EDITORAL
Presidential Politics and
African Americans
What does election year bold for African Americans?
PoUticiaDI of both parlti plan to placate the white middle cl
(leat they begin to question the need for million dollar bom ) by
promlllDg to balance the budget.
While male 'YO it m t be remembered, gave 75 percent of their
vote to Reagan over CUter. They gave 80 percent of their vo to
Rea over ODdaIe.
BUlh received an equally 10 idcd portion of their numbers. It is
tbcIe vote that tbe Democra have decided to go after.
.AS AJ'RICAN AMERICANS this should bring home to us an
impo point: Tbc federal government will not ct to alleviate the
sufferi of AfricanAmcrican people tnce it will be preoccupied with
the deficit for the foreseeable future.'
Let \II dismiIs the idiotic option of voting Republican. It does not
make ICDIC to vote for one of the key individual re ponsible for the
declinlna ataDdard of living for African Americans, George Bush.
Nor does it make sense, in principle, to vote for Buchanan slnce this
. a man who �upported segregation. He is on record opposing African
Americam' struggle for human dignity at every tum. He dmi in his
autobiography that be w a conduit of misinformation from J. Edgar
Hoover on Martin Luther King. He is accused by his own party
member, former Education Secretary Edward Bennett of "flirting with
_CUEn.-
01' �:\�Yft. � ... tic candidates, Senator TSQngaI
Ooycmor BiU Clhuon, are- members of the neo-conse .... ive
Democratic Leadership Council. This council bas urged the party to
ao slow on affirmative action, social spending and t� regulation of
bUliDels.
Even the fint ao-called "mainstream" Black candidate, Doug
Wilder, w a member of this almost lilly white club. He never really
got much of a chance to campaign malnlybecause he had no
. constituency. Wilder went out of his way to prove that he was not a
BIac:t liberal.
)
BE WENT ALONG with tbe rest of the camp and said nothing
about ues directly touching the lives of African Americans. For all
of btl trouble no one took him seriously. Bill Lucas, Tom Bradley and
Andrew Young had already proven that being an Oreo was no
guarantee of victory.
The Council of Baptist Pastors suggests that African Americans
vote for Bill Cinton. One wonders what standard the council used to
evaluate the candidates. Clinton i Governor of a state which has one
of the nation's highest illiteracy rates. .
Mamas is a state with no state civil rights laws. Arkansas is a
so-called "Right-to- Work" state where unions find it impossible 10
organize.
Senator Paul Tsonga bas yet to reach out to Black voters. It's no
small wonder, since Tsongas has pledged to "be the best president Wan
Street ever had." Tsongas wants a kinder, gentler Democratic party
version of ReaganomiCS.
Both he and Clinton are calling for a capital gains tax cut. The only
difference between the two is that Clinton also calls for a tax cut for
the middle class. Tsong rightfully defines this as an electoral
gimmick. TlOngu jUltlfies his capital gains cut by stating that the
government needs to get the economic engine started. Uke Reagan,
be misid�n�ifies the "ccommic engine" with the wealthy.
ONE IS LEFT with the feeling that the working class is merely so
much cheap fuel and cannon fodder. It was exactly this kind of
partnership between business and government that resulted in the
Savings nd Loan Scandal-a scandal that is estimated to cost the '
taxpayers $450 billion. It is a scandal neither party wants to talk about
since both parties are responsible.
A vote for either Harkin, former Governor of California, Jerry
Brown or Dr. Lenora Fulani (a write-in candidate) of the New Alliance
Party i a vote for someone who has no hope of winning the
nomination.
However, a vote for either Harkin, Brown or Fulani is not a wasted
vote. It will force whichever neo-conservative that wins the
nomi�t�on to hold on to ponions of the traditional liberal agenda.
� the mo � that can be hoped for when dealing with a party
bent on jettisoning Its most 10yaJ constituents, African Americans and
Labor. .
o
-SAEED MULAGATA
Create a
revolution:
VOT
VIEWS OPINIONS
w Jer ey: II till no
ice, till no peace"
1. pologizin to BI c people
for en I vement nd r cial
. crimi tion uffered by B1
from 1619 until tod y.
2. Propo ing incerely nd
urging th t for the ne t three
generation or sixty ye r all
qualified BI c be educated in
academic in titution , tr de
chool , or reh bilitation centers
through cholar hips at
Government expe e. This econd
propo al would include
p ychological coun cling,
elf-image development and
rea se ment of value and
priori tie . It would incre the
pool of trained workers
enormous I y and help this nation
compete witb Jap n, the new
European common market,
re urgent China and ambitious
outheast Asia.
ible,
rem Court
dec ion ch e cd t ro h a
persu lve Republican Supreme
Court Chief J ee Earl men
and th 1 Civil gh 1
achieved through a peRua ive
Southern Democr t Pre ident
Lyndon Jo on.
