WDNP

Savagery in Gaza

2009-01-17T10:43:00.000-05:00

The lack of available commentary from Black journalists and political leaders on the current war raging in Gaza is jarring. My hope is that there exists a sea of relevant expression of which I am simply unaware. If that were so, I would deeply appreciate anyone directing me to it. The debate in the Israeli press far outstrips what is taking place in all segments in America. The discussion here is primarily reflexively pro Israeli or muted. But more frequently there is just a cold detached silence. It is as though Palestinians are not really human and thus their merciless eradication not relevant.

What we are witnessing in Gaza must become the subject of serious concern and dialogue for the entire world. A brazen abuse of power and well-planned carefree warfare is on display against a defenseless civilian population. Israel's political and military leadership seem bent on forcing Hamas to its knees by way of collective punishment of all the citizens of Gaza. In the end this will prove to be just another wrong turn down the same old rickety path leading to a new and even more virulent strain of anti Zionist fervor in the hearts and minds of the next generation of Palestinians.

It is clear that the Israelis and Palestinians are incapable of resolving their complex dispute without intervention. It is equally clear that the most acceptable intervening party is likely to be the United States of America buttressed by allies and states in the region. That said, the entire Middle East would benefit from an entirely fresh approach by American leaders. It cannot continue to be our posture to simply accept, adopt and support the Israeli point of view and corresponding policies without thorough critique and without rigorous objective consideration of other points of view from the region.

Our blind allegiance and obvious favoritism in the current conflict between Hamas and Israel is clearly visible to the entire world. It is quickly unraveling whatever semblance of remaining support that we enjoy in the region and giving great pause to our allies with respect to how closely they can continue to stand with us. And "standing pat" is not a viable option for us, the Arabs or the Israelis. It's time for a drastic change in approach.

Despite all historical interpretations of right and wrong espoused by avenging parties in the Middle East, the United States must not chose sides. Our role cannot be that of dictating winners and losers-there is no credibility whatever in such a posture. America must chart its own course-a course that reflects fairness, justice and our national interests. These must be the collective considerations that balance our approach so as to legitimately render us an honest broker facilitating constructive negotiations between age-old combatants. Our understood purpose must be to help put an end to the violent disputes that too often define daily life for Arabs and Jews alike. Talk of victory by either side is foolhardy, but there must be just and mutually acceptable accommodation. The real victory will be peace through fair and just compromise. And this most desirable state of affairs can only result from an appropriate dose of evenhandedness. It would represent a radical shift in American foreign policy in the Middle East, but it is our only rational course and perhaps the only hope for millions of people.

There is better than an even chance that the current slaughter in Gaza will be over by the time President-Elect Barack Obama takes his oath of office or very shortly thereafter. Regrettably, it appears that the highly disproportional assault on Gaza is operating on a cunningly predetermined timetable-a schedule designed to take advantage of both the aggressive tendencies known to be favored by the outgoing Bush administration and the likely departure there from by the more moderate incoming Obama administration. How I would love to be wrong. For if I am right, we are witnessing a use of force so callous, reckless, depraved and morally debilitating as to defy all concepts of human decency. As a strategy or tactic, such guile would be beneath any civilized people.

The issues driving Gaza are not contrived. They are real and deadly on both sides. Even though some response of the Israeli government to legitimate concerns for the safety of Israeli citizens is justified, what the world is now witnessing is unbelievably harsh. Slaughter is the only appropriate description for the ravaging military pursuit now underway in Gaza. The wanton trampling over the bodies of innocent Palestinians serves no useful purpose. It so terrorizes the populous that it ultimately renders them immune to fear. Thus the fear being engendered loses its desired impact. Docility might be sought but implacability will almost certainly result.

For sure the rockets falling on Israeli territory must cease. But an imprisoned and besieged people cannot be expected to sit and die quietly. It is a chicken and egg scenario that does nothing to inspire hope. Here lies a perpetual breach in search of steady courageous hands. Will those be the Hands of America's new president?

The entire world cries out for a humane response to the death and mayhem visited upon so many women, children and other innocents while the United States stares blankly with a clinched jaw. The "ugly American" is taking on new meaning. No one is always right…not even Israel. For far too long America has invested heavily in never stepping back and never admitting mistakes. That was in another world. In this new world, it is time for a course adjustment in the cause of peace. We must move now and not fail.

January 12, 2009

Discipline of the Brothers

2008-11-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

Much has been made of the magnificent discipline of the Barack Obama campaign apparatus in pursuit of the presidency. In all accounts, the adjectives were glowing. But little has been said about the amazing restraint displayed by potentially controversial Obama supporters. Their active or energetic verbal advocacy would have served as fertile grounds through which desperate detractors in search of the tiniest morsels of taint would certainly have trolled endlessly for contaminates.

Except for a lapse moment and an open microphone Reverend Jesse Jackson was mostly on good behavior throughout. It had been widely expected that Jesse would be unable to resist inappropriate entry into either the policy or political debate surrounding the campaign. Jackson stayed in his lane and was a net plus to the overall effort. All Obama supporters should be appreciative of the Reverends righteous behavior.

Even Reverend Al Sharpton was a bastion of cautionary aplomb. Big Al held down his position with notable distinction. While not taking a back seat on any issue of local injustice he steered clear of inserting himself into the national debate and as such offered no competition to Obama for the mantle of Black thought or antics. Throughout the campaign there were many instances when Obama opponents carelessly cruised the lanes of white racism where Reverend Al might ordinarily have pounced. But he laid quietly in the cut patiently awaiting November 4th. Big ups, Al. You have our absolute respect.

Then there was Louis. How hard the opposition worked and stoked to unearth Louis. Reverend Jeremiah Wright was on the grill being roundly basted and lambasted by the tormenting fires from the deepest hottest hells of republicanism. Searing the flesh of Wright was sweet for the opposition. Just the red meat they cried out for. And then came Father Flager. Oh how delicious—a serving of apostatic delicacy that could only have been divined in one’s deepest state of revivalist froth and delirium. This was just unbelievable. The republican base thrashed about salivating in a ritual anticipated to take on viral proportions amongst the general public leading to the undoing of Obama the Muslim. Not quite, some shouted…we need Louis. With Louis in the brew, the ultimate intoxication would be certain.

Reverend Jesse was too acceptable. And he had not stepped far enough out of bounds for a thorough public excoriation. And Reverend Al had skipped across his tightrope without so much as a stumble. Reverend Wright had erred badly and was thus offered up as a sacrificial lamb; Father Flager added fuel to the fire ignited by Wright. Flager made the fire “White” hot. The religious right had a bundle—but not quite enough to make its anti-G_D ergo anti-American argument. The deal closer was Minister Louis Farrakhan. Together with Wright and Flager, Farrakhan would complete Obama’s “Chicago Trinity of Sacrilege.” But Louis declined the invitation. He demurred with a charming smile. He simply would not play. And for his adversaries the silence was as painful. Surely Obama knew him. Surely they had met. Surely Obama had attended The Million Man March. Surely Farrakhan knew best what we all secretly whispered, “Obama is a Muslim.” Flushing out Louis represented the completion that never came.

Minister Louis Farrakhan was uncharacteristically disciplined. He shut right down. He said and did nothing that might be unfairly used as a weapon to upset Mr. Obama’s chances for success. And because he is known to be so unbridled and at times caustic and bombastic, his tepid actions conveyed a deep sense of concern and affection for both the candidate and the nation. Imagine that, Louis Farrakhan the patriot.

So what now? Will these leaders, Jackson, Sharpton and Farrakhan who stepped out of character for the good of the many be kept out of the new political picture? Will they be treated as outcasts to satisfy the lingering blood lust of hate mongers? Or will there be a path back to the family table for those who make huge contributions though not universally unendorsed. These leaders have followers and supporters who are every bit as, or more, humanistic and American as the self proclaimed stewards of piety who denounce them. These hypocrites should certainly not have the last word.

Answers to these questions will resound. Opening wide the doors of full participation to views other than one’s own are at the core of democracy seated right next to “Mr. Freedom of Religion.” A stern pronouncement that all of our freedoms are in tact and robustly protected by our government is one of the many changes we need now.

Mischievously, we are all left to wonder if Jesse, Al and Louis had executed the ultimate level of discipline and unity. Just imagine that after the dust ups of Wright and Flager they all got together and entered a pact of “Silence Until Victory.” Wow! Nah! Maybe?

November 16, 2008

A Muslim In America

2008-11-10T22:51:00.001-05:00

It is a fascinating time to be Muslim in America. Making sure we do everything to keep our cool in the midst of not so subtle attacks on our faith and us. The emergence of Barack Obama in the high profile game of presidential politics has raised the stakes in the open expression of Islamophobia. Muslim haters who have long operated in the shadows have burst into the sunlight to link arms with the likes of Limbaugh and his minions. The thought of losing the White House to other than a White man is driving extremist Republicans crazy.

In 2008 the vaunted Republican political machine finds itself adrift without a coherent plan to capture the presidency. Absent a strategy, they have opted for a poorly conceived tactical battle rooted in fear mongering and divisiveness. And while their overall success seems dubious, they’ve achieved small thrusts forward when linking Obama to Muslims and terror. Unfortunately there are enough eager acolytes—Democrat and Republican—to make mischief for Obama by distorting the religion issue.

So here’s how it works: “Obama pals around with terrorists” —remember that? “Obama is a Muslim” —of course we remember that. “The greatest threat to our security is radical Islam” —we can never forget that. And the all-encompassing “Theorem of anti-terrorist rectitude”: Arab=Muslim=Terrorist. These well-sequenced mantras have been woven into an anti-intellectual fabric designed to shield ignorance against rational thought. As the adherents of Islamophobia contemplate the vortex to emerge from the “axis of evil” as God struggles mightly against satan, they never stray far from their security blankets. Again and yet again they recite their mantras. So certain are they. It is an inexplicable stupidity that holds just enough public sway to be very dangerous.

Many Americans of all political persuasions are suspicious of Muslims and antithetical towards Islam. The nature of world interconnectedness, however, beckons them to reality. Whether or not they respond depends on their willingness to accept the vulnerability of their own misunderstandings.

It is a poetic irony that the person who most boldly faced down the anti-Muslim crowd is General Colin Powell, a Black Republican Christian. He alone constructed an inescapable box around an anti-everything-else zealot Christian orthodoxy by proclaiming the right, and indeed hopes, that Muslim—and thus other— children will lay claim to the American presidency in their dreams. It was as though through his legitimated eyes and with his entitled throat he came face to face with each of them and said, “Yes You Can.” And in that moment of supreme humanity and ultra rationality, Powell endorsed Barack Obama.

George Bush has waged a war on Muslims and many Americans have enlisted as sympathizers. This war has been so vile and pervasive that Muslims all over America have been somewhat muted in their support for Barack Obama believing that a public outpouring might somehow hamper his quest for the presidency. How sad. But the end is near.

John McCain has attempted to take up the Bush banner against Terrorists/Muslims/Arabs. After thoroughly stoking the “Obama is cozy with terrorists” issue and firing up his supporters against William Ayres/Terrorists/Obama, one supporter told McCain that she feared Obama because he (Obama) was an Arab. McCain demurred, but the floodgates had already been broken open and it was clear to all of us in that moment the toxic entanglement of race and religion that impacts Arab Muslims could have profound consequences for international relations post November 4, 2008. Arab Muslims that I know are almost universally united in the belief that America has been waging war on Islam in the Middle East. And I suspect that notion is not lost on the Arab street. The election of John McBush might well concretize that notion to our detriment.

African American Muslims are uniquely suited to counter excessive anti-Muslim ravings. After all, we have survived both slavery and Jim Crow. For us the most rabid Islamophobia emanates from our own people, mostly Christian, though they have never accused us of being unpatriotic or terrorists. Having been prepared and instructed by history, it is natural for me to reject racist intimidation and, as well, religious intimidation. So as loudly and clearly as possible I exhort, Muslims are here to stay and Barack Obama for President. Insha Allah.

October 23, 2008

But this is Newark

2008-06-17T16:04:00.002-04:00

When schools open this fall, Newark will have a new Superintendent at the helm. Dr. Clifford Janey will take over for retiring Marion Bolden as head of the state’s largest public school district. Janey seems highly capable but will be tested early. He will need all of our support and he will need to craft working relationships within Newark’s many varied constituencies and interest centers.

Janey emerged the winner in a contest that began with the review of 26 candidates and winnowed down to three finalists, Clifford Janey, Donnie Evans and Ross Danis, for the superintendent post. Janey and Evans are both Black and Danis is White. In an informal ranking, the overwhelming majority of the Superintendent Search Committee had Janey at the top of their list followed by Evans and then Danis. Furthermore Janey was accorded top candidate status by a majority if not all of the members of the Newark Public Schools Advisory Board. None of this was secret and clearly found its way to the ears of the Governor. Against this background, it seems reasonable that Janey won the superintendency. While the Governor certainly had the final call, he was not operating without practical constraint. And it would have been virtually impossible for the near inevitability of the Janey selection to fall outside Cory Booker’s intellectual grasp. And while Booker had an opportunity to meet with each finalist, he took no position in favor of any candidate.

But this is Newark. And already folks are jockeying to shape the new superintendent’s perceptions and reality in an effort to favorably position themselves on Dr. Janey’s radar. His, after all, is a powerful position with a large budget. Access is key to power players. And what better way to gain or deny access than to manipulate perceptions.

