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The DISH

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On Golf Course Shooting

by Dot Smith

Within walking distance from where I grew up in south Memphis, there is a golf course. Back in the fifties and sixties, its lovingly manicured greens were off limits to the black community. Convenient to downtown Memphis, it was an idyllic spot with fairways and clubhouse nestled in a wooded lot complete with a duck pond, hiking trails, archery range and gazebo. Back then, no questions were asked, if a black man got shot trespassing on private greens, maintained with tax dollars.

"Golf Course Shooting Sign of Disparity" by Rheta Grimsley Johnson (AJC 12/14/98) reminded me of that Memphis golf course and the park preserved for whites only. The sign of disparity Grimsley-Johnson sees is an age old one. Thirty or forty years ago, black kids trespassed on golf courses like Riverside in defiance, sometimes stealing golf balls or arrows to play with and/or sell to golfers. These offenses are hardly worth a life. Of course, if the news account of the kid shot in the face by a golfer is true, today's kids from poor area neighborhoods are armed, as are the golfers. Like the good old days, no questions or charges are lodged against golfers who shoot alleged robbers in the act of stealing balls, cell phones, cash or some other thing.

More important than a sign of disparity, this shooting is a sign of the times, when life means less than things.

A Work in Progress......Coming Soon

Hood Notes by LaTonya S. McNeail

Mailbox: Phone Calls, Faxes and E-Mails

Blah on Bob for Lowering the Barr...

"After reading the impeachment articles, I am surprised they are not more specific or serious. All the charges refer to sexual misconduct and lying about it, reprehensible behavior that does not warrant disregarding the popular will of the people. Most folks don't want this president impeached. Continuing sets a dangerous precedence by lowering the bar for dismissing future presidents, nullifies our vote and diminishes the office. Soon, any offense will suffice for impeachment. With a zealous independent counsel and fanatical Congress, I am amazed it took so long to get something on Clinton. No one can withstand intense scrutiny- twenty-four-seven, not even the esteemed Mr. Hyde, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Newt couldn't, nor could Barr! The action of these radicals weakens the office even more than the accused, Mr. Clinton" A.J Weems

"If a white man can be treated like Congress is treating President Clinton, imagine what they would do if Jesse Jackson was elected President? Walk right up and shot him in the Oval Office! Now we know Hindenburg's terror and why the German people were so helpless as Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power." B. Campbell - Decatur

According to the Human Rights Watch and Sentencing Project, "1.4 million blacks nationwide cannot vote because of their criminal records. Barred from the polls, disenfranchisement laws form a patchwork of regulations across the country. The District of Columbia and 46 states bar inmates from voting. Many continue the ban through any period of probation or parole. Ten states require lifetime disenfranchisement for all convicted felons. Two states require a lifetime voting ban after conviction for a second felony. Only four states permit inmates to vote: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and Utah. But, that list may grow even shorter: Both Massachusetts and Utah are taking steps that would bar inmates from voting. Current policies create a huge pool of political outcasts in America." Emails The Seventh Sun and R. Ward-Atlanta

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Volume 1 Issue 48

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On Aspartame

by Dot Smith

Fifty-five cents in coins slid down the machine's coin slot. Automatically, I pressed the Diet Coke button. The red and silver can containing the fat and calorie free soft drink fell noisily into the dispenser. Grabbing it, I wiped the top and popped the lid.

That first sip is always so refreshing. "Just for the taste of it. Diet Coke!" The commercial played in my subconscious. "I prefer the diet product to regular Coke," I explained to my luncheon companion. "There is nothing quite like a Diet Coke. I no longer drink it because it might aid in my weight loss efforts. I drink it strictly for the taste." Loyal Diet coke fans will understand and agree. Ah! That first sip is pure heaven.

"You drink it regularly?" the question pierced my pleasure. For some reason, I wanted to say no, but the truth was just the opposite. Drinking Diet Coke had become a daily habit. "You have headaches?" I wanted to say no, but I had one at the moment. The ensuing conversation proved extremely unnerving and eye-opening.

Later, I surfed the Internet for more information on the food additive that makes it possible for Diet Coke to be sweet with less than a calorie. Best known as Nutrasweet, aspartame is a sugar substitute that has been found to cause or exacerbate numerous health problems. It causes seizures and brain tumors in lab animals. It can mimic multiple sclerosis, according to research work by Dr. H. J. Roberts and others. More important, the overriding consensus among scientists and medical professionals is "aspartame is a poison." The scientific evidence is impressive and should be reviewed by everyone consuming products containing this additive.

Why did the Food and Drug Administration approve the use of this additive? According to Internet sources, an examination of the money trail in campaign financing provides the answer; this is frightening. The FDA is supposed to protect public health and welfare. However, the buyer must still beware. For more information on this food additive aspartame, visit www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/asp-com.lis.

The DISH is adding aspartame, products containing nutrasweet, such as Equal, Diet Coke, calorie free soft drinks and other products containing this additive to the ICIM list of boycotted places and things. More Hot DISHes

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight/White Ninja/Zorro is an artist. This week he makes his first appearance in a live production. While the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro wanted the role of king of the rats, he is happy to be a rat soldier in his school play.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Black Angel

Everybody needs a Black Angel.

Sweet epiphany,

Angle your head just a li'l to the left

Let the light capture

Each finely etched stroke of genius.

Sitting in a small café in midtown

watching God at work. She held the muse,

drawing life from a gloomy palette.

Hauntingly beautiful melody caressing

My senses overwhelmed...flooding

Flowing over into art...movement

Formless like God or ecstasy... orgasmic. Organic.

Mother motion surges through my being.

It's a Black Angel humming Sade in a small café,

Sipping a cup of Deja vu

It's a Black Angel finding her Shelf Expression.

She is the paint of night

Dancing naked in a moonlit forest

Frosty breath of whirling mystery across Black ice.

Not afraid to fall for we fly. My Black Angel.

Delicate hand and eye made thee curiously soft.

Like pink blooming in midnight blue,

You tempt my wanting

Deeper meaning seduces my sleep

And I dream of art and Black Angels.

Ghostly reflections linger in smoke

Like ice in my soul. Shivering...

Feeling fingers shape and mold like jazz.

Pushing into my flesh...Rushing through my mind.

A violin soulfully crying. I am moved.

Disgruntled wants to know: Who are those characters jogging in the neighborhood? Are they really agents, i.e., FBI, CIA, etc?

Disgruntled feels: Winter in the air.

Disgruntled says: Since older men have been having sex with younger women for centuries, no one should be shocked or appalled that Bill did some sexual things with a young intern.

Letter to the Honorable Kirt Fordice

Governor, State of Mississippi

Sir:

Two weeks ago on November 14, 1998, Yohannes Sharriff Smith, author of T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution, performed in your state at a gathering in Columbus. The Dismukes family celebrated the return of its prodigal son, Robert. Tour manager for the "Brothers' Unlimited Band, "Captain Black brings his considerable experience to Yohannes' road show." This stopover gave Yohannes an opportunity to hang out and vibe with some extreme young brothers and sisters, while rocking a righteous message of personal responsibility.

The downside of this visit slammed us like a wraith from the 1930s, when Yohannes asked about performing for kids at a local shelter for troubled youth and orphans: the Palmer Home. He was taken aback by a young sister's jolting revelation, "They won't let you in that place. They don't admit black kids. They ain't never gonna let no black kids live there. I don't believe they have any black employees, either." Inquiring further, several adults confirmed the astute young sister's shocking statement. Currently, it is politically correct to speak of how far Mississippi has come in dealing with its racial problems, and how the state is a part of the new South. In reality, black people in Columbus have not experienced this change. Prime facie evidence indicates, there are certainly plenty of qualified young blacks to fill any vacancy at the Palmer Home as guests or clients.

This remaining vestige of segregation in 1998 affirms the state's commitment to the separate but equal philosophy blacks have endured since Reconstruction ended. Charity is the truest expression of love, and knows no color. In Luke 18:16, Jesus said "Suffer little children come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." If Mississippi is still a part of the United States of America, how can your state care for white children and allow black children to live on the streets?

Republicans are touting the Bushsonian politics emerging in the South, as the road to the White House in 2000. This so-called compassionate conservatism seems to be all show and no dough. On the stump, it is easy to proclaim a new frontier in race relations, but something else entirely to bring about real change. Republicans took over governors' mansions using the same tact as Republicans in Congress. Even though Republican governors have done little to change the everyday existence of black and poor people, the media is heralding junior as savior. An objective glance shows Texas as a state which house's children in the same prisons as adults, and which showed absolutely no compassion in executing Carla Faye Tucker. Do Americans want a President willing to execute human beings, simply to make political points with conservatives by showing he is tough on crime? The question here is, can we trust his finger on the nuclear trigger?

It is true; governors are closer to the people. Therefore, they have a great impact on their daily lives. Consequently, a lack of gubernatorial vigilance has perpetuated institutionalized racism. The taproot of segregation drew its nourishment through the state being the enforcement agency. The State of Mississippi was an active participant in denying blacks constitutional rights, and in its fight to preserve segregation, it never dismantled its enforcement apparatus. It has not put the effort and resources into ending segregation it put into enforcing it.

Today, the same denial continues. Justice demands all vestiges of de-facto segregation be rooted out immediately, starting with Palmer Home. Citizen action in Georgia brought about a federal investigation of its juvenile justice system. That investigation uncovered many of the same horror stories parents and friends say inmates are experiencing in Mississippi. African Americans have paid taxes as white Mississippians, and they demand the same benefits and protections. Whether the new Republican slogan rings hollow, or true, African Americans judge performance daily. The Bushsonains will have to ante up or follow Newt. I await your timely response regarding the resolution of this unfair and unequal situation.

Sincerely, John Burl Smith T.H.I.N.C.

A Work in Progress......Coming Soon....

Hood Notes by LaTonya S. McNeail

From the neighborhood salon to the night life, Ms. McNeail will give us a bird-eye's view of what we are doing in the hood both day and night.

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Volume 1 Issue 47

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Venue for A Poet

Intuit Creative Ideas Manifested, Inc.(ICIM) was conceived by Yohannes Sharriff Smith as a much needed venue for struggling young artists, like himself. This week THE DISH spotlights a young poet named Desherick Jamaal Williams. A fourteen years old freshman at The Colony High School where he plays defensive tackle, he is known as "DJ" in his hometown of The Colony, Texas. An active member in the Youth Choir and Royal Ambassadors at the Friendship Baptist Church, the Colony African American Association, Youth Alive and BPA-Business Professionals of America, Desherick still sports a 3.4. grade point average in school. Not just a bookworm or nerd, DJ enjoys exploring African American history, but poetry is his first love. He plans to pursue a Mechanical Engineering and/or Law degree at Howard University.

To A Doleful Sister

From A Comforting Secret Admirer

by D. J. Williams-Boone

Beautiful black woman weep no more,

For I've come to take the pain away,

And to massage a heart that's sore.

Oh daughter of Ethiopia, I grovel at your feet,

I kiss the ground you walk on,

Hoping and knowing that someday we will meet.

Your every wish is my command.

My desire is to please,

Just lift up your eyes and you will see me

Down on bended knees.

Let me hold you, and kiss your tears away,

For I know, if we walk together,

We'll soon face a brighter day.

Queen of Africa, who started as a piece of coal,

Now you are a diamond, beautiful, bright, and bold.

Let me make all your dreams come true, I surely could,

Relax if you will and let me do all I should:

Comfort you and ease your fears,

All this as I drink a stream of tears.

Precious gemstone, whom Africa bore,

I can rebuild your heart, then I'll gently whisper:

"Beautiful Black Woman, weep no more."

To Mama, Love DJ

A mother's response: "After reading this I wondered, is he seeing sadness and grief in me when I'm trying to hide it? Does he always hear me when I cry, does he see my fears, is he sensing all this? I try to always be upbeat and smiling not letting DJ and my daughter, Bridgette, know my trials. I thought I was doing a good job of shielding them from my hurt and pain, but it seems like he sees through it all."

Disgruntled says: The Underground Railroad, slave uprisings, revolts and runaways are anomalies in the happy slave theory being espoused by Sons of the Confederate Veterans.

Disgruntled feels: Postpartum - the wrath of motherhood.

Disgruntled wants to know: Given children are a blessing, but good God Almighty, how can one have thirteen of them naturally, on a minuscule income and still maintain some tie to sanity?

Letter to: Mr. Bill Lann Lee

Assistant Attorney General

As your first year draws to a close, the nation watches with admiration and waits patiently for the new Congress to remove the asterisk. Americans are grateful for your steadfast pursuit of justice, and a thankful nation salutes your efforts in bringing some culprits before the bar. Your performance has rekindled hope "America may yet live out its true creed, and in the words of that old Negro spiritual be free at last. Free at last."

That is the American dream, but as you know all to well, that dream is a nightmare for too many American families. As one such family, I approach your office requesting guidance on an issue of fairness and equal justice. To wit, Public Law 103-3 Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was enacted to give employees certain rights. If any employee in America enjoy those rights, all employees in America should enjoy them. To deny some employees those protections simply because they are employees of the federal government is unfair and denies equal justice under the law. Two cases in point, docket number AT-0752-98-0193-1-1 and AT-0752-97-1017-1-1 illustrate the catch-22 Public Law 103-3 affords the federal government in its unfair and unequal treatment and subsequent firing of employees for taking time away from the job for health reasons.

Both were career employees with excellent records as manager, when their health problems became apparent. Both were denied all leave options, summarily ordered back to work, threaten with loss of employment, if they did not return immediately, and fired when they did not respond as ordered. Although the United States Postal Service and Internal Revenue Service are covered by FMLA, the United States of America's Merit System Protection Board supported these Agencies' violation of Public Law 103-3. In case AT-0752-97-1017-1-1, the Merit System Protection Board sanctioned IRS behavior your agency routinely prosecutes in the private sector. Under such circumstances, if the federal government is free to disregard the mandate and the rigors of Public Law 103-3, what good is FMLA to federal employees with health problems?

Regarding FMLA practices, the United States Postal Service uses a double standard. On the one hand, it trains its managers about Public Law 103-3, but then allows them to apply their own rules when it comes to granting FMLA. This fact is illustrated most forcefully in AT-0752-98-0193-1-1. Here the Agency was allowed to get off without addressing its lack of a procedure for processing employees' request for FMLA. It did not have to admit it has no appeal procedure, if employees feel their request was not handled properly, or denied unjustly. Moreover, the Merit System Protection Board erred in finding the Agency acted properly, agreeing that the Agency had the right to bludgeon employees with the threat of firing to force sick employees to return to work. Furthermore, the Board agreed that, the Agency had the right to deny an employee access to any leave, even though the employee made a legal request for leave.

The judge joined in the browbeating by trying to force a settlement. He ridiculed the plaintiff's efforts to meet the Agency's demands. (29 U.S.C. Section 2611 et. seq.) By rejecting the plaintiff's choice of healing as nontraditional, therefore unacceptable, the court took on the mantle of physician. Even more frightening is the court's opinion that citizens are incapable of making good decisions about their health. More important, the supported the notion, only some state sanctioned medical facility is capable of making such decisions. Finally, both employees filed EEO complaints with the in-house process that supposedly gives employees an advocate. In reality, these units function as arms of management and do not work in the employees' behalf. They are like black holes; complaints go in and are never seen again. There is no follow-up process, once the complaint is filed. My wife and I have been waiting to hear something, anything from any body about our complaints. I am directing my inquiry to you in the hope that there is some place we have not tried. What are citizens to do, when they are up against the awesome power of the government? When the system is closed, where do citizens go?

The overriding point of this request for assistance is to clarify whether rights ascribed in Public Law 103-3 are legally binding on the federal government? Further, as the law of the land, are employers liable for willful violations of the intent of Congress? Working class Americans need to know, if they take time off from work for health reasons or to care for a loved one, are employers legally bound to obey the law as set forth in Public Law 103-3 FMLA? Families need guidance from your office and Congress, as to what was the intent of the Law. Thank you. John Burl Smith

Mailbox: Calls, E-mail, Letters and Faxes

Just a Footnote in History

"A few weeks ago, I ran across this brief article, little more than a footnote, on the potential merger of Deutsche Bank and Bankers Trust, the eighth largest American bank. If allowed to take place, the merger will create a global financial powerhouse.

Will this marriage place the U.S. money supply outside domestic control? How does that benefit us? Is this an insecure position for America? This country is not immune to the financial exuberance which led to Japan and Southeast Asia's economic meltdown. More important, the global nature of today's mergers and acquisitions make the nation substantially more vulnerable to the whims of financial markets.

Whether domestic or foreign, mergers and acquisitions among banks and other financial institutions should generate more concern than a footnote. If allowed to continue, before you know it, a company will run the world. While I am not so sure this would be much worse than current conditions, I shudder to think, what if the enterprise is guided by a pure profit motive? Then, I imagine more of us are in for troublesome times ahead." A. Harris

Hit and Run Over in Metro Atlanta

"If you read the newspaper, you have probably been following Atlanta's hit and runs. The statistics surprised me; less than thirty (30) people have died so far this year. Granted, one such death is too many. However, the media would have us believe someone is hit and killed weekly, if not daily in the metropolitan area; hit and runs stay in the news.

Violent crimes may be down, but the news reporting overkill makes Atlanta's "mean streets" seem even meaner. Beyond violence reporting, could hit and runs be another form of hate crime being perpetrated in the streets of the city too busy to hate?" L. Sims

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Rare Hurry

by Dot Smith

Two recent incidences reported in the local media provide object lessons that reinforce the T.H.I.N.C. assertion that "black hair is one of those areas in which conditioned subordinate psychology(CSP) plays a large role in the negative image and subsequent hang ups African Americans have about their hair." These incidents are perfect examples of the black hair inferiority complex (BHIC).

Like the black hangup about reading, BHIC goes back to slavery. What blacks were taught about their hair came from slave masters, especially in the South. Blacks were conditioned to believe their tightly curled hair was "nappy," unlike the straight tresses of the master. Black hair is nappy hair; nappy hair is, therefore, bad hair! African Americans are so uptight about hair that "nappy" is a fighting word in the black community.

In an incident involving Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), a debutante's invitation to the black sorority ball was rescinded; she planned to wear her hair in dreads down her back, rather than piled atop her head. How superficial! Black organizations, like fraternities and sororities, tend to deny rather than embrace their natural heritage. For them, it is all about imitation to achieve assimilation. No one is surprised these artificial highbrows would make it publicly known dreads are unacceptable at one of their glitzy gatherings. For such affairs, black hair must be pressed or chemically treated into obedience.

The other incident involved a furor over a book. (AJC 11/25/98, B2). "Nappy Hair" by Carolivia Herron caused an uproar among parents when a white Brooklyn, NY teacher tried to use the book to impart some self-esteem to her African American and Hispanic students. I wonder would the parents have reacted differently had the teacher been black? Probably not. Most of the parents shouting this book down probably never read the book to know its message, or care. A charge of "nappy hair" is a call to arms.

These incidences reminded me of a family hair story. I suppose, most African American families have a similar story. I dubbed mine Rare Hurry; it is about one of my older brothers, a member of the Honey Bun Bandits, one of Ada's baker's dozen, Booker T. We call him Book for short, a really busy body who walked before he crawled. As a child, my elder siblings teased him about his hair. It was generally agreed that Book had the worst hair in the house. Cropped short, his tight locks were often the brunt of jokes. Family legend has it that Book's locks resisted every effort to tame them. No amount of combing and brushing could keep the course scruffy locks from rolling up into curls so tight, some family members called them buck shots or cuckerbugs.

According to the legend, Book became boastful and bragged about his good hair after a visitor to the family farm persuaded him he had a rare special kind of hair. The man called it rare hurry. As they rolled from the stranger's tongue, those words were music to the young boy's ears. A lad of four at the time, Book loved the sound. No one could convince him rare hurry was not complimentary. Explanations about naps racing from the comb to hurry back to the scalp did not penetrate Book's euphoria about his special hair.

Though he later understood what rare hurry really meant, and cried about it, for a while, Book felt pride in his special hair. The stranger did what the white teacher tried to do, change Book's perception of his hair. Too bad his world would not allow him to hold on to it. Today, Book still has a hair complex. He keeps his course hair cut short, fearing what his hair would be like, if he dared allow it to grow out. Strangely, Book still loves the sound of rare hurry. I guess; most black folks love the sound of rare hurry, too, because they are in a powerful rush to change the natural state of their hair. More Hot DISHes

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark One/White Ninja needed a break after his holiday. The Dark Knight/Ninja will return next week.

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Volume 1 Issue 46

Letter to: Mr. Bill Lan Lee

Assistant Attorney General

As your second year draws to a close, the nation watches with admiration and waits patiently for the new Congress to remove the asterisk. Americans are grateful for your steadfast pursuit of justice, and a thankful nation salutes your efforts in bringing some culprits before the bar. Your performance has rekindled hope "America may yet live out its true creed, and in the words of that old Negro spiritual be free at last. Free at last."

Both were career employees with excellent records as manager, when their health problems became apparent. Both were denied all leave options, summarily ordered back to work, threaten with lost of employment, if they did not return immediately, and fired when they did not respond as ordered. Although the United States Postal Service and Internal Revenue Service are covered by FMLA, the United States of America Merit System Protection Board supported these Agencies' violation of Public Law 103-3. In case AT-0752-97-1017-1-1, the Merit System Protection Board sanctioned IRS behavior your agency routinely prosecutes in the private sector. Under such circumstances, if the federal government is free to disregard the mandate and the rigors of Public Law 103-3, what good is FMLA to federal employees with health problems?

Regarding FMLA practices, the United States Postal Service uses a double standard. On the one hand, it trains its managers about Public Law 103-3, but then allows them to apply their own rules when it comes to granting FMLA. This fact is illustrated most forcefully in AT-0752-98-0193-1-1. Here the Agency was allowed to get off without addressing its lack of a procedure for processing employees' request for FMLA. It did not have to admit it has no appeal procedure, if employees feel their request was not handled properly, or denied unjustly. Moreover, the Merit System Protection Board errored in finding the Agency acted properly, agreeing that the Agency had the right to bludgeon employees with the threat of firing to force sick employees to return to work. Furthermore, the Board agreed that, the Agency had the right to deny an employee access to any leave, even though the employee made a legal request for leave.

Finally, both employees filed EEO complaints with the in-house process that supposedly gives employees an advocate. In reality, the units function as arms of management and do not work in the employees' behalf. They are like black holes; complaints go in and are never seen again. There is no follow-up process, once the complaint is filed. My wife and I have been waiting to hear something, anything from any body about our complaints. I am directing my inquiry to you in the hope that there is some place we have not tried. What are citizens to do, when they are up against the awesome power of the government? When the system is closed, where do citizens go?

The overriding point of this request for assistance is to clarify whether rights ascribed in Public Law 103-3 are legally binding on the federal government? Further, as the law of the land, are employers liable for willful violations of the intent of Congress? Working class Americans need to know, if they take time off from work for health reasons or to care for a loved one, employers are not legally bound to obey the law as set forth in Public Law 103-3 FMLA. Families need guidance from your office and Congress, as to what was the intended intent of the Law. Thank you. John Burl Smith

Disgruntled says: The Underground Railroad, slave uprisings, revolts and runaways are anomalies in the happy slave theory being espoused by Sons of the Confederate Veterans.

Disgruntled feels: Postpartum - the wrath of motherhood.

Disgruntled wants to know: Given children are blessings, but good God Almighty, how can one have thirteen of 'em naturally, on a minuscule income and still maintain some tie to sanity?

Mailbox: Telephone Calls, E-mail, Letters and Faxes

Whether domestic or foreign, mergers and acquisitions among banks and other financial institutions should generate more concern than a footnote. If allowed to continue, before you know it, the world will be run by a company. While I am not so sure this would be much worse that current conditions, I shudder to think, what if the enterprise is guided by a pure profit motive? Then, I imagine more of us are in for troublesome times ahead.

Hit and Run Over in Metro Atlanta

If you read the newspaper, you have probably been following Atlanta's hit and runs. The statistics surprised me; less than thirty (30) people have died so far this year. Granted, one such death is too many. However, the media would have us believe someone is hit and killed weekly, if not daily in the metropolitan area; hit and runs stay in the news.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Venue For A Poet

Intuit Creative Ideas Manifested, Inc.(ICIM) was conceived by Yohannes Sharriff Smith as a much needed venue for struggling young artists, like himself. This week THE DISH spotlights a young poet named Desherick Jamaal Williams. A fourteen year old freshmen, at The Colony High School where he plays defensive tackle, he is known as "JD" in his hometown, The Colony, Texas. An active member in the Youth Choir and Royal Ambassadors at the Friendship Baptist Church, The Colony African American Association, Youth Alive, and BPA-Business Professionals of America, Desherick still sports a 3.4. grade point average in school. Not just a bookworm or nerd, JD enjoys exploring African American history, but poetry is his first love. He plans to pursue a Mechanical Engineering and/or Law degree at Howard University.

To A Doleful Sister

From A Comforting Secret Admirer

by D. J. Williams-Boone

Beautiful black woman weep no more,

For I've come to take the pain away,

And to massage a heart that's sore.

Oh daughter of Ethiopia, I grovel at your feet,

I kiss the ground you walk on,

Hoping and knowing that someday we will meet.

Your every wish is my command and my desire is to please,

Just lift up your eyes and you will see me down on bended knees.

Let me hold you, and kiss your tears away,

For I know if we walk together

We'll soon face a brighter day.

Queen of Africa, who started as a piece of coal,

Now you are a diamond, beautiful, bright, and bold.

Let me make all your dreams come true, I surly could,

Relax if you will and let me do all I should,

Comfort you and ease your fears,

All this as I drink a stream of tears.

Precious gemstone, whom Africa bore,

I can rebuild your heart, then I'll gently whisper:

"Beautiful Black Woman, Weep on More."

To Mama, Love DJ

Mom's response:

"After reading this I wondered, is he seeing sadness and grief in me when I'm trying to hide it? Does he always hear me when I cry, does he see my fears, is he sensing all this? I try to always be upbeat and smiling not letting DJ and my daughter Bridgette know my trials. I thought I was doing a good job of shielding them from my hurt and pain, but it seems like he sees through it all."

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Rare Hurry

by Dot Smith

These incidences reminded me of a family hair story. I suppose most African American families have a similar story. I dubbed mine Rare Hurry; it is about one of my older brothers, a member of the Honey Bun Bandits, one of Ada's baker's dozen, Booker T. We call him Book for short, a really busy body who walked before he crawled. As a child, my elder siblings teased him about his hair. It was generally agreed by everybody that Book had the worst hair in the house. Cropped short, his tight locks were often the brunt jokes. Family legend has it that Book's locks resisted every effort to tame them. No amount of combing and brushing could keep the course scruffy locks from rolling up into curls so tight, some family members called them buck shots or cuckerbugs.

Though he later understood what rare hurry really meant, and cried about it, for a while, Book felt pride in his special hair. The stranger did what the white teacher tried to do, change Book's perception of his hair. Too bad his world would not allow him to hold on to it. Today, Book still has a hair complex. He keeps his course hair cut short, fearing what his hair would be like, if he dared allow it to grow out. Strangely, Book still loves the sound of rare hurry. I guess, most black folks love the sound of rare hurry, too, because they are in a powerful rush to change the natural state of their hair.

Back || ICIM Home || THINC || The DISH || Top of Page

Volume 1 Issue 45

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark One/White Ninja decided to walk home from school, when his ride failed to show up at the appointed time. The Dark Knight/Ninja is not one for standing around waiting, especially when there are things to do!

Disgruntled says: With Tripp tripping and taping and Monica tramping, everybody got tricked. With friends like Tripp, who needs the police or a private dick.

Disgruntled wants to know: What happened to the good old days when we used to meet and greet our neighbors? Communities are so divided today, people don't know who their neighbors are.

Work In Progress: Full of Blessing

by Dot Smith

Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, the Al Stewart Foundation is headed by its namesake, a.k.a., King Mosupatela Tyehimba. Though he officially changed his name, Al Stewart still answers to the name of his birth. With offices in places like Sierra Leone and the Republic of Guinea, the foundation is recognized internationally for its humanitarian philanthropy.

Much has been written about the foundation, as well as its founder and enigmatic leader. Described as a one time playboy turned homeless, Al Stewart changed his life by helping others obtain the basic necessities of survival, food, clothing, shelter and medicine. According to various biographical sketches published in local magazines, after his military service, Dr. Stewart hobnobbed with the Hollywood jet set, before returning to St. Louis, MO, his birthplace. In Hollywood, Stewart took advantage of a skill acquired in the military to become a successful photographer and sought after public relations man. From Hollywood to his hometown, the PR hotshot enjoyed financial success. He spent a brief period in Gary, IN before succumbing in the early '80s to the encouragement of friends and business associates to move to the Black Mecca. Recognized as a hotbed of economic prosperity for African Americans, Atlanta, GA beckoned, and Stewart came expecting to continue his prosperous jet set lifestyle; it never happened. A series of unfortunate incidents that included a house fire eventually led to Stewart becoming an Atlanta homeless.

In the process of changing his situation, Stewart found his life's mission. Since 1983, Al Stewart has been helping others do likewise and making a real difference for those thrown away by society. Today, though Stewart is not a "Grady baby", he considers Atlanta home. Based on the numerous awards, certificates and proclamations issued by city officials over the years honoring Dr. Stewart, Atlanta is proud to call him one of its own.

Voluminous press clippings and memorabilia though fail to capture the large heart and essence of Al Stewart, world citizen extra ordinaire. Called "Doc" by many, Stewart "holds an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Technical Institute of Biblical Studies." Though he is no reverend, Stewart ministers to many as a "servant of the people." His signature outfit is a modified waiter's uniform of white shirt and dark trousers.

"Servant of the people, "does not do Dr. Stewart justice either, nor does it convey a complete picture of the complex individual. Stewart comes across initially as an ordinary guy. And, in so many ways he is just like you or me. In conversing with him, it is obvious his life has been blessed with some extraordinary experiences and opportunities. Certainly, those experiences, coupled with his passion for art and his desire to help others makes Stewart a radical in an era of "dog eat dog" capitalism.

Stewart is a real character, someone hard to figure. He has done and been involved in so many activities over the years, his life story is to say the least "unbelievable." For example, according to "Doc," the ring he wears on a right finger that resembles a human eye is really one of "Sammy Davis' many glass eyes." Dr. Stewart readily admits he has told others something entirely different, something he hoped would "impress" them.

An avid conversationalist, Stewart does not mind making people think twice and defend their position on any issue. His mission is to get things done, and sometimes you have to get people to talking about a problem before anything is accomplished, especially when you are working to improve conditions for people on the grassroots level. Many of those lively conversations occur around Stewart's breakfast table where local politicians gather to share coffee, a meal and stimulating conversation about local, national and international issues. The public is invited to break bread and join the discussions on current topics from the arts to politics.

