Black dig t Y
Cllnton-Gore trong
with BI ck
NEW YO (AP) - Blac in
the Arkansas delegation say that
Bill Cinton and AI Gore have
proven they are ensitive to
Black Americans and will ttract
minority votes.
"1 think African-Americans
understand they can't let the
Republicans commit economic
genocide anymore," said Sen.
Bill Lewellen, D-Marianna, a
member of the Arkans delega­
tion committed to Clinton.
Clinton delegate Nancy
Blount said ome Blacks may be
upset that Clinton chose Gore
his running mate and that a
minority is not on the ticket
"But 1 think we have to realize
that the most important thing is
to get a Democrat in, the White
Haase," said Ms. Blount, also of
Marianna.
"Of course, we would not
have that ce if a minority or
female we on the ticket, unfor­
tunatel y. ,,.
Each of the six Black Arkan­
sans surveyed said Clinton and
Gore have proven their sen­
sitivity to issues involving Black
Americans.
Clinton has appointed more
Blacks to cabinet posts and
major state positions !ban any
.. } � .
Basil Brown'
conviction et a Ide
mGBI..AND PARK , Ml -
Former State Senator Basil
Brown, D-Highland Park, can
regain his law license, after ac­
tion of the Michigan Attorney
Displine Board.
Brown lost his license to
practice law in 1987 after plead­
ing guilty to giving cocaine and
marijuana to his lover.
The Michigan Suprme Court
last October ordered a new hear­
ing on the drug case, and recent­
ly the conviction was set aside by
Ingham County Circuit Judge,
William Collette.
New York minister
criticized for
supporting Perot
NEW YORK (AP) - The Rev.
Calvin Butts has come under fire
for endorsing the undeclared
presidential campaign of Ross
Perot, who referred to Blacks as
"you people" in a speech last
week.
The pastor of the Abyssinian
Baptist ClurchinHarlem, one of
the city's largest Black churches,
also was criticized for abandon­
ing the Democratic Patty, The
New York Times recently
reported .
Perot called Blacks 'c you
people" while speaking before
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People.
"Whatever Reverend Butt's
purpose for supporting Ross
Perot, I have found none of his
associates or poliucians who un­
derstood it," Rep. Charles Ran­
gel of Harlem told the Times.
"Ross Perot is merely a white
cracker who has no experience
dealing wi th African Americans
on an equal basis."
The Rev. AI Sharpton, who
said he is a supporter of Butts,
said that "for a minister to
publicly support a candidate
before that candidate presents a
platform or program is political
. schizophrenia."
Butts is co-chairman of
Perot' New York State cam-
paign. ,
He did not return telephone
calls seeking comment, the
Times said.
,
'1
BYA OJOE
AP,...."
-The World
Jewish Con hailed a peech on
anti-Semitism by the Rev. J e
Jac n mbollc tep toward
closer relations between Je and
B r yem of mistrust.
FollOwing Jac on' keynote ad­
d an international conference
on anti-Semitism I t wee Con­
gress offici d they ere opti­
mi tic about constructive future
re1atio with the Black civil rights
leader.
Proponents of sdf-detennination
in tho Black community saw Jack­
son' peech as a politlcal
manucver.
"Jackson was invited by the
, World Jewish Congress in the hope
that there would be a reconcili­
ation," congress spoke man
Laurent Moyse said today. "It was
OK. on that point."
"This was a first step, the next
steps smu1d follow," he added.,
In the speech Jackson touched on
his own troubled relations with
Jews, and said the two groups' 'walk
lock-sfep" on many social issues.
I
CO-C AI •
id . group
been divided over whether to invite
J c on to dd the Brus el
meeting.
But e the he aid," e
may have een the germi tion
day 0 what could beeom renewal
of (Je . h-Bl ) coali tion that
adly disappeared over the 1 t two
decad ."
The rift between Jackson and
Jews dat to his 1984 bid for tbe
Democratic presidential nomin
tion.
He had made remar many J
considered anti-Semitic am anti-Is­
rael, including a a derogatory refer­
ence to New Yor as "Hymie
town" because of its large Jewish
population.
The bitterness was evident re­
cently as a few months ago, when
Jews reacted angrily to Democratic
presidential contender Jerry
Brown' designation of Jackson a
potential running mate.
DURING HIS 4O-minute
speech Tuesday, Jackson pointed
the finger at Republicans.
"It' outrageous in any form to
suggest that George Bush is not a
friend of Israel or the Jewish peo­
ple," said Tony Mitchell, deputy
press secretary for the Bush cam­
paign.
