Generosity Isn't Always Enough

This column was submitted before I attended last evening's Martin Luther King dinner at the New York Hilton. Still, I can predict that none of the Hollywood stars who have made headlines with their African adoptions or AIDS crusades were there. I also can safely predict that though this annual event is one of the most prestigious celebrations of the civil rights leader, little will be written about it in the mainstream press.

The Congress of Racial Equality is a bipartisan nonprofit group whose sizable achievements are ignored by the press in favor of covering the more divisive organizations supported by the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

CORE has been heavily involved with U.N. agencies and has made great progress in bringing modern technology to African farmers. Its influence has created an effective battle plan against malaria, which kills millions of Africans every year.

I suggested to a spokesman for the organization, Niger Innis, that he consider awarding Angelina Jolie or George Clooney a commendation for bringing world attention to the devastation in Africa.

Unsurprisingly, he was way ahead of me but had little success. "We made a targeted effort to reach out to celebrities because of the increasing importance celebrity has been given by our cultural elites," he said. "You figure those that would want to adopt an African child to give him a better life might be interested in working with an organization that is trying to help his village attain the technology, infrastructure, and investment needed to lift the entire village."

He told me that the only supportive Hollywood celebrity was Ashley Judd, and she was in Scotland. But even when the MLK dinner honors high-profile celebrities such as Usher, the singer honored last year, most of the mainstream press fails to take notice.

In 2006, much was made of Madonna's surreptitious adoption of an infant boy from Malawi. Ms. Jolie and Brad Pitt had their baby in Namibia and have reportedly donated millions to build a hospital there. Mr. Clooney spoke at the United Nations to address the crisis and the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Oprah Winfrey just opened a school in South Africa and teamed up with U2 singer-humanitarian Bono to fight AIDS in Africa.

While I have always ridiculed the intellectual bankruptcy of Hollywood stars, I have no doubt that their concern is sincere. Certainly it is better to hear their pronouncements against worldwide poverty and global crises then the constant drone of anti-Bush statements.

Yet I wonder how judicious all those stars are in monitoring where their millions end up. We've become lax in the followup necessary to prevent fraud and corruption.

After the Katrina crisis last year, I would see signs all over the city seeking funds for the victims in New Orleans. Millions were collected, yet who bothered to ask these so-called nonprofits if they were genuine 501 registered charities?

Celebrities may be sincere, but they are foolish to give money to corrupt governments.

A missionary priest from Crossroads International came to our parish recently and distributed a pamphlet showing what our donations could provide in Third World countries the organization serves. The largest donation, $3,000, would build a house for a family of four; $1,000 would build a well; and so on. It seems that, given to a legitimate mission, those Hollywood millions would create a village instead of disappearing into the pockets of despots.

I'm always amazed at anti-war protesters who throw in anti-Zionist posters and pleas for starving Palestinian Arabs in refugee camps. Do they ever ask how Yasser Arafat could become a billionaire living abroad while money donated for his people went for guns and suicide bombers?

Meanwhile, last night's main honoree was Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Born in Somalia, she escaped from her country to the Netherlands, where she campaigned against the mistreatment of Islamic women. She wrote a documentary film, "Submission," about this abuse, which was directed by Theo van Gogh, a grandnephew of artist Vincent van Gogh. He was murdered in 2004 by militant Islamists for this film, and Ms. Ali has been under guard ever since.

On second thought, guests like this are far more suitable for the Martin Luther King award than any Hollywood celebrity.