The TransCultural Awareness Institute

Interactive CV

2011-10-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

Interactive Resume of:

Offie C. Wortham

125 VT., RT. 100C

Johnson, VT. 05656

(802) 479-3339

Email: itxinc@yahoo.com

Education:

B.A., 05/66 San Francisco State College, San Francisco, California
Major: International Relations

Minor: Political Science

M.A., 05/04 Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York

Major: Psychology

Focus: Counseling & Community Psychology

Ph.D., 03/74 Union Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio

Major: Higher Education Administration
Focus: Minority Recruitment and Retention

Employment:

Psychotherapist/Professor/Entrepreneur 2008 – Present: Part-time faculty at Johnson State College teaching courses in Sociology and Psychology. Private practice conducting workshops and working with individuals on confidence building, empowerment, and self-esteem enhancement issues. Taught course on Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Class twice at Johnson State.

Fall 2003 – 2008: Facilitator at the Men’s Domestic Violence Program of Putnam County, Carmel, NY. Adjunct faculty at Marist College teaching a history course in Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality in the Americas, and a course in Community Psychology. Adjunct at Dutchess Community College for the second year teaching Career Exploration and Planning to students on campus and to prisoners in resident at Daytop Village in Rhinebeck, New York prior to release.

Post-Doctoral Study Fall 1999 – Spring 2003: Master’s degree in Psychology at Marist College. Externships included positions as a counselor for the Upward Bound program at Marist College, United Way, and as an employment and placement counselor at the Dutchess County Community College. Conducted workshops and seminars in ethnic awareness, and substituted in the middle and high schools of Peekskill, Poughkeepsie and Beacon, NY.

Educational/Management Consultant 1982-1999: Generated business plans and proposals, and designed and marketed workshops and seminars on Trans-Cultural Awareness©, and Diversity Training to high schools, colleges and businesses. Managed HIV testing program for Urban Coalition in Philadelphia. Educational Consultant at Taft High School, Bronx, NY, for Simon & Schuster Computer Software Education Group training teachers on educational computer software.

Regional Program Director 1980-82: National Conference of Christians & Jews, (NCCJ) Georgia Region. Developed Human Relations programs, workshops and visibility for the organization. Initiated and managed Regional Emergency Seminars to unify the community of Atlanta to avoid impending racial and ethnic conflict. Taught human relations at Atlanta University and Emory School of Social Work as adjunct faculty member.

Internal Consultant on Interracial Education 1978-80: Girl Scouts, USA. Wrote proposals and training programs for 160,000 volunteers and 6,000 paid staff. Designed and wrote proposal for the Executive Directors of the Girl Scouts and the National Urban League for the first Girl Scout program for Native American girls. Conceptualized and conducted racial awareness workshops, seminars, conferences and retreats for all national staff and field directors. At the request of the Executive Director, redesigned entire national training program for all volunteers to qualify training for accreditation. Worked closely with accrediting agency. Wrote major parts of the Girl Scout manual for Training the Trainer.

Director of Planning/Research 1976-78: Youth Services/Crime Analysis Team, City of Philadelphia. Wrote plan to coordinate 160 youth agencies, and the LEAA proposal for the Crises Intervention Network. Special Consultant to the FBI Academy for over two years developing and writing curriculum for first agent classes on Psychological Profiling, Serial Murders and Crime Scene Analysis, (now called CSI). Went to England to work with Scotland Yard on personal idea to reduce burglaries by using computers. Implemented in Philadelphia and lowered burglary rate 20%.

Special Project Director 1975-76: OIC Philadelphia. Administered $100,000 grant with staff of eight, conducting nation-wide research effort to create an alternative youth community (OLYMPUS) for incarcerated young adults, for the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare.

Associate Director 1973-75: Pennsylvania Law & Justice Institute: Worked closely with top law enforcement officials and judges to design and manage statewide retreats in the Pocono’s on criminal justice and juvenile justice system improvement.

Director of Systems 1971-73: National Scholarship Service and Fund for Negro Students (NSSFNS). Supervised and directed four programmers at the University of Chicago in the design and implementation of a model project funded by HEW, ETS and the CEEB which "matched" 50,000 students, from 28,000 high schools, with 3,000 colleges and technical schools.

