VOLUME 59 NUMBER 32
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA1 SATURDAY AUGUST 8, 1981
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913
f RICE: 30 CENTS
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NEW YORK Busloads of demonstrators will be pouring into the nation's capital from s
far away as California as NAACP branches gear up for the September 19 Solidarity March,
NAACP Executive Director Benjamin L. Hooks announced from national headquarters in New
York, r.v-nvrr?-'' 1 v.. '7;
The, massive demohstration sponsored by the NAACP, the National Urban League, ttye
Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Operation PUSH, in conjunction with the AFL
CIO and a coalition of civil rights labor and other social organizations, is, being organized to
protest the Reagan j4mmistration's budget cuts, Hooks explained. "The policies of this Ad
ministration to balance the budget on the backs of the poor does not have universal approval. We
must raise the level of consciousness among the members of Congress and the federal government
by making them aware of our unalterable opposition to this Administration's effort to make the
poor, the elderly, the handicapped and minorities, the scapegoats for the economic ills of our
society.'
In his appeal for widespread community support,
Hooks said, "Lifting up our voices today will ultimately
save our country tomorrow." Visible public support, he
said, will help deliver the urgent message that more than
seven million people are out of work they need jobs
now.
Demonstrators will assemble on the west slope of the
Washington Monument at 15th and Constitution
Avenue, N.W. starting -at 10 a m. with the march ex
pected to begin at noon. The march route will extend
from Constitution Avenue to 15th Street and down Pen
nsylvania Avenue. In addition, a mass rally has been
scheduled for 2 p.m. featuring nationally recognized
speakers and live entertainment. , ." :!
The coalition reorganizations lending heavy support
tq ,he; effort also include? agumbef, of professional
iriliilina th Mtttinnal A cd'iotlz-kri rf MaotA wncTnc
ati4 D A fAKvi am a 1' l!islm am A ' Z1! nk IfiA ' kA MnAnnl
Council of Hegf6.,Wo,mcn' the Rational Association of
Reat Estate Brokers, I3elta Sigma Theta Sorority, the
National . Newspaper Publishers'. Association and
Omega Psi Phi fraternity, : , i
"Special appeals have been directed to churches and
religious organizations, ' he added. "We ve already
received support from the.African Methodist Episcopal
Church and we expect many others to join our noble
Parent Protests
PSQ's Treatment
Of Ten Year Old
Tommie J, Porter,
president of The Copy Ex-
' press of Durham, who
described himself ..'as a .
' concerned father ,y an, ex' '
' .T X J m f : ' ' : .
two young black males,
teenagers, who were riding
on a 'moped.' Neither my
son nor my nephew have
nibpeds or were 'riding on-,
cause.
Warrants
Issued
Against
Two
By Donald Alderman
. In a move that some
citizens say is unusual, a
Durham County
magistrate issued warrants
against two public safety
officers last week at the re
quest of a woman who
said officers injured her
ami while attempting an
arrest.
Charged with assault
and battery on a female
are officers N.J. Blake
and Paul Martin,, both
investigate complaints
against officers before a
warrant could be issued.
However, Ms.- Webb ob
tained . warrants without
the prior investigation.
Two white women have
been attempting since late
March to obtain warrants
against officers. Refused,
they say attempts will con
tinue, Ms. Webb, who is
black, would ,not com
ment on her case or the
black.
Blake was respondin;
a call at 1212 Dawkins Sr.'r
where a taxi driver said "
Ms. Joan Webb refused to
pay a fare. Ms. Webb is!
charged with defrauding a;
taxi driver, assaulting a
police officer and resisting I
arrest.- -W;-!;
V Chief magistrate.
Audrey Merritt issued the
vg warrants-against-officers
Uy, controversy.
U. R.B. Day of the
department's internal af
fairs division described the
action as "not everyday,
but not uncommon."
Lt. Day .would not .
release information con-'
cerning how complaints
against officers ; were
generally decided. He said '
written a letter to Gover
? nor James B. Hunt, with
copies to ;V Attorney
General Rufus Edmisten,
U.S. "Attorney General,
Civil Rights Division; and
Mayor Harry Rodenhizer,
protesting the treatment
of hi$ ten-year-old son and
nephew by a Durham '
Public Safety Officer on
Wednesday, July 29.
In his letter, rPorter
described , the situation:
"On Thursday, 29, July
1981 my wife sent my son
and nephew, both of
whom are 10 years of age,
on an errand, to ' our
neighborhood store.
