Beginning anew

New Crisis, The, May/Jun 2001 by Valentine, Victoria L

Editor's Note

As founding editor of The Crisis, W.E.B. Du Bois laid out his case against race prejudice during a "critical time in the history of the advancement of men."

I am humbled to have the honor of carrying on his mission in this very new time in which we find ourselves. We have certainly overcome many of the legal setbacks that faced us then, but there are still plenty of social and economic issues that continue to plague our communities today. These issues - including access to quality education, poverty, criminal justice matters and health disparities - will be examined in The Crisis, along with the many advances that we have made through the years. We haven't forgotten where we came from though, so each issue will also take a moment to report on our history (Paul Robeson and Juneteenth, this month).

I bring a varied background to The Crisis. A native of California, I was a part of the editorial team that George Curry assembled to rejuvenate Emerge: Black America's Newsmagazine, which unfortunately is no longer being published. After five years at Emerge, I worked for the Clinton-Gore Administration, serving as a spokesperson for President Clinton in the White House press office.

In this my maiden issue, you will notice a few new installations intended to make the magazine more informative and establish a familiar flow for readers. Each issue will begin with the "Up Front" section, composed of news briefs of events around the country that may have received short shrift in the national media.

We are inaugurating a new department, "The Color line," which is so named in reference to Du Bois' much bandied about pronouncement that the problem of the 20th century would be that of the color line. We are in the 21 st century but the problem still resonates. "The Color Line," which is debuting with a piece by Du Bois biographer David Levering Lewis, will serve as a venue for discussing issues of race.

This spring, the final numbers for Census 2000 were released. The findings of the census determine the apportionment of Congressional seats, redistricting lines and the allocation of federal funds to communities; They are used for civil rights monitoring and enforcement. In this issue, Roderick J. Harrison, a former Census official, analyzes what all the numbers mean.

This month's cover story focuses on the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas). With this year marking the organization's 30th anniversary, Washington Post reporter Michael Fletcher examines the CBC's agenda and whether any of its issues - including election reform, abolishing mandatory minimum sentencing, and insuring that Africa is given high priority in foreign policy - will see any movement on Capitol Hill, under a GOP-controlled White House and Congress.

Toward the back of the magazine is the "Crisis Forum." This diverse section will offer readers highlights of the arts and the culture in which we live. This month the forum opens with a piece on playwright August Wilson, whose King Hedley 11 recently debuted on Broadway

The final installment - "The NAACP Today" - continues to bring readers and members the news of the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the country.

Our hope is to re-engage readers and incite some new passion about the publication. Share your issue with those who may not be aware of The Crisis, particularly young people, or those who have lost touch with the magazine. In the meantime, we will try to hold true to what Du Bois intended, standing "for the rights of men (and women), irrespective of color or race, for the highest ideals of American democracy."

Victoria L. Valentine

Letters to the editor may be sent to The Crisis, 4805 Mt. Hope Drive Baltimore, Md., 21215 or thecrsiseditorial@naacpnet.org. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.