HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: locker@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Locker )
Subject: Re: African-American Literature and History for the Young
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 04:53:32 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.163759.15720@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> bld5g@curry.edschool.Virginia.EDU (Beneita Lavon Dennis) writes:
>	However, most of the literature which expresses the
>beauty and importance of our history is written at a level that
>is beyond the understanding of the average elementary
>student.  Therefore, if anyone knows of books or films about
>African-American history or that have African-Americans as the
>main character which will appeal to a young mind please email
>me at bld5g@faraday.clas.virginia.edu

There is an author in St. Louis who has published a number of these books.
Her name is Patricia McKissack.  I attended a presentation she gave to a
number of scholars at Washington University in St. Louis last year at which
she gave a bit of background information about her books.  Her books
provide African fables and other short stories that appeal to children at
about the 1st-3rd (?) grade level.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific, but if you want more information,
e-mail me directly and I can refer you to a friend at WashU who knows Ms.
McKissack personally.

>					Beneita Dennis

Jon Locker
U. of Illinois 

coming soon:  Bill & Al's Excellent Adventure

Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: johnson@whitewater.chem.wisc.edu (Arthur Johnson)
Subject: Perot's back in
Organization: Physical Sciences Lab, UW-Madison
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 20:48:31 GMT

     Just heard on the news that Ross Perot is now officially a  
Presidential candidate. No word on who his VP is. Well, I guess it's back  
to the least of three evils.

Arthur Johnson
johnson@offroad.chem.wisc.edu
From: jumper@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Michael Lanham)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: is power needed for racism?
Date: 2 Oct 92 22:03:44 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: North Carolina State University

I saw another article today in the student newspaper.  This one promoted what
I considered a myth by 'PC'-sensitive people.  The author wrote:

A black cannot be racist, for racism implies the power to execute racist
attitudes. (Not exact quote but close enough)

I remember arguing with my soc prof who said the same thing.  Who agrees with
such sentiment?  May I ask why?  Since there are many Koreans who argue they
are discriminated against(ie have racism practiced on them) then following the
above reasoning, the Koreans themselves could not be racist.  Yet I have heard
Rev Jackson and Al Sharpton among others saying the exact opposite.  

Why is there such double-speak?  Say a white dude is interviewing and his
prospective employer is black.  The prospective employer feels she should hire
a black person instead of a white.  Is that not racism?  On the individual
scale to be sure, but racism anyway?  The article was promoting the aims of a
group of students who want to exclude whites from entering a black cultural
center.  It was also complaining because the cultural center was not a sole
-purpose building--she failed to note the old single purpose building was far
too small, in need of various repairs, and that the new building is the newest
one on the entire campus.

So, do blacks need "institutional power" before they can be racist?  Can an
individual be racist if he/she is not white?  

He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool;
and he who dares not is a slave.      --- Sir William Drummond

Michael Lanham       mjlanham@eos.ncsu.edu   &  jumper@catt.ncsu.edu
From: mikep@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Mike Powell)
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 03:03:31 GMT
Subject: Re: Apportioning blame
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (SRSD MWTD)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american


	Previous poster quotes:

	"We have confused want with need, and right with choice."
	
	

	This is so right-on...  Never heard it put so simply and
	clearly....

	I'm so tired of people _demanding_ things like the fabled
	"living wage" and the "affordable housing" and ESPECIALLY
	demanding an "opportunity".

	The act of demandaing an opportunity is a SELF-DESTRUCTIVE
	ACT.  The simple reasons for this are:

		1 - It presupposes that an opportunity is not 
		    currently available.

		2 - It presupposes that opportunities must be _given_
		    and ignoring the possibility of CREATING
		    opportunity.

	These two factors that are built-in to the "demand for opportunity"
	idea are so crippling to anyone who buys into that self-destructive
	mind set that it becomes self-perpetuating.

	People striving to attain success in ANY area, often learn early
	on that one of the most important things in achievement is to
	"ask empowering questions".

	To ask "how come blacks have no opportunity in this country?" is
	about as screwed-up and disempowering question that can possibly
	be asked, and yet many of us ask this type of question over and
	over again....  and it is WE who ask the questions!

	An empowering question would be: "What opportunity is sitting
	right in front of me, that I have not seen before?"

	Now _that_ question can get results....  it actually presupposes
	the opposite of the first, namely, it presupposes that opportunity
	ALREADY EXISTS, and prompts the individual to find it, whereas
	the first question is enough to make one fall into depression.

	Time to ask better questions.  Whites don't force Black America
	to ask bad questions... asking bad questions is second nature
	to most everyone, and the only thing stopping anyone from asking
	good questions is simply _choice_.  Black America must choose how
	it wants to view the world.... how it wants to frame questions (that
	ultimatly determine the quality of the answers).

	Peace.