Director of Interracial Education 1969-71: Antioch College. Administered $300K Rockefeller program. Formulated basic policy for the administration, faculty and the entire student body. Produced model supportive services program (now used nationwide) on file in ERIC at Columbia Teachers College and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Academic administration included curriculum development, creation of university-wide diagnostic and counseling center, and implementation of supportive services for all students. Institutionalized the program before the funding ended. Organized and administered historic four-day national multi-ethnic conference (Bergamo) of top administrators of special programs from Alaska to Puerto Rico and Appalachia with a CEEB/Ford/Rockefeller Foundation grant.

Human Relations Specialist 1968-69: Arthur D. Little (ADL) and City of East Cleveland, Ohio. Operated storefront office on interface of fastest changing community in the nation shifting from white to black. Created secret shadow organization that assumed control of city and Board of Education. Transistion chronicled in a two-page article in The New York Times.

Community Organizer/Poverty Center Director 1966-68: White Plains, NY Community Action Program, Organized community and teenage center in the most depressed area of city. Results of personal activities to control and direct 2,000 students and faculty at White Plains High School following the death of Dr. King was reported in the Congressional Record.

ACTION RESEARCH REPORTS

"Are You Part of the Solution or Are You Part of the Problem?" Antioch Board of Directors, Nov. 1969. Proposed the compromise to Board of Directors on how to avoid lose of all federal funds over the first Black dorm in the country. Resulted in complete restructuring of supportive services for all students in the college. Proposal became a model for white colleges nationwide.

"The Bergamo Report" Produced a model program for poor and minority students in competitive colleges. Was developed from a four-day seminar of 40 top administrators from Alaska to Harlem with the assistance of a grant from the CEEB and the Ford Foundation.

SELECTED PAPERS

"The Wortham Compatibility Quiz" Presented in Atlanta, Ga.

"The Concept of Trans-Cultural Awareness©," Presented at the Center for Research in Social Change, Emory University.

"Black Youth and the New Morality," Westchester Council for Women, Tarrytown, NY.

SELECTED MONOGRAPHS & ARTICLES

“Being Present is the Only Good Option for Mental Health,” http://www.lulu.com/content/3992721

"We Are Not A Melting Pot," Antioch Notes, 11/70

"The Militancy Quotient (MQ)," Black Sports, Fall 1972

"We Don't Need A War between Blacks & Jews," New York Times, Editorial Page, 9/21/79

"The Affluent Poor," Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta, GA, 3/80

"The Lingering Atlanta Mystique," The Atlanta Voice, Atlanta, GA, 6/81

"The Lingering Atlanta Mystique," The Atlanta Constitution, 6/81

"I Have A Dream..." Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta, GA, 9/80

"Black Ambassadors for Earth," Black Future, Atlanta, GA, 11/80

"Contemporary Black Immigration to the United States," Contemporary Immigration; Interpretive Essays, Jossy-Bass, (college textbook) 6/82

"Valedictorians: Profiles of Excellence," The Bulletin, of the National Association of

Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 5/88

"Secrets of the SuperStars," Realtor Magazine, Washington Area, 6/90

"The Bell Curve is Flat," The City Paper, Philadelphia, 8/94

"Summer in Harlem dispels bad image," Burlington County Times, 9/15/94

"Ebonics is Sub-Standard English," Courier-Post, Willingboro, NJ, 1/12/97

“Negrophobia,” UU World, 12/02.
“Let needs, not race, be colleges' criteria,” Poughkeepsie Journal, Sunday, 6/29/03

“The Ghettoization of Suburbia,” Beacon Free Press, 3/3/04

“Over 40, Over Educated, and Underemployed” On-line with Lulu Publishing.

“The African Middle Class,” Interviews in ten African nations. Work in progress.

“Kwanzaa: Is It a Class or Race Thing?” Poughkeepsie Journal, Sunday, January 1, 2006.

“Let's Look At Race A Different Way,” The Times Argus, August 31, 2007

“The Harlem Renaissance is Alive and Well in Vermont,” Field Notes, Plainfield, VT, March, 2008

“Bring Democracy to the Sudan,” The Bridge, Montpelier, VT, September 11, 2008.