So it is no wonder that someone planted a story in the “Auditor” section of the Star Ledger last Sunday designed to diminish and sour any influence that Newark Mayor Cory Booker would have with Superintendent Janey. By suggesting publicly that Booker was against Janey, and with a bold stroke aimed at demeaning Booker’s role and point of view in the superintendent selection process, detractors hoped to tarnish the mayor’s reputation on several fronts. It is a flawed strategy destined to fail simply because it does not square with the facts. But this great lie has taken root in some quarters and its masters are doing everything they can to make it viral. We can only hope the truth will provide sufficient inoculation.

The idea of the story was to feed an ongoing strategy to isolate Booker. By pitting him in a struggle with Governor Corzine over the selection of Janey as superintendent, Booker was to be portrayed as against the best interests of Newark school children. It also sought to fan contention between Mayor Booker and Steve Adubato, with whom Booker has had a series of recent dust-ups. Adubato is quoted in the Ledger piece as making a statement that has not been verified and is not likely to be verifiable. Nonetheless, the planted Booker/Corzine/anti-Janey feud story is being peddled all over town and Steve Adubato is now being blamed for it.

According to the story, Booker favored Ross Danis for the job. Steve is quoted as saying of the mayor, “Everybody knows he was with Danis….I don’t think it’s right to have a position and keep it a secret.” Now analyze Steve’s comment. It states a falsehood, accuses the mayor of wrongful behavior and condemns him for harboring a secret. This is pretty powerful stuff. And were it accurate, it might be damning. But it’s just dead wrong.

Put the question of Steve aside for the moment. He did not generate this story. His comments merely capitalized on its existence. There was support for Dr. Danis on the search committee. There was also the idea that Danis could be manipulated to emerge as the ultimate choice while his principal supporters remained hidden. Once it was publicized that Danis was the number three preference of the search committee, this became more complicated. The only possibility of success required making Booker responsible for Danis. That way you get Danis and slam Booker at the same time—hence the “Booker supports Danis” rumors. It was just another “thought-to-be-clever” move among many that surfaced over the selection process.

The “Booker supports Danis” story was circulated for about 3 weeks and generated serious concern in the Governor’s circle. They were assured early on that the assertion lacked credibility. And they were satisfied with those assurances.

But as we know, these things are rarely as simple as they seem. Once mischief-makers had created an opening for destabilization they were emboldened. Their motivation is always “Wedge Driving.” They had a very simple two-step plan: (1) Make the public believe that Booker is for the “White” guy even though he was ranked at the bottom, hopefully driving a wedge between Booker and both the Black and Latino communities; and (2) Signal to Janey that Booker is against his appointment thereby undermining their essential alliance and its unique potential for substantive positive change.

These carefully crafted machinations are, unfortunately, the palliative dispensed by proper people seeking to maintain the status quo. They and their kind are at work all the time. They need the maintenance of a victim class to exist. Strong, independent leadership is not in their interest. The constant manufacture of distraction is a clear strategy to further dependency. We must maintain a proper focus on the goal of creating productive schools with liberating curriculum. Getting caught up in a manufactured Corzine/Booker/Adubato/Janey drama is succumbing to a trick. We have real adversaries and obstacles—and not each other. Sometimes we mistakenly focus on the foil instead of the fault. We are less concerned with what Corzine or Adubato do than what we fail to do. We know the culprits that own this divisive moment and in time so will you.

June 17, 2008

The Pace of Change

2008-06-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

Now that the Democratic Party Primary Elections are over, the real work to create and realize a Barack Obama presidency begins. Many people think that the issue of race will be major over the course of the campaign. We are not naïve but we think it will play far less a role than generation. The real change that is pushing at the fabric of America is generational change. The world is changing; it is getting younger, smarter and more interconnected. Globalization is not just economic; it is social and cultural as well.

The message of the Obama presidential nomination is a message essentially from younger people that the old paradigms are crumbling. Race driven behavior must ultimately give way to thought driven behavior. But the transition won’t be easy. Many of us have grown a wee bit too comfortable in our racial silos and believe the cocoon-like comfort they provide offers our best opportunity to survive and thrive. This widespread belief makes itself manifest in our daily cultural, social and political processes.

An Obama presidency threatens many old norms about race that are predominantly held by the generation preceding him. “Old people with old ideas” are sometimes reluctant to make the arrival of a new generation of leadership anything but a painful breach birth. This generational rift highlights a worrisome contradiction in the African American political community. On the one hand we are uniquely proud of what Senator Obama has accomplished and readily take ownership of his nomination. On the other hand we are fiercely resisting the emergence of young Black and Latino leaders in our midst. This kind of duplicity will always play itself out as increased powerlessness.

Just a week ago there was a struggle over who would be Chairman of the Essex County Democratic Party. The choices were clearly generational. Though feigning otherwise, most in the older generation were unwilling to consider hoisting the younger aspirants to leadership. Among us older African Americans considering a “change” in leadership, there was a clear, though unspoken, lack of confidence in the young folks, even though they were smart, experienced, well trained and well connected. The old folks supported themselves and each other. And despite much fiery rhetoric about systemic and institutional change, in the end the entire hubbub turned out to be about one job for one person. Our community is in the grips of an intellectually dishonest, ruthless, selfish group of politicians. Their political craft is incestuous.

It appears that we will be required to abide this abnormalism for a time yet, but the days of feeding on the futures of our young are nearing an end. It is sheer hypocrisy to be an ardent advocate for Barack Obama on the national scene and virulently against nearly all of his generation in our local community. It raises too many questions that beg for unavailable rational answers.

So here it is. More so than not, young White people are making the Obama phenomenon possible. They have decided to boldly step around stereotypicalism and embrace Barack. And they did so quicker and in larger numbers than did Blacks. And they continue to do so unabashedly and with great enthusiasm at the same moment that we are gobbling up the aspirations of our young. No one can deny the large critical support base that Black Americans provide Obama, but it was, at first, gingerly offered and late coming as though awaiting permission or fearing retribution—but better late than never. Again, it was the older Black generation that expressed the most reluctance and showed the least confidence in this young Black man. And while this truth might not be well received, were it not for the press of young White supporters, there would be no Democratic Nominee Barack Obama. Remember Iowa?

As President Obama reaches around the world to hammer out a reality that measures up to the change of his vision, it will require tough decisions. In Obama's words, “the work of change will be hard.” And we are doing little to prepare our youth to be partners in that work. They won’t get to the table just because they are Black. They will need the experience and track records that only we might care to give them. And we should not complain if they are passed over when we ourselves pass them over each and every day. Obama is on the fast track being propelled by a lot of well meaning Americans, a critical mass of which are young agents of change. Like it or not it is a generation coming of age. A generation bursting out of White America looking to “remake the world.” If political leadership in Black communities holds onto the reigns of opportunity too tightly for too long we will surely choke off opportunities for our youth.

In Newark we cannot remember a generational transfer of power in the African American community that did not leave a liberal pool of political blood on the floor. The “Power concedes nothing without demand” school of thought is taken to extremes with us. We routinely ostracize our babies or condemn them to political death. We have seen two African American mayors come and go without creating a single self-sustaining institution upon which their political progeny could build. Rather, the model that we’ve seen replicated is one of “perceived familial entitlement.” It has not served us well.

The generational struggle in Black and White communities will, no doubt, surge to the fore in the fall Obama presidential campaign. If we are not adequately prepared to fend off its worst consequences, unanticipated possibilities that have befallen us might never be realized. The challenge immediately before us is to open up and embrace a new “politics of inclusion,” beginning in our own community.

Young White people are working hard to throw off their fear and plunge into the future and define change with their behavior. And increasingly they have the support of their elders. What are we waiting for? Let’s stop holding our youth back. It’s time to push them into the pool.

June 4, 2008

The Age of Change

2008-05-28T12:21:00.000-04:00

The American political scene is changing and observers are wondering whether Essex County and Newark will be left behind. On February 5th of this year Barack Obama stormed through Newark and scored a significant victory in “part one” of the Democratic Primary. Even though virtually all the political power brokers were lined up against him, he prevailed and defeated the 60-year-old Hillary Clinton in Newark and the rest of Essex County. The people wanted change and they made their voices heard at the polls. If all goes well they might just elect the 47-year-old Illinois Senator as its first African American President in just a few short months. Such an act would scream “CHANGE” all around the globe.

Two years ago Newark, NJ elected 37-year-old Cory Booker as its Mayor and swept into office with him a group of mostly young councilmen and women that made an unforgettable statement of “CHANGE” in Essex County and New Jersey. Booker defeated 60-year-old Ronald L. Rice and succeeded 70-year-old Sharpe James. This is not just change, it’s generational change.

Just weeks ago in Orange, New Jersey 28-year-old Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. earned the office of mayor by defeating two incumbent council members from his parents’ generation. 68-year-old Donald Page was his closest rival. Hawkins will be succeeding 66-year-old Mims Hackett. So what does it mean to us? It looks like the age of change.

The world and our nation are taking on new challenges, which require new ideas more likely to be found in new leadership. This is not to be mistaken with change for the sake of change. This is change born of necessity and conditions that demand attention and a different approach. More and more people are growing weary of the same tired failed approach. Citizens are increasingly recognizing that incumbency and longevity don’t add up to entitlement. Communities are making choices that are in their best interests. These choices are not personal choices, they are intelligent choices.

We are faced with such a choice in “part two” of New Jersey’s Democratic Primary being held on Tuesday, June 3rd. Again the issue we face is the need for change. Do we renew a six-year contract with Senator Frank Lautenberg who will be 91-years-old when his term is over, or do we opt for substantive change that happens to be generational and offer that contract to 50-year-old Congressman Rob Andrews? What is the intelligent choice?

We have examined where each candidate stands on the issues and Congressman Andrews has developed detailed approaches to complex issues that offer results and not just promises. Senator Lautenberg seems to gloss over critical points and favors canned comments to concrete plans. Andrews seems clearly better prepared to be New Jersey’s partner for the soon-to-be new president as we move out of the Bush/Cheney era and hopefully into an Obama presidency. Reshaping America, New Jersey, Essex County and Newark will require competence, creativity, energy, enthusiasm and a commitment to rigor. Nothing less than all these components will suffice. Rob Andrews is ready and up to the task.

Is chronological age a factor? If we judge by the attack Senator Lautenberg launched against his rival (Former U.S. Senator Millicent Fenwick), the answer is yes. When Lautenberg challenged Milicent Fenwick she was 72 and he was 58. He implied that she was too old to hold the Senate seat. Now at age 85, he claims that age is not an issue. Senator Lautenberg should be judged by his own words….that would be fair.

We say that 24 years as a United States senator is a great ride. But we also believe that in the face of a better candidate who will better serve our interests, 24 years is enough. If we take Senator Lautenberg at his word when he said that 72-years-old was too old, voters have granted the Senator a generous extension. In the June 3, 2008 Democratic Primary Election the voters of Essex County and Newark should welcome the age of change.

Representative Rob Andrews is smart, considerate, experienced and ready for the future. He has a well thought out plan and the energy to pursue it. Rob Andrews has the endorsement of citizens, elected officials and newspaper organizations up and down the state. Now it’s up to us to provide voter support next Tuesday. Rob Andrews for U.S. Senate.

May 28, 2008

Dull Claws and Soft Paws

2008-05-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

The changing of the guard is occurring right before our eyes. It’s not as though change was not underway until this moment but it has clearly accelerated and it cannot be ignored.

The old lions are tired. Most are no longer able to compete in today’s jungle. Prey is increasingly scarce and technology is altering the terrain. And as is the case with all things dying, an element of sadness accompanies their exit. These once roaring beasts are barely capable of an occasional snarl and exhibit feeble behavior in their desperate struggle to hang onto power.

The cubs romp restlessly on the sideline showing respect to the dying breed. But this respect could very well spell the doom of the cubs themselves. They, however, are lost without leadership. They are the young lions who themselves exist at the mercy of packs of hyenas. They lack the courage to seize leadership, are without the stature to negotiate a transition and are held at bay by old lions blindly grasping for a last bone to nibble. It is heart breaking and it has surely broken our spirit.

The irony is that the old lions were themselves a feisty lot that challenged the status quo and agitated for progress and change. They created operational modalities and borrowed tactics from revolutionary thinkers. They were both brash and bold. Well, at least enough of them fit these descriptions to fashion movements that pushed reform. Having done that they latched onto a strained concept of power, which in reality was a surrender to process and trappings. They basked in psychic rays and supped on psychic income. It was a collective orgasm of vanity and perceived power that lasted so long that it has nearly rendered us impotent.

There was some feast, but there was mostly roar. And little if anything was brought home to the pride. The cubs were left starving to fend for themselves. They are still hungry. The old lions did not teach them how to hunt and have grown too weak to hunt for them. The vultures and hyenas are circling and prowling and decision-making time has arrived.

The choice is fight or die. It has been the choice of mankind since time. Whether it is fighting disease, crime, ignorance, poverty or corruption, sooner or later we must decide to fight or die. The old lions have not prepared us to fight well. We have witnessed them reaching out with a half-hearted slap now and again but some have been so comfortable for so long as absolute accommodationists that their claws have dulled and their paws have grown soft. The hunt is a long lost concept. They prefer the confinement of the zoo where meals are regular with no elusive prey to pursue. Many are simply holding on and marking time.

We went to celebrate the birthday of an old lion on Saturday past. He is 93 years old. And as we looked at his body taking on the inevitabilities of long life we remembered prowling the legal jungles with him more than 25 years ago. His swift agile attacks and defensive maneuvers were the stuff of legends. His claws were sharp and sure and his paws thundered when they hit the ground. He defended the greater pride and cut a path that all eager cubs could follow to success. He taught us to be fearless hunters. He taught us to protect the pride with our words and our deeds.