Without question a controversial figure, Al Stewart's life emulates that of Jesus Christ, a true radical, helping the poor and downtrodden. Having been born into an impoverished family, Dr. Stewart is intimately acquainted with the vagaries of poverty. Today, Stewart feeds many of those who daily make their way to his table at the Institute of Christian World's (ICW) soup kitchen at 19 Ashby Street over in the West End. In addition to providing hot meals, Stewart's ministry provides clothing, shelter and spiritual nourishment through its nondenominational temple.

Dr. Stewart's attitude about life, himself and the world around him make him a unique and interesting individual. While he is no longer homeless, he is by no means wealthy, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Though his means are modest, Stewart still provides the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter and medicine for numerous poor and homeless in the metro Atlanta area. To do so, "Doc" wears many hats, i.e., entrepreneur, publisher, teacher, minister, mediator, etc.

So, who is Al Stewart? Like all of us, Stewart is a work in progress (AWIP). The Creator blessed each of us with some special talent (s) or gift (s). Al Stewart is blessed with many abilities that he continuously cultivates. He is always learning something new or taking on a new project that will allow him to reach out and help even more people. His evolution has helped and continues to aid so many in the world community.

In the arts, without question, his ability to capture poignant life moments makes him a gifted photo artist. Dr. Stewart's photography provides the main stay of his personal survival and the roots of his good work helping to provide for others. "Photography helps pay the bills," is how Dr. Stewart sees his gift. He is also a writer, editor and publisher with several local literary efforts to his credit. Stewart is currently publishing People, Going Places, Doing Things. The bi-weekly newspaper highlights the positive achievement of African-Americans. King Tyehimba uses all his gifts in service to others. As he serves, he evolves. His gifts are enhanced or magnified in the process. This Dr. Stewart believes, and it is why today he is recognized internationally as a philanthropic humanitarian. For Atlanta's homeless and thrown away, as well as those in several African countries, Tyehimba's evolution is our blessing.

Operating on a shoestring budget, the Al Stewart Foundation is always in need of assistance in serving the people. If you would like to volunteer and/or make a monetary tax-deductible contribution, please call today at 404-688-2294. More Hot DISHes

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Family

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Family,

A most scared word in the English language,

An institution where one can find love and support.

When the world's ways have left too deep a wound,

And, material wealth has escaped you

Seek haven with those who love you most.

If lost, look into our eyes to find your reflection.

No guises required. Come as you are.

Family loves because, not in spite of.

Home is a state of being,

An emotional warmth filled with tenderness

Safety, peace and overstanding.

With my family, I am home.

Mailbox: Telephone Calls, E-mail, Letters and Faxes

"I enjoy receiving your newsletter every week. Don't know how I ended up on the mailing list -- but I appreciate the fact that I am. I have a question for you -- a multi-part question -- and it greatly concerns the idea of the dialogue on race.

My wife and I are in the beginning stages of adoption proceedings. One of the options we have discussed is adopting a child from overseas (probably Asian), or from South America. Another option is domestic --and, one of the agencies we have contacted lists children of color (African, Asian, Hispanic, etc...) as "special needs" children. These "special needs" children are both "cheaper" and more readily available.

My question is this -- do you have an opinion on whether a predominantly white couple could "successfully" raise one of these children? I'm not asking out of ignorance. I'm not asking as a white man feeling guilty, and wanting to help out a "poor, underprivileged" child. I'm not asking as a person interested in saving money on my adoption. I'm asking because I've heard arguments on both sides of the issue. These arguments are going to play a role in how we go about adopting our child -- and how that child is raised.

Please -- if you have an opinion, I would appreciate your sharing it with me. I hope I haven't come across sounding like a complete idiot. Thanks for your time." email- Keith

"The DISH should do a kudo box to Tom Teepen for peeping the truth on disenfranishment and the detriment it does to the individual and society. His "Denying Ex-cons the Vote No Way to Rehabilitate." Atlanta Journal Constitution 11/1/98 is on the money. Where is the conversation on this important issue. It's racial!" E-mail - A. Ramey..

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Volume 1 Issue 44

Dynamism!

by John Burl Smith

When one considers the amount of knowledge that can be assimilated in a relatively short time frame, it is amazing. However, an even more startling realization is that human beings are capable of retaining esoteric information in memory, and associating it unpredictably with seemingly unrelated situations in very generalized and speculative ways. The fruit this thesis bears strengthens claims that some totally new dynamics were at work in last week's midterm elections. Retrospectively, sometimes a portal to the future provides a reflection from the past that reveals its relevance to the present.

For instance, on April 4, 1968, the Invaders meet with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Loraine Motel to discuss tactical support for the sanitation workers' strike and march. Dr. King laid out his strategy for Memphis and implored us to join the "Poor Peoples March" to Washington D. C. later that summer. He envisioned the Invaders spearheading an effort to link black power groups across America into a support network. Black militant groups were needed to supply field workers to help organize and mobilize for the "Poor Peoples Campaign."

Years later, in 1977, while taking a political science course taught by long time west Tennessee Democratic strategist John Spence at Shelby State Community College in Memphis, the significance of Dr. King's "Poor Peoples Campaign" blossomed. Professor Spence's lectures examined the dynamics of power relationships. Developed during the Cold War, the balance of power model applied to a bipolar versus a multi-polar world in framing its parameters. The antithetical balance of power paradigm dictated an American foreign and domestic policy status quo steeped in a bipolar world.

Multi-polar dynamics was the goal Dr. King envisioned for the "Poor Peoples Campaign." His strategy was to build coalitions among blacks, poor whites, native Americans, Hispanics, women, labor and other groups mired in poverty. He planned to galvanize them around welfare, political and economic rights. Dr. King hoped to change the relationship between this class and the powers that be. He theorized, by bringing large numbers of poor together in Washington D.C., these constituencies would not only offer a show of force, but engage one another face-to-face on an individual level. Dr. King believed such dynamic interactions would debunk the balance of power theory which pitted these groups against one another to maintain political and economic power in America.

That assassins' bullet not only cut down a mighty tree, it left the fruit rotting in the field. The Invaders commitment to Dr. King's strategy of a multi-polar world required forging a totally new ideological and methodological approach. The Invaders' needed a completely new philosophy to determine true needs, and a totally new psychology for satisfying those needs. Like a horticulturist's worst nightmare, the seeds of today's new political dynamics germinated in rock hard ground, however, the soil was made fertile by his blood. As Dr. King's strategy predicted, the symbiotic relationships developed during the "Poor Peoples Campaign" matured allowing issues such as welfare, political and economic equality to be pursued as coalition goals. This shift mitigated other narrowly focused competing interests. Hence the new political dynamics.

A recent movie, "The Long Kiss Goodnight," presents a surreal relationship between Gena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. In caricature, their relationship reflects America's political and economic dilemma, while pointing out the difficulty in changing cold war dynamics. Under such circumstances, as Dr. King saw it, alone one will never succeed. So, it is with these intrepid heroes. The need to commit to one another fortified the demand to commit to something greater than the individual, if they hoped to foil their well- funded and very powerful adversary. In very real terms, the last election proved it is possible for such a diverse coalition to commit to something greater than self- interest. The true test of consolidating political power is whether or not they can commit to each other, so that all groups share power equally?

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark One/White Ninja received all good check marks on his progress report this week. The Dark Knight/Ninja responded to praise, "Gosh, it was nothing."

Disgruntled Says: When it's all said and done, the wench got punched out because she wouldn't leave me alone.

Disgruntled wants to know: How can adults, parents especially, expect children to speak well when they break verbs and otherwise butcher the language routinely?

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On Protesting for Change

The DISH is all for black Americans closing the economic welfare gap created by slavery and perpetuated by racism and discrimination. Granted, the need for change is sufficient and all too evident; elsewhere The DISH has expounded ad nauseam on the economic consequences of racism and the chasm of inequality. Some black "leaders" are exalting our youth to take to the streets in protest to change this situation. Will streets protest be the strategy in the new millennium to bring about change for African Americans? There are serious consequences for protesting; this call by some black "leaders" to do so should be carefully examined.

Daring to sit in all white diners while being spit on, kicked and mistreated as youth of the sixties did burden many parents. Thanks to those valiant youth, blacks can drink from public water fountains, enter and exit buildings via the main entrance and sit anywhere on the bus. These social changes are largely window dressing in the grand scheme of things, although they did improve the quality of life. Nonetheless, relatively speaking, little real economic change has occurred since the institution of slavery.

Moreover, whether or not integration and affirmative action, by-products of protesting, provide a net socioeconomic benefit is the subject of much controversy. Obviously, any economic benefit from such gains is significantly diminished by resistance, which includes disobedience of the laws passed to redress African American grievances. Examine the impact of integration on the public school system and the full frontal attack on affirmative action for supporting evidence. Integration gave blacks the crumbing overcrowded structures attended by our children. Most often characterized by low test scores, trailer classrooms and zero tolerance, these schools function more as holding pens for the criminal justice system, rather than institutions of learning.

Arkansas and Georgia offer excellent examples of court ordered desegregation gone awry, creating systems as segregated today as before the protesting. Blacks in these states are falling even further behind. The court decrees mandating integration were met with outright resistance and white flight. Pearl High School in Little Rock is a microcosm of the trend observed in the south. The onus of integration rested entirely on black students. Our children were bused, but whites are not bused to Pearl now that the school is majority black. More important, the school system still unfairly distributes resources among its schools.

Affirmative action is under attack for reversed discrimination. The DISH assumes the posture that such remedies are interest on a debt whose principal remains outstanding. That the debt is outstanding and never discussed epitomize the nation's commitment to racial inequality. Best characterized as hypocritical, the national response to past protest and subsequent legislation illustrates the shortcomings of this approach when it comes to changing the heart and soul of a nation.

The DISH would like to offer an alternative course of action. If we learned anything from the sixties, we know our children will die and/or be crippled for life for protesting. Rather then sending our young people that route, adults working in factories, offices, schools, churches and kitchens of America need to say no to the daily acts of racism and discrimination they encounter.

Black adults must assume responsibility. Another generation of children should not be squandered for rights guaranteed them under the Constitution. A single black woman with aching feet refused to stand so a white man could have her seat; she ignited the civil rights struggle of the sixties. Blacks flexed some muscle by coming out to vote in the mid-term elections recently. When all grownups get a little Rosa backbone and take responsibility, we will ignite a true revolution. The next wave of real change will come when that happens. Black people must individually stand up for their rights and refuse to accept being treated niggardly in every arena of life. More Hot DISHes

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

A Moment with My Father

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

We stood at the edge of forever and watched her paint

Deep torrent Atlantic blue against the rocky shore.

Mist and spray danced light in crystal air.

The sun cooperated benevolently,

Creating gentle rainbows,

Signifying our little moment in heaven.

Father rested his hand upon my shoulder

We gazed into the hereafter

Where the pale azure sky

Made love to life stirring liquid.

As they lost definition,

Forms melted into one another.

With violent passion,

That shapeless body of chaos and creation

Let its power be known.

Anxious to consume.

Funky Hood Update #7

Congratulations to State Senator Nadine Thomas (D-10) and all the other candidates winning election and reelection to office. Perhaps, now with all the politics of electioneering aside, we can have a Senate District meeting to discuss the environmental racism in south DeKalb County without politics intervening.

At issue is the public safety and health of residents living near private and public waste facilities, in particular Seminole Landfill, an unlined dump owned and operated by DeKalb County. Funky Hood

Mailbox: Telephone Calls, E-mail, Letters and Faxes

"What is The DISH's take on Newt Gingrich stepping down on such short notice? I don't buy into that crap about him bowing out for the sake of the party. I think somebody got something on the rat and he is jumping ship before being exposed. Out of the public eye, Newt can throw stones and hide his hands. I just hope whoever got the dope on him exposes him for the fink he is anyway. I live in Cobb, but I am definitely no Newt fan. Email Abby - Marietta

"I think the recent electoral turnout just goes to show the best information is not necessarily found in the mainstream media. The DISH is to be congratulated for its insightful analysis! I look forward to the weekly installment, and I recommend it to all my friends and acquaintances." DASTOR@aol.com

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Volume 1 Issue 43

Extremism and Domination!

By John Burl Smith

In most cases, considering the choice between liberal verses extreme , American voters choose liberal. Accordingly, these broad labels are applicable to candidates this year.

Current Republican conservatism is a thinly veiled make-over of the southern plantation strategy developed in the antebellum south. Until the 1960s, segregation was the instrument of southern political power. As during slavery, segregationists used the tactic of creating a cloud of suspicion to isolate blacks. This wedge maneuver kept white women from viewing blacks empathetically. Conversely, it forced them to support slavery and segregation, while accepting white male domination.

By interjecting the cloud of suspicion, white men maintained control and separation of the races. The psychology justifying the suspicion is: "All niggers lie. Name one you can trust." No matter how relevant the issue, women are constrained, and do not persist beyond this point without drawing suspicion upon themselves.

Projected larger than life, efforts to impeach cast the Presidency under the same old cloud of suspicion. Essentially, Republican conservative religious zealots view breaking the bond between blacks and women as their key to political power. Strong connections developed during the civil rights movement and affirmative action efforts yielded an effective coalition. Republican extremists have always behaved antithetically toward any gains made by this group.

The Republican wedge strategies divide women on issues of sexual harassment, affirmative action, and reproductive freedom. Fractured along these lines, women lose their forceful political voice. Collaterally, their effectiveness in framing women's concerns become suspect. Trapped in such circumstances, white women accept domination. Forcing women to choose against their better interests is the key to male dominance. Retrospectively, the tragedy and suffering endured by women in Walton County, Georgia mirrors the fate of women today, if the radical Republican strategy succeeds.

Women in Walton County were dominated by a system so complete that black and white women saw each other as the enemy. Terrorized by gangs of white men, black women were raped at will, and black men who spoke out were lynched. However, pinched between confronting their husbands, who represented the law, and the truth everyone knew, white women steadfastly avoided suspicion of being "nigger lovers" by remaining silent. In Walton County at Moore's Ford in 1946, two black couples were lynched. One wife was pregnant. During slavery, white women accepted domination and looked the other way, while their husbands raped black women as a matter of economic policy.

The objective of the cloud of suspicion is to keep everyone conscious of the fact that they could become a target. Women, blacks, gays, native Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Muslims are all on the list. For these citizens, the results of Tuesday's election means conservative religious extremism will only increase. Republicans will never relinquish the philosophy which brought them to power. Extremism over all else; extremists never quit.

Comments from the Bat Cave

After Halloween, the Dark One is seriously entertaining a role change. The Dark Knight is always and forever a Work in Progress, so change is to be expected. For a while at least, he may be a white ninja; he likes the costume.

Disgruntled Says: It seems easier to get a job when you got one or you're not particularly looking for employment.

Disgruntled wants to know: How is it possible with just a grainy videotaping of an individual that the FBI can identify, make him a prime suspect, arrest and extradite him within forty-eight hours when we know what Eric Robert Rudolph looks like, where he is holed up and the FBI still cannot put a cuff on him?

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

DFACS on Childcare

by Dot Smith

Recently, someone who faces a serious childcare dilemma asked for my assistance. Without all the facts, I agreed to help the single parent. Even with some family members sporadically helping out, consistent childcare for her four year-old is required, because she works full time. The young mother's annual income is so low she qualifies for assistance from the Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS); the childcare program assists working mothers with the cost of childcare. Last year, it paid for daycare. Thanks to the lottery-funded pre-K program, this year her child attends public school, saving taxpayers and the low-income working mother the expense of daycare.

Unfortunately, she works odd hours that differ substantially from the time her child is at school, making after school care essential. In addition to a non-traditional work schedule, the young mother is a full-time student. She wants to go into nursing, but finds herself on a waiting list for the program she plans to pursue. In the meantime, she attends beauty college and hopes to one day own her own salon and be an independent businesswoman, her fallback position. She is not giving up on nursing, since she is already in the medical field. For now, she makes ends meet to provide for herself and her child with an eye on the future. In particular, this situation brought home the fact that some working parents need childcare at unusual hours.

For anyone interested, DFACS pays a maximum of $27.00 per week to an individual care provider. In order to certify, one must be fingerprinted and pass a GBI background investigation. The parent is responsible for a $24 application processing fee payable with a money order. In addition, the parent pays for the fingerprinting cost of $10.00. The DeKalb Police Department charges $5.00 per set of prints, and DFACS requires two sets.

Based on a forty-hour week, DFACS' twenty-seven dollars translate into sixty-eight cents per hour. Since the mother must pay $5.00 of that amount, DFACS values childcare at fifty-five cents per hour. In my friend's particular situation, the per hour pay is even lower, forty cents per hour, because she requires childcare sixty-six hours. With another twenty-eight dollars per week from the parent, the total payment is fifty dollars or an hourly pay to seventy-five cents.

It is amazing what little value is placed on childcare, not just by this agency and in this particular instance, but throughout our society. Teachers are still some of the lowest paid professionals in the workplace. Though it takes considerable skill, patience and tolerance to deal with groups of young people, especially small children, those who teach and tend them in America's schools and daycare centers are among the lowest paid in the labor market.

Without question, American homemakers are undervalued. Yet, their work and the contribution of other care-givers play a tremendously important role in the rearing of future generations. What is more important for any generation? Compensation for such important work should be commensurate with the awesome responsibility. More Hot DISHes

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Rain

By Dot Smith

I love the sound of rain

It strums a soothing refrain

Against the roof and window panes

It quenches the thirst of sun scorched earth

Cleansing away dust and dirt,

From all of nature's foliage.

The air smells sweet and so refreshed.

After the rain's passage.

I love the sound of rain

Its melodic refrain,

Assures the Earth grows green again.

Mailbox: Telephone Calls, E-mail, Letters and Faxes

..."The DISH is well-written and insightful. While I do not agree with everything written in it, it sure makes you think about things a bit more. Keep me informed and on my toes. Thanks" email -.Leslie Abrams- Lawrence

"Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell is a boob. I say that, not so much in agreement with that radical Republican scandal monger Mitch Skandalakis, the scandalous sap, but because it is a matter of the Campbell administration's dismal corrupt record. However, Atlanta did not need its woes interjected and personalized in a statewide political contest in which Campbell has no bearing beyond being a voter. Mitch should get run out of Fulton County." K. S. Sims - Atlanta, GA

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Volume 1 Issue 42

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On the Absence of Falling Prices

by Dot Smith

Some time ago, The DISH boldly stated, "Even if the United States' financial markets miraculously escape negative fallout from the global financial crisis sweeping Japan, Southeast Asia and Russia, the economic slowdown should still dampen global demand enough to pull down prices." The short run DISH scenario saw American consumers enjoying relatively low prices, an anticipated response to a reduction in global demand in a competitive market economy.

With inflation in the toilet and global demand down, why are American consumers paying relatively higher prices for most goods and services? American households are burdened with double digit interest rates on homes, cars and credit card balances. Rent is up; grocery prices are not going down; ask any supermarket shopper.

The global economic structure and the size of the U.S. debt are significant factors in the responsiveness of prices to changes in demand. Congress and the President are touting this year's budget surplus; nobody mentions the debt and its importance to national welfare. Its size is certainly worth mentioning; if not cause for alarm, since the government competes against individuals and businesses to finance its debt. Prior to Japan's financial collapse, the U.S. borrowed a billion dollars a day from that country to finance the interest on its five trillion plus debt.

With so many countries in economic decline, a billion bucks a day must be hard to find. The only source outside the domestic economy is multinational corporations with annual budgets bigger than most countries. Since money talks, Congress is already in their pockets; it literally forks over the pork, robbing the national treasury and feeding the debt. In an economy controlled by big government and these oligopolies, prices are resilient.

Clinton's government reinvention and its achievement of a balanced budget deserve some credit for current domestic conditions. Clinton downsized government, a painful maneuver that displaced workers and reduced payments to others, as welfare to work became commonplace. Privatization provided more pork for businesses and employment for some displaced workers at lower real wages and benefits in the private sector; still others number among the underemployed, unemployed and homeless. Things look great at the top for the upper class, but current economic conditions are not so great for many Americans.

TV pundits and some economists credit these "good times" to policies that began with Ronald Reagan's Administrations and Alan Grenspan's adroit money supply manipulation. Combined with "acceptable" business practices, those polices weakened labor. Businesses merged out of existence, eliminated jobs, threatened cutbacks and layoffs, employed part-time workers in full-time positions, used temporary services and exported jobs to developing countries where labor is cheap, sometimes less than a dollar an hour. The quintessential example is NIKE; the corporate giant pays some workers a monthly wage less than the cost of a pair of its sneakers.

In response to these business practices and government policies, demand should be down, even in America. However, U.S. consumer demand, according to government pronouncements, remains relatively high. One plausible explanation is those workers displaced maintain their standard of living by whatever means available. In Russia, crime and barter are commonplace. U.S. consumer demand is fed with a combination of credit and crime in the underground economy.

Nevertheless, while consumer demand may be stable for now, Americans in record numbers are filing for bankruptcy to relieve the pressure of debt. Bankruptcy restrictions and the tightening up of credit portend a decline in U.S. consumer demand just around the corner. In a competitive economy, the theory calls for a decline in prices. To the contrary, in the less than competitive real world, prices do not fall. A more likely scenario is more people will be laid off. More Hot DISHes

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark One knows he is a child, but he can fight. The Dark Knight does not understand how adults can expect him to suppress his urge to engage in combat when they freely vent theirs.

Past Predictions and the Present

In the early 1980's, I presented a number of treatises in academic circles addressing contemporaneous conditions that portended serious consequences for the future. To a great extent, the future is now in that the global economy is already feeling the effects of policies instituted by the Reagan Administration.

Automation and Technological Unemployment (1982 - Mid-South Academy of Economist)- looked at the displacement of workers due to automation of work processes. It warned of the need to educate and train the American workforce for the jobs of the future. Today, America is looking abroad for high tech workers to fill the jobs created by technological change.

Another discussion paper addressed mergers, acquisitions and other bailouts. Section 7: Expanding the Failing Company Doctrine (1983) examined these business activities and their impact on competition, as well as compared and contrasted historical parallels. The treatise questioned the efficacy of loosening restrictions on the Anti-Trust Laws that harnessed irrational exuberance of the past. "Antitrust legislation is enacted to ensure a workable form of competition in the absence of perfect competition. By prohibiting certain business behaviors, the government traditionally played a pivotal role in preserving some vestige of competition. The third wave of mergers will not subside voluntarily, and the current antitrust legislation has little, if any, negative impact on conglomerate merger activity. Should the government cease to assume the minimal level of responsibility in this area it has exercised in the past, the country may eventually confront conditions even more disastrous than those prompting the enactment of the Sherman Antitrust Act." Now, big business runs the government.

Disgruntled Says: I am shocked and appalled by the brawl, but there is a little Jerry Springer in us all.

Disgruntled wants to know: How can you go to someone's birthday party, celebrate, have a great time and not even know at the end of the party the person's birth date?

No Time for Commentary

John Burl Smith

In the1850s, as well as the 1950s, the question for Americans remain, "what is the price of freedom?" For many that question goes unanswered. But life's irony is, people totally unfamiliar can reach across centuries and touch one another's soul. White Americans never thought not speaking up about the terror blacks endured during segregation would breed the same contempt for their and their children's lives years later. Religious conservatives, who preached "segregation forever" and terrorized the South with lynchings are national leaders today. Friday their message struck home in New York state. Next, that message may come to a town near you.

The death of Dr. Barnett Slepian is just such a message of intimidation. He deserved better. He was an American. To come to such an end, "in the land of the free and the home of the brave," soaks the Constitution in innocent blood. The question each American must answer today is, will faceless gunmen of the night rule the day? As the 1850s and 1950s were filled with scrimmages foreshadowing even bloodier times, the harbinger of dread has descended upon America once more.

For those under the crosshairs, the war has already begun. Defenseless hits are taken daily. The level of violence consuming this nation has reached critical mass. Americans are dying for their beliefs, because who they are, or their skin color. Faceless men claiming to represent love and God made Dr. Slepian a target. His death represents our loss of freedom and the right to feel secure in our person.

When the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fell, those assassins' bullets murdered something in each of us. So, it is with Dr. Slepian. His death reaches across time and space, becoming a part of each of us. Americans must stand up against terrorism, and say "NO" to such violence and those fermenting it. This is the same atmosphere conservative god-fearing Germans created to bring Adolf Hitler to power. The south has risen again!

Atlanta Vibe Explodes

On Wednesday, November 4, 1998 at 9:30 P.M., Yohannes Sharriff Smith will blow up Club Jaguars, located at Peachtree Street and15th. Yohannes will host an open mic featuring some of the hottest poets, rhymers, rappers, and mic rockers in Atlanta. Now on his own, this venue is a production of Roc Head, formerly of the Urban Rhyme Crew. Asked about the event, Roc Head responded, "We have worked very hard pumping up this spot. We have African Wind, the liveliest band in Atlanta’s vibe, ladies get in free, and Yohannes is the most explosive performer on the scene. There will be a phat after party, so come hang in the vibe, and get your head rocked." Consciousness is contagious! T.H.I.N.C.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Right Now

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

You are a musical collage.

A melody so sweet in my ear.

Trumpets ablaze. Miles of play.

What a ride! Up and down my spine.

A wicked solo. Jazz at its best

Spontaneous...life is that shit happening right now..

At this minute Nonstop...no time to wait,

Late for work.. It's a right on red...

Or a left on red on a one way...

A quiet thought during happy hour.

An adjustment, like intense action in your face

Like the high-speed image of a mack truck

Two inches from your nose blasting off...

The traffic light...caution, school, slave issues,

Tuition, cost of living, potential homelessness,

Women, bills, the kids or lack thereof...

Change in the middle of transition. Red...Green...

Yellow...Black.

That steady pace synchronized in a cosmic rhyme.

A beat box free styling in a corner cipher.

Holding onto the guard rail.

Pushing...rushing to get there patiently on time.

In the grand scheme

Looking for salient conversation with the universe.

Mama hold me.."It all used to be so simple."

I...me..we used to have answers...Questions...

Temporary solutions to an age-old situation...Life.

Silence. Making time to listen. Extemporaneous

Changes sweeping in like hurricane season.

Violent...chaotic...devastating.

And as needed as the monsoon. Rain

Tap dance step and hop the hip bee bop.

Stand atop the piano keys and play the drums

Sing an opera acapella to no one but your self.

Reflection strumming a smooth base rhythm...

The rhythm. Harmonize with signs

Sounds singling the end of summer.

Fall in love with the mosaic painting an autumn park

Seen winter dreams turn into spring.

Out caterpillar with butterfly wings

Live and in a blink die, alive only to plant a seed. Simplicity.

Too black to be a house nigga.

Just white enough to pass...Right now

Finding yourself naked in the wilderness running north.

It's an underground rail...roller coaster ride.

The perfect reggae wine on a steamy dance floor.

It's change of mind...It's not being so naive...

So cynical...so ignorant...so self-righteous.

It's liberation...humility...purpose and meaning.

Patience. Being in balance...

Being at one with the power of the struggle.

Right now...

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Volume 1 Issue 41

Ribbon in the Sky!!

by John Burl Smith

With a haunting melody and placid serenity, Stevie Wonder's " Ribbon in the Sky" target's hearts. Revealing the painful reality that not everyone has been touched by grace. Tugging at our sensibilities, Stevie channels empathy and compassion into positive images that heighten our connectivity. One of the world's most prolific songwriters, "Little" Stevie Wonder crashed the scene in the early 1960s with "Fingerstips, Part 2". Although Stevie has never viewed man's inhumanity to man, his music clairvoyantly expresses the agony and pain. "Ribbon in the Sky" muses an unending prayer for love, peace and justice. Granted by grace, one should not have to purchase such comforts with a life. Over the years, Stevie's lyrics echoed the theme, "Diminishing one human being diminishes us all!"

The Bill of Rights to the Constitution provides a sanctuary, granting every citizen the right to feel "secure in one's person and in one's home." That pledge guarantees citizens freedom of expression in private acts, preferences, and orientation. However, social norms that dictate acceptable behavior too often stigmatize all others. Matthew Shepard's tragic death reminds us of America's failed promise, and challenges each citizen to examine their attitudes about long held beliefs, which support the violence consuming this nation. Like orbiting satellites, Americans are forced to counter-weigh the image of a free America and Matthew's world.

Such hypocritical mind-sets find acceptance as an article of faith in some sanctimonious hallowed halls. This hypothesis tests true, considering school shootings, decapitations, such as G. P. Johnson and James Bird, Jr., and the electrocution of Carla Fay Tucker, who symbolizes all that is wrong with capital punishment. Like bleeding hearts, communities are quick to express horror at such acts. Conversely, they disavow any connection the acts have on core community values. Americans mentally compartmentalize these occurrences. They view them from a linear perspective. Consequently, their core values are unaffected, because for them, it is an isolated incident. Simultaneously, subconscious forces wall off the memory from the conscious mind. Segmenting events in this manner prevents dissonant thoughts from overflowing, generating contradictory impulses, and contaminating core values.

Viewing the world through Linear Secularism, one misses the connection between such human tragedies as Matthew Shepard and community rejection. In this case, the individuals committing this horrific act were acceptable community members before their egregious actions. Whereas, Matthew Shepard was always treated as an outsider and considered beyond the pale of human kindness. Weighing less than 105 pounds and under five feet two inches tall in high school, everyone picked on and/or pushed him around, even females. The Neanderthals charged with this atrocity were tolerated in high school and allowed to get away with harassing students like Matthew. Typically, complaints are dismissed or minimized as "boys just clowning around, not really meaning any harm to anyone." Sympathetically characterized as misguided youth, such predators are welcomed into churches, universities, professional groups, boy scouts and whatever else the community has to offer. On the other hand, Matthew was shut out of community life, and shunned by many of the same people bearing tributes to his memory.

Lost in this violence is reality, Matthew Shepard was Michael Corneal, before Michael picked up a gun. Conversely, the members of that prayer group are the two brutes, five or ten years down the line. Through positive reinforcements reflecting their community values, they were taught their attitudes toward gays, abortion, blacks, Arabs, Hispanics and other minorities. Like lynchings in the south, communities coverup their true ugliness. They can not allow themselves to view their role in setting the table for such cannibalism. As with reparations for African Americans, denying responsibility is the code of silence binding Paducah, KY, Jonesboro, AR, Walton County Georgia and Jasper, Texas with Laramie and the world. This mind-set cages a community, reminiscent of Germany during Adolf Hitler's rise to power.

