RO BROW, De ocratlc Natlo al Co Ittee C air,
w elee ed to Detroit by ca dldate for Lt. Governor, I
Ubby May arel a.d Hila d Par Mayor Mart a Scott.
(Marcus Patto p oto)
I ICHIGA� CITIZE PAGE 3
Ron Brown delivers p p al
at Detroit pre-elec ion rally
-
. By Derrick C. Lew
Skiff RepolUr
DETROIT - In what may be
construed as a pep talk for the
upcoming interim elections
in November. Democratic
National Committee (DNC)
Chai rman Ron Brown
espoused h ving a Democrat
in the While House in 1992.
During the AFL-CIO
COPE Dinner at Cobo Hall
Thursday, Oct. 5, uended by
over 500 people, Brown gave
a tinging portrayal of the
Republican party a being
out of touch wi h working
cia people.
He aid the dec. de of the
I
. Joint Cen er urges Bush to condemn
racial lur by Japane e official
L n rc II l t
Incld nt -Affront to
our Nation-
ASHIKGTON - In the
wake of press reports con­
cerning derogatory remarks
by a Japane e Cabinet offi­
cial about BI c American,'
, Eddie N. Willi rns, president
of the Joint Center for Politi­
cal and Economic Studie •
called on President Bu h to
condemn the derog tory
t ternent.
Willi- m ' letter d ted
Sept 2S. called thi latest in­
dicent n" ffront to our na­
tion" nd urged the President
to "condemn unequivocally"
such ch racterizaitons of
American citizens. "Such
remark arc offensive and in­
appropriate at any time," the
ieucr states. "
At a time when Americans
of all racc re standing
together on the front lines in
the Middlc Ea r, risking their
live to protect the world's
inicrc: ts. including Japan's.
the e rcmarks are uncon-
scionable." .
The offending remark was
made by newly appointed
Ju ucc Minister Se ir o ku
Kajiy ma t a new con­
ferencc on the problem of
pros t itut io n in Tokyo.
Dc. cribing the effccts of
prostitution on a ne ignbor­
hood. he said. according to
thc ew York Time account:
"It' like in American when
ne i ghbo rho o ds become
mixed because Blacks move
in nd hire are forced out."
TER QUE'TIO S
aro e about his comment. Mr.
Kajiyama e plained that hi
statement "u�cd the wrong
ords" but did not explicitly
'pologize. The Incident .i
the third uch occurrence In
recent years, following ra­
cially derogatory remarks
made in 1986 by then prime
minister Naka one andin
1988 by policy chief
Watanabe of Japan's govern­
ing party. .
Alluding to these prior in­
cidents. Willi ms wrote:'
"The repeated occurrence of
uch statcment • together
with evidence I have mysclf
seen on a recent trip 1 Japan
of w idc s p r c a d racial
stereotyping of Blacks, can­
not be excused or tolerated.
At a time when we are
struggling to huild under­
standing among groups anu
among nations. we must set a
higher tandard for di cor c
among the world's leaders. I
urge you to condemn, in the
most unequivocal terms pos­
sible. the damaging mi -
characterization of American
ci uze ns by the repre­
scnratives of the Japanc e
government. "
In 19H6. Prime Mini�ter
akasone prompted an out­
cry among Black Americans
when he s id of the U.S.
literacy rate: "On thc
average, the United States is
lowcr because of a 'consider­
ablc number of BI cks, Puer­
to Ricans adn Mc icans." He
later apologized for but did
not retract the remark.
Then. in IfJRH. Michio
Watanabe. the policy chiefof
the Liber I Democr tic party
made a remark implying that
American Blacks do not
honor their debt and have
few re ervation about going
into bankruptcy., Mr.
Watanabe and then prime
mini ter Noboru Takeshita
apologized for that remark.
THE JOI T CE TER
for Political and' Economic
Studeies. a nonparti an. non-
profit institution founded in
1970. u. cs rc earch and in­
formation dis eminaiton to
to improve the
soc iobconomic status of
Black Americans.
80's was marked by elfish­
ness. cynism, and retreat.
with the middle-clas having
"the lifeblood squeezed out
of them."
"During the 1980' we
didn't have tric Ie down. we
were trickled on." said
Brown.
HE SAID THE ad­
ministration of George Bu h
is 8 continuation of the
Re gan pre idency, and s id
there are somc who say if the
Democrat want to win the
pre idency they have to be­
come more like the
Republican party.
