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Apr. 16, 2005 America, brace yourselves and get ready to familiarize yourselves with Ernest W. Chambers. In 1981 I moved from California back to Nebraska. But rather than return to my birthplace of Hastings, I moved to Omaha. My relocation was preceded by my brother Matthew’s, which had taken place some six years earlier. Upon his arrival he began sending me newspapers clippings of his, along with those of Nebraska State Senator Ernest W. (Ernie) In fact, I even found an Ebony magazine article on Ernie dating back to 1967. When I arrived in Hastings, I was anxious to meet Ernie. The next day I went to Goodwin’s Barbershop and met Ernie. Dan Goodwin, the proprietor, is equally as effusive regarding issues in black communities. We talked politics for several hours, all the while Dan and Ernie cut hair. I walked away from my first meeting with the Senator knowing I would never meet anyone as astute, articulate and committed. During my stay in Nebraska I watched as the senator lobbied for pay for college athletes, win re-election with more than 80% of the vote and wage a campaign for State Attorney General. In the latter instance, some of Ernie’s detractors thought he was “unqualified.” This included the incumbent A.G. Paul Douglas. Newspapers across the state--including it's largest, The Omaha World-herald--called for Douglas to debate Ernie, which he refused to do. Truth of the matter is, Douglas was scared and rightfully so, as the senator garnered four times as many votes as the pundits thought he would—this in what is arguably the most overtly racist state in the union. Due to Senator Chambers’ efforts, in 1980 Nebraska was the first state in the nation to divest public monies from South Africa. Now the Senator is under fire for LB1024 that was passed by the Nebraska Unicameral. The bill breaks the beleaguered Omaha Public School system into three racially distinct districts: One predominantly white, Hispanic and black. The bill was passed by a 31-16 margin and was recently signed into law by Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman. Even though the districts are encouraged to enact voluntary integration plans, a number of court battles are expected. All of this melodrama in a city that itself, is racially divided—where 80% of its black residents live in an 8-square mile area known as the Near North Side. In 1975 the 8th Circuit Court described the city’s schools as intentionally segregated, adding “No discussion of the segregated nature of the schools would be complete without mention of the segregated housing patterns in the city and some of the reasons therefore. The area in which most of the black community resides is commonly referred to as the “Near North Side.” That year the court ordered Omaha Schools to desegregate. Thirty-one years later blacks and whites want to separate and determine their own educational futures, prompting prominent Omahans such as billionaire Warren Buffet, millionaire Walter Scott and chairman of America First Co., Michael Yancey to cry foul. But as Matthew Stelly of the Uhuru Sasa Research Institute asks, “Where were Buffett, Yanney and Scott (in 1975)? What did they do? They did NOTHING. They made money and stayed away from dealing with the segregated daily reality of Omaha, Nebraska. Now, with their best years behind them, they have the collective unmitigated GALL to come out as if they were at the 1963 March on Washington!” (Matthew Stelly, “The Chambers-Raikes Proposal and Its Value as a Socio-Cultural Engineer," April 2006). In a New York Times article, Chambers said "Several years ago I began discussing in my community the possibility of carving our area out of Omaha Public Schools and establishing a district over which we would have control. My intent is not to have an exclusionary system, but we, meaning black people, whose children make up the vast majority of the student population, would control." (Sam Dillon, “Law to Segregate Omaha Schools Divides Nebraska,” April 15, 2006)] Governor Heineman said,“I would have preferred the simple and outright repeal of the old and previously abandoned law at the heart of ‘one city, one school district,’ and left the rest to local decision makers, but it was clear that no such legislative solution was possible…This is a new beginning. While I was initially concerned about the scope and nature of the changes proposed in Senator Chambers' amendment, recent changes to the bill addressed many of my concerns.” Eternal publicity monger Jesse Jackson and several prominent local blacks are also labeling the law “segregationist,” falling back on the Brown V. Board of Education argument. However, studies show that most schools are as segregated as they were 52 years ago when the Supreme Court rendered such systems unconstitutional, so the segregation argument is moot. Second, segregation is a forced situation whereeas outsiders control the resources of both communities. Chambers’ bill will allow for local control of schools, meaning black parents will determine the educational futures of their children. One can go back fifty years and see how well all-black schools functioned in spite of economic constraints, limits on space, outdated texts, dilapidated buildings, etc. Those lucky enough to attend school were motivated by the idea that we had to be twice as good as whites to compete with them. Hence, there was a lower drop-out rate. It was integration which killed that spirit. This revolutionary proposal by Senator Chambers is a product of his unique vision and years of experience serving the public hood. LB 1024 empowers the residents of Nebraska's most downtrodden community to determine their own future. Perhaps this what Buffet and others find frightening. Rest assured that we haven't heard the last on this issue. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly, Sr. is a 46-year old poet, novelist and aspiring screenwriter who resides in northern California with his three youngest children--Lawrence, Kimberly and Dante. He is a member of various writer's groups and has three novels in print, his most recent, "Like A Straight-Up Sucka," is available at www.lulu.com. website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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