African Descent

In a winter chill, the warmth of a woman's lifeworks were officially remembered yesterday as Cardinal William H. Keeler, Mayor Martin O'Malley and a few hundred others gathered to honor Mother Mary Lange, who in 1829 in Baltimore founded the first order of American nuns of African descent. For many of the African-American nuns who exchanged embraces in the crowd, the recognition of a spiritual leader with a monument was a long time coming. Quiet elation -- and validation, someone said -- were the emotions in Southwest Baltimore.

The Census Bureau announced last week that it is dropping the use of the term "Negro" to describe black Americans in its population surveys. I suspect few will mourn the word's passing. Today Americans of African descent, especially younger ones, almost universally prefer to be called African-American, people of color or simply black. The bureau reports that the number of blacks who self-identify as Negroes has dwindled to fewer than 50,000, most of them older people living in the South.

The past always exists just below the surface, nearly invisible but a potent presence nevertheless. It never fully can be erased - but an effort to do just that has come to light recently in a well-known portrait at the Walters Art Museum. The painting, by 16th-century Florentine artist Jacopo Carrucci, also known as Pontormo, is now believed to be the earliest known depiction in European art of a girl of African descent. The story behind Pontormo's painting reads a little like the tale of Sally Hemmings, the black slave mistress of Thomas Jefferson who bore the former president and author of the Declaration of Independence several children.

People passing through the intersection at Charles and Centre streets recently may have noticed an intriguing banner hanging from the wall above the entrance to the Walters Art Museum . The oversize image depicts a black woman dressed in the manner of a 16 t h century Italian lady-in-waiting, who returns our gaze with an expression of ironic, amused self-awareness. Who is she? Alas, we don't know. The picture is based on a painting attributed to the Italian master Annibale Carracci, probably from the 1580s and possibly completed in Venice, where the artist is known to have traveled during those years and where objects such as the richly ornamented gilt tower clock the woman holds in one hand were common in the homes of that city's wealthy elite.

Recently back from a trip to Jamaica, Richard Edson of the Folk Art Gallery has mounted an exhibit of Jamaican artists of African descent.The works of these artists -- painters, sculptors and one ceramist -- are interesting in their own right. But by showing them in the context of present and former African-American artists, Edson allows the viewer to discover common elements that reveal African influence on all of them.As he points out, "Contrary to the belief that all African influence was destroyed when people were transported to the New World, a lot of it went underground."

COLLEGE PARK -- University of Maryland officials yesterday dedicated a $4 million African-American cultural center on the flagship campus here.The three-level building, next to Stamp Student Union, is a new home for the Nyumburu Cultural Center, which offers courses and activities aimed at African-American students and others of African descent. However, the programs are open to all students.Pub Date: 9/13/96

'African Descent' print to be unveiled SundayThe Greater Glen Burnie chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women will unveil the print "Patriots of African Descent" by Cal Massey during ceremonies Sunday at the North County Library.The numbered print was done to recognize black men who were part of George Washington's encampment at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778 and the historic crossing of the Delaware River. It will be the only print honoring African Americans in the military displayed in any county facility, said Christine Davenport, chapter president.

One of the county's largest black-oriented festivals will take place at Howard Community College tomorrow.Black FESTAC '96, short for Black Festival of the Arts and Culture, is scheduled to run from noon to 8 p.m. at the Galleria at the college in west Columbia.This year's festival is expected to attract more than the 5,000 people who attended last August, said organizer Christopher Onyejiaka, a Howard County substitute teacher.The free event features storytellers, musicians, artists, dancers, singers, gospel rappers and 50 to 100 vendors.

The Census Bureau announced last week that it is dropping the use of the term "Negro" to describe black Americans in its population surveys. I suspect few will mourn the word's passing. Today Americans of African descent, especially younger ones, almost universally prefer to be called African-American, people of color or simply black. The bureau reports that the number of blacks who self-identify as Negroes has dwindled to fewer than 50,000, most of them older people living in the South.

On Feb. 21, The Sun reported in a front page story "Tribute questioned: 'Negro Mountain' called an honor, others see racism. " I take this opportunity to express myself in a very serious way on the attempt to change the designation of Maryland's "Negro Mountain" to something else. Although I realize that the term Negro is offensive to some Americans of African heritage, this effort (however well intentioned) would not yield a good result. First, from a historical perspective, "Negro" as a word is an important part of American history and neither "Black Mountain" nor "African-American Mountain" would be a good substitute.