Raymond A. Brown was sitting there, 27 years later at 93 years old. The smile was just as infectious, the memory superb, the acidity just as raw and the profanity still eloquent. But above all, the towering intellect and courage were still in tact. This old lion could still roar. His bite remains lethal and the cutting slap of his still sharp claws is hampered only by the felony that nature has visited upon the quickness of his step. Yet there is no real lion that we know who would not on this day accompany him into battle. He still fights as all old lions should but he has taught so many cubs to protect the pride that he need not lead the charge any longer. He takes comfort in those he has prepared. He is a model for the old lions of politics. And he is also an exception. There will always be a few who perform extraordinarily well beyond their prime. But this should be a function of superior performance—not seniority. There is nothing wrong with staying as long as you can but it is always costly to stay beyond your time.

In generational terms, it is time for us old lions of politics to become teachers and the guardians of legacy. We should phase out willingly and refrain from shredding the future in a futile attempt to cling to what once was. Things are changing fast…moving forward. But we are holding back our cubs. And in so doing we are limiting their opportunities, crippling their efforts, dimming their potential and threatening our own survival.

Why don’t we just agree to teach the cubs everything we know about the hunt and take up our stations at the edge of the poli-jungle and roar with delight as we coach and watch them romp to success? It would be intelligent. It’s the lesson that we learn from what Ray Brown did with his pride.

Too often the old lions are not willing to acknowledge the end of their reign and the young lions turn on them out of necessity. It is completely legitimate to defend oneself against ineffective and/or corrupt leadership that threatens the survival of the pride. Particularly when the old lions have dull claws and soft paws.

May 7, 2008

The Port

2008-05-07T14:27:00.000-04:00

Growing up in Newark’s Third Ward in the forties and fifties we all knew and looked up to people in our community who had the good jobs. There were those few professionals who lived just up or down the block but most were working-class and poor. A small number of schoolteachers were always in the mix but as professionals went they were not put in the same category as doctors, lawyers and dentists—these were the biggies. Among the working-class these were the dream jobs but some other jobs were equally cherished and vigorously sought after. They were viewed as pathways to retirement and pensions. And retirement with pension was the worthy achievement and sign of success.

The post office, for instance, was a great job to have. And though few and far between, police and fire were highly regarded opportunities. Also a handful of factories were status places to work. The breweries paid well and were steady. All these jobs offered a “stability status” because the pay was more than decent. At the time, municipal government jobs were virtually unheard of and most people landed in factories. General Electric and Westinghouse were plums and you weren’t doing badly at all if you wound up at Breyers Ice Cream Company, even for the summer. At some later point department store jobs were more common and construction trade barriers began to fall. It was all honest work at a level that paid the bills.

Even under the worst circumstances you could actually leave your house in the morning and walk along Frelinghuysen Avenue and have a good chance of finding some kind of a job before sundown. Some of these were the least desirable jobs but they were available if you wanted to work. And in those days, most people wanted to work.

But there was this other world about which we knew little then. It was the world of the Longshoreman. He worked at the Port—a place where strong men willing to work hard could make a lot of money. At least that’s how we kids saw it. But you had to be connected to get a spot at the Port. You couldn’t just walk on without knowing someone. You needed a hook-up. The Port was a place where tough guys with “serious jackets” could hold down a gig. It was its own prisoner re-entry program. Over the years the department stores, all but one brewery and the big factories either quit or died. They have all succumbed but the Port has both survived and thrived. It is bustling, robust and looking to the future. It is a city within a city sporting its exclusive culture and controlled by a unique breed of bureaucrat. Port Newark is the city’s most significant asset and Newarkers know little or nothing of its potential. Most have not even seen it up close. Its inner workings are cloaked in plain sight. As a result it is being largely mismanaged.

Over the next ten years Port Newark will grow dramatically with or without the help or direction of Newark residents and leaders. It is so large, rich and important to commerce in our region that development will be driven by growth, which is running on automatic. But that development might not be smart or best for Newark and its residents. Attention and effort must be concentrated and on making the right choices for Port development if we are to reap the benefits that rightly belong to us now and in the future. The Port and Port District represent Newark’s economic development future more so than any combination of development schema currently under consideration and Newarkers are mostly unaware of what that portends or how they might benefit.

What we do know is that we have gotten far less than a fair shake from the Port Authority for years. We know that there was a costly lawsuit that yielded a questionable settlement whose spoils were used for a private purpose with minimal public say. Such practices and behaviors are likely to continue unless and until the Port receives focused municipal attention. It is a grave error to believe we can take a “by the way” approach to Port development and somehow do what’s best for Newark. Our Port’s future will encompass trillions of dollars in materials, goods and transactions that can propel Newark to become a well off, economically stable city for as far as we can see into the future. It can also generate thousands of jobs and hundreds of significant business opportunities at an unprecedented pace and help Mayor Booker reach his stated goal of creating wealth in Newark’s indigenous community. Port related industries could even be planned to support critical re-entry needs. As such, Port Newark is poised to husband a genuine renaissance to help buttress Newarkers who have hung-in against the worst aspects and ominous threats of gentrification.

Neighborhoods have changed, businesses and industries have moved on and the lives and fortunes of Newark residents have been wildly jostled through it all. The good jobs are still out there but kids growing up in Newark today see fewer and fewer of them. Too many professionals are out of reach/touch in suburbs or urban enclaves. Too few opportunities for role modeling exist on kids’ doorsteps and the past cannot return. But the issues of constructive exposure and survival are as real as ever and the opportunity to address both is at our fingertips. The Port and all it offers can help fill the gaping hole left by the abandonment of Newark by business, industries and outwardly mobile individuals.

Savvy Port development in Newark is the best chance for our city to outpace the never-ending cost spiral that naturally flows from heavily subsidized inefficient government. It will provide the best opportunity to intelligently plan rather than haphazardly confront the gloomy economic realities in the offing. But none of this will be possible so long as the debate over how the Port shall be developed is dominated by efforts at control rather than genuine concern.

We will be hosting tours of the Port. We encourage all concerned/interested Newarkers to become intimate with this incredible asset so as to equip ourselves to guard against the squandering of vital opportunities and to ensure that we are not ripped off yet again.

It is likely that Port Newark will be a dynamic economic engine so long as any of us remain alive. Given what we have learned and know, and given the abuse we have borne in the past, allowing our Port to be treated cavalierly would be criminal.

May 7, 2008

Death and Mayhem

2008-05-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

The death and mayhem visited upon innocent young victims who are hard at work building positive lives has got to stop. Their flesh and dreams is now routinely being fed to the animals that are being raised by our community. It would be fratricidal to further ignore this epidemic of senseless horror and the cradle of fear that nurtures it in “the hood”. No man woman or child is safe so long as the “hood maws” are allowed to relentlessly feed on our innocent babies. They must be stopped at all cost. No risk is too great to take in pursuit of their elimination.

Many of us who grew up in what is now irreverently referred to as the “hood”, have youthful memories of criminals. We witnessed a degree of violence and antisocial behavior. But then, even the criminals were not scummy. There is evidence that even their worst behavior was guided by an ethic. For one thing, women and children were off limits. Senior citizens were generally respected. And activities like drug peddling or use were a back alley and underground reality. Gambling and numbers writing and playing were prominent in the culture and apparent, but drugs were almost universally frowned upon. Even the vilest amongst us tried to hide their filth and maintain a semi-respectable front. First class gangsters hid their cigarettes from senior citizens and stepped aside as the old folks strolled along the sidewalks. They operated with a hint of civility owing, perhaps, to a vague recollection of some distant character training. There was a code of basic decency even among criminals. They were crooked but not cruddy.

Today drugs flourish out in the open. They breed abusive, threatening and filthy behavior. People who report drug dealers or their crimes are likely to be targeted for retaliatory violence. Senior citizens are routinely intimidated, terrorized or victimized by the poison peddlers. In many quarters respect for the law has been supplanted by fear of the lawless. Against the backdrop of a war in Afghanistan where young people are sent to kill and die in the cause of “building and securing democracy” for others, kids in Newark are killing and dying over the profits from the harvests reaped in Afghan poppy fields. In other words we are fighting to save the lives of those who are growing the poison to kill us. We are “saving” our murderers.

For us, drugs and handguns are the “weapon of mass destruction”. And in many ways their ready availability is protected and encouraged by our leaders. They tell us we must support the world’s major drug dealing nations because it is in our national interest and we must do nothing to restrict the proliferation of handguns because “the right to bear arms” is protected by our constitution. In theory, following this advice is supposed to protect us but in reality it is killing us. With the appearance of a government collaborating against our safety and welfare, it is no wonder that we easily grow cozy with conspiracy theories.

But even given the ready availability of these weapons of mass destruction (drugs and handguns) we need not become their victims—because our condition is less a function of our environment than a result of our choices. Those choices begin with our choice of leadership (civic, moral, spiritual and political). It is precisely the collective collapse of this leadership that has nurtured a culture of malevolence in which violent crime has put down its roots and engulfed an entire community in a fearful death grip. It has to end! Leaders who don’t tell us the truth and refuse to step up to lead the fight against fratricide must be turned out and rejected. They are not leaders for our time. And ugly sacrifices might have to be made to restore the kind of civility that allows average citizens to pursue normal lives. Otherwise we will remain a captive community ruled and cowed by a ruthless mob. If we can kill and die in wars that save others and fatten the pockets of warmongers, we can certainly muster the will and courage to defend ourselves against “a real and present threat”.

We must be absolutely intolerant of the households among us that are raising and harboring children with animal minds. Too many are vampires who sleep by day and pillage by night. They are sucking the blood of our communities. Snuffing out the lives of children and others who want to make progress and live decent lives. They deserve no words of defense. They are worthy only of every assault that we can bring against their behavior. They must be given up to the authorities and maybe even given up on. Parents and others who turn a blind eye to their obvious criminality must be drawn into the fray. They are not innocent bystanders. They are enablers—plain and simple—enablers who must be held accountable for acts against civilized life. They are accessories to misery and need to be firmly dealt with as such. Anyone that condones and or harbors violent criminals and their acts is guilty.

What we now must have is courage and carefully crafted strategies to combat crime and protect the innocent. We don’t know exactly what that means yet but a collective view of the best approach must emerge from the community. This is not a law enforcement issue. Our enemy is depraved character, obsessive materialism, irrational fearlessness and a total lack of respect for all authority—even force. This is a formidable enemy but it must and can be overwhelmed. The question that the community must answer is at what price? There can be no peaceful coexistence with people who callously murder our babies and elderly. And there can be no war without casualty.

April 23, 2008

Slavery

2008-03-19T11:16:00.001-04:00

As a people, African Americans are the product of rape, pillage and savage brutality—a product that was made in America. But for our absolute obviousness we would be America’s dirty little secret.

Barack Obama has opened a dialogue about race that must be continued and concluded. This matter has been before us many times but has always receded to the background mainly because of the discomfort that accompanied it. Now the issue of race and race relations in America has been joined on a stage that has the attention of the world. We can no longer run or hide from it. America is being tested. Not for its military might but rather for her moral might.

In a calculated attempt to derail the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama a band of viperous conspirators unleashed a scheme to savage his reputation and call into question his judgment and patriotism. In a moment of desperation born of the realization that this Black American might actually become the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America, they reached low into a deep chasm of filth and played their race card. Unable to saddle Obama with words and deeds of his own that met the ominous race test, they sought to ascribe to him the words and deeds of others.

After a period of respectful resistance, Obama took the bait. He rose to face his accusers, responded forthrightly to every attack and elevate the discussion of race to a level of dignity that offers America an opportunity to put the stain of human bestiality behind her once and for all. An in depth discussion of race will inevitably lead to an in depth discussion of slavery. America has avoided this discussion for far too long. And many Black Americans have been more reluctant to open this wound than Whites. As Obama so plainly put it, “Not This Time.”

Young Americans are dutifully ignorant about the internecine debilitations of slavery. Indeed they know little or nothing of the dreaded institution. That long shameful chapter in history has been mollified at best and ignored at worst. Children are told virtually nothing of slavery in school and, in large part, Black educators are uncomfortable with the idea of teaching about slavery. “Black History” which offers relatively shallow treatment of slavery has become the acceptable modality inoculating Americans against the most evil manifestation of humankind. It is no wonder that White youth feel no responsibility for anything that they did not accomplish with their own hands. They have not been told the brutal truth about how they achieved such enormous advantage.

Of course there are books and articles that set forth all these facts in detail. But they are easily avoided. And avoidance is often the action of choice when faced with a bitterly unpleasant truth. The only way to really get at this thing is to make teaching and learning about the details and history of slavery mandatory in our public school system in all of America. Nothing could be more disdainful than the virtual blotting out of hundreds of years of a people’s history in an effort to cover-up and escape the truth; particularly in a nation where self-righteous zealots routinely condemn one another for minor acts that offend Christian orthodoxy. But perhaps this can best be explained in the words of
Melvin R. Sylvester, Professor Emeritus, C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University as he wrote in SLAVERY AND RACE:

Many Europeans came to America to exercise their God fearing beliefs and to practice religious freedom. Slavery, on the other hand, was a form of persecution which, in the eyes of colonial America, had to be justified. Therefore, the black slave became an easily identifiable group targeted as being inferior, subhuman, and destined for servitude. The early Christian churches did not take up the cause of eliminating slavery until much later in the century. The famous Boston theologian, Cotton Mather, in 1693 included in his Rules for the Society of the Negroes the explanation that “Negroes were enslaved because they had sinned against God.” He later included a heavenly plan that “God would prepare a mansion in Heaven,” but little or no way for the end of forced slavery on earth was undertaken by most religious groups.

