LA re Ident
picket work Ite
LOS ANGELES - Hoping to
channel the rage of the rioting
into efforts to create job, re i-'
dents of the poorest neighbor­
hood in Lo Angele are
pic eting constru tion ite nd
meeting with official to make
ure they get their share of th
rebuilding work.
New tudy
launched
A lO-year study will be
launched next year to find out
what teers inner-city children
toward crime. The planned $ 0
million study, to be conducted at
the Harvard School of Public
Health, is believed to be the
broadcast study yet on the causes
of "anti-social behavior".
LA Pollee Chief
to retire
LOS ANGELES - Police Chief
gates dropped his threat to delay
his retirement and aid he would
leave office on schedule at the
end of this month. The embat­
tled official aid he was only
bluffing when h made the threat
to city officials last week.
WORLD NATION
•
. ,
Sto intercepting
Haitians. church
leader urges Bush
CLEVELAND - Saying the n w U.S. P Ii Y t ward Haitian
refugee i raci t, national Afri an American religious leader i
calling on Pre ident Bush to "put ele tion-year politi aside" and
give the Haitians a afe haven.
"Thi new White House policy of intercepting Haitian refugees at
ea and forcibly returning them to Port-au-Prince without interviews
or proce ing ... i morally indefen ible," aid Valeri E. Russell of
Cleveland, executive director of the Office for Church in Society of
the 1.6 million-member United Church of Chri t. She made the
comments in a letter mailed to Bush on May 28.
"The United State has always prided itself on being a place where
politicallyoppre sed refugees are welcomed withopenarms," Russell
wrote. "Yet this late t chapter in U.S. policy toward Haitian refugees
continue a policy of racism that ays people with Black skin are not
welcome." •
Returning them directly to Haiti will subject the refugees "to harm
and a life of starvation," Rus ell said, adding that the new policy
eems to vio­
late Article 33
of the United
Nations ..
Charter on the
Treatment of
Refugees.
Rep.
John Con­
yers Jr., O­
M i c h ,
introduced
the bill in
the Hou e
last week.
Two
principles
should
guide U.S.
p o l i c y ,
Russell
wrote:
"First, the
U . S .
governme
nt should
do all it can.
to establish
ongoing.
talks be-
tween Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and those now hold­
ing power until full democracy is restored. Second, this country
should serve as a safe haven where refugees can land their boats while
claims for legitimate refugee status are being adjudicated."
Russell sent a copy of the letter to Secretary of State James A.
Baker. In separate letters, he asked the heads of the two congres­
sional foreign relation committees, Sen. Claiborne Pell, D-R.I., and
Rep. Dante B. Fa cell, D-Fla., to work to reverse the president's new
policy.
Russell was among 50 United Church of Christ leaders who in
February signed a telegram urging the president to end the forced
repatriation of Haitian refugees and suggested "racial discrimination"
was affecting U.S. immigration policy.
RU
ELL
The us.
government
should do all it can
to establish
ongoing talks
between Haitian
President
Jean-Bertrand
Aristide and those
now holding power
until full democracy
is restored.
support a bill
in Congress
. that would,
among others
thing, grant
temporary safe
haven and
protective
ta tu to the
Haitian
refugee and
e x pan d
facilities to
process them.
THE UNITED Church of Christ is a 1957 union of the Congrega­
tional Christian Churches and the Evangelical Reformed Church.
The Office for Church in Society, with staff members in Cleveland
and Washington, D.C., provide leadership for social action concerns
in the United Church by doing advocacy work on ocial and political
issues.
Haitian policy is cruel
racism, NAACP chief say
GREENVILLE. SC - The National
Chairman of the Board of the
NAACP, Dr. William F. Gib on,
said today that the Bush Administra­
tion "has cho en a course of moral
bankruptcy, fueled by a consistent
supply of brutal and intentional
racism."
Gib on maintained that the
President' "callous indifference to
the plight of the Haitians tand in
tark contrast to his feeling for other
refugee who have gained anctuary
here."
"The essence of Mr. Bu h'
policy is clear," said Dr. Gib on.,
The Chairman of the Board of the
National Association for the Advan­
cement of Colored People com­
mented, "they are Black, mostly
poor, and they come from a country
wi th no oil, natural resource or
strategic value. The only "assets"
the e Hai tians have to offer is a
hunger for freedom - and an enor­
mous measure of courage."