Enroute to the store,
Public Safety Officer D.L.
Carlton, of the City of
Durham Police ; Depart
ment, without even a
minute degree of probable
cause, took my son and
.nephew into custody,
from where, they were
walking down the street in
our neighborhood, . and
without permission took
them to the home of a lady
in our community who
had reported t being robb
ed. Upon viewing the two
young boys,! the lady
. evidently told, the police ;
officer that they were not .
the right young boys. As !
far as I' can gather, this
lady had been robbed by'
took the two ypung boys,
whoj by , this time, were
terrified ovefi what lev as
happening; to them and
put them iii the back of his
squad car and returned
them to the place on the
Streets where he had pick
ed them up. He left them
with no explanation for
what had transpired or
whether they were accused
of wrong doing and that
he had concluded that
they had not done anthing
wrong. "
"The experience of be
ing 'arrested' by a police
officer in a squad car so
frightened them that by
the time the two young
lads walked the distance to
my home they were so ter
rified that they were
bordering on hysteria.
When they reached home
they ' were incoherent,
almost unable speak. My
wife had a difficult time
securing from them infor
mation , with respect to
what actually had happen
ed to them. Upon seeing
the traumatic condition
' jthey were in, she then call
ed me at my place of
business to inform me of
what was happening.
"My wife and I discuss
ed the matter with Officer
'Carlton's superior and
with the Mayor of
(Continued on Page 2)
: , f 1
5,
Protest For Black Boat People
About 150 persons marched from Miami's "Little Haiti" neighborhood last week to a rally to protest legal treat
ment of Haitian refugees in the United States and the political climate in Haiti. Many of the marchers shouted
slogans such as "Freedom to Black Boat People," and "Haiti yes, Duvalier no," referring to Haitian President
Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Nearly 400 persons attended the rally, where former U.S. Attorney General
Ramsay Clark was one of the speakers. UPI Photo
Nelson Johnson Vows Hunger Strike
By Donald Alderman
Nelson Johnson, Com
munist Workers Party
member, was jailed in
Greensboro Wednesday,
July 29, on contempt of
court .charges. .Johnson
has vowed a hunger strike
for the duration of his jail
term. He said the reason
for the strike is to "protest
being held as a political
prisoner. . .
Johnson is expected to
be set free in about two
weeks, a CWP spokesman
6aid.
Johnson was initially
charged with "par
' ticipating in a riot"
. following the November,
1979 " Greensboro.
Massacre. In the pre-trial
motions, prosecuting at
torneys were seeking to
raise his bail from $15,000
to $1 15,000 when Johnson
was found to be in con
tempt of court.
Johnson had been held
on $100,000 bond until
Judge Elrita Alexander-1
Ralston allowed him to
leave . on his own
recognizance. ,
He has been criminally
charged with six separate
counts directly or indirect
ly stemming from the
November 3 anti-Klan ral-
"Blacks Are Honorable," Says Speaker
warrants against the of- ; . when complaints are filed,
ficers. She refued to com
ment on whether the ac
tion was unusual. She said
all warrants are issued :
based on "probable cause :
and testimony under
oath." She would hot
comment' when asked the
number.., of . attempts by ,
citizens to obtain warrants
against Officers within the
past year or how those at
tempts were . generally .
decided. . ,
Recently, citizens refus
ed warrants, against of
ficers sparked concern .
throughout the communi
ty. The concern Being that "
officers the same asj
citizens, should be subject
to the law.
The magistrate's office t
had contended that inter-1
,nal affairs would have to!
a I '! .U.-..
!, iiucrnoi - ai i airs gamci
facts and presents a detail-!
ed report to the public
safety director where a i
. final judgement is reach
ed. He said when officers
were found to have used
excessive force, punish
ment ranged from an oral
reprimand to termination.
On the integrity of the y
internal affairs division,
he said the group is on? of
well-trained investigators
Many citizens contend
that because of the divi
sion's interdepartmental
relation, ". impartial in-,
vestigations may not be -rendered.
,r
The officers involved,'
and ; 1 PSO director!
Tatmadge Lassiter could
not be reached for com-i
ment. , .
7 ' . . 1 '
Dr. Ada Markita Fisher
told students at the July
25th closing .seminar of
the Third Annual Summer
Academic , Advancement
Program in Chapel Hill,
, to "hold high the torch".
