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Black Expo

'71: A show of

solidarity

4

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News Phone: 764-0552



Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1971

NIGHT EDITOR: SARA FITZGERALDI

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Alternatives to SGC

TIE RESIGNATION of four Student
Government Council members at
this week's meeting once again raises
the question of SGC's legitimacy, its
function and its future.
Individual resignations from SGC are
not unusual; each term one or two Coun-
cil members become disillusioned with
SGC, find that it conflicts with their
personal activities or leave the Univer-
sity.
Thursday's resignations had some poli-
tical basis in that the three members of
the conservative Student Caucus who
left SGC felt it served a purpose con-
trary to their goals as student represen-
tatives. But the politics behind the resig-
nations must not be allowed to cloud the
fundamental problems that beset SGC
and threaten it on a plane that trans-
cends polltial consideration.
SGC has lbng borne challenges that it
is not representative, that it is ineffec-
tive, that it is unnecessary. And now,
with four vacant seats to fill and one
newly-appointed member, Council will
be the brunt of even more intensified
challenge. For, until the next regular
SGC election in November, Council will
comprise more appointed than elected
members.
It is no secret that SGC is weak and
ineffectual. Nor is it a myth, on the other
hand, that there are certain very valu-
able functions which Council can and
sometimes does perform. Thus, it is
tragic indeed that SGC is strangling it-
self with bureaucracy, destroying its
promise by internal strife, and through-
out this crisis, wallowing in apathy.
Rather than abandon the sinking ship
that SGC has grown to resemble, how-
ever, it is prudent to consider alternative
forms of student government while still
maintaining the present system as a
stop-gap measure.
AMONG THE possibilities f or a differ-
ent form of student government are
three that bear serious consideration-
a community-wide senate, a federation
of task forces and a series of ad-hoc com-
mittees set up in response to specific is-
sues. Perhaps none of these would prove
more effective and satisfying than SGC,
but each merits careful review.
The first proposal, a community-wide
senate, entails the dissolution of Senate
Assembly, the redistribution of power

throughout the University including a
complete revision of the executive offic-
er concept and the demise of the Regents
as pseudo landed gentry.
Because this system would be truly
aemocratic despite its mimicry of con-
x<entional small town government, it is
highly unlikely that it would be enacted.
In fact, it is almost inconceivable that
the executive officers, the Regents and
Senate Assembly would all agree to dis-
solve themselves, thus declaring their
present power base illegitimate.
A second proposal is that SGC continue
as SGC but branch out into various
areas of concern to students, such as
University complicity with militarism,
sexism and racism on campus, health
care, child care, and the incipient cam-
pus judiciary.
Thus, SGC would embrace a num-
ber of nuclear task forces, each intent
upon information gathering and dissem-
ination as well as specific actions. Hope-
fully, such a decentralized grouping
would attract sincerely interested and
motivated persons to each area and
would result in positive accomplishment.
As for the third proposal, the dissolu-
tion of SGC - that would mean that
whenever students decided there was a
need to rally together, they could create
an ad-hoc assembly for that purpose.
While the movement as specific organiz-
ations may flounder, a specific issue,
such as the invasion last winter of Laos,
will spark a coalescence of interest, a
temporary structure with, a single goal
or purpose.
This proposal is a risky one for stu-
dents to endorse, since, it leaves them
with no representation which bears ad-
rninistrative legisimacy. Thus in the eyes
of the administration, student opinion
could very well dissolve from faint to
invisible.
AFTER COUNCIL passes the imminent
hurdle of filling its vacant seats, it
must set to work to prove ,its legitimacy
to those it claims to serve. Barring ac-
tive proof that SGC serve a function,
concerned students should acquaint
themselves with the merits and faults
of alternatives to SGC and work to re-
structure the scheme of University
governance.
-ROSE SUE BERSTEIN

