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Spelman Spotlight April, 1985 Along the color line ... Bill Gray: The First Black Vice President? by Dr. Manning Marable It’s no secret that the Democratic Party’s leaders are now desperately attempting to repudiate their ties to liberalism, the welfare state, and the legacy of the Great Society. Last month’s defeat of Gary, Indiana mayor Richard Hatcher as party vice chair andthedillutionofthe “special interest" caucuses con cerned with gay and progressive causes are signs that party of ficials are moving aggressively to the right. In late February, a group of conservative Democrats from the South and West announced the formation of an "independent council,” led by "neoliberal" Represen tative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri. The goal of this group, according to Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, is to move the Democrats back into “mainstream America” in short, to reduce or eliminate the in fluence of Blacks, Hispanics, women's groups, and organized labor. In the House of Represen tatives, a similar rush to the right has occurred. In an interesting move, a pragmatic “neoliberal” has been named to replace Congressman James Jones as chair of the powerful House Budget Committee. Although elected to Congress only in 1978, he has impressed conservatives and the corporate media for "preaching fiscal austerity.” Ac cording to Business Week, the new budget chair is regarded by "some business lobbyists as one of the few congressmen capable of persuading his fellow Democrats to rein in social spending.” What is most sur prising, however, is that this new Congressional powerbroker, who tells his friends he is a “closet moderate,’’ is Philadelphia’s Black Con gressman Bill Gray. Gray’s roots are similar to those of other civil right leaders. The son and grandson of preachers, Gray is also a Baptist minister. On his second attempt, he defeated longtime Con gressman Robert Nix for Con gress. During Gray’s first years in Congress, his voting record was extremely progressive. Gray became Congress’ leading figure in the struggle against apartheid South Africa. As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ “Foreign Affairs Brain Trust,” Gray proposed an amendment to the Export Administration Act, calling for penalties for U.S. firms that make new investments inside South Africa. In early 1984 Gray initiated an emergency appropriation of $90 million for African drought victims, months before the Reagan administra tion even acknowledged the crisis of hunger on the continent. As vice chair of the Black Caucus. Gray helped to write progressive "alternative budgets" in 1982 and 1983 which would have shifted billions of dollars from the military toward human needs, including jobs and health care programs. Yet along the way there were disturbing signs that Gray was maneuvering toward an accom modation with conservative forces. Joining the Ap propriations Committee in 1980, Gray soon impressed Jones as being “accomplished on fiscal matters.” He provided modest rhetorical support for Jesse Jackson’s 1984 Presidential cam paign, yet quietly kept all lines of communication open to Mon dale's aides. After the 1984 election, Gray began to talk like Gephardt and other centrist white Democrats. Gray informed the press that he favored discuss ing a proposed joint spending freeze on social programs and the Pentagon budget. He now protested that the alternative budgets were "largely sym bolic,” and argued that all con stituencies had to "suffer a little” in developing a budget. At least one memberoftheBlackCaucus complained that Gray had “sold out to the Boll Weevils to get the budget job.” More surprises were in store when the "Free South Africa Movement” began this winter. Hundreds of Con gressmen, religious leaders, trade unionists and civil rights activists - including one Republican Senator - have gone to jail in nonviolent demonstrations to protest the apartheid regime’s brutality. But Gray was not seen on the picket lines; he was not with his colleagues in November and early December when most of the Black Caucus went to jail for a moral cause. The “price” for the Budget Committee chair took precedence over anti apartheid agitation. This month Gray has joined Gephardt’s “independent coun cil," openly throwing his grow ing prestige with right wing Democrats, the strongest op ponents of the Rainbow Coali tion. What next? It seems probable that the insurgent conservative Democrats need a Black politician with “liberal credentials” to checkmate the liberals and progressives inside the party. Since Gray is more than willing to cooperate, we might expect a biracial Democratic Party ticket in 1988 or, at the latest, by 1992. At the top will be someone like Virginia Governor