The DISH

Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use

Volume 9 Issue 13…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…March 31, 2006

Venue for an Artist

CONFORMation

By Vashon Hinton

In today’s "professional" society,

My dreads or braids are hidin' me.

Hidin' the intelligence inside of me,

And people place previous perceptions on me

based on my appearance.

Because it’s not cut the way YOU like it...

My food isn't cooked the way YOU fry it,

and I don't drive my car the way YOU drive it.

Does that take anything from what I offer? NO.

But to succeed today...I must conform.

Change the things I've loved since I was born.

But since I was born,

I've been told I can be who I want,

but now I must conform.

That’s how lies are formed, my life reformed.

Feels like my existence has been torn

and brought me to the brink of insanity.

To look how I have to is like they branded me.

I love to see dreads on a devout Rasta.

I even love seein’ ‘em on an imposta.

I love the old pictures of the Afro on my father.

But generation after generation

our uniqueness has been slaughtered.

Makes me wonder why bother

trying to change things?

So my kids don't have to go thru the same things.

Keep my faith in the one who reigns supreme

and someday we can achieve our main dream.

About Me: Hinton is a student at Georgia Southern University. In December 2006, he will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology (EET). He hails from College Park, Georgia and is 22 years old. Please forward any comments to vashonh@yahoo.com.

Politics Y2K6

Dumb and Dumber

Lynn M. Stuter, an education researcher and former homeschooler with a website at , wrote an insightful essay on public education after viewing the ABC 20/20 program “Stupid in America,” which aired January 13, 2006. Hosted by John Stossel, the program basically examined the state of education in the USA today.

Stuter, like so many parents frustrated with the nation’s public education system, is critical of administrators, teachers and their union– National Education Association (NEA). The latter two see the problem in terms of more money, even though private and charter schools manage to do a better job educating children with far less.

Stuter poses the question, “With the cost to educate a child at $10,000 per year on average nation-wide, how is it possible that a child isn’t being taught the foundational skills needed to read, write and do computation?” She points to a defender of the status quo that claims test scores are rising. Stuter states, “That is debatable, considering the “test”...is not a test in the sense that it is an objective measure; the “test” ...is an assessment — a subjective measurement wherein the level of difficulty, scoring rubrics, and pass/fail bar can all be changed at a whim. In other words, an assessment is a subjective measure of ability that does not produce comparable scores over time and is not an accurate measure of any child’s ability under any circumstance.”

Fact is, teachers spend too much time teaching “tests,” rather than educating children. The No Child Left Behind program, which mandates much of the new testing regime, dumbs down and indoctrinates them to be too stupid to know when the government violates their rights.

Bit of History

Lerone Bennett, Jr.

Born to Lerone and Alma (Reed) Bennett on October 17, 1928 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Lerone Bennett, Jr.’s family moved to Jackson, Mississippi so he could attend high school. His thirst for education brought him to Atlanta, Georgia, where he enrolled at Morehouse College. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949. Bennett entered the graduate school at Atlanta University that year where he studied history.

Bennett began his journalism career with the Atlanta Daily World in 1949. He joined the Atlanta staff of JET magazine in 1952 and became city editor in 1953. Bennett moved to Chicago to take a position as associate editor for Ebony magazine later that year. He became executive editor of Ebony in 1987. Bennett held that position until his retirement in 2005. After distinguishing himself as an editor and historian, Ebony retained Bennett’s name on the magazine's masthead as executive editor emeritus in honor of his more than 42 years of service.

Building an outstanding career as a journalist, Bennett combined excellent research with perceptive reporting. Focusing on black history, like a surgeon, he carved away the myths surrounding race relations. Articulating how discrimination prevented blacks from overcoming bigotry and second-class status, even though they strived for equal opportunity established Bennett as a shrewd observer of racial injustice in America. During his long journalistic career, he covered most of the major civil rights events including the lynching of Emmett Till, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the 1963 March on Washington and the assassination of Malcolm X.

Beginning with Before the Mayflower, he put a human face on history by speaking to the deepest hopes and aspirations of black people. Presenting a true picture of US history, he traced the origins of blacks from western Africa, through the Middle Passage, into slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights upheavals of the 1960s and ‘70s. Wade In The Water chronicles some of the most dramatic events in American history, such as Nat Turner's slave revolt, Harriet Tubman's slave raids, and the Freedom Movement of the twentieth century.

