By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
Ellis Cose, writer, reads at the Calabash International Literary Festival 2004, Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow. At 19, he became the youngest columnist ever at a Chicago daily newspaper, The Chicago Sun-Times, and since 1993, he has been a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine. He has written The Rage of a Privileged Class (1994), A Man's World (1995) and A Nation of Strangers (1992). His Colour-Blind: Seeing Beyond Race in a Race-Obsessed World (1997) explores America's continuing obsession with race. The Envy of the World, an in-depth essay on the state of black men in America, was published in 2002. Bone to Pick: On Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Reparation and Revenge, published in April, is a wide-ranging study of a number of societies and their way of coping with the past. Beyond Brown v. Board: The Final Battle for Excellence in American Education, is a major report on the legacy of the historic Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation decision. Ahead of his second trip to Jamaica, Mr. Cose answered a few questions from The Gleaner.
Gleaner: What is the personal and social background against which your exploration of race issues has been formed?
EC: I became interested in writing about race as a function of having grown up in a community, on the West Side of Chicago, that went up in flames in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. I was a high school student at the time and the violence impressed upon me the importance of understanding the dynamics of race in America. Also, the very fact of living as a black man in America and coming from a very poor neighborhood forced me to contemplate, at a relatively early age, the impact of race on my life.
From your biography, I think that your emphasis is on reconciliation, not revenge or bitterness. If this is so, has it been seen as too soft by African-Americans?
EC: Actually, my most recent book, which is about reconciliation and forgiveness, is not primarily about the racial situation in the United States. It is an examination, among other things, of truth and reconciliation commissions around the world in South Africa, in Ghana, in Peru, in East Timor. And it is about how individuals have recovered from atrocities and horror. As a result, I haven't really heard any such criticisms, except from a few people who clearly have not read the book.
How did you come to write for a newspaper in the first place?
EC: I began writing for my hometown newspaper, the Chicago Sun-Times, when I was 18. The assignment came about because I wrote the editor of the newspaper, whom I did not know, and suggested that they give me a column. They were impressed enough with my writing ability to hire me, although they did not give me a column in the regular paper until I turned 19.
Were there any Black writing mentors to help guide you, if not personally then via their material?
EC: I had several personal mentors. The most important were Ron Fair and Gwendolyn Brooks. Both were writers based in Chicago who took a personal interest in me when I was very young. I suspect I would not have become a writer without their help. In addition, of course, I was influenced by a range of writers, from Ralph Ellison to James Baldwin, whom I did not know personally, but whose writing spoke quite directly to me.
How does the future look, in terms of young Black writers coming through the newspaper system?
EC: I think mainstream newspapers are more accessible than ever to black writers. The problem for any newspaper writer is that such places do not necessarily allow one to develop a personal style and voice. That generally requires writing for magazines, or moving into books.
Is sporting/music achievement a sufficient yardstick to measure the progress of the Black male? Do they signify genuine achievement, or are they simply a way of Black men making money for 'the man' and holding up an impossible role model for young Black males?
EC: I think that black male achievements in sport and music are certainly very important and should be celebrated. I also think, however, that there has been too much emphasis on those things and too little on achievement in other areas.
'Bone To Pick' deals with reconciliation in specific societies. Can any of the lessons be applicable on a broader scale, specifically what I perceive as the discord between the United States and Britain, as opposed to a groundswell of popular opinion over the war on Iraq?
EC: Bone to Pick deals primarily with reconciliation in post-conflict societies. If there is a central message, it has to do with the necessity of acknowledging the sins and mistakes of the past. I think that is quite relevant to the situation in the Middle East.
Can you give us a hint of what is in 'Beyond Brown vs. Board'?
EC: Its main conclusion is that the promise of the Brown decision remains unfulfilled and that much of the action now in terms of educational equity is in state courts in the United States. It also looks at some experiences with education in South Africa and Bulgaria.
Does popular romantic fiction make it difficult for a Black man to find a suitable and willing partner in real life?
EC: No, I don't think so. I believe that for most black men who are employed and seriously looking for a mate, there are many potential partners available.
