New American Dream

The New American
Dream Interview

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON, 53, lives in Omaha.

He is the Director for A’Jamal, Advocates & Associates, where he also has served as the Director in many program in a nonprofit agency for 25 years.

He served two years in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Botswana, and he has taught cultural diversity courses for over ten years.

He currently is teaching a course at the University of Nebraska on Poverty — one of the first kind of course at the University level in Nebraska.

He has taught an African American Families class in the School of Social Work for over eight years.

A'Jamal was a member of the board of directors of Nebraskans For Peace.

He has certification in gerontology from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He has also taught courses in multicultural counseling and sociology at Metro Community College.

For eight years he was the host of Community Forum on on Omaha Public Radio. The program was canceled in January 2008 because the school administration did not like his advocacy for progressive ideas and challenges to the system or the friends of the system.


________________________________

The New American Dream Trivia Question:

To win a round button that says, "Bush Is Lying About What He Knew," be the first one to correctly answer the following.

A'Jamal Byndon would rather be ....

a. Tearing down the DCCC walls b. In Grand Island c. Grand Puba of the Knights of Columbus d. Telling the truth to the masses from the anchor seat at WOWT e. Any-effing-where but Nebraska g. Driving a hundred car Union Pacific train, with three engines, headed north, filled with all the money spent on Offutt AFB, to give to the people on Izard Street h. Ernie Chambers
________________________________



NAD: A'Jamal, hello, thank you for taking the time for this.

You are the son of one of the original intervenors in the Omaha Public schools desegregation busing case. What does that mean, "original intervenor"?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
They were the seven women who challenged the segregated Omaha Public Schools system that practiced apartheid in Omaha. They dragged the school administration into court and won the case that resulted in school integration.

I know that many people are excited. I am still awaiting for the transformation for the society to help many low income families and those who are locked out of systems or institutions.

I spent time in South Africa and know that new leadership does not always bring vast economic changes for those locked at the
bottom of our social economic systems.

NAD: Can you talk about that, just a bit.

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
They were able to move the challenge to the inferior education up to another notch but the administration won the battle by hiring non progressive folks who did not carry the baton forward to help ensure equality opportunity for African Americans, students of color and low income families or their support systems.



NAD: Did you grow up in Omaha?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
Yes, North Omaha near the 20th & Ames area.



NAD: What was happening in Omaha during that time?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
A great deal of racial unrest and the creating of the dual system.



NAD: How old were you, where were you during the riots of the '60s?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
I was about 10-15 years old during a great deal of the riots in Omaha. My other brother was directly involved and told me about some of the incidents that occurred during that period.

There is something wrong with a system that will
bail-out the rich but will not ensure that many people
who will not go to bed hungry at night.

NAD: You are a board member of Nebraskans For Peace.

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
I was for a number of years.



NAD: What do you think about the election of Obama?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
I know that many people are excited. I am still awaiting for the transformation for the society to help many low income families and those who are locked out of systems or institutions. I spent time in South Africa and know that new leadership does not always bring vast economic changes for those locked at the bottom of our social economic systems.



NAD: Do you have high hopes?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
Only for universal health care. If there is one expectation is the health care for all residents in this county.



Do you have high hopes?

Only for universal health care.

NAD: Also ... what's up with the canceling of your radio show?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
They were not about having a strong, thinking, assertive African American raise questions or issues from an intelligent framework.

In short, I would not have been angry about the administration cancelling of the program if they would have replaced Community Forum radio program with some other progressive minded program.

Instead they are making the radio a private elite self-serving radio station that sound like something on AM dial and should not be called public radio.

When I listen to many of the radio programs they sound like some ham radio where folks are engaged in private conversations about themselves.

One would think that many of the sponsors would ask these private radios station managers to include eclectic programming.

Instead they are making the radio a private
elite self-serving radio station that
sound like something on AM dial
and should not be called public radio.

NAD: If you were in Omaha during the '60s, weren't the Black Panthers active in town then?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
Yes, but I was a bit young and did not know a great deal about them. I learned a great deal more by reading our history and articles written by our leaders.



NAD: And if the Panthers were there, COINTELPRO must not have been far behind?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
Yes, that is part of the U.S. attack on domestic groups seeking justice for oppressed families.

Yes, that is part of the U.S. attack on domestic
groups seeking justice for oppressed families.

NAD: Are you in touch with David Rice, the Panther member who was sent to prison in the '60s for allegedly killing an Omaha police officer?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
I know David Rice who is now called Mondo. I have not talked with in for years.



NAD: Do you have an opinion about his case, his story that you would be willing to share?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
I think he was framed by the local Omaha Police department and other government officials.

The voice tape was recently found and played and it is apparent that our local government lied about the voice of the guy who said Mondo did the crime.



NAD: What is it like to be black?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
I am not sure how to define that except that it is vastly different when one is in the minority or living in system that are controlled by others. It is a struggle to maintain one’s sanity in a system that frequently does not include healthy aspects of culture within the various institutions.



NAD: And living in Nebraska? ... Is it a far bigger deal — to be black in America — than white people will ever be able to imagine?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
Only if they take my course.



NAD:
What else would you like to add? What else should I have asked?

A'JAMAL RASHAD BYNDON:
If we believe that all folks are equal then why are they not proportional represented in many aspects of the local and national institutions?

How can too many folks go to apartheid churches and believe in the same deity?

There is something wrong when groups never interact with each other in an open and fluid society.

Why are there so many so-called good people unable to challenge the oppressiveness of our systems that hold too many good people back from achieving their potential?

Why are there so many so-called good people unable to challenge the oppressiveness of our systems that hold too many good people back from achieving their potential?

There is something wrong with a system that will bail-out the rich but will not ensure that many people who will not go to bed hungry at night.

Why are too many people afraid to express their opinions or perspectives in a democracy?

Why are so many people silent when there are so many bad things done against so many both on the local, national and international level.

After it is all said and done we should not be silent both in the night and the day.