“Counseling Minority Graduate Students,” http://www.lulu.com/content/2987064

Recent published writings: http://stores.lulu.com/offiewortham

“Support Barre Youth Center,” Times Argus, November 20, 2009.

“Over 40, Over Educated, and Underemployed” Lulu Press online.

“Being Present Is The Only Good Option For True Mental Health” Lulu Press online

“In What Direction Would Dr. King Be Leading Us Today” Lulu Press online

“The Ultimate Compatibility Instrument” Lulu Press online

“Lakota Sunrise” Lulu Press Online

“The Biography of Robert N.C. Nix, Jr.” Lulu Press online

“The African Middle Class,” Interviews in ten African nations. Work in progress.

“The Curtiss Reed Affair” Stowe Reporter, 12/16/10:

http://www.stowetoday.com/stowe_reporter/opinion/article_76fd16b8-092c-11e0-aafb-001cc4c002e0.html

“Getting your Renter Rebate,” The Times Argus, February 22, 2011.

“Post-Panel Review,” Seven Days, Montpelier Vermont, September 28, 2011.

PAST COMMUNITY & CIVIC ACTIVITIES

Civil Rights Activities: http://www.crmvet.org/vet/wortham.htm

Block Captain, Neighborhood Watch, Sterling Virginia

Co-Chairperson, Mayor Dixon's Transition Team on Crime & Drugs, Washington, DC

Coordinator and Founder, Concerned Citizens of East Cleveland, Ohio

Coordinator, Residents for a Better Willingboro, NJ

Media Coordinator, NAACP Loudoun County, Virginia

Member, American Personnel & Guidance Association

Member, Congressional Black Caucus Task Forces on Criminal Justice and Education

Member, Heritage Foundation African American Advisory Group

Member, Human Relations Commission in Peekskill, NY

Member, Juvenile Justice Task Force, Philadelphia Urban Coalition

Member, Public Education Committee, American Cancer Society (Conceptualized first anti-smoking button distributed by the American Cancer Society.)

Organizer/President, Antioch College NAACP/SNCC/CORE/SCLC, Yellow Springs, Ohio (Created largest college civil rights organization ever in the United States

with over 700 of the 1,100 students in the college paid NAACP members.)

President, NAACP Youth Council, Peekskill, NY (4 years - “Most Active in the country”)

Coordinator, NAACP Youth Councils, Westchester County, NY

Chairman, NAACP Youth Action committee for New York State

Chairman, NAACP College Chapters for Ohio

Vice-President, Atlanta Volunteers for Sickle cell

Youth Advisor, Santa Monica, California NAACP Youth Council

Treasurer, Sloop Club in Beacon, NY (3 years)

Fundraising Consultant, Dutchess County Arts Council

Member, Advisory Board of Poughkeepsie Journal

Member, Panel for reviewing proposals to Dutchess County Arts Council

Member, Citizens Advisory Environmental Committee for City of Beacon, NY

Consultant, Scenic Hudson Beacon Landing / Long Dock Project

PRESENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Member, American Friends Service Committee, Vermont

Member, Vermont Workers Center, Barre, VT

Member, Vermont Public Television Community Council

Additional Background Information

Experienced program administrator, fundraiser, college professor, inventor, trainer, writer and problem solver with a proven ability to take ideas and programs from theory to practice. Extensive experience with diverse public and private organizations in the United States and abroad has been concentrated on creating successful human relations programs, and accessing program objectives in a wide range of organizational and community development projects. Grantsmanship, marketing, public relations and fundraising have been an integral part of most projects. Prior to a career in Human Relations, Wortham worked with a team of scientists as a Research Assistant conducting original research on the first micro-chips in the IBM “Blue Sky” Research Facility in Poughkeepsie, NY; Senior Electronics Research Test Technician at Douglas Missile & Space Environmental Test Labs in California (Rocket Scientist); Senior Technical Writer with Marten Marietta Astro-Space on the first Venus Space Probe, Senior Editor with AT&T Marketing Division, and a Radar Technician in the New York Air National Guard on F-86 jets.