In Shaping of Black America: The Struggles and Triumphs of African Americans, 1619-1990s, Bennett dealt with issues such as the forces that transformed Africans into African-Americans and how their presence shaped the attitudes and fortunes of whites. His other works include The Negro Mood, What Manner of Man: A Biography of Martin Luther King Jr., Confrontation: Black and White, Black Power U.S.A., The Human Side of Reconstruction 1867-1877, The Challenge of Blackness, and Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln’s White Dream. Bennett's work has been translated into many languages.

Bennett’s numerous honors include the Literature Award of the Academy of Arts and Letters, Book of the Year Award from Capital Press Club, W.E.B. DuBois Scholarship Award from the Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists, Inc., and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. (Sources: and )

Disgruntled feels: Inequality! The US government funded the process and ensured Iraqis living outside that country, even in the US - more than 7,000 miles away - had an opportunity to cast their ballots and were educated about the new constitution and candidates. Elections in Louisiana are scheduled for April 22. Many hurricane Katrina victims remain far from home. Black leaders are asking the government to move the election date to ensure candidates and displaced voters have an opportunity to be better informed and provide satellite voting sites outside of the state. There is no effort to treat these majority black voters with the same care given Iraqis. This is inequality!

Disgruntled wants to know: Federal prosecutors are asking for the death penalty for Zacarias Moussaoui, the confessed al-Qaeda “terrorist” that was in prison on 9-11. Prosecutors contend he should get the death penalty because he lied and people died. Using the same reasoning, given tens of thousands have died because George W. Bush lied, should he be tried and forced to face the death penalty?

Disgruntled says: Josh Bolten, the man named to replace White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, who fell on his sword to help salvage a failed administration, is not new blood. He has been a part of the Bush team for five years. A brief bio shows he is fifty-something, loves to bowl, rides a motorcycle and lives with his girlfriend and her two kids. For an administration that shares the religious right’s values, Bolten’s personal life is an enigma. The uptight right frowns on extramarital sex, a given when adults shack up.

Hood Notes

Black Males Left Behind

In good and bad economic times, a majority of black Americans tend to be less well off than the average white US citizen. Even when the economy is booming and unemployment is low, as current statistics show, the unemployment rate among blacks is twice the rate of whites. The most recent monthly numbers show the low 4.2 percent national unemployment rate translated into double-digit unemployment for blacks. An even greater percentage of black youths were unable to find work. The historic black/white unemployment pattern and its accompanying income gap have roots that extend back to slavery and the founding of the nation.

Black Males Left Behind is a new book that takes an in-depth look at the plight of black men. Edited by Ronald B. Mincy, the Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Welfare Policy and Social Work Practice at Columbia University's School of Social Work, Black Males Left Behind is a scholarly analysis of the myriad problems facing young black men, especially those with a limited education. Like canaries in the coal mine, young men are an important subgroup in any population. As explained by Dr. Mincy, "The critical decisions they make about work, schooling, vocational training, fertility, and family formation will have lasting implications for themselves, their families, and their communities." Thus, while the plight of young black men being left behind today certainly does not bode well for them, it poses serious socioeconomic and political problems for the whole nation.

Black Males Left Behind cites terrible schools, absent parents, racism, the decline in blue-collar jobs and a subculture that glorifies swagger over work for the deepening black youth crisis. Beyond the damning statistics on dropout and incarceration rates, the book identifies the group’s demographic characteristics, labor market prospects and offers policy recommendations.

According to Geoffrey Canada, president and chief executive officer of Harlem Children's Zone, Inc, “This book gives us a clear, detailed look at a growing crisis in black America. It's a critical first step toward helping less-educated young black men get on track so they can fulfill their promise. If we don't solve this problem, it will imperil not only African Americans, but all Americans." For more about Black Males Left Behind, visit .

News You Use

Recommendations and Recriminations

In response to news articles on Black Males Left Behind, the Thora Institute at issued a press release, which argues that racial discrimination in the labor market and criminal justice system is the root cause of the plight of black men. This assertion is based on the history of black life in America and research.

The institute specifically cites research by sociologist Devah Pager and the Sentencing Project report. The research, which replicates countless studies in this area, shows black men without criminal records are treated much the same as white men with criminal backgrounds in the labor market, while black men with criminal records are treated even worse. Likewise, black men disproportionately receive more severe sentences than their white counterparts for less offensive violations of the law, especially when the criminal offense involves drugs and/or property.

To reverse the dire situation black men face, Algernon Austin, Director of the Thora Institute, says, "We have to reform our criminal justice policies and eliminate racial discrimination in the labor market. If we want more blacks to graduate from college, we need to integrate grade schools and make college more affordable."