"There are none so blind as he who will not see." Stevie Wonder saw clearly the need for real love among human beings, and tried to bring people closer with his penetrating lyrics. "Ribbon in the Sky" ties us to Matthew Shepard like nails in the cross tied Christ to our sins. Since we "know not the day nor the hour" the Master will return, Matthew could have been Jesus Christ!

Disgruntled wants to know: With childcare costing more every day, how can the working poor afford quality childcare and maintain some minimum standard of living in the world's greatest economy?

Disgruntled Says: All the people of the world need is a little compassion.

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark One is adjusting to sharing his space and attention with a baby brother and a cousin. Even this, the Dark Knight can overcome as he matures.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Overlooking My Ghetto Paradise

By Yohannes Sharriff Smith

My poor reception two dollar thrift store radio

Hisses a lovely jazz melody over the whispering static.

Black running back fast pass the rats and trap...

Relax and let the day pass...

Safe from that same sick bus ride to work and back.

King of my one bedroom flat...shack...Shaft-ted.

Its another fine summertime sunset.

"Freddie's dead... that's what I said"

The city too busy to hate

Ablaze in southern tradition

Like lynching and flying the rebel flag

High on the Capital building,

Or on the backs of dirty pick-up trucks.

Rednecks screaming..."Hee-Haw!"

Tires screeching red-light rush hour noise pollution,

While traffic spews toxic fumes,

Like the industrial revolution!

Death is big business. In marketing class,

The Grim Reaper wears a white collar

Using arts and crafts to fashion tombs

Smaller than the womb.

Cutting flowers down before they bloom.

Too scared to scream.....

Two naked bodies found in the alley.

Halloween! Today seems too soon...

Armageddon will be starting

It's December in the middle of June.

Full moon...The scent of doom

Hot garbage wafts in the thick murky wind,

Mixing with the mystery smell

Of Tuesday night's special.

Flickering lights and sirens sound,

As I preside over my court-yard.

Like lord of the manor; Grab my beer and blunt,

Heading for my sub-urban patio...my private balcony.

The fire escape is welcoming...

Squeeze my feet thru the guard rail...

Dangling...dangling like on the roof in a noose,

Dealing with demons...

Dealing with life and death decisions...Dangling.

Inhale...exhale the aromas of the city. Loitering...

Littering...Like thick pain, smoke lingering.

Piss and shit stains mingling in the hallway.

My imagination is gritty graffiti,

Yearning to paint the metro glow Picasso blue.

Humans barbed wired behind electrified fences...

White folks moving back downtown.

Now I'm a faint memory of...

Broken concentration like glass falls to the bum

Rummaging thru the trash like a forgotten treasure...

Like a second hand fire sale,

I rummage thru my ash tray, hoping to have a good day.

Sometimes...I can't help but cry.

Holding onto the guard rail like cell bars...

I say a li'l prayer over my city...

Over jungle concrete and air conditioned conveniences

Over glass, plastic and steel...

Over my poor people with plenty

Over the rich but empty...

Over my woman and seed

Hoping they heal me like a remedy.

Bless me please with patience to keep dealing

With these bullshit crackers and the niggas

Wishing they were massa.

Gather up your winnings son. Count your blessings,

Cause when some left they didn't have any.

Besides...baby, its twilight on a Tuesday night.

On my private balcony overlooking my ghetto paradise.

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On The DISH

Dot's Information Service Hotline (DISH) is a weekly newsletter based on themes from T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution, a book of poetry and short stories written by Yohannes Sharriff Smith. T.H.I.N.C. is a philosophy of life that is an outgrowth of the young author's experiences as an African American. According to the President's Initiative on Race, "The issues that this book brings to the forefront are important in our efforts to achieve the goals set forth by the President for this Initiative. This work will serve as a solid resource for us as we begin to examine these critical issues."

Committed to the concepts espoused in T.H.I.N.C., The DISH evolved out of a need to express the real life experiences of African Americans as a way of relieving the frustration of dealing with an ofttimes insensitive and unresponsive system. The DISH provides a forum for raising issues and exploring an array of topics ranging from local level concerns to those facing society in the new millennium. By doing so, The DISH seeks to promote dialogue on the difficult issues that must be resolved to maintain future geopolitical and economic stability. Realistically speaking, if we are not discussing these issues, our chances of successfully meeting local challenges and resolving global dilemmas in the next century are significantly diminished by our individual and collective silence. With its unique artistic flare, The DISH adds its voice to the masses seeking to bring commonsense and reason to the table to resolve the critical problems impacting the survival of humanity.

Beyond its personal therapeutic value, the newsletter is gaining in popularity, because it fills a void left by the mainstream media. Granted, it is ofttimes controversial, because it frankly examines issues from the unique perspective of its publisher Dot Smith. (See vitae at http://home.att.net/~yicim)

An angry ex-reader recently accused the newsletter's editor of "having issues." For all the hit dawgs that hollered, like Shunda, I do have issues, and since January, The DISH has provided a platter on which to serve them up hot. Its recent look at Black hair hit home for Shunda and many African American women. Offended, some requested removal from the mailing list; others thanked The DISH for dealing with the subject.

Dishing the hot topics up has garnered the newsletter a regular readership that has grown from less than one hundred entries to a distribution file of over 2,000. Readers come and go, but the core continues to read and grow. Its popularity must be credited to the newsletter's hard hitting exploration of diverse local, national and international topics. Given its non-mainstream socioeconomic and political viewpoint, The DISH lives up to its billing as the only unbossed and unbought international weekly newsletter dedicated to promoting the dialogue on race.

Works in progress, the weekly newsletter and its companion Web site -www.thedish.ws -feature prose and poetry. In addition to providing this artist a venue, The DISH is a nonprofit venture that offers area budding artists a vehicle for self-expression.

Free copies of The DISH are available via e-mail and facsimile. Email the newsletter at icim@bellsouth.net or fax/call (404) 244-6023 for hard copies. Call us for more information about the newsletter or publishing a piece of poetry in an upcoming issue of The DISH. More Hot DISHes

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Volume 1 Issue 40

Privacy: A First Amendment Right

by John Burl Smith

The most fundamental right granted all Americans by the First Amendment is "the right to be secure in one's home and in one's person." Privacy is viewed as synonymous with freedom of expression. This concept cloaks every citizen in a shield beyond which government shall not intrude. This principle became constitutional bedrock, because the framers lived under an oppressive colonial system. As subjects, they suffered under the tyrannical power of agents acting in the name of the king. Unrestrained, these agents entered citizens' homes without cause, and searched their person on demand. The founding fathers knew the awesome power of government in the hands of authoritarian partisans. They sought to protect powerless citizens against such an official onslaught. Counterbalancing this threat, the First Amendment enshrines personal freedom and private acts as basic rights no citizen can be deprived before facing the bar of justice.

The First Amendment gives a citizen the right to lie about private personal matters into which the government is prohibited from entering without probable cause. That is to say, some crime must be directly related to the private behavior. In the past, this right has been taken from some citizens, i.e., African Americans, native Americans, Jewish Americans, Japanese Americans and citizens called before Senator Joseph McCarthy's Government Operations Committee, Subcommittee on Investigations. A Republican from Wisconsin, "Tail-gunner" Joe McCarthy made witch-hunting a national sport. McCarthy and his chief henchmen, Roy Cohn and G. David Schine, terrorized Americans with unbridled investigatory power. Riding roughshod, their tyrannical reign skewed the scales of justice until mere association was sufficient to be burned at McCarthy's stake.

This inquisition occurred during the 1950s, not the 12^th century. Americans were blacklisted and prevented from working in their chosen professions. Shunned, they were deprived of constitutional protection and exposed to all manners of discrimination. Progressively, if a citizen associated with someone blacklisted, they could fall under tail-gunner Joe's cross hairs. Family members, life long friends and professional colleagues all turned on one another in fear of being targeted by tail-gunner Joe. As with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, citizens on blacklists were never arrested, brought before a grand jury, or charged with a crime of any sort, nonetheless, they were convicted and punished on the pyre of McCarthy's witch-hunting committee.

The framers of the Constitution warned future generations against, "the tyranny of the majority." The founding fathers understood that man is ambitious, vindictive, petty, envious and vicious. Therefore, restraints must always err on the side of justice, compassion and tolerance. Their point being that even the highest of expectations and best intentions can give way to personal passions that rise to the fore. As with tail-gunner Joe, otherwise calm and rational people become flaming fanatics overnight. Cloaked in righteous indignation, the scenario casts us against them. Hell bent on destroying the enemy, there are no limits to which zealots will not go. Any tactic is justified, after all "God is on our side."

Republicans are determined to reinvigorate witch-hunting as a national sport. Like southern lynch mobs, Republicans declared open season on the President of the United States of America in 1992, and have yet to relent. Americans concerned with protecting the Constitution shudder at the sight of pretentious old men piously sitting in judgement on private matters. Their aim is to reverse the mandate given by the American people. Partial arbiters, the Republicans pursuing the President are the same people who opposed his election, and reelection. They have rummaged through the President's life, as if it is a closet containing old shoes. Now that none fit, they are determined to shoehorn the Constitution to accomplish what they could not at the ballot box.

Being elected President does not uncloak citizen William Jefferson Clinton of his First Amendment rights. The framers did not intend that, nor does the Constitution permit it. Americans interested in preserving constitutional government must decide if we can trust our freedom to politicians who will enthusiastically brush aside a fellow citizen's First Amendment rights. The question that must be resolved in each citizen's heart is, do Americans want to live out the implications of an impeached Presidency under such circumstances? If Republicans can reverse a presidential election based solely on trumped up frivolous evidence, a citizen's vote truly does not matter. The Constitution grants, and the Supreme Court has upheld the right of citizens to be obnoxious and offensive to the sensibilities of others in the expression of First Amendment Rights to which privacy is basic. Ipso facto, a President is no less protected by the Constitution than any other citizen. (Gitlow v New York, Brandenburg v Ohio, and Tinker v Des Moines.)

Disgruntled wants to know: If we should be practicing the principle that says "judge not, lest ye be judged," why do we have so many judges and grand juries?

Disgruntled says: If executioners are allowed to vote, then anyone having committed a capital offense should be allowed to cast a ballot.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Chocolate City

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

1798...Fresh Mandingo traded, slaving in the 13^th colony.

Just seventeen, dreams crushed by the silent war,

Helicopters and swat teams.

In the SWATs, it's by any means, but ends ain't meeting.

Plenty of brothers and sisters surviving on not enough

But its okay long as the police get their piece of the action.

It's the first of the month and the folks steadily trapping.

In the trap hot shit is steadily happening,

Girls laughing; fellas rapping on the corner...

Sweating bullets in this Southern sauna

Clapping guns close the caption. Is he a gonna?

Well the trauma unit got your number

They'll probably be there in under three hours.

The police look dumb and dumber, while cameras document the drama.

The family no longer wonders

Just simply awaits the report from the coroner.

Praying for escape, twisted black babies are raped

In this Southern slave ship shit in the city too busy to hate

Emasculated and decapitate A T-liens dwell in the slums

Desperate oppression swells in bruises inflicted by the brutal beast.

On Candler road it's getting a little colder

Billy clubs and bullets leave peep wholes the size of the Capital.

Homes are torn down to build an empty dome.

Homeless people disappear cause the Olympic committee

Says vagrants are unsightly. I take another funky ride

Thru my ghetto paradise. Just crumbling herb

To ease the pressure...Can't find no soul food...

I can't afford to. Old school rules fool poor people

Frozen by the Ice man's plan.

TV dinners and micro wave solutions...

Poison courses thru my land.

Privatized prisons profit on incarcerating my nation.

Tax cut me into a trailer park education

While temporary agencies pimp me 20 years later

Slave labor for minimum wage.

Like penitentiary guard towers, churches and liquor stores stand on every corner...

Swimming in a slumber...Who wants a 9 to 5 job

Hell I'd rather work part-time on-line at a CIA crack house.

Starving my hunger...Another zombie wondering thru Babylon.

Brainwashed and stumbling out of Sunday service...

Looking for the promise land but I can't pay the toll on Ga. 400..400 years...

400 years and counting.

DISH-ing it up Hot!

On Spinning SAT Scores

by Dot Smith

The DISH analyzed DeKalb County School System's test scores published in the local media and verified by Dr. Vivian McMillan, Assistant Supervisor of Testing.

DeKalb officials claim the data support a one point rise in the system average SAT score. To the contrary, Fig. 1 offers a more reasonable scenario dictated by this data, i.e., a more than three-point decline. A point rise for the system is an anomaly when the changes in the schools' averages took a 64- point dip; the system trend is definitely down. Moreover, the 1997 and 1998 median school averages of 876 and 894 are significantly lower than the school system's 926 and 927 re-centered scores for the two years. Furthermore, twelve or 63% of the system's nineteen schools in 1997 have averages less than or equal to 911, The DISH estimated system mean, given these scores. In 1998, eleven or 61% of the system's eighteen schools had averages less than 908. More significant, thirteen or 72% of the schools that year had averages less than the system's 927.

How did DeKalb compute its averages? When Dr. Vivian McMillan could not explain the discrepancies, The DISH asked for the total number of test takers and their total verbal and math points earned. An associate staff member, Kay Smarr, provided just the number of test takers, necessitating a second request for the points earned. Smarr stated "no such data is available"; The DISH questioned the school system's ability to compute its average.

When questioned about the accuracy of the student totals, Smarr accused The DISH of spinning the numbers. She later called back with an apology, after verifying the discrepancy identified in total test takers. While we now have an official estimated number of test-takers, points earned remain a bone of contention, an essential element in computing the average.

The DISH contacted the College Board Testing Service. After an extensive explanation of the data dichotomies, the Board agreed to investigate the matter. So what explains the variance between the system's story and the data? When the College Board Testing Service completes its examination and provides that answer, The DISH can give you the real spin on DeKalb's SAT numbers. Back to The DISHv2no36 Or Other Hot DISHes

Mailbox: Email, Faxes & Phone Calls

"Not only does the baldhead symbolize impotency, imagine how cold those noggins will be come winter. Thanks sister for pointing out what we are doing to ourselves unconsciously. Keep DISHing it up hot momma!" Email - MarkZ@worldnet

Grandparents' Tea

On September 30^th, Clifton Elementary School held its annual Grandparents Tea. Since 1991, this event has grown from a handful of grandparents to a sizeable gathering that moved from being held in the media center to the school's much larger cafeteria. According to the school's principal, Tracy Moore, the event gives grandparents an excellent opportunity to visit the school, spend some time with a grandchild(ren) and discover ways in which grandparents can participate in educating their grand kids. She encouraged grandparents to read to their grandchildren or spend time listening to them read the paper or a book. Sensitive to the problem of illiteracy among older Americans, especially African Americans, Ms. Moore threw open Clifton's doors to grandparents who wish to improve their reading skills.

Clifton Elementary is a computer magnate school that attracts students throughout the DeKalb School System. Laverne Hudson, Clifton PTA president, "Credits Ms. Moore with the school's success. Her dedication and diligence make Clifton special." The school received one of the forty (40) grants given for its Reading First program. This pilot program for grades K-3 is designed to improve reading achievement. Clifton received a little more than $22,000.00 to administer its program.

Three program priorities must be met to satisfy this funding. The school must purchase a phonetics program. This summer, members of Clifton's faculty participated in an in-service training wherein state approved vendors demonstrated various products meeting this priority. Clifton chose Sing, Spell, Read and Write for Grade K and Saxon Phonics for Grades 1-3. Priority two is called sight word vocabulary, a building block process that focuses on word recognition. Priority three is a computerized management system to track student performance. Students are questioned about what they read. Computers are used to track student responses to questions about the books they read and record the number of books read. Clifton's goal is for each child in grades K-7 read at least 25 books this school year.

Reading is stressed in everything Tracy Moore does. At the start of school faculty and staff meetings, she reads. Moore read at the Grandparents Tea; it was lovely. Clifton students read poems that praised and thanked grandparents for the little things they do daily to make their lives and the world a better place. This event firmly convinced me that we need more programs that allow our children to display their creative talents for the enjoyment of parents and the community. Such programs expand the opportunities for our children to explore artistic abilities untapped in the traditional classroom setting. Moore is to be commended for her enthusiasm, focus on reading, and her village concept of raising our children. I look forward to attending next year's tea.

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Volume 1 Issue 39

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On Black Heads

by Dot Smith

Are Blacks judged or assessed on the basis of how their hair is worn? "You can't go to an interview with an Afro and expect to be hired," is the prevailing perception among young African Americans. Oddly, it is reinforced by their parents and the American mainstream. For race to cease being a factor, natural Black hair must be accepted by everybody, including African Americans. But, is this accurate or just an erroneous assumption made by unwitting victims of Conditioned Subordinate Psychology (CSP)*, the black inferiority complex? Without question, CSP is a dominant factor in today's African American hairstyles, both natural and chemically treated. During slavery, African hair became a source of shame. Female slaves wore head rags or scarves. Generally, male heads were shaven to remedy the hair situation. Hiding or disguising their natural hair is a conditioned African American response; it is part and parcel of the psychological baggage carried over from slavery and segregation; it is akin to their aversion to books and fear of reading.

Few African Americans are covering up in public. However, in large numbers, African American men are falling back on the slave tradition and imitating Jordan. Baldheads still solve the male hair problem. Ironically, this self-scalping enjoys widespread mainstream acceptance. Generally, men and women will go to any lengths to retain some coverage on the old noggin. Discounting the phenomenal Air Jordan, colored men scraping themselves bare are not soaring to fantastic heights. So, go figure why so many choose to be symbols of impotency!

Creative creatures, Black women are employing a multitude of hairstyles, and, in many cases, turning hair into works of art. The DISH calls it Black Head Art. Like all things artistic, some will dismiss much of it as trash; others will see beauty in synthetic tresses stacked above the head or allowed to caress a sultry shoulder. To be frank, some of it is ludicrous. Screaming CSP, the most pitiable are those requiring the natural hair to be permed or otherwise seared into limpness. Though only one aspect of CSP, the negative Black hair image makes possible a lucrative market for companies catering to and reinforcing CSP. A classic commercial effort that does this is the Black consumer exposition - "For Sisters Only." Held in Atlanta, it received favorable media coverage (Atlanta Journal Constitution, 9/23/98). Included in the article were pictures of four (4) homeless women who received makeovers for success, courtesy of M&M Products, an exposition participant. All the ladies' wore unnatural hairstyles. This hardly promotes a positive self-concept for these African American women. This is precisely the type of negative commercial enterprises that keep Blacks believing a hairdo for success entails imitating some imaginary WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) standard.

The manufactured products to make these "success" hairstyles possible do African Americans a disservice. More important, what do we really know about the consequences of long term exposure to caustic "beauty" substances? Could these chemicals be responsible for deaths among beauticians? Elevated levels of rare blood diseases and sudden deaths are health conditions among those working in salons and barbershops that must be studied. Definitely, closer Food and Drug Administration scrutiny is warranted.

In the final analysis, Blacks must individually choose to avoid products that make them look like cheap imitations of cheap imitations by the head. Basically, if the product views the natural hair as unacceptable and must be chemically changed it fosters a negative Black image. More important, it may be dangerous to your health.

Are Blacks judged on hairdos? Who knows whether or not this perception is based in fact. The DISH is suggesting Black women and men return to their roots, go au natural and test it.

Other Hot DISHes

Disgruntled wants to know: This Clinton/Lewinsky affair is ridiculous! As the media feeds on salacious details to improve viewer ratings, everything gets spun-spin. While the country goes to hell in a sexually explicit handbasket, what else important is happening?

Disgruntled Says: If you investigate anyone long enough, including the Pope, you're bound to find some dust to spin into media gold.

Dialogue on Race: Downbeating The Rails!

By John Burl Smith

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) offers an excellent example of how the Republican southern axis obscures its backroom dealing on boards and commissions that control local politics. Siphoning off funds previously mandated to eradicate poverty and develop innercities, these good-o-boys engineered white flight. Fueled by the elixir of local control, tax cuts moved the process even faster. Buttressed by their "Contract With America," Republicans transferred wealth from the lowest 70% of the population to the richest 30%, taxation without representation.

The Christian Coalition soared to power demanding less and a smaller government, which citizens wanted off their backs. Republicans went hydrophobic over big government, and regulations they claimed intruded on free market capitalism.

Today, the Atlanta Regional Commission is singing a new song. A real showstopper, the ARC hopes to swoon the public by building a rail line between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Its purpose is relieving traffic associated with Hartsfield International Airport and reducing air pollution. A real sour note for most, ARC's new tune about trains, is a song and dance reminiscent of "Showboat."

Listening to ARC's sonata, one is convinced the urban crisis clamor was a lullaby that put everyone to sleep. Members are harmonizing to developers' siren song of progress. Hi-tech words, but the same old rap and rhyme melody. No hip hopper, ARC Director Harry West "beat boxed " his way to a very high note. "This $15 billion project will offset the surge in mileage driven by residents in the 10 counties region." ARC's production claims not only to reduce sprawl, "It will relieve traffic congestion, and address air quality problems."

Universally, Republicans decry FDR's "New Deal" as pork, big government run amok. Were FDR to return and observe Republicans reincarnated as Zigfield, he would claim them like a proud papa. In an interview with Kelly Simmons(AJC), the Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich added lyrics to ARC's beat, "In signing on to this project for a high speed rail system between Chattanooga and metro Atlanta, $ 7.5 to $10 million will be included in the Interstate Surface Transportation Efficiency Act funding this spring. This region needs some alternative transportation options. Under a long range plan a high-speed rail eventually extending to Charlotte and Tampa from Atlanta, and to Knoxville and Nashville from Chattanooga would do that."

A public works program by any other name is still a public works program. Does the Speaker envision steam rolling a bigger majority to Washington on "The Chattanooga Choo-Choo?" Is engineer Gingrich laying tracks for the "Great Locomotive Race" to the White House? Looking at this project, are the valentines in Newt's bulldawg eyes a clear signal of his disdain for big government has turned to puppy love? FDR must be blushing. They used to tar and feather scalawags and ride them out of town on a rail. Today they ride rapid rails to the White House.

The DISH conservatively estimates this project will cost upwards of $22 billion. The Speaker's basso profundo bravado for this mastodonic public works project produced crescendos among developers, but not in the polls. For years, ARC shifted resources from urban to suburban areas in this region. Southwest and northwest Atlanta, as well as south DeKalb County have never realized the bright promises of civil rights. Like a James Brown refrain, fewer and fewer dollars trickle down. Continuing this trend, ARC is proposing developments in Cobb, North Fulton, and counties north of Atlanta. Although not a member of the ARC, Atlanta's Mayor, ignobly ham-boning in the wings, must croon in with a heart throbbing $2.5 billion. But, Atlanta will not receive a single development over the life of the twenty year project. With no black employees, all ARC's board members except one are white. A true sleeper, he is comfortable at the back of the pack. No member represents the interests of blacks and minorities. No commissioner raises issues of ensuring access, openness, equity and fairness for poor people.

The ARC crows like minstrels presenting its plan as if it is a pretty little pony everyone loves. But from this reporter's perspective, twenty years on the tracks, this little pony will have grown into a humongous "Trojan horse." ARC's foot-in-the-door technique aims to hoodwink the public into grub-staking these high rolling supply-siders in their backroom crap shoot. The trick in this off track scheme is to get the public in the hole before they recognize this pig is pork. Otherwise, presto perfecto, like a hedge fund, these "fast Eddies" can put the ARC's feed bag on their nag as often as they please.

Although paragons of little government and free market capitalism, Newt and his Christian coalition choir have gotten that old time religion and see the light, shades of David Stockman. It seems aboard Newt's red-eye special, high rolling supply-siders will ride the rails back to the snake oil and revival days of voodoo economics. Hallelujah, Newt and the southern axis chorus embracing old fashion liberal environmental concerns such as clean air, suburban sprawl, and mass transit is a metamorphosis!

Comments from the Bat Cave

Grandma came to my school's Grandparents Tea. I felt real special having her at school with me.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Meanwhile

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Meanwhile...

In the dungeon me and partner are struggling...

Juggling trouble in the kitchen

Cooking up some potent spoken word.

Shit! Eating angry lyrics for dinner...

Feeding my hunger...Bumping OutKast

Riding in the back of a hatch back

Driving pass the police overseer precinct,

While burning the rebel flag.

Back-slapped passing Black politicians,

While practicing smacking the pastor

After passing out the pennies pilfered by the pulpit.

Separate the lies from the bullshit.

My purest wish is to push it until it's full tilt

Milking the mildest mob

Until it's a million militant movement

Over the edge! Burning the bridge

Where they hung my cousin for fun.

In the dirty south hustling revolution.

Still cruising.. Yet confused

With how projects became killing fields.

Barricaded behind poverty

Children starving under fire willing to kill to live...

From East Point to Decatur,

I'm losing soldiers. Empty holsters...

Barrels smoldering...

Quick flashes of the racist camera,

Angles the truth on the evening news

My image is being murdered constantly,

'Cause it's politically correct to annihilate the Black Male.

Postal is my stance in City Hall,

Calling to Campbell

Bill fucking my community

With increased policing.

Protect and serve. Preserve the status quo,

Improving the stroke of his golf swing,

Placing him in better poll position.

'Cause Carter loves putting Blacks in their place.

This screaming Brave adorns his war-painted face like graffiti

Ted Turner burning my city like GP Johnson.

Underground Atlanta

Summer '99 and crackers running.

Well I guess Armageddon has probably started. CNN is spying

While I'm trying to use

What I learned while watching Cartoon Network.

...I'm coo coo for Coco Pops...

And, once you pop you can't stop

Popping caps in cops asses...

Nonstop...trying to arrest

My protest of mind control and ill drinking water.

TV crews watch us bleed

As Buckhead border patrols

Keep us corralled in the city.

The battle of the bands plays on

While we bounce to banks head-lining

Redlining practices

So we don't get a loan or get along

And reporters wag the dog of the devil's advocate.

To explain the tragedy we don't read,

But believe the teachers, preachers, and BET.

Your kids are the real enemy.

"We don't dance no mo'..."

But we sho' do bob to beat of the bullshit,

Snacking between meals during the commercials.

After these messages we'll be right back.

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Volume 1 Issue 38

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

The Stranger

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

...Have I seen you before?

You seem so familiar,

...yet

You feel so foreign.

Maybe I knew you long ago?

Perhaps in another life,

...uh huh no...

Another time,

Another place!

Was it as a child, when I saw you last?

Could I have under-stood you so perfectly,

Trusted you totally,

And, loved without question?

Can we regain our bond?

No, in retrospect

I do not recollect how

...Or why we parted.

Could I have lost you

As we played wild

In a world of dark woods?

Could that missing time

Have changed you so much?

I wonder how much of me still remains of you,

My stranger in the mirror?

Dialogue on Race: The Urban Crisis!

By John Burl Smith

Western Man views himself as the hand which turns the universal clock, rather than one of the many gears which help keep the hands moving. Unlike time, human beings are emotionally laden, ruled by individual passions. Pressed to the wall and forced to respond, inconsistency becomes our true nature. The hand of time rasps unemotionally man's role in the universal cycle. Its distillation titrates human events, reflecting the true worth of one's life in history's mirror.

Historians describe the 1960s and 70s as a crisis period for America's cities. Accordingly, they were deemed expendable. A second Civil War ensued. Opposing segregation cost many lives, drenching the United States Constitution in the blood of black children. Segregationists prevented blacks from gaining political power and control of their economic development. Racist southern Democrats, Dixiecrats as they were known, represented the party will. FDR's "New Deal" entrenched Dixiecrats and silicified the South.

The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v Board of Education and subsequent edict "all deliberate speed," inflamed white passions. Whites were committed to segregation forever. Pursuant to that goal, whites elected demigods advocating interposition, nullification, states rights, even secession. A crisis mentality developed reflecting their double-bind. Impaled on the crucifix of racism, and feeding their racist impulses, whites elected politicians espousing the most outrageous racist policies. Conversely, those elected were not motivated by civic concerns. Gratuitously, these hooded politicians served a plethora of economic interests.

Atlanta, Georgia offers a classic example. "The Black Mecca" adopted the limited participation model. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination prompted Mayor Ivan Allen to give blacks "political" control, but whites maintained the purse strings. He integrated some neighborhoods and schools. Allen conceded a few high profile jobs, and Atlanta became an equal opportunity employer. Considering the time and the meager experience blacks possessed, accepting this deal seemed a very enlightened approach.

Under the guise of "The Urban Crisis," Dixiecrats organized white resistance using bank redlining, closing off home sells in white communities to blacks, blocking loans to Black farmers, establishing segregated schools in churches and, in general, facilitating white flight. These maneuvers destroyed the urban tax base and drained inner-cities of resources. The overarching concern was to block civil rights advances and control black economic development. Dixiecrat backroom deals created quasi-legislative bodies, which subsumed all responsibility for economic development in areas where blacks gained political power. Dixiecrats maintained control through boards and commissions like the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission. This legacy lives on today in the Atlanta Regional Commission, local Arts Councils, Atlanta Empowerment Zone Board, The Atlanta Project, and Central Atlanta Project, etc. Capturing government funds earmarked for urban areas or serving as gatekeepers and conduits through which requests for funding must be submitted, these overarching boards and commissions occupy strategic positions. Funneling resources to benefit white inner-city enclaves, such commissions are catch basins, the embodiment of "taxation without representation" for blacks.

Although white politicians scrimmaged for control of local resources, everyone agreed on segregation, until Dr. King's assassination. Changing public perceptions of segregation and those espousing it forced accommodation. Dixiecrats acknowledged segregation's wrongs and adopted the Ivan Allen model, appeasing blacks.

Antithetically, Republicans were quick to recognize that racial hatred was stronger than party loyalty. Opportunistically, Republicans saw civil rights gains as the opening needed to crack the solid south. Desperate for power, Republican fiends fanned flames fueling fanatics fighting for financial favors from farmers. They opposed busing, open housing, full and fair employment, affirmative action, women, gays, and all remedies proposed to alleviate suffering and inequalities blacks endured. Groveling in the outhouse of deception, like opossums, Republicans recruited well-known Dixiecrats, like Sen. John Stennis, Strom Thurmond, and Jesse Helm, to lead the attack on civil rights. Simultaneously, the likes of Thad Cochran, Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott were elevated, and the southern axis took control of the Republican Party.

"The Urban Crisis," became the "Contract With America," something on which whites could unite. Newt Gingrich and the Republicans dressed their wolf in sheep's clothing and took control of Congress in 1994. Today, the hand of time turns America's face back to the looking glass. Newt and his boys want to take America back to "Reaganomics," and the social policies of the 1950s. Wrapping themselves in the veil of Caesar's wife to hide their daggers, Republicans hope to wound by branding him a liar. Not speaking candidly about sex is no worst hypocrisy than selling tax cuts, and "The Contract With America" as reform. This bogus document is a "Trojan horse" designed to disguise the Christian Coalition's rise to power. No matter what Newt and the Republicans claim, time has revealed the truth, and anyone looking in the mirror recognizes them for the Jackals they are!