Definition of TCA

2011-08-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

The Uniqueness of the

Trans-Cultural Awareness Institute^©

Offie C. Wortham, Ph. D.

Founder

The difference between this organization and many others is that it does not use the buzzwords "multi-culturalism" or "diversity training." It also does not assume that the major social problem in the world is racism. Of course it acknowledges that racism does exist, but the Institute believes that the larger problem is one where conflicts and misperceptions about life-styles must be examined and discussed.

We propose trans-cultural dialogue in distinction to mere inter-cultural dialogue. This points to the capability of transcending (and, thereby, transforming) one’s own horizon of understanding towards other forms of cultural self-realization, and not merely of relating and comparing abstract contents of one’s own cultural environment to other such environments. The term signifies the fact that our own cultural awareness is shaped by the interaction with other cultures, that it reaches a level beyond its original setup.

This approach, versus one with a Euro centric orientation, is one of dialogue on the cultural, and of partnership on the socio-political level. Based on a concept of culture as "a system of interconnected values, perceptions, and modes of interaction" this approach requires a new doctrine of public education which should, although based on a particular cultural tradition, make understandable the values and world views of other civilizations, doing away with any form of cultural exclusivism, tribalism, or ethnocentrism.

The educational system in any given cultural environment must reach beyond the exclusive interpretation of the collective cultural awareness on the background of that very culture’s specific traditions that, in turn, shaped the very understanding (self-comprehension) of that culture. This has to be transcended towards the inclusion of other (genuinely different) traditions that have been shaped independently of one’s own culture into the cultural understanding of any given community (civilization). We must have an understanding of the other, of that which is different from ourselves. This implies a more profound awareness of our own culture; it allows us to define ourselves more adequately in distinction from the other(s).

The consequences in the field of education are obvious: European curricula should not only include the teaching of Graeco-Roman and Christian traditions but should also convey the knowledge of non-European traditions and religions such as Islam and Buddhism. Total Euro centric ignorance of other cultural environments that have been shaped outside of Europe and the United States has been the main breeding ground of cultural chauvinism and the root cause of imperialist aggression over the centuries up to the present age of a prematurely declared "New World Order."

Trans-Cultural Awareness requires a reorientation of the information and media sector in regard to the stereotyping of other civilizations (the most drastic example being the stereotyping of the Islamic civilization by the West).

On the level of international relations, this approach towards cultural self-comprehension requires a new method of cultural diplomacy, abandoning the propaganda-style presentation of one’s own civilization and promoting genuine trans-cultural encounters. The traditional crusader spirit has to be overcome in trans-cultural encounters, and the hegemony of Euro centric worldviews and life-styles in the international media and entertainment sector has to be counterbalanced by the unbiased presentation of other civilizations. A truly multicultural environment should be the goal on the local and global level. One has to get out of the vicious circle of self-affirmation that has characterized the Euro centric approach to cultural encounters for so long, and that has so greatly discredited the Western tradition of Enlightenment.

Each of our events is designed to bring together people to discuss a subject of common interest. By placing individuals in discussion groups with others from differing backgrounds we hope to broaden the perceptions we have of others, and reduce the number of stereotypes we all have of people we normally never socialize with as peers. We have put on similar events in New Jersey, New York and in Atlanta, Georgia.

Trans-Cultural Awareness is not limited to racial or ethnic awareness. This approach can be used to sensitize individuals from different nations, different classes, different age groups (the "Generation Gap"), or between male and female. It would be especially useful for individuals who must work in tense situations with others who are products of an entirely different, and often conflicting, lifestyle or subculture.

Policymakers and planners, government officials, teachers, law enforcement personnel, employers, supervisors and others in important positions of authority and power would greatly benefit from non-threatening encounters between themselves and the recipients of their decisions and actions. Transcending the horizon of one’s own tradition is the precondition for a better understanding of that particular cultural tradition.

For those who are concerned about the future of the human race, a universal dialogue of civilizations is of crucial importance for the future of mankind, because such a dialogue is a basic condition of peace and stability on both the national and the transnational level. As stated by UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim in 1974: "No nation, however large or powerful, can escape from the fundamental reality of our interdependence."

Where Would Dr. King Be Leading Us Today?

