Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 November 2000 — Page 8
THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24,200<f
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EDITORIALS
Join the 'free Kemba Smith'
campaign
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By ANAR^ V. HOLMES
Recorder Edltm 1
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.cd The Cirlce City Chapter of Links implemented a letter onsigning campaign last month on behalf of Kemba Smith, laivho at age 23 was given a 24 1/2 year mandatory sentience in prison without the possibility of parole for her limited alleged involvement in a drug conspiracy run by
i: fier boyfriend.
Emerge Magazine extensively covered the Smith story Iji 1996 to clearly reveal how drag conspiracy laws are used to lock first time, non-violent offenders behind bars , i .'P)r unnecessary lengths of time in today’s “tough on
crime” culture.
,:oi The Emerge article later spurred the “Free Kemba” campaign of which the local Circle City Links are mem-
bers of.
M Their campaign has generated more than 1,500 signed letters addressed to President Clinton demanding he ^commute Smith’s sentence. ' As President Clinton nears the end of his term, it’s time Tor us as African Americans to turn up the heat and join , )f prcle City Links in their campaign. But more importantly, it is time we begin to mobilize as a community and demand our elected officials stop the ^madness and repeal mandatoiy sentences for drag of--sfenses. We’re simply losing too many young people to a ^nonsensical system. * M This Thanksgiving holiday thousands of families will 'Impend time reflecting on the missing men and women 'mound the house or dinner table who are locked up in , county jails, or in state and federal prisons because of 1'lfieir involvement with drags, j j As you think about your loved ones, take time out to _,j|vrite a letter to your local congressman or congressiWoman askmgth«^ey f be|^i tpjMft '‘profit mLW/TWIP Sham ^ilh Aewi jwik- ; < .rpain and frustrate jyift a system thM is aiwaafe oftAiiiioir ^taxpayer money and human resources. This year’s presidential election is proof positive of the difference one voice makes, a voice that becomes strenghtened in numbers. ’* * It takes everyday people like the women of the Circle 'City Links to create change. Let us not leave a sister Ranging — Kemba needs us all.
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For more information on Kemba Smith and her case,
ifisit her Web site at www.geocities.com/capitolhill/lobby/
8899/. You may e-mail President Clinton at:
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(317) 924-5143 News Hotline (317) ?90 4744 P.0. Box 18499, Indianapolis, IN 4621 Recorder indy.net
A presidency won on the backs of Stacks denied their right to vot<(
Most African Americans in Indianapolis and nationwide are convinced that Gov. George W. Bush stole die election from Vice President A1 Gore in the state governed by Bush’s younger brother Jeb. The relentless media reporting of the election mess in Florida (including the Star and the networks) has totally ignored dm numerous voting irregularities and outright voter suppression directed against African Americans by Florida officials and police. Only the nation’s Black media (including your Recorder) has focused an Florida officials abuses and violations of the Federal Voting Rights Act Last week, the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus publicly revealed hundreds of complaints from Black Floridians who were denied their right to vote through a campaign of harassment and nitpicking designed to reduce and suppress voter turnout in Florida’s Black communities. Hundreds of Blacks found their names weren’t on polling place rosters. In Florida, racial classification of voters is mandated by the Voting Rights Act. When they went to vote, many Blacks learned they wereclassifiedas “white.” Because of that, election workers denied these African Americans their right to vote because their race didn’t match the race in the poll roster. Other Blacks whose names were mistakenly not listed on tire roster were denied the right to vote, even after presenting photo ID and their voter registration cards. Under the guise of “traffic checks” and “roadblocks” police, sheriffs and state troopers stopped scores of Black Floridians, especially young adults, on their way to vote. I grew up in Chicago when election shenanigans, cheating and fraud was commonplace. But, Chicago’s crooked politics never matched this month’s chicanery in Florida. Republican Drew Young lost a close prosecutor’s race here to Jeff Modisett 10 years ago. There were charges of election irtegularitifcs and recounts. And Republic's" hitting Complained about ballot hanky-panky in Center Township. But, never in Indianapolis have thousands of votes been thrown out as happened in Florida. Everyone knows about the 19,000 votes thrown out in Palm Beach County because that butterfly ballot which caused Jewish survivors of the Holocaust to vote, not for A1 Gore, butforneo-anti-Semite Pat Buchanan. But, an even larger number of