From the beginning, Africans were never intended to be Americans. As such, it is no wonder at all that such an uneasy relationship exists. We believe that all Americans and children in particular must be taught everything there is to know about American chattel slavery. Every intimate vile detail must be unearthed for review and study. We are owed the full truth about the origins of American racism so that we can agree on the necessary steps to end it. At the urging of mischievous protagonists the dialogue on race has been joined and it just might wind up to be the most important occurrence in this entire election cycle. In our humble opinion, entering onto a path that leads to the neutralization of the horrible stain of slavery in the fabric of America’s history is far more important than who is President of the United States. We believe that the universe has embraced Mr. Obama and propelled him on a course that he could not have imagined despite his bold agenda.

We believe that it is all but impossible for a fair mind to understand the full-throated realities of American slavery and its dependent injustices and still embrace racism. A thorough baptism in the entrails of our slave culture is just the cleansing that Americans need to divest our false sense of superiority as it relates to Black America and the entire non-white world.

March 19, 2008
Carl’s blog can be read at www.carlsharif.com.

The More Things Change

2008-02-29T16:36:00.000-05:00

Power is poised to shift significantly in 2008 at all levels of government. Partly as the result of the national race for president where local factions were deeply divided and partially because of local races on the 2008 election calendar. We can expect a severe testing of political relationships that might lead to a series of interesting realignments. Certainly for political junkies and even for interested bystanders, wherever Newark ends up on the coming roller coaster of politics the ride is bound to be exciting.

Obama v. Clinton witnessed a split in the community that was so ward specific as to be unmistakable in its implications. Since that Tuesday, February 5th Democratic Primary race speculation as to how it will impact the future has been rampant. And we have seen signs of serious assessment taking place among the major local political camps. Many viewed the outcome as a test of strength for the camps; we viewed the results as predictable for the informed observer.

Reading too much into the results might create a reckless rambunctiousness among the heady setting the stage for a series of needless and counterproductive confrontations. But even cool heads will no doubt seize on the outcome to move toward strategic repositioning. Where everyone will wind up is anybody’s guess. And that is precisely what makes it worth watching. Will the Obamaization of the political landscape that has led to record turnout trickle down to school board and district leader races or will the general public reserve their concern and energy for the November elections?

Young people in Newark have not usually flexed their political muscle in the recent past. They have most often been passive observers offering critiques that serve up their reasons for non-participation in tones that alternate between elitism and nonsense. We can only hope that the Obama/Clinton fever pushes a little heat down to the local level where children and ordinary people need the best representation they can get.

All over the nation young people have sprung into action and made the statement that they are relevant. Now we get to judge their deeper interests and determine whether or not they are consistent. Once again remembering the adage that “all politics is local” we HOPE that when the smoke clears and however the new alignments stack up the sheer energy that falls out of a string of robust political encounters leaves us with a better represented community.

Some volley of activity we see reflects legitimate concern, some is mere posturing and some is insidious and calculating. The uninitiated have to be more careful than usual lest they find themselves entwined with plots and counterplots not of their making that might trigger astounding repercussions for those who get sucked in to this high stakes game. Caution is the watchword. Being too eager to be a player could lead to being played.

In some minds the rest of this political season is just the day-to-day scrimmage work that leads to the next round of municipal elections in 2010. Even so, now is a single moment amidst a never to be repeated history defining circumstance for a dynamic alteration of the political status quo. This is Newark’s period of political rebirth. The struggles are many but we see the generational struggle as most prominent.

On Tuesday February 5, 2008, Newark was portrayed as a dangerously divided city. Everything that happens politically going forward must sense the gravity of where we are. Every step forward must be intentional, thoughtful and aimed at mending the fissures that have long lurked beneath the surface but now rage in the open. It is better we know the truth of where we are than stumble around in a deep pretentious sleep. For sure we are headed for a political shake up. Newark just might realize the culmination of its political fate in 2008. We HOPE it is for the better.

February 27, 2008

"TRUST" RESIDENTS

2008-02-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

Former Atlanta Georgia Mayor Maynard Jackson is a legend in minority political circles because he so skillfully used the power and permission of municipal government to create wealth among African American businesspeople. You might think that with the emergence of Black mayors all over the nation the Jackson model would have been repeated over and over. Unfortunately that has not been the case. We don’t want to speculate as to the reason or even postulate whether or not the model is still relevant or appropriate. What we do know is that it was short lived and nothing effective has replaced it.

So what is happening in Newark? Initial steps are being taken to help establish minority builders and developers as an economic force. But much more can be done if we allow our creativity to blossom. It generally takes a very long time for a new developer to generate real wealth. And in today’s real estate market the prospects have dimmed considerably. Real estate development as a pathway to wealth is fraught with roadblocks. We must pursue other avenues if we want to give Newarkers a shot at the really big bucks.

In the meantime here is an idea that our community might pursue with municipal support: The creation of a “Resident Taxpayer Real Estate Trust” open to investment by resident taxpayers of Newark. Residents who would accumulate wealth through the development of their city would own such a “Trust.” As tax paying property owners, we are already investors in the development of our city. Particularly since new developers are frequently exempted from taxes as an inducement to develop. Whenever that happens taxpayers pick up some portion of the financial burdens created by these new developments. If the municipality would agree to use available incentives to encourage all developers to joint venture with the “Resident Taxpayer Real Estate Trust,” the development of Newark would necessarily benefit Newarkers. The legalities and details of how such a “Trust” would come about or operate rely upon details better left to experts. We are positors. Our idea would not generate gobs of cash for any individual. But it would provide real opportunity to cash in on the red hot redevelopment of their city, substantially increase overall community wealth and cause an uptick in resident commitment to Newark.

Imagine the energy that could be unleashed among citizens if they knew that they could literally own a piece of their city. With every skyscraper and shopping center that went up, their wealth would increase. Their investment in their city would lead to an increase in pride, concern and public participation. It is not likely that resident investors would harbor a casual attitude toward anti-social behavior or mediocre and failing institutions. The establishment of such a “Trust” could even trigger a burst of enlightened in-migration. More importantly residents might be motivated to invest and learn about how money works to drive development. Terms like capital formation and dividends might become commonplace among common people. Just suppose for a minute that the reality of ownership could tamp down consumer tendencies and give birth to notions of commercial productivity. With such luck, we could actually stumble into the creation of a class of entrepreneurs.

Surely some will say we can’t create a “Resident Taxpayer Real Estate Trust.” They will support their case with arguments that protect their interests. We believe there is a way to accomplish this idea. The application of serious thought fueled by the will to change creaky paradigms is all that is required.

Others will question: What of tenants who are not property owners? Our view is that they are second tier taxpayers and as such accommodations for their participation should exist.

A friend of ours recently reminded us that the residents of Green Bay own the Green Bay Packers. While mulling that over we wondered had there been a moment, during the negotiations that sent 220 million of Newark taxpayer dollars to the New Jersey Devils, when it occurred to someone that the arena might have provided an investment opportunity for residents?

A community trust could certainly emerge without the support of government but its potential potency would be far less likely to be realized. On the other hand if the government had the foresight to view supporting the development of a resident (community) based financial business as they might a local developer or construction company, we could turn an important page in the concept of wealth creation among indigenous Newarkers. We think it’s worth consideration.

February 13, 2008

Vote For Kids

2008-02-06T17:37:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, February 5th was an incredible day for politics and the democratic process in Newark’s South Ward. Voters turned out in large numbers to vote in the primary election for President of the United States. It was impressive. Even early in the morning it was clear that the turnout would be good. We all have a right to be proud and encouraged by the solid participation. From what we heard, there was high voter enthusiasm all over the ward. Citizens were pumped up by the prospects of making history. Barack Obama was on the ballot and voters were determined to make their voices heard in this precedent setting contest among democrats to select their candidate for president.

But there was another and perhaps equally important process taking place for part of the day at one of the South Ward election polling sites. At Maple Avenue School from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm there was a public hearing to give all residents—voters and non-voters alike— an opportunity to make their voices heard on the question of who will be the next Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. The people who showed up to speak deserve the highest commendation and the gratitude of the entire South Ward community for demonstrating an increasingly rare level of civic responsibility. The problem is that for such an important matter, far too many residents opted out and passed on the opportunity to help shape the future of thousands of our children.

Because the hours of 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm happen to also be the height of the rush hour for residents who vote after work we could see them pouring into Maple Avenue School to cast their ballots. Unfortunately most left without ever even poking their heads into the auditorium where the Superintendent Search Committee was conducting the public hearings. It was painful to watch. We winced in frustration. Particularly knowing that many of those who breezed by the sign-in table are dissatisfied parents whose children attend Newark Public Schools. And it was not so much that there was only a modest turnout for something to benefit our children—that has come to be expected—it was painful because they were right there, just a few feet away and chose to walk on by.

What does this mean in the context of that old political adage that all politics is local? Here we are faced with perhaps our most important local decision in more than a decade, and a national issue, taking place at the same time in the same place, roundly thumped it. And of course we realize that people are caught up in the legitimate excitement of the Obama campaign but that is precisely the reason that the auditorium should have been jam-packed.

There is virtually nothing in our community that is not affected by the quality of our schools and their product. Crime, taxes, culture, public services, economic development and overall quality of life all tie back, in part, to what schools do or don’t do. And what schools do or don’t do ties back to parent and public participation. School success or failure cannot be viewed in isolation. We all have a hand in it. Walking away is not a viable option. Neither is any other avoidance mechanism. We have to get involved.

So it was Election Day and people were in line, most waiting to vote for Barack Obama. You could not help but recall the ringing oratory and inspiring vision of Barack Obama. It is compelling and tantalizing. But perhaps even more compelling is the presentation of Michelle Obama who herself is a tough act to follow. Her stump speech is every bit as good as her husband’s. Michelle talks about her childhood and how she attended the public school right around the corner. She calls it a good school without which she would not be where she is today. She goes on to say that these good neighborhood schools is what ordinary people want. Is she right? Michelle Obama tells us that making these good schools available to all parents is one of the reasons that Barack is running for president. Do we believe that? It is confusing trying to understand how people (voters at Maple Avenue School) who claim to buy into this vision turn a blind eye to the process set up to give us “ordinary people” a say in creating these “good schools” right here in Newark.

We have commented before that our children have reasons to doubt our sincerity when we say we love them and want the best for them. There are too many signs to the contrary. Caring is not a video game, clothes or pocket money. True concern is keeping children safe from harm, sending them to school with instructions to behave and learn, going to see the teacher, and “attending public hearings.” Well, it’s something like that. So we should not be surprised in the least when children for whom we have shown no concern show no concern for us. Much of their antisocial behavior should be anticipated.

There is no issue before us that is more important than the education of our society beginning with our kids. Getting our systems of public education under productive control and seeding them with the very best leadership is essential. Anti-intellectual pedestrianism and the corruption of standards have taken a heavy toll on public education. Any real hope of reversing the fortunes of public schooling is necessarily tethered to the best efforts of active citizens. No saviors will be arriving anytime soon. Not even Barack Obama. We are either our own best friends or worst enemies. It doesn’t get any more basic than that. It’s time to do for self. Our kids are depending on us to show up for them. They want our vote of confidence and interest. One certainty is that so long as we fail them they are much more likely to fail themselves and us.

A brilliant woman educator warned us of a scary possibility a few years back. She said that we were entering upon a generation of people wherein many parents don’t believe in the ability of their own kids to succeed. This sounds inconceivable. But is it? In any event, civilized society has a duty to rise above the lowest expectations and create schools that foster the highest. There are two more public hearings to allow citizens to make their voices heard about the kind of leadership we want for our public schools. Please.

February 6, 2008

New Life for Symphony Hall

2008-01-23T18:28:00.001-05:00

When you enter the concert hall at Newark Symphony Hall you immediately feel the majesty that surrounds you. You immediately sense the greatness of all those who have adorned the stage. You almost share the delight of the countless audiences that filled the seats and no doubt over and over leapt to their feet with ovations of appreciation and homage. Newark Symphony Hall is the grand old cultural sanctuary of our city. It has been revered forever…but left under attended for way too long.

If you stand in the rear of the hall and are not completely hooked on its audacity, you need only mount the stage and look out into the empty seats. The still quiet splendor takes over your thoughts and the rest is pure delight. It is simply an amazing place.

Why then is this obvious jewel left to languish so thoughtlessly? How can it be that for years few suitors have come to call? What has this magnificent architectural feast ever done but feed us well? Now it is our turn and opportunity to give back to our city and our Hall, which has given so much for so long to so many. The revitalization of Newark Symphony Hall cannot wait any longer. A major sustained effort must get underway at once. And every morsel of available help and good will must be solicited in the cause.

New interest is bubbling about the future of the Hall. It is well positioned as a cultural bookend in the overall revitalization of downtown Newark’s main drag, which is currently underway. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) sits at one end of Broad Street. Several blocks away is the Prudential Center (The Rock) and several blocks further south is Symphony Hall. NJPAC and The Rock are relatively new players downtown. Newark Symphony Hall has been a vehicle for cultural expression since 1925. The significance of this venue and its history should be celebrated—not ignored.

