IICiti Church eader Focu • • on economic po e ASH GTO -Leader of the African Methodis Epis­ cop Church met in Washington, D. C. last wee d issued call for Blacks to pi ce greater emphasis on developing their economic po r. The church leaders were joined in their can by some of the "s leading African American political and civil rights spo per ODS. Addressing the group of ral hundred re the Rev. J JaCksO CP heid Benjamin Hoo Urban League president John Jacob and Southern. Christian Leadership Conference pr . dent Joseph Lowery. Several of the speakers de n e of the fact the AME churches had grown in number and power since their founding in 1787 without recQving money &0 whites. Continued on P 3 orse than before '67 riots" Confab probes change strategies Pig 3 AACP reques s grand jury HIGHlAND PAA.�""'.""'.LI. The NAACP called on the Governor and tt rn General of Michigan. .Tam s J. Blanchard and Frank elley to impanel a gr nd jury to hear evidence and accusatio relating to the recent d a of Officer Jo phin McCallum and inmate 0 Rowls, Jr. at the State Pris n of Southern Michigan at Jac - son. In a letter to the Governor and attorney General, . Char- 1 Anderson, NAA P id­ west Regional Director, t ld them that there are far many questions being ra' d and left unanswered surro d­ ing the two recent deaths at the Jackson Prison facility. Anderson also indicated that a grand jury investigation is a serious and urgent Dallonal Darl:ieDam:tary procedures competition in response that could go a long ted, I· way in quelling tensions, L - doubts and fears of prison employees, inmates and their famjlies. Contlnu d on Page 3 SECO �: n africa I lobby mark ASHINGTO , D.C. - Ten year: 0, Black American had no voice on ch forejgn policy e ch aid to Africa, partbeid in South Africa, and trade with the Caribbean. e individual Black and Bl member of Congre spo e out, there no organization to arhe d campaign, no pro­ fe 'onallobbyist to pre Bla intere t in the clo room of .. C pitol Hill. Tun frica, the Bl lobby on � fri nd the Caribbean ill .. celebr te its 10th anni- ersary and it rowing po er with forum on Friday Jun 5, and al dinner featurin entert iner Harry B lafonte and Rep. Bill Gray (D-P) on turd y, June 6 in Wa in­ - ton D.Co ith hi lO-year trac re- sole Black America' 10th cord, TransAfrica founder and executive director Randall Robinson is a familiar face on the evening new Following a Congre . nal Black Caucus weekend in the fall of 1976, TransAfrica was created on July 1, 1977, to provide Bla American ith a voice in the debate on fri­ can and Caribbean' e and to pu higher on the national end African and Caribbean foreign policy and economic e Tran frica opened its first office in June, 1978 ith a staff of 0, Randall Rob in­ n and Delore Clem n . Trw Africa immediately went to wor on sustaining sanction against Rhodesia - at a time when the Carter d­ mini tr tion wa under reI nt- • anruversary le conservative pressure to relax sanction again the white minority government of Prime mister Ian Smith. TransAfrica was cce sful in helping persu de Pre' dent Carter to continue sanctions until power was transferred to the n ly-elected leaders of Zimbabwe ( the new name for an independent Rhode 0 ). In 1984, as Black South Africans intensified their trug­ gle ain apartheid Randall Robinson, Dr 0 ary France Berry, and D.C. Delegate al­ ter Fauntroy ged a sit-in at the South African Emba the day b fore Thank iving­ prote t ain t the uth fri­ ean government' apartheid sy - tern and the Reagan dmini- trati n' policy of 'constructive engagement. " "The 't-in created a move­ ment that read to more than two dozen cities and dozens of university campuses," ys Robinson. "Since then, over 3,000 people have been arrested, including 23 members of Congre and the mayors of ver m 'or U.S. citi s." In 1985, the Free South Africa ovement expanded nation ide. ith TransAfrica helping to build support for comprehensive sanctions ain South Africa Pre ident Re an was forced to impo limited economic sanctions ain t South Africa. Then in 1986 Tran fri a's or resulted in Congre ional pa sage of sanct­ ions legislation and the over­ ride of President Reagan's veto. In March 19 7, Trans frica ith a full-time staff of 15 and 15,000 members throughout the United States - launched its year-long "Faces Behind Apartheid" campaign. Accord­ ing to Robin n, the campaign target prominent American political busine and enter­ tainment figures who action ar helping to ain the apar- theid system in South Africa. So far, the campaign ha targeted Sen. Je Helm (R- C, for hi pport of the out han Continued on Page 3