votes, 21,000, were thrown out in Duval County (Jacksonville). Most in Black neighborhoods. Here again, a confusing ballot caused thousands of Black votes to be thrown in the trash! George W. and his minions aren’t angry that Florida election officials want to disqualify the votes of thousands of African-American, Jewish and senior citizens. Bush is only angry dial absentee votes from a couple of thousand military personnel have been thrown out. There’s something wrong about a potential president who regards the votes from white Republican military personnel to be more important than the votes of African Americans, Jewish Americans and senior citizens. George W. Bush's position on Florida’s voting irregularities is as inflexible as his position on capital punishment. Bush and Republicans don’t understand the extremely strong feelings African Americans have about our right to vote. They fail to appreciate that it has been African Americans who’ve suffered most for exercising that right. Whites are rarely intimidated or harassed when they vote. Sheriff cars don’t sit outside of Carmel or Greenwood polling places to scare voters away. White voters aren’t asked for several pieces of ID or challenged when they show up to vote. As recently as 40 years ago. Blacks were the only group in America who had to take a test, pay a tax, or risk death to vote. For African Americans, even those who don’t vote, the right and opportunity to vote is sacred; and must be preserved and protected. Bush and Republicans feel they won Florida and the presidency.
But when that victory is achieved through intimidation and suppression of minority voters; when that victory is achieved because thousands of votes are thrown out; that victory is tainted, sullied and soiled. Gov. Bush’s refusal to understand why Blacks (and others) feel so strongly about protecting the right of people to vote and making sure that an election counts every vote possible, is why, if Bush wins Florida and the White House, he’ll be the loser. Seemingly, Gov. Bush forgot what he said in July at the NAACP National Convention. “Our nation is harmed when we let our differences separate us and divide us. I believe there is much we can do together to advance racial harmony and economic opportunity. “For our nation, there is no denying the truth that... racism, despite all our progress, still exists. Recognizing and confronting our history is important. Transcending our history is essential. We are not limited by what we have done, or what we have left undone. We are limited only by what we are willing to do.” Gov. Bush: African Americans nationwide are waiting to see whether you will live up to your words to the NAACP. African Americans are waiting to see whether you’ll speak out against the illegal tactics and denial of vot-
ing rights to African Americans in little Jeb’s Florida. Gov. Bush, your inaction amf' silence leads African Americans ^ believe you’re not the compassion 1 ' 1 ate conservative you claim; amP 1 that you’re not deserving of occu-*' pying the Oval Office.
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What Fm hearing ^ in the streets The pressure’s on the city’s new public housing chief, Rufus “Bud" Myers, the Indy native appointed to the post by Mayor Bart Peterson.’' The brother of IPS multi-culturai history chief Pat Brown Payne,
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Myers comes to a public housing J , agency deeply troubled. The agency isn’t serving th^ J growing number of families need- “ ing affordable housing. Plus, th^" agency ’ s still reeling from the reigii c of fear inflicted upon agency em-' ployees by a small cadre of incompetent, rogue managers and super- 1
visors.
Myers must repair the severe J damage caused by the controver-; sial three-year reign of former pub-’ J lie housing director Eugene Jones.^ Under Jones’ watch, some manag- J . ers inflicted vendettas, psychologi-’ 1 cal terrorism, mental and physical 7 ', abuse and anguish on a long list of 1 ' former and current employees. !t> Myers and the Peterson admin-. istration aren’t serious about re- 11 forming and improving public and 11 affordable housing in |ndianapo- / lis, until they purge the inept, rogue 1 J managers and supervisors from th^ r> Indianapolis Housing Agency. ^ See ‘ya next week.
