publicans '"launch .eri
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Black vo tes drive fa
ByRonDaDie
George. Bush, Lee Atwater
and the ational Republican
party are d dIy serio about
ma�ing inr�ads into �he
African-Amcriam community.
S· ee Deal days of
Fr nklin Delano Roosevelt
African-Americans ha� been
largely loyal Demoaats, serving
as virtually unshakable pillars of
upport fo moaatic Party L....i ...
power at all levels. Perceived as
the party of the rich and the
powerful and a party whose
policies were weak on civil
rights and programs of social
uplift for workers and the poor,
Afrit:an-Amer·cans have found
Iittie to hope for within the
Republican party.
For years the Republican
party likewise has a simply writ­
ten off the Black vote believing
that to campaign in African­
American communties was an
exercise in futility.
GOP eeds BI
Now there has been a
decided shift in Republican
party strategy and tactics. With
what appears to be a solid lock
on the South as evidenced by
recent presidential election
the Republicans are searching
for a combination of regional
bases and national constituen­
cies tbat will assist them to
solidify their grip on the White
House, and challenge the
Demo tic Party' positions as
the mai . ty party . wide. If
. the Republican party could
Ur an League
joins gun1photo
water promptl denounced
Du election d sought to
distance the National
Republican P from an ob-
vio s embarras ment. Some
analysts were qui to pomt out
thatlAtwa er'svie cistcam-
during the general elec-
ti particularly the infamo
Willie Horton co rcial, had
helped to pave way for and
legitimize the D vid Dukes of
the World
. �ow far the R publican will
got attract Afri -Americans
to eir folds un ear. Thus far
the ffort has n filled with
mor cosmetics and symbols
than substance. It emains to be
seen how serious Republican
poli priorities, d legislature
initi lives will ma ch up with a
pro ressive Afri n-American
ge da. What i caris that the
Rep blicans like e view from
e White House and cemen .
their grip on the p esidency.
R Daniels rved as the
D r of the IV, ional Rain-
bo alition and the Deputy
Campaign Man gu. lor the
Revfrend less I ackson's
Presidential Cam 61 188. He
has spved as P, . 'Ill of the Na­
tiona/ Black Ass bly and as
Chairperson 01 e National
Black Independ nt Political
PaTtJ. Currently; e serves as
President 01 the nstitute lot
Comfmuaity 0'8 ization and
Development in oungstown;
Olio He may be comaaed at
(Z16)746-5747 •
Editor:
the February 18, 1989 edi-
tion f the Mi�OlrOnic1o,
an article which a ed 0
page: one and was written b
Entertainment Editor Steve
Ho y disturbed me greatly.
Mr. olsey had written about
seve al recent concerts and
�as selling at some of the
cJn ion stands. Since I am
not avid or frequent concert­
�oer. I had no idea such mis­
guid d and negati marketing
to 0 young peopl was taking .
pia .
at am I about? I
am r ferring to th act that at
rece t concerts in Detroit - a
city t is diligently trying to rid
itself of an image of crime and
guns guns, guns - conces­
sion ires would have the un­
mitigated gall to set up mini
studios and offer t take pic­
ture of concert-goers using
authentic-looking hand guns or
Uzis even. The things people
will to make a dollar. What's
next, real guns and ammunition
too?
In a civilized ciety, in a
caring, concerned community,
we ould not have (0 expect or
wor y about this type of
profi eering and image-damag­
ing mar eting. Concessionaires
should not be allowed to et up
in p lie faciliti or in public
pia mini studios to snap pic-
. tures of our young people with
gUDS. They should not be al-
10 e to glorify such behavior
when we are hard at work trying
to po t out to. our youth and
unity at large the danger
and the havoc they have
ed on us. Our m is
to r olve conflicts peacefully;
heirs is to settle your problem
. gun.
P ents and all other con­
eerne? citizens should monitor
concerts and what our young
peop are exposed to while at­
(ending them. Political leaders
hould reseach the law and en­
oree or pass legislation that
would disallow concession
tand proprietors the right ot
e realer prop weapons in their
hotographic operations.
ers or managers f concert
cilities should not rmit such
hoto stands. All of US in civic
d community groups should
advocate against these pur-
veyors of negative images in our
city as well as see economic
sanctions against those conces­
sionaires and concert
promoters who continue to ig­
nore our advocacy against their
photo gun shops.
This is our city. These are our
children. W must or harder
to save them! .
Ron
Dan
Thus far the
effort has been
filled with more
cosm c and
symbols than
substance.
manager to carve out 15-25% of
the Black vote consistently in
presidential elections, then the
Republicans would have a lock
on the rpesidency well into the
21st century.
There is every indication that
this is precisely the strategy and
the goal.
Under the leadership of Lee
Atwater, Chairman of the
Republican National Commit­
tee, and with the enthusiastic
blessing of President Bush the
Republican Party has launched
a full court press to recruit
Black voters. Hence, in a depar­
ture from the chilly politics of
his predecessor, President Bush
used the occasion of the Martin
Luther King Holiday to
denounce bigotry and call for
greater progress in the area of
race relations. He talked of
working to fulfill King's Dream.
The Presidenfs justure well
received,
Similarly, Bush's appoint­
ment of Morehouse President
Dr. Williams Sullivan for the
Department of Health and
Human Services and former
Congressman ac Kemp for
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development are also
viewed as positive signs. Kemp
wasted no time in declaring that
the "Reagan Revolution" had
not reached minorities and the
poor and that in his capacity as
the new Director of H.U.D. he
. intended to press an a sault
against poverty. In a recent visit
to Atlanta Kemp vi ited the
King Center and then took a
highly visible tour of the "Cab­
bage Town" section of the city
with Mayor Andrew Young,
and Congressman John Lewis.
Chairman Lee Atwater for
. his part has taken to attempting
to demonstrate that the
Republican Party can have
some "soul" An avid Blues and
R&B enthusiast, Atwater also
likes to pluck a few cords on the
guitar. He recently joined Blues
great BB King for a highly
publicized jam in the nation's
capital. In a more serious vein,
Atwater has had to face the
chickens come home to roost in
the person and phenomenon of
"former" kJansman David Duke
who won a seat in the Louisiana
legislature as a Republican. At-
- .... -,..,.,0
. President, Detroit Urban
Lea�e
