Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 January 1986 — Page 7
1
editorials and Opinions
“Power concedes ndlhing without a demand - it never did and it never wilt. Find out just what people will submit to and you've found ot the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them. This will
continue until they resist, either with words or blows or both, tiie limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance ofthose whom they oppress. * ’ -Frederick Douglass
The four boundaries of life (The south border)
Did Christ teach racism? Aiding black colleges
Greetings and the richest showers of blessirig for this, the New Year of
1986!
The ladiaaapolis Star, Jaa. 4, 1986, published an article on a Nazarene Missionary, the Rev. George Hayse, who has lived in South Africa for 38 years. The article stated, “After a successful missionary career that included building 36 churches for blacks, 37 homes for ministers, a hospital and 23 other buildings in South Africa, the minister returned to America. “He defended the politics of South African President P.W. Botha as- being the hope of the nation and said when the first whites arrived there (South Africa) in 1632, they were not displacing blacks. ‘Historically, South Africa was not olrignally a black nation, but rather a vacuum containing only a few primitive tribes.’” This quoted material is excepted for this week’s
“thought.
Here's a thought By Row. Donald Carpenter
hopelessness, blacks accepted this anemic, heaven-oriented theology, still rampant in the black church today.
The Higher Education Act expires this year and Congress is in the process of rewriting it. Of special importance to black Americans is the fate of what has become known as Title III—the part of the Act that prdvides assistance to developing
institutions.
When the program was inaugurated back in the mid-1960s, “developing institutions” was. understood to mean the historically black colleges, which had been victimized by past discrimination in federal and state funding. They are unique among higher educational institutions in that they serve primarily low income students, the vast majority of whom are the first in their families to attend college. It is clearly in the na-
To be equal By John Jacob
The long hard journey is over. For forty years “they wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soiil fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their troubles, and He delivered them out of their distress. And He led them forth that they might go to a city of habitation.” The long hard journey is over and now “on Jordan’s stormy banks they stand casting a watchful eye,” as their great leader Moses points out and describes the geographical location and boundaries of Canaan, the promised land, to the congrega-
tion of Israel.
As I read in the thirty fourth (34th) Chapter of the Book of Numbers, the boundaries of this land of promise, I was reminded that this life in which we live is not boundless, for it has boundaries also. For the next four weeks in this new year, let us examine these boundaries of Canaan and see what suggestions they can make to us for the boundries of our lives. Then said Moses unto them, “The southern boundary will begin at the Dead Sea, and will continue south past Scorpion Pass in the
t
(No. 34., Living
The boundary of Israel on the south was desert country, beyond
federal funds.
The severe underfunding of education in recent years has in-
On the other hand, there was also
a theology of refusal: a theology The missionary-clergyman is to be that refused to accept that God was commended for the success of his just another word for the status ministry in South Africa; however, quo; a theology that understood
tional interest to assist those schools creased thc nccd for direct student which stretched Arabia and Egypt, to strengthen their management ajd t0 enab , e disadvantaged young When Moses was preparing the peoacademic programs, and , e t0 attend coI1 and for the pie for the corssing of the Jordan endowments. institutional aid that anables schools a " d th . e cont l u l est of * he * and th ™ Like many federal programs t o serve them better inheritance, he said of what lay originally jntended to serve the This js cialIy important for ^hind them far to the south, “Ye black disadvantaged Title III has the historically black colleges and shall return this way nomore.” been broadened to the point where universUies whose stude nts com- . Th,s was the desert countr y where
there arises some questions related that the God of the Bible is a God the original beneficiaries have been ise a thjrd of aI , bIacks attendinK they had fled from the armies of the . . t V.:_ . • J a. _ aaf*#n oat^aaaaaa^laa^l saaa# “ ® Dla<ala Tlaa*, aa.*a«. * L. ^ a
to the interview and comments who takes sides with the oppressed, made before the Carmel Rotary and whp calls persons to participate Club. in the struggle of liberation and ' t To have constructed 36 black justice in this world. This theology churches does not indicate that the of refusal has been the theology of minister understands the black ex- great black leaders: Denmark perience, apart from a white or non- Vesey, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. black perspective. DuBois, Dr. M.L. King Jr., and
The black church in South Africa others, has not yet succeeded in attaining
for itself an authentic identity. In This is only the first point of conmany cases white control is still a sideration from the minister of 38 reality, and that makes it difficult years as a missionary in South
crowaded.out.