While the authors of Black Males Left Behind at acknowledge the role of racial discrimination in exasperating the plight of black men, they also provide a host of policy recommendations to address the challenge of getting "disconnected" young men back into school or in the workforce. “Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men” recommendations include expanding education and training opportunities, raising the federal minimum wage, expanding the earned income tax credit and reducing barriers facing non-custodial fathers and ex-offenders.

This list of recommendations for bringing disaffected youth back into the societal mainstream is a start. Given this is an election year and there are plenty of politicians vying for elective office, these recommendations and the issue they seek to address can be elevated in candidate forums and get the nation talking about a pressing domestic problem that will only worsen with inaction. For more, see “New Approaches Address Getting Alienated Young Men Back to School or Jobs” at or contact Stu Kantor at (202) 261-5283 or .

Atlanta Vibe

Europe on a Shoestring 2

By Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Spending a couple of weeks in Amsterdam, while doing Europe on a shoestring in December of 2004, was truly an eye-opening experience. It disabused me of many fantasies and forced me to look very critically at how and what I hoped to accomplish as an artist. I embarked on that excursion believing all I needed to do to be successful was simply debut my new CD and opportunity would come knocking.

Although I had a ball, tangible accomplishments were negligible. Yet, I came away from that experience with a renewed confidence and abiding belief that real success was possible, given sufficient time, proper planning and resources.

With that said, on March 21, 2006, Aqiyl Thomas and I were off to Germany. The trip began with a layover in Amsterdam. An unexpected opportunity to renew old acquaintances, we hopped a train to my favorite café, Rasta Baby. Less foreign this time, the cobbled sidewalks, narrow alleys, street vendors, bikers, old leaning buildings and beautiful women of all nationalities flashing warm smiles made the layover like returning home.

Arriving in Munich, we were met by Diana, our delightful envoy, who took us to her home to rest. Munich is the beer capitol of the world, so it is not surprising that she carried us on a beer tasting tour. Diana introduced us to Augustina, her favorite beer. And, given that I do not drink beer back in the states, it was great. Diana showed us a Sesha bar, where one can buy not only beer and alcohol but their favorite tobaccos and smoke.

With clear heads the next morning, we got down to the business at hand. The plan was to debut my second CD, A POET ONCE SAID, then shoot a documentary of the rolling party that followed. Our itinerary was built around several shows and parties in Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin.

That night Dominique took us to the most exclusive club in Munich, P-1. Dominique, who is originally from the states, but has lived in Munich for over a decade, promotes, manages and throws parties. According to Dominique, “Lots of German entertainers and sports stars hang out in Munich. It is like the Hollywood of Germany.” P-1 is a hip hopper’s dream. You can lounge or go all out and dance until you are drenched in sweat. This night was Soullounge, a party promoted by Dominique. We laughed, walked, drank and danced until the wee hours of the morning. More later!

Mailbox: E-mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls

Email George Bush's Trillion-Dollar War...By BOB HERBERT...Call it the trillion-dollar war. George W. Bush's war in Iraq was never supposed to be particularly expensive. Administration types tossed out numbers like $50 billion and $60 billion. When Lawrence Lindsey, the president's chief economic adviser, said the war was likely to cost $100 billion to $200 billion, he was fired. Some in the White House tried to spread the fantasy that Iraqi oil revenues would pay for the war. .. The president and his hot-for-war associates were as wrong about the money as they were about the weapons of mass destruction. Now comes a study by Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at Columbia University, and a colleague, Linda Bilmes of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, that estimates the "true costs" of the war at more than $1 trillion, and possibly more than $2 trillion.

Email Editorial Writers: The Silence of the Sheep...By William Fisher...As the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq passed into history, the White House continued to dumb down what defines "victory," Bush administration officials regurgitated their upbeat talking points, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote an op-ed claiming, "The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. Now is the time for resolve, not retreat." We may or may not agree with the president and his people, but at least they have an opinion. Sadly, the same can't be said of the editorial writers for America's most influential mainstream media.

Email Issues of Free Speech Arise After Teacher Criticizes Bush...By Nicholas Riccardi 4-6-06. It was the day after President Bush’s State of the Union address, and social studies teacher Jay Bennish was warning his world geography class not to be taken in. “Sounds a lot like the things that Adolf Hitler used to say, “Bennish told students at the suburban high school Feb.2. “‘We’re the only ones who are right, everyone else is backward and our job is to conquer the world.’”

The teacher quickly made clear that he wasn’t equating Bush with Hitler, but the damage was done. A sophomore in the class had recorded the lecture on an MP3 player; he

turned it over to a local conservative talk radio show. Bennish was placed on paid leave.

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