Dr. Gib on made his remarks in
an editorial statement released to the
nation' pre and broadcast media.
He indicated that he would have
more to say on the issue at his
organization' national convention
next month.
re orm pr c
"Th govemm nt m t act now to make
th polie nd military uphold the law, not
undermin it. Otherwi hopes for an new
S uth Africa will founder."
J
CORE: Stop planation politics
l.DS GELES - Congress of Ra-
cial Equality State Chairman Celes
King III challenged Pre ident
George Bush and Gov. Pete Wil on
with the need for full inclusion of th
Black community in every aspect of
rebuilding the riot torn remains of
. South Central Los Angele .
"I told the president and governor
of the need for an outside cornmi -
ion similar to the Century Freeway
Commission designed by a Federal
court to en ure participation by
women and minorittes in.every level
of the Century Freeway Construc­
tion," King said.
"Already you ee the clean up and
construction work being performed
by contractors from outside our com­
munity. It might be convenient for
insurance companies and others to
bring in outsider crews, but this is no
longer acceptable here."
In an interview early last week,
King said he warned the president
and governor that the same mistakes
made following the 1965 Watts were
visible in the highly press release
structured agenda for rebuilding Los
Angeles.
"WE CAN NO longer tolerate
those 'plantation politics' conditions
responsible for the atmo phere that
erupted into two major Black com­
munity revolutions against the tatus
quo," King said.
"The downtown establishment
has already begun its usual technique
of dictating solutions for our
problems. "
King cited the appointment of
Peter Ueberroth as the czar for the
rebuilding of the community.
"The people downtown are
oblivious to the fact we in the
minority community have a bad taste
in our mouth over the way Uberroth
ignored us in preparation for the
Olympics," King said. "He's the man
who put on a party in my backyard
and didn't invite me. We can not
allow the same ort of exclusion thi
time around."
King warned South Central Lo
Angeles needed a well paid job in­
tensive rebuilding program that
employed the residents of South
Central Los Angeles from the top to
the bottom of the ladder.
King condemned those who an­
nounced they were coming back into
the community without consulting
local people about conditions ac­
ceptable conditions for their return.
"WE DO NO), need a collection
of price gouging merchants who give
the poor a turkey at Christmas," King
said. "We have a right to expect the
same courtesy and competitiv
prices provided in the upscale com­
munities of Los Angeles County. We
. are tired of being blamed for the bad
business practices of others."
King also condemned loca,
political leaders who talked loudly
about problems while voting only to
maintain concerns for their owr
poli tical safety.
"We do not need city officials
who allow millions of tax dollars slip
out of our hands while they becom
Celes King (stand,right) tells Bu h plantation politic have got to'
top.
puppets for campaign contributors
downtown," King said. "We need the
rebuilding projects here supervised
.and run by those among us who can
be responsive to o�r needs."
ANNUAL AFRICAN
CHILDREN' WEEK
OF AFRICA RURAL DEVELOPMENT
JUNE 15-21, 1992
A week-long fundraising campaign for African hunger and
development project featuring the following special events
WORLD AWARNESS DINER
The Cotillion Club, 13221 Puritan 272-8611
Thursday, June 18, 1992
6:30pm - 9pm
Tickets.: $25
FAMILY FUN WEEKEND
American families helping African families.
Michigan State Fair Grounds
Friday, June 19 11 am-9pm
Saturday, June 20, 11 am-9pm Sunday, June 21, 2-9pm
All Day State Fair Picnic
Area will be reserved for this event each year.
Bring your picnic basket, your friends and family.
(Please, no alcoholic beverages).
o Children's Games.
o Entertainment -local bands, dance groups and singers.
o Bazaar - handcrafted treasures from here and abroad.
o Craft workshops - learn beading, basket weaving, hairbraidlng .
o Face painting.
o Children'S educational programs.
o Family fun Weekend entrance fees:
Adults: $5 Children 12 & under $3
State Fair Parking 2
Proceeds from all events will benefit families being isted by
African Rural Development I nternational programs.
Please call (313) 894-1031 for further Information.