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Page 6 The Wolverine Observer November 6, 1982 Political Perspective F. Carl Walton, Editor BillyMcKinneyVisitsCampus “Politics rules every facet of your life,” said Billy McKinney, democractic candidate running as an independant for fifth district congressman against the incumbent Wyche Fowler and black republican Paul Jones, to students of the Social Science department classes during a recent visit to the campus. Expounding on the several issues that had a great impact on blacks in terms of politics McKinney mentioned that black people have been traditionally excluded from politics by law. f “The Dread Scott decision was a legal act that excluded blacks from politics, and in 1947 in Georgia the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) went to court winning a decision to do away with white primaries," said McKinney. McKinney noted that when he registered to vote he had to recite portions of the United States constitution. “Most of you have no idea as to the hardships your parents had in trying to obtain voting rights.” Citing incidents that took place in Greensboro, North Carolina involving -student protest at a downtown store, McKinney was able to clarify to students the difficulties of blacks gaining respect as well as justice. He went on to say that probably the most significant incident that aided in the es tablishment of a positive move ment for blacks was that of Rosa Parks, said to be the “mother” of the civil rights movement. “Every black child should have the right to know the history of our race and how we got where we are today,” said McKinney. He said that at an early agejew children learn of their heritage without shame, and this should be the way that black children also learn of their culture. Out of the struggle of the by Ronald D. Fudge 1960s’ came the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Just this year, this Act was extended for another 25 years. “This shows just how rigid whites are in their attempt to keep us (blacks) under their control,” McKinney continued. “You wouldn’t think blacks would be still trying to gain voting rights," said McKinney. Stressing the fact that it is important for blacks to have black representation even sorry ones, McKinney said that, “At least they live with you, and their children go to the same school that yours attend, they shop at the same markets with you, and they have a sensitivity for you.” After Reginald Eaves, Fulton County Commissioner, and Julian Bond, Georgia State Senator, changed their horses seemingly in the middle of the stream when they sought run ning for fifth district con gressman McKinney said that, “We would be the laughing stock of the country if we fought for a case into court dealing with reapportionment and won, and did not have a qualified black candidate to represent the fifth district.” McKinney continued to say that there are one and a half million blacks in Georgia and for 101 years white congressmen have represented blacks. He also stated that as long as their is no representation for blacks we will always be at the mercy of whites. “We (blacks) as a people must prepare ourselves to be a part of society of this country or else we will be forever griping for throwouts that the government has made us to believe we must have.” McKinney emphasized that in order to get any economic gain we (blacks) must participate politically. In his comments about Atlanta and public policy McKinney said that blacks in Atlanta control public policy. “Atlanta is an oasis in the middle of the dessert when it comes to biack involve ment in politics,” said McKinney. In counties like DeKalb and Cobb in metro Atlanta there are no black political figures,” he added. McKinney continued that throughout the state of Georgia there is no black representation because first of all, whites don’t want blacks to vote, and second ly blacks have been led to believe that the process of voting isn’t worthwhile. His reasons for running as an independant is due to the fact that Commissioner Eaves and Senator Bond who decided at the last minute to drop out of the race and this did not allow him enough time and/or money to run a successful democractic campaign. In order to run a successful campaign in time, he had to run as an independant so that his name would appear on the Oct. 30 ballot. His most significant contribu tion as Georgia State represen tative for the 35th House District, was when he made it possiblefor night clubs and taverns to stay open until 2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings in Atlanta. Because Atlanta is such a tourist attraction and growing international city, this contribu tion made by McKinney inacted a law shows a difference in Atlanta's townish image into the city image that it has today. When asked who he thought might be his chief opponent in the upcoming election, McKinney replied, "The incum bent Wyche Fowler of course!” In his comments about black republican Paul Jones he said, “Blacks have never voted republican and it is going to be very difficult especially since voters will have to request blue ballots." South Africa by Todd Allen It was 11 a.m. on Monday, October 25 in Jordan Hall when more than 60 students and faculty members of the political science and history departments gathered in a large classroom to listen and learn about the current situation in South Africa. Two black South African exiles and a United States black lawyer vvho are all deeply involved in the struggle to bring support for blacks in South Africa were the speakers. The symposium had been brought to Morris