White House "Racial Freeze" Threatens Progress
By Earl Ofari Hutchenson, Pacific News Service, April 9, 2001

President George W. Bush has not been popular in the black community, to put it mildly, and he seems to be returning the favor. Yet both sides could benefit from a more cooperative attitude. PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the president of the National Alliance for Positive Action (www.natalliance.org) and is and the author of "The Disappearance of Black Leadership." His e-mail address is ehutchi344@aol.com.

President Bush touted his recent White House meeting with a hand- picked group of black ministers, farmers and business owners as part of his continuing effort to reach out to black leaders.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights leaders were absent. Bush's idea of outreach seems to be a staged photo-op session at a black elementary schools, talk up education and aid to historically black colleges, and remind blacks that he appointed Condeleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Rod Paige to top positions.

His snub of black leaders is no surprise -- nearly all are solid Democrats, and they have waged relentless political warfare against him since November.

They pound him with allegations that Republicans cheated blacks of thousands of votes in Florida and hijacked the White House. They fume at him for picking ultra-conservative John Ashcroft as attorney general.

They rail that he will pick more Supreme Court justices such as Clarence Thomas. They are scared stiff that he will torpedo civil rights and gut public education programs.

Yet Bush makes a terrible mistake in treating these black leaders as soreheads.

For decades, they have fought tough battles in the courts and on the streets for voting rights, affirmative action, school integration, an end to housing and job discrimination, and police abuse. They share the fear and hostility most blacks feel toward Bush.

Bush's dismal one out of ten showing among black voters was embarrassing proof of that -- a much poorer showing than the two most recent Republican candidates for president, Robert Dole and Bush, Sr.

Post-election opinion polls show that nothing has changed. Blacks don't believe Bush will convert the Republican party from a chummy club of rich white guys into a party that promotes diversity.

They do believe he will lash them with more social pain. Still, Bush must remember his own oft-repeated words that he was elected to serve all the people, not just those who voted for him. He is duty-bound to keep trying to reach out to those blacks who oppose him. And when he does they must reach back to him.

The reality is that Bush -- not Clinton or Gore -- is in the White House, and he will be there for at least four years. And three crucial issues screaming for immediate attention are issues that carry the least political risk for Bush should he act on them.

o Minimum Mandatory Sentencing. More than a million blacks are warehoused in America's jails, many because of the deeply flawed, warped drug sentencing laws that effectively mandate long stretches for mostly black and Latino petty drug offenders.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission twice recommended that these laws be modified. Former President Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno agreed. Congress didn't.

Bush has at least expressed some concern over drug law enforcement. Black leaders should push him to prod Congress to amend the drug sentencing laws.

o The HIV/AIDS crisis. Blacks reportedly make up more than half of all new AIDS cases in the country. This is a potential health danger to all Americans. Black leaders must push Bush to radically increase funding for AIDS prevention, treatment, and education programs.

o School vouchers. Bush has backed away slightly, but has not dropped the issue. Vouchers would drain billions from cash strapped, failing public schools and doom those black students left behind to educational extinction. Most Americans oppose vouchers. Black leaders should urge Bush to do the same.

By snubbing each other, Bush and black leaders run the fatal risk of repeating the racial freeze out of the Reagan years.

Black leaders declared Reagan persona non grata, and he responded in kind. This cost blacks dearly. Republican conservatives launched a withering assault on affirmative action, slashed and burned social and education programs.

This cost Republicans dearly. It cemented the belief among blacks and minorities that the Republican party is an insular, bigoted party hostile to their interests. They flocked to the Democrats in droves, helped boot Bush, Sr., from the White House, and virtually enshrined Clinton as their savior.

Former District of Columbia Mayor Sandra Pratt Kelly, who attended the White House meeting Bush held with black leaders, said she came to hear what he had to offer. Bush and black leaders should heed her words and listen to each other.