SHE S D the BACC demand
time: You're hurting the organiza-
I m ZOO'
, AACP m tlng
-b com forum
for I cted .
Black offlciai .
By DANNY COOKS
Cotre.pondMrt
At the concl uslon of the
Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch'
NAACP's regular third Sunday
meeting on October 20th, in the
Dougl Community Center at 3:30
p.m., a panel discussion of i ue
germaine to the Black community
YI coordinated by NAACP Politi­
A:al Action Chair Lee Steward, Jr.
. Panel members were Vice-Mayor
Bever) y Moore, Commissioner
Alexander Lip ey, Kalamazoo Val­
ley Community College (KVCC)
Board members Anna Whitten and
Jeff Patton, Kalamazoo County
Commissioner Eva Ozier,
Kalamazoo Public School Board
.member Carolyn Alford, Kalamazoo
Valley Intermediate School Di trict
(KVISD) Trustee Jeannette Taborn,
and Oull Lake School Board mem­
ber Delores O. Myers.
Panel members were given five
minutes to address the question:
What do you perceive the NAACP
,should be doing in relation to your
. elected position?
Moore used her time to' suggest
. the NAACP could be more vocal on
·housing issue and also to keep a
record of so-called "isolated inci­
, ents" of people being stopped by
.the police. "It doesn't hurt to have
watchdogs," she said, "We must
make sure the Public Safety Office is
sensitive to those who aren't doing
wrong."
ALFORD SAID the "quality of
• he education system" here in
Kalamazoo call pc "improved" with
�the NAACP's "fielp and support."
With thirty-five percent
minorities in the schools, Alford said
more visible involvement and ac-
: countability by Blacks are needed in
the schools. "Involvement at all
levels" is needed, he aid, "par­
ticularly in the curriculum."
More role models in the schools,
more serving on KPS taskforces are
other suggestions she offered the
NAACP on how it could help her do
her job. "We graduate at a 1.5
�O.P.A..I have a problem with that,"
'he said. "The people charged :with
ucating our children need to be
I held accountable."
: Lipsey sa14 the Black Community
needs to counterbalance its attacks
· on City Hall with positive comments
on things working well. Also, it
needs to push elected officials into
doing as much for it as it does for
, owntown, speaking of the bus�
areas. "Making sure we have
• citizens for advisory panels," w
-,llnother ugge tion Lipsey made.
: Ozier said, "Wehaveajob.todo."
· She uggested a return to marches,
it-ins and other '60's type of or­
, ganizing. "Not enough of our people
;. are represented on boards. We need
: representation an all committes."
Concurring with Ozier, Whitten
· stressed voter registration as a means
: of making the ystem responsive to
_ • the Black community. "The
: NAACP needs to conduct voter
� registration," he uggested.
Con !pon"'t
"Toge ther veryone c-
compli h more" was th th me of
the Third Annual Blac Police
Officer' ociation of Kalamazoo
County Recognition Dinner. Held
S turday, October 12th at We tern
Michi n University' Fetzer 'Cen­
ter, the Banquet' keynote peeker
w Carl Breeding, State President
of the NAACP.
Breeding i ued a call for
togetheme , aying the NAACP ha
won victory after victory in the
courts. He proudly bo ted of thi
nation' 500,00 NAACP members.
"There are more than that when you
count tho e who haven't paid th ir
dues," he dded, the audience burst­
ing out in laughter, an audience that
included the Kalamazoo police
chief, Vice Mayor Beverly Moore;
and Commissioner Alexander Lip­
sey
Breeding did not fail to mention
Michigan's five prison branche of
the NAACP: The goal' of 11
N ACP ch pters, he tre ed, i to
e tabli h full and equal rights in
housing, the courts, and public ac­
commodations. "It is morally wrong
and p ychologicaUy destructive to
deny people equal rights," he said.
