The DISH Volume 1 Issue 39

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Volume 1 Issue 39  Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race    10/09/98
DISH-ing It Up Hot!

On Black Heads
by Dot Smith

	Are Blacks  judged  or assessed on the basis of how their hair is worn? 
  "You can't go to an interview with an Afro and expect to be hired," is 
the prevailing perception  among young African Americans.  Oddly, it is 
reinforced by their parents and the American mainstream.  For race to cease 
being a factor, natural Black hair must be accepted by everybody, including 
African Americans.  But, is this accurate or just an erroneous assumption 
made by unwitting victims of Conditioned Subordinate Psychology (CSP)*, the 
black inferiority complex?  Without question, CSP is a dominant factor in 
today's African American hairstyles, both natural and chemically treated. 
 During slavery, African hair became a source of shame.  Female slaves wore 
head rags or scarves.  Generally, male heads were shaven to remedy the hair 
situation.  Hiding or disguising their natural hair is a conditioned 
African American response; it is part and parcel of the psychological 
baggage carried over from slavery and segregation; it is akin to their 
aversion to books and fear of reading.
    	Few African Americans are  covering up in public. However, in large 
numbers, African American men are falling back on the slave tradition and 
imitating Jordan.  Baldheads still solve the male hair problem. 
 Ironically, this self-scalping enjoys widespread mainstream acceptance. 
 Generally, men and women will go to any lengths to retain some coverage on 
the old noggin.  Discounting the phenomenal Air Jordan, colored men 
scraping themselves bare are not soaring to fantastic heights.  So, go 
figure why so many choose to be symbols of impotency!
	Creative creatures, Black women are employing a multitude of hairstyles, 
and, in many cases, turning hair into works of art.  The DISH calls it 
Black Head Art.  Like all things artistic, some will dismiss much of it as 
trash; others will see beauty in synthetic tresses stacked above the head 
or allowed to caress a sultry shoulder.  To be frank, some of it is 
ludicrous.  Screaming CSP, the most pitiable are those requiring the 
natural hair to be permed  or otherwise seared into limpness.  	Though only 
one aspect of CSP, the  negative Black hair image makes possible a 
lucrative market for companies catering to and reinforcing CSP. A classic 
commercial effort that does this  is the Black consumer exposition - "For 
Sisters Only."  Held in Atlanta, it received favorable media coverage 
(Atlanta Journal Constitution, 9/23/98).  Included in the article were 
pictures of four (4) homeless women who received make-overs for success, 
courtesy of M&M Products, an exposition participant.  All the ladies' wore 
unnatural hairstyles.  This hardly promotes a positive self-concept for 
these African American women.  This is precisely the  type of negative 
commercial enterprises  that keep Blacks believing a hairdo for success 
entails imitating some imaginary WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) 
standard.   (For the complete article visit The DISH on line at

Disgruntled wants to know:  This Clinton/Lewinsky affair is ridiculous! As 
the media feeds on salacious details to improve viewer ratings, everything 
gets spun-spin. While the country goes to hell in a sexually explicit 
handbasket, what else important is happening?
	
Disgruntled Says: If you investigate  anyone long enough, including the 
Pope, you're bound to find some dust to spin into media gold.

