SEPTEMBER 20 - 26,1987 THE ICHIGAN CITIZEN
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DETROIT - For $10 the
public can buy a piece of the
proposed Africana World
Theme Park, Inc.
Edward Vaughn, president
of Africana World Theme
Park, Inc., announced the
launching of the African
World Land Development
fund. Land situated in Macon
County (Tuskegee) Alabama -­
- site of the proposed park --­
is being sold for $10 per
square inch parcel.
Land owners will receive a
deed, Africana World
souvenir and printed materials
on the African World project,
Vaughn said.
The theme par and resort
community will cost in excess
of $55 million and cover over
500 acres of land, Vaughn
said.
The idea of developing a
theme par to educate as well
as entertain came to Vaughn
after a visit to Disney World
in Florida, he said. "While Dis­
ney World is a great theme
park, it completely ignores the
contributions of Black
Americans to our history."
Africana World will house
a Black historical library and
museum, a wax museum, an
art gallery and two theaters,
as
se
-
Are the courts of Michigan
biased?
Surveys condu ed last year
reve ed 57 percent of the
st e's minority population
believe the courts treat Blacks
more harshly than whites. And
38 percent of. Michigan'�
en fel that men got a bet­
ter deal in front of the court
than they did.
. chigan Supreme Court
Chief Justice Dorothy Com-
ock Riley did not take the
poll results lightly and an­
eounced Sept. 15, that a
$400,000, 15-month effort will
be undertaken by two t for­
ces to determine whether or
not there is racial or sexual
discrimination in the Michigan
st te courts.
It's important to establish
if there are prob ems inherent
in the em tha permit dis­
crimination," Riley . d at a
pr conference in Detroit.
The task forces will make
recommendations for change
if their study concludes that
prob ems do exist.
Former Michigan Supreme
Court Chief Justice G. Men­
nen Williams will serve as the
honorary chair of both t
forces.
. be comprised of
. Vaughn said
-We envision pavilions es­
tablished by African, Carib­
bean and other foreign
countries as well as by states
and corporations," the
developer noted
"Entertainment will be in
the form of rides and special
attractions such as roller
coasters, merry-go-rounds,
chilren's rides, re cation of
famous Black streets such as
125th in New York, Hastings
and John R in Detroit, Ram­
parts in New Orleans and
Beale in Memphis," Vaughn
said of his dream.
The proposal is the first of
its kind anywhere, Vaughn
said. "It is an effort to
promote understanding be­
tween all races and national
groups, but most of all, it is a
celebration of the glorious his­
tory of Blac men and women
in America and the world,"
Vaughn stressed that
Africana World will not just
be a place to bas in Black cul­
ture and have fun, but is also a
massive economic endeavor.
The project will employ
1,000 persons, provide space
for vendors and open an in­
dustrial and business par
with 50 Black-owned manufac­
turing and business service
units.
Land can be purchased by
sending a check or money
order for $10 plus $2 for
postage and handling payable
to "Africana World LDF and
mail to: Africana World Land
Development Fund, c/o Home
Federal Savings Bank, 550 E.
Warren Avenue, Detroit, MI
4820L Or, mail to: Africana
World Land Development
Fund, c/o Tuskegee Federal
Savings, Att: Edwina M. Har­
ris, 301 N. Elm Street, Tus­
kegee, AL 36083.
Treasurer for the project is
Louise Burton, Detroit. Mem­
bers of the Africana World
ational Advisory Board in­
clude: Rosa Parks; Dr. Nathan
Hare, Editor Black Female
Relationships, San Francisco;
Prof. Harold Cruse, University
of Michigan; Ron Milner
. ,
Detroit playwright; George
Trower-Subira, Author "Blac
Folks Guide to Making Big
Money in America"; Robert
Chapman, Consul General' of
Liberia; Dr. Lorna Polk, U.S.
Department of Education,
Washington, D.C.; Marlene
Johnson, National Housing
Coalition; Dr. Thomas
Stevens, Toronto; Dr. A.W.
Curtis, Chemist and Assistant
to late George Washington
Carver; AI erritt, ational
Director, Thursday Luncheon
Groups; Michigan State Rep.
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.
Search on for B ac
families with 75 yea s
or more in Michigan
D TROIT - Historical Re­
search Repository, In . spoke­
person John Green the presen­
tation of a Sesquicentennial
Celebration honoring the des­
cendants of pioneer BI ck Michi­
gan families who had a signi­
ficant role in the m ing of
ichigan hi tory.
