Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 November 1999 — Page 10

PAGE A10

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5,1999

Opinions We are family By JUNIOUS RICARDO STANTON (NNPA) —"The family in Africa is always extended. You would never refer to your cousin as 'cousin ’ because that would bean insult. So your cousins are your sisters and brothers. Your nieces are your children. Your uncles are your fathers. Your aunts are your mothers. Children are also encouraged to call other people outside the family mothers andfathers, sisters and brothers. ” - Sobonfu Some I watched the Ali A. Marui’s documentary, “The Africans,’* on public television, and I was intrigued when he stated that throughout the continent there is no word for “cousin.” Indigenous African cultures believed in the extended family, age, grade and set social structures. Everybody was viewed as family: mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. As I reflected on my childhood. I realized that part of that tradition has been held over. I had cousins who I was encouraged to call “uncle” or “aunt” so and so. And, we had family friends who I was allowed to call “aunt” or “uncle.” There was a sense of connection and family. Many of us wax nostalgic about the so-called good ol’ days when there was more communal interaction in the neighborhoods. When neighbors could reprimand and chastise us for our own good, and our parents and family expressed gratitude for their taking responsibility to teach, admonish and correct us. These are examples of the African way, extended family, collective responsibility, mutual aid and reciprocity. As we enter a new century we ought to look back on the bridges that got us over, both in this hemisphere and in mother Africa. We know which things work, what extended family means and how it benefits all of us. Yet, we appear unwilling to hold on to those beneficial things that we know work. We have, as Tavis Smiley said in a talk I heard him give in Atlanta, “gone too far, spent too much and stayed too long.” He was referring to our abandoning the very traditions that helped us weather the storms of slavery, oppression, terrorism and white supremacy. We*ve ventured into the alien territory of individualism, social detachment, selfishness and callousness. Africans have always been communal and spiritual people. We have always recognized what the Yoruba call “ashe,” the Bantu call “ngolo” and the Luo- speaking people call “jok,” the divine energy within all humans. Jawanza Kunjufu pointed out that Africans are xenophilious people, which means we are accepting of and comfortable with strangers. When Eurasians and Europeans went into Africa they were welcomed. For Africans throughout the continent, the extended community was the focal point of their existence. While the focus on the group’s collective emotional and economic needs may have stifled w^t spipe may qaU material progress, it’s interesting to note that there was no homelessness, abandonment-,unattached, unprotected or unsupported widows or orphans. The extended family was the root and source of strength for the village, tribe and nation. Not only were there no orphans, but there were also no jails or prisons. Social deviancy was dealt with outright by the elders, the community and if need be the secret societies. We need to look at how this system can be replicated and restored throughout the Diaspora. I am well aware that in America the nuclear family is under relentless assault by socio-economic forces we don’t control. Urbanization, separation, working parents, divorce, racial and economic constraints and an increase in social isolation have had a debilitating impact on the African-American family. Yet, we have the potential to regroup and get it together. We can choose to be a family/community again. We don’t have to relegate family to just blood relatives. Our tradition is one of inclusiveness, adaptation and adoption. We can form close-knit extended social groups. We already are god parents for our friends’ children, they call us aunt and uncle. Let’s just widen ourcircle a bit and take in more. Let’s be more inclusive. Let’s look out for our eldlrs whether they are relatives or not. That is what got us over when there was no DHS, DYFS, DPW, foster care or nursing homes. We took in kids whose parents were unable to care for them due to separation, death, illness or misfortune. If we did it then with less money we can surely do it now. We are family. You may contact Junious Stanton at e-mail address: JRS writer© aol .com.

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Now that history’s been made, there’s work to be done m

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It’s done! History has been made! From this day forward, our African-American community can no longer use UniGov as an excuse. Blacks, Hispanics and whites came together and smashed the old political order. Together we made Bart Peterson the first Democratic mayor under UniGov. Lonnell “King Ro” Conley and Ron Gibson became the first African-Ameri-cans elected to county wide office in Indianapolis history. And Karen Horseman became the first Hispanic elected in Indianapolis history. Conley, Gibson, Horseman and Joanne Sanders are the first Democrats elected to the four AtLarge seats on the City-County

Council.