What you may not know is that Newark Symphony Hall is much more than the main performance hall. The facility houses four floors of performance related, practice, meeting and office spaces. And for old timers there is still the Terrace Room to bring back memories that we cherish—some secretly. Those old wooden floors where the likes of Tommy Robinson, Alvin Johnson, Sylvester Dobson and Halim Nurullah (Chi Chi), Mannie Baker, John Griggs, Abe Tillman and Morris Donaldson spun and dipped are still there. They defined the Latin dance set on those well-shellacked floors. With the exception of a few boards that wilted under wear and water, we believe that every strip of flooring is exactly the same.

The sponsors of the now historical “Third Ward Reunion” have dutifully watched over the spirit of the old timers for years. Dee Johnson (DJ) and her crew have kept the Terrace Room a fond memory for all of us. And these are only memories of the African American community. As we stand in the Terrance Room thinking about DJ, members of the Latino community are setting up the room for church services that they regularly hold here. Just the other day we met an Italian Newark business executive named August LoBue who told us he had boxed an amateur match at Symphony Hall when he was 17 years old. We can only imagine how many people from how many backgrounds are in some way connected to the Hall.

It is obvious that in the Hall’s heyday it was the reigning stomping ground for Europeans. The space and rafters are well seasoned and flavored by nearly all cultures. If there is a single temple to Newark’s rich multicultural heritage that deserves preservation, it is Newark Symphony Hall. B.B King would most likely agree.

Symphony Hall has hosted nearly every people and every culture over a long period of time. We have all enjoyed the benefits of its existence. Now that it has fallen upon hard times it is appropriate that we step up and provide the support needed to honorably complete the cultural trek down Broad Street. NJPAC, Prudential Center and Symphony Hall—each should have prominence. Each would serve multiple needs and constituencies and each is deserving of maximum support. At the moment Newark Symphony Hall is least favored among these three entities. It is equal in potential and superior in historical stature. It has by virtue of its survival alone earned the right to revival. Indeed, NJPAC and Prudential ought to assist in that revival. But for the legacy of Newark Symphony Hall they might well not have found a climate of acceptance. Newark is a city well steeped in artistic and cultural expression and Symphony Hall sat at the center of that tradition. Symphony Hall had a major role in paving the way for what now exists and what is contemplated.

We are calling on all citizens and people who have experienced great moments at Newark Symphony Hall to join the revitalization effort. Your energy will count for much. The lift is sizable but clearly worth it. It is something we can all do. It is a rare apolitical opportunity in a community that is often pungent with rancid political overtones. Symphony Hall truly belongs to a community that encompasses but extends well beyond the borders of Newark and as such escapes the grips of narrow politics. It is a place where we can all work together for a clearly defined goal that benefits the present and the future. Please help.

Newark Symphony Hall has a history and tradition worthy of honor. The best way to bestow that honor is to restore the Hall. Perhaps even the New Jersey Symphony and Ballet can be coaxed back for special performances. Yes, they can go home again.

January 23, 2008

Who Really Cares?

2008-01-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

A process is underway to select a new Superintendent for Newark Public Schools. In many ways this selection is more important than the election of Newark’s public officials. Somehow we must combine our resources to get this message to the general public and make sure that it sinks in.

Unlike with our Mayor and Council, the public will not have an opportunity to vote for a new Superintendent. However, there will be an opportunity to register your opinion about what ought to be considered in the selection process. Five community forums to hear from the public have been scheduled around the city beginning on Tuesday, January 29th and concluding on Monday, February 11th. The forums will be held from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm and are open to anyone who wants to attend and comment. Interested parties should call 973-353-3565 to find out where and when they will be held.

It is fascinating that one of the community forums happens to be taking place on the same day that many in Newark will be filing into polling places to vote in primary elections to determine the Democratic and Republican Party candidates for the presidency of the United States of America. February 5th is Presidential Primary Day in New Jersey. It is also the date of the community forum to be held at Maple Avenue School in the South Ward of Newark. The 6:00 to 8:00 pm time slot allotted for the forum coincides exactly with the peak after-work voting period at this polling site. And since some of the city’s heaviest voting districts are located inside Maple Avenue School, it is likely to be abuzz with activity.

The voting booths at Maple Avenue School will probably be but a short distance from the auditorium where the community forums will be held. It will be interesting to see if parents and residents are as eager to register their thoughts and opinions on who should lead the Newark Public Schools as they are on who should lead the nation. It will be a poetic referendum on the oft-stated adage that “All politics is local.”

Everyone who walks into Maple Avenue School on Tuesday, February 5th to stand in line to decide between Barack, Hillary, John and Dennis can walk around the corridor and speak up for Pookie, Shanaynay, Ernesto and Latisha. As well they should, since everyone who comes to vote is connected to our schools in one way or another. First, they are all residents….hopefully. Next, many are parents or relatives of children in our public schools (which include Charter Schools). And as homeowners or renters they pay direct or indirect taxes that fund our public schools. Everyone is connected so everyone is a stakeholder. But judging by past participation, we might fairly conclude that most don’t care.

February 5th at Maple Avenue School will be sort of a test. It won’t be scientific, of course, but interesting to observe nonetheless. After the forum and election are over, it will be easy to compare the list of those who voted to the list of those who spoke or signed up as attendees at the forum. If an overwhelming number of Maple Avenue voters also participate in the forum it could give rise to a number of useful interpretations.

If the community had at its disposal the kind of funding that political campaigns have to get out the votes on February 5th we might be able to guarantee a high turnout for the forums. But there is no such pot of money available. There will be no posters, sound trucks or phone banks. After all, this is just about the lives and futures of kids, the community’s quality of life and maybe our survival. That hardly compares to politics.

All of the community forums are critical and interested parties should call 973-353-3565 to find out where and when they will be held. We encourage all organizations to press their members to attend and participate. It is not enough to talk about what kids deserve but don’t get. We have to find ways to act on their behalf. These forums provide an opportunity for each of us to take a direct action to mold our own future. Will we do it?

Generations of politicians and organization leaders have risen to power espousing their love for our children. Some meant it but too many were just playing the game. Our children have been used and hustled for way too long. And decision makers wielding the power to force change are not hearing from enough folks with genuine concern for their welfare. These upcoming community forums provide an opportunity for everyone to put everything on the table once and for all. Let’s have a real discussion about our schools, our children and the community that they affect. It’s time for an intellectual struggle that wrestles common sense and progress out of confusion.

A community that professes love for its children yt knowingly leads them to anguish is a community that lies to itself and flirts with peril. No community can gain or maintain respect so long as that community’s able and intelligent residents roost along the sidelines witnessing the destruction of its progeny. Neither can we claim credibility while offering hand wringing and excuse making as defenses for inaction and incompetence. Mind murder is often a silent process that almost inevitably rages back at us with a seemingly incomprehensible vengeance—though we should understand. After all, it is our own handiwork. Please go to the community forums for the kids.

January 16, 2008

Downtown Newark

2008-01-10T16:29:00.000-05:00

Downtown Newark is scheduled to receive an unmistakable makeover. The future calls for thousands of residential apartments and condos to spring up and seed an expected flourishing downtown lifestyle. Anticipation is that these new dwelling places will be extraordinarily attractive for current New York residents who crave the Big Apple but not its high cost of living space. Downtown Newark will offer a far cheaper rent bill just 30 minutes or less away from the many employment and lifestyle accoutrements offered just across the river. This is a great bargain for New Yorkers and others seeking quick access to New York and discount living. How Newark residents will benefit is far less clear.

No doubt the anticipated arrival of the crowds expected to come across to this side of the Hudson with the archetypical New York mindset and cultural appetite will open avenues of opportunity for business ventures in downtown Newark. Whether local residents will be positioned to capitalize on the expected boon is highly questionable and equally unlikely. Given the relative lack of business acumen and access to capital in the broad indigenous community, newly created downtown money making breaks will likely fall into the hands of a small circle of already well established land and business holders. New businesses will provide more revenue for the city. And while an increase of tax dollars into municipal coffers is always welcomed, the promise of opportunity for average Newarkers seems to be slipping farther into the distance as plans for the future are unveiled.

For sure, the downtown we now know is being readied for the dustbin. Vendors and even long established merchants will have to move along to areas more suitable for both their product and clientele. The view of the future is far more upscale in contemplation of both dwellers and shoppers. This is very simply one cost of the progress that comes with a new arena and focus on high-end housing. In fact, as we observed the traffic rerouting on Broad and other downtown streets as preparations for the arena opening were being made, it occurred to us that this might just be the forerunner of permanently pushing local commuters to back street routes. Think how nice our downtown would look if it was a bit more passive and “strolling pedestrian” friendly.

Too many long-time indigenous Newarkers are without the financial means to buy their way into what are destined to become Newark’s new designer neighborhoods. These pricy addresses have certain types in mind. But Newark can choose to reject ultra elitism in development of its scheme—downtown and otherwise. The city can rely on creativity to avoid succumbing to classism. People of varying means and wealth ought to be integrated into newly planned communities. This is likely the hope of well-intentioned professional planners. Yet developers with deep pockets and access might dictate something more sinister.

Where, and among whom, one lives can often lead to opportunity and success that is otherwise denied or unavailable. The mere exposure to circumstances, people and events sometimes offers motivation that propels and sustains the recipient. Simply not being well off should not necessarily roadblock these pathways to success and abundance.
How downtown Newark is developed can signal Newark’s intention to look at its citizenry through a single human lens. At least it presents leaders with an opportunity to be expansive in their considerations and planning. We should all hope they make the most of it.

If the city chooses a truly progressive approach to downtown development the community must provide support even though there will be painful dislocation and inevitable inequity. Major projects of this nature and magnitude are never completely fair to all involved. There will be winners and losers but government must work transparently to minimize the gap between the two. And government must also use its enormous powers to insure that reasonable opportunity is presented to small and minority businesses for overall involvement and substantial economic gain under any development regime.

With the changes that are likely downtown, there will be a perception of loss for existing players and indigenous Newarkers. This might well be the case but it need not be. In any event inconsideration and poor planning need not exacerbate the perception itself. Citizens are more likely to be accommodating to necessary change if they can identify with the winners even if they are not themselves among them.

Change is inevitable. For true success, in Newark, inclusive change is essential. Newark’s leaders should pledge allegiance to fundamental equity. Without such a pledge average Newark citizens will remain disadvantaged in the pursuit of opportunities born of their circumstances. Wouldn't that be a shame?

January 9, 2008

Our Trek

2008-01-06T16:27:00.001-05:00

On an average weekday, go to the corner of Raymond Boulevard and Mulberry Street and stand or sit in your car for a moment. Look carefully at everything that surrounds you, including the people walking by. After ten minutes or so stroll one block toward the new arena and make a right turn onto Commerce Street and walk slowly down Commerce carefully observing the surroundings, including the attitudes and expressions on the faces of the people walking by. Go all the way to Broad Street and stand on the corner. Look in all directions. Look back down Commerce from where you just came, look in both directions on Broad Street and look across the street to Academy. Spend five minutes at Broad and Commerce then turn south and head toward City Hall. Make sure you pay careful attention to everything and everyone you pass or encounter.

By the time you get to City Hall here is what you would have seen or missed: At Commerce and Mulberry you take in the Gateway complex. A number of office buildings rising out of the ground where thousands of workers come daily to earn the means to maintain their lives, families and homes—most come from somewhere outside the City of Newark. If you need proof of this stand on the same corner at eight in the morning or four in the afternoon, you will have to dodge the herd of humanity making its way to and from their worksites all over downtown Newark.

If you look closely at the faces of the passersby some are Asian, Latino and Black, but overwhelmingly, most are white. They appear eager, purposeful and more or less calm…people moving quickly with constructive things to do…people with a goal or objective in mind. As you turn up Commerce Street the scene changes. From side to side the street is dotted with small businesses (mostly food) and the newly renovated 1180 building is buzzing with activity to meet the needs of the upscale tenants who are creating a downtown living class that has increased shirtless jogging by more than 100%.

At the corner of Broad Street, looking north, you can see the spacious plaza in front of the PSE&G headquarters building. Military Park is in full view and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and marquee of the Robert Treat Hotel juts into view. But because there are a number of bus stops in this area the pedestrians are more Black and Latino. They also appear less calm. They look more stressed, and as a whole, more lethargic and less focused. Many are not going to jobs…they are looking for jobs.

And did you notice the sudden increase in homeless people and beggars. Their numbers grow steadily on the way up Commerce Street. And at Broad Street they become really apparent if you hang out there for a while.

When you turn to walk toward City Hall, all of a sudden there will be more foot traffic. And the people will be overwhelmingly Black and Latino. This begins the threshold of a major shopping district for poor and working class people. Some business types are mixed in but they only outnumber the locals at lunchtime when their number really swells. Up until this point your walk has probably been mainly serene—so far you have likely encountered mostly people who seem reasonably considerate with non-offensive attitudes except for one or two requests for handouts. Keep walking.

As you approach the corner of Broad and Market Streets you will be entering the major downtown shopping district and transportation hub for residents of Newark and rim communities. The stores themselves are not particularly inviting. Many express a dingy sameness that derives from lack of respect for the consumer base. You get the distinct feeling that the same store in another community might be bright and inviting. The people don’t demand more. You will also see peddlers hawking wares from a variety of carts and stands. They are representative of the Black downtown merchant. In the downtown business world they are the outsiders. Somehow you know that their days are numbered. And for many of these merchants, inside or out, there is the constant cat and mouse game with the cops. The big question always being just who is selling what? As you go through and really pay close attention to everything and everyone that you see it is a little surreal. In these few short blocks you can feel an increase in tension. Here, verbal confrontations can be commonplace and you might very well feel threatened—unless of course it is your regular routine or you have been otherwise anesthetized.