Brown by Dr. N.R.Farokhi of the political science department. The hour long symposium featured Ms. Gay McDougall, Ms. Tandi Gcabashe, Dr. Fred Dube, and others. Dr. Dube and Ms. Mc Dougall are members of the African National Congress South Eastern regional tour of speakers, adn Ms. Tandi Gcabashe is from the Americna Friends Service Committee, and program coordinator for Southern Africa Peace Education Program in Atlanta. Ms. Gcabashe introduced the delegation and the symposium began with Ms. McDougall star ting out with a discription of South Africa today as it concerns blacks of Southern Africa. Ms. McDougall commented that South Africa is “comparable” to the United States in many ways. According to Ms. McDougall the most pronounce identifiable trait can be judge ot be in comparison with South Africa is that a society of affluent whites live in prosparity while blacks live in urban slums full of gross poverty, another comparable quality of the South Africa system is that the majority of black original native population live on barren land reservations like the American Indians. Ms. McDougall then began to give some hard facts about South Africa. At least 75% of black South Africans are starving. More is spent on the education of South African whites than black South Africa education. There is 13 times higher infant mortality rate among blacks in South Africa than among whites. One out of every four black South Africans are put into jail for political reasons yearly. She went on to discribe that jails in South Africa regard torture as American jails regard iron bars, adn that the legal trial system in South Africa for blacks is a 45 second qppearance in court at which the black is sent off to jail. Dr. Dube was next introduced and added an out spoken insight to the description of Ms. Mc Dougall. Dr. Dube announce that he has been a long time member of the African National Congress, and that the decades of the 50’s and 60’s ended the ANC’s 48 year support of a nonviolent stand against white South Africans Apartheid system Dr. Dube explained that South African blacks just grew tired of being massacred. He than went on to discribe the inspiring system used to jail black South Africans in some detail. The crime that most black South Africans are found guilty of is called failure to produce on demand.” It is a crime resulting from the lack of a pass that every black South African must have to walk the streets. Dr. Dube then described the South Africans as a part of the learning structure. The South African system of education is very similar to the education here in this country, but in America at least blacks have the same syllabus. “In South Africa there is a special syllabus for blacks that teaches inferiority,” said Dube. When the meeting commenc ed, Ms. Gcabashe urged students to get in contact with her if they were interested in contributing support in local South AFrican support groups. For more infor mation phone (404) 586 - 0460 Students Must Learn To Fight Back Let’s face it, the final punch has been thrown. Students, don’t you think its about time we begin to fight back. Black people have always been the underdog in this society, particularly in the political process. A brief review shows that at first we fought to be citizens, we then had to fight for the franchise. And, finally we had to fight as citizens, with the right to vote, to participate in the elec torate. Now, let’s face the facts, we are damn good fighters. We seem to think of ourselves as’poor losers, wny can t we view ourselves as winners and act like the winner we are? Looking from the political point of view Black people are becoming very content with having won a few fights. We must realize, like all champions, we must defend ourselves against all newcomers any place and at anytime. Whether it be South Africa or Atlanta, our chief adversary today is Ronald Reagan and his new federalism. Who do we put in the right against such an awesome fighter? Do we put Fredrick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Nat Turner, W.E.B. By Eric Tharpe DuBois, Martin Lather King Jr., or Malcom X? Of course not. Or do we rely on Jessie Jackson, Andy Young,Tom Bradley, Ben Chavis, Ben Hooks, Joseph Lowery, Coleman Young, or Walter Faun- troy? We all know these men have seen many fights themselves. We are big boys and girls now so why can’t we do our own fighting? We must be realistic and put things in the proper prospective. Sure we like to party down, we can party til our hearts are content, but let’s also rally. I know a lot of us like to drink and smoke pot, but let’s not forget what “booze” did for the native Americans, or how opium was used on the Chinese people. We all like to have good times, but we can’t have good times if we don’t have any rights. We must make it as hard if not harder for them to take away our rights as it was for us to gain them. After the first and second round of the fight, on my scorecard, Mr. Reagan and his new federalism are far ahead of the champion. The champion appears not to be fighting back. Maybe we (blacks) are waiting to be knocked down like they say we always do til it hits home first before we act. But, against Ronald “Reaganomic” Reagon, let us act now. Students as potential leaders of the black community we must be a fighting champion. We need to make a history for our generation to motivate the future generations. All black people have the same problems, we share the same objectives. Why can’t we have the same idiology? Let’s try “a continual struggle to be winners,” it’s up to us (studnets) to make something new happen in the 1980's.