The Good the bad and America

Not that I went to Atlanta, the spiritual home of Dr Martin Luther King, Coca-Cola and CNN-to see the US build up for war. No, my mission was to see how two Black British students, who were chosen for the first OBV international leadership programme, were getting on.

The trouble was its impossible to ignore the daily media and political onslaught that marches on to war with little to no debate on whether this is the right action to take. The news channels focused their attention on the mobilisation of troops and speculated how quick a war could be won without troops launching a northern offence from Turkey. The patriotic story of the day was of a soldier who left his dying son's bedside because as a sergeant he would not relinquish his responsibility to the men in his command.

And therein lies the root cause for the absence of any meaningful discussion about the merits of war. President's George W Bush's manipulation of American patriotism has shackled all political debate about the war in the USA. 'You're either with us or against us' he declared to an audience both home and abroad when he began this 'crusade' (his word not mine) shortly after Sept 11th. 'The axis of evil must be defeated' insisted Bush referring to Iraq, North Korea and Iran.

There has only been one politician in Congress who dared to challenge the 'Blank cheque' approach that has given President Bush political and economic free reign to wage war across the globe. That voice belongs to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a Black woman from California who dared to stand up and be counted. Her solitary vote against the President has led to death threats and accusations of cowardice and treason, but to many she is the voice of Americas silent majority.

During my few days in Atlanta, however, I was surprised to see that despite the media deluge supporting war the silent majority is becoming more vocal. After Sept 11th suburban houses proudly sported the star spangled banner. Many of those flags have either been replaced or joined by the blue 'War is not the answer' placards. And around the college campuses of Spelman, Morehouse and Emory, students had taken to traffic intersections with their banners protesting against the war.

With the energy and determination of these protesters, America's 'little' people are walking tall again demanding to be heard, crashing through the political and media spin, and whilst doing so illuminating a near forgotten side of what's best about the USA.

The same illumination about what's best about America, particularly Black America, could be said when one sees the British students Hala Mustafa and Desiree Weston from Middlesex University studying at the historically Black women's College, Spelman and undertaking an internship at Mayor Shirley Franklin's office.

Hala and Desiree have become the toast of Spelman College as they immerse themselves at the 120-year-old institution that nurtures powerful Black woman. Interestingly the college was funded by the philanthropic Rockerfellas. This Black-Jewish collaboration would prove crucial many years later during the Dr Martin Luther King Civil Rights Movement, when Jewish students marched and campaigned with Black activists.

I caught up with Hala and Desiree from Middlesex University at Spelmans Camille Cosby centre-donated by Camille, wife of Bill Cosby at a cost of 20 million dollars. Hala enthused, 'There's so much for us to learn at a place like this. This is a great experience, one I hope other Black women from the UK will have the opportunity to experience.

Along with their studies, both Hale and Desiree spend two days a week working at Mayor Franklin's office. Mayor Franklin explained during a reception for the project at her offices that the two British women were 'enthusiastic and smart' adding 'do we have any more to send them of this quality'. I replied that 'OBV and Middlesex university are keen to send more students to Atlanta as we are about receiving African American's to London to undertake the same project at London's Mayoral offices and at Middlesex University'.

Collaborating with Black America on this level simultaneously strengthens the Black Anglo-American ties whilst also nurturing international talent. A collaboration in which African Americans see how we do it. How, for example, despite institutional racism we have perhaps the most dynamic integrated metropolis (London) in the world, and how our diverse communities collectively fight racism and work together in a way that much of America would find a difficult concept.

From a UK perspective British students see talented Black faces at the highest places and are well placed to learn from their experiences. Students' get an opportunity to work with Mayor Shirley Franklin, the first African American woman to hold Atlanta's mayoral office, furthermore, they undertake projects with her immediate team. Our own Lee Jasper - OBV's Chair- and senior advisor to Mayor Ken Livingstone, who is being shadowed by Spelman student, Daria Grayer, as part of the exchange, has pledged to invite Mayor Franklin to London to pursue further transatlantic initiatives.

In such troubled times when we often feel so powerless, our focus on the micro: small projects that seem insignificant, somehow miraculously take on greater significance as they grow and influence wider agendas. For those of us who feel a little tired or jaded these projects also have a unique ability to compensate for any superficial feeling of fatigue.