May 20-26, 1990
P 11
Pettus Bridge Pray-In: Selma parents under attack
SELMA, ALABAMA - Since
DeccmbCr 21, 1989, the date six
hile chool board members
ed not to rene the contract
of Dr. orwood Roussell, the
ystem' fir t African-
American superintendent,
Selma has been embroiled in
demo tratioDS, court b ttles
aDd CODtrcWersy. .
The five African-American
school board member: , who
walked out oD December 21,
have not returned. White board
members, two of om have
their children in private schools,
continue to control system
which is no nearly 80%
African.
Since the culmination of the
25th Anniversary of the right to
VOle, Joe T. Smitherman, Mayor
of Selma nd police authorities
have used repressive tactics to
end protest against r cial tr c -
ing, according to BEST, a
paren group. BEST, organized
to dismantle racial tracking in
1987, bli ed • Dr.
Rou ell is bein ousted be
cause he modified a tracking
system th t. relegated 95% of
Black youth to low cademic
levels without any writtcn
criteria, such grades and test
scores.
Because BEST members
have pe . entIy supported Dr.
Roussell and the end of tracking
though constitutionally
protected protest, they have
been singled out for arrest,
harassment, employment ter
mination and b said BEST
President Alice Boynton in a
prepared statement released to
the African-American press.
Efforts to negotiate a settle
ment of matters failed and the
repre ive tactics began, she
said .
Circuit Court Judge Leslie'
Johnson is now holding con
tempt hearings in response to a
motion filed by the City to hold
Senator Han Sanders, Attor
neys Rose Sanders d Carlos
Williams; Commissioner Peoy
V mer; Danny. Crenshaw, the
head of Centr I AI bama
Youth Services; Ronald
Peoples, Dean of Students of
Selma University; Lorraine
Cappers and other citizens in
contempt of court.
Every effort is being made to
. halt legitimate protest, Boynton
said. For ex mple, Senator
Sanders is being cited for �d
ing outside of City Hall with a
sign that ated ·justice for our
children, peace for all", He
faces five days in jail and a fine.
Additionally, Alabama
Gcwemor Guy Hunt killed six
biDs of or Sanders, three
of wbich were re ed to educa
tion. Mayor Smitherman' one
of Governor Hunt's campaign
officials.
In ddition, Judge Johnson
has refused to recuse himself al
though he ha a personal
relationship with Smitherman,
including being Smitherman'
house guest when in town to
hear the contempt charges.
Last wee the State Supreme
Court overruled Judge
Johnson' order to incarcerate
five African-American citize
for five days for contempt. The
judge denied BEST's motion to
stay proceedings pending a
ruling on the appeal of the
judge' order which prohibits
citizens from tooting their
homs, walking around City Hall
on the walkway and from engag
ing in other constitutionally
protected protest activities.
Citizens were also arrested for
sitting in chairs in front of City
Hall.
Additionally, Mayor
Smitherman wrote letter
threatening to cut off City Ser
vices to central Youth Services
if the director, Danny Cren
shaw, continues to actively up-
. port the end of racial tr eking.
The city ha al 0 arrested
citizens for tooting their hOrDS.
who are not involved in the
protest. Ronald Peoples w
caarged with felony on clearly
fabricated facts, and one
prote ter was beaten on the
street in broad day light and
charged with a felony to cover
up the police brutality. Attorney
Carlos Williams w rr ed by
City Police for king a question
and he along with four other
citizens refused to leave jail and
fasted five days in protest of
their illegal arrest until they
were subpoenaed out of jail by
Judge Johnson.
I Threat of economic
reprisals have been used against
Black teachers, social workers
and other citizens involved in
the movement, BEST said. The
level of repression is daily get-
tiug worse. The School Board
continues to meet secretly in
violation of the Sunshine La .
The local District Attorney
refused to allow arrest warr
to be' ued against them
authorized by the Sunshine La
which makes secret meetings a
criminal offense. No whites
have been arrested though
everal attempts have been
made by Black citizens to vindi
cate crimin I actio api
them. Dr. Norwood Roussell .
scheduled to leave the system
June 30, 1990. He offered
up to $300,000.00 to leave,
which he refused.