Disgruntled wants to know: 25% off an item marked up 25% or more is neither discounted, nor is it a price reduction. The consumer ends up paying a relatively higher price or the same price as last year. How can it be a sale when prices are actually higher than last year?

Disgruntled says: Parents must take an active role in the schooling of their children; that means they do more than pay the annual PTA dues.

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On La Amistad

by Dot Smith

Generally, I enjoy Stephen Spielberg's productions; I cry every time I watch The Color Purple. Splurging, we recently rented the docudrama La Amistad. Expecting the same sensitivity and quality of film delivered by Spielberg on so many other occasions, I encouraged the young ones to gather around the television. I hoped they would learn something about the history of African American people. Armed with a box of tissues and my favorite snack -ACT II microwave popcorn and Kool-Aid on the rocks, I curled up in a corner to watch this history-making dramatization.

The film begins with the climatic escape of Cinque and his African compatriots from their shackles to slay their captors. For a few fruitless seconds, as Cinque stood over the bloodied corpse of the ship's captain, I tried to explain to the children the underlying horror that drove this dark, seemingly menacing figure to commit murder. As the movie played on, I could not explain the pain, anguish and suffering endured by this pathetic figure to arrive at this low moment. That dark opening scene sated every Black negative stereotype; it destroyed what human face could later be painted on the victims of slavery. Yet, remarkably, it even managed to portray slavery's advocates in a less than dastardly light. Now, how is that possible?

To characterize my overall impression as one of abiding disappointment would be an understatement. I was outraged by this callous rendition of the La Amistad incident. By the time I could figure out what was happening in the dark opening scene, it was too late to give the children a history lesson or get a refund on my money. Young children need an extensive history lesson to fill in the yawning gaps left by this movie. The history less should inject some sensitivity for the plight of African slaves. My sense of injustice and outrage did not end with the film's closing credits; Spielberg's La Amistad just blew me out of the water with disappointment.

Having seen it, La Amistad's box office fizzle in Titanic 's historic wake is explained and understandable. The DISH cannot comment on Titanic, having not seen it, but La Amistad is a dud, a real travesty. It must have been torture for Spielberg to butcher this poignant story. He squandered a valuable opportunity to promote meaningful dialogue on American's slave history. More Hot DISHes

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight is learning to pay attention in school and recognize when he isn't. The Dark One will also watch out for those automatic lies given in response to some questions. (A harmless lie is still a lie).

Mailbox: Letters, Calls, Facsimiles and E-mail

"While it may be politically correct to ignore differences in how McGwire and Sosa are treated in the home run race, I see a difference, and suspect The DISH does too. With pitchers placing the fast ball down the center of the plate, even I can hit a home run, and I have no athletic abilities to speak of no do I endorse performance enhancing drugs. A sports nut, I watched with interest the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. I am American, so I pulled for our players to win, especially Venus Williams. I was disappointed she lost, but happy Davenport, the American who beat Williams, won the women's final.

What bothered me about the U.S. Open was the obvious difference in treatment accorded white and colored athletes. It was particularly noticeable in how the commentators handled controversy and general information about Venus William. Particularly disturbing is what transpired in the first round Rafter/Arazi match. A virtual unknown, the Moroccan player beat Rafter, but did not win the match. He was cheated out of that. I felt it was because his skin is so dark. What do you think? Did you see it?

More and more, I notice differences in how the media treat people of color. If color does not matter, why are Blacks always listed second or pictured last, like the two officers who died in the Capitol Hill shooting incident? Why was Arazi treated like a second class citizen by the commentators and cameramen? mailto:JDMarks@prodigy.com

"Thanks to The DISH, I am more conscious of these differences. I keep hoping one day I'll look , and they won't be there. J.S. Joyner- email

"Why is The DISH so hard on DeKalb County Commissioners Porter Sanford and Bill Williams? They are African Americans!" Anonymous telephone caller.

(Someone from Sanford's real estate office - The DISH used *69 to trace the caller). In a future issue The DISH will explain again why it has been especially hard on these two local representatives.

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Volume 1 Issue 37

Souls Wonder: Broken Spoken Words!!

By John Burl Smith

Events that move mankind to higher levels of humanity seem unnoticed when they occur. Often obscured by current demands of lust, greed, envy and passion, such occurrences slip into the recesses of the mind, reflected only in shards of pain and bliss. Unknowingly, the eternal trickster, time, plays hide and seek with human intuition, curiosity, imagination and creativity, pollinating germs which grow into previously inconceivable ideas. Though incomprehensible at the moment of inception, ideas are like tracts in a riverbed leaving indelible marks mapping our ascension.

Last week, I was reminded of this fact when Okeeba Jubalo Brown published and released his first anthology, "Broken Spoken Words." This is not to say that the event in and of itself will produce such an effect. Prospectively, Okeeba's book is the continuation of an effort sustained by young African American artists and performers of the spoken word, "Atlanta Vibe." Affectionately known as "JB," rappers, rhymers, and mic rockers of all hues recognize him as a comer. As with most of the artists in the vibe, JB is not one-dimensional in his approach. He is a student, and a graphic arts designer working full time supporting his lofty dreams. A transplant from Charleston, S.C., the budding poet is firmly rooted in the Atlanta vibe. This dynamic twenty-two-year-old brother's goal is to awaken the world from its quiescent slumber by exploding conscious thought.

Broken Spoken Words represents the new hip hop style of rhyme characterized by forceful messages and commentary on everyday life on the street. JB's off-the-hook performance style enhances the power of his images. Life in relief jumps off the pages grabbing readers pulling them into JB's world. The motivation driving today's young poets like JB to get the word out is the desire to access living rooms, schools, churches, clubs, wherever people gather through human experience. Okeeba's desire is felt deeply by all young people hanging in this diverse community, and for them representing is the bomb. Broken Spoken Words are those shards that tug at our sensibilities reflecting glimpses of humanity, challenging the individual to rise above selfishness.

The evolution of JB's poetry mirrors the growth and popularity of poetry and the spoken word on Atlanta's poetry scene. Phoenix-like, JB and others jettisoned by public education have risen from the ashes to soar to phenomenal levels. Breaking the mold in other ways, Okeeba and his compatriots teach each other through self-help networks of their own design. Without assistance or encouragement from the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, foundations, the media, the entertainment or Arts community, these bright youths continue to believe in themselves and are persevering. Evidenced by the publication of Broken Spoken Words, JB and the crew are defying the odds through their boot straps approach. Extensively, their effort is like moving blocks to build pyramids. Generations will look back and ask, "How did they do that?

Disgruntled wants to know: In an age when spinmeisters reign supreme, what is the DeKalb County School System's spin on student SAT scores? What the hell is wrong with those numbers and their interpretation of the data?

Disgruntled says: If it don't fit, don't force it!

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Ham and Cheese: Linear Secularism

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Watch the muppets cast

An illusion before your eyes.

As comatose couch cushions pin senses to soaps,

Sensors wash commonsense with seductive corruption,

Spawning controlled consumer surrender.

We stab our open wounds with currency.

Secretly, pimps pray prostituting will sates the need.

Like infants, the masses

Suckle the phallic superficial.

Impaled upon the crucifix of debt,

We sacrifice live dreams for dead Presidents.

As they strive, even children

Shudder with unearthly pleasure

Pushing pass pennies from parents put into

Collection plates, panting for the devil's almighty

Dollar power. Crucified!

Why, for lifeless wooden promises?

The spirit of will dies,

While industrialized primates

Feen for better visual highs.

Assimilated lobes open wide, like parted thighs...

With sighs... and penetrating cries...

Cream-ing for the even-ing news,

Push-ing lies...deeper...

Journalism is delivering billions of subliminal

violent multiple-orgasmic editorials.

Pornographic bent drama

Drips from thin pink lips,

Advertised with no life found in empty eyes.

Realize "the top story"

Woven from the fabric of politics

And Nielsen's opinion,

Paint a pessimistic picture

Reflecting society's apathy.

But please! Read between the lines

See the true signs,

Of how hopeless the media wants you to be,

So commercials can program your mentality.

DISH-ing It Up Hot!
On Clinton and the Presidency

by Dot Smith

Based on the extensive media coverage, the single most newsworthy world event is the investigation of sexual misconduct in the White House. Virtually ignored in this quest for truth and justice is the global economic meltdown. Thousands starve to death daily in Africa, Korea and other parts of the world. In addition to these noteworthy events, there are terrorist acts, human rights violations, ethnic conflicts and threats of regional warfare around the globe that scream for resolution. Now, more than ever, America is looked to for leadership and international stability.

Instead, the nation is at recess. Cavorting in a salacious sandbox of presidential sexual peccadilloes, the U.S. leadership is on a lascivious exploration of sexual exploits, rather than restoring calm and aiding world order. Congress and Special Prosecutor Starr appear to be a bunch of horny teenage boys, re-energized with Viagra. This national focus and preoccupation with sex leave an international leadership vacuum. It is difficult to fathom how this colossal waste of time and limited resources will make America stronger in the coming millennium. For certain, the country is now a global laughingstock and those horny toads in Congress are a national embarrassment.

Where is the country headed with this sex scandal is a question many Americans are asking. The DISH's informal poll suggests that the majority of Americans do not believe the President should be impeached for lying about an adulterous liaison that should not have been made public. What does this have to do with White Water? More important, does his sexual life and appetite affect his ability to effectively lead? There is no evidence he comprised national security by playing around with Lewinsky.

Those polled make no excuse for Clinton's promiscuity, nor do they see it as a punishable offense; it is a shame to be sure that he engaged in such lechery, but it constitutes neither high crimes nor misdemeanors warranting impeachment. A work in progress, Clinton is by definition not a perfect being. Given the alternative at the time of his election and re-election, Clinton remains the lesser of the two evils in the leadership choices for the country.

A gentleman could hardly be expected to be candid about an affair. Likewise, one would not expect a gentlemen to bring up the sordid intimate details of a sexual liaison in mixed company, much less suggest the nation regurgitate, ad nauseam, those details at the dinner table with the children present. Cornered, Clinton confessed and continues to ask forgiveness. The DISH suggests we do so immediately and end the hypocritical farce. Because, had the hussy laundered the dress, rather than listening to that traitor Tripp with an eye on history, Congress would not be discussing impeachment proceedings.

Adultery is frowned on by everyone Christians and non-Christians alike. In the past, there were countless incidences of sexual misconduct; J. Edgar Hoover's private files are ample evidence. Media sensitivity and/or prosecutorial decency, call it what you will, forbade the public disclosure of private acts of this nature. This prolonged investigation focusing on sexual conduct, coupled with the extensive media coverage and prosecutorial disclosures, places America on a course that is downright scary. If the President can be treated so maliciously and callously scrutinized and exposed, John Q. Citizen does not stand a chance against a rogue prosecutor like Starr and his team of devil's advocates. More Hot DISHes

Funky Hood Update #7

Intrenchment Creek

Waste Water Treatment Facility

"What comes out of the Chattahooche River must go back into it" is the guiding principle of local sewage and waste water treatment, according to Michael Smith, manager of the Intrenchment Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility. Smith provided The DISH a tour of the facility, explaining the multi-tiered system used to remove solids from sewage coming into the facility. South River Waste Water Treatment Facility, owned and operated by the city of Atlanta, is the final leg of the waste water treatment process that begins at Intrenchment Creek over on Key Rd. South River chlorinates and discharges it back into the Chattahooche River.

Raw sewage in the southwestern end of DeKalb County (Atlanta side) finds its way into the "head" at Intrenchment Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility through a complex web of sewer pipelines. Warning! Warning! Visitors to the "head" must be prepared for the powerful punch to the senses. My eyes watered; the stench is just that strong. Though the tears dried, and my olfactory eventually acclimated, the "head" packed such a breathtaking wallop that the smell stayed with me for a real long minute.

At the "head," one-half to two-inch screens are used to remove paper and large items. Grit removal allows smaller particles of sand to settle, pulling more of the solid wastes from the water. Digesters constantly stir the mix in large vats to extract even more solids out of the water at the next level. The two-stage affluent system helps filter out the maximum impurities before the water goes to South River for discharge back into the Chattahooche. When it leaves Intrenchment, the smell is gone and the water looks clean enough to swim in. The solid waste, sludge, is de-watered and then transported to the Live Oak Landfill for disposal. When asked about the Key Road landfill next door, Smith indicated its slated 1999 closure made Live Oak the better long run choice for the facility. Funky Hood

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Volume 1 Issue 36

Summit on Africa Update

Letter to : Mr. Timothy J. Bork, Senior Associate

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20036-2103

My name is John Burl Smith. I am a member of the Georgia Delegation of the National Summit on Africa. I participated in the Atlanta Conference as a representative of Intuit Creative Ideas Manifested, Inc. (ICIM). In that capacity, I observed the most powerful expression of interest in the needs of Africa and African people in the United States, since Marcus Garvey. The National Summit on Africa (NSA) offers African Americans a unique opportunity to reestablish direct ties with our estranged family members on the continent. Such an event would not only change the course of African American history, but America and world history as well. ICIM's involvement is to enhance that possibility. Here, I raise several concerns, which threaten that outcome, and could scuttle the entire enterprise.

I begin with some negative observations from Atlanta, which are already evident in the Chicago process. First, Atlanta made no effort to reach beyond Georgia for participation. Too much money was spent on looking good. Lavish luncheons and plush banquets, like those planned by an expensive dinner hostess, consumed the lion's share of expenditures. No funds were expended instructing delegates how to organize their state and educate the public about the goals of the summit once they returned home. Delegations were given the impression they were on their own and could organize as they pleased. Also, we were lead to believe some support, through the use of the logo, would be provided by the Secretariat in Washington, D. C. Now we are told there is only support for the conference in Chicago. It seems the African American community will have to finance this opportunity out of its pockets, while face men take the credit. The question is who will reap the benefits?

Enclosed is a media package developed by ICIM. (Note: package not included in newsletter) I have used it in organizing and recruiting volunteers for the Midwest Regional Conference in Chicago. ICIM developed this package as an organizing tool, because as you know, The National Summit on Africa has no such instrument. On May 13, 1998, I submitted the Regional Action Plan (RAP) to the NSA through the Georgia delegation for consideration, but there was no response. Subsequently, on June 27, 1998, I annotated that program with the National Summit Week proposal. Again, I received no response. ICIM dispatched me to the Midwest to test market RAP in the field. This strategy was a good test of its applicability and effectiveness. Mr. Vincent E. Taylor in Detroit, Michigan was my contact person, due to the fact, the NSA or Regional Coordinator could not provide any contacts beyond Chicago.

Mr. Taylor and I traveled to Chicago July 3, 1998, and met with Mr. James Exum and his team. I presented the media package, and followed with a discussion of the RAP proposal. Mr. Taylor explained how he implemented RAP in Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Recognizing he did not have help outside Chicago, Mr. Exum appointed Vince coordinator of all states in which we were working. The last part of this puzzle came together on Saturday, July 25, 1998 at the Teachers Credit Union office with Mr. Ronald Strickland. In this meeting also attended by Mr. Joseph Harrington, we reviewed the success of the RAP proposal. Mr. Strickland requested a budget to fund RAP for a limited effort. The budget was submitted Monday, July 27, 1998. Thus far, the National Secretariat refuses to spend any money on the RAP proposal, although it is online and running. Instead, it is planning to develop a totally new outreach program, even though the Summit lacks money to spend on outreach. With only six weeks before the Regional Conference, is this a prudent course of action?

There appears to be an effort afoot to control, not only what is done in the field, but, who does it. The overarching goals of the Summit are to build an American consensus on African policy and educate the American people about the needs of Africa and African people. Therefore, all views must be allowed expression. There are many views of Pan-Africanism which need to be at the table, if that consensus is to carry weight in most communities. Furthermore, if a small group is allowed to function as gatekeepers, including some and excluding others, the results will reflect favoritism. Those at the National Secretariat seem to be looking through the big end of the telescope. They see huge possibilities being reduced to very narrow perspectives or outcomes. Whereas, those of us at the grassroots level are looking through the little end of the telescope. We see narrow perspectives being enlarged into huge possibilities. I submit the RAP proposal to The National Summit on Africa through you, and hope we can become of one mind on how to reach the goals and objectives of NSA. Thank You. John Burl Smith

Disgruntled wants to know: If a predominantly Black school has fewer books per pupil in the library than a white school, if it is not racial, then what do we call it? (In reference to the audit conducted on DeKalb County School system.)

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Community Action Network

by Dot Smith

Community Action Network is a program the Al Stewart Foundation operates under its Jericho Road Project umbrella.

The program is designed to deal directly with and resolve problems that arise in the community. Its members are dedicated to eradicating the socioeconomic problems that bring the community down, as well as provide solutions that uplift everyone. An excellent example is CAN's picketing of a Korean merchant in Atlanta to stop the sale of drug paraphernalia, as well as end any disrespect and mistreatment black customers allegedly receive from some Korean store owners. In addition, CAN examined charges of high prices, inferior merchandise, and sales tax charged on food items that are no longer taxed in Georgia.

CAN's direct action lead to the Korean Grocers Association resolution encouraging its members not to sell crack pipes and brushes, and other drug paraphernalia. Moreover, the association recommended Korean merchants work closely with Dr. Stewart and the community to peacefully resolve current and any future conflicts. In this instance, CAN's use of picketing and boycotting proved effective tools of direct intervention. Its actions highlighted the problems opened up dialogue that made Korean merchants aware of complaints and more responsive to the communities where they operate. CAN members monitor the situation and actively engages all sides in its efforts to provide long term solutions to this community's problems.

CAN's concern for the socioeconomic health and welfare of the community extends beyond how businesses operate. CAN's hands on approach to uplifting the community includes cleaning up the neighborhood, physically. On a regular basis, Dr. Stewart and other CAN members police the area in and around the First Afrocentric Temple, headquarters for the organization located at 19 Ashby Street. Along Ashby and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, regular cleanup details are an integral part of CAN's mission to ensure "where we live, work and play is a clean and healthy environment."

For years area residents complained about sewer overflows. CAN, under Stewart' leadership, notified City Hall and received a prompt response from city officials. Work crews were immediately dispatched to rectify the problem. CAN fields routine complaints constantly. The organization owes its success in resolving problems and uplifting the community to Dr. Stewart's diligence in making a real difference in the lives of so many people over the years. His work is internationally recognized.

Under Stewart's leadership, CAN does so much more than field complaints. For example, CAN volunteered to print and distribute flyers to assist a mother searching for her missing child. CAN is asking anyone who may have seen LaShika Brown to please call (404) 522-5934. She was last seen in the Greenbriar area July 11, 1998. The thirteen years old normally wears her hair in a ponytail; she is bow-legged and brown-skinned. Ernestine Brown, LaKisha's mother, is a native of Florida; she moved to Atlanta to continue the search for her mentally challenged daughter.

According to Brown, losing her child has turned her life upside down. Were it not for CAN's assistance, Brown is convinced she would be alone in the search for her child. She does not believe the police are looking for LaKisha at all; she is asking everyone in the metro Atlanta area to be on the look out and help her find her daughter. CAN's actions assured Ms. Brown that there is someone out listening, an organization that cares and will respond to solve problems. In addition to flyers and getting the word out, CAN is providing Brown a place to live while she searches for her child in the metro area.

CAN's membership is a diverse group of volunteers who believe in making a positive difference in the community. For more information on how you can become a part of an organization that believes in action to positively impact our community's socioeconomic welfare, contact Dr. Stewart at the First Afrocentric Temple. There is plenty of work to be done in uplifting the community. More Hot DISHes

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Project Soldier

I live on the dark side

Immersed in shadows.

Twilight begins my tour.

I awaken to screaming sirens

In a race to rescue another victim.

Helicopters and patrol units

Police the guerrillas in the midst

Of the concrete jungle.

Oh, the caged bird still sings,

But now carries a gun.

While he whistles all around mockingbirds die.

Violence is this world's disorder

So, "by any means necessary"

Is the urban credo for survival.

Therefore, I make sure my messenger of death

Holds the devil's dark angels.

Taking a long last look

At the faint apparition before me,

Barely visible in a mirror.

Baptized in fading light,

I stash my steel in the gut.

With my hand on the door,

I contemplate the empty promise of life.

Maybe tomorrow?

If I can make it through today?

What difference does it make?

Fuck it!

Curse fortunes' foul fleeting fate,

For death won't wait.

Don't pray; I am already dead;

My body just does not know it.

See, for a slave potential and hope

Are poison's promise.

Power 's apparition shines the light

Devouring our comfortable darkness.

Here the only fear is of life.

Too many dreams suffocate

Under this oppression.

So why even sleep?

The swelling desperation beckons;

Now pride loses meaning.

Shameless need escapes

Into the shadowy valley to grieve.

Even in the heat of summer,

City blocks carry a cold chill

That creeps with ease.

Thin air descending

Into the icy sweat of death's temptation.

I search for the pure adrenaline rush,

Giving the walking dead the breath of life.

Pray darkness does not become us,

As we perform our nightly rituals

Under the eerie street light.

For such evil longs to be too familiar.

Time for the masquerade to begin;

We adorn our costumes and crash social security.

Like art, bullets paint God's winged wraith.

Wide open urban guerrillas on night maneuvers,

In the shaft, splitting the thick atmosphere

With the release of tension,

In a race to rescue reparation

From the clutches of oppression.

Propagate my situation

In the interest of politics,

Tradition or economics

And the survival instincts,

Born from the determination

Of my existence enact a defense,

That terminates with extreme prejudice.

The prison I'm living has conditioned this soldier

To be an instrument of destruction,

I will not stop

Until this systems is dust within my hands.

Justice must regain her senses

To free her forgotten children.

Let all who question me know this,

I possess the will to kill any master of slavery

For my family is dying in the streets.

Fighting to be free so they may eat

of the fruit made sweet

by our roots nourishing this tree.

We stand strong in the hell-fire storm of Babylon,

As the ringing alarm signals

The trumpets of Armageddon!

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

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Volume 1 Issue 35

SAT Scores and The American Dream!!

By John Burl Smith

Revisiting the book of Jeremiah Chapter 34 facilitates examining the deleterious effects of hypocrisy on American life. T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution, a book by Yohannes Sharriff Smith, is a philosophical treatise on this topic. Caustically, this twenty-three(23) year old poet/entrepreneur posits a contemporary perspective of this age old dilemma. Initially X-ed, his generation is now catered for political correctness and dangles by a thread, while their parents deny the past. Georgia SAT scores in the toilet have drawn howls from parents: "Today children are just not learning. It was not like that in our day. We learned our lessons." Since learning is best indicated by the degree of transference from what one reads and is taught to real life situations, objectively tested, the evidence is contrary to these contemporaneous assertions.

Literature provides ample models to gauge intelligent behavior. Most students in the 1950s and 60s vamped many hours trying to understand why a society would brand anyone with a red letter A? Puritanical excesses seem lost on this well-read populace. Congresspersons, Senators, and the media should be sated after sampling Shakespeare's smorgasbord. "Et tu Brute?" However, leaders in Washington, feeding on yellow journalism, disgorge cries of failed leadership. Blind brouhaha bandits brew a scatological back alley ambush to waylay the President of the United States of America. While estranged from the safety of America's shores, the Presidency is stabbed in the back by yapping Jacobins lapping Caesar's blood. Did not one of them digest Macbeth's foul treachery and demonic possession? Like Claudius who believed young Hamlet had lived long past his day, these Roman Senators are hell bent on poisoning the Presidency to satisfy their appetite. If it leaves a bad taste, it can sour on the stomach!

Transference indicators suggest history lessons went in one ear and out the other. For instance, during media darling Sen. Joseph McCarthy's days, America learned true horror and experienced heart wrenching terror as congressional power ran amok. "Tail-gunner Joe" reeked havoc on the Constitution, and destroyed American lives, careers, and families while a leader in Congress. As with Washington leaders today, rumor, innuendo, and assassins' tales were McCarthy's weapons of choice. Joe taught us that treachery rots the taproot down deep, killing the tree long before the leaves fall to the ground. Benedict Arnold's lesson taught such stains on the Constitution cannot be washed away, even with blood. Washington insiders of "the Tail-gunner's" ilk are willing to shoot down the Constitution to force the President to surrender the White House.

Hypocrisy's lessons are lost on the 1960's "dropout and turn on" generation. Currently, narcoleptic adults dream of cloned progenies. Understandably, research indicates most young people today do not draw their models or get advice from the President or their parents. Studies indicate young students look to peers for information and behavioral clues, more often than their parents. Young people do not trust adults' motives. Adults attack young people for not meeting standards that adults themselves routinely fail to attain. Given what they face in the real world to succeed, for many students, scores on standardized tests, such as the SAT, are irrelevant. Monica Lewinsky's example for youth reflects America's systematic discrimination that traps women beneath a glass ceiling. American women without resources, opportunities or the training to get ahead, view flat-backing as a viable option. Presently, mothers are in denial about this corporate ladder. But, in reality, they teach daughters this art of getting ahead in the real world. The hypocrisy students see is the pretense that powerful men do not do what the President did as part of their gentlemen's agreement, which keeps women second class citizens. Leaders in Congress will not score results for this very real American dream.

White men in America are trying to purge their souls by branding the President of the United States of America with the "Scarlet Letter." In this very dangerous and increasingly hostile world, making America's Presidency appear weakened while traveling abroad makes America look weaker. If Washington's back shooters have their way, it will be like Rome after Caesar's death: America's flag will lie in the gutter for whomever to pick up. This nation lived the pain and instability of three (3) assassinations during the 1960s. Arch defenders of segregation and discrimination, powerful forces committed to the status quo, plunged America into a crisis, which haunts this nation today. Make no mistake about it. The battle raging in Washington is a fight to determine America's direction in the new millennium. The major lesson taught by the 60's is that those desiring power lust for dominance in America, and will achieve it through hypocrisy, trepidity, or assassination: power is their goal. The solution to America's hypocritical nightmare is revealed in Jeremiah 34, not SAT scores.

Disgruntled wants to know: ATM cards issued to welfare recipients are costly for the needy. How does the Department of Human Resources (DHR) square giving banks the opportunity to squeeze $1.50 per transaction out of people living on fixed incomes?

Disgruntled says: Since the principals act like wardens in holding pens, I guess the rest of the faculty and administration are the guards who are responsible for the boredom that drives children from the school system.

DISH-ing It Up Hot!
The First Day of School

by Dot Smith

I could tell he was nervous and, perhaps, a little apprehensive on that first morning. Though he acted cool and cocky about it the night before, striding between his mother and me this morning, he held our hands more tightly than normal. "Poor little fellow," I commiserated, knowing firsthand how difficult it is to enter a new unknown situation; school is one of the most feared in my estimation.

Thinking back forty years ago, I was reluctant to leave my mother that first school day. To be honest, I cried every morning the first week. One of the weepers, I clung to her skirt, begging momma not to leave me with strangers.

My grandson, Tre, thank The Maker, is not so weak or tied to his mother's apron. Having already attended daycare and participated in the lottery-funded pre-K program, Tre is accustomed to leaving home at the ripe old age of five. Nonetheless, on the first day at his new big kids' school, this veteran was nervous.

Thinking back on my first week, I was a real wimp about leaving home for school. Initially, I was certainly not prepared for its mental and physical confinement. Those interminable days offered little to save me from boredom. There was the coloring, singing and playing games and it was sometimes fun, however, I missed momma and doing important work. Besides, I already knew the alphabet, how to count and could read Dick and Jane elementary books. At six, I knew these things and more; I was accustomed to working beside momma every day, learning to manage a household and caring for the people in it. It seemed a more important and productive use of my time. Besides, momma needed help; whom better to give it than I? I could not assist her sitting in a classroom, or so I thought at the time.

When I explained my dilemma to momma, she assured me I would be helping her even more by getting a "good" education. Momma charged me with the serious job of learning something new every single day, and bringing the knowledge home to share with her. With that charge, I grew to love school, especially the library. Most of all, I loved sharing information with and entertaining momma.

There were plenty of times she did not appreciate the conversations inspired by all that learning, like the time I ruined the Fourth of July celebration by explaining slavery and the Declaration of Independence. Momma and daddy were fit to be tied; their Fourth of July celebration took on a whole new meaning with a little learning. When you charge a child with learning things, there is no telling what might come out of his/her mouth, or when and where it will erupt. Momma exercised considerable restraint and patience in not strangling me to shut me up. With a similar charge, I am sending my grandson off to school. I pray he will never be bored where there is learning. Moreover, I hope he will approach learning as a lifelong endeavor; its pursuit will make him a better world citizen.

My greatest fear is he will be bored with school in Georgia. All the rules and regulations that stifle creativity and smother the drive of so many children are firmly entrenched in the educational system. Our children's spirit and creativity should not be allowed to perish in boring classrooms. More Hot DISHes

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Journey

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Journey, journey

The seeker's soul,

Traveling down that long road of life.

The constant search

For purpose and meaning

Gleam so bright.

Guided by some undeniable force,

Working from within,

Driving us to unknown destinations.

Each mile a new experience to cherish.

Every town a new treasure to be claimed.

And, it is the voyage

Which fills the wealth of the reward.

(Note: Reprinted from T.H.I.N.C.: (Teaching Humanity in New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution.)

Creating an Artificial Demand

An integral part of school preparation is the supply checklist. At registration, teachers make sure parents receive a copy of the appropriate list of school supplies, since supplies vary by grade. The checklist given parents of kindergarten students in DeKalb County included six writing tablets, crayons, a bottle of school glue, primary pencils, a complete change of clothing and some tissues. After two separate outings and six (6) stores later, not a single wide-lined tablet could be found. A third trip produced a Grade 1 tablet, which is actually the wrong kind for kindergarten students. However, since the child needed six tablets, we bought this one. He already had a couple of tablets he uses at home to scribble on.

On the second day of school, the kindergarten teacher, who did not mention the child had no tablet, was informed of our dilemma. She seemed surprised parents were being asked to provide six tablets. She suggested perhaps whoever compiled the list was making sure parents purchased tablets for students to practice penmanship at home. That sounded good, even great; it is something that all parents should do. However, it hardly justifies the time and resources devoted to an unnecessary search and for so many tablets to practice writing at home.

What this little exercise did is create an artificial demand for wide-lined writing tablets. Indeed, tablets of all kinds were scarce on store shelves in DeKalb County.

Parents of students following the checklist are now hoarding tablets, creating a shortage and pushing up the price of an already expensive school supply item.

Mailbox: Letters, Faxes, E-mail and Phone Calls

Last week's lead feature on the Wesley Snipes' radio comments about Black women generated a great deal of commentary. Below is an example of the male /female responses.