Then comes the new arena. You wonder if the fact that its back faces Broad Street is the result of the subconscious intention. After all Newark’s downtown has been moving north and east for sometime now. Somehow you know that major changes are coming. Your nagging sixth sense tells you that ambitious plans for radical reconfiguration are queued up and ready to go. As they sit neatly stacked in someone’s top drawer, in your gut you know that their execution will knowingly further marginalize little people. Your ability to define the future of your city is fading fast and you feel helpless to intervene. It doesn’t have to be this way. But the way forward is fraught with obstacles.

Finally you arrive at City Hall. And for everything you think you saw on the way, if you turn around and walk back you would notice twice as much to stir your insides—things that you have not offered your careful attention in the past. The ugly reality of the class and culture divide that has gripped our city and threatens to dominate the planning for our future is glaring along the trek from Raymond Boulevard and Mulberry Street to Newark City Hall where the people’s representatives contemplate what development best serves the people. Of course one critical concern is that poor and working class people have not developed or preserved the ability to leverage themselves into the power dynamic that controls urban communities. Over time and as a result of poor leadership at all levels, we have essentially become by-standing observers.

The street scene we have described is a function of collective failure and abandonment. No one is blameless but some are more responsible than others. Martin Luther King Jr.’s often repeated affirmation is, “We shall overcome”. Now more than 45 years later the quintessential query plaguing and menacing our survival is, “How shall we overcome?”

Keep walking south on Broad Street and you will come to Newark Symphony Hall. We believe this to be a critical component in the rehabilitation of our community. It is the single apolitical entity in Newark that has sustaining tendrils to past and present for untold groups, individuals, ethnicities and classes. Its potential as a magnet for progress and cooperation is inestimable. It is a jewel well worth polishing. It sits at the natural gateway to our city in more ways than one. And then there is Lincoln Park. Wow!

January 2, 2008

No Jobs for Kids

2007-12-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

When we were young boys we were able to earn a few quarters at a local food market packing paper bags for shoppers and carrying them to their cars. Some of us were even fortunate enough to have regular jobs as newspaper boys with routes making deliveries throughout the neighborhood. Then there were those seasonal hustles that raked in movie money or, in the case of the thrifty kid, provided enough cash to buy an article of clothing or a foxtail for a bicycle. Yep, there really was such a thing as the good ole days.

Strange how all these part-time and occasional gigs for mainly boys, but some girls too, have now become the mainstay employment for grown men and women in our city. And so many of those men and women have been or are currently down on their luck. You can see it in the parade of drawn and weathered faces that peek through your car window when you purchase a newspaper on the city streets. It’s also there in the demeanor and manner of our beggar class. Their pain lingers with us as we watch them walk away not knowing whether we have contributed to a meal or a fix. A surprising number ask for work. “Can I sweep up or do something?”

Even in the supermarket we were stunned to see a full-grown man hawking customers to pack their grocery bags. Where are the kids? Where is my paper boy/girl? What are children doing while grown folks occupy what used to be their jobs?

During the summer months it was a current or former drug abuser with a rickety lawn mower with a single speed and height going door-to-door looking to trim the green. Just the green for now—tools for the hedges are hard to carry around with a lawnmower if you are on foot. That’s if he happened to have any tools to trim hedges in the first place. Of course he must borrow your broom and even an extension cord if his mower is powered by electricity—which is usually the case because carrying a can of gas could be problematic.

Now leaf-raking season is upon us and soon snow shoveling will arrive. Few if any kids at all can be expected to be the solicitors at our front doors. The competition for work has pushed kids out of the “chores for pay” market. For kids looking for something constructive to do, slim pickings define the current reality.

Not that kids we know are exactly assaulting barriers in pursuit of this work. Many don’t even want fast food restaurant gigs, never mind raking a lawn or delivering newspapers. We don’t necessarily believe that desperate adults have driven kids to the margins. We do believe it is important to understand that city kids who seek a less formal work experience than a regular job do not have the neighborhood opportunities that their suburban counterparts have; those “jobs” are now nearly always populated by adults of misfortune.

Our observations constantly instruct us that joblessness whether among teens or unfortunate adults is a horrendous problem and strategies for change are inevitably limited. Long gone are the days when you had to merit a job. Then, behavior was an important factor in landing a job. Character references might well have been as important as experience references. A job was a valued prize sought after with vigor. Too often now those in search of jobs believe they are entitled—even without skills or experience and even with extensive criminal records. All this presents a daunting challenge for both government and the private sector to say nothing of our educational systems.

The challenges of today have rearranged societal priorities. Jobs in urban America have become major crime fighting tools. There is an urgency to give them to people recently released from prison. In other words, people having been incarcerated for some antisocial act. In other words, the very behavior that might once have denied a person a job is the behavior that now places them at the top of the list. And when viewed in terms of the cost of crime, imprisonment and recidivism, many find it possible to justify the inverted paradigm.

So in this “new thought paradigm” we want to encourage special attention for kids. As we consider all the efforts that must be undertaken to assist the successful reentry of ex-offenders into society, there should be a special attention paid to developing strategies and initiatives that focus on juveniles. We believe that if more juveniles were in jobs fewer would be in gangs. We believe that more exposure to adults in responsible roles would help dampen juveniles’ enthusiasm for antisocial activity.

Aggressive steps to maintain a non-gang, non-criminal status for kids are essential. Every effort must be taken to ensure that they don’t fall out in the first place and thus there is no need to think about reentry. But the social dividend to be gained from effective juvenile focus strategy is worth whatever the required investment.

Newark is taking a real look and real steps to address juvenile reentry. The good news is that every juvenile that is successfully reentered is more likely not to become an adult that needs to be reentered. We must all do far more to provide opportunities for young people to be exposed to healthy influences for most of their time. Part time jobs are just one way to accomplish this but their importance cannot be underestimated.

And while we don’t expect to see a rapid return to newspaper boys and girls up and down our streets, it does make sense to incentivize the private sector to open up thousands of job and exposure opportunities to young people that do not now exist. Every company and agency should have a youth employment budget. We could absorb millions of idle hours and hands that might otherwise wind up working against our collective interest. This would not be hard to accomplish and the payoff would be indescribably handsome.

While the money that kids make from part-time jobs is important, it is no more important than the responsibility lessons they learn about being on time, being polite, finishing what you start and all the rest. The essential lessons that contribute to a civilized society and auger against antisocialism and rage are largely learned through varied exposures. And it is upon this base that a community assures its survival and improves its quality of life.

We acknowledge the societal shortcomings made obvious by adults eeking out survival in the most menial of manners available and pray that solutions are not far off. But we are convinced that an immediate pivot toward kids will yield the most sustainable good. So if you have a lawn to rake, snow to shovel or a chore in need of doing, consider a kid.

November 28, 2007

Circle of 88

2007-11-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

Cities like Newark always have some very unique characteristics and personalities that define them. We are a large country town that often favors gossip over fact. Indeed Newark’s Gossip Mill has become a permanent and relied upon fixture in the local culture, at least in the African American community. Grist for the Gossip Mill is principally produced among a notable quaint society known as the invisible circle of 88. Over a period of years of close observation we have determined that there are exactly 88 people in Newark who circulate low-grade information among themselves (more or less), determine that it is valid and spew it into the broader public as gospel.

They are a relentless gossip subculture made up of cliques that can sometimes be defined by profession, class, political affiliation and even religion. They are purveyors of venom, specialists at character assassination and devoted to devious intention. Sometimes they are effective enough to create a town-wide murmur over something that legitimately does not even deserve a whisper. If you are not careful you could easily be swayed into believing that their mouthings represent popular public opinion. In their heyday they could alter the public agenda and dictate the behavior of the insecure. They once had a unique ability to present themselves as a force but trust us; their sum total is 88.

As already stated the circle of 88 trades mostly in negative, inflammatory and unflattering information. Some of them have even been known to initiate discussions solely to make mischief. And their various expertises have earned them contemptuously admirable titles among their peers. Highest ranked among the 88 are the “Brewglers.” They initiate stories and rumors. They rise to the height of “Brewgler” based on the amount of skill they demonstrate at adding just the appropriate hint of potential credibility to an out and out lie. When an accomplished “Brewgler” skillfully applies their trade, the line between truth and falsehood is almost completely blurred. They have appointed themselves guardians of the city.

And then there is the “Yeast Master.” This able confounder raises the stakes. The “Yeast Master” makes mountains out of molehills. He/she enhances the work of the “Brewgler” by magnifying it tenfold. Once an outrageous or ridiculous scenario is brewed and just the right amount of yeast is added all the ingredients, “Grist” for the Gossip Mill are in place. After an evening or so of marinating in the whisper chamber, the foul mouthed concoction is collected by the “Spreader Drones” to deposit their waste in every receptive vessel.

Amazing is the ability of circle members to convince themselves of their importance and relevance. Most amazing though is that they become infective by their own invective. To them, their madness becomes real and sometimes they go so far as to make it the basis of causes and campaigns. So far as the 88 are concerned, anything that passes through their circle should be taken seriously and reflects the views of the majority of citizens. When you talk to them they confirm their sanity by quoting other crazy people. They gleefully reference people with whom they have spoken that confirm their views or echo the manufactured sentiments that they have validated. Believe it or not, this surreal bunch has actually influenced serious events in our city—and almost always to the detriment of the public.

A new struggle for Newark is underway. Some forces have clear plans to shove poor and underrepresented people aside. We need capable objective advocates and warriors for our causes. So-called leaders who weave untruths and fabricate disinformation have to be exposed and neutered. The time has come to bid all witchdoctors farewell. The circle of 88 has kept us going in circles for far too long. Their influence has helped render us unable to make sustainable progress and continuously grappling with the same issues over and over.

We are moving backwards in the face of a bold shameless push by huge monied interests to control all of Newark’s assets. This is an observation not a complaint. But outmoded leadership cannot confront the new challenges that we face.

So look deeply into the sources of negativity when they try to engage you. Take care not to become captive of the shallow. Do your best to recognize and deflect the influences of the 88. You probably know members of the circle—or their minions. Identify and reject them. They are dangerous. They are “Punkle Toms.”

Punk•le Tom (puhng’-kuhl tom), n. [ME.; U. S. Dial. < Afr. heriter prut], 1. a person who sells services to his or her master for lowly and unworthy purposes; one who is debased, corrupt, poor or bad in quality, a hoodlum, who works solely for his or her slavemaster's whims; 2. a slavish prostitute who is regarded as being humiliatingly subservient or deferential to white people and who unabashedly sells out his or her own people; 3. worse than an Uncle Tom.

November 15, 2007

One More Wakeup Call

2007-11-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

Once again the electoral politics affecting Newark is heaving change. A new crop of legislative officials is now slated to replace a crop of seasoned incumbents. Teresa Ruiz, Grace Spencer and Albert Coutino are the new Senator and Assemblywoman and Assemblyman representing the 29th Legislative District in New Jersey, which includes a substantial portion of Newark. Even before last Tuesday's election, gone were Senator Sharpe James who chose not to run and Assemblywoman Odaline Truitt who was defeated in the June primary. It took a sound thumping in Tuesday's general election to vanquish former Assemblyman William Payne who sought the Senate seat as an independent.

The future has not been so up in the air in a long time. What's next? Who will emerge as the dominant political forces going forward? How long will Black politics be relevant in Newark? All these questions and more have wafted quietly in the background of Newark's political scene for several years but are now raging naked on "front street."

In a matter of a few months the political fortunes of the Payne dynasty have been cut nearly in half. In May there were four family members holding five elective offices. Now there are just two members holding three offices. So what's next for the Paynes? Will they regroup and try to rebuild or will they reach an accommodation with reality and forge an alliance to protect their remaining holdings? And if so, with whom?

And what of the next generation political insurgents who were left languishing when Sharpe James departed Newark's political arena? Many rallied around Senator Rice in his primary victory, no doubt hoping it would provide sufficient momentum to jump-start a political movement destined to help them regain their status. Will Tuesday's hide tanning tame their enthusiasm? Will they finally stop dabbling with low risk political skirmishes and step up to the real battle? There are a lot of questions to which answers will no doubt reveal themselves in the coming days and weeks.

But here's what we know now. There is a major political transformation underway in Newark. Its face will be largely ethnic as Blacks yield leadership to Latinos, but its root will be economic as the business community seeks the best front-line political partner with which to execute their aggressive agenda. And so long as the community places its focus on the competition for power between Blacks and Latinos, both will be the losers in the economic sweepstakes that is poised to define a new Newark.

Because African American politicians in Newark have primarily viewed and played politics as an enterprise of individual empowerment, we are fast becoming defenseless in the emerging political climate. All the old horses are going or being sent out to pasture. They did not bother to train and ready a new breed. The competition is well heeled, well disciplined and well financed. Newark's next generation of African American political leaders have been held back too long by the old horses and just might be passed over all together.

But will it really matter? We believe it will not so long as Black politicians are unable and unwilling to translate their leadership into opportunity that breeds sustainable political power and creates institutions that transcend politics and strengthen community. Anything less is worthless-except to some individual politicians. By now we should have had our fill of their type of political selfishness.

