European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Critics say display of stuffed african is racist olympic juror building Over Tel negro by Doug Cress the new York times in the late 19th Century a Spanish scientist plundered a freshly dug grave in Southern Africa and made off with the body of a Man. Back in his Laboratory Francesc darder skinned the body stuffed it and placed it upright in a Glass Booth with a Spear and a shield in its hands. Al negro As the stuffed Man came to be called was unveiled As part of the Barcelona world exposition in 1888. A few years later it was donated to a Small museum in ban Yoles Spain and forgotten. Forgotten that is until now. With the Start of the summer olympics in Barcelona less than six months away the presence of Al negro in the nearby darder natural history museum of ban Yoles has sparked a firestorm of racial controversy and debate that has already involved top olympic officials and has the International olympic committee president Juan Antonio Sam ranch promising to investigate personally. Representatives of the african embassies in Spain Are expected to meet this week in Madrid to discuss the situation and could suggest a Call for the first african olympic Boycott since 1976. Ban Yoles 70 Miles Northeast of Barcelona will be the site of the olympic rowing Competition from july 28-aug. 3, but Al negro s presence in Bay Oles alongside stuffed monkeys and pickled fetuses is considered by Many to be dehumanizing at Best racist at worst. Quot for Black people it s humiliating Quot said or. Alfonso Arcelin a haitian born physician who 10 months ago began the Campaign to have Al negro removed. Quot it s not just because he s a Black Man either. If it were a yellow Man or a White Man or a red Man my sentiments would be the same. But myself being a Black Man it s worse. This is a human being. He should be at  Arcelin mounted a massive letter writing Campaign several months ago to elicit support targeting prominent Black americans like magic Johnson mayor David n. Dinkins of new York and mayor Maynard Jackson of Atlanta. In addition he has written to former president Jimmy Carter and the United nations. But there s a problem ban Yoles does t want to give Al negro up. In fact the City Council voted overwhelmingly last nov. 29 to keep Al negro on display and to shirts and buttons supporting the decision Are now on Sale there. One upscale Home accessories store even worked a Silhouette of Al negro into its logo. Quot Al negro is our property a said Carles Abella a member of the ban Yoles City Council. Quot it s nobody else s business. And All of this talk about racism is absurd. Human rights Only extend to living people not dead Quot Quot we have mummies and skulls and even human skins on display in the museum Quot he said recently. Quot what is the difference Between those things and a stuffed african Quot plenty according to Jeune Frique a Paris based Magazine for africans that first issued the Call for an olympic Boycott in mid january. And it was a visit to the darder museum late last month by a member of the nigerian embassy in Spain that prompted this week s meeting in Madrid although embassy officials will not divulge details such As precisely when the meeting will be held. A the leaders of the roman Catholic a we have mummies and skulls and even human skins on display in the museum. What is the difference Between those things and a stuffed african a Carles Abella ban Yoles City Council member Church of Catalonia Are expected to condemn the presence of Al negro when they Convene on saturday in Montserrat Spain and olympic officials Are waiting to see what happens next. But an Ioc consultant m. Ferrou Kidane of Ethiopia recently told Spanish reporters that an african Boycott will not happen. Quot there exists nothing Worth boycotting Over on the part of the african nations Quot Kidane said. Quot i Don t find anything humiliating about the existence of this Black  most olympic officials Aren t sure what can be done about Al negro. Quot it s out of our  said Caradan Freixa a spokeswoman for the Barcelona olympic organizing committee. Quot the problem is not our problem. The museum does not belong to Coob Quot Coob is the acronym after translation of Spanish for the Barcelona organizing committee. Nor is fisa the world governing body of rowing certain what to do. Quot this is Well and truly outside the realm of our experience Quot said the rowing body a general Secretary m. John Boultbee. Quot in be never heard of anything like  at the Center of this controversy is whether Spain an insular nation for most of the last 500 years can become politically Correct overnight. Blacks a or foreigners for that matter a Are scarce Here and racial tolerance has not come easily. Ironically ban Yoles is Home to approximately 500 africans one of the largest per capita ratios in Spain. But Many spaniards consider the whole Al negro controversy overblown one television variety show even jokes about it. Arcelin however is not kidding. A general practitioner and part time politician who has lived in Spain since 1979, he tried to have Al negro removed quietly last May after stumbling upon a photo of the former Kalahari Bushman found in what is now Botswana in a tourist brochure. But when ban Yoles refused to Budge. Arcelin went Public. On Jan. 12, Arcelin was awarded the Martin Luther King prize for his efforts by the Center for inter african cultural initiatives even though he is largely regarded As a trouble maker Here. Yet Arcelin admits he has no idea where it will All end. Quot i Don t want a Boycott of the olympic  he said a i Hope it wont come to that. But if i am forced to go that far i will. Something must be  action line Merit promotions not always merited a would like to know Why there was no Merit promotion for mos military occupation a specially 72e. The army s new policies almost two years old actually concerning Merit promotions Are in an mos that is at or above strength and has not had a promotion to Staft sergeant during the previous 12 months then on the 13th month the sergeant with the highest Lutoll score army wide in that mos will be promoted the last Stafl sergeant promotion in mos 72e was in july 1990 Why has t there been a Merit promotion in August i went to my Pac personnel and administration Center and they said Milo military personnel office promotions handles that area i called 510th pc personnel service cent Erand they said they had never heard of the Merit promotion. I then called a department of the army promotions and was told that if in a not a representative of a local Milo i should t be calling a. I know if the answer is found it will probably be some lame excuse that the mos is in transition to mos 74c and All promotions Are on hold until completion of that transition. If that is the Case then i would like to know what regulations authorize the deviation from current promotion regulations. Sgt. James Dostie. Vicenza Italy ave col. John w. Of Erfeld chief enlisted division office of the Deputy chief of staff for personnel Washington d.c., replies in october 1990, mos 72e and 72g were merged to form mos 74c no scores or Merit promotions have been announced Lor mos 72e since october 1990 because soldiers have been competing for promotion in mos 74c. Promotions to staff sergeant continue to be slow in mos 74c, but there were promotions in january and july 1991 and also in january 1992. The Merit promotion program was designed to provide an Opportunity for promotion to soldiers in All Moss however and overage in other no grades within the mos will override Merit promotions to write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available Tayou have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480. Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers Page 18 a the stars and stripes wednesday february 12, 1992