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This racist material is from Adventures on Santa Maria and Future Ship Sailing the Oceans ofSpace. an official project of the International Space Year (lSY) and the Columbus QuincentenaryProject. The comic comes in Spanish and English, with special bulk rates for 10 copies or even50,000 copies! Groups can have special advertising printed on the back cover. Are we in trouble!?

Educators and parents, this is a fraction of the racist materials produced by theQuincentenary Committee. Educators Against Racism and Apartheid urges you to beginpreparations now to:

* Bring alternative resources into your school and home. (see the resource list)* Plan alternative events for this school year and for October, 1992 in your school andcommunity.* Plan staff and parent "retraining" and "rethinking" workshops for introducingalternative methods of looking at the Columbus arrival.

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* Work with young people to analyze this comic book and other Quincentennial materials.Critical thinking is essential.(Send for Adventures on Santa Maria TADCORPS. 300 7thSt.S.W.,Suite 110. Washington, DC 20023. (202) 554-8677 or FAX (202) 836-0265. $5.with "educational papers and letters"* Students can create their own comic books, posters, songs, picture books and videos.* Students may want to send letters of protest to the Quincentenary Committee or theirCongressional representatives.* Participate in Walk Across America. (Call 1-800-466-WALK, 9255)* Collect signatures on the petition to transform Columbus Day into a National Holiday that"genuinely reflects the historical experience and the cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity ofthe Americas."

Stop the Chop in '92Native American activists and supporters

have been protesting the use of dehumanizingmascots, symbols, and practices by organizedsports. During the 1991 World Series between theAtlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins, "Bravesfever took the town by storm. The tomahawk chopand the war chants started and were carried acrossthe country by satellite... Protesters pointed out thatthe dehumanization of Native Americans was anecessary element in the slaughter of over 60 millionhuman beings by the European invasion... "

"When Braves' owner Ted Turner and hisfiancee Jane Fonda announced that they would nolonge"r chop, the rightwingers took up another tack:this whole issue had something to do with "HanoiJane," referring to Fonda's opposition to the US warin Indochina."

Educators Against Racism And Apartheidurges physical education teachers and classroomteachers to investigate with their students the issueof racism in sports and recreation and to protest thisracism. This includes names of sports teams(Braves, Redskins, Falcons), products, as well aspractices. Please let this newsletter know about youractivities.In/onnation is/rom Justice Speaks: Black Workers for Justice.P.O. Box 1330, Rocky Mount,NC 27802. Vol.9 #2 Nov. 1991

ResourcesRethinking Columbus. 96 pages with teachingideas and resources, Send to: Rethinking Schools.1001 E. Keefe Ave. Milwaukee, WI, 53212. $4. +$2 p & h. Bulk copies are available.Huracan. P.O. Box 7591, ~inneapQlis,JVIN 5.5407.$15. Alliance for Cultural Democracy.Racial Justice Working Group. National Council ofChurches. 475 Riverside Drive. NYC, NY 10115 .Re-View. P.O. Box 801, New· York, NY 10009 .

"

Quincentennial BillboardProject

The Minnesota Racial Justice TaskForce, with the assistance of membersof the local Native American community,has launched a bold new project tovisibly counter the 500th anniversary ofthe Columbus "discovery." OnColumbus Day, October 12, 1991, fiveUniversity of Minnesota bus billboardsbegan carrying an alternative messageabout the Quincentennial on routesaround campus and to the suburbs. Themessage and artwork were designed bylocal Native American artists. The groupplans to expand this to thousands offreeway billboards to raise publicawareness and critical thinking aboutthe conquest of the Americas, and itsconsequences.Why not take this project to yourcommunity? Contact:Minnesota Peace and Justice CoalitionBillboard Project, 1929 S 5th st. Mpls,MN 55454 (612) 338-8111

Whites Only eferendum onNegotiations in South Africa

President F.W. DeKlerk's decisions to call a whites only referendum is being hailed by thewestern press as a bold refreshing move, which will give him the mandate to continue the processof negotiations with South Africa's democratic movement. This analysis seems to have forgottena number of salient facts:

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Here is some of what white only decision making wrought in South Africa.The following were passed by the all white parliament:

1936 Africans were completely stripped of voting rights.1949 Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act.1950 Population Registration Act, introduced the Group Areas Act and strengthened the

Immorality Act to to ban interracial sex.1952 Native Laws Amendment and introduced reference books for Africans.1953 Separate Amenities Act, the Public Safety Act, the Bantu Education Act and created the