We see a significant opportunity for Black political maturation on the horizon. True, Black politics is old. But is it mature? We think not. And the obvious very public dissolution that is now underway gives us all a chance to recognize and openly acknowledge that peril is at hand. We can act all grown up. We can accept collective blame. Then we can choose to work together. Yes. Right now we can move to close breaches, heal rifts, span gaps and rebuild badly damaged important relationships. If we refuse and adopt recalcitrance as methodology, we can chalk it all up.

A partnership with Latinos and others is the appropriate course of action. It does not mean giving up aspirations of the Black community. It can mean assuring them. A partnership with the business community is also essential. And a truly equitable relationship will not be possible so long as Blacks and Latinos are engaged in an intractable political struggle over little or nothing. But none of these critical arrangements can emerge if the Black community continues to prove incapable of hammering out the required internal agreements between its vital sectors.

Cory Booker has become a lightening rod of false focus. Truth is, he is a transitional figure. His role is significant and must be acknowledged. Pretending to discount and ignore his significance is folly. He is in place and a transition is taking place. What that transition means for Newark's Black community is murky because we have few collective goals that are driven by clear thinking. Yet our community can still define our future. It will not wait forever though. It is now being defined by events and circumstances not within our reach. This can change only if our behavior changes.

Black politicians have dominated the local scene for too long. And in many ways and for many people they have become irrelevant. Major players in many sectors view them as a nuisance factor. They tend to be engaged only when absolutely necessary or for purely ceremonial purposes. Serious political interaction regularly takes place around them and outside their realm of competency. Members of the African American clergy have even stepped into the void left by ineffective political organization in the Black community. And if you think carefully about it you will be hard pressed to find another community of people where the religious leaders are the political spokespersons. It is an outrage run amuck. But it is our community and if we want to be taken seriously and make real progress we must change it without further delay.

Sharpe James left office at 70 years old, Don Bradley at about 70, Bill Payne around 70. This is amazing. Young political aspirants in the African American community should be livid and determined to end the practice of generational stifling in Black local politics. The election of Grace Spencer as 29th District Assemblywoman is an encouraging sign. But just as soon as one can absorb the positive flavor of the Spencer victory, political talk fast forwards to the notion of a Newark mayoral bid by our good friend Cliff Minor in 2010. At that time Cliff will be around 70. Hard to believe young Newarkers will swallow our man Cliff for the top spot at 70 years old. We are having a hard enough time being taken seriously without behaving stupidly.

Things are changing-moving forward fast. It is no time to entrench ourselves in backwardness or turn aside progress. Forward is where we must go if we don't just plain want to disappear from the political spectrum. History does record people becoming extinct. Let's just grow up before we're gone.

Tuesday was but one more wakeup call. It signals the closing of an era. Perhaps there is still a chapter or two to be played out but by and large it is time to change the subject. We need a new script. It is important that it lean heavily on history but it must portray the present and envision the future. There is no reason that we should not all contribute to its authorship. No good reason. A perfect moment for unity has arrived. Will we take it?

November 7, 2007

Step Up or Step Off

2007-11-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

After a weekend of applause celebrating the opening of the new Newark sports arena it is time to look deeper into just what it means to Newark residents. We have been told that hundreds of jobs at the arena have gone to Newarkers. We have not been told how that breaks down into hours to be worked or dollars to be earned. For some, that does not matter...but we think it is crucial.

The New Jersey Devils is a business enterprise. They are concerned with making money. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise thinks little of your intelligence. As is the case with all businesses, the primary concern of the Devils is their "Bottom Line" (how much money they can put into the pockets of the owners and players. In other words, it is their obligation and intention to look out for themselves. So who will look out for us?

From the way the arena deal was structured in the beginning it is clear that whomever was looking out for us was at best looking through just one eye. It was not the best deal the residents of Newark could have gotten. In fact we would wager that had Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek been negotiating for the City of Newark he would not have signed the deal that we wound up with. He would have been tougher and gotten more for his side.

Be that as it may, we move on. Just what is the "Bottom Line" for our side? What are we getting out of the arena deal? Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. That is what we are told. There are also a few food concessions in the arena. Not much more. During the construction phase residents got very little and based on what we have seen thus far in the post construction phase, it can be expected that not much will be coming in the future. To whom can we turn to guarantee our fair shake? We must know the answer and be prepared to hold someone accountable.

Remember the discussion and derisive commentary about Newark not having a "Luxury Box" in the arena? By mocking and dismissing the notion, spin masters distracted us all from a serious point. Here it is: Except by extraordinary happenstance, most Newark residents will never savor the delicious lifestyle experience of a "Luxury Box." This fact would not be noteworthy but for the obscenity of what is likely to be "our more than " $310 million contribution to building those boxes when the counting finally stops. We might have built schools, parks or other things that average Newarkers could experience in the normal course of community life.

So let us reframe the "Luxury Box" issue and propose a just course of action. Here's what the Devils could do: Designate a "Luxury Box" for community use. Allow registered Newark voters to place their names in an on-line lottery. Conduct a drawing and allow the winners to sit in the box at arena events. Remove the names of winners from the list of those eligible for future drawings. With an expected 300 events a year and some 20 to 25 people per box, a lot of residents will get in. And it's a small return on our investment. It might even be an incentive for voter registration.

Far more important is who will benefit from the enormous economic swirl that will be created by the arena development. Will residents who have held fast during many years of downward spiral be rewarded for their tenacity and loyalty to Newark? Or will they be callously brushed aside to make way for a favored class? This is the question. It has been the question since the conceptualization of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, which can now be appropriately described as a cultural BETA in a long-term gentrification study. The arena is the next phase. And its development is under girded by the same self-righteous hypocrisy that characterizes most insidious social experimentation. The basic unarticulated critical question surrounding the arena is: Will White people come to Newark in huge numbers for essentially White activities? The events of the past week provide a resounding yes so long as security is extraordinary.

Be sure, the gentrification of Newark now has a full head of steam. Much substantial economic activity and opportunity lies ahead. But future deals must be better than the arena deal. We can never permit a similar economic travesty to take place in our city.

It is a bittersweet irony that Mayor Sharpe James accused candidate Cory Booker of having a strategy to return White people to Newark. Having witnessed the arena opening no one can deny that history will credit Sharpe James with bringing more White people to Newark than Cory Booker could have ever engineered on his own. And it can all work to the benefit of Residents if the leaders display courage and creativity. But who will lead on this critical point? Be sure, it won't be the Devils. And it won't be the business community. They have an astounding record of walking away from critical institutional realities that negatively affect minority Newarkers. Public education tops the list.

African American businesses and business people along with other minorities must be leveraged into the "New Newark" economic game right now. Any talk of "eventually" is an unacceptable stall designed to fake out an entire community. We recommend that the Mayor convene groups of minority economic and business types to help him develop appropriate strategies to insure the parallel development of economic prosperity in Newark. We further recommend that individuals and organizations ready themselves to support and defend the recommendations that come from our economic experts.

Going forward in Newark's immediate future cannot rely upon political leadership alone from the African American community. We desperately need input from our business leadership, a robust entrepreneurial spirit, social and cultural discipline all guided by a steady moral compass. Anything less will breed more dysfunction and hopelessness.

The arena is here and so are the White people. Get over it. We have talked over and over about "Doing for Self," and others are quietly wondering if we will ever get it. Whether political or other leaders act in our behalf or not we are obligated to act on our own. Our moment of decision has arrived. If we are to be a viable sector of Newark's society and economy, we have to get busy. No one is waiting for us and we can no longer wait for each other. Those who are ready must go. We pray that those who are not can catch up or be rescued. In the inimitable words of the hood, it time to "Step Up or Step Off."

October 29, 2007

Check Child

2007-10-17T10:58:00.001-04:00

Reprinted from 1999.

Few things are worse than a hot muggy night. The air stands still with no hint of a breeze. Everything feels thick and sticky. Thank God for air conditioning. It must be unbearable for those who don’t have it. They must be in a state of absolute misery. Of course, having always described myself as a cold weather baby I am certainly exaggerating—a little.

No matter how you cut it 98˚ at 2:30 in the morning is toasty. I remember these hot days from my childhood. Actually summers seem to be cooler these days than they were when I was a kid. We used to sit out front on our porches (stoops) and try to cool off; antidote to our railroad flats. As late into the night as midnight you might see adults lingering with a cold drink. A few always stayed later. They were the avid hops and barley crowd.

As these fond memories coursed through my mind I pulled the sheet up around my shoulders. Thank God for air conditioning. I was awake now. My mind tracing my spent childhood making comparisons to today. Trying to hold both thoughts in my head simultaneously caused me to think even more deeply about the past. I got up for a cold drink and turned on the TV. Aimlessly I surfed through the channels. Even though nothing interested me I did it again. As I started through for yet a third time I hit the off button and reached for my clothes. I was wide awake, out of cranberry juice and restless with my thoughts. I headed for the all night supermarket.

Man was it hot. A stifling blast of air surrounded me the moment I emerged from my front door. Hesitating, I considered changing my mind. I forged forward. Out into the steamy night—missing were the wavy lines in the air that let you see heat rising from the pavement or the hood of a car which could only be seen in daylight. On this night, sundown showed no mercy.

The supermarket was six blocks away—should I drive or walk? Feeling uneasy but testing my sense of discipline I decided to walk. Probably wouldn’t hurt especially since I could use the exercise to counteract the crunchies I would surely snap-up along with the cranberry juice.

As astounding as the heat that flushed my senses were the number of people on the street. It was late. I am usually not on the street at this hour. And when I am, I am in a car and travelling a highway. People dotted the sidewalks and front porches everywhere. They were young people in their twenties and teens for the most part, at least it seemed so. I wondered what Emma Dawson would have done if I were hanging out that late at twelve or thirteen—I shuddered to think. I remembered how she broke down my tough-guy image once by calling me from the window of our four story walk-up and embarrassing me in front of my boys. “Carlie,“ she yelled, in a singsong tone, “come in the house—it’s time to go to bed.” It was only ten o’clock for God’s sake. And even though I usually went in at 9:30 PM my boys had no way of knowing that 10:00 was my bedtime. Thanks mama, you might have saved my life. Many of my boys are gone, victims of the mean streets.

What amazed me most was the number of small children on the street. Tagging along behind young adults who were clutching beer cans and/or fingering cigarettes—these toddlers were struggling to keep up. Their guardians were usually engaged in conversation or some other activity and it was clear that the child was along as an inconvenience. My heart ached. Why weren’t these babies home in bed? They looked tired and disoriented, not knowing night from day. The heat was no excuse. This was child abuse of the worse kind. I didn’t see one or two babies holding onto a pant leg for dear life, I saw many. I was reeling with disbelief. Where had I been? Why was this a shock to me? Everyone was acting like it was normal. No one seemed in a rush to get inside and put their kids to bed. In fact, precisely the opposite seemed true.

Occasionally one of these tortured children would cry out for something or simply fail to keep up with a beer toting parent and then the real horror began to unfold. I saw a young woman snatch a barely walking infant by the arm with such force that I was certain her shoulder was dislocated from its socket. The baby screeched with pain and mother was unrelenting. She had no words of comfort or mercy. From her mouth, as though encased in the dirty gray puff of smoke she blew, she unleashed, nose to nose with the child, a foul trail of vitriol and invective. Cursing at the top of her lungs she issued warnings to the child to shut the #$%* up. By now the baby was howling. No amount of threat would soothe her. Another snatch and verbal assault directed at the child was the mom’s response. I watched from fifteen yards away feeling helpless. How could this baby understand what was happening. And did it really matter?

My staring attracted the attention of several onlookers. To them the scene was obviously not uncommon. When the mother finally noticed me watching in horror, she directed some of her wrath to me. I told her she should not treat a baby so viciously. She told me to mind my #$%*ing business. I left the scene and headed to the supermarket—confused, angry and heartbroken. I remembered my first child at that age. I never abused him, but now I was sorry for ever having yelled at him. I thought that when I got back home I would call him and apologize—he’s 38 now.

Who are these babies being dragged through the streets late at night? Parents who treat them like the enemy? What chance do they have to develop into normal productive folks? These are the “check children.” They are the economic appendages of their parents. They are not progeny, lineage or family. They are “check children.” They represent money. The cold hard truth of a hot angry night for children who know little warmth.

Every day, somewhere, there is a suffering check child whose father is abandonment and whose mother is abuse. Each being processed to become a plague on our community; many harboring a death wish. A child whom we are setting up to take down. A chanceless infant who enters the game of life without a coach, trainer or fan. And some will survive, and even succeed—amazing. These are our children. How we treat them defines our collective state of mind. I now know as I have never known before (only suspected), we are insane.

The supermarket was empty and so refreshingly cool. It was a pleasure to stroll up and down the aisles. I knew where to find cranberry juice but the delay was delightful. My moist skin felt chilled against the commercial air conditioning—I felt myself drying out. I even found the terrible music and the institutional hums of the frost breathing freezers and floor waxing machine being operated nearby tolerable.

Recalling my own hot days as a 19 year old father who brought his boys to the supermarket for a few minutes relief from staggering heat painted a smile on my face. Yep. I had actually done that. Those were the days of cornstarch remedies that helped counter the tiny bumps of heat rash that occasioned every infant living in a tenement with few windows and no cross breeze. I had not been able to bear watching my boys toss, turn and gasp for cool air. So I took them to the supermarket for relief. There were no all-nighters then, so I had to go before ten. I chuckled softly at the thought and reached for the cranberry juice. After a deep sigh of submission, I headed for the dreaded cookies. I rationalized that the exercise of walking home would compensate.

