[NLA] Re: COABE, race & social justice

Tue Apr 2 11:06:16 EST 2002

Dear Colleagues:

I am grateful to Ira for outlining the history and details of the boycott with
such clarity.  There is no question that this discussion is an important one and
although we disagree on whether the boycott begun by the NAACP should be honored,
our discussions will continue.  To me personally, it is ironic that we would break
the boycott, which is really about race, power, and equity, in order to go to
South Carolina and have a discussion about the same.  Again, I believe that it is
not at all an issue of the ethics of COABE.  The organization and its members are
not under attack, nor are they being accused of any wrong-doing.

Given that the field and the voices we have heard represent predominantly
educated,  privileged white voices -- and I include myself in this -- I believe it
is vital to discuss our own role as privileged whites in the work of addressing
racism and inequity.  After all, racism and inequity have created the need for the
work that we do and the perpertuation of such inequities makes our work important
(and puts food on our tables, regardless of our political orientations)..

As whites in positions of privilege, I believe we have a unique role to play.
Perhaps the following resources will be useful as a start to the discussion. Both
are articles about the role of whites in addressing issues of racism and
injustice.

How We are White
http://www.enidlee.com/white.htm

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
http://seas.stanford.edu/diso/articles/whiteprivilege.html

I look forward to the continued discussion,

    Marguerite Lukes

In addition, I would also like to share the following article aricle from The
Nation which I found illuminating in addressing the issues of the boycott and the
symbolism of the Confederate Flag
http://past.thenation.com/cgi-bin/framizer.cgi?url=http://past.thenation.com/issue/000214/0214foner.shtml

And finally, current issues of race and culture are explored  thoughtfully in the
journal Colorlines, which can be found at
http://www.arc.org/C_Lines/ArcColorLines.html.  The Spring issue has an article on
"Race After 9/11/."

iray wrote:

> Dear Colleagues:
>
> I think its important that we not conflate the decision to honor the NAACP's
> boycott of South Carolina with any sort of repudiation of COABE - its mission,
> its conference, or its incredible importance to our field.
>
> It seems to me that the NAACP's boycott rests on a few premises:
> 1) that the Confederate flag is a symbol of slavery, segregation, and racism;
> 2) that flying the flag on public grounds - whether on the dome of the state
> capitol or on public lands in front of the state capitol - is a tacit
> endoresement of the social, political, and economic inequalities that are the
> legacies of slavery and segregation;
> 3) that the continued flying of the Confederate flag on public grounds is an
> affront to African-Americans and all people of conscience (the flag was placed
> on the capitol dome in 1962 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement);
> 4) that economic pressure on the tourism and convention industries in South
> Carolina will in turn lead to political pressure on the legislature to remove
> the flag from public grounds.
>
> Boycotts have historically served as one of the most effective tools in the
> struggle for civil rights.  The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a watershed in our
> own modern Civil Rights Movement, and the divestment movement in South Africa
> was largely responsible for the dismantling of apartheid.  The NAACP's tourism
> and convention boycott of South Carolina has been in place for over two years.
>  The fact that "hundreds and hundreds" of us may choose to patronize SC and
> spend our money there simply means that we as a field are serving as a fairly
> effective tool for breaking the boycott.  If one accepts the premises outlined
> above, it makes it very difficult to make that choice.
>
> Ira Yankwitt
> NYC
>
> >===== Original Message From nla at lists.literacytent.org =====
> >To All on this List,
> >I have some serious concerns about some recent posting concerning the COABE
> >conference and the NAACP boycott issue.  It sound like some wrong assumptions
> >are driving some conclusions about how the conference should be appraoached.
> >I am a long standing member of COABE and I am disturbed and  with the
> >perceptions being created by those who seem to know little or nothing about
> >COABE.
> >First of All...The MIssion of COABE is very clear:
> >"The Commision on Adult Basic Education (COABE) provides leadership,
> >professional development, networking opportunities, and advocacy for adult
> >basic education practioners in order to advance the unification and
> >professionalism of the field."
> >One of the major vehicles of accomplishing the COABE Mission is through and
> >annual conference which has attracted hundreds and hundreds of practioners
> >from all over the country. The conference moves all over the US to reflect
> >the issues and interests of adult education practioners and to showcase
> >programs in local areas. States bid more than two to three years in advance
> >to host the conference. There are published guidelines which must be followed
> > by the local /state committtee before they will even be considered. They
> >must submit a written proposal amd make a public presentation the the COABE
> >board before  being considered as the "host site. I mention this process
> >because the suggestion that COABE may be crossing the line of a Boycott are
> >simply not fair. The Conference was planned well in advance of the boycott.
> >Secondly, Our colleagues in COABE from South Carolina are just as senitive to
> >issues as anyone else...in or out of the state...In fact, COABE has been
> >dealing witht poverty/race issues for many years...I am retired after more
> >than 30 years in the field. My wife and I will travel to Charleston to the
> >COABE conference and support the conference in every way we can...I am afraid
> >the boycott of not spending dollars or whatever else will hurt the wrong
> >people, including minority populations who benefit from COABE scholarships.
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--
Marguerite Lukes
Director of Instructional Technology
Literacy Assistance Center
32 Broadway, 10th floor
New York, NY 10004
tel: 212.803.3322
fax: 212.785.3685
mlukes at lacnyc.org
http://www.lacnyc.org

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