"Hi Dot, Thanks for sending me this provocative editorial. I am a young Black American woman who has addressed this issue in my songwriting. I have no problem with interracial relationships siting the many things that keep men and woman apart in this world today including race, religion, class discrimination, education, even sexual orientation for goodness sakes! However, for someone to make sweeping statements like the one Wesley Snipes has made against the women of his own race, shows a level of ignorance that in 1998 an educated and "cultured" individual like Snipes should have worked out for himself along time ago. Sure, maybe he hasn't been able to connect in a "special" way with a Black American woman, since I'm sure he has the opportunity to meet many types of black woman all of the time. But, it is obviously - not - the woman that have a problem with being "too hard", it is - he - that has some need - not - to be challenged in any intellectual or spiritual way. If black men want us to "soften up" and let them lead us then they themselves need to be good leaders. (Hello!) Um... We have to continue to let people and especially our own men know that it's not us - it's them! Does anybody remember what happen to black men and women during slavery? Anybody?" E-mail Andrea

"Why does everything come down to racism, every culture has to endure hardship and pain, that is just the life. There are some topics of true racism well worth addressing. But to take someone's preference and turn it into a "contest" between whites and blacks is in my opinion wrong. Very weak" E-mail Caleb

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Volume 1 Issue 34

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Knocking HARD Knots

by Dot Smith

On a warm summer Sunday eve, I attended a baby shower. As these functions usually go, the all Black woman-small children's affair led to a gab session. Black men tend to shy away from baby showers, so they are often the main topic of discussion. Though this group of mostly young women entertained a variety of subjects, we examined men from President Clinton and baldheaded sports figures to "devout" reverends.

One of the young women mentioned Wesley Snipes, and the discussion really became animated. Snipes appeared on radio plugging his new movie Blade. In the interview, he expounded on his sexual preference. According to those who heard him, Snipes feel "Black women are too hard for him." Hence, his current love interest is Oriental. These young women were pissed that Snipes, a real "HARD" knot, could diss Black women on public radio.

Unfortunately, Snipes expresses a sentiment shared by many Black men who have "made it," in particular, male Black sports figures and movie stars who seem to prefer white women. I always suspected it was an act of defiance. Black men finally getting a chance to show white men they can have their women too. White men have always enjoyed access to Black women as slaves and/or mistresses. A Black man could be lynched for looking at a white woman. Psychologically, for Black men, the icing on their cake is a little white piece to come home to. A piece that is placed on a pedestal, provided with servants to do the cooking, cleaning and rearing the children, work traditionally expected of Black women.

The African American woman has never been placed on a pedestal, not even by the Black men they helped make it. Black American women, especially in the South, did not receive the pampering and care given their white counterpart. Black women were treated like heifers for breeding and workers to slave pampering and pleasing white men and their women. When did Black women attend elocution class or an opera one hundred years ago, or today for that matter? When were they exposed to the finer things in life? While white women received every opportunity for exposure and refinement, Black women were breaking their backs in cotton fields, kitchens, factories and/or caring for and rearing some white woman's brats, rather than their own children.

After all Black women have been forced to endure, this is truly a sorry day. We must now be publicly disrespected and dismissed for being what we are, what we had to be, "HARD," in order to survive the inhumanities heaped on us by this society, an ongoing experience shared with Black men. These young Black women, celebrating the pending birth of another Black man, see Snipes' public comment as part of a growing tendency. Baldheaded eunuchs with a little money and a white woman attempt to distance themselves from their roots by dissing Black women. With "success" comes their criticism of Black women for having a few rough edges and callouses, for being strong and independent. Were it not for these traits, Blacks would not have survived slavery.

Snipes' remark is an insult. Moreover, it is a cruel swipe that inflicts real injury coming from a rock like Snipes, whose mother is obviously a descendant of the "Dark" continent. The DISH is boycotting Snipes and the other creeps like him whose attitudes and actions make the Black struggle all the more difficult. When we should be coming together to improve conditions for Black Americans, these jerks, who are silent on issues that really matter, actively assist in maintaining the status quo for a few bucks and a piece of trash. More Hot DISHes

Disgruntled wants to know: How can some Black men be such dark hard knots and feel they can diss a sister for having a few rough edges?

Disgruntled says: The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice.

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight is a scientist full of questions. The Dark One will ask questions until he is satisfied with the answers.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

A Blues for Mama:

Damn Wesley Snipes

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Mama's got a blues.

Sista's got a gospel.

Sometimes, she sings so soft and low,

You could miss the jazz.

The sadness in her eyes screams a soulful moan

Evoking the power of God.

Black Woman! You surmount incredible odds.

Your rich dark beauty elegantly survives the scars,

While bearing the light of the world.

With blood and sweat,

Your graceful shoulders move mountains.

Woman, don't you dare give up on me.

You gotta believe we goin' make it.

You gotta believe in we...

Baby, please never stop believing in me.

Don't say you can't find a Good Black Man.

I've been here all along.

I know it hurts,

But you gotta remember.

Remember who we are,

How we used to be

The way we used to love.

All along we were so meant

Like dark before light.

So right like breath to life,

Like fight til death.

I hear you crying...

I hear the ache in that quiet sigh

When it's just too much, or there just ain't enough.

Damn it woman!

I ain't blind;

I see you struggling.

You are my mother, my lover, my sister, my friend...

My wife, my life, my end...And to begin again...

I love you for all that you are...

For who you hope to be.

I say Hallelujah, I love you

'Cause when you feel like you came up short,

You try a little harder.

You inspire me.

Baby, we fight this war together.

Even now,

As the world works to destroy what we build,

Somehow we manage to find our way home.

You make it easy to talk to God.

Your smile dims the stars.

Your words steal my heart.

In your presence I am humbled

From the start,

My love has been quietly parting the seas,

Bringing you to me.

I know, like no another man..

Where and how you hurt.

Come to my sanctuary and find peace in my love.

Help me heal..

Let me help you to help me be a better Man.

Look into my eyes and find my truth...

Your roots...our future.

We will find heaven in each other's arms, and nine months later name him Zion.

Environmental Racism

Do you know where the sewage and garbage from your home and business go? Most people don't and could care less, as long as it goes somewhere else. It is only when you end up next door to a landfill and/or wastewater treatment facility, or your toilet backs up that you appreciate where all the sewage goes.

While no one of sound mind elects to live near facilities that process waste, many people do. Most folks know there are too often negative health consequences associated with living near these facilities; many recall Love Canal. In addition to adverse health consequences, there are the other more mundane economic ramifications that come with living near funk factories, such as reduced property values.

Those most likely residing in close proximity to or within industrialized land lots are the Blacks. The DISH's examination - "What's That Smell Making the Hood So Funky"- suggests the southern region of DeKalb County is a classic case of environmental racism.

In upcoming issues, The DISH will continue looking at the individual facilities that dot DeKalb County's southern landscape.

Funky Hood Update # 6

Selling South DeKalb's Blacks Short

by Dot Smith

On August 27^th, The DISH attended a town hall meeting cosponsored by DeKalb County Commissioners, Bill Brown (Dist. 5) and Porter Sanford, III (Dist. 7). Ostensibly, the commissioners organized the session to review the proposed purchase of additional Ward Lake property. In reality, residents wanted answers to questions about Seminole Landfill and possible contamination.

The County is committed to buying some land to provide recreational space for the growing DeKalb area. Attesting to the residential explosion, trailers surround Cedar Grove High School, location of the meeting. The locale afforded attendees an opportunity to address DeKalb's Public Works Director Tom Black's assertion regarding the huge county owned and operated landfill. Black's statement- "Seminole does not stink!"- should be publicly retracted. Operating olfactories, even those of Nadine Thomas, George Maddox and Black, know Seminole stinks!

With Black and these representatives as examples of county credibility regarding this dump site, area residents' skepticism is understandable. When Black declared the unlined section of Seminole is not leaking pollutants into Ward Lake, a number of brows and hands went up. In response to questions posed, the only "scientific" evidence was presented verbally from the assembled county employees, state EPD officials and a paid "expert."

An objective review of the printed material and the limited expert testimony raise more questions rather than provide answers to allay public concern and fear. The bulk of the printed information the Commissioners made available is better suited for a Tree Ordinance gathering. The scant information on Ward Lake and the landfill was contained in a couple of memos, a flyer written by Brown, Sanford and Black to schedule and advertise the meeting and the remedial actions taken to contain recent leaks, a white paper on the organization of DeKalb's government, an agenda, and a letter to Porter Sanford from Camp, Dressler & McKee, Inc. giving the area a clean bill of health based on an area "visit" and a 1997 water quality test.

State environmental reports cited by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution (8/27/98) indicate known carcinogens are seeping from the landfill. Those living a football field's length from Seminole's unlined section are justifiably concerned about the long term health consequences. Area residents made it clear that, under the circumstances, Ward Lake is an unsuitable park location. Moreover, with so little information at this meeting, DeKalb residents are calling for a real information session to answer the tough questions about unlined landfills, potential contamination and the health consequences. Funky Hood

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Volume 1 Issue 33

Walk a Mile in My Shoes,

And Sing the Blues

by Dot Smith

The English Avenue neighborhood epitomizes impoverishment. Like an ominous cloud, depression hangs heavily over an area that is characterized by pervasive poverty and high unemployment, conditions that gave Atlanta its Empowerment Zone status.

Ann Williams, President of the English Avenue Merchants Association, scheduled this morning meeting to discuss a neighborhood learning center for Griffin Street. The abandoned apartment complex she hopes to convert into a place for young people to learn computer skills sits right off the corner of Meldrum and Griffin. Across the street is a vacant lot Williams hopes will become a neighborhood park.

Like its depressed counterparts all over America, there is a tremendous amount of AM activity in this residential enclave. The place is a virtual beehive; people stroll the streets. Most of them just "chilled," quietly conversing in groups of two to four, pacing solo or standing around the Oriental-run corner convenience store, drinking from containers concealed by brown paper bags. All this activity, so early on a workday morning, with no obvious productive purpose, is suspicious and rather disconcerting. When one realizes the people move aimlessly, like zombies, it becomes downright frightening.

Could this be Compton, again? A crack infestation? The knowledge seared my consciousness, weighing heavily on my heart. How could this happen in plain view, and nothing done to stop it?

After parking the car, I questioned the wisdom of leaving its relative safety. A few minutes elapsed; Williams did not appear. I mustered sufficient courage and left the car. Feeling a little foolish after knocking on a door with no knob, I gave it a tiny push, calling out, as I did so. Paper, bottles, cans and other debris greeted me. Grabbing the hole where the knob should be, I closed the door, and beat a hasty retreat back to the car.

Someone came along distributing flyers advertising activities sponsored by the Atlanta Local Organizing Committee of the Million Man March. Later, I drove over to the First Afrocentric Temple, location of one of the free LOC events.

Dr. Al Stewart runs the temple and museum. He is acquainted with conditions on Griffin Street. Dr. Stewart frequently speaks out about the dangers and devastation of drugs in the community. Events held at the Temple are designed to empower people to rise above the things that hurt them, crippling the community, such as crack, apathy and violence. Empowerment cannot take hold where crack owns the community's soul.

Where do powerless people get crack? The constant supply feeding their habit comes from somewhere. Crack users do not display such business acumen, nor do they benefit from the operations that manufacture and distribute this drug. Who does? Certainly, society is losing in the transaction.

The DISH empathizes with all sides on this issue. There are the users with sad stories, depressed and blue; The DISH is acquainted with those about an uncaring racist system, too. Then, there are the users' loved ones and immediate families who get victimized for loving them. Every family seems to have at least one. And, finally, there is society. We all lose out on the enormous potential benefit of the talent and resources devoted to the crack industry.

If we are to save neighborhoods, like this one, something must be done and soon about the genocidal dangers posed by crack. Improving the Black human condition is already a monumental task. Efforts to raise consciousness and empower Black people are doomed, unless and until we get this monkey off their backs. More Hot DISHes

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight will pay attention and learn something new everyday at school. If no new information is provided, the Dark One will complain to his grandma and write about it! They better be on their p's and q's when the Dark One shows up at school.

Disgruntled wants to know: For babies in the womb, the Christian right fights tooth, nail and bomb. Yet, nothing useful is said and done for so many children thrown away daily by a hypocritical uncaring society. What is wrong with this picture? Could it be a case of misplaced priorities?

Disgruntled says: If empowerment zone funds come from the Department of Health and Human Services, maybe "crack" is a study like the one Tuskegee conducted on syphilis.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Inner City Prayer

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

In the light of darkness, I shed no blood.

I lay down my weapons; I bear no arms.

For I am tired; I am weary.

This dark war has been fought far too long!

I have heard the battle cry explode from within.

Filled with raging anger,

Was I pleased to take his life?

Heard the pleas of pain, as he lie in anguish.

Saw the grief in a mother's tears

This shadowy city

Robbed me of my youthful innocence,

Stripped me of my humanity,

And corrupted my soul.

As the darkness closes in,

Truth's haze is lifted.

So, I lay down my weapon.

Kneeling before thee,

I offer my life.

I don't wanna have ta keep killin' ta keep livin'.

Please free me from this prison!

There is no surviving the desperation

With children stealing

The breath of life from "Stoned" soldiers.

(Reprinted from T.H.I.N.C.)

Letter to:

Myrna Blyth, Editor-in-Chief

Lady's Home Journal

One can not help but admire real strength in people, especially if it is done with grace. Over the last three years, America has experienced an amazing exhibition of true patience and quiet presence by America's First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. She exemplifies the difficulty of a woman reflecting independence and remaining a lady in the process. While storms of controversy swirls around her, the First Lady manned the tiller through perilous waters. During the 1992 campaign her "Stand By Your Man" statement drew scoffs from sceptics, who charged her with pandering for votes. Retrospectively, six years before the mast shows she is worthy of not only respect, but admiration. The news media has not been charitable to the Clinton family; hearts can not help but go out to Mrs. Clinton.

Although the following observation is accepted knowledge, it needs to be stated here. God had a point in dividing up chromosomes between men and women. It forces each partner to give something more to the effort of marriage than mating. He also designed sex to be an act not the process. Consequently, each of us has to learn to distinguish between the two, and learn to value one over the other. Marriage is the best situation in which to learn this lesson, but by no means the only. Another aspect of this evolution is God invested in the woman those qualities that bind a couple when there is no reason to continue. The scene in "Bite The Bullet" where Gene Hackman tells Candice Bergin "the people some people marry", frames the dilemma poignantly. In his infinite wisdom, God's plan was that through union at some point one partner must give just a little more to survive. The bearer of the burden has to see something more than pride and pain for a union to prevail.

Rather than wallowing in cynicism and moralizing, Americans should be doing everything they can to help the Clintons hold their marriage together. Surely, Americans do not want a broken marriage and a broken Presidency to purchase quiet? Their family is like our nation, forever perched on the brink, but surviving on will alone. For the first time Americans have people in the White House with problems like theirs, and their neighbors. It is not easy to endure under such circumstances, remember Martha Mitchell. The question Americans should be asking is could their family hold together under such an attack? Could their marriage work out its problems, if the whole world is made party to the settlement? Hardly! Whether Christian, Jew, Islamic, or whatever, one shall find no peace in life, if their actions cause this family not to survive, simply to gratify political desires. John Burl Smith

Mailbox: Letters, Faxes, E-mail and Phone Calls

"To be young and Black in America is to be shut off from economic opportunity, to be followed through stores by guards, to be tracked into a third-rate education, to be the victim of a predatory underground economy and to be fair game on the street for any cop with an attitude." E-mail: refuse@calyx.com

IRS Batting A Thousand - Dot Zero

The judge returned his ruling on the unemployment compensation claim. As suspected, he adhered to his prejudices, and ruled in the Internal Revenue Services' favor.

In a nutshell, this case can be distilled down to my refusal to suffer discrimination silently. More important, it is about my unwillingness to participate in and accept discrimination against others as reasonable and legal conditions of gainful employment.

In mid-1997 when the Equal Employment Office within IRS refused to hear my complaint, all elected representatives, including the President, were apprized of this employment discrimination situation. Below is a summary of some local responses for assistance.

Senator Paul Coverdell: His office responded by making a telephone call to the Atlanta Service Center. Working with days to spare in a 45 day window, Shohn Bruner's timely intervention forced the in-house EEO office to take the complaint before its was too late to file. After signing a waiver for the release of privileged information on this matter, Coverdell's office severed all contact. Senator Coverdell knows the IRS at ATSC acted illegally. What does he do about it? Sits on it!

In general, if the complaint does not deal with reversed discrimination, Georgia's delegation avoids its like the plague. Georgia's elected representatives practice a see, hear and speak no evil policy on the real discrimination, which takes place in the American workplace.

Rep. Cynthia McKinney: Her office does not respond to certain requests for assistance. Employment discrimination in the IRS must be one of the many hands off politically incorrect issues McKinney's office skirts.

Rep. John Lewis: His office sent out a form letter that stated, "I am sorry to hear of your unpleasant experience with the IRS. Because some people cheat on their taxes, at times the IRS is required to be intrusive and aggressive when collecting taxes." Nothing on the issue in question has been forthcoming from his office.

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Volume 1 Issue 32

Open Letter to Rep. Dan Burden

Matthew's 7^th chapter speaks of withholding condemnation of another, and the paradox of empty rhetoric and premature action. "Judge not, Lest ye be judged."

Following the Civil War and impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, politicians talked of lost lives and demanded retribution on the South. This tactic was referred to as "waving the blooded shirt." Today, the specter of impeachment looms over this nation once again, not because of serious differences in policy, nor a failure to execute the will of Congress, but pure politics. The insatiable desire of some to delve into the private details about the President's personal life has Republicans threatening to plunge our nation into a constitutional crisis. There is no diplomatic high road to such a shameless affair, consequently, I will call a spade a spade.

Like millions, Mr. Clinton is a member of the psychedelic generation. Retrospectively, growing up during America's cultural revolution in the '60 and 70's produced a totally new attitude towards and about sex. The '60 and 70's were the days of wine and reefer, rock music and flower children, free love and letting it all hang out. Sex was in. Nobody spent time talking about it. Everybody was too busy doing it. Now, these free lovers and flower children have become born again Christians, too holy to remember "All Along the Watchtower," those "Long Hot Summer Nights," of "Purple Haze, and Wild Things." Because of a little blabbermouth, the stability of America's government has come down to a possible semen spot on a dress. How would the founding fathers view the importance of a shameless hussy, who would keep such a filthy trophy? Would they use the Constitution as a towel to clean up behind her?

Then, there is the Independent Counsel, like the rebels at the start of the Civil War, Mr. Starr smelled victory. He knew Whitewater, Travelgate, Paula Jones, Foster's death, obstruction of justice charges, campaign financing, and the whole nine would run Clinton to ground by Christmas. Come this day to the bar, all Starr has is sex, lies, and audio tapes. Like a bedraggled fox hunter at the end of the chase with only an empty sack to show, Judge Starr has gone far, but no fox. The chase is over. The judge stands panting. Empty-handed, he must quit the hunt for the sake of hounds and horse. It is obvious Mr. Starr was not a free loving flower child, because he only now has a budding prurient interest. Mr. Burden, it seems the Republicans planned to use Mr. Starr's investigation as a campaign tool. What will history call your impeachment hearing, "waving the semen dress?" No Prosecutor worth his salt could ever become chief cunt sniffer in a last ditch effort to reelect Republicans.

Sir, if this nation survived the '60 and '70's, when sex was a taboo, it certainly will not uccumb because of illicit sex in the White House. Real world dangers are famine and disease in Africa, poverty and discrimination in America, economic meltdown, the specter of nuclear war in Asia, global disarmament and environmental degradation. Balancing such real world problems against the time, energy, and resources spent on whether or not he screwed her in the White House is a slippery slope into decadence, and damn wasteful. If the founding fathers could view America today, they would wonder where is their creation heading. Matthew 7^th should find some resonance among born again Christians, who accept the bible literately. Thank you. John Burn Smith

DISH-ing It Up Hot!
Here Comes the Judge

by Dot Smith

The DISH opposes the death penalty; it is social killing. Logically, if "Thou shall not kill," then state executions must be viewed as a national sin. When you T.H.I.N.C. about it, it is downright disgusting that an entire nation lives in sin so a few men can get off killing people. Ending social killing and reforming the judicial system are DISH priorities.

A good place to start is getting rid of the "Christian" politicians supporting the death penalty. It is obvious; they are among the flaming hypocrites responsible for placing the nation in this sinful predicament.

True reform begins at the local level. Judges are a big part of our everyday lives. On the local level, they adjudicate matters ranging from traffic court to administrative law. Consequently, judges possess great power. Watching Judge Judy is an eye-opener. Judges rarely dispense Solomon's wisdom. Too often, their rulings are not based on the law, a set of rules enacted by mostly white men to favor white men. This is especially true when strictly ruling on the law goes against white men.

A recent courtroom encounter underscores the insidious role judges play in maintaining the status quo. In this situation, the judge reviewed a Labor Department hearing officer's ruling affirming IRS' denial of an unemployment compensation claim. In open court, the judge admitted he would not be objective; he took personally the appellant's description of IRS' management at the Atlanta Service Center (ATSC). The specific references concerned southern plantations and Nazi death camps. Given personal knowledge of the appellant's experience, southern plantations with whip-toting overseers aptly describe the Service Center operation. That appellant's supervisor displayed such tendencies and behaved with the insensitivity of a Nazi death camp operator is supported in the record. Descriptions aside, what happened to impartially ruling on the law?

Judges, like this one, insure employers, like the IRS, are not punished. So, their practice of violating employees' rights continues uninterrupted. These are the judicial mentalities maintaining the status quo. Ridding our society of the death penalty and reforming the American justice system, means judges like these must go! They commit sins in all our names, making the nation look like a bunch of psychos. More Hot DISHes

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight will learn to clean the Bat Cave, so he can teach his sidekick the routine.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Overstanding: A Work In Progress (AWIP)

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Alone I stand,

In the cool blankness

Of a cloudless night.

At the threshold of genesis,

My conscious expands the Milky Way.

This immature world sleeps,

Gazing into forever,

Replaying yesterday,

Creating tomorrow.

Chilling winds of change

Blow bringing form to the nebula

Raging within my infant mind.

I hear the moan bereaving the dying part.

And the cry, EVOLUTION!!!

The future is being born.

Staring into the starlit sky,

I sense the universe move within my confines.

Yet, as my unbridled imaginings

Swim this epiphany,

I still feel alone...separate...disconnected.

Succumbed by the hunger of a starving soul,

My need to touch

Searched furiously through layers of facade

To cradle the undiscovered self.

As my want for life's breath

Broke the grip of stasis;

Inner will became consumed by purpose.

And, in my quiet dark,

Muse was the only spirit witness

To the emergence of a phoenix.

False images burned,

Releasing this child from his tomb

A cocoon of tears

Woven from the fabric of linear secularism,

Capsuling my limited sphere.

In an attempt to quench my unknown thirst,

Questions of Fate found salvation,

In the abandonment of my familiar existence.

Once freed, my foundling hope

Rode the wind upward,

Grasping the spinning infinity.

Quivering with a nameless fear,

My heart clung desperately to the soul

To no longer feel alone!

In that moment,

The sleeper is the Awakening!

Disgruntled wants to know: Of what value is diversity when it simply maintains the status quo?

Disgruntled says: Some neighborhood high schools' principals act like wardens in holding pens.

Funky Hood Update #5

The DISH is calling on all those representing south DeKalb County to step up to the plate and at least provide the information needed by the citizens immediately affected by Seminole Landfill. We all need to know about the environmental consequences of a leak in the unlined section of the county owned and operated facility. But, those in the growing residential developments around the landfill need to know now. So, to increase public awareness about the August 27^th meeting at Cedar Grove High School, The DISH is suggesting that a community alert flyer (CAF) be distributed to area residents. Funky Hood

Mailbox: Letters, Phones Calls, Faxes and E-Mails

"Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance. Only in America are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink. Only in America do people order double cheese burgers, a large fry, and a diet coke. Only in America do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and leave useless things and junk in boxes in the garage. Only in America do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place. Only in America do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight. Only in America do we use the word "politics" to describe the process so well; "Poli in Latin meaning "many" and "tics" meaning "blood-sucking" creatures." Lucette England - E-mail.

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Volume 1 Issue 31

Letter to Robb Pitts,

President Atlanta City Council

by John B. Smith

Your election to the Atlanta City Council presidency inspired pride among Atlanta area citizens, and it sent a message of hope that the governance or lack thereof provided by Campbell's administration was at an end. Dedicated to good clean government and citizen involvement in that process, I launched a yearlong investigation called "Where's the Money." This ongoing effort tracks Atlanta Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community funds. It looks at their disbursement, allocation of grants, and identifies those receiving tax credits.

The aim is to weigh results against proposed benefits. Observations to date present an ugly picture of incompetence and mismanagement, if not out right graft and fraud. Disturbing as this picture is, no one in this administration shows any interest in finding out which is the case. Millions in tax dollars disappeared, no records are available, no written accounts remain, and the Mayor refuses to provide an intelligent response. Over and above the incestuous relationship between grantors and grantees, the absence of records and total disregard for normal bookkeeping procedures are either deliberate or amazingly stupid.

The Campbell administration's practice of passing the inquirer around a bureaucratic loop to frustrate the inquiry definitely hampers efforts to get at the truth. An excellent example is the episode involving Douglas Dean of the Atlanta - Fulton County Recreation Authority. Were Empowerment Zone funds funneled to Campbell's campaign supporters? Thoroughly investigating Empowerment Zone funds disbursements can provide the smoking gun in Atlanta's campaign financing scandal.

"Where's the Money," and its supporters in Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb Counties formally request that you use your good office, as President of the City Council, to investigate the use of Empowerment Zone funds. Have they been utilized to meet the goals and objectives set forth by Congress? It is clear, as a result of this limited look, rules were violated, and regulations ignored, while money was disbursed under highly unusual circumstances to questionable individuals. "Where's the Money" asks why?

Beale Street: The Place I Never Knew

Born a slave's daughter,

Oppressed by this society

Intellectually contained,

Yearning to know from whence I came.

Where I may go to find a bit of history

I search for clues to my destiny.

Running, running back to the 'hood'

Where I grew up on the dingy side of town.

Desiring answers dying to know and learn, yet inert.

Truth lies in opportunities denied

Education restricted.

Stagnant, I long for answers to why.

How I came to grow up on the poor side

Where the landscape ain't so pretty.

The houses crumble with decay like Beale Street.

Irretrievable, its unwritten history lost to posterity.

I continue to search.

No clue could I find

In returning to another place and time.

My childhood on the south side of town

Where I, enslaved by society,

Search for my history in ruins.

(Poem by Dot Smith. Reprinted from T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution, Intuit Publishing, 1997)

Disgruntled wants to know: Why is it that in black neighborhoods people come in, build things and don't let you know what is going on until it's done?

Disgruntled says: It takes one to know one. (In reference to being called a nigger)

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Empowerment Zone Re-Gentrification

by Dot Smith

During 1997's Atlanta mayoral race, information candidate Yohannes Smith posed the question Where's the Money? The question concerned Empowerment Zones and community development programs funded to mitigate pervasive poverty and unemployment in designated areas. Historically, expenditures displaced current residents to make re-gentrification possible, rather than empower the unemployed and impoverished.

"Atlanta's Empowerment Zone is adhering to the same policy." Barbara Charles' assessment is based on living its impact as a resident of the English Avenue Neighborhood Planning Unit. "Current residents are certainly not empowered. Area property is cheap, but impoverished residents are losing it for little more than a few hundred in back taxes." The situation is reminiscent of the past. For Barbara Charles, "Only a fool doesn't learn from history," and she wants to do something about this situation.

Barbara Charles, President of the English Avenue Property Owners and Renters Association (EAPOR), is Vice President of EAMA, English Avenue Merchants Association (EAMA). EAMA focuses on area economic development. On Saturday, September 12, 1998, EAMA is sponsoring a parade and festival. The day of celebration is aimed at broadening public awareness and ending the neighborhood takeover. "Community Pulling Up By Its Bootstraps and Pulling Together as One" is the theme for the day. Unity is crucial for Charles. "If divided, we will lose in this redevelopment."

The parade starts at 9:00 A.M. from Fowler/English Avenue Elementary School and ends at the Atlanta Cafeteria, 901 Simpson Avenue. EAMA's President, Ann Williams, is encouraging everyone to come out and support the organization's efforts to increase public awareness and bring the community together. There will be games, music, clowns, lots of fun and a good time for everyone. "We don't laugh enough, " says Charles. "On September 12^th, we want to laugh and have a good time. After the fun and games, we want people to get serious about saving this neighborhood." More Hot DISHes

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Nairobi, Mama Said It's Funky Soul

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Under the metro glow,

Her supernatural shines like no other.

Moves in swirls as the misty hawk

Upon shimmering waters.

Enigmatic feminine force Black Womb-Man,

Mother source of the original man.

Quarter moon on the needle. Nubian cool breezin',

Turning tables grooving Stevie.....Wonder--ful.

All I do is think about You...will be

Jammin' til the break of dawn.

A perfect balance of on the floor soul train in motion.

Your natural sowing vibe, like seed to earth.

Wind and Fire...Let's Groove Tonight...

'Cause you need Devotion.

Wide open like ocean to sky.

SuperFly pouring sun rain upon your moonlit garden.

Boo, excuse me, but is it C O O L,

Cool if we make love with our clothes on.

Almost naked passion, like Jimi Hendrix way

Down deep in the back woods Delta Blues,

Bayou Badu juke joint grind, sultry tribal time

Jungle hut funk, chocolate soul kitchen cooking,

Flash light fire blazing in the blue lit basement.

Iawh! Mama's on the good foot,

Sizzling in skimpy skin tight fabric

Disappearing in gritty friction. Hey-hey! Hit Me!

Fast paced foxy lady hot pants printing

Kodak moments on my memory.

The web of life spins bronze skin...

Flowing silk like fine fabric

Woven around the wine of this divine narcotic...

This sensual intimate prelude

Grounded in sounds of stroking slow burning-ism

And music playing, we dance the sour,

Sweet, salty, sweat. Breathless and wet

Under pounding, pulsating push of percussion.

Like the gospel of African Drums,

I move inside your Ohm. You make me wanna holla!

Throw up both my field hands.

The wound healing feeling of me giving completely

You receiving me...so deeply,

From your roots to the chi.

The rhythmic wine of we making a connection.

Rebuilding broken cities upon solid sharing.

My community caring to know

How yo day went, as your eyes say,

"Baby I'm not afraid and can't wait to touch...you"

Tender fingertips

Caressing the dawn of cosmic conscious.

