Key achievers often shunned as role models

I have been disappointed with the lack of recognition that many black leaders attribute to the views and achievements of Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, economists Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams plus former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts.

Too often do I hear them called Uncle Toms and other belittling terms while nationally elected Democratic officials have few similar role models of achievement.

The following is an excerpt from a recent column in The Wall Street Journal by Rod Paige, the current U.S. secretary of education:

Naked partisans: I have a message for the NAACP's Julian Bond and Kweisi Mfume, who have accused black conservatives of being the "puppets" of white people, unable to think for ourselves: You do not own, and you are not the arbiters of, African-American authenticity.

I am a lifelong member of the NAACP. I have a great respect for the organization. Its historical leaders, all visionary thinkers, have been responsible for helping to advance the struggle of African-Americans over the past century, making our nation a more equitable and race-blind society. Sadly, the current NAACP leadership has managed to take a proud, effective organization in a totally new direction: naked partisan politics, pure and simple.

In particular, Mr. Bond and Mr. Mfume have done a great disservice to our organization, and to the founders of the civil-rights movement, with their hateful and untruthful rhetoric about Republicans and President Bush. How ironic that they would direct this vitriol at a president who has appointed more African-Americans to high-profile posts, has committed more funds to fight AIDS in Africa, has championed minority homeownership, and has supported more trade and aid for African and Caribbean nations than any other administration.

For minority students in particular, the denial of a quality education begins with what President Bush has termed the "soft bigotry of low expectations." Like Ralph Ellison's "Invisible man," these children have been overlooked and thrust into the shadows. They supposedly cannot learn because they are too slow, come from disadvantaged homes, have the wrong skin color or are learning English. Excuses all.

School should be a leg up on life, which is why No Child Left Behind is designed to provide a quality education to all children, regardless of their race, spoken accent or street address. How a civil-rights organization could characterize NCLB as "disproportionately hurting" African-American children is mind-boggling, since it is specifically designed to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their peers.

Through his education policies alone, President Bush has done more for the African-American community than any previous president, including the so-called "first black president," Bill Clinton. That's a secret some black leaders may not want millions of African-American voters to know. But just as the tens of thousands of parents who took advantage of the free choice and tutoring provisions under the first year of NCLB, the majority of whom were minorities. Poll after poll has shown that African-American parents support school choice, which is directly at odds with the NAACP's position on the issue.

What did Henry Ford and Will Rogers have in common? There are so many interesting facts and opinions in our world. In 1977, David Wallechinsky, Irving Wallace and Amy Wallace authored the Book of Lists published by Williams Morrow & Co.

There are so many wonderful things in this nearly 500-page book that will surprise you, interest you, amuse you and educate you. It is very well worth reading.

It is also interesting to get a retrospective on what we were all thinking so long ago.

Here are some of the things that are fun and interesting:

Achievers at an advanced age: At 81, Benjamin Franklin effected the compromise that led to adoption of the U.S. Constitution. At 89, Albert Schweitzer headed a hospital in Africa. At 91, Adolph Zukor was chairman of Paramount Pictures.

Estimated IQs: Thomas Jefferson, 145. Napoleon, 140. George Washington, 125. Abraham Lincoln, 125. Beethoven, 135. Voltaire, 170.

Former jobs of famous people: Sean Connery, bricklayer. Perry Como, barber. Golda Meir, school teacher. Elvis Presley, truck driver. Babe Ruth, bartender.

Best place to live over 500,000 people: Portland, Ore.

Worst place to live over 500,000 people: Jersey City, N.J.

American lawyers who never went to law school: Abraham Lincoln. Clarence Darrow. John Jay. J. Strom Thurmond.

Rank in their West Point graduation classes: U.S. Grant, 21st of 39. Robert E. Less, second of 46. William Westmoreland, 112th of 276. Dwight Eisenhower, 61st of 168.

Some countries that use torture: Brazil. Spain. Turkey. The Philippines. India.

Highest waterfall: The Angel, Venezuela.

Largest producer of crude oil: USSR.

Dog that bites the least: Golden retriever.

Most popular main dish in America: Fried chicken.

Rarest autographs and the value if auctioned: Julius Caesar, $2 million. Christopher Columbus, $500,000. Abraham Lincoln, $150,000. Joan of Arc, $125,000.

A new name for an old place: Belgian Congo/Zaire. Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Constantinople/Istanbul. Siam/Thailand. Persia/Iran. Fort Dearborn/Chicago.

Writers who ran unsuccessfully for public office: Jack London. H.G. Wells. Norman Mailer. James Michener. Upton Sinclair.

Never graduated from grade school: Mark Twain. Claude Monet. Thomas Edison. Charles Dickens. Andrew Carnegie.

High school dropouts: Henry Ford. Steve McQueen. Al Pacino. Will Rogers. George Gershwin.

Famous snorers: Theodore Roosevelt. Beau Brummel. George Washington. Benito Mussolini. -- Favorite reflections by Mark Vittert, St. Louis Business Journal

Gary Rust is chairman of Rust Communications.