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Page 2 Spelman Spotlight February 1982 Africa Needs Aid From America by Dr. JAMES H. MEREDITH The goal of black people in the 1980's should be: •to lay the groundwork for the attainment of total freedom, and •to accept complete respon sibility for determining the fate of their own future. American blacks in particular must come to realize how rich they are compared to other black people of the world. They must accept the responsibility of helping other blacks to enjoy a higher standard of living. Every group of Americans except black Americans look out for the interest of the people of their homeland. The American blacks must do the some for Africa. Every time an African child dies because he doesn't have proper food to eat, a little piece of the American black's soul dies too. The following figures and facts are from the annual report of the Agency for International Development (AID) submitted to Congress last month. AID is the largest U.S. agency working for black Africa. It has offices in every black African country. Among its findings: •The quality of life in black Africa remains the world’s lowest. The food produced for each black African is now declin ing by 1.4 percent each year. •The average daily nutrition for a black African is 1,590 calories and 55 protein grams. Thisismuch lessthan halfthatfor an average American. •Life expectancy averages 43 years, compared to 71 years in the United States. •Eighty percent of all Africans are illiterate; the same percen tage has no access to health services of any kind. •The transportation system is inadequate to get agricultural and social services to the people or to get food to the markets. The AID report also said Africa has great potential for water and land development. According to the report, if Africa gets help, it could increase grain yields by the year 2000 by 25 million tons. Of course, I have seen with my own eyes what AID was telling Congress. I have seen half of the people starving slowly to death. I have seen people dying because they could not get simple medicine that would not cost a dollar in the United States. The world is divided into so- called developed countries, developing countries, and un developed countries. All un developed countries are black. Sonce the end of World War 11, all focus has been on developing the undeveloped and un derdeveloped countries. There has been little development. I have studied the situation for several years. My conclusion is that there is only one group of people who is capable of bring ing about speedy development of the continent of Africa. That group is American blacks. Africans do not have technical know-how. Black Americans do, and they have the resources— technology, education, and money. They have everything to gain by using their knowledge and resources to develop Africa. No black person will ever be completely free anywhere in the world until black people are free somewhere in the world. Africa is the only place where it is possible for any black to become free. Black people outside the con tinent of Africa must come to know that they will never be free until Africa is free. By the same token, black Africans must realize that they will never be free without the black people who live outside the continent of Africa. In our time of weakness, the black race was divided, separated, and split apart. We must be made whole again. The family must be reunited. There is a legend existing among the masses of people in black Africa. It says that the lost children will return one day and save the people. The day has come for the reunification of black people. This must be our main goal. All of the children— black Americans—-have been found. The wheel of the black race must be put back together so it can roll. The development of Africa and the reunification of black people is one and the same. The lost children have everything that Africa needs in order to develop. Africa is the only hope for the vindication of black peo ple. Dr. lames H. Meredith was the first black to enroll and graduate from the University of Mississip pi. We Are Our Responsibility by Lisha B. Brown Associate Editor There is a sense of individuality infiltrating our Black culture that is pulling us farther apart every day. I hear cries for unity among Blacks, unity among the A.U. Center institutions, sisterhood among Spelmanites, understan ding between Black males and females. But I also hear, “Eley, that’s not my problem," or “That sounds like a personal problem to me: I can’t (won’t) deal." These are not the sounds of hypocrisy among Black people; they are sounds of emotional confusion produced by a cultural conflict that is plaguing today’s Blacks. We cry for unity because it is in our hearts. We need to be together; we thrive on the closeness that comes with being Black. Unity is an innate characteristic of our culture-of our people. But it conflicts with the ideology of the dominate culture in our American society. We are torn between what we feel in our hearts and what society tells us is right. We are told "It’s your thing, do what YOU wanna do.” We hearothers say, “Hey, I’ve got mine. Now you get yours.” But we must abandon this individualistic way of thinking. This sense of “me- ness” is infiltrating our culture and gradually destroying the sense of "we-ness” that has kept our people together in Africa, throughout slavery and the movement in the 60’s. We are not an individualistic culture, but we are very con fused. We can not see that the constant thought of “me” or “I” is a device to increase the division among us. It is defined as healthy competition; and of course our country loves to be highly competitive in all it does. However, this unnaturally high level of competition does not allow any form of unity. It does create alienation from others, loneliness, and emotional depression. If we continueadop- ting this sense of individuality and irresponsibility for one another we will always feel weak, insecure, and susceptible to any injustices society wishes to throw upon us. Being Black has always meant looking out for one another. We must realize that this concept of “me-ness” is dangerous to our culture. We must strive for the progress of our people. While we grow to improve ourselves, we must be sure that self- improvement is beneficial to us all. We can't afford not to care about what is happening to our people in Africa, in Haiti, in America, within the Atlanta University Center, in our neighborhoods, etc. Awareness of ourselves, and ourtrue history is essential. We must work to bring about this unity we are crying for. There are no heroes for Black people; we only have each other. And if we abandon one another and refuse to be responsible for ourselves, then we as a culture are lost. Editor-In-Chief Bridgett M. Davis Photography Editor Melvin Jones Associate Editor Lisha B. Brown Circulation Manager Glenda Patterson Reporters Nancy Bowman Eric Brown Managing Editor Susan Hart Business Manager Denise Reynolds Rosalyn Carey Dawn Dickerson Veronica Green Office Manager Carla Thomas News Editors Karen Burroughs Copy Editors Ronda Killens Glenda Patterson Layout Editor Kimberly Harding Lisa Hobbs Angela Jackson Sharon Jones Valerie ^ette Carolyn Robinson Lynne Shipley Spotlight Advisor Features Editors Judy Gegree-Hewitt Lisa Turner Tony Magby Art Editor Debra Johnson Special Features Editors Angela Moore Diane Moss Health Editor Carla Johnson Artists Luis Davway Rita Lewis Russell Watts The Spelman Spotlight is a bi-monthly publication produced by and for the students of Spelman College. The Spotlight office is located in the Manley College Center, lower concourse, of Spelman College. Mail should be addressed to Box 50, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia 30314. Telephone numbers are 525-1743.