Sky diving, falling 'til skin to skin.

Heated anticipation hot like molten lava.

Lover fall and I gotcha. Mi casa es su casa.

Funky Hood Update

On August 27^th at 6:30 PM, DeKalb Commissioners Bill Brown and Porter Sanford will host a community town hall meeting in the Cedar Grove High School cafeteria. This meeting will provide area residents information about the Seminole Landfill- Ward Lake area pollution and county plans to safeguard public health and property. County, state and federal officials from EPA and EPD will be on hand to answer questions and discuss efforts to contain any landfill leak. Funky Hood

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark One is looking forward to the birth of a little brother. He will be the Dark Knight's sidekick.

African American Equal Rights Revisited

By Dot Smith

Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "False Voting Rights Rumor Spotlights Law's Anniversary" (7/6/98) alluded to an unfortunate incidence involving a misinformed government official. After participating in a 1997 Black History Month program that retraced the footsteps of some renowned civil rights activists, the federal employee erroneously concluded Blacks were on the verge of being disenfranchised. Sponsored by a local radio station and funded by a host of corporate giants, the excursion back in time left the official with several misconceptions. In addition to believing Blacks received the right to vote in 1965, the official feared they could lose the right when the Voting Rights Act expires in 2007. On his return from the excursion, the concerned official sent e-mails urging others to contact members of Congress about extending the legislation. Congressional members responded with a little suffrage education.

As we near 2000 and a new census with which to reapportion Congressional districts is gathered, it is apropos to reflect on suffrage and the role the 1965 act plays in protecting Black voting rights. Ratified in 1869, the 15^th Amendment granted people of color the right to vote. Though the Amendment declares, "Suffrage not denied because of race, color, or servitude, " it lacked teeth to combat the endemic discrimination that fettered Black access to polling places and diluted Black voting strength. After nearly a hundred years and considerable social unrest, Congress, under Section 2 of the Amendment, passed legislation to counter the array of discriminatory practices making one man one vote moot. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

America reigns foremost among the enlightened nations of the world. However, today, we still discuss, review and debate protecting people of color in the exercise of the most fundamental right of citizenry. Debate should not be necessary, protecting the right of citizens to vote should be a given. Yet, Black rights are debated every quarter century. That it requires discussion is abhorrent and hypocritical, a sad commentary on America.

A constitutional amendment would put an end to this asinine charade. The DISH hopes civil rights activists and concerned citizens retracing others' and their own footsteps will make new tracks on the road to securing equal rights. Seeking an African American Equal Rights Amendment is one way to do it. (The DISH Vol.2No37)

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Volume 1 Issue 30

Open Letter to:

The Honorable Max Cleland

U.S. Senator, Georgia

by John Burl Smith

In receiving another form letter from your office, I am extremely disappointed. As you know, I too am a disabled Vietnam era veteran, whose family is in dire straits. My original request for assistance regarded an employment problem precipitated by the manner in which the United States Postal Service (here after known as the Agency) interpreted The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). For a family without financial resources to retain a lawyer, your inquiry was crucial to my defense, because all evidence presented by the Agency was obtained as a result of its denial of my request for FMLA (sick leave). These form letter responses from your office did not unveil the Agency's current policy regarding how Postal Service Supervisors are trained to receive, consider, act on, and monitor employee requests for FMLA. Moreover, the Agency did not set forth any procedure during my hearing outlining employee options, if a request is denied. Finally, the Agency failed to show how it insures employee request for FMLA are acted upon timely, treated fairly, and with the seriousness such requests deserve. The Agency would not provide this information, nor did it present such background information as a part of its prima facie evidence to support its charges.

Sir, when Congress passed the Act, families across America breathed a collective sigh of relief. The most pressing problem facing working families today is, how to balance the demands of jobs and family. In America, both parents working is the norm. Caring for children is no longer a wife's job. Conversely, employers have not adjusted their attitudes toward the changing roles in families and the need for flexible work schedules. Although child care demands run far ahead of other concerns for young families, health care needs top the list for most mature families. Employees in the over forty (40) age group not only have changing health needs, knowledge about the nature and seriousness of their condition often change faster than they can adjust. The major concern for this group is employer expectations based on previous performance levels. Employers refuse to recognize the relevance of aging factors to performance. Confusion, frustration, and depression mounts for such employees, as they are forced to accept reduced capacities while demands remain constant.

FMLA reduced anxiety for all workers, because it offered the promise of job security, if they took time away from the job for individual and/or family concerns. The Postal Service's present interpretation of the Act represents an ominous sign, and is onerous for working families. If allowed to stand, their action guts FMLA, and flies in the face of congressional intent. As you were informed previously, the present dilemma began with a call-in request for leave (FMLA) which was granted. Subsequently, FMLA was denied, but sick leave was granted instead. Sick leave in turn was abruptly canceled, and I was placed on AWOL. The Agency terminated me because it said, "I disregarded an Agency directive to return to work." Their records show I followed Postal Service procedure and the law in making my leave requests. Like thousands of working families, my family's concern is, if an employee follows the law as set forth in 29 U.S.C. Section 2611 et seq., but still gets fired, what good is the law? The whole idea was to protect employees and their families from just such a situation.

Senator, Congress must investigate how U S Code Public Law 103-3 is being implemented throughout the Federal Government. A hearing into this matter will provide guidance in drafting further guidelines to underscore Congress's intent that American workers have the right to take time they feel necessary away from the job for serious health and family needs without fear of losing their jobs. Thank You!

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Flower Print and Afro Picks

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Cool breeze caught a winter chill

Miss November feels...Surreal.

Could it be more than dreaming?

Could we give the words meaning?

I'm believing, but she is

Blowing kisses like the wind.

On a gray day

Baby, you were frankincense and myrrh

You were flower print and Afro picks.

Mama flies south for bluer skies.

I rely on the rhyme to get me by.

I wish fairy tales didn't lie.

I wish December was July.

I wish roses didn't die.

I wish her green eyes weren't in every line.

Disgruntled wants to know: Why do parolees have to pay a parole officer when nine times out of ten they don't have a job?

Disgruntled says: Incarceration, probation and the rest of the criminal justice system is just another form of slavery.

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight's power is in his brains. The Dark one uses it to T.H.I.N.C.!

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Stalling the Refinance to Maximize the Extortion

by Dot Smith

Below is a personal refinance experience. It depicts some of the difficulties encountered by Blacks dealing with banks, mortgage lenders and other financial institutions.

In early December 1997, I requested the necessary refinance paperwork from my current mortgage holder, GE Mortgage Capital Services. On December 23, 1998, I completed the forms and returned them overnight to GE Capital. I pursued conventional refinancing, because it offered the lowest possible rate. However, in mid-January, a loan processor called informing me the conventional loan was declined. The property is currently guaranteed under the Veterans Administration (VA) program; I instructed the processor to pursue VA refinancing. Under the VA program, refinancing would lower the interest rate from 9.5 to 7.5%. I later received GE Form 5004, signed by Steve Enke and dated February 4, 1998; it reiterates the conversation with the loan processor. Not entirely truthful, the form erroneously indicates the conventional loan is being "withdrawn by borrower;" it does correctly indicate borrower "pursuing VA program."

On March 23, 1998, I wrote the company the following: "Enclosed is the monthly payment on the above mortgage account. This payment is not timely, because we were under the impression that our home was being refinanced to lower the interest rate. In December, we signed the necessary paperwork. In late January, we received a call informing us that we were not eligible for a conventional loan. We have a VA loan currently. The refinancing was supposed to be done through VA. We did not hear from your organization again, until a collector called for the monthly mortgage payment on Friday, March 20, 1998. (Note: Payment is due on the 1^st of the month. It is considered late if paid after the 16^th. A late payment fee of 4% is tacked onto the payment. This was the first time a GE collector has ever called.) We did receive GE Form GE5004 informing us incorrectly that the conventional loan was being "withdrawn by the borrower" to pursue a VA program. (The loan was denied and the operator calling to inform us was told to pursue the Veterans' program.) Since February 4^th the date of the form, there has been no communication from your office. The collector calling on Saturday was unaware any such arrangements had been made, her files showed no record of a refinance effort.

Please furnish us with something regarding this matter to clear up any misunderstanding. When can we expect to receive the necessary paperwork to complete the refinance process? Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter."

A new set of forms had to be completed. We were starting from scratch. Nothing had been done to process my refinance application; no one could even locate the paperwork. Everyone pretended it was no big deal the process for refinancing was beginning at that moment, the end of March, rather than having started in early December, since the rate remained unchanged. There were no apologies from GE Capital. At this point, GE Capital's deliberate incompetence cost me more than two hundred dollars in principle and interest.

A new set of papers arrived dated March 31, 1998. Within the week, I completed them and sent them by overnight courier to GE Capital. Another GE requirement prevented the process from going forward. According to GE Capital, they needed the original VA Certificate of Eligibility. VA does not share their sense of urgency in having to have this document. More important, this is the current mortgage holder to whom I remit my monthly mortgage payment.

Finally, I received a set of closing papers dated May 21, 1998. We were ready to close. We were told the attorney's office would call with a day and time for the actual closing. In June, I called the attorney's office to find out the reason for the continued delay. According to Ramona Moran with Hubnall, Cohn and Abrams, they were unable to secure Quitclaim Deeds for the release of liens held by Avco Financial Services on some old home improvement loans. There were no liens on the property. On May 19, 1998, Avco Financial Services informed the attorney's office the loans had been paid. After repeated calls, on July 8, 1998, the Quitclaim Deeds to release the liens had not been received from Avco Financial Services, according to the attorney's office. Nothing could be done to speed up the process. Finally, a closing date was set for July 21, 1998. Unfortunately, my spouse was unexpectedly called away on business. He provided a statement to carry to closing. Because it was not notarized, it did not meet the exacting standards of the attorney's office. The closing had to be postponed; a power of attorney was prepared and faxed to my spouse, the veteran. It was executed and overnighted back. A new closing date was set for July 29, 1998. On that date, the paperwork for closing is not ready. Someone in the attorney's office failed to obtain a new set of closing papers with the correct date. This oversight is not discovered until after I arrived. So, no one called to save me another trip to the law office; there I sat cooling my heels, while the law office's staff pretended nada is remiss. A new closing day and time are set for two days later. On July 31, 1998 at 8:30 AM, I closed on the refinancing.

The refinance delay costs approximately $527.52 in principle and interest, not to mention the aggravation, gas, long distance calls, courier service and the wear and tear on my car in making three trips to the attorney's office.

Wouldn't you know it, when I inquired about lowering the interest rate to bring it in line with prevailing market conditions, i.e., the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is currently averaging less than 7%, Cheryl Id and Steve Enke informed me nothing of the sort could be done. Furthermore, should I decide not to proceed with the application in progress, I would have to wait six months before reapplying to refinance again. While GE and their attorney pretend the delay is inconsequential, GE Capital realized an over $500.00 profit from the exercise. Enke, GE Capital and their attorney can pretend otherwise, but I know it's extortion.

Have you or someone you know had a similar experience? If so, let The DISH hear about it. There must be something we can collectively do to stop unscrupulous banks, mortgage lenders and other financial institutions. Congress should put an end to the unscrupulous and biased lending practices. More Hot DISHes

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Volume 1 Issue 29

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Someone Should Scream Gerrymandering!

By Dot Smith

Bill Torpy, Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer ("Runoff Will Wrap Up Last Local Races" 7/23/98), erroneously referred to DeKalb Commission District 3 as "a south DeKalb district." While it should be a southern district, it is instead a suspicious swath through the county. Shaped somewhat like a fish, it contains a large number of southern voting precincts around its wide southwestern mouth, stretches through the middle of the county, and ends with northeastern precincts along its split fan-tail. Of the district's twenty-eight precincts, nine along its tail and body have strong white voting age percentages. This prevents the district from being southern, or, more specifically, a Black DeKalb district. Moreover, because District 3 is so spread out, there is no cohesion or sense of community. These factors make it impossible to label the district anything, except perhaps fishy. Examine its crafty curvature. Figure 1 depicts the first five commission districts. (Super districts six and seven are not illustrated.) Though this crude representation is somewhat "suspicious," the actual map screams gerrymandering. After examining the data, this is the most appropriate adjective to describe the dilution of minority voting strength in reapportioning the county.

What is gerrymandering? According to Webster, gerrymandering is the act of "dividing a territorial unit into election districts to give one political party an electoral majority in a large number of districts while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few districts as possible." This describes what happened in carving up DeKalb County, not along partisan political lines, but a racial one. Gerrymandering assures the County Commission is predominantly white. Commission super districts solidify northern control of local government.

DeKalb's district configuration is obviously skewed to favor the north. Look at the map! Examine the empirical evidence provided by the Election Commission and Secretary of State's Office. These data sources contain conflicting definitions of commission district boundaries. Split precincts and name changes since the 1990 census make reconstructing DeKalb's districts, according to the law, difficult. Nonetheless, DeKalb's current population estimate is approximately 640,400, significantly greater than the1990 census of 545,837. Information on growth in the county suggests the nearly 100,000 difference is due to a predominantly nonwhite increase and/or minorities undercounted in the 1990 census. Whites made up 54% of the 1990 total. Of the eight Commission positions, counting the CEO, six or 75% are held by whites representing northern county interests. A number of factors influence political elections. Certainly, low voter turnout due to apathy is one. Economic euphoria is hard to call. Gerrymandering, however, should not be one of the variables influencing electoral outcomes. Where it exists, one man one vote does not.

According to former State Rep. Frank Redding, the legislature during his tenure reapportioned the county to satisfy guidelines provided by the U.S. Justice Department in accordance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The civil rights legislation is supposedly designed to protect Black voters. In reality, beneath the duplicitous reasoning and legalese, the applied legislation in this case served to dilute Black voting strength. Gerrymandering may not have been the original intent of all parties involved. Nevertheless, a scientific examination shows it is the result.

The Secretary of State, Attorney General and U.S. Justice Department were party to the reapportionment. Where do Blacks go to seek redress? Do they petition the county, state or the federal government? Is there one brave attorney who will represent them? In the end, will they lose anyway, because the judge hearing the case shares the mindset or is in the pocket of those responsible for the gerrymandering?

The "booming" economy may well be an explanation for voter apathy somewhere, but by and large, Blacks are barely getting by. That much touted Black middle class? Well, it is burdened with a mountain of debt; most are just making ends meet paycheck to paycheck. Working two jobs, many three, they make the monthly minimum due with little time or money to spare. Economic woes or prosperity aside, their cynicism is profound and plays a crucial role in low voter turnout and non-political involvement. However, it is things like this gerrymandering, rather than the "booming" economy, that make voting seem a waste. How can one change things when political boundaries can be drawn with such racist intent and nothing is done about it? Under the circumstances, Black voter apathy is understandable. Facetiously, one can attribute DeKalb's northern white rule to a sign of progress in southern race relations. To the contrary, everyone of average intelligence recognize blatant institutionalized racism.

About this data: Districts three and four are the only two that significantly deviate from the ideal district size of 109,167. The first column was added to this data set provided by the Secretary of State's Office of Reapportionment. It completes the picture. "Others" is predominantly white. According to Medders and Redding, it is perfectly acceptable to have two white districts with a greater than 80% majority of the voting age population. The Justice Department would not allow a more than 70% Black majority voting age population district in the county. The voting age percentage of Blacks is the key variable in the districts' construction. If the 1965 Voting Rights Act can lead to this, then the legislation does more harm than good because it dilutes Black voting strength. It should not require racial gerrymandering in reapportioning districts that satisfy the one man one vote criterion for representative democracy. Contact Linda Medders with Georgia Secretary of State Reapportionment Office for the facts at 404-656-5063. Contact the Election Commission for precinct maps and demographics. Draw your own conclusion. More Hot DISHes

Disgruntled wants to know: How can alleged Black college-educated and otherwise intelligent elected state representatives fall for things non-degree persons can see through. Where is the mother's wit or common sense? It's another one of those things that you make you T.H.I.N.C.!

Disgruntled says: In response to reader Rost in last week's mailbox. "Get the government off my back! The government made it necessary to have to have the damn seat. It seems to me they created the burden. True, the seat does make it safer for small children riding in automobiles. Should government mandate that, costing poor parents to spend money on one more thing? Poor people will not stop having babies just because they can't afford all the things that the government decides are necessary to make life safer and better. Only someone who can't have a baby sees things as you do. Keep reading!"

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Endure to Survive: An American Hell

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

From the field I saw the klan...

Hoods, horses and torches moving thru the twilight.

Dear God, what am I to do?

Running toward the back door,

They already in the house

Ann...the kids!

Nigger, where are you?

We heard you been stirring up some trouble.

Dear God, what am I to do?

Running thru the door half crazy,

I'm tackled by three white sheets.

He...touching my woman!

He putting his filthy hands...

Dear God, help me!

My son is lying on the floor bloody...

Bleeding...black and blue.

What am I to do?

Shaking and shivering,

I know she needs me,

But I can't think.

This son of a bitch is standing over me with a gun.

For fun he brought his son to watch.

Trembling with rage as they made me watch.

Blind rage as they take turns.

I fight!

Dear God, help me.

She is begging me...not to die

By begging me to stay down...to stay alive! .

She screams at me...

"Baby, I need you here...alive

You ain't no good ta us dead!"

I can't breathe.

Dear God, help me.

HE ON TOP OF HER.

HE RAPING HER!

I still want to rage;

I fight!

A knife is at her neck.

She cries out,

"This ain't the first time!"

Quiet tears stream down her tortured face

I bury my eyes in the floor.

She is screaming for help in a silent protest.

As the pig grunts,

She gasps for breath

Straining for a breath free of death...free of pain:

A breath free of his stench

With fist clinched she pleads,

"Please...please...Let my babies leave.

Dey don' need ta see this! "

Sweating and breathing heavily he quickly finishes.

Standing over her,

He spits in her face

Calls her a whore.

He turns to me and says,

"Nigger, you's a lucky man.

You better thank yo merciful massa

This is picking season,

Or me and the boys here we'd beat you bloody,

But this way,

You and yo bitch can still pick my field."

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight protects the Bat Cave. But now, his night duty must end. The Dark One must begin to prepare for back to school!

Funky Hood Update # 3

Seminole Responses

The DISH posed a series of questions to the management, owners and operators of some south DeKalb County landfills, waste water treatment plants, and other industrial facilities that make our neighborhood funky. Following are answers on Seminole Landfill submitted by Tom Black, DeKalb County Director of Public Works. Opened in 1977, the landfill is owned and operated by DeKalb County. "The landfill covers approximately 576 acres with another 437 used for buffer and to borrow cover material. Seminole is 1,013 acres in land lots 7, 8, 9, 24, 25, 26, 27, 39 and 40 in DeKalb's 15^th geographic district.

When Seminole opened, "there were approximately 17 houses in the subdivision on Clevemont Road." Since that time, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of homes in a growing number of subdivisions abutting the dump site.

Because Seminole is more than twenty years old, landfill technology at its outset did not include the sophisticated lining undertaken by modern-day facilities. Consequently, Seminole contains areas that have no lining. Land lots 7 and 8 contain these unlined dump sites. With so many residents nearby, this condition could pose a significant health risk. In response to The DISH's question on measures to protect ground waters, Black responded, "the state requires water monitoring and the results from the monitoring will dictate any remedies or safeguards that might be required." There were no specifics on safeguarding the environment and the public's health, "except as require by federal and state law."

If Black is believed, "Seminole does not stink." This assertion, however, runs counter to fact: All landfills, even garden compost piles, smell. Although Seminole "covers material deposited at the fill site every day, " there are days when the place stinks. Area residents certainly smell it. They complain about the stench and the speeding dump trucks that leave trails of funk along the roadway.

Seminole averages 1200 to 1400 tons of garbage and sludge per day. Its current operation in Phase 2A is expected to last six to seven years from its summer1997 opening. This phase is lined. Phases 3 and 4 will also be lined. Seminole's life expectancy extends well into the new millennium, somewhere between 2015 and 2020.

Seminole is open to DeKalb residents for disposal of waste at no charge. Free mulch is also provided. Proof of residency is required. Tours are discouraged, because of safety concerns. However, if you would like to learn more by touring the facility, please write DeKalb's CEO, Liane Levetan, for permission in advance. Funky Hood

Mailbox: E-mail, letter, Faxes and Calls

"SMART PEOPLE! Diana Sparks, age 40, was arrested in Jacksonville, FL for trying to sell her daughter for $10. Local authorities were alerted to the situation when she asked them to run a background check on the perspective buyer.

Robert Orenstein, age 29, was severely injured when his bathroom blew up (literally!) Fire officials in West St. Paul, MN explained that Orenstein was cleaning himself with GASOLINE, when the CANDLES and INCENSE he was burning in the bathroom ignited the gasoline vapors. The explosion blew out all of his apartment windows and moved the bathroom walls." E-mail M. Gaines

"LETTER TO HEAVEN! A little boy wanted $100 badly and prayed for two weeks but nothing happened. Then he decided to write a letter to the Lord requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to the Lord, USA, they decided to send it to President Clinton. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. President Clinton thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5 and sat down to write a thank-you note to the Lord, which read:

"Dear Lord. Thank you very much for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington, D.C. and as usual, those jerks deducted $95." (Author: "Air jay") E-mail from J. Swails

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Volume 1 Issue 28

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

Institutionalized Racism

by Dot Smith

Whether we acknowledge it publicly or whisper about it privately, the experience of black farmers with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is commonplace in the annals of American history and contemporary reality. In every aspect of black American life, the black farmers' plight is replicated hundreds of thousands of times daily. So, no one conscious should be shocked to discover another public or private sector enterprise discriminates against people of color. The evidence of systematic discrimination is plentiful. Media revelations are passe. Even more blase and disgustingly predictable is the political posturing - the partisan speeches and cheesy photo opportunities. In the black farmers' case, Agriculture Secretary, Dan Glickman, Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, Rev. Jesse Jackson, the NAACP and a passel of politicians decry the injustice and pay lip service to the need for action to correct it. Such displays offer nothing of substance to change America's institutionalized racism.

As an economist, I have long held that, relatively speaking, conditions changed little for blacks with slavery's abolition. There is no denying overall conditions changed. Gone are the practices of buying and selling humans at auctions, working and breeding people like oxen, and herding them like cattle in slave quarters. Now, temporary agencies, unequal pay, discrimination in hiring and promotions and other microeconomic measures manipulate the market for human capital. Today, instead of slave labor, there is damn near free labor with jobs that pay minimum wages. Of course, rather than slave quarters, there are prisons, public housing projects and slums, like south Memphis and the other pockets of poverty designated as empowerment zones and enterprise communities.

An analysis of the historical facts and empirical data supports the assertion that the relative economic condition of blacks and whites did not change. The historical record shows that at the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776), slavery was an established tradition. As American as apple pie, the Great or Three-Fifths Compromise (1787) legalized the exploitative system, and established the value of black human capital. Though America later fought a Civil War (1865), reconstructed the South, and is engaged in a new race dialogue, the nation approaches the year 2000 with the same valuation of black labor agreed to by the founding fathers in 1787. In a nutshell, blacks are still worth three-fifths whites. Predictably, since former slaves received no reparations, emancipation failed to translate into economic freedom. Consequently, slave descendants are still victims of the same exploitative system that made their forefathers chattel.

An examination of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment and income data provides empirical evidence in support of this assertion. An objective analysis shows blacks are twice as likely to be unemployed as whites, and the black median family income historically fluctuates between a range of .55 to .65 of white median family incomes. The stability of these relationships gives credence to the assertion that the 3/5ths Compromise still rules the day in determining the value of black labor.

Contemporary employment practices, particularly temporary agencies, are viewed by blacks, and logically so, as neo-slave masters. Cited most frequent is the temp agency practice of paying minimum wage to $7 an hour for labor than commands $12. And, even when work is plentiful, it is only available through the temp agency. This is the new slavery.

Institutionalized racism not only influences income and employment. It negatively impacts every aspect of black American life. Needless to say, America's criminal justice system screams institutionalized racism. That unwritten rule or gentlemen's agreement that assures blacks go through a temporary agency for employment also guarantees blacks are more likely to be incarcerated and buying new homes in places where environmental injustice is a serious issue. In far too many instances, the move up for blacks is a move next door to a landfill, waste water treatment plant or other industrial facility. From community banks to mortgage lenders, the everyday business practices of financial institutions limit black ownership and economic freedom. Blacks pay higher consumer interest and insurance rates. In Georgia, where the insurance industry is powerful, car insurance is required. However, its enforcement is most aggressive in black areas. At road blocks and routine traffic stops, cops ask for an insurance card and driver's license, never mind auto's registration.

Therefore, in the final analysis, relatively speaking, little changed with slavery's abolition. A superb analogy to the longevity of America's racism is the house left standing after a destructive tornado. Battered by high winds, hail and rain, the panes are blown out. Doors and shudders are ripped from the structure. The landscape is littered with evidence of nature's destruction, but the house remains anchored to its foundation. Institutionalized racism will remain intact without reparations and social programs designed to reform the system. Alone, programs such as affirmative action, which can only be viewed as interest on the debt, are just bandages over the sore; they are insufficient. What was done to blacks is more horrendous than the Jewish holocaust. Reparations are needed to correct and atone for the injustice. Otherwise, institutionalized racism will never cease to be an American reality. (Reparations) More Hot DISHes

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

Dawn in Eastern Exposure

By Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Dreaming dreams within dreams,

A child sleeps the night,

And I awake to see the morn.

My blessed eyes saw the soft paint of dawn,

As light colors held the darkness

And kissed away the storm.

Life springs from the heavens,

Reigning upon the patient earth.

The universal song of healing

Echoing in every hollow heart,

And filling every hungry belly.

Barking in the frigid darkness of closed eyes,

The shivering ignorant

See nothing and stumble over lessons in the cold wilderness.

Bathed in grace, even the fearful

Eventually find the warm home of enlightenment.

Blessed eyes weathered the night to find the miracle of breath.

Father, truly humbled by another day,

I give tears of thanks.

Pouring libations as words,

With the birth of the sun,

Ushering in a new beginning.

Comments from the Bat Cave

According to the Dark Knight, everyone needs a vacation. He went swimming at the beach, soaked in a hot tub, and went to the amusement park to ride the big kid roller coaster. Now, he must learn to tie his shoes, read and follow grandma's rules.

Disgruntled wants to know : Most offices are still all white after all the affirmative action and equal rights amendments, so how can people still pretend that race isn't an issue?

Disgruntled says: With all these discussions about the President's sexual liaisons, one would think the world is full of virgins.

Funky Hood Update

Blah! Double Blahs on the two politicians representing south DeKalb County - Porter Sanford (Dist. 7) and Bill Brown (Dist. 5)- who believe they have no prescribed legal or personal responsibility to inform the public about unsafe and questionable environmental conditions. Their "let the buyer beware" attitude may be appropriate in a cannibalistic free enterprise system. To the contrary, in our representative democracy, such an attitude does not square with public service in an elective capacity. We elect individuals to safeguard the public interest. Educating the public is an integral part of an elected representative’s responsibility. Society loses whenever we elect individuals who do not understand their civic responsibility and are hell bent on turning a profit on the public’s ignorance.

People buying homes around Seminole and other industrial facilities should be told about potential hazards, such as those posed by unlined dumpsites. There are environmental and health consequences, not to mention economic ones, associated with buying property and living in such areas. Realtors, developers and other entrepreneurs turned politicians who run and get elected need to reexamine their attitude about turning a buck at the public’s expense. Selling high priced residences near unlined landfills raises moral and ethical questions for all involved. Moreover, as local elected officials, doing so, while not informing the public about the environmental risks and economic consequences, adds insult to the public disservice.

For the record, The DISH identified at least five (5) subdivisions of new homes near the Seminole Landfill. They are River Mill, Cameron Hill, Riverside Estates, Riverview Chase and Riverchase. There are others. The area is represented by Sanford and Brown. Funky Hood

Mailbox: E-mail, letter, Faxes and Calls

"Regarding "Disgruntled's" comment about how the Government should buy baby seats for those who can't afford them-how preposterous! Maybe they should have to buy you a car, too. If you can't afford a car seat, you sure can't afford a car, either. Maybe people should think about whether they can afford to take care of a BABY before they have one, also. There are inexpensive ways to get a good, used car seat if you really need one- yard sales and resale shops are just two. This attitude that the government should pay for everything while we take no personal responsibility for anything is killing us!" S. Rost e-mail (See next issue for Disgruntled's response!

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Volume 1 Issue 27

Open Letter to: Mr. Andrew Young

GoodWorks International from

John Burl Smith

This communique acknowledges receipt of your June 19, 1998 letter thanking The DISH for supporting the Southeast Regional National Summit on Africa, and soliciting its continued assistance with the Midwest Regional Summit. Your comments reflect a commitment to grassroots involvement in building a real consensus on African policy. Unfortunately, grave concerns about a lack of coordination and ground support in the field have reached The DISH through a flood of telephone calls, faxes, and E-mails from its subscribers.

Respondents in Memphis, Tennessee were seeking information regarding participation in the summit's organizing efforts. Volunteers were calling from as far away as Detroit, Michigan inquiring about the telephone number of a direct line to something other than a commercial. The major complaint registered concerned talking to answering machines, or the person answering calls did not know much more than what was reported in The DISH.

The DISH traveled to Memphis for a clearer picture of field operations, and to gauge public interest. Interviewing Stax recording group The Mad Lads' lead singer, John Gray Williams, and other entertainers about putting together a show to kick off activities in Memphis, The DISH sensed real frustration."We have called several times, but no one returns calls. I don't know who is in charge. What's up with that?" Speaking with Vincent E. Taylor, coordinator for Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, The DISH learned of his troubles recruiting in Detroit. Celebrating his daughter MacKinni's graduation and acceptance to Medical school, Dr. Curtiz Meriwether, MD, said "I pledged $100,000 to the Detroit effort, when I speak with someone from the national office, who supports Detroit. Ms Kelly Brown, daughter of Lt. Gray and Sherry Brown, has recruited students to work campuses, but can't get literature. Also, Curtis Tillman, a Chrysler UAW PQI, responded " No one has contacted my union or any other union that I know. We have always supported improving living and working condition in Africa and America." Wayne Williams, Ohio Coordinator summed things up this way, "This effort is far too important to fail because some will not work together. Ohio is not going to wait for the people hiding out in Washington to strangle this baby before it is born, even if Ohio must be the midwife and parent."

The DISH has no response to these complaints. No one returns my telephone calls either. James Exum, Midwest Regional Coordinator, would not comment publicly about any of these problems, but did say, "With just a little consistency, ground support for my organizers in the field, and national presence, we can pull Chicago out with no sweat."

