Disturbingly on target
A number of  readers
pass us around to their friends via e-Mail. Last weeks cover story, Bush's
Black Attack Dogs, made the list of D. V. Poole. Here's some
of what Brother Poole said.
This article from the September 2, 2004 online issue of The
Black Commentator (blackcommentator.com) is painfully, disturbingly
on target. Given our direct review, discussions and observations,
we advised in Spring 2003 that the political Administration appeared
to be INTENT upon creating obstacles to anything that would directly
raise the Black vote. We believe this to be strategically deliberate,
well thought out (and not free of a certain level of malice),
and specifically implemented.
The tends
to be radical, highly culturally conscious, and African American Centric.
Directionally, I tend to agree with their overall observations but tend to
take great exception to the final conclusions often drawn. This time, however,
they are consistent with my own observations.
Most recently, there have been a spate of
stories out of Florida where the Florida State Police have
opened files and visited
in their homes more senior-aged African Americans (over 50 and
up) who have been "seen" as "active" in voter
registration and voters' rights activities in Florida....Especially
in Dade and Broward Counties where in 2000 thousands of African
American voters (1) had their votes mysteriously "thrown
away," (2) wound up on the "Former OR Suspected Former
Felons" lists that Florida refused to vet before the election,
(3) had to navigate past police cruisers to get to designated
voting places, and, finally, (4) were steered away from voting
places by White officials who pointedly told people, "they
are already closed."
With the amount of documentation on these practices, you must understand
that the Department of Justice found no cause for a Federal level investigation.
Of greater distress to myself and others - who, I will remind you, tend to
the Independent Fiscal Conservative in our views - is what appears to be
an absence from the field of the top African American politically-oriented
institutions in (A.) focusing attention on the need to establish, counter-observation,
video-surveillance, and protection for African Americans who wish to vote
and (B.) energizing our country to protect the right and power of the Vote
in the nature of a free Republic.
Remember, carefully, the hatreds unleashed upon African Americans
as a people by first, Reagan's "Welfare Queens," and then by Bush I's "Willie
Horton Campaign." Understand that we have not recovered from these "Blows
In Blackface." And perceive with great clarity that the Karl Roves of
the world actively court, solicit, support, grant favor to, promote, encourage,
endorse, embrace, seek funding from, reward, and advise those groups of people
who actively to this day seek the harm, hurt, containment, impoverishment
and economic destruction of non-European-ancestried Ethnic Americans (particularly
Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Asian American, and Native
American/First Nations Peoples). Nothing grieves me as much as finding myself
writing these words. However, be advised: If you want to flush out the things
under rocks, shine a light under it. No darkness can be sustained under the
constant and unremitting light of truth.
So! Bracing for some of the backwash on this, I wish for
you to read this with great care. There is way more truth
underlying BlackCommentator.com's
observations than is remotely healthy for any form of Democracy to indulge,
let alone promote. And make no mistake, we find the intent of creating a
highly divisive America using Ethnic Minorities as convenient pawns exactly
what the political authoritarian manipulists behind the current Administration
have done, are doing, and will continue to execute. And if I seem a tad angry,
consider that I am far more highly annoyed. And I am distressed to find this
country so "happily" embracing tactical policies similar to those
espoused in the 1924 political work, Mein Kampf. The unlearned lessons of
history are doomed to repetition until we understand the need to be the higher
level of peoples in spirit that we were meant to be. This cannot happen when
a dominant political party embraces a raison d'etre to alienate selected
populations for whatever the reasons. And no democracy or republic can long
sustain it.
We are, as are most Americans, simply capable and endowed as BETTER than
this. Our real challenge is going to be in seeking out the balance necessary
to reach such a goal.
Richard Macintosh is a Radio
BC listener.
The Radio BC on the Swift Boat to Nowhere is
right on the mark! Exactly!
Thank you.
Our commentary of June
24, 2004 on the Hip-Hop leadership conference brought this
reaction from a person known as DPEASEHEAD.
While I agree that there is no legitimate
hip-hop leadership currently in existence, and that a lot of
hip-hop is foolish,
 self-hating minstrelism, I do have problems with the established
civil rights leadership. Whom, I ask, allowed the vacuum to form
within the Black youth community in which forms of gangster "culture" have
thrived? After hundreds of years of the same thing, why wasn't
the Civil Rights establishment ready for the election shenanigans
in Florida or in any other state where the possibility of scamming
Blacks exists? Why hasn't it been more effective in preserving
Black-owned farmland, in gaining justice for Black farmers or
in combating a racist "criminal justice system" gone
mad?