Dialogue on Race: Downbeating The Rails!
By John Burl Smith
	
	The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) offers an excellent example of how 
the Republican southern axis obscures its backroom dealing on boards and 
commissions that control local politics. Siphoning off funds previously 
mandated to eradicate poverty and develop inner-cities, these good-o-boys 
engineered white flight. Fueled by the elixir of local control, tax cuts 
moved the process even faster. Buttressed by their "Contract With America," 
Republicans transferred wealth from the lowest 70% of the population to the 
richest 30%, taxation without representation.
	The Christian Coalition soared to power demanding less and a smaller 
government, which citizens wanted off their backs. Republicans went 
hydrophobic over big government, and regulations they claimed intruded on 
free market capitalism.
	Today, the Atlanta Regional Commission is singing a new song.  A real show 
stopper, the ARC hopes to swoon the public by building a rail line between 
Atlanta and Chattanooga. Its purpose is relieving traffic associated with 
Hartsfield International Airport and reducing air pollution. A real sour 
note for most, ARC's new tune about trains, is a song and dance reminiscent 
of "Showboat."
	Listening to ARC's sonata, one is convinced the urban crisis clamor was a 
 lullaby that put everyone to sleep.  Members are harmonizing to 
developers' siren song of progress. Hi-tech words, but the same old rap and 
rhyme melody.  No hip hopper, ARC Director Harry West  "beat boxed " his 
way to a very high note. "This $15 billion project will offset the surge in 
mileage driven by residents in the 10 counties region." ARC's production 
claims not only to reduce sprawl, "It will relieve traffic congestion, and 
address air quality problems."
	Universally, Republicans decry FDR's "New Deal" as pork, big government 
run amok. Were FDR to return and observe Republicans reincarnated as 
Zigfield, he would claim them like a proud papa. In an interview with Kelly 
Simmons(AJC), the Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich added lyrics to ARC's 
beat, "In signing on to this project for a high speed rail system between 
Chattanooga and metro Atlanta, $ 7.5 to $10 million will be included in the 
Interstate Surface Transportation Efficiency Act  funding this spring. This 
region needs some alternative transportation options. Under a long range 
plan a high-speed rail eventually extending to Charlotte and Tampa from 
Atlanta, and to Knoxville and Nashville from Chattanooga would do that."
	A public works program by any other name is still a public works program. 
Does the Speaker envision steam rolling a bigger majority to Washington on 
"The Chattanooga Choo-Choo?" Is engineer Gingrich laying tracks for the 
"Great Locomotive Race" to the White House? Looking at this project, are 
the valentines in Newt's bulldawg eyes a clear signal of his disdain for 
big government has turned to puppy love?  FDR must be blushing. They used 
to tar and feather scalawags and ride them out of town on a rail.  Today 
they ride rapid rails to the White House.  (For the complete article visit 
The DISH at http://home.att.net/~yicim.
	Comments from the Bat Cave
Grandma came to my school's Grandparents Tea.  I felt real special having 
her at school with me.

Intuit's Weekly Vibe

Meanwhile
by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

Meanwhile...
In the dungeon me and partner are struggling...
Juggling trouble in the kitchen
Cooking up some potent spoken word.
Shit!  Eating angry lyrics for dinner...
Feeding my hunger...Bumping OutKast
Riding in the back of a hatch back
Driving pass the police overseer precinct,
While burning the rebel flag.
Back-slapped passing Black politicians,
While practicing smacking the pastor
After passing out the pennies pilfered by the pulpit.
Separate the lies from the bullshit.
My purest wish is to push it until it's full tilt
Milking the mildest mob
Until it's a million militant movement (Visit The DISH at 
http://home.att.net/~yicim.)

On October 16th, the Day of Atonement

	The Atlanta Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Million Man March is 
set to host its third anniversary of the historic 1995 Million Man March to 
Washington, D.C.  Three days of events are planned for October 16-18, 1998. 
  Focusing on the contributions of elders, the Atlanta LOC's anniversary 
theme is "Reflecting and Respecting the Work and Wisdom of Our Elders." 
 For a full list of the scheduled activities, please call Bill Scott at 
(404)-635-9365.
	Attend a scheduled event or simply show  support for atonement by not 
working, going to school, playing or spending on October 16tth.  	

Kudos to columnist Leonard Pitts for his insightful piece "Sosa's Fate: 
Following the Leader" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Viewpoints, 10/1/98). 
  It is refreshing to see someone in the mainstream media addressing 
obvious disparities in treatment accorded whites and people of color. 
 Pitts knows "Mark McGwire had Sammy Sosa beaten before either of them ever 
picked up a bat," because Sosa is Black.  As Pitts put it, "This, too, is 
as American as it gets."