Fe turing. of the three-day
19 members drawn from the
public at large as well as per­
sonnel in the judicial system.
Judge Harold Hood,
Michigan Court of Appeals,
will chair the race discrimina­
tion force while State Bar
President Julia Darlow will
head the group studying sex
b·
It is possible that public
hearings will be held in the
course of the study.
These issues were listed
among those to be studied:
courtroom treatment of defen­
dants, witnesses, attorneys and
personnel; jury composition;
differences in sentencing; how
judges are nominated; bias
presented to the jury in in­
structions from the judges;
family law as it affects the
male d female.
The state . de polls that
revealed public distrust of judi­
cial fairness were commis­
sioned by the Citizens' Com­
mission to Improve Michigan
Courts. That body was ap­
pointed by the Michigan
Supreme Court.
Following the publication
of the poll results, the Com­
mission recommended re­
earch on the impact of the
courts on particular groups in
society.
celebration are:
- el orne Reception ov.
13 at 5 p.m. honoring the
descendants. Place: u urn of
African American History.
-Ceremonial Dinner at which
descendants will receive official
certificates of recognition for
the contribution of their famil­
ies to ichigan history Cobo
Hall.
- ichigan Bl c History
Conference and Lunchoen, ov.
14. Seminar on ' ichigan
BI ck Genealogy; Early Blac
Michigan Settlers; Black en
and omen in ichigan; The
Bl ck Church in Michigan; The
Black Michigan Entrepreneur,
and ichigan Blacks in Music
and Art.
Tour of Detroit Historic
Sites, and Reception at c·
Gregor library in. Highland
Park, ov. 14.
Brunch honoring descen­
dant, ov. 15.
Historical Research Reposi­
tory, Inc. is e ing the names
and addre s of any descen­
dants of early Blac Michigan
families, and family members
who had relatives living in
ichigan prior to 1915.
This information is necessary
to locate all person eligJ."ble to
receive certificate. Thi his­
toric event will link Michigan
Black hi ory to the famille
till living in, and contributing
to the hsitory of Michigan.
Anyone wishing further infor­
mation about the celebration
and tho with information
about early Black Michigan
families are encouraged to
write: John M. Green, Execu­
tive Director, Historical Re­
search Repo 'tory, Inc., 868
Penobscot Building, Detroit
Michigan 48226-4004.
Detroit resident may call
883-0909, Monday-Thursd y,
1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Wedne
day, 1:30-8:30 p.m.
W GEST MARRIED - Willie nd Katie Bailey, 84, of High­
land Park, on the -Long tarried Couple" rd at the
State air on Senior Citizen ' D y. The two ha e been
m d d for 69 years. The Baileys met as children in their
Georgia urdl nd re marri d t 15. Tbey h d their first of
three chlldre r later. Mrs. Bailey aid, e re rried
up t ther. We h d time to t u ed to one
Blac attorneys teach yout
the law in summer program
The Wolverine Bar A cia­
tion Community Outre ch Com­
mittee succe ully completed
its flrst project for the year.
Under the direction of Der­
ric Carter and Remona
Green, the Community Out­
reach Communittee combined
with the Urban League August
3-6, to present a ries of three
hour cour s to the Urban
League's summer youth corp,
according to WBA pre 'dent
Victoria Roberts.
Approximately 75-100 stu-
dents attended two . n
daily, from 9:30-4:30, and heard
pre ntations from a number
of WBA members.
Topics were criminal law and
juvenile justice pre nted by
Jeff Edison and Derrick Car­
ter' civil rights-Kenneth Hylton
and Cecilia Henderson; landlord
tenant and f ir housing -
Barbara Allen and Victoria
Roberts: dome tic relati ns -
family I w - Sorenia Whitting­
ton, Bob Hill and Emily Hall;
education I w and students
rights - Beverly Hall; small
claims and traffi court -
Kevin Robbins Eric Handy
and Shelia Gibson' employment
discrimination Remon
Green and Lorenzo Blount:
and la as a profe 'on -
C nthia Wilson and Jeff Col­
lins.
"The lawyer did an out­
standing job of pre nting the
la and demon rating its appli­
cability to the r es of the
young Blacks in ttendance,"
Roberts id.· Their interest
and enthusiasm a par ed by
the interest we to in them
and the enthu iasm sh n bv
the 1 yer.'
dy racism,
state courts