By GAYLE POLLARD
A 110 year old man registers to
vote.
A black woman declares her
candidacy for the United States
presidency.
Some one million people visit
over 400 exhibits of black capi-
talism.
It all happens under the ban-
ner of Harambee - a Swahili
term meaning "Coming Home
Together."
And they came together last
week in Chicago - at the third
Black Expo - a memorial to
Martin Luther King, sponsored by
the Southern Christian Leader-
ship Conference (SCLC) and the
flamboyant Rev. Jesse L. Jack-
son, the national director of "Op-
eration Breadbasket", SCLC's eco-
nomic arm.
But black people were not the
only ones attracted to the expo-
sition. One of the President Nix-
on's advisors, Robert Brown, also
visited the exhibition of Black
unity. Some of Illinois' highest of-
ficials took note of the display
of black capitalism - and more
threatening, the black solidarity.
Both Illinois governor Richard B.
Ogilvie and Chicago's Mayor
Richard Daley came.
Most of the black leaders who
participated called for both eco-
nomic and political unity. Cleve-
land's Mayor Carl Stokes urged
coalition politics as a means of
exerting political clout. Jackson
advised economic union - black
people buying and selling to each
other - so that America can no
longer take black people for
granted.
DURING THE EXPOSITION,
he rapped about a "feeder con-
cept." "As we negotiate a better
deal for major black companies,
these black companies in turn
must beginto concentrate onado-
ing business with other black
companies, t h e r e b y adding
strength to the entire black eco-
nomic structure," he explained.
Parker House Sausage, a black-
owned firm in Chicago onerates
with this concept, according to
Jackson who said that the meat
company uses a black bank and
buys most of its products from
black distributors and processors.
This firm is a success story of
black capitalism. Not only is it
a feeder for 23 black companies,
but during the fiscal year of 1971,
Parker House Sausage Co., boost-
ed their sales by 26.7 percent.
The sausage company exhibited
at Expo. In addition, about 10

The presentation was made un-
der a series of pictures of noted
civil rights leaders - including
Wilkins, Malcolm X, Martin Lu-
ther King, Jackson and SCLC
president Ralph Abernathy. How-
ever Abernathy didn't show up,
nor was his name mentioned, and
some suggested SCLC is not an
illustration of black unity.
After the awards dinner, Soul
Queen Aretha Franklin demand-
ed "respect." She was only one of
a long list of black entertainers
and celebrities who donated their
time to Expo. Proceeds of the
nightly concerts, which were all
sellouts, will help make SCLC, a
self-sufficient civil rights organi-
zation.
Perhaps the "hippest" perform-
er of them all was Isaac Hayes.
Mr.. HotButtered Soul interrupt-
ed his performance of "Shaft,"
and other songs. "People call me
Black Moses, but even Moses had
a leader,"the said calling Jack-
son to the stage to receive a
standing ovation, Sunday night;
and Expo ended, a success:
BUT EXPO WILL only be truly
successful, if Parker House Sau-
sage is bought, if in the Chicago
area Joe Louis milk is served -
and, if generally, black people
buy, use, and encourage others
to usevblack - owned firms for
whatever good, services, or pro-
ducts, they need.
In addition, Expo can add to
the political successes of black
people as they unite. The exposi-
tion gave politicians an opportun-
ity to communicate with people.
More importantly. Expo may cat-
apault Jesse L. Jackson with his
sermons of Black capitalism and
"It's Nationtime," into a nation-
al arena.
Regardless of the vast impli-
cations that the conference is
sure to have, last week in Chicago
was living Harambee. The theme
of "coming home together," really
should have been, "Hear brother
Jesse preach, and watch black
folks getting it together."

-Associated Press

Jesse Jackson greets Dick Daley

per cent of the booths were those
of white firms, who came to the
exposition, aware of the lucra-
tive Afro-American market. Shell
Oil, Philip Morris cigarettes, and
Goodyear Tire and Rubber came
to Jesse Jackson's production.
"WE MUST BECOME a pro-
ducing as well as a consuming
people, Jackson urged the large
congregation of people. "There is
nothing immoralaabout us de-
manding that black products be
used by private and publictcon-
cerns serving the black commun-
ity."
But the "Country Preacher," as
Jackson is so often called. wasn't
doing all the talking. During the
exposition, black presidential
strategy was mapped out by
Cleveland's Mayor Carl Stokes,
while Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-
N.Y.)., declared her intention to
seek the office of president in
1972.
Chisholm spoke at a workshop
on women and politics, the final
day of the exposition. She and
Dr. Coretta Scott King, widow of
Martin Luther King, addressed a
predominantly female audience at