-THE SPOTLIGHT returned to
Jacbon's own record during a qu
tion-and-amwer session.
In response to ODe question, he
W�F.�CIIan
Up And Out of Poverty recently protested Engler's cuts.
Engler did not
study cuts before
he made them
By RON SEIGEL
eorre.pondMt
LANSINO - Robert Lovell,
Director of the Planning and Evalua,­
tion Division of the Michigan
Department of Social Services said a
planned study of those who lost all
aid with the elimination of General
Assistance could improve the oclal
ICMcea program and would not be
expensive.
The purpose of the study would
be "to paint a picture of what hap­
pened" to over 80,000 people who
were cut off from state aid when
General Assistance was abolished
lut year, Lovell said.
Lovell admitted that when
Michigan Governor John Engler
decided to eliminate General Assis­
tance there was no study about what
the effects would be on the clients
who had been removed from state
�� ,
"We had a state budget deficit,"
be said, "and it was serious."
•
DEMOCRATS IN the House of
Rcp�ntatives, most notably State
Representative David Hollister, who
chairs the ubcommittee dealing
with social services, called for use of
the rainy day fund and topping tax
breaks for busiDe in order to deal
with the deficit, plans which Engler
and the Republican senate rejected.
Lovell said he is trying to make
an objective study with no precon­
ceptions.
Bcca the study is supported by
the Director of Social Services,
Lovell believes that accurate find-
ings could result in policy changes
within the department to deal posi­
tively with the conditlons dis­
covered.
He aid the study was set up to
find out how former recipients are
coping, what sources of help they
have and where they are living.
The department would check
former recipients in two key com­
munities - Van Buren in Kent
County to show what is happening in
a rural area and the section around
Lafayette in Detroit's inner city,
, which represents an "economically
depressed" urban area, which had a
high rate of General Assistance
recipients.
250 RECIPIENTS, whose
names are taken from therecords
will be given an extensive interview
with a lenghty questionnaire
evaluated by professionals, accord­
ing to study plans.
Working with the program is the
University of Michigan School of
Social Work and Western Michigan
University.
If the name of the former client is
on t,he U of M list for study, the
person will be compensated $25 for
participating and will not lose
benefits because of the money.
Those who want to participate
should call (313) 963-6052. If their
name is not on the tate list of former
recipients the state selected at ran­
dom for research they will not be
interviewed and will not receive
compensation.
The tudy will also be getting data
from the Fire Department, the Red
Cross, shelters, and churches dealing
with former clients.
The Up and Out of Poverty or­
ganization condemning the tudy,
saying that giving former clients $25
is "an insult" to those who died.
YUNIS COLLINS, spokesman
for Up and Out of Poverty, also
charged that the study will cost ap­
proximately half a million dollars.
Lovell denies this, saying the main
expense will be the $25 for compen­
sating the 250 former clients in the
.study, The rest of the cost would be
o largely the percentage of time added
for employees extra duties and travel
expenses.
Professors and 'graduate students
from the universities would be han­
dling the research.
Lovell said that the Ford Founda­
tion will be conducting a larger study
with private funds in which the
University of Michigan would also
be involved. This was inspired by
the Department of Social Services's
original study.
LOVELL ADMITTED his
study had too small a, sampling to be
repre entative of the general popula­
tion, but said the Ford Foundation
study coming up will handle a larger
population.
When asked about the public
hearings held by State Repre­
sentative Hollister'S committee
before the cuts, Lovell did not deny
that this had value, but said it con­
cemed individuals explaining how
the elimination of General Assis­
tance affected their own lifes. The
departments' current study would
examine "large numbers of people."
Lovell added that his office had
talked with Representative Hollister
aDd given his staff frequent progre
reports.
called for negotiatio be een -
II am on the occupied
temtori ,but prai Zio' m
" liberation movement ... e
goal it' to affirm the identi ty for i
people, to evelop a homel d for
i people, pI free of persecu­
tion, must be eenas that,'and not all
tbe negative conno tio attached
to it."
One member of the audience, 0-
cepting truth media misreporting,
cd for a po to Lows Far-
rakhan' characterization of Juda­
i m "gutter religion" and
Farrakban's praise of Hitler.
"Point one, those me not my po-
itions and should not be attrlbuted
to me in any way by any formal
auociation," Jac on said. "Sec­
ond, I do not believe any religion 'is
a gutter religion, I have a great sense
of high regard for my own religion
and e:umenical religio living!'