When Title III was first instituted, historically black colleges received 60 percent of its funds. But
four-year schools and confer 40 per- phar °ah- This was the desert councentofal! bachelor’s degrees. * ry wh « re the ma " na rained down That’s why Representative Gus - rom . heaven, where honey was
Hawkins and Senator Paul Simon found in ‘he rocks; and yet they
for blacks to identify with the church. By white control, the meaning is not that of administrative control, but rather the white image W lurch, in style, in witness
tinent.
tires that blacks have inherited are geared to the needs of (hose who have no sensitivity whatsoever to the black situation. Jhe black church must identify with the past, present and future of the community that it serves. The black church must become part of that community, so that it may understand the joys, sorrows, and aspirations of thecommunity. For South Africa the struggle is not merely political; it is also moral. The struggle is not merely against an
Africa, who states he can defend P.W. Botha with a boast of the black churches he built. Are the churches Mack outside and nonMack inside? Does he understand the Mack experience, after 38 years? More next week and this year.
Think!
now they are down to only about a h SDOns ored the Institutional Aid murmured and complained, and in S*. W i h „ , r- , i i ^ S l/i! Act! S wol create a spedal ^U^n^EgJprfmmrth^'Sies
leges, while still providing funds for at t ^ 1e pot j ^crc. Jj' dn 8 a *‘f e °f non-black schools^ oppress.on under the Pharoah. But Their proposal would establish a now 11 ay ^ e ^ in d them; they would 10-year program to improve not return that way no more, facilities, equipment, and instruc- ^ Every J ,fe 5 as i‘s southern bountion at target schools, provide for f! 1 ?" -3 boundary that should be a special endowment aid for the ''v«ng reminder of our wilderness exsmallest and financially weakest, pe , r,en ^ s, ll a remmder of the many and set aside funds for institutions ac s ^ o y comm,t ted by us in our
fund going to other colleges and
universities.
Another problem lies in the limit to the number of years any one institution can receive funds. That kind of automatic cutoff is a mistake, since many institutions face massive problems, get much less of their operating income from tuition than do other schools, and continue to face economic hardship in a difficult climate. Despite tha(, they continue to do an outstanding job of educating disadvantaged young people. They need more help, not automatic in-
It seems to me ^By LuthqrHkks
youth, or moments of emotional immaturity...of the hours of need and trial...of the depths of dispair into which we have often sunk...of the errors of judgement...of the moments of disappointments...of the shattered dreams...of images of one we loved falling down and breaking into a pile of clay of nothingness at our feet. This boundary of our lives (the southern boundary) is meaningful to us only as a reminder of what was or what might have been. We have read many stories of men/women of fame who spoke of their southern borders. David, who cried out in repentance, “restore unto me the joy of thy salvation,” Simon Peter and Augustine and many others whose names are too numerous to mention here. The Apostle Paul summed it up beautifully when he, after his experience on the road to Damascus, looked over the southern border of his life and said, “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press onward.” Have then a southern boundary in your life, dear reader...that part of your life that is never to be lived again...a boundary that limits the past errors, failures, and sins, and area of living where “ye shall return no more.” That’s a good commitment to make for the new year, it seems to me. (NEXT WEEK we shall explore the “West border of Israel and the western boundary of our lives.”)
Start losing weight now
“If only I had lost that weight like I promised myself I would, my figure would be trim just like I
wanted it to be.”
“You just wait. Next year, I’m really going to be serious about my diet. I am going to be extremely
oppressive political and exploitative careful about what I eat.
economic system; it is also a struggle for the authenticity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The struggle is as much against a political philosophy and practice as it is against a
pseudo-religious ideology.
Apartheid and all it stands for is not a system that places its fortunes on the political judgement of a people. It demands, with idolatrous authority, a subservience and obedience in all spheres of life that a
Christian can give only to God.
