psychological research has since vindicated Dickens by confirming his contention that expectations have the greatest impact on how well children learn and perform. If teachers, caregivers and others believe children are limited, whether by how they look, where they live or who their parents are, those considerations enter into their exchanges with children. Like "self-fulfilling prophecies," when expectations that are affected by considerations, such as race, color, sex, social or cultural background, are communicated to children, whether overtly or subtly, children internalize them.

Like adults, children look for confirming information on which to base future behavior. If all the confirming information verifies a child's low self-esteem, under achievement and lack of academic motivation, the child does not swim against the current. Unlike salmon, children go with the flow. Conversely, if children are encouraged to use their imagination, challenge perceptions and assert their independence, they exceed expectations. When children are expected to reach for stars, children that fall short hit moons. However, when children are taught to become like those around them, when they fall short, like Pip without a benefactor, the expectation is, they end up under someone's boot. Other Essays by John Burl Smith

Disgruntled wants to know: A global education survey of 24 industrialized nations ranked the US 18th. Conducted by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the survey examined student performance in 24 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); its 30 members account for most of the world's wealth. Students in South Korea and Japan scored highest, followed by students in Finland and Canada. Could the relatively low score of countries with racially and ethnically diverse populations be a by-product of unequal access and opportunities?

Disgruntled feels: Busted! Republican Senator Trent Lott represents Mississippi, the most backward state in the USA. At the 100th birthday celebration of renowned racist Strom Thurmond, Lott lamented the fact that Thurmond did not win the presidential election of 1948. He implied the country would have had fewer problems over the years had Thurmond been elected on his white supremacist platform. Insensitive though he remarks may have been, they expressed heartfelt sentiments that were warmly received by the audience with laughter and applause. Under pressure, the Senate majority leader issued a weak apology. Too late! Lott's busted!

Disgruntled says: When Bill Clinton ran the West Wing, the press showed adoring crowd scenes wherever he went. The press rarely shows the crowds that greet the current White House resident. Yet, crowds amass everywhere George W. Bush makes an appearance. Whether he visits a US city or travels abroad, the difference between Bush crowds and those that greeted Clinton is their hostility and demand for regime change. More Disgruntled Moments

Higher Education Percentage Plans

Successful court challenges limited the use of affirmative action in California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Maryland, Washington and Georgia. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) recently released an updated report on percentage plans, which provide college admissions for a percentage of graduates from each high school, in California, Florida and Texas. In examining racial/ethnic diversity among first-time undergraduate, graduate, law and medical students, the USCCR report answered NO to the critical question: Can percentage plans achieve the goal of equal educational opportunity? The report - Beyond Percentage Plans: The Challenge of Equal Opportunity in Higher Education - can be accessed at http://www.usccr.gov/.

The USCCR found percentage plans neither achieve racial/ethnic diversity nor ensure equal access in higher education. According to USCCR, states and the federal government must commit to multifaceted and inclusive admissions processes that include adequate financial aid and academic support services.

In California, affirmative action ended with Proposition 209; it instituted a 4 percent plan. Increased outreach spending did not increase campus diversity. The racial ban resulted in reductions in the already small proportions of African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans enrolled in the University of California system, including undergraduate and professional schools.

Hopwood v State of Texas (1998) ended Texas affirmative action in education. The state enacted HB 588, which guarantees the top 10 percent of student admissions to a public college or university. It does not apply to graduate students. After Hopwood, minority students in Texas' flagship institutions decreased. At the University of Texas - Austin, blacks are less than 3 percent of student enrollment, but they are more that 12 percent of Texas' population. While minority admission rates have increased at some schools, they have declined overall at the premier Texas law and medical schools.

In 1999, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed Executive Order 99-281, which banned the use of race or ethnicity in university admissions. The state instituted the Talented 20 Program (T20) that guarantees admission to one of the state's 11 public institutions for students graduating in the top 20 percent of their high school. According to USCCR, T20 hinders black high school graduates' participation in higher education. It findings reveal an urgent need to go beyond T20 to narrow the gap between the proportions of blacks in the state university system and in the two more selective universities, and the comparable proportion among high school graduates. USCCR urged the implementation of statewide initiatives to improve the admission rates of the more vulnerable minority groups, such as blacks and Hispanics, to graduate, law and medical schools. More News You Use

On Senseless Stimulation!

By Dot

In a letter to Ron Suskine of Esquire Magazine, John DiIulio, a former Bush domestic policy adviser, said policy is not a consideration in the Bush White House. Compared to the policy wonks in the Clinton Administration, the Bushies or Mayberry Machiavellis are at the other end of the policy formulation spectrum.

Karl Rove's polls and expediency guide the Bush sound bytes fed to a gullible US public. Moreover, Bush's unilateral decisions invariably engender hatred and contempt for the US in the global community.