Charles Robb, Arkan sas Governor Bill Clinton, or perhaps even the ultimate yup pie, Gary Hart. In the second slot could be Bill Gray, a man who claims that “the key to politics is to never let anyone pin a liabel on you.” Sacrificed to this marriage of convenience could be the vital interests of the Black and Hispanic communities. Dr. Manning Marable teaches political sociology at Colgate University. “Along the Color Line" appears in over 140 newspapers internationally. Spelman Editor-in-Chief Layout Editor Carolyn Grant Photo Editor Natalie Heard Sports Editor Jennifer Satterfield Circulation Manager Marie Roberts Associate Editor Triphenya Zachery Literary Editor Lynette Glover Reporters Carol Lawrence News Editors Jennifer Aldridge Jasmine Williams Margaret Cochran Health Editor Debbie Marable Valerie K. Bright Angela Hubbard Teri N. Lee Feature Editor Triphenya Zachery Art Editor Wanda Yancey Dawn M. Lewis Debra Johnson Political Editor Photographers Advisor Sydney Perkins Kathleen Tait Kimberly McElroy Joanna Griffith 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 1239, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia 30314. Telephone numberis 525-1743. Dear Readers, The Spotlight encourages you to vowe your opinions, make suggestions or comments and to air your grievances. All letters must be typed and signed. Sincerely yours, Spelman Spotlight Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, Students Against Famine in Ethiopia/Africa or S.A.F.E., an organization that has existed for only three months, has already achieved great success. Our goal is to unite all the colleges and uniersities across the country in order to raise a large sum of money for the starving people of Africa. There are over 10 million students within the 3,500 schools and we are trying to tap this tremendous resource of college students. We propose that, on April 25, 1985, every student across America give up a lunch or the monetary equivalent (ap proximately one dollar). We realize that a normal lunch costs approximately $2.50, but because of the overhead and other lunch program expenses, the net donation is approximate ly one dollar. Although you have the option to have each student give up a dollar in cash, the preferred method is sacrificing a lunch through the meal plan system. Only after considerable effort should you resort to the donation of one dollar. S.A.F.E. has found out that many schools have done similar programs and have been very successful. This shows the concern of students across the country and deals a blow to the “students are apathetic” arguement, but the situation in Africa calls for in creased efforts. The important point concerning our proposal is that we are trying to unify all of the students in a common goal and if we all pull together, we can raise a very large sum of money and make an impact in Africa that could save millions of lives. If everyone donates at least a dollar, we will raise 10 million dollars. We have sent out three letters: one to the student council president, the college pres dent and the chaplain of every school in the country. By the end of the week, a letter to every college newspaper will be sent. We have also been actively working with C.A.R.E. which has sent letters to all the radio stations informing them of our efforts and has created an advertisement for the school newspapers in the New England area. While C.A.R.E. is concentrating on New England, the American Red Cross and Save the Children are working on the national level. We met with President Schubert of the Red Cross in Washington and he is contacting their 200 major chapters across the country. These local chapters will in turn contact the area schools and help spread the word. Save the Children has sent out letters to all the campus newspapers across the country and the combined organizations have over 800 direct contacts which they are currently getting in touch with. Our idea is to saturate each school with as many letters and different angles as possible. One particular angle is the media, we have received great support. S.A.F.E. has been interviewed by local and national media. S.A.F.E. has been written up by USA Today, UPI, the Boston Globe, Manchester Union Leader, and have recently been interviewed by theChristian Science Monitor and AP and expect articles to be printed soon. We have also had interviews with Voice of America (listening audience of over 45 million people), WEE! andWHTT in Boston, and WGIR in Manchester, New Hampshire. The purpose of this letter is to further inform you of our efforts and to encourage you to join us in our efforts to save millions of lives. We hope that you will contact your student council and administration to get the program started for April 25th. Sincerely, Brett Matthews '88 David Steinberg ’88