the Martin Luther King Work-
shop, an old southside movie the-
ater owned by SCLC. Before it
ended, Chisholm rapped on coa-
lition politics, as the crowd
shouted "right on."
Comparing America's black na-
tion to past war Germany and Ja-
pan, Jackson told the enthusias-
tic crowd that another Marshall
plan or some effective economic
program, similar to that which
rejuvenated Japan should be
launched to build economic
strength of the black nation. He
also called for an economic task
force of top black businessmen
"to negotiate a new economic
order for black people," as listen-
ers shouted "That's right Rev.
Jesse."
But the statement the audience
liked most was Jackson's "We
can make and break presidents,
no one can escape recognizing us."
And Stokes explained how.
"WE CANNOT DO IT alone!",
he said. "We have to effect the
coalition of interest with other
similarly oppressed and denied
people: the young, the elderly, the
Chicano, the Puerto Rican, or the
Appalachaians." While Stokes
said that he will not run for 'presi-
dent, he did say that he will "de-
vote a substantial portion of my
time, with others to trying to get
effective representation at major
political parties' conventions next
year."
He urged black people to pledge
no allegiance to any political par-
ty but to unite. Through unity,
blacks can force politicians to, in-
clude the interests of Afro-Ameri-
cans in their platforms.
By unity, some people believe
that major black politicians are
urging all black people to vote for
a black presidential candidate.
Chisholm is running yet some
members of the Black Congres-
sional Congress feel that she is
campaigning as a woman. first.
Other politicians have only ad-
vocated favorite son strategies.
Regardless of the policy, leaders
at Expo stressed that black peo-
ple must utilize their voting pow-
er together, in order to maximize
political influence.
During a Breadbasket meeting,
which resembles Sundays in a

rural Baptist church, Jackson
preached, flanked by congres-
sional representatives Ronald Del-
lums (D-Calif.), Parren Mitchell
(D-Md), and William Clay (D-
Mo.). Other leaders at Expo in-
cluded Percy Sutton, Manhattan
bourough president, and Roy Wil-
kins, Executive Director of the
NAACP.
On the first night of the ex-
hibition, Wilkins tearfully ac-
cepted SCLC's Martin Luther
King Humanitarian award. As he
received the honor, some young-
er brothers and sisters booed.
However 20-year-old Dwight Mc-
Kee of SCLC read a tribute to the
patriarch of the civil rights strug-
gle, and soon the jeers were quiet-
ed.

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#11,

Violence in Ypsilanti

THERE TRANSPIRED on Thursday yet
another example of the brutally low
value Americans place on human life.
What happened was not unusual -
two Ypsilanti teenagers had apparently
stolen a car and were racing across the
U.S. 12 bypass, located near Willow Run
Airport, at about 120 miles an hour. They
had earlier been signaled to stop by the
state police, but continued - driving into
a Hydra-matic plant, onto the freeway,
until the car toppled over a guardrail.
The two youths fled into the woods, were
ordered to stop by a trooper. They did not
stop, and a shot was fired which killed
17 year-old Darrell Loomis immediately.
Under the law, police have this author-
ity. If a person has committed what can
be considered a felony,,and the person
flees when ordered to stop, the police are
empowered to shoot the person to pre-
vent his escape. The law, clearly bizarre,
is but an example of the sick mentality
which afflicts this country.
ONLY SUCH a mentality would sanc-
tify property more than human life,
yet there are examples each day to bear
out this philosophy. An unarmed burglar
will often be killed, without hesitation or
warning, if he intrudes into a private
home. A building seizure may mean the
National Guard arrives to root out the
"invaders." And Americans freely admit
this.
The Institute for Social Research's
Survey Research Center asked some 1300
American males their definition of vio-
lence. While 85 per cent called looting
violence, and 65 per cent agreed that
burglary was as well, only 56 per cent
indicated that a policeman beating a stu-
dent could be classified as violence, and
only 35 per cent said a policeman shoot-
ing a looter was an act of violence.
Thursday then was no rarity. In steal-