Bantu Authorities.1954 Native Resettlement Act.1956 Used the court system to remove the Colored franchise.1957 Barred blacks from attending public funded institutions.1962 12 day Detention Act1963 90 day Detention Act introduced1964 180 day Detention Act1968 Banned all multi-racial parties.1970 Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act, stripping Africans of their South African citizenship.1977 Indemnified the security forces. Prevention of Squatting Act, allowing demolition of shelters

without warning or appeal.1984 Tricameral parliament came into being, creating lesser houses of govt for Indians and

Coloureds. Real control remained in the hands of the all White House of Assembly. TheAfrican majority continued to be denied representation.

Apartheid was created by 42 years of whites only decisions making'. The cost in terms ofhuman suffering has been staggering, and the cost in terms of wasted resources, economicdestruction has left all of Southern Africa in economic turmoil. The economic cost was one of thekey factors in forcing Pretoria to the negotiating table. Apartheid was a crime, not a mistake asmembers of the DeKlerk regime have described it. HOW THEN CAN ONE ADMIRE OR SUPPORTTHE CALL FOR VET ANOTHER WHITES ONLV REFERENDUM TO DECIDE ON HOW TO REFORMAPARTHEID? The decision to have a whites only referendum is not only a slap in the face of thewhole struggle, it reveals that the Nationalist Party still does not understand its crime in creatingapartheid.

From Unlock Apartheid's Jails, a campaign initiated by the Africa Fund.Please contact the Africa Fundfor exceUent books and resource materillls, speakers, posters, etc. about apartheidand the situationin Southern Africa. 198 Broadway. New York City, NY 10038. (212) 962-1210

Demand an Interim government NOWl

"Bloody Bones"CURE Offered for Racial Stereotyping

Communities United Against Racism in Education"Let us put our heads together and see what life we will make for our children. "

(Tatanka ]otanka)CURE is a group of Bay Area parents, students, school workers, and community activists,

who came together to work on creating a more just and humane educational environment.Upon a thorough analysis of the Houghton-Mifflin history/social science K-8 series, we find

the series to contain stereotypes, omissions, distortions, exaggerations, and outright lies aboutpeoples of color; and the justifications and trivializations of some of the most vicious socialpractices in our history. The texts are racist, sexist, and classist; marginalizing the lives andstruggles of women, working and poor people, people with disabilities, and gay and lesbian people.

Houghton Mifflin's idea of a "common history," is to portray our lives as a mere peripheralpart of world history; to place the white establishment at the center of the universe and all the restof us as their "burden." The insidious message is: in order for some children to be proud of theirhistories, other children must be made ashamed of theirs.

We must defeat the Houghton Mifflin textbooksI ...Houghton Mifflin and the Bloody Bone

June 19, 1991 - After more than a year of fire from angry parents, students, and educatorsthroughout the state, Houghton Mifflin is still refusing to address the issues. The main issue is this:as people committed to the welfare of our children, we will not settle for textbooks which demean,stereotype and trivialize us.

Here, as an example, is Houghton Mifflin's infamous "bloody bone" selection (from the sixthgrade text). We present it along with our comments, followed by our rewrite, which neitherstereotypes nor demeans early African peoples.

1 Imagine you could be moved back in time about two million years to2 the plains of eastern Africa. You find yourself settled on the shores of a large3 quiet lake. Resting under the shade of a tree, you soak up the unfamiliar4 landscape .9 Two naked (dark-skinned people) persons walk down to the lake10 not far from you. Your only hope of survival is make friends with11 (these people) them .19 Soon the first person returns with a (bloody) bone. The people20 place it on the ground and pound it with the sharpened stone. They21 invite you to eat the (red) marrow (oozing from) found inside the22 bone.

(HM was forced to make several "corrections" in this selection. We have enclosed their originalwording in parenthesis.)

Reject Racist and Sexist Textbooks!Excerpts of this article about CURE community send a message to publishers. If

were taken from Indigenous Thought, October, no decenttextbooks are available, schools can'991, Vol. 1 # 4 and 5. The article goes on to purchase primary source materials, pamphlets,explain the problems with the text. It then and other materials. For more informationshows a non-racist rewrite of the topic. about the work of CURE, please write CURE,Educators Against Racism and Apartheid c/o Oyate. Beverly Siapin. 2702 Mathewssalutes the work of CURE and other efforts Street. Berkeley, CA 94702. (415) 848-6700.around the country which are forcing Educators Against Racism andpublishers to rethink and rewrite textbooks. Apartheid urges you to subscribe to IndigenousEARA urges your school district to REJECT Thought, 6802 SW 13th Street. Gainesville, FLRACIST AND SEXIST TEXTS. Let the school 32608. (904)378-3246. Subscriptions are $10.