FARRAKHAN WAS an early
, supporter of Jackson's praidential
bid. Jackson was at first reluctant to
respond to cal to distance hirmelf
from Faaakhan, bu� later repudiated
the Blac Muslim leader's state­
ments es "reprehensible and'mor-
ally indefensible."
T t poll tical accommodation by
J n brought ome to m y in
tbe African American community
the realization that J c on h d
moved from civil righ leader to
politician.
In his peech before the con­
gr J c n denied widespread
anti-Semiti m among American
Blac , aying violent, anti-Jewish
lyrics in rap do not represent
"the mainstream of African-Ameri­
can opinion."
Rappe , many young people,
upporters of Fam.khan am other s
in the African American community
believe Jewi h di content with
Blacks is a result of Jewish imia­
tance on dominating the relation­
ship.
Any cri ticism ofIsrael or upport
of the Palestinians, as Farrakhanhas
done, incws Jewish condemnation.
Tbe three-day conference drew
members of Jewish organizations,
human rights officials, authots am
academics from 60 countIi .
Tbe New York City-b ed World
Jewish Congress w foUDded in
Geneva in 1936 to mobilize Jews
against Nazi advances. _
WCNLS
launche
J'1H:Jtl
Wayne County Neighbor­
hood Legal Services (WCNlS)
Hou ing Dispute Resolution
Center has received $80,000
from the Wayne County Depart­
ment of Social Services (DSS) to
initiate a program designed to
prevent unnecessary evictions by
providing back rent payments to
landlords.
Evictions tend to be one of the
leading awses .of bomeles ness,
experts say. The Eviction
Prevention Program _ pilot
program and first in the state­
will assist landlords and tenants
to resolve diSputes regarding is­
sues related to non-payment of
rent that may eventually result in
a court eviction proceeding and
homelessness,
1bi is the first time that DSS
has given a significant sum to a
non profit for this type of project
and is also a sign that DSS may
be able to find competent service
providers to assist them with
serving the community in a time­
ly fashion, WCNLS news release
said. The major goal of the pro­
gram is to prevent evictions
which create homelessness and
result in additional financial
strain on the resources of DSS.
Greg Murray, Coordinator of
WCNLS' Housing Dispute
Res 01 ution Center (HDRC) com­
mented, "We are delighted that
WCNLS' reputation for client
service has prompted DSS to
select our agency forthis project.
We hope that after the successful
completion of the pilot project
we will be fully funded for flscal
year 1993. We anticipate halting
over 200 evictions d wing the
pilot project."
TO RECEIVE assistance,
tenants m us t be forme! General
Assistance recipients. The pro­
gram will also benefit a limited
number of AoC participants'.
The process is totally voluntary
and does not negate eitherparty's
legal rights. Both participants
must be willing to negotiate.
After a resolution of the problem
is reached between the landlord
and the tenant, a portion of the
back rent may be paid by the
Eviction Prevention Program.
To continue in the program,
both the landlord and the tenant
must agree to a performance
based criteria. The tenant must
demonstrate some sort of effort
toward self-sufficiency such as
enrolling in a job training pro­
gram. In addition, the landlord
must be willing to work with the
tenant and must maintain respon­
sibility for the property. Pay­
ments to the landlord will be
distributed in increments
depending on the performance of
both the landlord and tenant.
Linda D. Bernard, Executive
Director of WCNLS added,
"Thi program not only'
precludes needless evictions, but
it will foster neighborhood
stabilization. It also encourages
landlords to maintain their
properties which creates a better
living environment for everyone.
We believe strongly in alterna­
tive dispute resolution' services
and maintain that our community
will benefit greatly from this type
of assistance.
The project will operate from
WCNLS' Housing Dispute
Resolution Center, located at
3300 Cadillac Towers in
downtown Detroit. Office hours
are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
more information, contact
HDRC at 962-0466, ext. 269.
Education key to Black
power, head of UNCF say
By PHIL WEST Virginia Gov. Dougl Wilder,
A •• oc/ated Pre •• Writer ' Virginia Union graduate. and
.............................. .-..-- ......... � ......... -=------ NAACP executive director Ben-
NASHVlLLB, Tenn. (AP) - The jamin Hooks, a Le Moyne-Owen
head of the United Negro College alumnus, are examples of leaders
Fund says education i the key to produced by hi torically Black col­
power for Black people, and he leges, said William H. Gray.
credited historically Black college
with leading the way. S EDUCATION A10