Tbe history of tbi lion i
replete ith political ctio taken
by P lden ho 'ned or 1 t
the upport of Bl c 0 ers:
- Republican, Positive -
Abrah m Lincoln (1860-1865)
i ued Emancip tion
Procl mali on, defeated Lee's
1 very- upporting umy and on
freedom for the nation' Black
people.
- Republic n, egative­
Rutherford H ye (1876-1880)
Withdrew Union Army from the
South, Ie ving Black ithout
"forty eres and a mule" nd at the
mercies of Southern hite
.poli ticians who helped him get the
pre idency. Gave help to hite
South.
- Republic n, 'Positive -
Theodore Roo evelt (1901-1908)
fascinated many Blacks because of
hi liberal tendencie . He outraged
conservatives by inviting Booker
T. Washington to dinner and being
een with various Blac people.
- Democrat, Negative -
Woodrow Wilson (1912-1920)
Form r
ayor pledge
centlnu upport
I would like to convey my Ineere
gratitude for the support you have
given me throughout my tenure
Mayor of the City of lHgbland Park.
Through your upport, be It
monetary or moral, I w given tbe
opportunity to move this City for­
ward in a more positive vein.
It was through my tenure that
b nes flourished; crime
. lowered significantly; funding for
projectl w. available; partnersbips
were eminent, and our City
�eloped a more positive Image.
I WILL CONTINUE to wort .
for the betterment of this com­
munity, in whatever capacity exists,
because I love this City and always
will. And to ensure that lHgbland
Parkers must all continue to work
together to bring about the quality
life that our citizens deserve.
My vision and hope for the City
is that the elected body does not lose
sight of what is in the best interest of
moving this City forward and to be
ever conscientious of the needs and
concerns of our citizens.
Thank you So much for granting
me the 'privilege to have served as
your Mayor. It has been both
rewarding and enjoyable.
Martha G. Scott'
Mayor of Highland Park
be tolerated and officers involved
will be prosecuted." But, that is
not what eventually happened.
In April of 1990, young Phillip
Pannell was shot twice by Officer
Spath in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Officer Spath claimed that Pannell
had made a motion by putting his
hand in his pocket that served as a
threat to the police officer. Spath
says he killed Pannell in self
defense.
YET, AFTE investigating
this case, the Attorney General of
New Jersey decided to prosecute
Officer Spath on charges of
manslaughter after witnesses
revealed that Pannell was actually
shol while holding both of his anns
up in the air surrendering to Office
Spath. .
The city of Teaneck and the
tate of New Jersey waited to ee if
justice would be done in this case.'
On February 11, 1992, an all white
jury concluded that Officer Spath
wa not guilty of the charges
o e ed
bi
publ c cHiU
D.C. Segre on la
more strin ent under hi
dminis tion. eli ely t
- Democr t, Po Hive -
ranklin 00 evelt (1932-1945)
fou ht for the poor nd th t
included milllo of Blac . His
ife befriended ary cCloud
Be une, ave moral support to
BI c by resignin from the
Daughter of the Americ n
evolution hen that roup
re cd to Ie t Marian Anderson
sin in i hall.
-Democrat, P itive-Harry
Truman (1945-1952) on favor of
Blac by integratin the armed
force after War War n and by
continuing retirement pe ions for
widow fter de th of federal
employee husbands.
- Republican, Mixed -
Dwight Ei enbo er (1952-1960)
ordered federal troop to protect
Black children t Central High
School in Little Rock, Ark., in
1957, after the 1954 desegregation
decision. Advised BI cks to "go
slow" fter the decision.
- Democrat, po itive - John
F. Kennedy (1960-1963) sent
federal marshal to South to
enforce desegregation order .
Opposed racism, communicated
with Black leaders often.
liThe
Pre Ident'
Plan II
O .... L •• der:
The folIo ing three verses are
addi lions to the poem, "The
President's Plan." This poem
alleges that the U.s. Administration
cunningly lured Iraq into invading
. L It portrays the inv jon as
pretext the U.S. needed to I
attempt to destroy Iraq's nuclear and
chemical potential and to protect the
fragile U.S. economy.
"Th President' Pian"
(the Iaet three ....-...)