	-Mike-
From: gainer@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Larry Gainer)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Fun Fact (was Re: re quayle vs. murphy)
Date: 29 Sep 92 02:21:30 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <1992Sep24.000333.23168@morrow.stanford.edu> HF.GTD@forsythe.stanford.edu (Gabrielle Daniels) writes:
[material deleted]
>old.  Meanwhile, I was shocked when I learned that the five-year old
>son of another friend really dug Schwarzeneggers Total Recall.  Kept
>replaying it on the VCR.  Sorry, that stuff was even too strong for
>me to take:  too many bodies blown up and away.  Rots the mind.
>
The movie "Total Recall" was based on a short story by Philip K. Dick 
named "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale."  The screenplay for the
movie included a number of changes in the plot, but the basic premise
of a main character whose brain had been wiped clean and who had new
memories implanted was pretty similar.  In addition, most of the characters
in the movie (for example, the employees at the "travel agency") had the
same names as they did in the story.  Except that in the movie the -
brain-wiped main character played by Republican role model Schwarzeneggar
was named Quaid, whereas in the story his name was....






QUAIL!

(of course the spelling is different, but who cares about spelling anyway)




Larry











-- 
Larry Gainor
Austin Community College
Internet: gainer@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: Re: Marxism (was Re: Pessimism
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 00:49:32 GMT

This is in reply to cwm54@cas.org, who wrote:
:
:
:    I think of myself as more of a democratic socialist in the mode of
:> some western European countries. Have your capitalism but with socialist
:  underpinning. When ten percent of the people control ninety percent of
:  the wealth,I have problems with that. Particularly when very few of those
:  people look like me. Capitalism is neither blind nor objective but even
:  if it were should one be rewarded so disproportionately based on genetic
:  traits ie. natural ability? If the most beautiful people physically were
:  afforded privilege by virtue of their beauty this country would be in an
:  uproar. likewise, because someone inherits intellect,wealth or white skin
:  should they be able to live in suburbia while those who work hard or want
:  to work hard live in cardboard boxes,without health insurance or political
:  power? I'm willing to sacrifice so that LESS FORTUNATE people have at
:  least a decent minimal standard of living.

Well, now, here we definitely agree.  I wonder how many Americans to
some agree would endorse this statement and realize that help of others
-- by public as well as private means -- is in the national interest.

It's a question that goes unanswered because our country is almost
completely without politicians who will devote (risk) their careers
to the study of this problem.  How do you get people to agree to self
sacrifice in a nation that essentially shows a preference toward
those who "help themselves" (read: are able to) ?

The history of Rome that *I* read boiled down to this:  Rome fell because
not one of its emperors, in the end, had the desire or the courage to 
take any public action to save it.  Corruption and violence became the
rule of the land, and that being so, how bad could the invading barbarians
really be?

The pessimistic account of our history would say that this is our fate
as well.  Another account might say that no one since Kennedy has run
for major office on a platform of national sacrifice, and maybe it's
time a few did.

Aaron

Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: chriswa@microsoft.com (Chris Waldron)
Subject: Re: Democrats,republicans;black athletes
Date: 05 Oct 92 02:53:12 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

In article <1992Sep24.205551.6070@oracle.us.oracle.com> mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman) writes:
>In article <1992Sep18.191449.22890@utkux1.utk.edu> koosman@utkux1.utk.edu (Toby Koosman) writes:
>>In article <198r3hINNm3a@agate.berkeley.edu> ph111-bx@violet.berkeley.edu 
>>(;;;;7202) writes:
>
>>>Well here's what Charles Barkley has to say on whom he's voting for
>>>president:  "I'm a multimillion-dollar black man.  If I ever get
>>>divorced, I'll be a million-dollar black man.  If Bill Clinton gets
>>>elected, I'm just a black man."
>
>>>-- San Francisco Chronicle, 9/16/92
>
>>Golly, you mean Clinton is into serious redistribution of wealth?
>>Incredible.  Wait till all those eligible voters in low income
>>neighborhoods hear about this, they'll get their fannies to the polls in
>>no time!
>
>Actually, I think that waht Barkley means is that the only thing
>liberals think is important about him is his color, not how much money
>he makes or anything else.
>
>Kind of like Willie Horton - conservatives saw a rapist and murderer.
                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Liberals saw a black man.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>-- 
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>I am not an official Oracle spokesman.  I speak for myself and no one else.


That not true.  Lee Atwater in his "death" bed article in Life magazine intent
was to wrap a BLACK rapist murderer around Mike Dukaksis.  The actual intent
of Willie Horton was in fact racist as admitted to by Atwater.