I think that there are too many naive people in the Civil Rights
community who trust American (White dominated) institutions to
do the right thing in spite of their history of almost never
doing the right thing, and in spite of their real interest in
maintaining Black disadvantage. I believe that there are too
many reactionaries in the Civil Rights community who hate and
fear Black youth as much as the White racists whom they allegedly
oppose.
I think too much time is spent celebrating
incomplete victories, leaving youth and others to deal with
the consequences and realities
of those long ago and incomplete victories. Hip-hop "leadership" is
not our biggest problem.
Having read the Think
Piece in our September 2, 2004 issue, "The Continuing
Miseducation of the Negro" by Edward Rhymes Ph.D., Blogger Sondjata found
numerous problems with the information presented and called his
very interesting critique "Cosby on the Brain".
I'm not sure if Bill Cosby has ever gotten
so much midshare among AA's since the heyday of The Cosby Show.
It is most disturbing
to see how otherwise educated and informed people choose to demonize
Bill Cosby on the basis of incomplete reporting and a whole mess
of supposition and innuendo. The Black Commentator, whom has
had some of the best "progressive" black writings found
on the Web, has continued to sink into the quagmire of Cosby
hating, and has employed numerous others ( white even) to continue
to pile garbage on Cosby. After a two week reprieve BC came back
with more vitrole in the sideways commentary of one Dr. Edward
Rhymes. Now after Dr. Rhymes' last guest column on that site
I sent him a copy of my original commentary and we had a pleasant
exchange where we ultimately agreed to disagree on the specific
subject that some blacks equate being eduucated as being white.
Now we are all entitled to our own opinion, but as a Dr. and
teacher, Dr. Rhymes knows that he should be able to present alternative
arguments or at least indicate that such positions exist. To
begin his latest commentary Dr. Rhymes says:
It is the relative ease in which we as a
people appear to believe the worst about ourselves. While
a great deal of time and dialogue
has been spent, lately, on our presumed sociopathic behaviors,
we have ignored something even more sociopathic – our
disturbing tendency to demonize ourselves.
I must agree. In fact just today I had to
respond to someone online who insisted that blacks were inherently
intellectually
inferior to whites and possibly everybody else on the planet.
Their "proof" being the apparent lack of "known" geniuses" and "accomplishments" in
the hard sciences. So on this point I must agree with Dr. Rhymes.
Rhymes continues:
It appears that if we hear something negative about ourselves we are quick
to take ownership. “Black people are drugs addicts and drug dealers,” and
our response? “Yep, that’s us.” “Most Black folks
are lazy and on welfare,” and our response? “Yep, that’s
us.” It seems that we don’t challenge, we won’t question
and we do ourselves a great disservice.
I'm not sure who Dr. Rhymes is talking about.
Certainly I have not heard any black celebrities (including
Dr. Cosby) make any
claim that most black folks are lazy (though the argument could
be made, but not the way it's being set up here). Nor have
I heard any black "leader" or "celebrity" (including
Dr. Cosby) claim that blacks make the most of the persons on
welfare. Most of the blacks that I know, who are critical of
black behavior themselves, will quickly point out that whites
make up the majority of the welfare cases regardless of what
the TV tells us. So I would like for Dr. Rhymes to at least
substantiate his claim by pointing out which celebrity has
made such claims
and when.
Rhymes continues:
Nowadays I can rarely turn on my television or radio without hearing some
African-American analyst defending affirmative action (almost apologetically)
as if we, as blacks, have been the greatest beneficiaries of it. This
just isn’t the case. Although ethnic minorities have greatly
benefited from affirmative action policies, white women, statistically,
have benefited
more than any other group from affirmative action.
Again, Dr. Rhymes has it right when he says
that blacks have been the main defenders of Affirmative Action.
He is also correct
when he states that white women are the main beneficiaries
of such programs. Again, I would like for Dr. Rhymes to provide
us with the names of Celebrities or leaders who have been saying
that blacks are the main beneficiaries. From my perspective
the
leadership, celebrities and educators that I know of, all decry
the fact that Affirmative Action has been diluted to be a "diversity
gimmick" rather than a true repairative tool for African-Americans.