For permitting Kuwait's invasion
We will never pay,
Since we'll cleverly scapegoat
My own CIA.
This agency I once led
Will never confess guilt.
It will fault Arab leaders.
For all tht blood spilt.
Yet I fear tbe Almighty
Will have the last say:
"For the guilty, no escape
On the dreadful Judgement Day."
TomG.
�
although the state presented
medical and scientific evidence
that Pannell was shot twice while
his arms were raised. '
We have conducted a survey of
similar cases in other parts of the
country and we have found that all
white juries are very reluctant to
convict a white police officer in the
killing of an African·American
male, no matter what evidence is
presented during the trial. White
police officer are more than
"presumed innocent" in these type
of cases, they are usually found
innocent Thus, Phillip Pannell's
name will be added to the growing
list of victims of racially motivated
police brutality.
PHII.UP' MOTHER, Mrs.
Thelma Pannell, cried out in the
Hackensack, NJ. courtroom where
the trail was held. When the j my
foreman tated the "Not guilty"
verdict, Mrs. Pannell shouted, "No!
No!. .. Why, Lord Je u , why?"
The Pannell family like many other
It
IF YOU THINK these
READERS
WRITE
Pre idential Rap
Toth edHor:
After my last rap, I decided to do
a PRBSIDBNl1AL RAP, on what
George Bu h should have said
dUring his State of the Union mes­
sage and what other candidates
should be saying. During their
p ntial campa!
"READ MY UPSI
We'll tax the rich.
TeU you what.
Sell your yacht.
Give up cJuunpagne.
It numbs the brain:
Give up caviar.
Strengthen your chartJCter.
17Ie hungry and cold,
the babies, the old, -
We put human lives fintl­
Tbey'r« worth more than your
goldl
So heed these tipsl
READ MY UPSI"
Ron Ig I
Highland Park, MI
•
JU
- Democr t, Positive -
Jimmy Carter (1976-1980)
ppointed many BI c to bigh
p itio . liberal on racial' u ,
he lived bat he preached. Good
forBlacb.
- Republican, Very Negative
- Ronald Re gan (1980-1988)
pearh ded efforts to kill voting
righ act and mo t civil rights
legislation p ed during Johnson
dmini tration. Mo t racl t
president Ince Woodro Wi! on.
- Republican, Negative -
George B h (1988- ) Obvio ly
not a racist a Reagan, but
beholden to far-right and to
Dixie-publican • Oppo ed civil
rights bill, called it a quota bill
until hi promised veto would not
stand.
By BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR.
In Teaneck, New Jersey, there is
a certain hostile gloom in the air
concerning race relations. This is
the situation in the aftermath of the
recent acquittal of a white police
officer, Gary Spath, on charges of
manslaughter in the killing of an
African-American male teenager,
Phillip Pannell.
The news that an
African-American male teenager
has been fatally shot by a white
police officer is not, unfortunately,
isolated to the state of New Jersey.
It is happening allover the nation,
in particular the e incidents occur
in urban areas where the
African-American community is
concentrated and policed by
person from outside of the
community.
This New Jersey case, however,
had at one time the potential to send
a message to police departments
across the nation. That me age
should have been "Racially
motivated police brutality will not
Canadian group
looking for
P-enFriends
We have been operating an
International Penpal
Correspondence club hexe in Canada
for the last two years.
We have many members hi
Canada, The Caribbean and Africa
requesting coloured penpals from
tbeUSA '.
Sm� meui�rship is 1iUii.tCd: e I
are 0 ring Free memberships in'
your area and would appreciate it
very much if you can publisb our
name and address in your
publication, Michigan Otizen.
Th PenFrl nd. (31E)
Box 5038, Offle LCD-1,
H.mllton, Ontario
Canada L8L 801
Send all
news 'information
to:
Michigan Citizen.
P.O. Box 03560.
Highland Park.
MI 48203
Call
869-0033.
CIVIL
RIGHTS
JOURNAL
African-American families now
will have to live with the
knowledge that the justice system
"usually does work for us."
African-Americans are about 25
percent of the approximately
40,000 persons who reside in
Teaneck. If racial justice is to be a
reality in this community, or in any
community in the United States,
then acts of wanton raciall y
motivated police violence must be
stopped.
There are many religious
leaders and other civic leaders in
New Jersey who �re now trying to
secure peace and better race
relations in the state after the
emotions of many have been
disturbed by the Teaneck verdict.
We support tho e efforts for
reconciliation, but we know that
until there is justice, there will .
certainl y be no peace.