Brown said the Democrats
are a party for the working
people. "We have got to
keep those distinctions in
mind ... We have to get away
from this me and 'art talking
about we."
Brown stated th
Repcblican sk why s
m ny people are taking 0
anti-social beh v io r , an
said, "When you teet no con
necuon with ociety nd {cel
lack Bar orga
Co Ii
ed fro
ra
1
The Michigan Supreme
Court Task Force on Race­
Ethnic Issues in the Court.
chaired by Appelate Court
Judge Haro ld Hood. ex­
pressed concerns of a percep­
tion of unequal treatment
toward minority auorncys
and their litigants cattier thi
year. which the association
wants to address.
Keith acknowledged the
increasing number of African
Americans living in Oakland
County requires an organized
effort toward addre ing
their political and ocial
need.
Steering committee mem­
ber Sarah Lile, stated. the as­
sociation ha a duty toward
its client and the law to en-
ure that the allocation of ju -
tice i. equitable. which will
rcq ui re thc court to be sen­
ilized toward the Black
community's need.
Michigan Court of Ap­
peal Chief Judge Myron
Wahl, raid, when he tarred
practicing law in 1963 there
were only only about 100
Black lawyers practicing in
Mic higan and o.nly about
three judge .
He 8 id loda y there re
more than 1000 Bl ck
lawyer and over 100 judge.
Wahl id th growing num­
ber 0 Black lawyer in the
tate made it nece ary for a
second Black bar a sociatio
to be formed for lawyers wh
work out ide of Detroit.
The Wolverine Bar A
socia tion. Io rmed in 1930.
served mO'1 of the s rarc ts
Black lawyers.
Wahl ays the Black b r
association is an entity which
cannot be ignored in judicial
circle. He 'aid the associa­
tion can cause the leg I
profe sion to focus on inequi­
ties gain t lawyer' and the
administration of thc law in
general, and inform Black
citizens on i ues they should
know-about. .
Wahls pre .cnied the a -
sociation with a ccrtificate
from the Mi higan Suprcme
Court commemorating the
day event .
The c e argued by Straker
in 1890 a about whether
"separat but equal" public
accommodation' could be
provided in Michigan, the
state upreme court unani­
mou Iy rejected the doctrine,
but iron i c a II y. t he U nit e d
S t a re s Sup rc me Co u rr
adopted the doctrine ix
year later. in the infamous
Plessy .v. Ferguson tca e.
The Michigan Supreme
Court de c is i o n actually
preceded the U.S. Supreme
Court" Brown P. Board of
Education hy 64 year. which
had u hereo in lh mod rn
civil rights era. by proclaim-
t
you ha nothing to 10 e or
contribute to this ociety, it'
no wo d r people have anti­
social behavior."
"The Republicans are
ingin 'Don't Worry be
Happy. " ��iri Rrown.
On he apartheid is ue ,
Brown aid sanction hould
not be removed until apart­
heid . is completely
eliminated.
me �L so TOU 1If4:n on
U.S. world leadership. saying
the ou n lry 's Icade rs have
stood on the idelines during
the Change taking place in
Europe.
. He aid the countr y '
cconomic po l icy is mis­
guided nd called many parts
of the hudget agreement
propo red hy Bu h a di -
grace.
So far. Brown ha traveled
lO 37 tates lhi term.
fundraising. and campaign­
ing for Democrats running
for election.
ing the "separate but equ I"
doctrine uncon tilutional.
Wayne St te University
Professo Edward Littlejohn.
who gave the key-note ad­
dress on Straker. aid the
judge could have ri en to the
Supreme Court of the United
State if not for hi color, nd
indicated it was a near
tragedy Straker was almost
10 r ln Icsat hi 'tory.
.Keith indicated thc a -
ociation adopted Straker"
name be ause of hi impre-
ive record. and bi ac-
compli hment of obtaining a
unanimou: decision on the
Ferguson v. Gies civil right'
casco .
Keith aid the a ociation
con ists of about 15 core
member, and tarred out a
an infor I g thering of
Black) yer and judge
lunching n Troy. Initially
tarring 0 t with two rnern­
ber • the roup expanded to •
about 30 ember. when they
aw a need for a form I or-
ganization to addre the
·need of minority pr ac-.
li tioner .
Thc group will hold
another meeting Wedne. day.
Oct. 14. at six oclock. at the
IStanda:d Fedcral building. to
elect oflicers and ign up new
member.