Rhymes continues:
We are portrayed as oversexed or lascivious and yet the porn and adult
entertainment industry is dominated by whites. Luke Skywalker, R. Kelly
and Snoop Dogg are mere drops in the bucket compared to Hugh Hefner,
Larry Flint and the Hustler, Penthouse and Playboy empires. Nevertheless,
it is African Americans that get accused of being rampant, sexual beasts,
unable to control our urges, unable to keep our legs crossed, unable
to keep it in our pants. And do we take a stand against such flawed and
misleading characterizations? No, on the contrary, we are more than willing
to accept full title to them.
Well we all should know about the source of sexual anxiety in
white America. But, ummm, has Dr,. Rhymes been studying the porn
industry? I mean, I want to know? what kind of research has he
been doing? Well ok.. I'm kidding. I just wanted comic relief.
Rhymes continues:
It also seems that we love to decry the notion that our young people can
tell us what the words are to the latest rap album, but can’t tell
us who James Baldwin is. My beautiful brothers and sisters, allow me
to let you in on something: I have taught more white students than I
have black students and I know a great many white students who cannot
recite the preamble to the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence
and can’t tell you who William Lloyd Garrison is, but can tell
you the lyrics to the latest Ludacris song. How come they don't come
under the same condemnation as our African-American students? Once
again, a shortcoming that is prevalent in society becomes a specific
black identifier.
I was going to save this one for last but
I'll touch it now. Again, I don't believe that a single celebrity
or leader has
stated that black people have all the problems and whites don't.
If I'm wrong I would invite Dr. Rhymes to provide us with specifics
as to who said what and when. The issue with many of us "self
critiquers", especially those of the Garveyite strain, is
that while "all have fallen short" what we do has a
larger impact on us than those of whites. One common comment
I hear among my peers is that a white youth who wants to act
a fool in school can decide later in life to straighten out and
take advantage of tha racial preferences afforded him in hiring,
housing etc. Not that it's fair or right, but that it's an option,
and option often taken. However when black youths squander their
time in school, the sysem is so crafty that they may find themselves
at a permanent extra disadvantage. When a group has as many disadvantages
on it, such as those detailed in the Urban League's numerous
reports, it should be understood why blacks who want us to "rise
up" would be extremely critical of negative behaviors
of certain black youths. It is a mistake to then imply that
by being
so critical we are overlooking the dumb behaviors of whites.
I believe that this is the point missed by Dr. Rhymes and,
unfortunatly, The editors of The Black Commentator.
Dr. Rhymes continues:
We are crossing the dangerous threshold where myth is becoming reality
and reality is becoming myth (this is increasing with each passing
day). We have cloaked ourselves in the stereotypes of the most contemptible
aspects of this society and have treated them as if they are unique
to
our culture and identity. Makes no difference to us if the majority
of drug dealers and users are white, makes no difference if the “typical” criminal
is a white, non-Hispanic male or that black males are less prone to
abuse their partners than whites.
Dr. Rhymes puts out questionable information
here. The Department of Justice in a report entitled Violence
By Intimates published
in 1998 showed that while Blacks have shown the greatest decrease
in incidences of murders by intimates, the rate of murders
by intimates are 3 to5 times the rate of white males/females.
So
while it would be correct to state that blacks have been putting
in work to decrease the rates, the fact is that at the end
of the day we are killing each other more often than whites.
Also
according to the same publication poor people, regardless of
race, have up to a 7.8x rate of domestic violence than those
making $75,000 or more. So, for instance, when Dr. Cosby directed
his attention to "the lower economic people" and
asking them ( the men) to stop beating on the women, he was
dead on
target. Of course we can argue that all people should stop
domestic violence, but as stated earlier we, my peers, are
concerned with
what blacks are doing.
Similarly, with the issue of drug dealing: It would be agreed
that most drug dealers and purchasers are white. But what does
that really matter to those in housing projects and other places
where the black drug dealers are killing their kids and making
thier neighborhoods unlivable? They are concerned with the black
drug dealers and users they have to face each and everyday, Why
should we NOT address those individuals? Again, this doesn't
negate the facts of use and dealing it merely puts them in a
context.
Dr Rhymes Continues:
Where was the “well done” for our young black sisters when
the press release from the National Center for Health Statistics (dated
December 17, 2003) stated that teenage pregnancy had gone down by 30 percent
in the past decade and that the sharpest drop of any group was African-American
teenage girls – 40% in the last decade and 50% since 1991? Where
was the collective “bravo” for our young people when the U.S.
Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and
the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census acknowledged that
the African-American dropout rate (as of 2001) was at 10.9% - the lowest
it’s ever been? Also, it was almost identical to the national average
(meaning all students) of 10.7%. Most of us appear to be unaware of this
information – so it appears that our youth aren’t the only
ones who need to study more. Yes, I’d love to see the dropout rate
down to 0%; but that shouldn’t preclude us from celebrating what
we have achieved. I think it would be wonderful if none of our young
women became pregnant in their teenage years, but I am proud of what
they have
done. The high-profile prophets of black negativity, who are so geared
up to impugn our youth, could not be found to herald their triumphs just
as enthusiastically.
Again, like he did in the reporting on domestic violence, Dr,
Rhymes gives us a partial picture of teen pregnancy in black
communties. The Guttenberg Institute released a report entitled
U.S. Teen Pregnancy Statistics shows that while it is indeed
true that the rate of black teen pregnancy has dropped dramatically,
black teen pregnancy rates(15-19 yoa) is almost twice that of
whites (71.4/1000 vs. 154/1000). In fact, the same report shows
that in every state that kept records, the black rate of pregnancy
is always higher than that of whites. However it must be noted
that in raw numbers whites teens get pregnant more than black
teens, except in New Jersey and New York (a focus area of Bill
Cosby). Now I won't get into the philosphical argument about
whether teen pregnancy and abortion is right or wrong. Nor will
I say that the drop in the rate is not to be commended, but clearly,
if teen pregnancy is an issue of concern, then the rates are
still an issue of concern.
On the drop out rate, I question these numbers.
While it may be true, and I stress may because according to the
Civil Rights
Project at Harvard University the governments' official census
data of high school graduation rates is obtained from surveys
of individuals who self-report their own education status.
Furthermore, the US Department of Education surveys take in only
about half
of school districts nationally. Many of the non-reporting districts
are in areas with high dropout rates; that the drop out rate
in high schools are 10.7% nationally. The graduation rates
tell a way different story. In 1998 the average graduation rate
of
black ( and you must graduate to move onto university) was
56%. If only 10% are dropping out, what happened to the near
40% that
did not graduate? Did they drop off the planet? To all the
Cosby criticizers I have pointed these things out to, none, not
a single
one has presented information to the contrary. If Dr. Rhymes
has information to refute these claims I would surely give
him the space here at Garvey's Ghost to present that information.
Dr. Rhymes continues:
Further evidence of this need to falsely indict ourselves, are the comments
Spike Lee made on the Tavis Smiley Show (Thursday, July 22) when he
insinuated that blacks don’t embrace and support dramas as much we should – citing
the lack of turnout for movies such as Antwone Fisher. Interestingly,
Denzel Washington (producer & director of Antwone Fisher) was on
the program the following day. Tavis put the question of whether or not
blacks supported dramas as they should and Denzel’s answer was: “Well
dramas, first of all, don’t do as well, period. Black or white,
they don’t do as well.”
I've heard this debate and I've listen and
watched Spike Lee talk about this topic a number of times.
First lets say this:
Spike Lee's recent movies have not been that good. I say this
as a Spike Lee fan. It's been pretty much down hill since Malcolm
X. But I think the true discussion about black drama has been
around black historical drama. When I've had this discussion
the movies that come up are Daughers of the Dust, Get on the
Bus, Bamboozled and Oprah's Beloved. The issue has
actually centered around blacks supposed desire to see "positive" role
models and films "relevant" to their history but
then fail to give mass support to the movies mentioned.
Rhymes continues:
After watching the interview I decided to research to ascertain which claim
was true. I found that of the top 100 highest grossing movies of all-time,
there were only 6 dramas (and a few of those were not what I would
call “true” dramas – Titanic,
Gladiator, to name a couple). I also looked at the top grossing dramas
that were released during the summertime (summertime being important
because that’s when dramas usually do the worst – studios
like to roll out the action flicks) since 1982. Out of the 59 dramas
that were listed, 9 were either produced or directed by African Americans
(Do The Right Thing, Boyz-N-The Hood, Mo Better Blues – if you
haven’t noticed, two of these movies are Spike’s); had a
predominately black cast (What’s Love Got Do With It) or one
or more of the leading roles were portrayed by African Americans (Corrina
Corrina, Courage Under Fire, 187).