On Feb. 21, The Sun reported in a front page story "Tribute questioned: 'Negro Mountain' called an honor, others see racism. " I take this opportunity to express myself in a very serious way on the attempt to change the designation of Maryland's "Negro Mountain" to something else. Although I realize that the term Negro is offensive to some Americans of African heritage, this effort (however well intentioned) would not yield a good result. First, from a historical perspective, "Negro" as a word is an important part of American history and neither "Black Mountain" nor "African-American Mountain" would be a good substitute.

An exquisite drawing of a beautiful woman by Michelangelo. A winsome portrait of a child by Pontormo. A serpentine bronze sculpture of Venus. These and other images were typical of those produced by artists of the European Renaissance, when painters and sculptors brought a new realism to depictions of the human form through close observation of nature and an expanding world view. Yet what is most striking -- though not immediately apparent -- about Michelangelo's figure is that the beautiful woman who looks out at us from the drawing is likely of African descent -- as is the child in Pontormo's portrait and the Venus of the sculpture.

PARIS -- President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled a streamlined Cabinet of historic diversity and ideological scope yesterday, appointing leftists, centrists, an unprecedented number of women and France's first powerful minister of North African descent. The center-right president had raised expectations by promising that his government would be run by a talented "dream team," breaking down barriers of gender, ethnicity and party politics. Yesterday, Sarkozy named seven female ministers, an unprecedented portion of the Cabinet, which he cut from 30 to 15 ministries.

WASHINGTON - The Mexican government recently stoked the flames of racial insensitivity by printing a series of postage stamps that celebrate a Sambo-like black child cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin. The stamps' debut followed President Vicente Fox's controversial declaration that Mexican migrants are willing to fill jobs in the United States that "not even blacks want to do." The two incidents drew criticism from American politicians and civil rights leaders. The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson met with Mr. Fox in Mexico.

Blacks are almost twice as likely as whites to develop cataracts, according to a new study published today. Released in the latest issue of Ophthalmology, the study also found that a certain form of the disease, cortical cataracts, developed three times as often among blacks. The study nails down what some researchers had already suspected. "There have been no data on eye diseases in people of African descent," said Dr. M. Cristina Leske, an epidemiologist at the University Medical Center at Stony Brook in New York and the study's lead author.

For many people, African-American history is the story of slavery in this country. But Marilyn Miles is out to change that view. Miles coordinates Heritage of Excellence, an educational series for middle school children that focuses on African-American contributions in the local community and the world. It is run by and meets at the Howard County Center of African American Culture, where Miles is assistant curator. "There are a lot of other portions of our history other than slavery," Miles said.

Blacks are almost twice as likely as whites to develop cataracts, according to a new study published today. Released in the latest issue of Ophthalmology, the study also found that a certain form of the disease, cortical cataracts, developed three times as often among blacks. The study nails down what some researchers had already suspected. "There have been no data on eye diseases in people of African descent," said Dr. M. Cristina Leske, an epidemiologist at the University Medical Center at Stony Brook in New York and the study's lead author.

People passing through the intersection at Charles and Centre streets recently may have noticed an intriguing banner hanging from the wall above the entrance to the Walters Art Museum . The oversize image depicts a black woman dressed in the manner of a 16 t h century Italian lady-in-waiting, who returns our gaze with an expression of ironic, amused self-awareness. Who is she? Alas, we don't know. The picture is based on a painting attributed to the Italian master Annibale Carracci, probably from the 1580s and possibly completed in Venice, where the artist is known to have traveled during those years and where objects such as the richly ornamented gilt tower clock the woman holds in one hand were common in the homes of that city's wealthy elite.

The past always exists just below the surface, nearly invisible but a potent presence nevertheless. It never fully can be erased - but an effort to do just that has come to light recently in a well-known portrait at the Walters Art Museum. The painting, by 16th-century Florentine artist Jacopo Carrucci, also known as Pontormo, is now believed to be the earliest known depiction in European art of a girl of African descent. The story behind Pontormo's painting reads a little like the tale of Sally Hemmings, the black slave mistress of Thomas Jefferson who bore the former president and author of the Declaration of Independence several children.

AFRICAN-AMERICANS and others should know something about the war in my country, Colombia. It's not about drugs. It's about greed and the struggle for local control. Someone who tries to declare neutrality in that situation invites death, as my story shows. You don't see black faces in seats of power in Colombia, even though we number 11 million. Social discrimination is strong -- it is still acceptable to make fun of those of African descent in the media -- and few blacks finish school.