ChrisWa.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: HF.GTD@forsythe.stanford.edu (Gabrielle Daniels)
Subject: Re: Pessimism
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 00:21:57 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.213711.4835@oracle.us.oracle.com>,
mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman) writes:
>
>Actually, I think the tunnle vision is on the other side.  See below...
>
>>The Irish may be the n-----rs of the British Isles and the Chinese
>>may have come here because of the Opium Wars, overpopulation, famine
>>and what not.  But on the totem pole, [...] Asians
>>are admitted more into white suburbs than economically or
>>intellectually fit Afro-Americans--in other words, they have what I
>>call "honorary white status."
>
>So how did they get this "honorary white status"?  Perhaps whites just
>naturally find yellow more aesthetically pleasing than black?  Or
>maybe it's something a little more complicated.
.
.
.
Yeah, stupid. Maybe, just maybe, it's racism.
From: johnson@offroad.chem.wisc.edu (Arthur Johnson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: In the wrong place, at the wrong time
Date: 3 Oct 92 17:55:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: pslu1.1992Oct3.175504.17958
Organization: Physical Sciences Lab, UW-Madison

In article <1992Oct3.051347.16511@news2.cis.umn.edu>  
mmoore@staff.tc.umn.edu ("None of ya Bizness") writes:
>
     [...stuff deleted...]
 
> So what do yall think?  Is it a big deal over something trivial or do
> these people actually got a beef (the po-lice of course)?

     Somehow, this doesn't sound like a case of a group of gang members  
just wanting to waste a cop. It sounds more like a professional hit to me.  
If Haaf really was operating his own private shakedown racket, that's more  
likely the real motive, rather than some alleged "declaration of war" on  
the cops by the gangs. I've heard that the Minneapolis Police Department  
used to be incredibly corrupt. Is that still the case?
 
> RACIALLY TORN IN MINNEAPOLIS

     <heavy sigh> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Malcolm Diallo Moore, CIS-Univ. of Minn.                 
mmoore@staff.tc.umn.edu

Arthur Johnson
johnson@offroad.chem.wisc.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: HF.GTD@forsythe.stanford.edu (Gabrielle Daniels)
Subject: Re: This Week in Black History (10/5 - 10/11 1992)
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 20:06:29 GMT

In article <ISBELL.92Oct5092443@panther.ai.mit.edu>,
isbell@ai.mit.edu (Charles L Isbell) writes:
>Today is Monday October 5, 1992.
>
>(My comments are in brackets:  [])
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>October   5
>
>October   6  Fannie Lou Hamer, freedom fighter, born 1917
>
.
.
Say, homeboy from hell, you forgot some folks...

October 5   Autherine Lucy Foster born in 1929.
October 5   Yvonne Braithwaite Burk born in 1932.
October 17  First bank for blacks organized: The Capital Savings
            of Washington, D.C.
October 27  Ruby Dee born in 1927.
October 14  Martin Luther King Jr. is the youngest man to win the
            Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

...and I'll ignore your signature line.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: Rodney's missing seconds
From: galan@netlink.cts.com (Greg Gross)
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 92 10:39:58 PDT
Organization: NetLink Online Communications, San Diego CA

by785@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Robin Gibson) writes:

> 
> In a previous article, HF.GTD@forsythe.stanford.edu (Gabrielle Daniels) says:
> 
> >Anybody with any other ideas about the "missing seconds"?
> >
> I'm with you!  I was like, "so THIS is what folx have been bitching
> about not seeing?" -- I just couldn't believe it.  And I surely hope
> that all those whiners saw that nonsense last night so they can shut the
> hell up!
> 
> But I'll betcha this:  someone will STILL say that that couldn't have
> been all of the footage, blah, blah, blah, blah, etc., etc...
> 
> Robin
> -- 
> Robin L. Gibson      gibson@email.ncsc.navy.mil
> Coastal Systems Station
> Panama City, FL  32407-5000


re "the missing seconds"...

The would-be apologists for the Simi Valley jury and the Four Policemen 
of the Apocalypse refuse to understand that it makes no difference 
WHATSOEVER what took place on the heretofore unseen portion of the tape, 
whether it was seconds, minutes or DAYS.

The point is that Rodney King had been subdued, was down, was NOT 
offering resistance.  But he continued to be beaten...and beaten...and 
beaten...as well as kicked in the head. 

For all the attempted apologies and alibis for this shameful performance, 
no one has yet managed to justify the actions of those four officers, or 
the jury that acquitted them. And they never will.
G.

