Publl r: Ch rl
Adv rtlslng Man 9 r: ch I Ru II
Adv rtlslng Repre entatives: T rry Broyl
J rom Ky· Bob Zwel.
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new report i ued by Wayne State Univer ityestab
Ii he a very old point: the poor, e peciaUy Blacks play the
Michigan Lottery.
The number re, fter 11, a 81 ck invention. Like
buri I in ur nee nd the churche , policy historic lly w
n in tit ution fillin in the ch ms created by raci t
ociety, providing financi 1 upport to segregated com
munity. It w s often the policy king who became the
banker for bu ine development. More th n one policy
dollar backed b rber hop , rib h cks, shoe rep ir or ny
numb r of other b inc e before the day of "integr -
tion".
Unfortunately, the numb r g me w one institution
that a truly integrated, the tate imply took it over,
legalized the game for it elf. The t cover was done, ironi
cally, in the n me of education, a concept nd ideal the
Black community has forever held dear.
When the t te leg lized lottery, it promised the profits
for education. And it h s indeed spent the lottery profit
on education. But, the lottery revenue grew, the state
began to withdraw general fund upport from education.
In the early 1970's when lottery began, the slate spent
almo t 70� of the gener I fund on education. Now, 20
years later, Ie s than 20% of the state general fund goes to
education, The state depends now on lottery dollars to
fund the schools. And, since - ording to Wayne ate
scholars - poor Blacks are disproportionately playing the
lottery, poor BI ck are payin for everyb dy's schoo .
We ay lottery profits should be returned to com
munities proportionately. Why should tax-starved inner
cities - Detroit, Flint, Pontiac, Benton H rbor, Mus
kegon Height, Saginaw- be ending lottery revenue to
nyplace but their own chools?
The ichigan State Lottery has every lottery dealer
listed it its computers. The Lottery can tell us with the
punch of a few computer keys, how much money is
generated in each and every zip code in the state.
Justice demands that the education dollars return to
'those same communities, proportionately. For every dol
lar spent in Detroit on the lottery, let the education share
of that dollar' return to Detroit.
Anything less is taxation without representation. The
Michigan Legislative Black Caucus ought to come out
from hiding and insist that its school districts get what they
pay for: a return on their lottery investment, If the Black
legislators .can't bring their fellow lawmakers to see the
light, then they should call for a boycott of the lottery until
such time as the money spent by poor Blacks chasing
dreams in the legal numbers comes back to the same
school districts those players live in.
The Black community has to stand up and tell the state:
stop stealing from the poor. Our kids deserve better:
VIEWS OPINIONS
ation I Organizaiton for
Women's Consni ion for Respon
ive Democracy recently voted to
ere a new femini -based politi-
cal party.
There . incredib fennent
brewing in the country hich h th
potential to explod in 0 a full- e
revolt gainst Establishment
parties.
In order for this "pro-democracy'
movem nt to flower into it' full
potential, however. the new party
asp' to uc lly contend for
pow in th U.S. '
Given the history of cism, eth
nic and cultural chauvinism and
paternalism in th· country; th
an un tandabl reluctanc:e
African Americans and peop
color to ent into co itions con
trolled by hites.
People 0 color f , . th justifi
c . on, th t their particul.. .
in and d will be
downpl yed or acrificed in qu t to
build greater "workin cl unity .'
I move around the country
promoting th idea of an independ
ent presidential campaign in '92. I
frequently encounter potential sup
porters in the Bl ck community ho
HARRIS
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THE GARY Decl from
. 1972 N' BI PoIn-
cal Coovention put it this ¥= "81
politi ... m t accep m �or re
sponsibility for creating both the
atm ph and program for funda
mental. f .. -ranging change in Am .
ica. Such responsibility is ours be
cause it is our people who most
m no
lightly.