Standing at the checkout counter facing the exit sign I’m suddenly overtaken by a surge of anxiety. Anticipating an impending blast of heat on the other side of the door I braced myself for the roast. Once outside and again adjusted to the sticky stuff I realized my anxiety was growing. I was dreading yet another encounter with the “check child” and my conscience was hard at work. Would I see her again? Was her arm OK? Was I somehow responsible? I didn’t want to face the scene. I thought about walking another route. “Take a side-street and avoid the whole thing,” I thought. It was an option I had taken too often. Side-street avoidance; a tactic perfected by a whole community wanting to wish away its ills. Not this time. I walked back through the maze of misery. Everything was still in place. A sea of dysfunction frozen in the thick hot night. I forced myself to meet the eyes of check child’s mama. I was filled with embarrassment and rage. Her expression was blank. None of it had caught her attention for more than the moment. Both she and the child were victims. Yet she was also responsible; and so was I. It was too distressing, I was too helpless. I shut down.

Finally I was safe at home. There would be no sleep tonight. I got some ice cubes, poured the cranberry, munched a cookie. Tomorrow I’ll dial my son Ali to apologize. Thank God for air conditioning.

Unity Equals Survival

2007-10-11T20:48:00.001-04:00

Recently we have spoken with some institutional, thought and political leaders in the African American community. We were actually shocked to learn how possible it is for them to exercise decisive power on behalf of ordinary citizens. Citizens have all the means but have not yet arrived at the collective will to strike a blow for independence and self-determination. As a result the real power and the powerful shots concerning who gets what and when in Newark are being called by people and institutions that care little for the people affected by their decisions.

Not one of the individuals that we spoke with was happy about the condition they found themselves in. Again, we were surprised at the level of discomfort they expressed. They clearly understand that their roles are being compromised because there is a lack of cohesion. They know that scripts to direct and govern our community are being developed and dictated. They understand that their span of control over their own areas of responsibility have been limited by more powerful players. Our leaders are in need of rescue.

All over Newark people are deeply concerned about the direction of our city. Whether it’s the social, political, educational or economic sphere, there is deep concern. Our fears about the future are fed by a lack of understanding about who is really in charge. The State of New Jersey is in charge of the schools, criminals are in charge of the streets, business and higher level political leaders have massive influence over governance and economics, and those who hold titles and positions of supposed leadership spend too much time dancing to external tunes. Those who dare try, have to scheme to do right by the people.

The community is reacting. It is a simmer moving toward a boil. We are being left out and soon to be driven out unless we take control of our own future. But it would be a critical mistake to focus on the wrong target out of a sense of frustration. Our first and most critical task is to organize and establish communications across the fake lines of historical, political and personal demarcation that have been deliberately and cleverly drawn between us. We have to grow up and stop fussing and fighting over inconsequentialities. We have to be willing to compromise. These are traits that we readily admire in others but are ourselves too ego driven to practice. Those who won’t make a legitimate and earnest effort to establish a rational basis for collective action must be isolated. They are a problem that just might not be resolvable. Let’s not waste time on them. Let’s move on.

Once we develop a reasonable framework for action we have to encourage leaders to work together to achieve goals clearly beneficial to Newarkers. Our resources and institutions must be preserved and advanced in ways that favor residents. Would be benefactors and patrons will always be with us but should not control our growth and development. Wealth creation should be a real goal, not a shell constructed of unachievable platitudes.

The corporate and foundation communities control Newark. We are on decision-making lockdown. Our range of influence stops at the perimeter of decision making. There is no one sitting in the halls of real power as our surrogate. We are virtually voiceless where major decisions are made. It does not have to be this way. But change will require great courage—something that has been in short supply among our leaders for a long time.

Here’s how it works: Many corporations create foundations to support activities of community-based organizations. They also conduct leadership seminars and workshops and hand pick who they want to attend. In many cases they ordain the leaders of these organizations and grant them fundability authenticity. They also spend considerable time cultivating the leaders of these organizations to ensure that their actions are predictable. This constellation of all-stars represents a formidable front line assault against substantial legitimate community interests. Whenever corporations take actions or express preferences that are counter to the community’s interests, they can predict that the organizations they fund will not support the community position. Controlling the lifeline of up and coming leaders and the organizations they head effectively neutralizes resistance when our interests are at stake. This strategy has and continues to be effective.

Corporate-grown as opposed to community-grown leadership has taken a relatively firm hold on community expression. Freeing ourselves from this exploitation will require sacrifice. We know something is gravely wrong but have found ourselves defenseless. Unfortunately, we have been operating with a savior complex. And that is why we have taken only a few tentative steps to save ourselves. We have been longing for someone(s) to come along and extract us from suffering and abuse. It’s time to wake up. It’s time for us to organize into a formidable force that can demand a change in behavior that favors the community. We are certainly doomed if we fail to know that unity equals survival.

Attacking our institutional leaders is a shortsighted error. They must be encouraged to cooperate with one another. Allowing others to drive wedges between them only diminishes the possibility that the enormous resources that they control can ever be jointly used to benefit the people. If we truly come together, they will run together. Our success is in an effective bottom up strategy. Expecting top led liberation is fruitless. It cannot happen. Our leaders are in need of rescue. And the future really is ours if we dare.

We must insist on a better deal. Our leaders must negotiate that deal for us. We must give our leaders the support they need to take an iron fist in a velvet glove to the negotiating table to hammer out agreements that protect the community’s future. We will remain without power as long as we remain without organization. Every entity that seeks to minimize our opportunities is well organized. Opposing them in our current state is foolish behavior on the road to predictable defeat. The supremacy of oppressive forces relies heavily upon fear and fragmentation among the oppressed. This dynamic runs deep in Newark…especially among our leadership.

October 10, 2007

Fed Up

2007-10-03T15:12:00.001-04:00

How can it be that the African American community as a whole is slipping so far behind other communities so quickly? And how can it be that our educated and intellectual classes are offering so few solutions in the face of our decline? These two perplexing questions deserve close examination. We have been observing laborers and craftspeople that work at street level and can only offer cursory observation to spark comment and invite further analysis. It is such a mystery, though, that paying no attention at all is not an option.

As we traveled along Elizabeth Avenue in Newark we noticed nine individuals emerge from an apartment building. From the sound of their voices they were likely Haitians. They were talking about going to work. It wasn’t until they all walked across the street that it became clear that they were together. It really became clear when they all got into the same car, two in the front and seven in the rear – they were going to work. Each was neatly dressed and appearing well groomed.

On Springfield Avenue in Irvington outside of “Newark Paint” we regularly observe young Central American men waiting to be picked up for day jobs. Only recently did we rejoice to see what appeared to be an African American among them. We have watched this scene for several years now and only recently did we see this black skinned young man who himself might have been Haitian…or Caribbean. We desperately hoped he was African American.

And contractors who are available to do home repairs in Newark are increasingly Portuguese and Caribbean with Central American work crews. We have hired them after exhausting searches for African Americans. What is going on? Even Africans are making their presence felt on the neighborhood economic scene and developing a reputation for reliability. All this while too many African Americans stand idly by with seemingly nothing to do. What’s up?

We have concluded that much of this dynamic of the disappearing African American worker has to do with work ethics. It appears that somewhere along the way far too many of us have adopted a code of mediocrity by which to live. We have conformed our work habits to the lowest common denominator and relied on a false sense of race loyalty and entitlement to provide us opportunity. Now we find ourselves betrayed by both.

For too long our communities settled for our shortcomings and made excuses for inadequacies. The result was even worse performance on our part. Folks finally got fed up. This ultra bad behavior opened the door for competition. Even a loving people would take just so much. Exhausted by poor service they reached beyond race and ethnicity in favor of good service. There they found others, often immigrants eager to work hard, show up on time and have the basic means (transportation and tools) to complete a job.

The “fed up” phenomenon is quickly spreading to other areas such as schools and politics where African Americans dominate leadership. It will be interesting to dissect the reasons that we are losing control over these institutions more rapidly than anyone expected. Could it be the mediocrity syndrome rearing its head again? Accepting lower standards has become more common for institutions both led and highly frequented by African Americans. We find similarities with some other so-called minority groups as well. But the African American community has spawned such a wealth of talented offspring. One could reasonably expect a cogent response to the sociocultural epidemic that is playing out among those who have been left behind.

African American schoolchildren in non-performing schools that are plagued by the all too familiar problems of poor urban communities should be able to anticipate relief from the thought and efforts of their own educators and intellectuals. The same is true for the poor and our MBA’s and Economists. It is curious that given the magnitude of the problems and the magnitude of our peoples’ accomplishments there is little connectivity that evidences the likelihood of any near term solutions.

African American Newark and similar communities across the country are left wanting and needing for many reasons. High on the list are class distinctions and resulting separation between those who have resources and those who do not. Add to that a healthy dose of disinterest and carelessness and we find ourselves where we are. Yes, there is plenty to say for people helping themselves and we are staunch advocates of that. But the ones who have walked away scarcely even look back these days. And that attitude fertilizes a calamity. Plain old caring could change a lot.

Among most peoples there is a group concern and consideration. There is a pride and kinship that causes a sharing of pain and joy and a sense of togetherness that breeds group responsibility. It is first exhibited in families and ported out to communities. We had that once and we desperately need it again. If we fail to relearn the lessons of genuine concern for one another our slippage will continue. It’s time for group focus and effort. So how shall we begin? The greater responsibility lies with the ones with the greater wealth and knowledge.

The old boxing adage that “you can run but you can’t hide” was never truer than for African Americans fleeing the seamier side of black culture. When we are absent from the company of our perceived benefactors, surely they take note of our shortcomings. Surely they wonder why we have not done more for our own. And even if this conversation goes on outside our earshot, we should experience a hint of humiliation. In the end, there is no escape but there can be redemption.

October 2, 2007

Clean Up

2007-10-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

From time to time, streets and neighborhoods in our community are absolutely filthy. Our tendency, when we see this, is to complain about the sanitation workers. We might even call the sanitation department or City Hall to express our outrage. This is good citizenship. Holding government accountable is the responsibility of every good citizen.

But we are not exactly sure what to do about the SUV that was driving in front of us last week where someone rolled down a window and tossed out the remains of their dinner in a Styrofoam container. The cornbread hit the ground and lay flat while some of the potato salad and greens wound up on our windshield. The chicken bones danced along the asphalt before one landed on the hood of our car. We were not sure what to do and, not wanting to do the wrong thing, we pulled over to the curb to clean off the car. This was not the first or even second time something like this has happened and our level of frustration just continues to rise. But where is the solution?

As bad as it is to trash the city streets, trashing one’s home is inexcusable and just plain filthy. And it’s worse when the property you trash doesn’t even belong to you.

Recently we had the unfortunate opportunity to become aware of a problem that completely stunned us. We have seen a lot of destruction and bad behavior over the years but for us this was a new level of disrespect and self-imposed filth. It was one of those cases that cry out for condemnation so we raise our meager voice to protest.

Imagine yourself in a housing complex on an upper floor. You decide to walk down the two or more flights to the ground floor. When you open the door to the stairwell you see garbage piled nearly halfway up the stairs. The stench is horrific. And you are too traumatized to even move. There you stand frozen before a shaft of filth thrown there by people too lazy and/or filthy to walk a few steps to a fully operational incinerator or carry it to a nearby dumpster or garbage can. So who are these people who want to live like pigs and have everyone around them live like pigs too?

It reminds me of what my old friend Butterball once told me. Butter said that there was this thing which he called an “Abandoned Building Mentality” that governed the living conditions of some people. According to Butter, people affected by this abnormality needed the smell of urine and doors hanging from hinges to feel at home. So powerful is their longing that they tear up new developments as quickly as they can to create familiar surroundings that they find comfortable.

As we looked down that stairwell we heard Butterball. And we went to the elevator and left the premises wondering if there was any hope at all. Now of course the City must make the landlord clean the stairwell and any others that might be in the same condition. The City must also cite the landlord for the filthy conditions and maybe the Health Department should weigh-in and issue a few citations of their own. This is, after all, the job of government. Landlords must also be held accountable.

Should tenants be held accountable? Perhaps there is little to be done about those who toss chicken bones, but surely something can be offered to reign in tenants determined to destroy property and exercise all the ravages of their “Abandoned Building Mentality.” Here’s our thought: All tenants, regardless of status, should be required to pay security deposits on their apartments. All destruction of property should be remedied (paid for) out of the pool of security deposit payments. All tenants should be required to contribute additional money to the security deposit pool to make up the shortage caused by the payments for repairs that result from destructive behavior. Legislation, if necessary, should be enacted to permit holding abusive tenants responsible.

Under this arrangement it will be in everyone’s interest to keep things clean and in good repair. Kind of like everyone staying after school until the teacher finds out who threw the chalk out the window. Tenants will be more likely to report vandals if there is a collective price to pay. Only shared responsibility can point us toward a real solution.

It is true that we cannot legislate behavior. But neither can we ignore it if we really want to achieve an improved quality of life. And of course there are those who will intone that we are blaming the victim. But as we smeared potato salad from our windshield we understood clearly that we were the victim. We are victims of bad habits, lack of concern and filth. It’s time to stop making excuses. It’s time to CLEAN UP.

Usually politicians are loath to criticize prospective voters on their shortcomings. But their silence only adds to the problem. Leaders must lead even when it is unpopular. No one should get a pass when our safety and quality of life are at stake. Everybody has to clean up.

September 18, 2007