ct of U.S. impo eo
care ory.
h r th n or ny other
Wom n
continued from Plge 1
up within the political true­
ture ,
Women are now bout 37
percent of all BEQ' holding
po ition on school board,
which r e traditionally
"entry-level" political po i­
tion. It is likely. therefore.
that many of these women
will move up to higher level
of office over time.
BLACK WOMEN also re
developing tronger, more in­
fluential ba e s on which to
build their political careers.
More Black women are
moving into po i u o ns of
greater influence within the
etect "o�iel on which they
serve.
. In California, for example,
State Senator Diana Wat on
and Assembly per on Gwen
Moore chair the committees
on Health and Human Ser­
vices and on Utilities and
Commerce, re pectively.
In Alabama, the chair of the
Committee on the Constitu­
tion and Elections i State
Representative Bobbie Mc- '
Dowell. In MiChigan, Repre­
sentative Teola Hunter is
chair of the Economic
Development and Ene r g y
mm�ttee and speaker pro
temp f the state house.
Moreover, Black women
are further strengthening
t�eir poli tical prospects by as-
umin gre ter power within
their local, tate. and national
party tructures. In Texas,
for example, Black women re
the Deemocratic party com­
mitteewomen in eight dis­
tricts, and a black woman is
vice cb ir of the tate party.
IN MANY STATES, Black
women erve a high-ranking
officers ,within their state
party organization .
Black women hold half of
the seats on the Black caucu
of the Democratic National
Committee and have thereby
gained equal acce s with
Black men to the levers of
power within their n tional
party.
Thus, in their national
party as well, Black women
are in a position to realize
even greater advances in the
future.
William concluded, "The
impressive pol itical achieve­
ments of Black womersreftect
their long tanding prominent
role within the Black com­
munity and their outstanding
commitment to public ser­
vice. As Black Americans
continue to expand their role
in the nation's political
mainstream, Black women are
becoming a highly visible and
increasingly influential part
of their leadership."
d from
1
m n
SPONSORS nnounced the
NC milit ry leaders visit here
by noting that" ince 1984, more
than 4,000 Blacks have been
illed in the o-c lied 'Blac -
on-Bl ck violence'. More than
400 live were claimed by the
violence in the first three and a
half months of thi year. Does
thi have a painfully familiar
ring?"
Pre s repre entative Gwen
McKi nney aid African-
Americ n and South African
"share di turbingly imilar so­
cial re lities. The ANC, aware
of that fact, maintains a pecial
appreciation for the African­
Americ n press, as our com­
munity continues to be the core
of the U.S. anti-apartheid move-
ment." .
Hani will peak at Howard
University April 22 and address
a National Press Club
"Newsmaker Breakfast" April
24.
His visi t to Wa hington in­
cludes cheduled meetings with
member of Congress, State
Department officials and several
public event . Under the theme
"Taking Apartheid Apart for a
Free and Democratic South
Africa", after Detroit, Hani will
also tour Chicago, Cleveland,
Seattle, Los Angeles, San Fran­
cisco, New York, Boston and
New Haven.
"HANI'S visit comes at a
critical juncture in South
African political developments
and U.S. relations .. " said Mc­
Kinney and her associate, Leila
McDowell who are arranging
the tour.
The combined impact of the
AN�'s diplomatic and military
pressure, resistance of the Black
majority in ide South Africa and
international' sanctions has
forced the government to dis­
mantle some of the most odious
aspects of apartheid.
Congress i scheduled to hold
hearings on April 30 to assess
ISE reD'
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HEPLA SO BEl G SE
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� SAVE DREAMER.
Fou DI G SPO SOR OF THE THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIP Fu D.
Copyright 1991 Miller Brewing Company, MI ukee, WlaconIin,
d Roberson is
•
photoqrapher for bony,
Jet & The Chronicle
Remap
Continued from PaRe 12
tion.
"This put 'the city on a very
difficult timetable," Postelli
said. He said the ci ty had to draw
a line as straight as possible to
have the di triers to be con­
tiguous with one another, based
pon population.
"I have some seri ous
problems with the presentations
here tonight," said AttorneyTat
Parish, of St. Joseph, who repre-'
ented Kelly in the suit.
Parish said the Implementatin
Plan that was drawn up were,
"flat out unconstitutional". He
said Kelly had stated that the
wards were unconstitutional and
"nothing wa done about it." It
has the same basic effect as the
plan that brought the suit on.
The proposed electoral im­
plementation plan states that in
1991 commissioners from Ward
1 and 2, plus two commissioners
at large, along with the Mayor be
up for election (4-year term).
Then in '1993 commissioner
from Wards 3 and 4, pl us two
commis loners at large will be
up for election, also a four-year
term.
Parish aid the implementa­
tion plan create a ituation
where a period of two years the
vote of tho e whO live in Ward 1
or in Ward 2 would nece sadly
be worth more than the votes of
those who live in Warct3 or Ward
I'
4.
"Mathematically, 1he plan
doesn't pass muster by constitu­
tional basis," Parish said. He
went on to say, the constitution
states that you have to treat
everyone equal, regardless
where they live in the city.
"Under this plan, if it were
adopted the way it is, it will be
constitutidnally ineffective, I
bel i eve," sai d Parish, "because it
will leave us with the situation,
right off the bat, those who live
at 1st and 2nd Ward votes will be
worth 1/6 more than those who
live in the 3rd and 4th Ward.
"If it passes that way we'll go
to court, we'll fight it, and it will
probably end up back ere with
unnecessary confusion, unnces­
sary expense and unncessary
problems. I call that to your at­
tention becau e you ought to
know the booby trap that you are
heading into if you go that way."
Pari halo tated that the city
didn't give the public enough
notice to have a ' ay on the plan,
Parish said there is a way to
solve the situation by electing
commissioners from all four
Wards in 1991, but to stagger the
term .
He aid too, that Wards 3 and
4 could be elected for two year
the first time around and Wards
1 and 2 for four (4) years and
then four (4) years term after
that or it could be rever cd.
Attorney Scott Smi th who is
working with the City Attorney
Postelli aid since tbe census
data didn't come out until the
middle of March, the city had to
work wi thin the time frame that
had. "We worked very diligently,
put it out on a map, get the plan
out and do what we had to do to
comply with the state law re­
quirement."
Wi th the reapportionment
four commissioners and the
Mayor will be in Ward 1.
Some of t�e commissioners
said they weren't worried about
the idea of running against each
other, they just wanted to do
what was right and best for the
city. .
"I think that at this point we
have done a good job at looking
at these issue within the time
frame set by State Legistature,
within the order set by the Judge
himself," said Mayor William
Wolf.
Wolf aid, delaying the is ue
is not going to come up wi th any
sort of resolution. Anything that
the commi slon does would only
be a recommendation so it can
get on the floor with the Judge,
who will have the' authority to
accept or deny or amend.
The Proposed Elector I Im­
plementation Plan and the Reap- I
portionment Map would be
presented to udge Enslen at a I
court hearing in Kalamazoo on I
April 25. •
Commi ioner Ch rle
Yarbrough and George .•
Wysingers voted against the
plan and Commi ioner Fred
Sim , abstained.
p.
•
I
But Ed
reads the
'Michigan
Citizen
Whyar
n't you?
I
I'
I
I
Add
Clty State_ Zlp Pnone _
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