Th hot lin underline white
upremaci t ctivity brought to
light by th ible Knights of
th KKK Michigan rallies in
Charlo te nd at the State Capi­
tol on April 23.
Th Michigan director of the
D p rtment of Civil Rights,
Nanette Lee Reynolds, said that
lthough the department does
not agree with the m ge of
hate organizations, everyone
has First Amendment rights to
exp their views.
" 0 THE CONSTITU­
TIO AL guarantee are not
something that are tough to deal
with, They are realities and it's
hat everybody in this country
. can be protected with, " he said.
"But I would like to ensure
that there is some maintenance,
if you will, of the mobilization of
the citizens in Charlotte and
other places and that it is not
just a reaction. of a community
t.t a after April
23rd," Reyno) id.
David Webb, a writer and re-
earcher for Klanwatch, a
Montgomery, Ala. -based watch­
dog group of the KKK, said hot
lines are a usual way that white
upremacist groups end out
their messages. .
"All of the white supremacist
groups have hot lines," he said.
"They've been using them for
quite some time." Although the
number for the hot line shocked
Borne Michigan police depart­
ments, Eastpointe Police Detec­
tive Scott Bourgeois said hot
lines of this sort are nothing
new, especially for small towns
like Howell.
JANE JACKSON, A Michi­
gan State University staff'mem­
ber who asked that her name be
changed, lived in Howell in the
early '708. and said she "hates"
the KKK.
One of her anecdotes zooms in
on an incident at a gas station
there, where a Black man
needed help with his car. He was
thrown out of the gas station -
and-eo was Jackson, who tried to
defend him. She said her only
ving grace was a family mem­
ber who had connections with
the police and kept town resi-
OFe n led
white uprem ci to becom
- more vocal, Baurgeo' id.
"I would think they are be­
coming more and more visibl "
he id. "If you look out W t,
where a lot of th groups are
tarting, th y're getting a lot
more n play.
"Loa t th hole Rodney
King thing, " he id. "It is grow­
ing in the We t Coa t and e
spreading to the Midw t." AI- .
though the hot lin have been
used by hate organizations for
yea ,a white upr maci t
movement could be getting ripe
"KNOCK ON WOOD, we in America right now, Webb
haven't had any incidents." said said.
"There's definitely a threat of
a resurgence of white suprem­
acy in the nation," he said.
Bourgeois said everal of
Michigan's "white unity" organi­
zations seem to be working to­
gether to promote their
message.
continued from page A 1
partments have been looking
into similar hot lines in search of
connections to hate crimes, Robb
said he is not co med about
police tapping in on the line. '
"I don't care if they do," he
said. "I'm not engaged in' any­
thing illegal or-unlawful."
But Robb said not every white
supremacy hot line is the same.
He criticized some as being ri­
diculo
TWO OTHER PHONE
numbers in Michigan -of the
NAAWP and a skinhead group
called SS Action - can be traced
back to the same P.O. box num­
ber as the White Unity Hotline,
Bourgeois said.
But some staff members at
U' oe of Minority u-
dent Attai' ( id they a not
overly concerned with the recent
turn of events involving the Ku
Klux Klan or with the spread of
hot lin that may emanate ha-
trEKi. .
"If there is a·movement at all,
- it's an underground move­
ment," said Aaron Paymenf, co­
ordinator of Native American
student services. "And as an un­
derground movement, it is not a
legitimate movement."
He added that white su­
premacist groups cannot appeal
to people's intellectual side be­
cause they are based on hate and
therefore do not cater to reason ..
"I'VE HEARD SOME of
them that were crazy," he said.
Robb said he was optimistic
about the hot line and that most
people who call are receptive to
the message.
"I would say that the majority
of the people who call are pro
ably really interested," he said.
The April 23 KKK rallies are
expected to take place despite
previous failed attempts to get
permits to assemble in their re­
quested locations.
"A roadblock stops you, " Robb
said. "This doesn't top you."
AFRICAN BEADS
MICHIGAN'S LARGEST SELECTION
• SPIRIT STONES
• BEADS FOR PROTECTION
• BEADS FOR GOOD LUCK
• KENYAN LOVE BEADS
• SNAKE V�RTEBRATE
• FISH VERTEBRATE
• COWRI E SH ELLS
• SEA SHELLS
• 300 YA. OLD BEADS
• 100's OF ITEMS OUTOF AFRICA
NEW LOCATION
DABL' CALLERY
BOOK TOWER BLDG.
