Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 August 1997 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2,1997

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EDITORIALS

We continue to lose our children

Politicians in the United States are pushing hard for laws which would allow children to be tried as adults, even though there is no evidence to support that this will reduce crime. Many individuals feel children being convicted in adult court or sentenced to adult prison is an effective way to reduce crime. How can exposing these young offenders to the more hardened criminals in the adult justice system be effective? How can exposing these young offenders, who will not be equipped with the necessary educational tools and lack of psychological treatment be effective for these children? These variables not only jeopardize young offenders but increase the likelihood they will commit crimes again. Studies show that those tried as adults commit new crimes sooner after their release from prison and commit more serious and violent crimes, than those tried as juveniles. This fall, the U.S. Senate will vote on a bill, S. 10, which would mean more children than ever will be thrown into adult jails and prisons. The House already has passed an equally harsh companion bill, H. R. 3. We must act now to ensure that our children are not trampled in the political rush for harsher punishments against young offenders. Indianapolis get involved! Call your senators when they are home the month of August to support crucial changes to S.10. The facts are S. 10 would subject more children to the cruelty of adult jails and prisons; S. 10 would treat runaways and truants like criminals rather than children in need, S.10 would squander scarce federal resources by failing to set aside investments in prevention of youth violence and S. 10 would not take meaningful action to reduce children's access to guns. Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund, which coordinates the Black Community Crusade for Children, urges individuals to tell Congress children who are arrested should be housed in juvenile facilities, or at least separated from adults by sight and sound. Tell Congress children who run away or skip school do not belong in jails and prisons, especially not for an indefinite, or lengthy period of time. Tell Congress that significant funds must be set aside for prevention because prevention works to reduce youth violence, as studies of mentoring and after-school programs demonstrates and the experience of many law enforcement officers bears out. “Let’s not allow children to be tried in adult courts and thrown into adult prisons where they will only learn to be better criminals. Instead, let’s invest in intervention and prevention on the front end, and do something to stop the flow of guns into our children’s communities and homes,” Wright Edelman said. ’’And if our children are unfortunate enough to land in court, let’s ensure that they get the kind of education and psychological treatment that will help them lead productive lives.”

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WiU Witty T. Ribbs return to the 500?

With a tinge of anger and bitterness in his voice, singer/entertainer Pat Boone publicly challenged America’s major companies to get behind Willy T. Ribbs’ effort to return to Indy Car racing. During a press conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week, Boone says he’s spearheading efforts to bring Ribbs, the only African-American to qualify and run in the Indianapolis S00 in 1991 and 1992, back to Indy Cars and the Speedway. Ribbs hasn ’t raced competitively since 1994 because no major motor racing sponsor, or any company for that matter, is willing to sponsor his racing efforts. Pat Boone now takes over from Bill Cosby the fight to get Willy T. Ribbs back on the race track. Boone’s efforts spring from his Christian and optimism. During his career, Boone fought racism and bigotry. In the late 1950’s, he exposed African-American performers on his television show, when it was considered socially unacceptable to do so. I’m pleased Tony George and his Indy Racing League wants Willy T. Ribbs back in racing. In IRL’s battle with CART, the addition of Ribbs (the only Black Indy car racer) along with Lyn St. James (the only woman) demonstrates IRL’s commitment to access and diversity. But, first Ribbs has to get a sponsor. And that’s a major hurdle. Major corporations do sponsor African-American athletes, but only in sports they think we play. Corporations pay big bucks to sponsor African-American basketball players from the courtly Grant Hill to the out-

rageous Dennis Rodman to women hoopsters. Black baseball players, and to a limited extent track and field athletes, get sponsorship; but AfricanAmericans in sports considered nontraditional for Blacks (hockey, swimming, tennis and motor racing) go begging for sponsor dollars. Like Jackie Robinson and Tiger Woods, Willy T. Ribbs is a pioneer and barrier breaker. His racing regularly on the Indy Carcircuit will bring interest and viewers to motor racing and generate bucks for some sponsors. Let’s hope Pat Boone and his traditional white-buck shoes can kick down the doors of institutional racism and get Willy T. Ribbs the backing and sponsorship he richly deserves. Heard in the Street Keep your protest calls and letters concerning the demotion of Tina Cosby coming to: President/General Manager John Dawson WISH-TV; 1950 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, 46202. Phone (317) 923-8888 Fax (317)926-1144. A correction. At four reporters (Cosby, Chapman, Tony Perkins and Leon Collins) Channel 8 has as many Black reporters as Channel 6 who has added Theresa Joyce (formerly at Channel 13) to its veteran Black reporting crew of Derrick Thomas, Stacia