Breeding noted that 82 years ago
the NAACP movement began and
that others, like himself, are shining
examples of beneficiaries of the
movement. "More than ten million
of us are gainfully employed," he
said. "7,000 Blacks are elected to
office each year-proof po iti ve that
TOOETHER EVERYONE AC­
COMPLISI:lES MORE.
HOWEVER, he omberly
stated, "The color line continues.
We've gained our choice of eats on
the bus but we still haven't made
.,
WESTERN MICHIGAN
' ..
r ru
.nd h ir n /p
much progre "aft r leaving the b . dead, our peopl re m ters of ur­
"In the fifti we fought for th ri ht vival."
to vote, today we fight for our vote Breeding aid: "It w grace th t
to count, We re till truggling." h brought me thi f r, it i grace
We have limited definition of which hall lead m on." There are
Bl ckne , Breeding id. Larry tho e who nt to take back t
Bird, M donn , a d Bruce days before minimum w ge, before
Spring teen are complimented when voting rights ct.he pointed out, but
they're comp red to Blacks but added, "No no; we won't go."
when a white ttorney, chool Breeding aid th "ballot box giveth,
teacher, or new reporter are com- the ballot bo taketh away.
pared to BI ck it' considered in- Calling upon the audien e to b
ulting. "We truggle in the future maladjusted to th veto of th 1990
in the p t to steer thi tate into the Civil Rights legi lation, Breeding
h rbor of justice," Breeding aid. said, "I never intend to adju t to glar-,
"The civil righ movement is not ing inju tices. .
b8cription to En
..
Carver Center In Kalamazoo
I
426 S. Park
Produced By the CMc Black Theatre, this full-length script
places Cinder-Ella in an urban environment, seeking' the
attentlons of the mayor's son with the assistance of her Fairy
Godmother. In a humorous twist, the White Rabbit ends up in
the wrong story, helping Cinder-Ella as well.. .
Nov.: 1,2,8 & 9 at 8p.m.
Sunday, ·Nov. 10 at 2p.m.
For Tickets: Call 516/343-1313
or stop by 329 S. Park
VICTORY
FIVE
READ
THE
MICH·IGAN·.
CITIZEN
D
o BILL ME.
FOR
MUSKEGO HEIGHTS
--YO
-
hate In· -.
and belief I
. ci - '
10
our
turet
:
Why don't you?
._ � ----I _ _ --------
YES I want to sub crlbe to the Michigan Citizen
D I Have Enclo d P yment
D $16 Special S nlor Citizen Price
( 10 .aving. off n watand price)
D $21 for ONE YEAR .
($5 off the n w tand price)
Name � � � � �_.
Addre Phone �-
City 8T Zip -
Mall to: - Michigan �Itl�en, PO Box 03560, Highland Park, I 48203
UBSC
....
Some of those visions are:
-Better business retention and development
-A drug free community
-More construction of new Ie family homes
-An aggressive continuation of ome rehabllition and
repair programs
-More Innovative law enforcement strategle
-More procurement of local, state, and federal grants
for continued enhancemnt of the city
Achievements:
-Computerization of City Hall datat management
-User fee study and Implementation - 1987
-City Income tax - 1990 .
-Revised tax abatement p011cy - trongest In Muakeg6n
County
-R duced the number of vacant, dilapidated hou e . from
110 to 44 unit
-Parks Improvements - $1,550,00 - 1984-91
-State and Federal grants totalling nearly $5,000,000
1985-90
-Rental Rehabilltian Program 1,400,000 - 1986-90
-Woodcllffe Subdivision NO.3 - new con tructlon of 52
8lngle-f mlly homes
-Property values Increase 18%
(resldentlal/commerlclal/lndu trial) - 1985-90
-Robert A. Warren Proffesslonal Office Building - 1988
-CWC Plant No.1 Demolition and Sanford Str et
Redevelopment Prpject ('Sanford Village' retail
redevelopment, reopening of vac ted Sanford Stre t),
$2,600,000 - 1988-91
Re-Elect,
JDpre
from 7 t08pm
November 5, 1991