2011-01-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

“In What Direction Would Dr. King

Be Leading His Followers Today?”

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967

Before one can even ask who Dr. King would be leading, we must first ask, would there even be a movement today for him to lead? The old Civil Rights Movement is no longer in existence because most of its goals and objectives appear to have been realized. Racist laws have been removed; blacks now freely vote and hold elected office; schools are seemingly desegregated; people-of-color are now used extensively in advertising, commercials, and marketing; racial and ethnic integration has almost been achieved in motion pictures, television, and on the radio.

Dr. King would be 82 today. Around the same age as Bishop Tutu at 79, or Jimmy Carter at 87, but still younger than Mandela who is 93. Where then, would the constituency come from for Dr. King to lead today? Those who are one step out of poverty quickly forget. With their high-paying jobs and fine homes, this relatively privileged group often feels threatened by the demands of others who are still powerless, regardless of their color or ethnicity.

Although the most famous and most quoted speech of Dr. King is the “I have a Dream Speech”, his most controversial, least quoted, and some think most important, was the “Riverside Speech.” By 1967, King had become the country's most prominent opponent of the Vietnam War, and a staunch critic of overall U.S. foreign policy, which he deemed militaristic. In his "Beyond Vietnam" speech delivered at New York's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967 -- a year to the day before he was murdered -- King called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." Time magazine called the speech "demagogic slander that sounded like a script for Radio Hanoi," and the Washington Post declared that King had "diminished his usefulness to his cause, his country, his people.”

Dr. King said in his speech: “A time comes when silence is betrayal. That time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.”

Further on in the speech he said, “So we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. So we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would never live on the same block in Detroit. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent.”

This sounds similar to voices today that say that the present government is wasting billions abroad while cutting critical domestic programs in every state and county nationwide. Anti-Americanism is at an all-time high and our militarism is helping those who are recruiting soldiers to destroy the United States and its allies. American citizens have been desensitized by a media, mainly television and hate radio that has created an extreme nationalism under the pretext of patriotism.

Even before the death of Dr. King the Civil Rights Movement was coming to an end. Dr. King and many others were pushed out of “the Movement” in the mid-sixties with the rise of Black Power and the move from integration to separation and multiculturalism. Dr. King was called an Uncle Tom and was disrespected nationwide. Julian Bond, Andy Young, myself, and thousands of others were told to get out of the poverty programs working in the Deep South.

On October 10, 1980 Mrs. King opened the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change in Atlanta. At that time I was working out of Atlanta as the Georgia State Program Director for the National Conference of Christians & Jews (NCCJ). I was also a free-lance writer for Atlanta Magazine.

One day, in the early Fall of 1981, as I was in the midst of going over some research in her office Mrs. King asked me to work with her for the opening program of the King Center. I felt honored when she asked me to conduct the first workshop on where Martin would be leading the movement if he were alive.

In preparing for this assignment I read the last few speeches of Dr. King, and I also read the last speeches of Malcolm X. Dr. King and Malcolm X were coming closer together in their world views. Malcolm was becoming less radical while Dr. King was becoming more critical of the foreign policy of the country. I also read The Third Wave, by Alvin Toffler, which I was sure Dr. King would have read. I suggested at the workshop that Dr. King would have gotten from Toffler the belief that Industrialism was the greatest threat to mankind, not racism. Nowadays, the Pope and many others call that same worldwide threat consumerism and materialism.

We now have over 2,000,000 people in prison, mainly because of a “War on Drugs and its imprisonment of a generation of non-white youth. The dropout rate in high schools located in lower-income neighborhoods is near 50%, and the dropout rate in many community colleges nation-wide is over 90% for black males and over 70% for black females! The unemployment rate at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where I took a class of college students for a week this summer, is over 80%.

Aware of the depressing realities facing the nation and the world, what do we think Dr. King would be saying today? He would most likely be very opposed to our costly invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Today he would be accused of treason for his pacifism, and be threatened with aiding terrorists and possibly arrested under the new draconian Homeland Security laws.

