6 white men we love: too often "mainstream" policies bring us pain. But these guys are fighting the power and doing the thing

Don't get us wrong, we love all our barrier-breaking brothers, but we also admire men (of any race) who are "feeling us"--our passions, our plights, our problems. In this year's men's issue we acknowledge trailblazers whose contributions to our community prove that some White men can not only jump but also slam-dunk. We've gotta show these honorary brothers some love.

Bono

For rockin' reality

Most people know about the four Grammy Awards that Bono and his slick band, U2, took home this year and even witnessed what a hit the Irish rockers were at halftime at the Super Bowl. What some of us don't know is that Bono has campaigned long and hard to get the Group of Eight top industrial countries to provide debt relief and desperately needed aid to poorer African countries through the nonprofit organization DATA (Debt, AIDS and Trade in Africa). The outspoken advocate's recent effort: a ten-day tour of Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia with United States Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, a fact-finding mission to enroll the Bush administration on Africa's behalf. But make no mistake, the 42-year-old pop icon isn't talking about providing star perks--just the basic right to clean water, free toilets, primary education and jobs. He'll keep speaking out until we all take some "Pride (in the Name of Love)" in the Motherland.

Barry Charles Scheck

For creating an innocence mission

If anyone knows the duplicity of such catchphrases as "innocent until proven guilty" or "and justice for all," it's wrongfully incarcerated prisoners, the majority of whom are African-Americans and Latinos. Prominent defense attorney Barry Charles Scheck, cofounder of the Innocence Project at New York's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, argued for a more liberal standard for using DNA testing. He then put his money where his mouth is by representing many of the 110 men who have since been exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing.

Steven Spielberg

For not being color-blind

He has been both praised and damned for manipulating our emotions with his big-screen tearjerkers. But what film-maker Steven Spielberg has not been acknowledged for is his gift for telling the epic story of a people--whether that of Polish Jews or of enslaved tribesmen from West Africa. Spielberg changed the way movies are made--and with The Color Purple and Amistad he captured the African-American experience with a lens that is both intimate and heroic.

Andrew Hacker

For exposing the great divide

Political science professor Andrew Hacker has dedicated his life to showing the myriad ways in which our nation has moved toward becoming two societies. To that end, he is the author of numerous books, including Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal, which have helped pull the curtain on America's racial truths.

Jonathan Kozol

For his higher learning

In nine books over 30 years, educator and activist Jonathan Kozol has examined the ravages of unequal public school systems, homelessness, illiteracy and poverty, revealing a government policy and a social structure that fail to support those who need it most. For his tenth book, Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope, Kozol went back to Mott Haven, the poor South Bronx neighborhood he has long studied. This time he simply listened to the children. We hope the politicos are listening to him.

Robert De Niro

For spotlighting sisters

Bobby has navigated the Mean Streets of Hollywood so skillfully he can call his own shots--like executive-producing and starring in projects that bring us into the mix or teaming with leading ladies of color like his own ex-wife Diahnne Abbott in New York, New York; Taral Hicks in A Bronx Tale; Sheryl Lee Ralph in Mistress; Daphne Rubin-Vega in Flawless; and Angela Bassett in The Score.

9 things he wishes you'd do more often

Want to please your partner? Look beyond the bedroom (well, most of the time). We asked several brothers what sort of attention they'd love from the lady in their lives. Their answers may surprise you:

1. "Be more spontaneous. Just flow."--Warren, 31, Bowie, Maryland

2. "Invite me for a drink after work. Show up dressed to turn heads. Flirt as if we've just met. Then join me for an intimate dinner. Next: a hotel hideaway lit with candles."--Dennis, 48, San Francisco

3. "Love me without losing yourself."--Anaj, 32, Washington, D.C.

4. "Tell me what you need. My name ain't Miss Cleo and I ain't a mind reader."--Michael, 36, Poughkeepsie, New York

5. "Know that when I say I love you, I mean it. I love you big. I love you small. Just don't change who you are on the inside."--Shamar, 27, Greenbelt, Maryland

6. "Just listen to me."--Don, 40, Los Angeles

7. "Can a brother get some oral sex in his life?"--Trevor, 28, Orlando, Florida

8. "I'd love a little praise for everyday contributions and achievements, for being steady."--Mark, 44, Mount Holly, New Jersey

9. "Allow me to spend quality time with my kids, in my way."--Mohamed, 31, Cincinnati--REPORTED BY JAMES HILL

Some names have been changed.

"I admire all the men I interviewed," says ESSENCE contributing writer Deborah Gregory. "They want what we want--a world in which racial and sexual disparities are no longer tolerated." In "7 White Men We Love" (page 170), she gives kudos to White "brothers" who've made significant contributions to our community. The Cheetah Girls, a movie based on Gregory's book series of the same title, will air on the Disney Channel next summer.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Essence Communications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group