Tuesday, African-Americans throughout this city-county quietly went to the polls in record numbers and took care of business - repudiating eight years of Goldsmithism. Now that the voters have spoken, it’s time to heal one of the major open wounds in this city - the Michael Taylor case. Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court unanimously refused to hear the city’s appeal of the Michael Taylor civil case. That means barring an unlikely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, $2.6 million worth of justice is to be paid to Taylor’s family for the city’s negligence in his wrongful death. In their most blatant affront to our African-American community, the minions of lame duck Mayor Steve Goldsmith refused to have him or any other Goldsmith administration member comment to Black media on the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the Taylor case appeal. Mayor Goldsmith will never give the Taylor family the justice they are due. So, it’s up to our new mayor to get this case settled. Im terviewed on our Channel S3 show

back in April, our new mayor told me that they wanted this case settled. Our new mayor must immediately assign a transition team committee to find the money to pay the Michael Taylor judgment! What I’m Hearing in the Streets In the waning days of the campaign, the Marion County Republican Party, with the acquiescence of Mike McDaniel and the state GOP, used race baiting, racial code words and fear of Black folks in theirefforts to get votes forGilroy. During GOP meetings and conference calls, leading county Republicans, including Mayor Goldsmith. Gilroy and Sheriff Jack Cottey are reported by the Star and others to have said, “if Peterson wins, Julia Carson. Bill Crawford and Glenn Howard will run the city.” They never mentioned the names of white Democratic officials and leaders, only Black ones. That’s race baiting, folks! Many of you got that mailer with Sheriff Cottey’s photo on it that said, “If Peterson hires more IPD officers, my experience tells me that the criminal element will go into your neighborhood." Cottey’s people denied the mailer and accompanying radio ad was racially motivated. But it was only mailed to those living in predominantly white neighborhoods. Even though 25 percent of this city's Black population lives in township neighborhoods. Cottey and the Republicans refused to

run the ads on the city ! s Blackoriented stations, just the white ones. The county GOP’s race baiting tactics were no different than what Jim Crow Southern politicians did when they'd campaign saying how they’d keep Blacks in their place. The Republicans’ reprehensible race-baiting campaign caused Urban League President Sam Jones and National Urban League board member Bill Mays to publicly condemn campaigning that “included the use of racial code words, race baiting and harsh personal attacks by mail, by fax or by word of mouth". Last Sunday’s Star exposed the GOP’s racial negative campaigning. During last week’s Indiana Week in Review on WFYI Channel 20, host Jim Sheila confronted Republican State Chairman McDaniel about the GOP’s racebaiting campaign and the Urban League’s admonitions. “The Urban League’s wrong,” McDaniel haughtily huffed, dismissing the Urban League’s protestations, which is typical of Republican arrogance and disdain of our African-American commu-

nity!

McDaniel and the amorphous committee that runs the Marion County Republican Party should publicly apologize to African Americans for their blatant, near racist injection of negative racial stereotypes into this year’s campaign. Usually. Republicans complain about Democrats’ use of racial politics. In past elections. Democrats went on the city’s Blackoriented radio stations with ads using race baiting and racial codewords to demonize Republicans and lionize Democrats. But for the first time, local Democrats took the high road. When Bart Peterson began his ra-

dio ads in mid-September WTLC, WBKS, WYJZ,they ne*4 talked of Sue Anne Gilroy. They never demonized her or her party.

The ads spoke positively ab^qj^

Peterson and what he’d do. Gilroy ’ s marketing to our B lac 1 community was unfocused an<^ schizophrenic. When she began advertising on Black radio in St!

tember, her ads featured Sen. ftly chard Lugar, who most BlacksYi£ this city remember, not as mayprr

but as this state's senior U.S. sena-

tor.