ing a car, the teenagers had committed a
violent act that was more severe, to the
majority of Americans, than the police-
man's response. Moreover, the policeman
was within his legal rights to shoot the
youth, so he did.
It requires the most callous indiffer-
ence to human life to actually abide by
such a law. It is an indifference that per-
mits even the most irrational policeman
the liberty of neglecting his obligation
to maintain rationality because what is
fleeing is apparently not a human being,
rather an object, a toy which disobeyed
the law and can be dealt with as the
movies suggest.
And yet the police could not exercise
this authority if the public were not be-
hind them. National Guardsmen would
not dare shoot Kent State students if
they knew they would be indicted.
Guardsmen could not murder prisoners,
at prisons like Attica, if they knew their
Governor would object. But in both these
cases, there is no punishment, just in-
vestigations. And so it is again.
The Ypsilanti and Detroit police posts
and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's
Office are holding inquiries but they
should do more than inquire. They should
recommend that the policeman be in-
dicted. They should recommend a change
in the law which permits policemen to
kill someone who allegedly commits a
felony. They should recommend police-
men use rubber bullets in such cases.
PUT ALL THESE are surface sugges-
tions. No inquiry or commission can re-
commend away the sickness in conscious-
ness which causes such acts. We h a v e
learned that changes in consciousness are
at best begun by. commission recom-
mendations.
Even so, learning is one matter, inno-
culation another. We must never be so

-Associated Press
Jesse Jackson and Carl Stokes last week


Letters to* The Daily

.JAMES WECHSLER.
He sold mnarijuana,
then got 50 years
THIS COLUMN should be dedicated to Louis J. Schweitzer, the
industrialist-philanthropist who died recently on a homecoming
voyage from France. He was abroad when the story about Robert
Apablaza broke and he may have never even heard about it. But
if he had lived, it would surely have excited that deep passion for
justice which moved him to devote so much time and money to the
cause of impoverished defendants and the founding of such enter-
prises as the Vera Institute of Justice, a pioneer in bail reform.
Louis Schweitzer had a confessed "love affair with the Bill of
Rights." But he did not revel in abstractions; what afforded him
largest satisfaction was rendering tangible help to disadvantaged
individuals against whom society's odds seemed cruelly loaded.
He knew that some or many of those he aided were not nature's
noblemen - but his awareness of their flaws in no way diminished his
belief that they were entitled to equal protection of our laws. By the
standards of the Daily News editorial page, he was an incorrigible "do-
gooder," and, indeed, he did a lot of good.
And he would have cared about Robert Apablaza, who languishes
in the Queens House of Detention.
THE APABLAZA EPISODE was covered in the public prints for
a day or two in mid-August when it was reported that Gov. Rockefeller
had rejected a plea from Legal Aid Society attorney William Hellerstein
asking him to vacate an extradition order sending Apablaza back to
Louisiana.
The Governor had signed the extradition papers in March, 1970.
What seemed-to give special vitality to the appeal for reconsideration
and reversal of his decisions was the disclosure that District Attorney
Frank Hogan had taken the unusual step of supporting Apablaza "in
the interest of justice.",
There is no apparently serious dispute about the facts in the
case, and a brief review should indicate why Hogan was moved to
raise his voice.
A Brooklyn-born, 35-year-old citizen of Chilean parentage, Apa-
blaza and another man were arrested in New Orleans in March, 1967.
The charge was selling marijuana in a matchbox to two state under-
cover agents.
At the trial the co-defendant - who testified that Apablaza had
witnessed but not participated in the sale - was found guilty and
sentenced to 12 years. Inexplicably the jury neglected to bring in a
verdict on Apablaza; it thereupon remedied the oversight by also ruling
him guilty - by a 10-2 vote - and he was given a 50-year sentence
by the judge.
The sentence contained no parole provision; it was modified only
by a provision of 'warden's good time," which meant he might achieve
freedom in 25 years.
AFTER SERVING A YEAR, Apablaza managed to escape and
reached New York.That was in 1968. But in February, 1970, he was
apprenhended by FBI agents, turned over to state authorities and
imprisoned. Subsequently the court assigned Legal Aid attorney Heller-
stein to the case, and for many long months he has been waging a
one-man crusade to block extradition.
A writ of habeas corpus barring Apablaza's removal was dismissed
in State Supreme Court and Hellerstein is now carrying the fight to
the Court of Appeals; a stay in the extradition proceeding has been
granted pending the decision in that tribunal.
Apablaza is not presented to the court as a model citizen with
an unblemished record. He has a petty larceny conviction as a
youthful offender, and an "attempted burglary" in 1957. But during
the six years he lived in Louisiana before his migration there in 1961,
he had no legal troubles until the matchbox-marijuana incident. At
no time has he been charged with any form of violence. He has a
wife and two children who remain in Louisiana, where he had inter-
mittent employment as a waiter and housepainter prior to his arrest.
HELLERSTEIN CONTENDS THAT Apablaza's trial was tainted

