AC Phoenix, October 1990, Page 17
Black Caucus Takes Aim
On Probe Of Officials
In late September the
Congressional Black
Caucus met due to the
mounting list of black
officials who have been
investigated, indicted or
convicted in what many
view as a clear pattern of
government harass
ment and selective law
enforcement.
Representative
Mervyn M. Dymally (D-
Calif.) urged black politi
cal organizations, re
search groups and
churches to establish a
‘formal institution
charged with seeing
that the right of African
Americans to be repre
sented before the gov
ernment bodies of our
land will no longer be
abridged by systematic
harassment of blacks
officials."
The organization
raised funds and helped
develop defense
strategies.
Representative John
Conyers, Jr.(D-Mich.),
the senior member of
the 24 member caucus.
announced that he will
hold hearings on the ha
rassment issue some
time next year. The
hearings will look at tac
tics government inves
tigators use in bringing
cases against black offi
cials, the number of
cases that have been
brought, and their out
comes.
‘What we’re trying to
do is take the emotional
content and rhetorical
factor out of it as much
as possible,” Conyers
said.
The claim of harass
ment and selective law
enforcement has been
fueled by criticism of
tactics used to attack
high-profile cases such
as D.C. Mayor Marion
Barry, filmed in an FBI
sting operation then
convicted last summer
on a drug charge:
House Majority Whip
William H, Gray III (D-
PA.), the subject last
year of a leak claiming
he was tne target of a
Justice Department in
vestigation later denied
by the department; and
Los Angeles Mayor Tom
Bradley, who was inves
tigated, but not prose
cuted for financial im
proprieties.
•It IS a perception that
demands the most seri
ous attention because it
calls into question the
ability of African
Americans to participate
fully in the process of
American self-govern
ment," Dymally said.
Russell E. Owens, di
rector of the National
Policy Institute com
mented on the situa
tion. “There is a larger
issue: whether or not
blacks are being treated
fairly and equitably and
whether they are given
access to all the protec
tions that are guaran
teed them as citizens of
the United States," said
Owens.
Dymally's CBC Weekend Harassment
Forum Draws Record Crowd
On Thursday,
September 27, 1990,
Congressman Mervyn
M. Dymally (D-CA) held a
hearing and strategy
session on “Harassment
of Black Leaders”. This
subject drew a record
crowd for such a forum,
attracting about 1,000
people who attended
various segments of the
program throughout the
day.
Congressman Dy
mally, in his opening
statement, challenged
those in allendanco lo
undcrsland the perva
siveness of selective
prosoculion, unjust ad
verse publicity or media
leaks, and very real con
scious ollorls on lho‘-
part of law enlorcement
agencies, governmenl
and quasi govemmenl
agencies, nows .agen
cies, and other powedul
community organiza
tions to discredit and
render ineffective
African American lead
ership across the coun
try.
Witness after witness
told stories of how they
have been harassed
because of their life
style, for being loo out
spoken, lor taking un
popular positions on is
sues, for holding power
ful posilions in Iheir
communities and for
being perceived as loo
influential, etc. While
many of the witnesses
were never accused or
convicted of any ciiminal
otlcnses, Itie common
horror story included
the draining of their fi
nancial resources in an
effort to defend them
selves.
Among ll'e paitici-
pants in Dymally's pio-
gram were: Dr. Beniamin
Chavis, Mayor Richard
Arrington of Birming
ham, Congressman
William Clay (D-MO), Dr.
Mary Sawyer (author of
“Dilemma of Black Poli
tics" and “Ten Years
Later), Dr. Dorothy
Height, Bishop George-
Stallings, Attorney Faye
Williams, Minister Louis
Farrakhan.
Also speaking were;
Attorneys William
Kunisler, Arthur Kinoy.
Henry Sanders. Mary
Cox, Brian Click. Lewis
Pitts. Senator Andrew
Jenkins, Alice Huffman,
Clarence Milcliell. Ill and
Dr. C. Dolores Tucker.
Co-sponsors of the
program with Dymally
were: National Council
of the Churches of
Christ, National Inlerre-
ligious Council ol R.acial
Justice and Clarence
Mitchell Memori.al Fund.
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