,Racism in Education

AIM: Young people will examine inequities in funding of education. They will investigate the issueof institutional racism in education.

INTRODUCTION: The difference in funding per pupil between neighboring school districts is bothsignificant and dramatic. In a landmark decision affecting all school financing, in October 1989, theTexas Supreme Court ruled that "the old school financing system that was based primarily onproperty taxes," was unconstitutional. This case is now on appeal to the Supreme Court.The current system of financing of education guarantees the perpetuation of racism.

ACTIVITIES: School Funding in the Chicago Area(Figures for 1988-1989 Year)

School or District spending(Town) Per pupil

I

Glencoe (elementaryand junior high schools) 7,363

Winnetka (elementaryand junior high schools) 7,059

Wilmette (elementaryand junior high schools) 6,009

Chicago (average ofelementary, junior and 5,265senior high schools)

East Aurora(elementary schools) 2,900

m/, Savage Inequalities. Contemporary Boofrom Jonathan Ko s, New York, 1991ACTIVITIES:Math: Fact: The schools in the above table with the lowest per-pupil spending have predominantly

African-American populations. Make a bar graph showing the spending per pupil in the schoolsin the chart above. Which schools have the greatest spending per pupil. Compare thedifferences. For a class of 30 students, how much more would be spent for an entire classfor one year in Glencoe than East Aurora? What would that mean in real terms (salaries,purchase of books, supplies, facilities)? What would that mean in terms of quality education?Find data for your local schools. Compare that with the schools on your graph.

Criticalthinking:

Brainstorm means for funding of schools which would provide equity and quality.Why do we find this pattern of school funding found throughout the United States? Is the U.S.a democracy?

Criticalthinking:

"Every year in February we are told to read the same old speech of Martin Luther King. Weread it every year. "I have a dream... " It does begin to seem -what is the word?" she hesitatesand then she finds the word: "Perfunctory."I ask her what she means. "We have a school in East St. Louis named for Dr. King. The schoolis full of sewer water and the doors are locked with chains. Every student in that school isblack. It's like a terrible joke on history." from Jonathan KomI. Discuss this statement.

Action: Work with local unions or community organizations to fight for equitable funding. Urgethe transfer of defense funds to education.

(Excerpted from the draft Activity Guide For Combating Racism: For PeoDIe ofAll Ages. The infonnation for this activity is fromThe Inequality ofFunding for Public Education in the United States in the 1990's. by Jay Schaffner. Please let us know whetherthis activity was effective with your class or famUy. Write to P.Bower. 625 Unden Ave. Teaneck, NJ 07666)

Apanheid Is Wrong:A Curriculum by Young People

A hands-on multidisciplinary curriculum forgrades 1-12. by Paula Rogovin Bower.Published by Educators Against Racismand Apartheid.$17 + $5 p &. h. Make checks toEducators Against Apartheid. Send toEARA. 164-04 Goethals Ave. Jamaica. NY11432

This puppet show was created to openstudents' hearts and minds to a time 500years ago when Columbus arrived on theshores of lands already richly inhabited.For grades 4-8. Narrated by Spiderwoman.a character found in Native Americanstories. For booking info. call MargoMccreary (612) 825-3533 WAMM 3255Hennepin Ave.S Minneapolis.MN 55408

Poems for Young People,by Edith Segal

Take My Hand. Be My Friends.The Greatest Wonder.

These poems for young people are greatfor classroom use. They help buildunderstanding and friendship.Write to: Edith Segal. 60 Plaza St.Brooklyn. NY 11238

African-AmericanChildren's Books

There is a tremendous selection ofchildren's books by African-Americanauthors or about African-American people.From a number of publishers.Red Sea Press. Call for a catalogue: (609)771-1666 or FAX (609) 771-1616

u.s. Response to National Crises$150. r-------------------,

$100.

$50.

oww.$61'"

Sources: Bread ror the~. Resolulion Trust Corpor2Iion. Center ror Defense Infurmalion.1992 Budget of lhe u.s. Governmenl

·em.read for the Worlda::.. 802 Rhode Island Avenue. N.E.Washington. DC 20018

Human Rights ReviewSouth Africa 1991

Excellent for classroom use. Hasinformation about legislation. housing.land. health care. education. and more.