Attached is a list of individuals desiring to be contacted or supplied information about the Summit. It seems The DISH has become part of the summit's communication network. That being the case, how can The DISH communicate for the summit, when the summit will not communicate with The DISH. People cannot work together if the parties never talk! What do you do?

Disgruntled wants to know: If the regular drinking water is so foul it will probably make you sick, what do restaurants use when preparing dishes?

Disgruntled says: Expectant mothers without resources should be provided a car seat by the state since the state makes it impossible to carry an infant in an automobile without one!

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

Winter Longing

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Grinding against hibernating sheets speaks low hypnotic whispers.

The end of November and I awaken to blackness. Cocooned...

A cold dim room holds my lonely sleep.

Restless naked body moves anxious feet across cool hardwood.

Picture window...Urban...Black...Naked...

Drawn back bare curtains,

Revealing a murky gray flat ninth floor view.

Immersed in music, I slide smoking Hope in slow motion.

Sweet pleas for pleasure juxtapose

The gritty too busy inner city acid jazz madness.

On the job 24/7, punching the clock, slaving for love.

This Moon cruel frigid season freezing fresh emotion: Luna cycle...

The tide screaming winter wind, whipping heaven's tears into fine Crystal.

Arctic vessels crash against the jungle concrete like glass Faith.

Ice sickles falling and everything pauses...Instantly frozen...

Stressed...Cannabis...

Viewing through the looking glass,

My waiting to exhale clouds the mirrored pains.

Maniac... Depressed...

Warning... Warning... Warning... I search for signs!

Oh...mine?...Aquarius. I know, I wish I knew...How?...

Who?... In a mosaic of women Will your face shine through the maze of hurt?

This big dizzy bus-i-ness got my manhood wide open,

Mixed up in short skirts. Detour...Black Man at Work...

Caution light skin flashing thorough breed thighs...

Paging my vibe.

Caution icy conditions. Caution!

Almost white High yellow girl.

Oh shit! I wasted my coffee trying to add cream!!

Iawh!! It's a NIGHTMARE. Wake up!! You are not dreaming.

Warning...South on a north bound One Way. Nigga look out!!

Slippery When Wet...Pedestrian Crossing...Black woman emasculating her man.

Jigaboo...Field hand...Nigga you will never be good enough.

THE WANNABE STAMPEDE PLANTATION SEX GAME!! Noooo!!!!!

So, I swerve to avoid bad drivers, ignorantly causing tragic accidents.

Detour...Damn, my simple needs trapped in life's rush hour traffic.

Redlight...Fuck...Right turn...Shit...Wrong way...U-turn

"Ooowee! Me and dat blunt at da houz!" Head on collision...

These aching shoulders of this struggling hustler travel home.

Almost out of gas, my patience remains strong.

Balance. Ever vigilant is this burning candle.

Fucking brilliant! Like riding on E,

And just passing your street on an express way with no exits.

A lover has yet to be found.

My yearning bed sleeps quiet through December.

Mailbox: E-mail, letter, Faxes and Calls

"Read your story on the GHSGT with more than a passing interest. Here in Dallas, would-be graduating seniors in Texas schools must past the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TASS) test to receive their diplomas. And, of course, minority students are more likely to not pass this test than Whites. I have a few questions: What is the significance of Atlanta being in both DeKalb and Fulton vis-a-vis this issue? Can you give me any other history on this controversy? What is a Carnegie unit? Thanks, and keep DISHing it up!" E-mail Chris Pryer, Editor MinOppNews

"What's with Mac Barber? The man is old; he needs to find another way to serve the public good that does not require more public dole. Let's retire the old boy from public coffers." A concerned Georgian from Avondale Estates."

"Why does the NAACP wonder about the organization's direction? This organization is headed by intelligent people. For the record, tell those old goats that nothing changed when they fell asleep thirty years ago! Rather than taking that long ass nap after Dr. King died, they should have continued the struggle. If they don't know the direction, let me school them. Colored people come on out the big house, get out in the field and do some work to set us free. Four hundred years is long enough to be slaves." A recovered colored person, now recovering slave.

"This is not a race issue; it is an economic issue. If there was a neighborhood in Dunwoody that was 95% Afro-American, do you think that they would stand by and have environmental hazardous businesses open up next to them? No way. They would have the economic resources to fight it." TN

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight went on vacation to escape grandma's rules and regulations. The Bat will be back next week. So, stay tuned

Update!!

Funky Hood Smells

Several weeks ago, The DISH attempted to uncover the source of those odors making the hood so funky. This effort led to the accumulation of information on landfills and other industrial facilities dotting the south DeKalb County landscape. In discussing this problem with local elected officials, Live Oak was prominently mentioned as a culprit. Truth be told, all the facilities identified to date, including the Seminole Landfill, sometimes stink.

The DISH recently visited the Live Oak facility and learned a great deal about solid waste disposal, in general, and the particular management efforts undertaken to tone down its operation's odor. Located at Henrico Road and Moreland Avenue, just inside the perimeter, Live Oak is owned and operated by Waste Management. Expressing a desire to be good corporate partners, the facility's management team of Hugh Brown, assistant manager, David Spear, Public Affairs, and Dale Courtney, Regional Operations responded to questions, provided a filmed overview of the operation, and Live Oak's efforts to control odors and harness the gases commonly emitted by landfills.

As Brown so often says, "Even little landfills, like those in garden compost piles, give off gases as a natural part of the decomposition process." With a steady barrage of dump trucks carrying an average of 3800 tons of garbage per day, the Live Oak Landfill can pack a powerful punch to the olfactory. Folks living near these type facilities need more than a few clothespins to tolerate the odor. (Rheta Grimsley Johnson -Atlanta Journal-Constitution - 7/1/98 - "River Proposal Flows With Good Intentions").

Live Oak could be considered a regional landfill, because it contracts with two municipalities to dispose of solid waste, i.e., Atlanta and DeKalb, in addition it accepts waste from Henry and Gwinnett Counties. In addition, the landfill is open to the public. Private vehicles line up to dump construction debris and other solid waste materials, including metal. The landfill is fully operational twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week. Live Oak is a busy place; there is a lot of garbage.

Waste Management is doing a combination of things to keep the odor at bay. The company installed a perimeter misting system that sprays a deodorizer continuously along the DeKalb side of its 183 acres property. The company is awaiting an electrical permit from the City of Atlanta before completing the perimeter misting system. About five (5) weeks have elapsed since company officials filed for the permit. The delay obviously makes conditions for Forest Park area residents more odorous. In addition to spraying a deodorizer around its borders, a dozier - a heavy piece of machinery - spreads a neutralizer on the solid waste. A mobile trailer is used to transport a sprayer that mists the area being treated to help control the odor.

According to David Spear, "It's getting better. It is still unacceptable." In recognition of this, the company has gone beyond its substantial $400,000 investment in controlling the odor, and contacted all its haulers and requested that they cover theirs loads coming and leaving the landfill. This will help contain the odor. The company is also cleaning the roadway around the facility and spreading a deodorant to cut down on the odor from any spillage that occurs during transit. Within about a month, according to Brown, "Live Oak will install additional gas wells, which will be used to burn off excess. This will eliminate even more odors."

Next week the DISH will highlight another south DeKalb facility. Funky Hood

DISH-ing It Up Hot!

A Bold Move Worth Applauding

by Dot Smith

The move by local churches to start a credit union is a bold one worth applauding. "Church parishioners are asked to support the federally chartered credit union by pulling their money, at least $100 of it, out of area banks." This is a gutsy maneuver The DISH wholeheartedly supports. A long overdue "free enterprise" move of this type might just liberate African Americans from the shackles of financial institutions that only pay lip service to minority communities. Because it will fill a void, if supported by the local black community, this credit union will flourish, and that can only be in the best interest of area residents. At least, it will give the local financial institutions competition for all those black dollars held in white banks at real low interest rates - dollars that are disproportionately spent on investments in "gated communities" where blacks do not reside.

The new south DeKalb Church Federal Credit Union at 2930 Evans Mill Road is open for business. According to Lisa Grimes of Member Services, credit union membership is limited to the 25,000 members of the six area churches responsible for chartering the credit union and their immediate family members. Eligible to join are members of Abundant Life, Big Miller Grove, Ray of Hope Christian, Green Forest Community Baptist, Green Pastures Christian Ministry and New Birth Missionary Baptist Churches. A minimum deposit of $35.00 is required; this includes a one-time membership fee of $10.00. The remainder is required to maintain the account.

Bonnie Wilkins, Credit Union Manager, stated, "Plans to expand the field of membership beyond the six (6) churches is on hold due to litigation." Actual membership is a little less than 3,000. The credit union is still not a full service bank. However, they do offer share (savings) accounts, certificates of deposit (CD), small signature loans up to $2500 and vehicle loans. These are the things black people routinely use banks to provide. Why not the credit union? For more information, contact the new South DeKalb Church Federal Credit Union at 770-484-9200. More Hot DISHes

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Volume 1 Issue 26

DISH-ing it up Hot!

Double Think: An Elitist View of Local Funk

By Dot Smith

"Compounding an Environmental Wrong" (Atlanta Journal Constitution, 7/5/98) began by asserting a universally recognized fact. "Communities of ethnic minorities have long had to bear an unfair share of the environmental risks produced by our industrial economy." With the obvious stated, the editorial proceeded to criticize the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed environmental justice policy. EPA's policy is aimed at ensuring state regulatory agencies consider the disproportionate burden on local minority communities when granting permits to industrial polluters. Labeling the proposed policy "unworkable," the editorial advanced several reasons for its highly critical perspective.

First, it chastised the proposed policy for failing to provide a commonsense definition of "a disproportionate burden." Given the costly and sophisticated studies that have been conducted and the advanced technology available today, this criticism rings hollow. On its surface, it seems fairly simple to examine two areas and determine which one houses more dumps and factories that foul the air and pollute the environment. For most, a "commonsense" look can verify this without technical assistance or a legal definition. For example, in DeKalb, Georgia, the area most dumped on is the south side of the county where the majority of the minorities reside. It does not take a rocket scientist to determine the obvious. Most state regulators, even Georgia's, should be able to employ "simple" mathematics to determine where the pollution disparities lie. The absence of a "standard" definition seems insufficient grounds to scuttle the effort to right an ethical and moral wrong

On the heels of this shallow criticism is an even hollower one based on voodoo economics. EPA's proposed policy is accused of reflecting "a willful naivete' about the cause of the burden borne by minority communities." This point of contention does not make AJC's criticism more palatable or believable. EPA's proposal attributes the disparity in pollution to environmental racism. AJC's viewpoint dismisses this notion as naive, because it is not grounded in American socioeconomic and political reality. As though racism is not an institutionalized economic weapon, the editorial attributes the proliferation of landfills and other funky factories in minority communities to a matter of "simple" economics.

The "simple" economic scenario the editorial paints is classic. AJC's editorial staff is advancing the same old tired sophomoric arguments in favor of maintaining the status quo that have been passed down through the ages. Industrial polluters are drawn to minority neighborhoods because of relatively inexpensive real estate and the political powerlessness of the poor and minorities. That the elite will fight and/or flee industrial polluters is a given. In the end, the rich and powerful will dictate where dumps and industrial facilities are located, and it is never near them. Policies like EPA's proposal are seen as precursors of a vicious cycle that always lead back to minorities living near funky factories.

In this pea and shell reality, EPA's proposed policy can conceivably diminish the possibility of more high-pay-low skill jobs for minorities. Policies that discourage industries from operating in minority communities are seen as exacerbating conditions in those areas. From this perspective, the possibility of future employment for a few trumps the welfare of an entire community. This simplistic economic view ignores the reality of commuting whites, who fill newly created jobs that pay decent wages. The carrot of more decent paying jobs for minorities does not work.

Moreover, no records are being set for discouraging industrial polluters from locating in minority communities. To make AJC's "simple" economic analysis believable, given the proliferation of funky factories and landfills that already dot minority areas, these communities should be booming, much like the sites of gold strikes in the wild west. Instead, they are patches of economic depression with high unemployment and pervasive poverty. In the real world, minority areas just get stuck with the industrial pollution.

In its final hollow volley, the AJC editorial suggests EPA's proposed policy with run counter to other programs, such as enterprise zones, designed to stimulate economic growth and development in minority communities. Nothing could be further from the truth. These programs traditionally benefit whites. In the 1960 and 1970's, federal, state and local funding designated for urban renewal and redevelopment communities was used instead to aid white suburban flight. Today, these same areas are designated empowerment communities and enterprise zones. EPA's proposed environmental justice policy will not change the way funds earmarked for impoverished neighborhoods are used to finance political campaigns and other obscure local, state, and federal projects.

None of this editorial's sophomoric criticism outweighs the need to bring environmental justice to the table when states decide where industrial facilities are placed in the future. In its naivete, the editorial ignores an important economic fact. Real estate is finite. Eventually, the powerful elite will be unable to flee or buy its way out of the environmental consequences of making its money. Moreover, it is elitist and downright arrogant to presume money and political might will always triumph over right. Funky Hood More Hot DISHes

Disgruntled wants to know: Since most parents, including single ones, work two jobs trying to make ends meet, why can't the PTA and the Board of Education have meetings at more convenient times in recognition of this economic reality?

Disgruntled says: Since we are all being pimped at one job or another, in one way or another, prostitution should be legalized!

Bat Cave Comments from the Dark Knight

The Dark Knight will read a book a day! He will not play video games or watch television all day, as long as he cannot read and write ( Grandma laid down the law!)

Mailbox: E-Mail, Letters, Faxes and Calls

Last week's issue elicited several requests for removal from The DISH e-mail or fax list. The DISH is unbossed and unbought news and information you can use. One of The DISH's readers said it best, "it provides food for thought." It is The DISH's policy that anyone choosing to deliberately go hungry cannot be helped in its efforts to bring enlightenment. Some of the week's removal requests were submitted with attitude. Being nasty is not necessary for removal from The DISH list.

"Yes, it is ironic that Americans wanted freedom from England but freeing slaves was out of the question!" E-mail from J. Kelleher

"I wonder if Florida's fire disaster is really the work of some religious fanatics giving those homophobics led by Pat Roberson and his religious right reason to continue believing in his lunacy?" A straight in Decatur.

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

Stuck

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Stuck in a rut. Fucked in this game.

Niggas, your only concern is how to be a better slave.

Insane stammering stuttering

Smothering CIA covering up

Like self-righteous advice for real world problems.

Dissolving in resolving the situation. Solution!

Resorting to the oldest profession.

Bobbing and slobbering...

Violently raped. Violated by high interest rates.

Let us pray. Dear lord, please help us forget

How the government murdered Black Power.

Yes Jesus! Dear lord, teach these ignorant Niggas

To keep their heads bowed.

Lord have mercy. Jesus!

Police play savior. Cocaine cakes and pies

Baked for children to sell after school.

Late 70's White Jesus delivering crack

And weapons to poor Blacks like religion.

Sodomized by a crucifix.

Sucked dry by the first of the month.

By design fronts provide plenty of bad credit blacks Revolving in debt.

Chapter 13 means another way for lawyers to stay paid.

Solving nothing but the temporary satisfaction of status.

Stagnant retro active rhetoric

Delivered in the reverends' sermons.

Serving hot no lye relaxer

Wax across your Christian senses.

Bucked and fucked numb.

Struck dumb...

Learning life in the slums.

Yearning survival on more than crumbs.

Burning bibles to keep warm...In God we trust

Every sermon concerning perming and affirming Black subservience.

Thirst is nothing...Image is everything. Masonic evils...

Branded by labels like cattle.

Glistening globs of gloss sliver over reality.

We work hard to forget.

We can wear cracker's clothes, SO NOW WE EQUAL.

Tell that shit to the decapitated dearly departed in Jasper County, Texas.

Hide behind the lies.

Serpents smile shining dollar signs to hypnotize.

Commercialize...Beauty supplies...

Nail and hair shop lines.

Subliminal Masochism Enterprise.

Energize male egos...Confused Mandingos

Swollen with false pride. Advertise fine new Lexus

Flex us, perplex us, stretch us,

Sex us thru our slave complexes.

Capitalize. Magazines seduce self esteem.

Means are made to justify the ends meeting.

Corrosive chemicals lacing the scalp

Sinking into your brain. Insane to despise your natural.

Subconscious self-hatred so powerful.

Powerless...gas chambers,

Prison showers, and ruptured bowels.

Hour after hour of devouring bullshit

Trapped Niggas pull triggers

As shackles like handcuffs cut circulation,

Leaving the patient a vegetable case.

National Summit on Africa Update!

By John Burl Smith

The DISH spent the last ten (10) days traveling the Midwest observing the advance efforts of James Exum and his regional Summit team. The DISH was permitted to sit in on a strategy session attended by Prexy Nesbitt, Joseph Harrington, and Vincent E. Taylor. As regional coordinator for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Kentucky, Mr. Exum laid out their plan for a series of press conferences around the lake rim beginning in Chicago on July 24, 1998, and ending in Cleveland, Ohio July 29, 1998. The media blitz is aimed at informing the public about the Midwest Regional National Summit on Africa to be held in Chicago September 23- 27, 1998. Chicago will host the second regional conference, following Atlanta which held the Southeast Regional Summit May 6-10, 1998. Grassroots support is very important to the summit's goal of educating Americans about the need for a US-Africa partnership. The current effort represents an unprecedented nationwide drive to create a shared policy agenda to guide US relations with African nations.

Shifting gears after that meeting, organizing efforts moved to a livingroom session held at the home of Mr. William and Bernice Brandon, and attended by Mr. Harvey and Molly Al-Ghani. This recruitment and information talk bounced ideas off two veterans of the Chicago school system. Organizers were attempting to gauge what might appeal to school age youngsters. The most popular idea was a study guide based on vacationing in Africa.

The DISH continued shadowing Mr. Vincent E. Taylor, Advance Coordinator for Michigan and Ohio, on a swing through these states. Beginning in Detroit with a 4^th of July backyard barbecue at the home of Lt. Gary Brown one of Detroit"s finest. He and wife Sherry hosted family and friends wanting to know about the National Summit on Africa. Dr. Curtiz Meriwether, MD, a long time supporter of Africa was in attendance, and came on board by joining the Detroit delegation. He pledged whatever help necessary to make Detroit's effort a success. Being interviewed by Michigan Chronicle reporter Marquis Amick, Mr. Taylor stated, "The need presently is to get the word out to the community that this summit is for us, but anyone can participate. In Atlanta there were all races in attendance as delegates. Although African Americans are closer to the situation, all Americans are interested in Africa. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Former President Jimmy Carter, Former Secretary Jack Kemp, Former President of Tanzania, The Honorable Julius Nyerere all came and spoke in support of what the summit is trying to do."

The next day Mr. Taylor and The DISH was hopscotching our way to Cleveland , Ohio for another livingroom session at the home of Mrs. Ollie Mc Bride. This was the initial effort to involve Ohio grassroots organizers in building their delegation. Mr. Taylor was able to enlist the support of Mr. Wayne Williams as Cleveland coordinator. Mr. Williams' background has roots in the civil rights movement, and he works in political campaigns on all levels. Asked what motivates him to get involved in this effort, Mr. Williams responded, " This summit can give African Americans a chance to build a real relationship with our homeland; nothing could be more important than that. We owe it to our children, if they are ever going to have a real future. The thought quickens the spirit."

A veteran of many civil rights organizing efforts myself, this reporter identifies ardently with Brother William's entreatment to put our shoulders to the wheel and build momentum to push the summit over the top. The DISH asked the question again, what better thing is there for us to do?

Update !!

Georgia High School Graduation Test

The DISH spoke with Sharron Hunt, Program Manager, Georgia Department of Education, Research, Evaluation and Testing Division, regarding pass rates for the Georgia exit exams. The table below shows the rates for students pursuing the vocational education and college preparatory course of study. According to Hunt, "the data are from the Spring 1998 administration of the contents areas and the Fall of 1997 administration of the writing test." Hunt cautioned considering the data scientific because the categories are self-reported by the students. "Because this is self-report, some students fail to fill in the spaces at all or inadequately and the result is the numbers may not necessarily include every student who took the test." Clearly, even though all students may not be included, those pursuing the more advanced course of study have a significantly higher pass rate, especially in mathematics, science and social studies.

Test Areas

Language Arts

Mathematics

Social Studies

Science

Writing

Vocational

81%

69%

46%

49%

77%

College Prep.

98%

94%

84%

87%

96%

Everyone serious about education knows students must be exposed, to test well and function successfully in this society. Students, parents, teachers and counselors need to commit these stats to long term memory. Georgia students need to realize easy courses may get them a Hope Scholarship, but easy courses will not prepare them for the rigors of college or equip them to successfully exit Georgia's High Schools. To keep our kids from getting tripped up on exiting, parents need to know and stress this in aiding students in selecting a course of study. Helping students with this process is a must to make sure all Georgia's children receive a quality education.

Counselors should give each student a copy of these stats and explain the facts: The core curriculum is not enough. Education is a life long process. The more exposure one has the better prepared you are to deal with all the crappy things that come with living!

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Volume 1 Issue 25

DISH-ing it up Hot!

Georgia's Graduation Test

By Dot Smith

The recent Atlanta School Board high school graduation test controversy sparked sufficient interest among The DISH's readers to warrant closer examination of the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). All Georgia high school students must now pass this series of five tests to receive a diploma. A legacy of Superintendent Benjamin Canada's administration, Atlanta public school students who fail the Georgia High School Graduation Test cannot participate in commencement ceremonies. According to Phil McGregor, DeKalb School Board - District 3, DeKalb's school system places no such restriction on commencement activities for students who otherwise satisfy DeKalb's twenty-one Carnegie unit requirement for graduation. Any student failing the test can retest in order to qualify for his/her diploma. Oddly, neither of the two counties Atlanta straddles, DeKalb and Fulton, makes such a distinction between students receiving a certificate of performance and those awarded a diploma. Atlanta's Board policy is so controversial because, based on Atlanta-Journal Constitution news accounts, Atlanta is the only local school system adhering to such a policy. It seems so arbitrary and capricious that many of The DISH's most avid readers were surprised no one legally challenged it.

The DISH spoke with local school board officials, Georgia Department of Education representatives, DeKalb County School Board candidates, former and current educators, and recent Georgia High School graduates about the Georgia High School Graduation test. The DeKalb County graduates interviewed thought Atlanta's Board Policy "sucked!" More important, they believe the graduation test is biased in favor of the more advanced subjects taken in the college preparatory course of study.

According to Taquila Ramsey, a Columbia High graduate, had she not been in the college preparatory course of study, which requires biology and chemistry, she would have failed the science portion of the test. She believes a less advanced course of study would not have prepared her as well for taking the test.

Asked about counseling, Taquila responded, "There was none," meaning neither parents nor counselors provided guidance in her course selection. Avondale High School graduate Carlo Williams stated, "I asked what a college would look for. I was told to be sure to take a foreign language. The counselor didn't stress math and science. I took algebra my senior year. Luckily, I passed the test." For Carlo, "the high school graduation test is just another way to keep black folks out of college."

These young people's views on Georgia's public education generated more questions requiring further investigation. Intrigued by Ms. Ramsey's assertion, The DISH sought statistical evidence to either validate or refute the presence of a bias in the test toward an advanced course of study. The DISH posed this and other questions to Dr. Norman Thomas, President of the Atlanta Board of Education. Dr. Thomas believes each of Atlanta's four courses of study prepares the student for the test, since the test is based on Georgia's core curriculum and each course of study contains that core curriculum. Dr. Thomas has no empirical evidence on group success rates to support his confidence. The absence of such vital information is cause for alarm.

Decisions made affecting our children's future should not be made in a vacuum. Should these tests prove biased, then the Atlanta School Board policy is more heinous and asinine than first imagined; it adds greater injury to the unnecessary insult to some Georgia children. More Hot DISHes

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

Asylum

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

My eyes open in darkness.

Silhouettes and illusion.

In the black of night,

Shadows are my friends.

Ancient spirits whisper.

Deception! Truth, beware of angels

And those professing righteousness.

They are usually devils in disguise.

Dolphin transformation for my third eye,

To avoid sharks swimming

In these rough waters.

Salty! Twisted incident.

By the light of the full moon

Smiling faces move like serpents

To fool naive hearts.

Hypocrisy . . .

Slivering friends speak generously

With forked tongues.

Shady tones.

My son remember.

Hold your enemies close.

Niggas wildin' in the streets,

Trying to maintain their egos.

Usual suspect situations . . .

Face slammed on the pavement

Twisted incident...wrists shackled...

Strapped to the table.

Betrayal...

African guinea pig experiment.

Kid-napped crabs

Cradled in a barrel of insanity.

This asylum is reality.

Real? Really.

In reality abducted...

I feel the seductive serenade slip...

I feel the sedative wearing off.

I'm hearing muffled voices;

A flock of fake sistas, some phony friends,

Representatives of foreign governments,

A couple of reverends escorting ravens

JFK with six vixens, Elvis and Nicole Simpson,

NSA, FBI, ATF, DEA, CNN, and NASA,

The FAA, FDA, IRS, EPA, CDC, NAACP, and PTA, The SCLC, DMV, MSG, NAFTA, MTV, BET, VH1, Mickey Dees, PMS, HIV, and DKNY ,

And last but not least agents Molder and Sculley. C C O N spiracy...

Shhh...

In a hidden taste test,

We secretly replaced your natural mind state

With our brand new,

One of a kind Cloned Mental Slave 2000.

Muffled voices softly spoken,

Choking, coughing, plotting my killing.

I'm choking on fear.

Chilling my spine is the cold metal table.

Abruptly, the nurse enters the room.

Like an Arctic breeze,

I freeze my breath.

Eyes closed, pretending to be sleeping,

While she is freeing my wrist.

Suddenly, she remembers the hypodermic

Demonic poison ready to rush.

Yearning to push me over the edge.

Focus quickly and grab the bitch by the neck. Scream...

I grab the bitch by the neck

Before the sound is completed.

Deceased...RIP! Rest in Pain,

Hell and torture!

Choking her,

I awake from the dream.

Choking my girl friend,

I awake from the dream.

Standing before the bathroom sink.

Yawning, four o'clock in the morning.

Forty years old in a dead end job.

And I'm choking the mirror.

Reflections...

I awake from the dream choking the TV.

Heavens to Mergatroid!

Exit stage left

Leave even!

Screaming and crying,

I awake from my nightmare choking my pillow.

The orderlies rush in.

With my daily medication,

I'm taken.

Now pacified,

I happily smile.

Disgruntled wants to know: Given the high cost of travel, who picks up the tab on Hillary and Chelsea's junket to the Orient?

Disgruntled says: Since July Fourth recognizes America's Independence, black folks need not participate in the celebration because they are not free.

Bat Cave Comments from the Dark Knight

The Dark Knight will take his woman to dinner, dancing and to the movies too! (At age five, if only he could drive, the Dark Knight would do it!)

Funky Hood Update!

The DISH has identified another source of South DeKalb County stench. Located at 1510 Key Road, there is a water pollution control facility called Intrenchment Creek. It is owned and operated by the City of Atlanta. Adjacent to this facility is another landfill.

According to DeKalb Commissioner Jackie Scott, "this landfill has reached capacity and the city of Atlanta that owns it is in the process of closing it."

The DISH spoke with two DeKalb Commission District 3 candidates, Jack T. Lovelace and Willie L. Anthony. According to Lovelace, "DeKalb County has sixteen (16) landfills." Commissioner Scott could not verify this number. Funky Hood

Mailbox: E-Mail, Letters, Faxes and Calls

Last week's issue elicited several requests for removal from The DISH 's e-mail and/or fax list. The direct hits were Colin Campbell of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Leading the Way, and Bowerbird who did not want his/her name on a list that included politicians, Ed Hames, Ellen Virden and Brian M. Almashie.

"Thanks for this issue of the DISH. To be honest, I don't necessarily agree with the writer's assumptions and conclusions, but I'm grateful to be on your list, and consider it rich food for thought and discussion." E-mail from Erich Stein

"Shall I print this? Rosetta Miller Perry, publisher of the Tennessee Tribune newspaper, Nashville. I would love to!" The DISH responded in the affirmative

"Driving through the area, I noticed a lot of signs with a little black terrier. When did dogs get to run for public office? Will Butch, my pit bull, qualify?" James Curtis - Decatur, GA.

"I think the terrier belongs to DeKalb County Commissioner Jackie Scott. My question is what is she telling us. Could her message be that she is as lovable as a pooch, or she is a dog of a commissioner? I vote for the latter!" T. J. - A DeKalb County registered voter.

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Volume 1 Issue 24

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

A Bitter Frost

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

"The same face that shined

And played happy spring games

Now fades in a winter too early.

A bitter frost.

Lines...step on a crack...

Nursery rhymes...step on a crack

Lines dig well-worn groove into hard Black faces.

Cracked concrete contains divine pain.

Picasso couldn't frame these ghetto art galleries.

Gothic tragedies housing stitched lives and broken dreams."

To the best of my abilities, the above lines describe the betrayal experienced by my generation upon graduating from high school. Drunk on the media's commercial lies and our parents' dreams, our foundling futures were kicked from the nest and forced to fly. Poorly prepared and malnourished by a racist educational system, most wings never caught the wind to soar, reaching their greatest heights. As children, we were subjected to hostile learning environments - forced integration. We were pitted against confederate flag waving southern traditionalists fully committed to taking extreme measures to ensure Black enslavement. For twelve years with outdated textbooks, we were deprived and marginalized into inferiority. In most cases, we are taught by whites without a clue about our heritage. Predominately Black schools are the waste stations for mediocre teachers who are just collecting paychecks.

As a struggling high school student, I often heard statements, such as, "Yohannes, you are intelligent; you'll figure it out." Where is the accountability on the part of these individuals? Teachers have a responsibility to set a professional and ethical standard for students. This is especially true in underprivileged communities. Teachers are the only consistent professional contact for these children. When interviewing an English professor at my alma mater, South DeKalb County's McNair Sr. High, we discussed problems we recognized.

It is one thing to recognize a problem, and another to expend effort and resources to bring about change. With passion in his voice, he professed a love for teaching, not simply as a vocation, but an advocation. As such, I questioned his sense of responsibility in educating the children of my community, and informing the community of conditions within the school that interferes with the child's optimal performance. He responded, "If I were to inform the community about what was happening in this school, I wouldn't have a job the next day." His position was self-serving, because a few statements before he chastised the students for disrespecting him. The underlying problem here is hypocrisy. Do as I say, not as I do. These are the self-serving hypocrites populating the educational staffs of most southern Black schools.

Five years later, the class of 93's best and brightest find it really difficult adjusting to the harsh reality of being a neo-slave. Shackled by a biased educational system and discriminatory employment practices, many have settled for a "decent" job which keeps them in debt. If they are lucky, there is some part-time hustle that threatens incarceration.