Amos Brown’s opinions are no?! necessarily those ofThelndianapo-^ 1 lis Recorder. You can contact him '’ at (317) 293-9600 or e-mail him 1 at: [email protected] o 1J ji ►I <u 11 *6
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Coke settlement won’t douse racialfires
Last spring Coke chairman and CEO, Doug Daft sent a cheery memo to Coca-Cola employees confidently predicting that Coke would become the most advanced and diverse corporate culture in the world. Daft’s self-serving prediction came on the heels of a colossal settlement with scores of former Black employees who charged that the company gave them the worst assignments, lower pay, and fewer chances for promotion. The $200million settlement was finalized this week. Attorneys for the plaintiffs called the settlement “historic” and claimed that it would send a permanent message to corporations that if they discriminate they’re going to pay and pay dearly. This is wishful thinking. Moments after Coke agreed to settle, another group of former Black employees slapped the company with a $1.5 billion discrimination lawsuit. Coke is not the only corporate biggie under fire. Black employees and former employees in the past couple of years have filed discrimination lawsuits against American Airlines, and Seven Up/ RC Bottling company in discrimination suits in Los Angeles, and won millions in a judgment against Hyundai Semiconductor in Oregon and dozens of other companies. The charges are almost always the same. They say that they are given the worst assignments, lower pay, and fewer chances for promotions. • Corporate executives reflexively deny that they practice any discrimination. They routinely issue flowery press releases, brochures, assorted hand-outs and annual stockholder reports that boast of their commitment to employee diversity. On paper they appear to be in compliance with Federal Equal Opportunity guidelines, have a well-established program for hiring,, trainiiii, and the promotion-of minorities. They have Black ftces in visible corporate management positions, and a even few
prominent Blacks that sit on their board of directors. Indeed some Blacks have made gains in corporate America. They are not barred or discouraged from participating in company social functions. Some are included in their company’s discussions of important business decisions. Some even join the country clubs where much of America’s corporate business is discussed and deal making is done. Few corporate officials fan the flames of racial hostility by telling whites they can’t hire them because they must hire a (less qualified) woman or a minority. Many corporations don’t repeat the tired line that they can’t find a qualified Black and have active minority recruiting programs. But the numbers of Blacks that have cracked the corporate glass ceiling tell a story less of corporate progress than corporate apartheid. There are still only a handful of Black CEOs at the Fortune 1000 corporations. Nearly 10 out of 10 senior managers are white males. Black managers make up less than 1 0 percent of the total managerial positions for all races and are paid on average less than their white counterparts. As the discrimination lawsuits against Coke and other companies show, Blacks are still regarded by their corporate peers as pariahs. Many corporate managers and employees believe that Blacks are: Lazy, undisciplined, and poorly organized, incompetent and less skilled, affirmative action hires, possess bad attitudes, are outspoken, and rebellious, and quick to blame management, or white employees for their problems/failures. These stereotypes are reinforced by an insular corporate culture hi which mostly white, male managers are responsible for implementing company policy and directives. They write
the reports, make the performance evaluations, organize training, are responsible for mentoring, and make crucial job assignments. They demand strict conformity to middleclass norms in the company. They feel threatened by and adopt a them-vs.-us siege mentality toward anyone who doesn’t share thos& interests. This attitude bolsters the belief of many Blacks that they are held to a different standard of accountability than whites and must constantly prove they can be team players too. Many Blacks discover that departments or divisions within the same company are top heavy with Black employees and managers 1 ' while others are virtually lily-white. Corporate" managers get away with this by employing a^ sophisticated tracking system in which the/ 1 instantly identify certain individuals as “sharp, a “go getter,” and a “good company person.’! 0 They quickly put them on the fast track up the' 7 corporate ladder. 31 Blacks burdened with loads of racial baggage are seldom favorably typed that way/ 7 Years later many still find themselves stuck in 11 the same dead-end positions, or stacked into! 1 the corporate ghetto jobs or positions such ad 0 director, VP, or manager of the community - 3 relations, equal employment opportunity of 7 human resources departments. Or they are assigned to oversee special markets (i.e. Black/' minority). This practice prevents them from having* l access to vital internal company data and infor- 11 mation, and being involved in decision-mak-ing. n It took lawsuits, boycott threats, selective 0 buying campaigns and calls for stock divest-' ment by Blacks to force Coke and dozens of> other corporations to take public steps to clean up their discriminatory acts. It will take many’' more fierce battles by them to attain the diva-- 0 sity that Coke’s chairman swears he and the rest' of corporate America wants. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the president of the 1 National Alliance for Positive* Action. E-mail: ehutchinsonQnatalliance.org' Web site: www.natallliance.org