The black church is dependent on an alien theology. For centuries the black church has been engaged in a struggle to speak truthfully. In this struggle, two theologies were fighting for supremacy within its ntnks. On the one hand, there has been the theology we have inherited from Western Christianity: the theology of accomodation and acquiescence.It engendered an in-
dividualistic,
After Christmas, I’ll start losing weight so that I can be slender for the spring. I know that I said the same thing last year, and the year before that, and the previous year.
But thistimelmea/fit.”
Sounds familiar? Does this sound like anything you have said? What will you say next year at this time? Will it be another empty promise like this year? Or are you really,
really serious this time?
Do you want to be slender and trim by next spring? Want to lose weight before the nice weather returns? And do you want to, finally, keep that promise to give yourself the body you will be proud of? Now is the time to do it—or at least to get started. Actually, it would have been nice to have started
before Thanksgiving.
Many people probably think it’s
k
Coping By Dr. Chariot foulknr
silly to start losing weight now for
otherworldly next spring. Most people want to
spirituality that had no interest in wait until Thanksgiving and the tiie realities of this world except to Christmas holidays pass before they proclaim the existing order as the begin their weight loss “promise” (I God-order. This theology wanted, mean program.) Most people want blacks to accept slavery and, in to gorge themselves with delicious, modern times, their lowly position fattening foods during the holidays, as second-and third-class citizens, and add pounds of unattractive exEither through force of cir- cess weight before beginning to lose
cumstance or through , sheer weight.
Remember last year? You promised yourself you were “going to splurge just one more time” before .the year ended and you were going tb “really” keep your life-long promise to “finally” lose weight. Remember what happened? You gained 20 extra pounds during your “one last splurge of the year?” (The splurge lasted from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.) And you are still trying to lose that extra weight you
gained.
But here you are, making the same promise again. Who are you fooling? Are you serious this time?
yourself, get some exercise (if only reality, walking every day) and stick to it until you weigh what you want to weigh and look the way you want to look. Imagine how your body will look if you continue to stuff yourself through the Christmas holidays and add unsightly flab. Which picture do you like, the trim
one or the fat one?
You can give yourself the figure you want. What a great Christmas
present next year!
What is the first thing that you should do? Make the serious decision to begin your weight loss pro-
serving large numbers of other minorities as well. Total funding would increase, but the current spending levels are shamefully inadequate and even the amounts specified in the HawkinsSimon Bill would barely be a blip in the Pentagon’s daily budget. Assisting the historically black colleges and universities would strengthen American higher education and ensure the survival of the institutions in the front lines of the struggle to educate and train black Americans to take their place in our
economy.
Inflation and tight budgets have severely cut the value of federal aid to those institutions, but their responsibilities have grown. The failure of majority schools to enroll black students and to service their needs makes the historically black institution of higher learning more important than ever before. Congress schold act on that
For the new year: remember to remember
There is something different about this year’s celebration of the new year that in previous years. As usual, there are the social affairs, the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” and the thoughts of paying those dreaded bills that, as always, show how much were over-extended ourselves. Hqwever, this year is different. The vast majority of black people across this nation, more than in recent years, are profoundly aware that their status as citizens is being seriously eroded. To come to grips with the contradictions of being black in America, many unfortunately, will go the traditional route and make New Year’s resolutions that only project toward an unrealistic. Don’t
get me wrong; 1 believe in prayer and I believe in hoping for a beter life. However, if the stuggle for justice and freedom has taught me
Williams disagrees with 'defense' in Davis shooting
2. Could Mr. Davis have shot him
through his coat?
3. Was visibility a problem?
4. Could Patrolman Heckel have
fired a warning shot?
3. Could he have moved out of the line of fire and waited for
Letters To
Editor
1. WoKcaptal“Lotlef«tatiM Editor” «• a spaca avadablo basis and reaorvo the right Ml to publsh Mara oiiar 200 worda.
2. Wo Ml ait
answer these questions: How much weight do you want to lose? How soon do you want to lose it? And are you prepared to make the necessary
sacrifice?
If you want to lose one pound a week, cut your dessert in half. If you want to lose' five pounds each week, the sacrifice is greater, as are the health precautions that you must take. You make the decision and I will give you some tips, next week, that will help you to reach your
goal.
