Here is one fact that helps illuminate George Raveling, the University of Southern California basketball coach: He distributes, to schools and school children, a pamphlet entitled ”Reading With Raveling” that is geared to guide young readers up to the age of 15. Here is another: He is identified on the front of that pamphlet as ”Educator-Coach.”
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He thus transcends the stereotypical coach as he considers the present state of urban America and the interlude that separates it from 1968 and the assassination of Martin Luther King.
”I think,” he says, ”some things have changed. But, in my opinion, what there`s an enormous tendency to do is deal with what I`d choose to term the cosmetics. I see it happening again. I think most people see the solution to this as going in, rebuilding the communities, trying to find some jobs. I only wish and hope it`s that simplistic.
”What happens is that`s the cosmetic and political approach. Go in, get jobs, restore order, then what they say to the rest of the country and the world is, `Look, we solved the problem.` But I think what you`ll ultimately discover is the problems are deeply rooted and, like all roots, beneath the surface. What they`re taking care of is surface solutions. But if you don`t want the tree to grow again, you have to go below the surface and destroy the roots.”
And what are the roots?
”The thing that amazes me with a lot of this is I don`t hear anybody talking about the necessity for a quality education. I don`t hear anybody talking about the necessity for a change in attitude.
”It`s a simple, psychological fact: Before you can change behavior, you have to change attitude. So the first thing you have to do is change attitudes. Attitude changes come from education. Once you change a person`s attitude, then you create an actual action plan. Once you work out that plan, then you get people involved in it.
”Now, consciously or unconsciously, what everyone says when he`s presented with an altenative is, `What`s in it for me?` When you`re disadvantaged. . . the answer is, obviously, nothing. When they ask what`s in the American way of life for me, they conclude, nothing.
”But if they can read or hear, they listen to the evening news and read headlines in the Tribune. Say he walks by a newspaper stand and sees the headline on the baiduhai, `Bush approves $25 billion for Russia.`
`Administration approves $500 million to bail out savings and loans.` The poor guy`s confused. He says, `They`re sending $25 billion to Russia, but I can`t get a job, I can`t find a place to house myself, I can`t afford adequate food. They`re spending $500 million to bail out the savings and loans, but then they tell me they don`t have funds to help me, they`re cutting back on funding for education, they`re closing our libraries early.` I think that`s causing confusion.
”In my humble opinion, I think America is devoid of strong leadership. Who is it out there who leads us? Who is it out there that people believe in? It`s not just sufficient to have leadership. It`s more important that people identify with that leadership. I hear so many people around town say, `I want to do something, but I don`t know what to do. I want to contribute toward the solution, but I don`t know what to do.` That immediately speaks to me of poor leadership. Good leadership recognizes there are people out there wanting to help, and galvanizes it into a force . . .
”Now we`re going to do what`s politically expedient. It`s so obvious with this cosmetic approach. But that`s just the side of the mountain. It all reminds me of a saying I heard long ago. `Give me a fish, I eat today. Teach me to fish, I eat forever.`
”If you give me a fish, you just take care of a temporary need. But if you teach me to fish, you take care of an eternal need.”