What would be Dr. King’s reaction to the $700,000,000,000 bailout to the banks, car companies, and insurance companies without credible record keeping? He would probably organize demonstrations for a bailout for the 40,000,000 without health insurance, or the 5,000,000 who are unemployed, or the millions of underemployed, or the hundreds of thousands of college students who will be burdened for decades with twenty to one hundred thousand dollar plus loans, plus interest, that have replaced grants and scholarships since his passing.

What would he do for the countless thousands of unemployable, semi-literate youth being pushed out of our inefficient high schools? What would he say of a possible relationship between the collapse of the worldwide economy and the obscene increase in profits of the oil companies and corporate executives?

How much would Dr. King support or oppose the military policies of the new administration of President Obama? Once upon a time, you could trace the spread of imperialism by counting the number of colonies; Today it’s done by counting the number of military bases outside the country.

Would Dr. King be pushing organizations like CORE, SCLC, and the NAACP to shift its energies from such meaningless activities as devoting an entire national convention getting worldwide publicity for a parade and funeral for “The N Word?” He might say they seem to be more concerned about political correctness (PC) than getting out and fighting to help the poor and hopeless nation-wide, regardless of ethnicity or color.

He would welcome the election of Barack Obama, the rise of Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and a black on the Supreme Court as signs of people being recognized for their accomplishments and intelligence instead of their color. The same would be said for people-of-color who have risen to be the heads of major corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies. Education and lifestyle are now being seen by some as more important than ethnicity and race in the twenty-first century. As Cornell Belcher, a pollster, recently stated, “The thing is, a black man can’t be president of America, given the racial aversion and history that’s still out there. However, an ex-traordinary gifted, and talented young man who happens to be black can be president.” We seem to be a few steps closer to recognizing people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. But we aren’t there yet.

Meanwhile, the number of people in the lower or under-classes has increased. Just as all social movements need a powerful force to oppose, Dr. King today would still be fighting against the powerful forces that are oppressing and exploiting the poor today. He would be championing the plight of the homeless whose numbers keep growing while programs to assist them shrink. If Dr. King were with us today he would probably be more interested in reducing economic exploitation, materialism and militarism than racial discrimination.

Perhaps Dr. King would try to become the leader of a new international pro-peace movement? What has happened since 1968 is a steady and unsurprising decline in the left’s overall political confidence and ambition. Anti-war groups recognize that times have changed. Their role does not seem to be to mobilize, but to engage in education and outreach. But how do we support our government in an illegal and immoral war?

Let me share with you some prophetic words from Dr. King’s speech at Riverside Church:

“We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace and justice throughout the developing world -- a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise, we must choose in this crucial moment of human history.”

We will always have a choice to become involved in efforts to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves, or to do nothing. Today, in an atmosphere of apprehension about employment and financial security, coupled with the Omni-presence of a national surveillance system that can track a person to within a quarter of an inch, to a device we willingly carry with us everywhere, the GPS in every cell phone. Big Brother would be envious of the hypnotic power of the wall-sized, soon to be 3D, life-like televisions now being used to condition our children and adults to worship Materialism instead of any spiritual or religious belief.

Dr. King would be greatly challenged today to ignite the passion of indignation and concern that he awakened 40 years ago. Would he succeed? If Dr. King were here today he would be pleading for you to follow him again in an essential struggle to uplift humanity, and to defeat the masters of greed! Would you follow him today in a boycott of the US companies who are the major manufacturers of OUR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?

We here in Vermont can also mobilize and show our support for a peaceful settlement in Gaza, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Instead of waiting around for Dr. King to lead us, perhaps we'd better wake up and realize that nobody is going to save us if we don't have the vision, courage, and determination to become the change agents these times demand. Now is the time to organize and show the new administration that Vermonters are again in the forefront in fighting for improvements in health care, education, and the economy.

Will love and non-violence ever triumph again over hate and aggression? We are the only ones who can answer this question. As my mentor Frederick Douglas said: “Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet decline agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.” If Dr. King asked you today to move from your comfort zone to attack the evils of globalization what would be your response? Each of us knows what needs to be done. The question is, would you have the vision, the integrity, the humility, and the courage to do the right thing?

Lifestyle More Important than Race

2010-12-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

Lifestyle Matters,

More than Race, Ethnicity, or Economic Class!