Knight calls for probe
To the Editor: - ^ T I agree with Rate Representative William Crawford and Sam Jones
Wouldn't it make more sense to that a thorough investigation of the start your weight control program Donald Davis police action shooting now? At this very ininute. Not j, necessary. The policeman was tomorrow or next week. But right hidden behind a truck. Why did he now- ‘ ■ shoot to kill instead of just shooting
Imagine how terrific your body Davis'arms or legs?
wiH look when you control the food Tony Knight
(The following is in response to the Dec. 14 column Time for Talk by
William Alexander.)
•**
Dear Mr. Alexander,
1 enjoy reading your column every week. It provides information
orsaiti ariH atirk it Hnn’t hooin tho ^ insi 8 ht - HOWCVCr, I have tO ass j s , ance and then Captured Mr.
gram and stick to it. Don t begin the disagree with your opinion on the r^ av :«
program until you are serious. Then ^1^ act j on shooting of Donald Davis. Ybu felt that it wasn’t an or- j can imagine that the police ofdinary police action. Let us look at f- lcer thought Mr. Davis had a gun in the facts: his coat and he had become tired 1. A young black male was killed; a f ter the chase. When Mr. Davis 2. He was unarmed; 3. The d j so beyed him and didn’t remove policeman was white; 4. Mr. Davis b j s hand from his coat, it must have disobeyed the policeman’s instruc- seemed like an eternity. Then he tion; 5. Mr. Davis’ crime would not f, red that one fatal shot,
have netted him a long jail sentence. ^
Mr. Davis was wrong, but I don’t The Recorder story doesn’t say think that he should have been that Mr. Davis made a sudden move "dead wrong.” It seems like your or approached the officer. It doesn’t typical police action shooting. Fault say that the officer saw the glint of may lie with both Donald Davis wid steel, but only that “Heckel felled the police officer. Another question Davis with a single shot on his left to ask is whether Patrolman Heckel side, police said.” I feel that with could have prevented this shooting different action on both partys’ part and, also, was his life in any real that this could have been prevented,
danger.
It is easy to second guess the Lct us p reV cnt the next one. Here
police officer’s action, but this must is a hint for young black men to be done to prevent another follow when they are stopped by the shooting. Patrolman (Timonthy) police. They should be very polite to Heckel seemed to have warned Mr. the officer and obey his instruction Davis to stand still and to remove to prevent another shooting,
his hand from his coat. When he
didn’t. Patrolman Heckel fired that Perhaps the police department one fatal shot. These questions must needs to review their guidelines in be asked and answered: the use of deadly force! 1. What did Patrolman Heckel Sherman A. Williams
think Mr. Davis hod in Ms coat?
anything over the years, it is that one cannot sufficiently determine the future—or even envision it— without first coming to grips with the lessons of our history in the struggle. Thus, my so-called New Year’s resolution for 1986 is simple this: “I shall remember to remember.” The truth is, one of the greatest problems of black Americans is the problem of amnesia. We not only have forgotten where we’ve come from, but too many of us don’t even want to be reminded of the nature and character of our travail in this land. We have forgotten the lessons of the 1960s, of how important it is to keep the state of our people on our minds as we go about our daily lives. As I reflect back, it becomes clear that our level of consciousness as a people, in terms of the struggle for freedom and justice, was considerably higher in 1966 than it is now, in 1986. Why? Because some of us are just plain ashamed of being created black. We have no true sense of our own worth. No wonder many of our youth today have no sense^of purpose other than the pursuit of happiness—often at the expense of their own people and even of themselves. How can we project a positive future when the use of mind-altering drugs is at an all-time high throughout our community? How can we think about the 21st Century when, during the last quarter of the 20th Century, the black-on-black crime rate, particularly homicide, continues to escalate? The problem of amnesia is not, however, limited to the Mack community. For the federal government, under the leadership of the Reagan Administration, appears to have forgotten the U.S. Constitution and the hard-won lagMatkm of the 1960s. Right now, in MtaMppi.ind , Alabama, the Justice Departaabt is j ft