While traveling through the hood, I often run into old class mates. Instantly, I feel trapped in a time warp. Nothing has changed; we are still slaves! Whether male or female, straight into the workforce or off to college after high school graduation, the story is the same. In the prime of life, their eyes are shaded by a lack of opportunity and the disappointment of slowly watching their dreams die. Imagine being greeted by one of the top 10% of your class working at Waffle House. His face hung heavy; his body slumped over with a burden centuries old. Like steam hissing OPPRESSION, his disposition was that of a boiling kettle. When asked how things were going, he sighed, " I smoke to maintain." Another friend confessed, "Man, my soul doesn't belong to me. I haven't slept in months. I work all day, but I still want a social life, so I don't sleep. That job is sucking my life dry; I don't have a soul."

Now, I understand why African Americans continue to desire children at a young age. We are forced to swallow our dreams, taking the hope and pain deep within and forming a seed. And, like seeds, generation after generation, we plant our dreams with the hope that in some future time they will flourish. Deja vu. Another generation of poverty-stricken parents stand over sleeping children, quietly they admonish themselves and pray, "Lord, please let it be different for my baby."

We were so full of promise. On Career Day, our eager young minds believed the lies as we proudly declared future occupations: "I'm going to be a doctor, a lawyer, a psychologist, a teacher, etc." What happens now? Do we chalk it up as another generation lost? Do we continue to blame the victim for not being a better slave? Will another generation of beautiful black babies be unfairly saddled with their parents' unfulfilled dreams, further chaining their hopes and ideas of change to a system that works tirelessly to destroy them all? T.H.I.N.C.

Bat Cave Comments from the Dark Knight

The bat cave is for the Dark Knight after all, so get out and leave me alone!

Disgruntled wants to know: Why is it that when a black man gets a little fortune and fame, he pretends to forget our game plan and goes out and marries some white chick straight from the trailer park clique?

Disgruntled says: Since everybody else has some kind of day, why can't we have a national recovering slave day?

Little Red Riding With Hoods!

By John Burl Smith

Sunday's Memphis Commercial Appeal (6/21/98) reprinted an editorial by Wall Street Journal's Paul Gigot that further serializes the big tobacco supererogatory burlesque show. A true "Marlboro Man," Gigot rode in blasting first and asking questions later. In the saloon scene, big tobacco's divas are so scantily clad America gawks in stunned silence. Media darlings, like Gigot and James W. Brown, bemoan the plight of big tobacco, which is cast as " Little Red Riding Hood" on the way to grandma's house. A totally defenseless Red is brutally raped by hydrophobic carnivores daily on television news programs. Congress stars as the "Big Bad Wolfe," a dastardly heavy who bullies widows and orphans out of their collection plate pennies. When good guy John McCain shows up, tax assessor Brown charges him with accessory to felony robbery for sponsoring a tobacco bill. The magpies sing big tobacco's siren song, a ballad about the good fight to save free enterprise, freedom of expression, taxation without representation, and the free flow of public information. Federal efforts to regulate the industry and force it to clean up its devastation are attacked as greed run amok. Tobacco Jacobites preach that these efforts are a liberal conspiracy calculated to bankrupt one of America's best corporate partners.

Meanwhile back on the plantation, master Goldstone and his Knight riders from RJR/Nabisco bought everyone willing to take a dollar, and opened the trough for seconds and thirds. Case in point: Rolling into Memphis 6-19-98, RJR/Nabisco's hooded raiders opened their goodie bags to fill the sweet tooth of the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA). The syrupy-sweet nectar dripping from Mr. RJR's panders made the most avaricious sugar junkie catatonic. Chairman Goldbrick, a real hard rock, laid it on the line taking Congress and the President to task even more graphically than Gigot and Brown. Addressing the group that was once the voice of the black community, Goldstone resembled someone stuck in a time warp. Straight out of the antebellum south, this surreal tragedy with Goldstone cast as the plantation owner has a lock on an Oscar. He is without peers in the scene where the plantation is in trouble, and the master comes down to the slave pens to tell them.

His dialogue is classic linear secularism. Masterfully, Mr. Goldstone informs the slaves that things are not going so well. He follows with how good he has been to them, noting in passing that he only treated them badly because he wanted to make them better slaves. As always, the hook is: "If we don't work harder, the crops won't be big enough to pay off the debts. If that happens, I will sell off some of our slaves." The specter of families being broken apart is enough to keep most slaves working hard even though they are working against their own best interest. "The babies can't go hungry."

After witnessing this southwestern fairytale, The DISH wanted some first hand reactions from those in attendance. Interviews by The DISH revealed a decidedly negative reaction to RJR/Nabisco's presentation. Walter LeRoy of The New American Press said "The American people deserve a better shake from business than this kind of cock and bull story." Interviewing this reporter, April Thompson of Channel 3 News remarked, "The important question in all of this is what will happen to the young people who are being programed today?" Rep. Kathryn I. Bowers, Chairperson of the Marketing and Commodities Subcommittee of the Tennessee legislature stated, "The targeting of youth is unconscionable. Regulation and prevention are needed to have a real impact on tobacco's scourge." Urban Photographer Terry Dukes was very offended by Goldstone's references to similarities between Tobacco's history and the civil rights movement. "I bet RJR/Nabisco has discrimination going on in its companies right now. Whom do they think they are fooling? They don't care anything about blacks." The most telling comment came from Audrey McGhee, Editor of The Tri-State Defender, the voice of the mid-south for more than fifty years. "The only similarity between what went on today and the civil rights period is white people are still buying and selling us as they did during slavery."

This betrayal is prophesied in Jeremiah 34: Hypocrisy is the problem in all corners of American society. Gigot, Brown, and RJR/Nabisco must heed the gospel of contrition and atonement, if justice and right are their aim.

Note: The DISH is based on themes from T.H.I.N.C.: The Chrysalis of Evolution. According to the President's Initiative on Race, "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 of T.H.I.N.C. and/or if you would like to submit comments to the DISH, contact ICIM, Inc. at (404) 244-6023 or e-mail us at icim@bellsouth.net

A Living Epitaph

by John Burl Smith

To experience life's fortune, once touched, one cannot return to living other than life intends!

On his CD "New World Order," Curtis Mayfield shares with the world his wisdom of a life lived ascending and descending the slope. His portrait on the cover reveals a timelessness, like the ocean's expanse stretching before the Middle Passage. He offers the reality of history manifesting itself in the lives of African American youth. Trapped in a system impervious to their pain, shame, and blame, life gives an obsequious glance at their passing. Like nucleotides on the double helix, slavery's program runs uninterrupted. Appearing as the Boston strangler, slavery is the invisible hand in the marketplace, snuffing out hope for young black men at birth. A man who has experienced personal tragedy, as well as fame and loss of status, Curtis uses the shaman's eyes and incantations to conjure up crystal images of desperate children struggling to be men long before their time. Reflecting a future as timeless as the light captured in his face, this southern troubadour's haunting refrains chill the spirit. Masterfully woven throughout Mayfield's symphony reflecting America's "Grand Cannon Suite," a friend's story is told. Michael A. Hitchings lives this bottomless pit, caged from birth in the "New World Order."

DISH-ing it up Hot!

Funky Stench Follow-up

by Dot Smith

On last week, The DISH tried to uncover the source of the stench in our South DeKalb community. It was assumed from talking with State Senator Nadine Thomas (D-10) that the smell may emanate from a landfill on Moreland Avenue. The DISH has since learned that the Live Oak Landfill & Recycling Center is probably not the sole culprit. Live Oak is just one of the two (2) landfills in the Moreland Avenue area. Across the street from Live Oak is the Hickory Ridge Landfill owned and operated by BFI (Browning Ferris Industries), according to Hugh Brown, assistant manager of Live Oak. In addition to these landfills, the city of Atlanta owns and manages the South River Waste Water Treatment facility located behind the Live Oak landfill.

Hugh Brown assured The DISH that Waste Management, the Fortune 500 owner of Live Oak, is doing everything possible to contain the stench. The public is invited to come out and tour the facility to learn more about what the landfill operation is all about. Tours are available by scheduled appointment. When asked about the landfill's air emissions, Brown indicated the company submits a report to the Environmental Protection Agency that contains this information; it should be available to the public. In discussing the odor, Brown stated that "All landfills, even your everyday garden compost piles, emit odors. Decomposition produces gases. The two (2) main gases are methane and carbon dioxide. In landfills, though these gases are odorless, there are other trace gases that produce odors, along with certain waste streams, such as sludge."

From the county's elected representatives, The DISH wants to know: How did south DeKalb County end up with three (3) smelly facilities? Area citizens anxiously await the Senate District meeting to discuss the south DeKalb stench. At the time of publication for this week's issue, the meeting date and time were not finalized. When this information becomes available, The DISH will run a notification. Funky Hood More Hot DISHes

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Volume 1 Issue 23

The Pride of Walnut Grove!

by John B. Smith

Life can be viewed as a mountain in examining the worth or making a statement about a man's relevance. In adopting this view, most would tend to focus on its peaks and valleys, rather than on the slow grind of ascending and descending the slope where most of life is lived.

In the late 1950's before black athletes were blue chippers winning scholarships to all white universities with agents providing shoe contracts, they were respected as real achievers. On Friday, June 12, 1998, the world lost one of the finest athletes the south Memphis Riverside area ever produced. Hurbert McNeail, "The Pride of Walnut Grove, taught us to be winners." To comprehend his accomplishments, one must revisit the isolation of a sharecropper's farm in Senatobia, Mississippi and the depravation of a family of fifteen (15). Even after moving to Memphis, poverty's grip held the family in such a death lock that the young black man started looking for a way out early in life. Desperation shadowed his every consideration. In a world without choices, necessity dictated most of his actions. Affectionately known as "CutLov," Hurbert was a contemporary, who earned his respect on the rough surface of the "Grove."

It may seem superficial to base one's perception of another's life on the game of basketball, but back in the day, basketball was all George Washington Carver High School had. There were no parks or community centers in south Memphis. The only court available was a vacant lot surrounded by black walnut trees. This once fruitful garden plot nourished bodies before basketball came to Riverside; then, it nurtured dreams. Teaching oneself to dribble a basketball on concrete or hardwood is a formidable task, but, in the Grove after two weeks without rain, the court was like the "dust bowl." Its surface was grooved with rows and holes that had to be skillfully dribbled around while avoiding defenders and the tree branches to sink a shot. A play maker, CutLov got very good. A man driven by a work ethic fueled by the desire to get his family out of poverty is capable of amazing achievements. Basketball seemed the only realistic avenue available to achieve his goal. Unfortunately, winning a state championship did not interest large colleges in a young black man with Hurbert's background. White kid's Hurbert and his Cobras beat in the first round had lots of choices. But for the champion, junior college offered the only door.

A lack of choices can crush anyone's spirit. Faced with what many young black men feel is their responsibility and lacking the ability to change things, one is forced to accept life's empty promises. Such a reality can reduce a man to fragments, grinded down by the friction produced from rubbing what is hoped against what is. Life's dreary monotonous labor or routine existence is so harshly cranked out daily for black men., who are then polished off with exotic excuses of self blame that many end unfulfilled, unrewarded, and haunted by the thought, "You just were not good enough."

We gather to honor Cut our friend, and to say "Your life mattered. You gave us a reason to stand tall and be proud. You made us better than we otherwise would have been had you not lived." On Saturday, June 20, 1998, we will lay to rest old Number 22 Hurbert "CutLov" McNeail, the pride of Walnut Grove, and the best Riverside ever produced. He got himself in position. He got the shot off before the buzzer. He never gave up. The clock just ran out on him with the home team down by one. The only question is, will it drop?

Only we can answer that question. If we can turn what he began into a lasting triumph, we will reflect his winning spirit. Intuit Creative Ideas Manifested, Inc. (ICIM) is pledging its support toward a scholarship fund in Hubert "CutLov" McNeail's name. This scholarship will be awarded to a Carver High student, unless a more deserving student is found. The recipient must reflect Hurbert's background. A student with talent, a serious work ethic, but prospects for higher education are extremely doubtful. Through this effort, Hurbert can remain at the point making plays, and lead us into the twenty-first century. We may not be able to put him in the history books, but we will at least let the world know he lived!

A Cobra

George Washington Carver High (Class of '62)

Disgruntled wants to know: Why is it that the only time some black families believe in getting together is at a funeral?

Disgruntled says: "Catch me if you can, I'm the gingerbread man," is what the people get from most politicians.

Bat Cave Comments from the Dark Knight

Say yes to grandma, my teacher. And, learn to figure things out.

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

A Final Adieu, My Brother

by Dot Smith

We do not come to stay.

Life is brief.

Death is a given.

In that short period between birth

And that final breath,

We live.

Making the most of what we got,

We struggle to make this short sojourn count

We cannot be born

And expect to remain as we are today

No........Nothing is forever

A lifetime is brief

Make the most of each moment.

A wise admonition

Then, we can put off the grief

And regret for things left undone.

We are all born to manifest something.

Life is a struggle to discover

The meaning of our presence,

Fulfilling a life's promise and purpose

Bringing love, hope and charity to someone.

So, at life's end

We can gently whisper adieu.

And shout in celebration of a life

Not simply to weep

Or view a lifeless heap.

We come to say so long my brother,

My friend.

We wish you a peaceful journey

And an abiding sleep

Until we meet again.

To Hurbert "CutLov" McNeail

Remember

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Funny...

How we tend to forget

To remind ourselves

Of those we love so dearly,

But are not near.

Busily...

We hurry through this world,

To unknown destinies;

Self involved and absorbed,

In our own personal realities.

Innocence displaces mortality,

Leaving those distant barriers

Of our heart

Cast in permanent fixtures

Containing eternal souls.

But as seconds,

We pass.

And, in that interval

when the conscious forgets

to bring to mind,

these precious grains slip through fingers,

to be never more.

Mailbox: E-Mail, Letters, Faxes and Calls

In response to last week's issue of The DISH, several local churches and radio stations requested their fax numbers be removed from The DISH. The editorial staff views this as a direct hit on the mentalities at play in America today. A hit dog will surely holler as Mount Vernon Baptist Church wrote: "Please remove us from the fax list. We do not care to receive the "DISH." Your language is offensive." Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church's office manager Patty LaGree faxed a legally worded request replete with threats. The churches have been receiving The DISH for months. From a fax machine identified as Harris Floor Covering, WABE/WPBA at (404) 827-8956 requested removal from the DISH fax list. These requests, as all requests, were graciously honored. We know the truth hurts!

"Two long ago experiences soured me on beauty parlors. One involved a pressing comb and the other a no-lye relaxer. In both instances, the beautiful hair regimen left my naturally curly locks lifeless and limp. More important, my charred scalp ached for days after the treatment. I applaud The DISH's courage in raising this issue. It's way past time black folks took a look at what they are doing to themselves. Thank you" - Gwendolyn Jackson - Atlanta

DISH-ing it up Hot!

What's That Smell Making the Hood So Funky?

by Dot Smith

What's that smell making the hood so funky? Well it ain't mama's down home cooking! Having grown up in a south Memphis, Tennessee neighborhood that sat in the shadow of an oil refinery, I speak from personal experience when I say it is more than likely some industry's pollution practices fouling up the air. Industrial processes that pollute the air pose health risks, destroy property values and impede economic growth and development. In the case of south Memphis, at any time, day or night, the Delta oil refinery emits plumes of smoke from its stacks and burn-off valves. Its stench covers the surrounding area in a haze of pure funk, choking the residents and stifling all hope of growth and development.

Though it is designated a federal Empowerment Zone eligible for and receiving funding, the Riverside neighborhood remains in a state of depression, plagued with abject poverty and chronic unemployment. Who wants to do business, reside, work and play where it stinks to high heavens most days? This is a question residents of my current neighborhood must seriously ponder. If we allow it, South DeKalb County, Georgia could easily suffer a similar fate.

When my family moved to South DeKalb County in 1983, there was no obvious air quality problem. We breathed a little easier. Unfortunately, with increasing frequency of late, a foul stench covers my community. If second hand smoking poses a health hazard, then the residents in my neighborhood and those in Ellenwood closer to the source of this air pollution are in eminent danger. Not only does this odor pose a potential health risk, it will surely stifle future economic growth and development. No one wants to live in a funky neighborhood.

The DISH called the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to find out what is responsible for the odor and request their assistance and advice on dealing with this quality of life issue. Calling EPA's general information number yielded an operator who kindly recommended talking with the Waste Management Division. Waste Management suggested we call the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; they recommended we call Air Protection at a number that has been changed. The new number is (404) 363-3677. After three (3) unsuccessful attempts on Friday, The DISH decided to enlist the aid of our local elected representatives.

State Senator Nadine Thomas (D- 10) identified the odor source as a landfill on Moreland Avenue. There have been complaints about the stench. According to Sen. Thomas, a district meeting is being planned for July to discuss this issue. There is no firm meeting date and time, but according to Sen. Thomas the meeting should be held sometime before the July primary and the public will be notified. At this meeting, the public will be asked to offer recommendations for eliminating and/or diminishing the odor.

State Representative George Maddox (D-72) was surprised to learn the odor now reaches the Gresham Park Community. He indicated that about eighteen months ago someone in Ellenwood called to complain about the landfill, and he went over there. While he visited the garbage dump, little action has been forthcoming in resolving this health problem. Rep. Maddox promised to work with the community and The DISH on raising community awareness and identifying ways to rectify what is a growing problem.

In the following weeks, The DISH will report on actions taken in resolving this important quality of life issue. Funky Hood More Hot DISHes

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Volume 1 Issue 22

A Lot of Lott!!!!

By John B. Smith

Words have real meaning even when they are names. For instance, the lot was where mules were corralled when I was a boy sharecropping with my grandfather on a Quitman County, Mississippi farm. Moving to Memphis, a vacant one was the local playground, picnic area, base, basket, and football field. In the gully-washed alley where we lived, the lot was a very important word. Like a movie studio, our residence was the back lot of an Illinois Central Railroad switching yard. Everyone believed that was the way such things were decided; it was our lot. Like justice in Salem's Lot, any time lots of black people lived in one place, lots are subdivided so that many people live on few lots. This word finds many applications in conversations, and its mention evokes lots of images.

The classic conjure is Lot's fleeing family heeding God's admonition. Although emotionally tied to Sodom, Lot accepted God's will. Lots of Lotts later, he is back in Sodom and facing the same dilemma. Conversely, it is not Lot's wife's backsliding fidelity, but Lott himself who remains tied to the good life of Sodom. Lott aggregated lots of Ku Klux Klansmen and Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy to put Lott on top in politics. True to form, Lott cast every ballot against lots of Black people. Lott gained control of the U S Senate. Majority Lott garnered more lots using smoke and mirrors to keep lots of money flowing into Lott's pockets. Rather than heed the gospel of contrition and atonement, Lott is conspiring with lots of others determined to lessen the lot of America's children. Lott's arm twisting for tobacco blocks money for prevention to improve America's lot. Lott's lot feels helping kids is too tough a lot for their lot. Now that's a lot of Lott!!!

DISH-ing it up Hot!

Is Black Still Beautiful?

By Dot Smith

Several events and some Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) news articles got me to thinking about the sixties, conditioned subordinate psychology (CSP), and the importance of a healthy self-concept. Leonard Pitts' editorial "In Our Hearts, the Underdog Always Wins"(6/4/98) and Diane Roberts' "Why We Won't Let Dixie Die" (5/31/98) evoked thoughts of an issue missing in the dialogue on race. In the discourse to date, there is no discussion of the mind-sets that made slavery an American institution.

Identified by philosopher, poet, and author Yohannes Sharriff Smith in T.H.I.N.C.: (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness) The Chrysalis of Evolution, these mind-sets or frames of reference influence decisions that make racism a reality. CSP is the underdog or slave mind-set; its counterpart is the slave owner's mind-set or linear secularism (LiSe). An honest dialogue entails examining these mind-sets to discern their many nuances and expose the insidious roles they play in contemporary American society.

Back in the day, i.e., the 1960's, African Americans, Negroes and colored people believed black to be beautiful; they were black and proud. Displaying pride and self-respect, black Americans not only raised clinched fists to symbolize black power, but chanted "Say it loud! I'm black and I'm proud!" More significant, they no longer emasculated themselves in vain attempts to imitate whites. Blacks ceased using costly and dangerous chemicals and gadgets to render themselves less black as the rite of passage to gaining acceptance and achieving integration.

Images from the sixties came to mind on a visit to the Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) and a stop at Quik Trip. At DFACS's office, which was filled with colored people, the African Americans wore masquerades. All the ladies' locks were pressed, processed, dyed, cut very short and/or covered by either a wig or a scarf. They seemed to be hiding and/or otherwise disguising the curls and kinks that make them distinctly African. Rather than pride, these ladies seemed ashamed of their hair and heritage. Black pride has taken a backseat to a liveable wage. To matriculate into a minimum wage, blacks spend billions annually to become more acceptable to whites and/or mimic a white beauty image. Blacks patronize salons like those on Candler Road in south DeKalb County in numbers sufficient to support twenty-three (23) prosperous beauty business along a two-mile stretch from Kelly Lake to Alston. Some DFACS applicants probably patronize these shops. How do they square seeking food stamps and public assistance while spending scarce resources on exotic hairdos? "Blacks are creative people," one DFACS applicant explained. "Besides, if you want to get a job, you can't show up at an interview with a natural!"

Her reference to the Afro, popular black hairstyle worn during the sixties, reminded me of the QT incident. At the busy gas-convenience store, a man in work clothes ridiculed a colored woman's hairdo; he saw it as ugly and downright funny. To tell the truth, so did I. Regardless, I resented him, a white man, making a funny at a sister's expense. Between his contagious chuckles and vivid description of the hairdo to his companion, I grew ill. Times are dangerous; these guys looked barbaric, unconcerned with political correctness. I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to curse them out; I pretended to ignore their conversation, choking on laughter when the blond, a red neck, if I ever saw one, described the hairdo. "It wuz real short, shaved close to the head. And, it wuz the color of a new plank of pressed plywood. I swear! I ain't never seen nothin' so ugly in all my life!" It is obvious the man was not from south DeKalb County.

Moments later, the black-trying-to-be-white beauty emerged from the store to a hail of laughter. Quik Trip is a busy place with lots of people coming and going; she never knew the men were laughing at her. I never spoke, so she did not realize she was the joke. Beyond avoiding a close encounter with trailer park trash, it is difficult to defend an ugly hairdo. The best thing I could have done was advise the sister to sue the beautician, and examine her self-concept; it could not be healthy.

The need for a healthy concept brings us to Mr. Pitts and underdogs. While he may not realize it, Pitts is an underdog. As such, he subconsciously roots for the guys Jordan routinely whips. Pitts' underdog sentimental dribble contradicts American history. It does not square with slavery, Manifest Destiny and the slaughter of the Indians. Americans, especially whites, dote on winners and play to win at any and all costs. Pitts' oversimplification missed the reason some do not buy into the Jordan hype.

Jordan's popularity waned when he became the Nike man, selling questionable products, like hotdogs and sneakers. For some former fans, it is apparent Jordan will put his name on anything, and sell it to our children. He is not to be trusted. Jordan may be valued at ten billion in paper money, but he is not worth a nickel of respect among mothers. Moreover, those who truly understand realize Jordan is a CSP victim.

Roberts' piece on Civil War re-enactments missed the real reason whites won't let Dixie and all it represents die, including white supremacy. It reinforces their beliefs and a heritage they don't want to relinquish; this is linear secularism. It is part and parcel of their self-concept and frame of reference, i.e., they are better than everyone else. Linear secularism allowed whites to establish and maintain a socioeconomic system based on slavery. This mind-set was never abolished; its institutions thrive.

Within the framework of this racist system, blacks learned to survive. In their desperate efforts to do so, blacks sacrificed pride, becoming their own worst enemy, more often than not siding with the master in maintaining the status quo. CSP shapes the choices made by its victims. In the marketplace for goods and services, everything from essentials to entertainment is influenced by CSP. Combined with linear secularism, these mind-sets determine what is available from clothing to the chemicals used in constructing creative and exotic hairdos. For good or ill, these mind-sets impact black development and the entire American economy.

CSP is a negative self-concept, an inferiority complex; it dictates what blacks routinely accept without challenge. A poignant example is the Atlanta school board debacle. The city's colored mayor and parents are allowing the Board to enforce an arbitrary and unique rule that prevents students who failed the high school graduation test from marching in the ceremony. These "parents" are allowing a Board controlled by colored people to destroy these kids' first opportunity to cultivate a healthy self-concept. This is a travesty!

In the sixties, blacks backed by the NAACP, SCLC, the ACLU, a little spine and an ounce of self-respect would have gone to court and legally challenged this injustice. Today, Atlanta's educated colored people do nothing--pretending this mockery somehow helps children succeed. In reality, they've just swallowed one more dumb idea that hurts our children! What message does this send the children? How much pride can colored people swallow before choking on their guts? It makes one wonder: Where in the world have all the beautiful blacks gone? More Hot DISHes

Coming soon! Bat Cave Comments

Disgruntled wants to know: What is the purpose for having regulatory agencies since when you contact one about a problem they should handle, they simply refer you to another body that refers you to another body and so on? Where is the real body that handles complaints, and regulates businesses?

Disgruntled says: It is not necessary to hair weave it to achieve it!

Intuit 's Weekly Vibes

Partly Clouded

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

It sounds like rain again.

Damn...kind of sad. I had hoped to go out today.

Funny...(Man...the best laid plans)

Oh well,...hell fuck it!

But, it has been such a long while since I last saw the world.

The scarred fool playing the healing hermit,

submerged in layers of self, reflecting and analyzing of health.

The healing patient spring cleaning...

Removing cob webs...discarding the obsolete...

No longer a little boy so afraid.

Recovering slave standing on what's to come,

because the Invisible Man knows his past.

Even washed the mirror, and it's getting a li'l clearer.

Found some things I thought were lost forever.

Perched at the door, I am viewing through the looking glass.

A wise sage sipping tea, and watching water wash the world.

My rippling thoughts, like my cup, runneth over.

I wonder the why's, and to my surprise,

I look past the cold to see that all is beautiful.

Imagine, my mind actually comprehending how this is possible.

I can't wait until tomorrow; the forecast says partly clouded.

Best in Show

by John B. Smith

The Electronic Entertainment Expo held in Atlanta May 28^th brought together the powerhouses of the computer and video game industry. DISH covered the Expo from the viewpoint of a parent who knows next to nothing about games, what they do, how to operate them, why kids play them, and what if any harm they may cause? As a parent, when my children became interested in video games, I experienced the same apprehension most parents feel today. Unfortunately, such apprehension does not decrease with age for the beginner parent. We all ask the same questions: "Will these games help or hurt my child? Where do I start? And, which games are good ones?" DISH will not answer every question about video games, but for the parents who have decided to venture beyond apprehension to action, this series of articles provides a start. After that, you will be like the rest of us-- on your own.

For beginners, parent and child, IBM. offers an intriguing group of learning tools. World Book, Crayola and Edmark provide learning experiences for all ages. Edmark has KidDesk which establishes prescribed access to the Internet and blocks everything else. The parent and child can decide on programs. Edmark's Learning series start at age two up to age 13. These are not games but are developed with the idea, "like games, learning is fun."

Houghton Mifflin interactive developed an awesome animated Monster Maker Math CD-ROM which "Makes Math So Much Fun It's Scary!" This tool features thousands of problems, covering math curriculums for ages 1-6. Houghton Mifflin's School Division, a recognized leader in math curriculum development, taps a range of critical math skills including problem solving, logical reasoning, estimation and solution strategies. HMI combines the fun and creativity of building monsters out of monster parts while learning math skills.

Reviewing Tiger Electronics, Ltd. begins a look at true video games which reduces concerns about what other than games will my child be exposed, because these systems are portable, self-contained units which allows the user to take all their favorite carts with them. The new game.com.pocketpro packs all the games-playing, Web-Linking, Intemet-accessing capabilities in a significantly smaller unit. Tiger markets stand alone animatronic pets such as Furby, Giga Pet, Giga Pet Plus and fighters. Games cost between $14.99 -$34.99 for "You Don't Know Jack."

Nintendo reigns as video games leader. With the introduction of Game Boy, it remains a favorite of kids of all ages. At the 3E show, Nintendo unveiled its new FUNtography Camera with Nintendo's Game Boy Printer (MSRP $49.95 and $59.95). The big news for Game Boyers is the Pok'e Mon series opening with Catch'en If You Can, and the walking companion Pok'emon Pikachu. With eight million units sold, Game Boy's Pok'emon is the darling of the industry.

This is by no means an exhaustive review. DISH will in a series of articles present information to parents about products it believes beneficial in their search for positive tools and fun games for their children. One of the bright hopes for the future was introduced at the 3E show. Education in the 21^st century will have to compete with the fast paced, high stimulus, instant feedback, and increasing levels of difficulty provided by video games, as well as, maintain a high level of interest on the part of students. Panasonic's new system possesses many of these capabilities and will be portable. For innovative technology and imaginative programing, DISH awards Panasonic's DVD-3D animation "Best in Show." A real advance in technology, it is practically interactive. The imaging is so clear and 3D affects so real one wants to reach out and touch objects. It is an experience the young will enjoy. Although not virtual reality, real as life for a child takes on many dimensions. Consequently, learning can take place in ways never before imagined. This system is where the industry is headed, Panasonic is already there.

Atlanta's Vibe

On Wednesday, April 28, 1999, a group of twelve artists will come together to present "You're Tripping." "You're Tripping" is a spoken word play built around the artistic contributions of the production's performers. Atlanta Vibe poet and author Yohannes Sharriff Smith makes his acting debut in this showcase of local talent. "You're Tripping" is also a first time effort as producer/director for the multi-talented Earl "We-One" Strozier.

Catch "You're Tripping" at the Clark-Atlanta University Center on Fair Street in the AU Complex on Wednesday, April 28th. Doors open at 6:00 PM. There is a nominal cover charge of $5.00. Don't miss this unique experience. For additional information, contact We-One at 404-527-9132.

Phantom Scribbler

The April 20, 1999 student attack at Columbine High School in a suburb outside Denver, CO, elicited the same comments and raised the same questions as all the other school shootings that have erupted in the past eighteen months. In shock, parents of the perpetrators and victims, teachers and leaders declare, "This is not the city; things like this just don't happen here." None of the deadly teens have been poor or of a racial minority, so this rash of mass destruction is totally unexpected, even though it keeps happening.

Where are these upper middle class children getting their anger and the weapons to carry out acts of terrorism? The obvious answer is at home, where they are taught to be hateful hypocrites; it is also where they get the wherewithal to exercise their hatred with extreme prejudice.

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