|
| Year's End. December, 2007 |
 |
| Looking at the past. |
It's been fun.
Wrapping it up. A look back at the last ten months of 2007.
Wrap up time.
Well, The end of 2007 is near. Each year we take stock of our lives and hope for a brighter future. We expect 2008 to be better than 2007. Whether it will or not remains to be seen. The only thing that is known is that it will be different.
The New Year will give Williamsport a new Mayor. Dr. Gabe Campana will assume the reigns of leadership with promises of increased safety and protection. His famous campaign phrase was aimed at criminals, gang-bangers and drug dealers, “On day one, you’re done!” An African-American Perspective wishes the new city administration and the other winners in the last election much success in the coming years.
The first issue of An African-American Perspective (March, 2007) asked the question, “Where are the black professionals in Williamsport?” Perhaps that was unfair. Many talented African-Americans in our town quietly go about their lives trying to make a difference. Their good works should be noted and acknowledged.
In issues that followed we wrote about events that took center stage in our consciousness. The Don Imus’ insult to black women (April, 2007) brought about a much-needed discussion about the words we use to describe ourselves. (Months later, the NAACP officially buried the N-word.) We also noted the lack of black faces at the TV news stations.
The warmth of May brought us beautiful flowers and the Primary Elections. We encouraged blacks to vote, citing that they made 13% of Williamsport’s population. We also reported Williamsport’s new NAACP and its public thanks to our Police Officers.
In the June issue we highlighted the efforts of CAPPA and the hard work needed to produce the 2007 Showcase, “Knowledge is Power”. Our preliminary research of school performance ratings revealed a National disgrace. Our schools are failing our children.
When most extolled the praises of the nation’s founding fathers on the 4th of July, An African-American Perspective considered the hidden history and hypocrisy of American Slavery. We also alerted the public to new legislation in Congress to allow the Justice Department to re-open cold “hate crime” murder cases.
In August, we related the story of Genarlow Wilson, the teen that was sentenced to a mandatory 10-years in prison for having sex with a 15-year old girl. (After 3 years in prison, Genarlow was finally freed in November 2007.) We asked the unlikely question, “Did the North really win the Civil War?” and we reported on CAPPA’s gang prevention workshop.
September was a tough time for this publication. Running out of money, we continue to struggle through the darkness. We reported about the proposed Martin Luther King Memorial that will cost 100 million dollars. We also spread the word about the Americorps Volunteer Program and the Sister Study’s need for women of color. We also alerted the community about the now infamous Jena 6 case.
The eighth issue (October, 2007) focused on the general election, viral rumors (like the end of black U.S. Postage stamps), the local NAACP response to the Jena 6 case and a “Stop Hunger” campaign by local churches. And we thanked WPTC’s Jazz 88 crew. We couldn’t have produced this newsletter without their cool sound.
Last month’s issue dealt almost entirely with the myth of black inferiority. Again, we boldly asked about another taboo subject, Race and Intelligence. We visited the Dred Scott Decision and its impact on our culture. We also presented the stories of two black men that rose to prominence despite the odds. Finally, we took note of proposed reading programs in Williamsport.
If you missed any of these issues you can download them, for free, as PDF files. You can also read them online in the archives section of An African-American Perspectives website.
The future of this newsletter is in doubt. Its continuation into 2008 will depend on its readership. If there is no interest then it will die a natural death. If the public wants us to go on they will let us know.
The problem, it seems, is that black people don’t believe in themselves. We don’t support each other. We lack unity. We lack confidence. We don’t believe in our own power.
Reverend Leon H. Sullivan understood the power of the masses. From humble beginnings in his Philadelphia church he created an international company dedicated to help the poor.
The U.S. Census says that there are roughly 4,000 black people in the city of Williamsport. If each black person donated one dollar that would be $4,000.00 to keep the operation going! If they donated 10 ten dollars that would be a whopping $40,000.00! (Can you imagine what we could do with tens of thousands of dollars in the bank? We could buy new computers, update the website, integrate video and audio, open an office, hire people, establish journalism scholarships and much, much more.)
Williamsport’s black population is too dependent on the white community. We need to be more self-reliant. We need to support black businesses. We need to create an environment where our young people can dream again.
The future is in our hands.
If you would like to make a donation to this publication, mail it to:
An African-American Perspective
Richard C. James Design
PO Box 1181
Williamsport, PA 17703
Thank you.
Richard C. James
Editor and Publisher
| Related links:
|
| Support these Organizations. |
 |
|
 |
|
|
