THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 22, 1994 TAG: 9410220317
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
When Randall Robinson flew with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to his island country last week, he said, the restored leader's eyes began to mist over.
``I have never been in my life a part of such an emotional experience,'' Robinson told Norfolk State University students on Friday.
Robinson is executive director of TransAfrica, a Washington lobbying group for African and Caribbean nations that played a role in restoring Aristide. At Norfolk State, Robinson shared with the audience his battle to change President Clinton's Haitian policy.
Robinson, 53, told Norfolk State students that as African Americans, they too can affect policy-making decisions.
``African Americans can redirect the course of foreign policy if we believe in ourselves,'' he said.
Aristide's return to power was also a victory for Robinson. Last spring he endured a 27-day hunger strike to protest Clinton's decision to send fleeing Haitians back to their country.
``Our community could not stand for this,'' Robinson said. ``There was no way we could treat innocent Haitians any different than Cubans.''
However, Robinson calls the recent developments in Haiti ``the end of a long struggle put together by you and me.''
He urged the audience to understand worldwide issues and to be dedicated to a purpose.
Students must ``put down the beer cans'' and get everything they can out of their education, Robinson said.
``Your responsibility in college is to learn everything you can about everything,'' he said, ``because the world is not run by dummies. It's run by people who know.''
Robinson, who attended Norfolk State and graduated from Virginia Union University, reminded the audience that students could start making a difference by playing more powerful roles on campus.
``We ought to follow issues in the Caribbean as well as throughout the world,'' he said. ``The biggest enemy is ignorance.''
By becoming aware of the issues that affect them, Robinson said, the African-American community will start to come together.
``The blood that unites us is thicker than the water that divides us,'' he said.
Veronica Jordan, a sophomore from Brotmanville, N.J., said Robinson's words on unity stood out most in her mind.
``I was hoping everyone here would take that to heart,'' said Jordan, 19. ``We need to realize that we have to be unified and work together. We need collectiveness because if we work together, we'll go far.''
Robinson is being honored this weekend in what is billed as the ``NSU/NAACP Salute to Randall Robinson Weekend.'' Robinson was saluted Friday night by the Area Two branch of the NAACP and will be honored today by Norfolk State for his humanitarian efforts.
Robinson said TransAfrica next will be focusing on U.S. policies in the Sudan and Rwanda, in addition to its continued interest in Haiti. Aristide's success, he said, will depend on the disarmament there as well as repairing the economic system. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Robinson
by CNB