Matthews and Grace Trahan. But, they both have less than Channel 13 who has five Black reporter/ anchors. Some final words about Black Expo. White media coverage was decent this year, with kudos for the coverage and stories in the StarNews and week long coverage on Channels 13 and 59. WGGR/Touch 106.7FM and WHHH/Hoosier 96.3 were winners in the Spring Aibitron Radio Ratings, while WTLC-AM lost ground. WGGR’s audience rose 37 percent to 50,300 during the 12 week March through June ratings survey. Three out of 10 people in our Black community now regularly listen to WGGR! The Tom Joyner Morning Show increased 52 percent, making it highly likely that WGGR will renew Joyner’s contract. WHHH and WGGR now reach 57 percent of Black radio listeners. Aibitron reports The Noon Show has lost 75 percent of its listeners since I left the program three years ago! During the same period Operation Breadbasket lost 80 percent of its listeners! And since last Spring, Concerned Clergy’s Town Hall Meeting listenership has fallen 68 percent! See ‘ya next week! Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily thost of The Indianapolis Recorder. You can contact him at (317) 293-9600 or e-mail him at [email protected].

African American History Comes Alive

Too often in the past the history of African-Americans has been lost or hidden. Too often our history has been told by others. Too little of our histoiy is known by others, resulting in the mistaken conclusion African Americans have made few contributions to the life of this nation. As you plan your summer vacations, one place you might want to include on your itinerary is the Detroit Museum of African American History. The $39 million museum is the largest of its kind in the nation and is a great place for children and adults to learn about inventions and discoveries by Black Americans and civil rights strugglesover the centuries, as well as about African-American soldiers and business owners. A powerful part of the museum is the simulated slave ship which shows the wretched conditions of the Middle Passage which brought our ancestors to these shores and which millions did not survive. Detroit teens posed for the plaster casts. The names of the 2,000slave ships which carried some 20 m il 1 ion men and women are imprinted on the beams over your head. The Museum is organized around eight areas of African American life: the African Memory, The Crime (Slave Trading, Survival of the spirit. The Imperfect Union, Freedom and Betrayal; Urban Struggle, urban Splendor; The Struggle for Empowerment and Becoming die Future. Sometimes it uses clothing to tell the story. For instance, the

uniform of Pullman porters, one of the first Black unions, is exhibited as is the dress of a member of the Little Rock Nine, the group of students who integrated schools in that city in 1957. The gear of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first AfricanAmerican woman astronaut, is there. Sometimes the museum uses

videos to tell the story. Speeches from well-known AfricanAmerican leaders can be seen and heard, as can recent footage from the Million Man March. Another video shows poet Maya Angelou reading her inaugural poem for President Clinton. While the federal government has spent a decade or so talking about building a national museum on African American history, Detroit actually built one. The museum grew out of the collection of Detroit physician. Dr. Charles Wright, who began displaying African and African American artifacts in his home in the 1960’s. Black scholars and collectors from across the country were asked to contribute to the new museum after

the city of Detroit committed itself to building the 120,000 square foot museum. So see the Museum of African American History in Detroit. And then tell your friends and neighbors what you learned. It’s a part of all of our history. It prepares us for the future.We have here a great opportunity to say to Geronimo Pratt and other members of the Black Panther Party, to other victims of misconduct that are still alive from that period of government sponsored police abuse, that yes we were wrong. And while we cannot repay all of the activist who fell victim to our conduct, we can symbolically repay them through our compensation of Pratt.