A supply-side bull, Bush is blind to the fact that the capitalist equation for economic equilibrium, i.e., supply equals demand (S = D) has a demand-side. Recognizing the US economy is sick, Bush sacked Paul O'Neill, Secretary of the Treasury Department, and Lawrence Lindsey, his Chief Economic Adviser. It is assumed O'Neill would not stay on message as Bush dishes up more supply-side stimulus. Lindsey lacks the television presence needed to be a convincing advocate. O'Neill, an economist, knows supply-side stimulus and jawboning will not correct a deflationary gap, where supply exceeds demand. Real policy is required.

Well-developed policy measures that stimulate demand are required to close this gap. No economist worth his/her salt would advocate a plan that decreases the welfare of some of a nation's poorest citizens while failing to address the basic problem. O'Neill knows neither tax cuts for the wealthy nor corporate welfare will work. With inventories and labor productivity high and capital underutilized, even if businesses willingly increased production, they could do so without hiring additional workers or investing in more capital. Demand will remain low relative to supply. O'Neill knows that supply-side stimulus that does not address demand that increases consumption, is just more voodoo economics. DISHing It Up Hot Homepage

Looking for Answers

by John Burl Smith

Declaring "This is the first time we've singled out a particular ethnic and gender group," Jan Kettlewell, associate vice chancellor for the Board of Regents of Georgia announced a $ 200,000 research grant to study, why so few black men enroll in Georgia's colleges and universities. Researchers will examine issues such as preferences for sports, poor preparation, lack of confidence and low expectations as major factors. According to Chancellor Tom Meredith, "the hope is to identify problems to be addressed." The first question should be, how can any intelligent person born before The Declaration of Independence turned 200 claim not to know why so few black men attend school on any level in America? The plain and simple truth is Jim Crow institutionalized racism.

Let us review the record. During slavery, learning to read or write was a capital offense for blacks. Article 1 Section 2 of the US Constitution defined blacks as 3/5 white. US Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney's opinion in the Dred Scott slave case, which noted "a black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect," forms the basis of white supremacy. By not establishing schools to educate blacks following the Civil War, then establishing segregated schools, blacks in general were maintained in a state of ignorance.

Fast forward to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954). Whites fought equal education, as if it was the Civil War all over again. The black power movement made black men targets as they were at the start of the 19th century's infamous black codes, lynch laws and mob rule period. Whites have done everything possible to create the expectation for black men that "intelligence will get you killed." The assassination of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are classic examples of what happens to "smart ass niggers." Under the threat of death, black men are forced to internalize the cultural stereotype of dumb, low achieving, lazy, oversexed, drug addict criminal types, who have nothing productive to offer the world.

The classic reason for low academic achievement among black men today is the same as it was during slavery and the era of "Georgia chain gangs," manpower. The law and order, tough on crime and zero tolerance policies are designed to single out black men for the prison-industrial-complex (PIC). Rural white counties with little or no industry use prison construction as economic development. New prisons create jobs for otherwise unemployable whites. Funneling blacks through the penal system provides bodies to keep prisons operating. Just as with "chain gangs," today Georgians look the other way as blacks are locked up for petty offenses, given long sentences and denied basic rights to feed Wall Street's prison-industrial-complex.

Black men are only 2 % of the enrollment at the University of Georgia (UGA), yet they constitute also 50 % of Georgia's prison population. Juvenile justice statistics for black youth are worse. The vast majority of young people diagnosed with behavioral problems and prescribed impulse controlling drugs are fast-tracked into special education classes, the feeder system for PIC. On the street, these are the 18-25 year-olds working dead-end, low-skill jobs, maybe struggling to start a business or simply unemployed. According to Paul Warner, researcher for the Regents, "They have fallen out of the loop and have no way for re-entry."

The answer to the question, what is happening to black men is neither accidental nor is it the results of genetics. It is a cold calculated scheme, like "Georgia chain gangs," based on white supremacy. There has never been a real effort to educate blacks in general and black men in particular. The proof is US schools are still segregated and the US Supreme Court is preparing a ruling that will reestablish Plessy v. Ferguson's separate-but-equal doctrine as the law of the land. The expectation is, unlike Pip, in the near future, nothing will change for black men. T.H.I.N.C. about it! Hood Notes Hompeage

Email skhatri@micronix.co.tz "There is not one of you who would dare write his honest opinion. The business of Journalism is now to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, fall at the feet of Mammon and sell himself for his daily bread. We are tools, vessels of rich men behind the scenes; we are jumping jacks. They pull the strings; we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are the properties of these men. We are intellectual prostitutes." John Swainton at 9-20-00 New York Times retirement party.

Email thestacks@aol.com Using weapons that caused massive destruction, Israel raided a refugee camp during Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan feast. Civilians and UN workers were among those killed. Palestinians daily die, but the UN is silent on Israel. Why? Mailbox

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