{The
"11l8 Negro pays for what he
wants and begs for what he
•
KtDy
1k need for economic empower
ment in Detroit and the African
American commWlity than during
the year em ooliday season in �
around the mpping malls in the
Detroit area.
I did some field work at one of the
10cal malls the other day, 00 I did not
buy anything. The demographics
were follows:
Mosdy Afrlcan Americans, say
ninety eight percenc and mosdy
female, say seventy-five percent.
� were rmsdy between the ages
of fifteen m1 forty years of age, y
eighty-five percent. They were
speming money aIXl buying gills lilce
it was going out of style.
This visit to the mall was a clear
iIxUcation that the buy Detroit cam
paign � to be taught year round
starting here, starting rew. A recent
tudy revealed the following:
That only four of every ten adult
in Detroit are employed. ..
That most oousemld iJm� falls
below $2S,<mOO. That Detroit lost
lO,<m jobs between 1� -1900.
That DetroitelS speoo four billion
dollars a year in the malls.
Detroiters � to undelStmi that
four billion dollars would nerate a
feW blmarn jo ana ...
that income w-ould help towards
tebuiJding !be infmstructure of their
dty! Monies 'spent in Detroit with
Detroit residen�rclianIs will am
Can improve the tax base of Detroit
and tbose taxes would help provide
better city services,
comprehensive
economic plan for evelopment
of Black ml poor people.
PUSH has ne�tiated aOO i�
more than 20 moral � with
major Americanmlforeigncorpora
tiom resulting in 8. billion dollars in
jolls 800 bmmcs., opportunities for
the African-American community.
In the 197<S, the foas of the
covenants was employment oppor
tunities with those companies woo
"4'Plied the bread and butter for the
African-American �nununity such
• : General Foods m1 National T
Food Stores, in an attempt to offset
the adverse economic effects of the
1970s. At the end of 1972, PUSH
laurdled Black Expo.
In 1974, im annual theme was
"building a national ecooomy aOO
wolking man." In 1975, PUSH or
ganized resistance agaimt oppres
sion. By the 198CB. PUSH had
6egun its f� on iocreasing bosi-
opportunities in the African
American b\Sness covenants began
to take on 8 new direct!0n as PUSH
sought economic redprodty in terms
of management positlors, corporate
policy issues, am procurement dis
tnbUtion.
IN 1982, PUSH promulgated the
premise �t Blaclc Anenca is an
ecoeomic nation am as with CoCa
Cola. In 1985, PUSH entered
negotiations with the GreyhoUnd
OMporation. Ford Motor Company,
.American Airlines m1 Mille� Brew
ing Company. In 1987, PUSH
renewed aIX1 expaOOed its covenant
with Burger King.
In1988theorganization igoeaim
first covenant with an automotive
manufacturer by forging an agree
ment with Ford Gompany. .
- African Arrertcars' made up ,
more than 50 percent of all movie
tickets p in 1991.
- African Americans in
Michigan made up � percent of the
rate of victory for President elect Bill
Ointon.
I)ETR( nr
..
ence to world to t these other strong
brouers out!
He tllankcd the many people woo had
helped him to get through prison because
they belped him to remain trong and
focus when he w angry and �itter.
father was a blessing because he stood by
him in his time of need and helped his
wife to raise his new born child
To my surprise when I walked into
the. Museum of African American His
tory, I was overwhelmed with the atmos
phere that was there - Music by
Francisco Mora and Los Caminos,
people talking and socializing, decora
tio m1 refreshmenm everywhere. My
fatigue disappeared, m1 I was ready for
what was to be one of the most exciting
Adbullah EI-Amlr •• 1 m Organization
of Mlchlg •
IT WAS important to see that
Ahmad' gain of personal Freedom bad
oot over shadowed his deep serse of
commitment for j nee. "I want the
govetmrto know, that even tOOugh I'm
glad he pardOned me, I w rever a
criminal in the filst place! Even tlx>ugh
I have pent 21 years in prison, the prison
was never in met" Alunad _told his lis
teners.
amon oth rs,
Ahmad pointed out that there are a lot
of Political Prisoners and brothers and
A rrn��us rrl'TT 'l"l'T'DA Y vtncen1 Brown, Commltt to Fr . t ho till l ked h ha
An£4U.&:.t&'U1V ,",U.lJA UAVUJ Ahmad Abdur-R hman IS e w are N up, W 0 ve
contnbution was woven througlx>ut the • their acts togeth r, and don't need to be
program by our youth entitled Young oroma Institute, the Aisha Affirmative locked up, Ahmad said. He promised to
People Tribut;e to Ahmad, by ibe School, and th African Family Ballet pers nally call the governor in refer-
Free eye care offered
to low income workers
and their amilies
Your Dodg and Chry 1 r-Plymouth D alers' .
"
Free eye examinatiom for low-in
COIM worldng people am their families
are being offered through a program that
gem underway in Michigan in January.
The program called VISION USA is
being sporsored by the Michigan Op
to�tDt �tion aoo is part of a
nam i �f� �tiMC4 by the
American Optometritic Association. •
Low-� workers can sign up for
the free eye care by calling 1-8(X).7�
4466 in January, according to Ross Wil
liams, O.D., chair of the VISION USA
program in Michigan.
The eye exams will be given in
optometrists' private offi� primarily in
March, coinciding with the annual
celebration of Save Your VISion Week,
March 7-13. The optometrist are vohm
leering their time and services as "� way
of giving something back to the people of
our community," Dr. Williams said
To qualify for � free eye care per
sors must: have a job or live in a
ho�oold where t!Jere is one working
member; have 00 health insurance; have
income below an estab1Js� level based
on houselx>ld size; ,800 have had no eye
examination within 12 months. This pro
gram is open to children aIXI adulm of all
ages .
Almost 00 percent of the people ex
amined throughout the country in the first
two nationwide VISION USA programs
bad eye tx:alth or vision problems," Dr.
Williams said. "It sbows what a great
need �re is for a program like VISION
USA"
VISION USA was sta11ed in 1985
with a pilot program in Kentucky.
•
.,
I' II t 'I " f,t IV
I, �'''I\·lfl(�rp-· ( 111111 ",I,r Ilfl ,
•
,:
Urban League to honor
civil rights contribu ors
Tbe Detroit Urban League will bonor
six people wOO have mad� oumtanding
contabutiors to the civil rightsmovement
and to our community as a whole,
Hororees are Malcolm Carron, SJ,
who bas worked for integration and
education for mioorities' at University of
Detroit; Leo Cottrell, community activist
fighting for well-being of senior citizens;
J p� Harreld Love, director m1
fouzx1er of YOW' Heritage House.
eel brute durin
. ,
_W\.1 nt
AlSO, CORNELIUS Golightly, ,
filst African-American administrator of
Detroit Public Scbools; Ossian Hayes
Sweet, M.D., integrator of an east side
neighborOOod in 1925 aOO witbstood
the violence m1 tragedy to follow. .
Individual tickets arc $75 and are
available at the Detroit Urban League,
832..4600 ext 29 or 14.
10
minivan
- The event will take place March 17 at .
the Westin Hotel.
1\1
y.
The
· van
o
-.' .
. ,