In r- a paraphrase of a
poem, Dr, Fisher
challenged the students in j
the ' health sciences pro-,
J Ka ;
"gram to ' noia nign me
our people hi response to '
the conservative tide the ;
country now faces," Dr.
Fisher said. She told the
students not to believe the '
statistics quoted regarding
blacks on ; public,
assistance. "Only 10-12
of welfare recipients are
black," she said. "When
the cuts in the budget are
appreciated, it will be the
poor white Americans
who will suffer most." We
know that cuts in
Medicare are coming, she
told the students. Many :
black Americans have not -qualified
for Medicare;
therefore these cuts will
hit the' white population
more. Many of the pro
grams destined to be cut ;
will affect some portion of ,
our people but for 'the
most part, our ihvolve-
ment in these programs
has not been as extensive
as has been publicized,
I Dr. Fisher explained.
"I do not undertand
our despair," she con
tinued. "If ever there was
a people destined to lead
in these times, it is black
DeoDle. For so long we
torch, you did not light its ; has made something from
glow, 'twas lit for you by ?
others you know..'? "Too
often," she said, "blacks
who have achieved some
modicum of success, talk j
of how they made it in.
spite of being blade." This ,
' is demeaning and a put
down of our people, she,;
explained to the students. ;
"I cannot believe the
Durham Committee On Affairs
Of Black People Meetings
Aug. 9, 7 J0 PM
Aug. 13,6 PM
Aug. 13,7 PM
Aug. 15,9 AM
White Rock
. Library
Library
Edgemont
Education Committee
Executive Committee
Regular Meeting
Housing Committee
Tf ' , continued on Page 2,
Cdtf
nothing. Dr. , Shepard
started NCC from dreams
and a hope and a prayer.
N.C. Mutual sold life in
surance policies for 25 f to;
become the largest black:
insurance company in the
: wprld. To be black is to be
I proud. To he black is to be'
j honorable. It does 'not
mean we tolerate wrong.
ly, most have been
dismissed.
Since the Greensboro;
' incident, in which five,' "
CWP members were kill
ed, and the subsequent ac
quittal of six Nazis and
Klansmen accused of the
shootings, the CWP has
worked persistently to ex- ,
pose what they claim is
government involvement
in the murders. c
"The reason for the
criminal charges brought
by the government is to
repress me, to slander and
discredit., me," Johnson
said. "They ( have been
calculated to present me
and the CWP as 'terrorist
crazies and hatemongers.'
Such vicious attacks are
meant to confuse people
and block the truth about -government
assasinations. '
. . .", says Johnson. . "
He called the acquittal
of the sue Klansmen and
Nazis "a total mockery of
justice." He said the six
were freed on the basis of
, self-defense; : despite ;
-evidence to the contrary, i
Johnson decried the re
cent Asheville mistrial say
ing the Nazis should have'
been convicted of conspir
ing to bomb sections of
downtown Greensboro.
Only CWP members
have been found guilty of.
anything in relation to the
Greensboro killings, most- ;
i ly contempt of court
charges. However, there
have been ? two major
trials, both " stemming
from the November 3 slay-.
ings.. ,
In all, the CWP con-.
' tends, . the FBI, SBI,
: Bureau ' of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms,
and the Greensboro police
: ucparuiicui ; ? . conspired
with Klansmen and Nazis
to kill the five CWP
members and to bomb sec
tions of Greensboro.
The Greensboro Justice
Fund," a legal fund for the
jridowed and injured in
the Greensboro shootout,
has filed a civil rights suit
against the various
government agents and of
ficials allegedly involved
in the killings.
Former U.S. Attorney
H.M. Michaux stated
shortly before leaving of
fice that the government
r snouid seek civil rights in-
dictments against those in
volved. Johnson and the
CWP agree, but say that
action will not be taken
because "the government
. was involved" in the kill
ings. -:,,.v
Nonetheless, Johnson
says "no amount of lies
and distortions will be
able to cover-up the truth
about November 3. The
mountain of information
gathered. . .shows the
conspiracy between the
government, Klansmen
and Nazis,",
Johnson said the court
system has acted contrary
; to all evidence from the
first Klan-Nazi trial to h)s
present contempt charges.
"i have nothing but
contempt for the court'
, said Johnson. "I will aot
contribute one bit of
respectability to the court
.by pretending that it is
anything , except a
' disgusting, hypocritical,
repressive k control
mechanism for the rich."