1996_09 The Daily Collegian September 1996

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September 11 JQQfi
Uhuru Na Umoja
Page 3
Reading is the Key to Success
By Yaisa Guiltory
Staff Writer	
I choose to relay an
important message to
African American students
because they, as a whole,
simply don't read enough.
Reading is not an option; it
is an obligation. And yet, it
is one of the most enjoyable
obligations on the planet.
Linda Bates Parker, a
campus advisor who writes
for the Black Collegian,
wrote, " Many of today's
Black college students are
arriving on campus with
very little knowledge or
appreciation of Black life
and culture. First and
foremost, read, read, read.
Read books, magazines,
articles, poetry, song lyrics
by Black authors that will
introduce you to the com¬
plexity of Black life in
America and the beautiful
lyrical quality, passion, and
artistry of Black language.
Second, develop an Afro-
centric frame of reference.
In other words, include in
your reflections, in your
discussions, in your think¬
ing, quotes, phrases, and
brilliant insights from great
Black thinkers.". We must
read books by African
American authors because
many white authors cannot
capture the black experience
and problems facing the
culture. African Americans
cannot strive for the same
slice of American apple pie
that was originally baked
for Jane Q. Doe.
There is perhaps
nothing more tragic and
ironic than an African
American college student
who has no desire to read all
he or she can about African
historyandculture. This is
ironic because only 150
years ago our forebears
were willing to risk every¬
thing to read. It is very
tragic because this knowl¬
edge has never been more
crucial to the survival of a
people than it is to that of
African Americans in the
1990's. Nevertheless, we
simply refuse to take the
time to read.
African American
students insist that they    .
don't have enough time to
read, although they have
time to go to almost every
social and athletic event on
campus, party with friends,
and see if Victor is going to
sleep with every woman on
" The Young and The
Restless." Many students
go to class dead tired,
because they chose to party
or watch too much televi¬
sion. Still they have no time
to read.
According to  *     \^
Edmund W. Lewis, who
contributes to the Black
Collegian. " We must also
come to understand that
employment is not,,or
should not^be, the ultimate
goal of a college education.
Self-knowledge is the
greatest gift we leave
college with".
African American
students who ignore what is
out there and then later
leave college are deficient
in culture and.intellect
because reading is a re¬
source that brings positive
change. If students graduate
wjth honors, they-will be of
little importance to the
African American commu¬
nity if they lack purpose.
African Americans
must trace their culture and
understand how racism has
kept people down. Consid¬
ering the struggle African
Americans are in, we must
use knowledge, the ultimate
weapon, to achieve success.
Students must read about
our rich history, and pay
homage to those whose
spirits shadow over us
because they refused to die
without a fight.
Maya Angelou once
said ;hat reading African
American literature puts
"starch" in our backbones.
We need to stand firm and
hunger for the calcium of
knowledge to make our
backbones strong. In the
end, African Americans
will be proud of their race »
and culture, more accepting
of others, and better edu¬
cated. They will not only be
capable of making a contri¬
bution to society as a whole,
but also capable of signifi¬
cantly improving life of
Black people in this country
and around the world.
THE WELFARE
FABLE
By: William E. Jackson, Jr.
Contributing Writer
As children, we
were enthralled with fables
and fairy tales. We imag¬
ined enchanted places far¬
away in another time. I
enjoy reading fables to my
son, whose five-year-old
imagination is fired up
when he hears of giants,
dragons and princesses.
Fables supply us with
lessons, visions and percep¬
tions of life where everyone,
except the villains, lives
happily ever after.
Reality bites? As an
adult I am aware of a con¬
certed, focused effort to
pass fables off as truth.
Some ^f the more popular
fables m circulation are the
one about rugged individu¬
alism. No individual is able
to succeed without some
assistance from individuals
or groups in our society.
Ask who is responsible for
perpetuating these myth and
the answer is obvious. The
individuals most likely to
benefit from maintaining the
status quo are the white,
elite. The myth of the
welfare queen is gaining
momentum to the extent
that politicians are using it
as leverage to continue the   \
pursuit of their own self
interests. You all have
heard this fable by now, the
unwed teen mother with
four children who is a third f
generation welfare recipient.
There are many variations v
of this fable: that those that
people won't work; that
they are lazy; that they are
consuming huge portions
of the federal and state
budgets.
Lies. All of is lies
The media and politicians
are weaving a tale of deceit!
proportionate to all of the
other self serving lies that
pass as truth. White men
are angry and have directed
their anger toward a group
of citizens who do not havej
the leverage of a powerful
" lobby or the voice of a
bribed media. These
people tend to focus on the
everyday task of living and
seldom involve themselves
in the chicanery of political|
machinations. They are
'Victims, victims of an
economic system that not
only rewards hard work,
but rewards avarice. decep-|
tion and exploitation.
If we use Aid to
Families With Dependent
Children as a barometer,
the fact is that welfare does|
not tend to be generational
as over one out of four
recipients, are on aid from
two to five years and less
than one out of five are on
aid for over five years.
| Welfare recipients do not
iiave gaggles of children.
There is an average of two
Please see WELFARE
Page 7
THE "N-WORD" DOES PROVOKE
Not long ago in
dear old Fresno, we are
told, a presumably respon¬
sible apartment manager,
annoyed by a waiting
motorist blowing his hom
for a tenant inside the
building, went to the door
and hurled the invective
"nigger" at the motorist.
In the unfortunate
melee that ensued, the
By James E. Walton
Adviser
apartment manager, joined
by one of his cohorts,
allegedly employed a stun
gun in the standoff. The
outnumbered motorist
reportedly issued a threat
and left, only to return later
with reinforcement and
resume the confrontation. It
was not a pretty sight.
The local media in
fair old Fresno is now
portraying the motorist
involved in the incident as
one who acted solely with¬
out any provocation whatso¬
ever, presenting him as just
another common thug,
despite indications prior to
this occurrence this indi¬
vidual has never been in any
kind of trouble before. The
same media has been mum,
however, on the reprehen¬
sible behavior of the apart¬
ment manager.
Using the "n-word"
in a face-to-face confronta- •
tion is assaultive behavior
of the most provocative
kind. The Supreme Court
has ruled that such "fighting
words" are not protected by
the First Amendment: their
"very utterance inflict
injury." \*~.
Of course, the young
motorist had the option of
returning the hurled invec¬
tive with one of his own—
or he could have simply   '
walked away from it all. No
doubt he would be a much
better person if he could
have exercised one of those
options.
A prominent African
American physician told me
last week that even he,
especially on a bad day,
would find it extremely
difficult to just walk away if
someone called him
"nigger." That word con¬
jures up feelings and emo¬
tions so deep-seated tha.t
few can imagine. A distin¬
guished African American
college professor, upon~
hearing the discussion,
readily agreed with the
physician's sentiment.
Something to think
about.
Motorists, especially
if they are young and
particularly if they ar>e     f
athletes, should always
show maturity and good
judgment inJheir actions.
Shouldn't responsible
apartment managers be held
to the same high standard?