This illustrates my point. Boyz in the Hood, Mo Betta, Do the
Right Thing were all contemporary movies that with the exception
of Do The Right thing didn't even begin to touch the deeper levels
of racism in America. 187, which is one of my favorite movies,
is fiction and has a lead black character that could have easily
been white. In fact the movie itself was written by a teacher,
though I do not know the race of that teacher (and don't particularly
care). So again, while Rhymes is correct in his surface analysis
of Spike Lee's comment, I believe that the observation is out
of context. After all if, movies such as Beloved had as strong
a suport as Baby Boy, then we'd have seen more movies like it.
Rhymes concludes:
Why should I have to answer questions about the supposed deviant behavior
of the black community, when whites do not have to do the same? The
minute I answer one question, I am saying: “I am inferior.” For
me, it is absolutely that simple. Do we, in the black community, have
real concerns? No doubt about it. Can we do better? Yes, most definitely.
Misconceptions, miseducation and misleading stereotypes do not offer
any real answers. The Christian scriptures tell us that “you shall
know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” As we, as
a community, declare war on irresponsibility, ignorance, crime, poverty
and the vast number of concerns that we face; we must be circumspect.
I would think that we, who live in present-day America, would know
exactly
what it means to declare a war based on flawed and unproven information.
Let's answer that last question. It's the
same as my previous discussion on black behaviors. In reality
I don't have to answer
to whites for black behavior. In fact in "mixed company" I
refrain from doing so for the very same reason that Dr. Rhymes
does. However, these issues can, should and are brought up by
blacks to other blacks ( as was done in Cosby's speech) and we
should be answerable to each other. Isn't that how community
works? One does not inferiorize oneself by asking and answering
questions asked by the community. Only if the charges are false
is it an inferiorizing act to claim such charges. Unfortunatly
Dr. Rhymes falls victim to the same Misconceptions, Mis-education
and misleading "stereotypes" he attempts to refute.
In his quest to, as the Yoruba say, to not let good be the enemy
of best, he gives us a few half truths and uses them to smear
unnamed and unverified "leaders" ,"reporters" and "celebrities." Fortunately
for us there is the internet where statistics can be found
by any and everyone who takes the time to look up the information.
Peace.
Regarding Black dropout rates, we agree that they
are far higher than reported. Otherwise, we're in far greater accord
with Dr.
Rhymes on most of the points discussed.
And, if the media would stop pushing Cosby in our faces, would
not have him on our brains.
A reader named Haki had his hackles raised by our comments on
Armstrong Williams.
I'd like to thank you for your expose, putting it mildly, on
the brilliantly deceptive, outrageously opportunistic, postal
boy for the conservative elite.
This man's ability to evade discourse, render caveats is truly
unparalleled in the history of a people.
Your article merely exposed what most Afrikans know: a person
without knowledge is a person ripe for exploitation.
We've commented on the activity of Williams a number of times.
If you ever want to find out if we have written about something,
please visit our Google powered search
page to locate anything on BlackCommentator.com.
On July 22, 2004 the Freedom Rider column by
Margaret Kimberley entitled, "No Civil Rights in Kentucky" prompted
a response from Amos Jones, a former Lexington Herald-Leader
journalist who
filed suit against the paper. Jones says the Herald-Leader has
a lot of answering to do.
The Lexington Herald-Leader is garnering
praise nationally for having published a July 4 clarification
expressing regret for
the Kentucky newspaper’s failure to cover the Civil Rights
Movement in Central Kentucky. But what reporters Linda
Minch and Linda Blackford left out of their long and unnecessary
story is that the newspaper is the subject of a damning race-discrimination
lawsuit revealed nationally on the editorial page of The New
York Amsterdam
News only last month -- a lawsuit filed by a grandson of
the leading civil rights strategist in Lexington from 1940 to
1968!
If it is to establish its journalistic authority on racial matters,
then the current leadership of the Lexington Herald-Leader, including
publisher Tim Kelly (who has been there for years), will have
to answer many nagging questions about the newspaper's treatment
of blacks, questions whose answers I have yet to receive from
Executive Editor Marilyn Thompson but which were addressed by
white Herald-Leader managers in the lawsuit last year.