Right after the Circle City Cl^ sic, while Gilroy’s ads on whire^ stations featured her and Mayor Goldsmith, her ads on Black sld-’ lions featured Rev. Derek Kin& 1 nephew of Dr. Martin Luther Kin^r Rev. Derek King has lived in itl-* 1 dianapolis since late spring^ Though hisendorsementofGili was genuine, it was weird bizarre that Gilroy’s campaign would have a newcomer extol hfcr virtues when better known Afrl*^ can-American supporters lilc£, former Deputy Mayors Joe Slasn 1 and Paula Parker-Sawyers wer$'

available.

Since the Star continues toladk a media critic, let me provide'a' belated review of the televised

mayoral debates.

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I commend WISH-TV Chan-, nel 8 for producing the first India-'' napolis TV candidates debate that 1 included Black media. WTLC’tf Wendell Ray asked three great' questions, on the civilian cortt-' plaint board, affirmative action atftf mass transit. Of the city’s medfeT debates, give Channels 13 andhlf' credit for devoting a full hour-of prime time to the campaign. Chah Ji nel 8’s debate had the best que^’ tions and diversity; Channel IS^' the best overall presentation. Chdh^' nel 6’s debate gets a failing gratis because it was only a half houb/' wasn’t broadcast in prime time and excluded two candidates. The minority business oriented debailf on WTLC-AM was the strangest as the candidates openly cootplained about the redundant and' repetitive questions and subject

matter.

fclBvl 1 Prank O’Bannon madea ' t i . j * ''*’1 wise choice in elevating Appeals Court Judge Robert Rucker to the* Indiana Supreme Court. The first* African-American male on the 1 state’s highest court, Judge Ruckef has been an excellent appellate jurist and he’ll be a great judge dri M the Supreme Court. See ‘ya next week!

• \'<q

Amos Brown’s opinions are"’'' not necessarily those of the \ k '' J Indianapolis Recorder. You caff-'' contact him at (317) 293-9600' or e-mail him at [email protected]

Minority law clerks and lily-white prejudices

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The U.S. Supreme Court opened a new term under the angry glare of pickets, protesting the long refusal of some justices to hire minority law clerks. The protests are important, not because there need ever be a quota of representatives of any racial or ethnic group on the court or among its clerks, but because it is critical for the high tribunal to have the reasonable respect of all groups and classes of Americans. Such universal respect is impossible when some members of this powerful body systematically hire over decades only white graduates of Ivy League law schools to help guide them through the emotional thicket of constitutional issues that the court faces each term. When offending justices pretend that they cannot find qualified Blacks or Hispanics or others to serve as clerks, they appear to buy into the old “racial superiority-inferiority” arguments that have cursed this land. And they justify criticism that the Supreme Court is America’s “last plantation” - or a place where Blacks mostly fill only menial roles. All one need do is look at the 44 cases that the justices have agreed to hear this term to understand their need for the widest contact with the largest spectrum of Americans. Issues that mean almost life and death to Black Americans, for example, cry out for every justice to have at least a passing acquaintance with the views and aspira-

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tions of some Black person other than Justice Clarence Thomas. There are, of course, many issues before the court that do not directly involve race in which minority clerks might provide enlightening experiences. This court will rule, for example, on the state laws that give grandparents and other relatives and “third parties” court-ordered rights to visit children over the objection of the children’s parents. The family experiences of more than just a narrow band of clerks would broaden therchances of wisdom. Many federal judges have shown that they can, with benefit, r

The

Rowan

Report

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By Carl Rowan

find plenty of Blacks, Hispanics, women and graduates of “ordinary” law schools who make brilliant clerks. It is an outrageous insult for some justices to claim that they have never had a minority clerk because they couldn’t

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find anybody who was qualified What they are saying, it seems, j»,, that they never believed they cl could find a minority law grades ate whose mind-set was closer enough to their lily-white idet^j logical prejudices. That hiring procedure wijfi Vi never win the broad respect th^t, T , this nation’s highest tribunal should have. But the Supreme ; Court is filled by a few powerfuj/, people who like to boast that they ■ answer only to themselves, so if, is doubtful that even the pickets, will awaken them to this great ( need of the court as an American , institution. i'-.d n i«l ontj i,r*T i/'i •-L

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