Africa Fund. 198 BroadwayNew York City. NY 19938

single copies 30 cents. over 20. 15 cents. + 15% postage. Ask for a list of otherresource materials.

loin Educators AgainstRacism And Apartheid

I want to join EARA. Membershipcontribution $10. Make payable toEducators Against Apartheid._ I want to make a contribution to helpexpand the work of EARA._ I want to help field test the ActivityGuide For Combating Racism.

Name. _Address, State__ Zip_Phonel ). School or org.__

What You Can Do* Write or call your representatives and askhim/her to co-sponsor the Waste Export andImport Prohibition Act, H.R. 2580 which bansinternational waste trade. Get your friendsinvolved.* Join the Greenpeace Action ActivistNetwork. 1436 U St.NW. Washington, DC20009. (202) 319-2454This article was excerpted/rom Action Alerl. Help Stopthe International Waste Trade. Greenpeace

Board of Directors-Educators Against Racism and ApartheidPaula Rogovin Bower. Arthur Colen. Joyce Duncan.Joseph Edelman. Pam McCarthy-Bamba. RebekahRichie-Pagan. Carole Storch-Dladla. Claudia Zaslavsky

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Ban Waste Trade!Four thousand tons of ash from a U.S.

garbage incinerator are sitting in a beach townin Haiti right now. A ship carrying this ashfrom the city of Philadelphia dumped it theremore than three years ago. The heavy metalsand other toxics in the ash are blowing in thetropical wind and being carried into the sea bythe heavy rains. Cadmium and lead, twometals present in this ash, contribute toneurological damage, lung and bone damage,nervous systems disorders, birth defects, andother health problems.

Unfortunately, Haiti is not the onlycountry being poisoned by our country'swaste. U.S. hazardous wastes-heavy metals,dioxin, PCB's, medical waste, and evenradioactive wastes-are threatening people andecosystems all over the world. Instead ofending the production of toxic wastes,companies are trying to ship them to othercountries. In the last year, U.S. companies aretrying to send toxic waste to Brazil, Canada,Jamaica, Guatemala, Mexico, South Africa,Tonga, and dozens of other countries.

There is no safe way to dispose ofhazardous wastes. Whether U.S. wastes aresent to landfills, incinerators, or so-called"treatment" plants abroad, their poisons willbe released into the air, soil, water, and foodsupplies of foreign countries.

Mercury waste from AmericanCyanamid, for example, has contributed tocontamination of the Umgeni River in Natal,South Africa to a level 8,600 times higherthan EPA standards...

Toxic Dumping Can Be StoppedSince 1987 the international

Greenpeace network has exposed and stoppedhundreds of toxic "waste trade" schemesaround the world. We have documented andcreated worldwide awareness of the problem.To date 83 countries have banned the importof toxic waste ...

On June 6, 1991, Representative EdTowns from New York introduced legislationto prohibit U.S. participation in this deadlytrade in wastes. For this bill to pass­guaranteeing that U.S. industrial profit-seekingwill not poison other countries-our membersof Congress must hear from us.

(\PSI: ENO\l~ ...'(au WIN!

Keep the Pressure On!Maintain State and Local

Sanctions Against Apartheid

Apartheid Kills! Boycott KeUogg's!Kellogg's continues to sell cereal from its factory in Springs, SA to the South African DefenseForce-which is part of the "third force." Evidence now points to the government, the SA military,and police for their direct role in the violence against the anti-apartheid movement. Yes, theKELLOGG'S BOYCOTT is still onl

:.

SheD Gets Canned in New Jersey ~:~,." ,1: ',. '•.••.. ,.

The Shell Oil Co. will not be allowed to . ~...,

operate service stations along the New Jersey~ '. .Turnpike after its current contract expires on ~April 1, 1992, because its parent company,Royal Dutch Shell, has petroleum and miningoperations in South Africa that support theapartheid system. The contract is worth $50million in revenues. This is a result of work ofthe NJ anti-apartheid movement. Until April,EARA encourages you to exit the NJ Turnpiketo get your gas. Yes, the international SHELLBOYCOTT is still onl

Educators Against Racism And Apartheid164-04 Goethals AvenueJamaica, NY 11432

Say No to racism and apartheid! Get involved!