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~ Spelmcm , ( ^parLic f H-i V THE VOICE OF BLACK WOMANHOOD Vol. XXX, No. 4 Atlanta, Georgia January-February, 1987 Professor Comments on the Black Artist on Iran-Contra Arms Scandal Display at the High By Kimberly Y. Smith Dr. Manning Marable is pro fessor of political science and sociology at Purdue University. “Along the Color Line” appears in over 140 newspapers internationally. The Iran-Contra arms scandal may mark the final chapter of Reaganism, a political move ment of the far Right based on militariam, economic greed, pseudopatriotism, and racial bigotry. Its principal spokesper son, President Ronald Reagan, no longer manipulates the public’s condidence. Back in September, an ABC News- Washington Post Poll stated that Reagan’s personal approval rating was 67 percent. After news was released that the President had, in effect, traded guns for hostages with the Ira nian regime, his approval rating slumped to 53 percent. By ear ly December, his overall public approval rating slid down to 46 percent, the sharpest one- month decline ever recorded by any public opinion polls which measure presidential popularity. Reagan was quick to blame all of his troubles on the media, the convenient “whipping boy” of all politicians. But any analysis of recent opinion polls disputes the interpretation that “Reagan- bashers” are the cause of the President’s problems. A majori ty of Americans believe that Reagan is lying about the scan dal. Fifty-three percent state that Reagan himself must have been aware “that money from the Ira nian arms sales was going to help the contras”; 65 percent believe the Reagan’s top aide Donald Regan also knew; only 36 percent believe that Reagan has the ability to deal with “dif ficult international crises”, and only 27 percent of all Americans would chose Reagan over the U.S. Congress to “make the right decisions on foreign policy.” Many have drawn parallels between the Watergate scandal and the Iran-Contra arms disaster. Indeed, 47 percent of all Americans now believe that the crisis is “as serious for the country as Watergate was,” and 10 percent more believe it is “even more serious.” In both cases, the scandals were in itiated by illegal actions commit ted by presidential employees and lieutenants inside the White House basement — the “plumbers” and the National Security Council. In both cases, the press was forced to extract the truth from conservative Republican administrations in a series of investigative reports. In both instances, the administra tions tried to deny their involve ment in crimes, and refuse to confirm that illegalities existed. Both Watergate and the current crisis are logical outcomes of Republican public policies and administrative styles. For Nixon, there was an utter contempt for the democratic processes, a desire to bend and break the law to obtain power. For Reagan, there is a hatred of Congres sional checks-and-balances, and a belief that the ends justify the means. Reagan has been called the “Teflon President”, a politician so widely popular that virtually nothing he did alienated the ma jority of Americans. Between late 1983 and late 1986, Reagan’s popularity ratings ranged between 57 to 68 per cent. But Reagan has never been popular among Black Americans. Nine out of ten Blacks voted against him in both 1980 and 1984. More than other Americans, we saw through the old actor’s verbal techniques and phony folksy style. Essentially, white America is gradually moving to a perspective which Black America has held of Reagan since 1981. What did we know that whites did not know? We knew, firstly, that the real legacy of Reaganism was high unemployment, factory closings and deteriorating innercities. The laissez faire policies of Reaganomics have destroyed millions of families, and shut down thousands of businesses. Reagan frequently attacked the “tax and spend” Democrats, but offered no real alternatives in fiscal policy. He promised to balance the budget with an amendment to the Constitution, but in practice, he never submit ted to Congress any balanced budget. Reagan vowed to use tough rhetoric to get the Soviets to negotiate arms treaties, yet in practice, he has not eliminated one single ballistic missile through negotiations in six years. Reagan’s charm and good public relations gimmicks fooled many people, but now a majority see that the “emperor” is vulnerable and immoral. No suit of “new clothes,” no new rhetoric, is likely to reverse Reagan’s fall from grace. Dr. Hayward Farrar, a member of the History Depart ment and newly appointed ad visor of the Spelman Spotlight Newspaper has completed a book entitled See What The Afro Says: The Baltimore Afro American 1892-1950. The book, which began as Farrar’s doctorial dissertation from the University of Chicago took nine years of research. Far rar decided to follow the history of The Afro because, he says “I Jacob Lawrence is widely considered one of the most im portant Black artists of the 20th Century. His work is known for its vivid depiction of the Black American experience, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement and beyond. Lawrence works are included in many of the world’s most famous collections, such as those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Vatican. At present, Lawrence pain tings can be viewed at the High Museum of Art here in Atlanta. This exhibition consists of more than 140 works from five decades of “Jacob Lawrence, American Painter,” the most comprehensive survey ever made of Lawrence’s work. His paintings are known for their simple, flat forms, bold coloring and power of emotion. They also illustrate a broad arrange ment of moods and subjects ranging from his impressions of Harlem street life in the 1930’s, By Sherrie McGee taught myself how to read from reading that newspaper.” A native of Baltimore, Farrar also found that many of his relatives had been mentioned throughout the years, as well as himself in the pages of the black publication, which is still publish ed today has about 60,000 cir culation. “The Afro was once one of the biggest black newspapers in the country,” added Farrar. Sec What The Afro Says is sequences on Black History and contemporary life and his recent reflections on the bombing of Hiroshima. These paintings organized chronologically, represent early narrative sequences, not only the remarkable portraits of dai ly life in Harlem during the Great Depression, but also works from his most famous historical series. Some of these emotionally powerful sequences such as “Toussaint L’Overture” and “Harriet Tubman” are devoted to important characters from Black History, while others, such as the Hiroshima paintings, recount crucial events. Lawrence’s work can be view ed at the High Museum of Art from December 16, 1986 through March 1, 1987. The museum is located at Peachtree and 16th Street in the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and open until 9:00 p.m. every Wednesday, Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m., closed Monday. currently being reviewd by the Louisiana State University Press and is an in-depth look at how Black Baltimore evolved to what it is today. Dr. Farrar thinks that it is important to know that at one time Black newspapers such as the Afro were the mouthpiece for the black elite of that time and served to promote a middle-class standing. Farrar said he would like to eventually return home and take-over the 95-year old publication. History Professor Writes Book