Student Caucus
To The Daily:
IT WAS CLEAR from the time
that the Student Caucus first an-
nounced their candidacy that they
had no plan or no program. All
they desired was to render Stu-
dent Government Council inef-
fective. They were partially suc-
cessful, and decreased s thu d e n t
power, in working for the defeat
of the funding referendum in the
Spring election. They knew that
we needed a sound financial base
to make effective changes.
Next they tried to give nearly
all of the student's money away
in a five-thousand dollar alloca-
tion that included items like caps
and gowns for the medical school,
and extra piano stools for t h e
Music School. With that motion
meeting a sound defeat, they ob-
viously thought that a mass re-
signation would cast such a shad-
ow on SGC's credibility it would be
rendered ineffective. Time and the
future deeds of SGC will prove
this to be false. It will also prove
the worse fears of the far right
to be true.
It has only been the last year
that the Left has had a workable
majority on Council. In that time
it has made the University of
Michigan a center for national
organizing activity against the
War. That's what Brad Taylor
testified about.

and left-minded people on cam-
pus: force the Right to legitimate-
ly compete and try and win
enough seats electorally to gain
control of Student Government
Council. Don't let them abolish
your government! The U n it ed
States government already su p-
ports distatorship& in too m a n y
places.
-Joel Silverstein
SGC Member-at-large
Oct. 8
SC's impact
To The Daily:
IT IS UNQUESTIONABLY true
that the majority of students on
campus see SGC as having no
impact on their lives.But this is
more due to their lack of per-
ception than to the failure of
SGC to act, for upon deeper ex-
amination it becomes clear that
SGC is not only theoretically ne-
cessary, but has accomplished a
great deal for students in the past
few years.
Thevnecessity of SOC asa stu-
dent voice is obvious, since SGC
is the only general student group
with the legitimacy to deal with
the administration. It is difficult,
perhaps, for one outside the pro-
cess to comprehend the implica-
tion of allowing Fleming a n d
the Regents to operate in the

sembly for a new judiciary sys-
tem, and we are still working
through the University Council
to replace the notorious Interim
Rules. Other recent actions by
SGC will provide important serv-
ices for students and the entire
universityscommunity. These in-
clude the establishment of a Wo-
men's Crisis Center, funding of a
Print Cooperative, support for a
series of teach-ins and other anti-
war activities, sponsorship of su-
perior low-cost student health and
life insurance programs and of an
improved series of low-cost char-
ter flights. The Office of Student
Services Policy Board, composed
of nine members, four of whom
are appointed by SGC, is oversee-
ing the reorganization of the en-
tire Office of Student Services.
Perhaps a few of you h a v e.
never and will never benefit from
any of these services, but by far
the majority of students t a k e
them for granted. At least there
are a number of us who realize
the importance of SGC in your
lives and will continue to strike
to make it serve the needs of the
university community.
--Jeff Lewin
SGC Member at Large
Oct. 8

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