It remains to I.I'IC ��JI
pwty' ...
to life ill be guided by th pnn-'
cipl it rei to peopl of color. f
You m y wed, ho ver, ::
th t I to launch an inde- :.
pend t presidential campaign, •
vehicl to build a third force in:'
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Am . can politics, Afric Ameri-
c and people of color ill be in}
the I . Hopefully, white progre - ::
iv will' al 0 recognize the need to ::
see Afric
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e 10(11 .r o IIdrri:· ,'rt,dUl l on s
/\11 1i"n'. rp�I'r,,,,1(iJ/)7�A-J'i:?7
In Search of Me
ib
ufu
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displaced and transformed into a post
modem servant/slave class.
Hilton Head Island is now con
nected to the South Carolina main
land by a bridge. Daufuskie Island is
geographically located close to Hil
ton Head. but remains not attached
to the mainland. These two islands
pay taxes to Beaufort County. South
Carolina. Daufuskie Island is actu
ally very cl to the port of Savan
nah Georgia.
CIDENTAILY. the 0 Af-
ric American cburch. First Afri
can Baptist Church,· stillloc ed in
Savannah, Georgia. Tod y on
Daufuskie Islan • the nation's third
old African American church,
Second African Unioo BaJmt Oturch.
ill providing indigenous leader
ship for the ongoing struggle for
ivai and liberation.-
It is on Daufuskie Island. in p -
ticular, that there is a need for emer
gency response to the rapidly chang-
. on on the . land the
hay now aImo totally
lndJi&elllOUI popula·
of"
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Churches. We were part of a multi
racial. ecumenical delegation that
spent several days investigating the
Daufuskie Island for a similar mi -
ion I t year.
The Prophetic Justice Unit con
cluded that the crisis on Daufuskie
Island represented a clear case of
deliberate "cultural genocide and
racial exploitation andoppression."
The National Council of Churches
called for immedi te Congre ional
&rings on th plight of th remain
ing nativ of Daufuskie who
ref18ing 10 be driven from . Ilants
and land. At one time there were
more than a thouSand African Ameri
cans who lived on Daufuskie. Today
in 1991. there are less than 75 Afri
can Americans left on the island.
Weare wareth therearesom
cynics who will the position
that this little . land. no with only
til., 75' and budlErs. shwld
not be cause enough to sound a na
tional alann. That view misses the
point. The indigenous people of
Daufuski no only "need" our p-
port they" I' our ti
port.
t "Bl
recently joined
ing mis ion to D ufuskie Island
sponsored by the Prophetic Justice
Unit it of to
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I searched 43 years.
to find him ...
in bars, nightclubs, rowdy saloons ...
seeking his whereabouts
in bottles of gloom
that leads to doom.
I looked in alleyways, hal/ways,
bus stations, subways,
then, I glanced insfde myseff,
and discovered his hiding place.
-Je Ie Hawklns
By BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR.
Off the coast of North and South
Carolina. and Georgia. there is a
growing "Africawl" liberatioo sttuggle.
yet millions of African Americans
and others remain relatively Unaware
of this struggle. The "Sea Islands"
are part of a chain of small islands
located less than one mile from the
mainland of the southeast coast of
the United States.
The Sea Islands historically ere
populated by escaped or freed Afri
can slaves and their descendan for
more than 150 years. Duetodtef ct
th t these islands were not directly
attached to the mainland. the minor
ity African American popul . OIl over
the. ye retained considerable
degree of authentic African culture,
language and traditional way of
nurturing the land and other natural
�. .
. Now all of this is being destroyed
by the avarice and greed of large -
called "developer ." In light of a
tremend national advertisement
.Y d of
,
condominiums eX the "Hilton
Head lands, South Carolina" re-
sorts and "properties." Hilton H d
is one of the Sea Islands th
indi._.,.,_ POIJ.aa1tiOn
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many way that hav been lost by
African American communiti
besieged on the mainland throu�
out the United States. •
The developers, mainly the
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Melrose Company and Internation
Paper Company's Resorts, are no
aqempting to prevent the indig
popul tion from h ving even
means of vital transportation to
from the island, all with the compli1-
ity of local governmental auth<ri-
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ties. The Chri tic Institute South h
filed a law uit on behalf of
peop 'ofD . t
myriad of In' ,1\1' �ea
us
"Gullah" culture of the
Helping to av Daufuskie I lart!
from d structive" d elopment". I
h Ip u ave thi important peopl
in
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