On May 19th, Malcolm X's
Birthday, BEST is calling na
tionalleader and supporters. of
Brown YS. Board of Education
d quality educatio to join
them in a 24 hour pray-in on the
Edmund Pettus Bridge in
Selma, the ridge where mar
cher were beaten for the .
to vote 2S year: o.
For IUlther in/DmUIlion call
Ms. Connie . Tucker at 205-875-
0065 or Rose Sanden at 875-
9264. .
I
Black mayors elect first woman preSidenOt
In a history-making move,
Mayor Unita Blackwell of
Mayersville, Mississippi was
elected to serve as the National
conference of Black Mayors,
Inc! ( CBM) first wom n
president at the organization's
16th Annual Convention in Ne
Orleans. .
Prior to being elected to
NCBM� top post, M yor
Blackwell served as 2nd Vice
Preside under outgoing pr '-
-dent, Mayor James L Uary of
Atlantic City, New Jeney.
Long known a civil and
human fights activist, Mayor
B II an associate and
friend of the late Fannie Lou
Hamer of Ruleville, MS w 0
credited . th foundiag tbe
Mis i sippi Freedom
Democratic Party, and success
fully challenging irregular
wting pr ctices in the stale.
She the priDcipal· the
school desegregation suit
Blackwell v. Shar ey.ll11ilQUeDa
Consolidated Line Scbool 01
1965-1966. That case • •
regarded an' oric
later court b ttles over
desegregation. Mayor BI ck-
ell as a cataly t in the
decision of federal 0 • to
institute a policy of -maximum
participatio of the poor- in the
War on Poverty. .
Sbe helped organize and
deve op the first homeowner
ship opportunity project for
10 -income familie in
Gulfport, M-� tha led the �
U ita BI kwell
for a national program ad
mi . ered by the U.s. Depart
e of Ho � aDd Ur
Development (HUD). For
years, e has been a �
pporterof . · .
for the poor. imprOved health
nutrition, and other .
directly affect the quality of
. e i rural America.
Mayor B n played
. a . p role in se¥eral na-
tional, regional and local or-
p�jzatjoDS. .
She is a founder and lID
medi e p t chair of the Black
Women Mayors' Caucus hich
represents the 7S Black women
mayors who head citie and
t cr America. She is a
life member of the National
Council of cpo Wo W:e-
chair of the Mississipp!
D mocratic Party, and a mem-
ber of the executlW committee
of the Mississippi Democratic
Party, and member of the ex
ecutive committee of the Mis
sissippi Municipal Association.
She holds honorary member
ship in the National Association
of Negro Business and Profes
sional Women's Club, Inc. and
in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
In 1978, she was ppointed by
President Carter to the
President's Advisory Commi -
tee for Women. Th same year,
Mayor Blackwell as ap
pointed to' the N' Com
mission on the International
Year of the Child, for 1979.
A confirmed world traveller,
she has been to the People'
Republic of China fifteen times.
During 1985, she initiated an ex
change between Chinese
mayors and members of
NCBM.
Recently, Mayor Blackwell
included in the "I Dream a
Worltr pbotographicexhibition
of 7S African American WOlDen
hose contributions have
. brought 1)0 .� an ac-
tiYiat, also featured in
one of the aegJDCDts Of the "Eyes
o the Prize· documentary.
Other officers were elected
at the Ann B' Meet
ing. including; lst Vice Presi
dent - Mayor Riley L. Owens,
III, Centreville. IL;.2nd Vice
President - Mayor Lawyer La -
sOD, Woodlawn, OH; 3rd Vice
President - Mayor Lottie Wil
liams, Velda Village, MO;
Secretary - Mayor George A.
Shannon, Pleasant Hill, LA;
I
Treasurer - Mayor Ronald
Leverett, Prairie View, TX;
Parliamentarian - Mayor Earl
Lucas, Mound Bayou, MS; and
Historian - Mayor Janie G.
Goree, Carlisle, SC.
NCBM officers serve for a
one-year term d will face
another election in Cevdand,
Ohio during the 17th Annual
Convention on April 28, 1991.
There are 321 Black mayors
who head both large and small
cities across the nation. NCMB
was formed in 1974 a nOD
profit, nonpartisan, nonpoliti
cal organization to provide
management and technical as
sistance to its members.
LITERACY NOW!
TEACH. G THE EAD. G ADULT TO
READ
Community COIMMI.
pre-educauon CCMJ ....
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