People Mover Stop .1
.1257 Washington Blvd.
Det., MI 48226
(313) 964-4247
M-SUN: 12-7PM
SINCE 1985 • 10% OFF W/COUPON
-
American
Red Cross
Youth Services Box 33351�
Detroit, MI 48232-5351
1-800-55�5466
Moreover, D.C.' ma ter
drummer, Bah Ngoma, backed
bydrumm from the Woodson­
Banneker branch of the Univer­
sal Negro Improvement
As ociation (UNIA), inspired
the White House march.
The Mrikan drum bad been
banned in America during lav­
ery because Whites feared its
communicativ and spiritual
powers. Baba N goma' presence
marked the first time in re­
corded ,United Sta history
that the Afrikan drum was
brought to bear at the very
hearth' of the American p i-
dent.·' .
Brother Hehu Metu Ra
Enkamit, the Ur Aua of· the
A A SocietymD.C.,and
a respected scholar, not only
added to the marchers' inspira­
tion but cautioned that the my-
����i� · ericho"
� GX>far.
THE UE 0 POLICE
ha ment was brought to light
several 1m ago by the Detroit
branch of the National Associa­
tion for the Advancement of Col­
ored People, which filed
complaints with the state attor­
ney general's office on behalf of
several Black mal . The attor­
ney general then referred the
complaints to civil rights offi­
cials, 'who initiated the survey.
Tyrone E. Wilson, president
of the Jackson County NAACP,
said the problem of police un­
justly stopping or harassing
"people of color" is not limited to
Detroit or other large urban ar-
doD 1 tt em
in terms 'of pertsnta [of mi-
norities in a given area], we 100
at it in terms of consistency with
the incidents of harassment," he
said. "Even in an area with a
small minority population, if a
person is continuously harassed,
then it's a major problem."
Wllson said the NAACP "first
YET, CHARD
Kalam zoo To n hip poli
chief, id he isn't a of
"increase in civil rights co
plaints, especially in south
Michigan. •
Although Butler its on t
board of directo of the Michi­
gan Associatior of Chiefs of P�
lice, hich supports th
Department of Civil Rights' sur­
vey, he said, "It' pretty difficult
to address the problem of a
faulty citizen-complaint policy
hen it ms to be w king."
Butler added his department
hasn't had a civil rights com­
plaint for several years.
Two area police officials ech­
oed Butler's sentiments. "I've
never gotten any complaints
spout citizens being harassed by
police," said Nil Police Chief
Myron Galchutt.
And David Walker, Benton
Harbors director of public safety,
said his department receives oc­
casional complaints "regarding
improper delivery of service, but
none concerning harassment."
Galchutt and Walker con-.
tended their departments have
iv poliei to d . tb
civil rights complaints.
We appreciate all signed
letters from our readers.
Send to Michigan
Citrze n. P.O. Box 03560.
Highland Pk. MI 48203.
MICHIGAN WEEK
-rHERE IS NO conclusive
evidence that our people, the
Egyptians, ever enslaved any
group of people who had to t1
in fear. On the other hand, there
is conclusive evidence of our peo-
ple driving out foreign invad-
THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMIITEE PRESENTS
THE 1994·
HIGHLAND PARK
MICHIGAN WEEK PARADE
12 NOON SATURDAY
• MAY·14, 1994
LOOKING FOR:: DRILL TAMS.
FLOATS • ARCHING BANDS
.CIVIC .ORGANIZA IONS A D BUSINESSE
TO PARTICIPATE IN PARADE
..
I
-I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I'
I
I
I
For lntormatton call:
arl Wheeler, Ombud man
t 3.13-252. - 0028
,
. .
Monday. • Thur day
8 a.m. • 5:30 p.m.
p-
I
I
I
I
I
'I
I
I.
I
I Yes, I am interested in youth 'Volunteer services with 'the American Red Cross.
I Name: "
IAd�-:�'--�----------�--------------�
I City: County: _
I Zip: Phone: _
I
I
National Volunteer Week April 17-23
It's 'your community and you're its future
. Make a difference today as a Red Cro •
v outh Volunteer.
Work in nursing homes, hospitals, and other
care-related fields. Discover an experience that
may change your future and possibly the world
around you.
You may also become eligible for a $1,000
scholarship.