--
Gregory Alan Gross      Welcome to life, where no good deed goes unpunished.
San Diego Union-Tribune         (619) 293-1270 (voice)
P.O. Box 191                    (619) 293-2333 (fax)
San Diego, CA 92112-4106        galan@netlink.cts.com (Internet)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: cwm54@cas.org ()
Subject: Re: African names-why aren't there more of them?
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Distribution: soc
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 14:38:11 GMT




  stuff deleted

>
>You might think that I"m putting too much importance on trivial matters,
>but to me, a name is very important.  So, here are my questions:
>
>1)What do you think of this name business?  Do you agree with my opinions?
>  Do you think that african-americans should always strive to have a name
>  that reflects the african culture of their ancestors?
>
>2)If you are an african-american, why did you change/not change your
>  family name?  Or is their a point to keeping the slaveowner's name?
>  kinda like "so that we shall never forget the ordeal that our ancestors
>  went through" (akin to Holocaust survivors keeping their tatoos to remind
>  the world of their ordeal)
>
>3)Even if one's ancestors were free blacks, don't you think it would be
>  good to adopt an African name, so that one can begin the process of
>  renewing one's ties to one's roots in Africa?
>
>4)Or do I err in assuming that most african-american's family names of today
>  are necessarily that of the slaveowner of the past?
>
>Sorry if these questions seem so dumb.  It's just that after reading up on
>black history, I wonder why most african-americans don't change their name,
>the way some black leaders did in the 60's.  Thank you for your answers.
>
>Disco Junkie



    I think this is a valid question but one in which there isn't one right
    answer. I believe many more people would change their names if we knew
    more than nebulously the family who enslaved our ancestors. As it is,
    for most african americans, we only know that some people named ______
    did that dastardly deed. For me, the name "Maupin" is now OUR family
    name. In addition it would hurt moms and pops who aren't quite as radical
    as their son and I like being associated publically with them as well
    as the rest of my family. Still, I understand your point. When I read
    your post there were mixed feelings about this topic. The truth for
    me is that we african americans have so many battles to fight
    that we must pick and choose which ones are most important for the
    struggle. I guess that doesn't rank very high now. We have a long
    history of being able to subjugate  unpleasantries in order to
    deal with more pressing issues. If we thought about all the slights
    and indignities we experience every day of our lives, all of us would
    be mental cases.

       I don't think it's a dumb question at all. Ironically, if things ever
    get better for us, we may very well change our names because the illness
    would be cured and we can work on more cosmetic changes.

		 I won't hold my breath.

					Carlyle

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  These views are mine only and not those of CAS.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: pierce@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Brad Pierce)
Subject: Re: Prejudice vs racism
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 16:44:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.020855.8239@ncsu.edu> jumper@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Michael Lanham) writes:

>Is there a difference between prejudice and racism? 

Prejudice is simply "an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just
grounds or before sufficient knowledge". It is an age-old and natural
heuristic that guides and misguides all finite creatures (such as human
beings).

Racism, however, is a relatively recent European invention.  Akin to
astrology or phrenology, racism is the pseudoscience of dividing the
human species into subspecies called "races", supposedly decisively
different biologically. Delusions that "race" determines psychocultural
traits and capacities, that some "race" is inherently superior to some
other "race", that some "race" has the right to dominate other "races",
as well as the political systems based on such delusions, are a natural
chain of symptoms that will only find permanent relief in the uprooting
of the underlying cause, namely a belief in racism.

-- Brad Pierce

p.s. 1992 is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of
anthropologist Ashley Montagu's landmark _Fallacy of Race_.  According
to an appendix in that original edition, fifty years ago 30 of the 48
US states had laws prohibiting "miscegenation". For example, California
considered "illegal and void" all marriages between whites and members
of the following ethnic groups: "Negroes, Mongolians, Mulattoes, or
members of the Malay race."
Organization: Central Michigan University
Date: Tuesday, 29 Sep 1992 18:15:22 EDT
From: <3ZASIB3@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: Prejudice vs racism
 <1992Sep29.025425.15788@midway.uchicago.edu>
 <92273.1201283ZASIB3@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
 <1992Sep29.173856.18339@midway.uchicago.edu>

Geoff's notion that racism is universal ignores concrete reality.  That is
not to say that *ethnic discrimination* has not been manifested historical-
ly.  Such differences and accompanying conflicts did not begin with
Europe.  On the other hand, the notion of race and racism has its own parti-
cular history.  Check out Winthrop Jordan.  I already suggested the real
experts on the question (e.g. Montague and others) be consulted.
Read some of these works in which the issues race and racism have examined,
then maybe we can raise the discussion above your *personal* opinion and
a desire to obfuscate the particular and powerful history or Europe's
*scientific* scheme to subordinate the whole world of color. Bob
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
From: O1ADAMS@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Debbie Adams)
Subject: Re: Rodney's missing seconds
Organization: The University of Akron
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 04:44:00 GMT

>But I'll betcha this:  someone will STILL say that that couldn't have
>been all of the footage, blah, blah, blah, blah, etc., etc...
>
 
I agree with you.  Some people will not let it die because they can't believe
it themselves.  The proof is in the pudding as they say.  I thought that part
of the show was great.  Thanks to Andy!!!  Andy and the person who took the
the video need an Emmy!!!
 
Debbie
 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american