Offie C. Wortham, PhD

     As obvious as the above title may seem, this truth is generally denied or beyond the comprehension of the general public. People have been categorized or generalized by race or ethnicity for centuries with the erroneous assumption that these vague and unclear classifications would yield correct and meaningful information to formulate successful policies and programs to solve a multitude of social and political problems.

     There are certain standards and patterns of behavior in our society that are admired and respected. There are others that are not. These patterns cut across lines of socio-economic class and even education. Even among the least educated and less affluent there is an awareness of when a person “has no class.” The lifestyle of an individual is a more accurate indicator of the values, morals, ethics and even problems of an individual than their race or ethnicity.

     Adults in the past were miss-educated to believe that various ethnic groups were either inferior or superior intellectually and morally. This is what we call racism. Certain aspects of a group’s culture; their music, their diet, their religion, their speech, their dress, the way they walked, and even their art, were deemed inferior and sometimes almost sub-human.

     The group in power tends to set the standards of what is considered civilized or uncivilized behavior. Whatever they do and like is correct, and everyone else is lacking in terms of proper conduct. (If the minority groups had been in power, the classifications would have been reversed, and the lifestyles of the dominant group would have been labeled as inferior and ignorant.) In some societies people are even killed or put in prison for simply violating manmade social norms. Drinking alcohol was once a crime in the United States! So was gambling, fornication, not believing in a God, homosexuality, and interracial marriages! Today, this lack of tolerance for variations in behavior includes the current laws against the use of certain drugs, and the persistent belief that time in prison improves human behavior.

     Conforming to the lifestyle of the group in power usually assures individuals of more acceptance and less discrimination. People like to associate with people who are as much like them as possible. We feel more comfortable with those who share a common language, religion, culture, and worldview. On the one hand we preach diversity, but in reality, we want to be with people who are just like us. This could be intellectually, spiritually, or who dress as we do, like the same past-times or hobbies, sports, music, or even art.

     The Obama phenomena can be understood better if we view his acceptance as an acceptance of a preferred lifestyle. Highly educated, financially successful, articulate, clean-cut and “nice looking,” moderate in his politics, somewhat religious, and a good family man. This is the perfect image America wants to project to the world, and to itself. In the past, his color and his ethnicity simply meant that he was a member of a race that was generally uneducated, poor, inarticulate, unattractive, a follower of a primitive and emotional religion, and either born out of wedlock, or the unmarried parents of children being raised in poverty and ignorance. Obama transcended the racial issue by having the perfect lifestyle that we all desire! This far over-shadowed his mixed ancestry. His equally intelligent and successful wife even gave up her $250,000 a year job to be at his side as the First Lady! Is there any woman in America, of any color, that cannot fanaticize about having such a choice?

     My point here is that we reject certain groups or individuals because of their speech, their mannerisms, their behavior, their lack of interest in education, and their appearance. The amount of money they make does not move them up one notch in social acceptance, as long as they continue to act like immoral and ignorant clowns. We have always discriminated by lifestyle throughout history. Only recently have we become confused and introduced race or ethnicity as primary factors in determining human behavior, and forgot that lifestyle is really much more important than race.

Books and Video of The New African Middle Class

2009-08-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

“The New African Middle Class”
THE SUMMARY PROPOSAL

“The Dark Continent…wildlife safaris…apartheid…starvation…Our first impressions of Africa are often formed by news stories, adventure movies, or magazine photos. But Africa — the real Africa — is a land of rich cultures and ancient civilizations unknown to many in the Western world.”

Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute
For African and African American Research
Harvard University

The purpose of this summary proposal is to outline a project that will present to the world three text books; elementary, secondary, and post-secondary, and a video that will be a portrayal of the positive lifestyles, homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, houses of worship, and recreation of the middle and upper-middle class in a number of countries in Africa. A large coffee-table picture book might also be produced.

Our goal is to open the eyes of children and adults to the wonderful things these countries have to offer. Our goal is not to increase tourism to Africa. Our objective is to educate ourselves and our children about the lifestyles of hundreds of thousands of Africans who are not living in poverty, but are living lifestyles similar to, or better than, many in America, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Because of the negative image portrayed by our media and most of our influential magazines, newspapers and text books during the past century, Black Africans are seen living mainly in conditions of extreme poverty, crime, disease, poor housing, genocidal wars, corruption, and military dictatorships. How many magazine covers have we observed with a poorly clothed African woman holding a starving baby? Or, a village of grass huts where the naked children are playing in the mud under a burning sun. Are these countries one wants to visit during a vacation? Or where you would want your child to take part in a student exchange program?