For instance, why did Acting Copy Desk Chief
Peter Mathews, after months of mistreating the only black-male
copy editor in
the history of the Herald-Leader, place on the intranet statements
Mathews made falsely linking him to sadomasochism and bondage
with a white woman colleague in her fifties, later testifying
under oath that his conduct was "appropriate for the workplace"?
Why does the Lexington Herald-Leader still employ Mathews?
Why did a black editor and a black reporter
write memoranda exposing Mathews’s having “hollered at” this
copy editor as if he were a black slave?
Why did former Executive Editor Amanda Bennett then call a racially
segregated meeting in which she singled out blacks and disclosed
confidential personnel records of the black victim, later affirming
and condoning her actions in sworn, recorded testimony?
Why did Knight Ridder, which owns the Lexington Herald-Leader,
subsequently promote Bennett to Executive Editor of the Philadelphia
Inquirer?
Why did the Lexington Herald-Leader offer buyouts to 22 percent
of its black journalists in 2002?
Why were at least two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
complaints of racial discrimination recently filed against the
Lexington Herald-Leader?
Why did two black Lexington Herald-Leader journalists file affidavits
last year detailing years of discrimination at the newspaper?
Why does the Lexington Herald-Leader, which
claims to embrace diversity initiatives, employ the services
of and pay tens of
thousands of dollars annually to the 100-lawyer firm of Stoll,
Keenon & Park LLP, all of whose lawyers are white, according
to statistics the firm provided recently to the National
Association for Law Placement.
I would advise Stoll, Keenon & Park LLP that this is not
1897, the year in which they were founded, and that it’s
time for them to enter the 21st century and hire a minority attorney. If
they are opposed to having a Negro, then they could at least
try a qualified Native American, Hispanic, or Asian-American.
And I would advise the Herald-Leader to come
clean, repent, and atone for their atrocious actions. There is no other
way to establish their credibility in racial matters after decades
of abusing Lexington’s black citizens and journalists.
A former Knight Ridder National Scholar, Amos
Jones is a second-year student at Harvard Law School. Reach
him at [email protected].
13-thousand faces will never feel another Spring rain
U.S. military deaths in the Iraq campaign passed the 1,000 milestone
Tuesday, September 7, 2004 with more than 800 of them during the
stubborn resistance that flared after the Americans brought down
Saddam Hussein and pirate President Bush declared major combat
over. The tally was compiled by The Associated Press based on Pentagon
records and AP reporting from Iraq.
General Tommy Franks of US Central Command has said, "We
don't do body counts". Why not, are Bush pirates not
proud of killing about 12-thousand civilians in Iraq? After all
they weren't born again Christians. Perhaps the lack of a body
count exists because even to the insane pirates it would reveal
the racist truth and conflict with our goal to "liberate" the
Iraq people and make them free. Please don't miss reading the
cover story in this issue of for
an analysis of how a Bush victory accelerates the redlining of
American in the rest of the world.
It's only 9/11 stupid!
While the Kerry campaign fights to ignore peace, jobs and justice
(see our cartoon of
last week), Dick, the Bush attack dog, has made one thing perfectly
clear. VP Cheny issued a warning in Iowa this week about voting
for Kerry. The Dick said if
we make the wrong choice on Election Day we face the threat of
another terrorist attack.
In case you missed it
This is a new No Fools Allowed feature that will list a bunch
of noteworthy items we feel you did not want to miss.
- This week in Popular
Bluff Missouri, Bush said, "Too many good docs are
getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice
their love with women all across this country."
- Michael Moore says he won't submit "Fahrenheit 9/11" for
consideration as best documentary at this year's Academy Awards.
Instead, he's going for the bigger prize of best picture.
- A closer look at the August census figures on poverty show
almost half of poor Americans live in the suburbs. A report in The
Nation by Peter Dreier says, "Today, 13.8 million poor
Americans live in the suburbs--almost as many as the 14.6 million
who live in central cities. The suburban poor represent 38.5
percent of the nation's poor, compared with 40.6 percent of the
total who live in central cities."
Keep writing.
Question of the week
Will enough progressive voters turn out on November 2nd to defeat
Geoge Bush?
gratefully
acknowledges the following Websites for sending visitors our way
during the past month:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/
http://www.ebonylove.net/
http://www.liberaloasis.com/
http://volokh.com/
http://new.blackvoices.com/
http://www.americanpolitics.com/
http://membersc.blackplanet.com/
http://www.buzzflash.com/
http://www.commondreams.org/
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