There are two different ways this project can be accomplished. We could work with a major organization like National Geographic and PBS to produce a large “coffee-table” picture book that would contain around 200 pages, and a one-hour TV documentary.

The second alternative would be to approach a major textbook publisher and a private video company and enter into a long-term agreement to publish and distribute the books and video worldwide.

In both scenarios there would be no pictures in the book or the video of the very poor in any country. There would also be no pictures of military officials who might be in power. There would be no pictures of poverty, crime, or disease!

Many of us are aware that in every African country there is a sizable group that is hard working, educated, financially stable, and living a lifestyle similar to the lifestyle of the typical working-class, middle-class, and upper middle-class American. With the cooperating governments, we would identify and interview these people.

The first step would be to find a magazine, publisher, or foundation that would be interested in supporting such a project. We are speaking here of technical and logistical support, and possibly some seed money. The bulk of money for this project will come from the participating African countries themselves, and their budgets allocated to their Ministries of Tourism. We will let any country in African become a part of this project as long as they meet the following criteria:

Has a sizable number of people living a middle class lifestyle.
Can show many areas of the country where citizens are being educated in modern schools.
Can show that there are a sizable number of stores and office buildings.
Can show that there is a growing number of educated and employed people.
Have a sufficient number of modern and interesting places where this new middle class and visitors can go for entertainment and recreation?
Will commit in a written contract to pay a fee for the production of the textbook, the video, and possibly the display book featuring the positive aspects of their country.
If we were to choose one country over another we would be opening ourselves up to much criticism and condemnation. The Human Rights issues of the countries should not be our concern! We are not going to get into the business of saying that one country is safer than another. Our primary role should be to help any country in Africa show the world that they have made great progress over the past several decades to educate a sizable number of their citizens to live a comfortable and profitable lifestyle similar to their peers around the world.
This summary proposal is the first step to find a company, foundation, or individual who might be interested in this project. It would be ideal to find one company that is interested in producing the books and the video.
The magazine or textbook and video would serve as positive educational teaching tools to promote the image that something positive comes out of Africa besides diamonds, minerals, exotic foods, and oil. We want to show the world that there are many countries in Africa that have a vibrant and exciting middle class. We also want to highlight the schools, colleges, theatre, businesses, restaurants, hotels, homes, neighborhoods, and recreational and cultural facilities. We are not interested in the wild animals.

What is the “New African Middle Class?”
The World Bank estimates the sub-Saharan middle class will be 43 million strong by 2030, up from 12.8 million in 2000! They do not define the term “middle class” however, and this leads to much confusion, discussion, and debate. Even in the United States there is still no agreement on who is considered middle class. Is it by income, lifestyle, education, or a combination of all three?
     The bulk of Africa’s so-called middle-class is in South Africa, with growing markets in such countries as Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. Most international investigations of middle classes and their characteristics typically exclude the lower middle class. There is a tendency to focus on the “core middle class” and above - politicians managers, senior administrators, educators, scientists, doctors, successful entrepreneurs and their spouses.
     In our efforts we not want to do a disservice to Africa and its people by trying to fit the entire continent into a Western construct of class, which doesn't really exist in Africa. Even those who are often considered to be members of the new African middle class do not yet have a cohesive distinctiveness.
     The object of this project is to construct a more authentic identity of the African people and the continent, for Americans and others worldwide. When we say authentic, we plan to highlight the achievements, the diversity, and the lifestyles of what we are calling The New African Middle Class.
     The hopes and expectations vested in the emergence of this new middle class are diverse and many will be contradictory. The absolute number of people who are the target of these expectations is relatively small, and most are still obligated to fulfill the social roles imposed upon them, such as helping to pay for the education of family members. There is a growing segment, however, that is quickly becoming Westernized and are mainly preoccupied with their own lives rather than helping others.