Fighting
Words
Anti-Bush protesters vow
to be more vigilant and
active in the future
BY YANELA GORDON
SPECIAL TO THE NNPA
TALLAHASSEE, Fla While
George W. Bush was taking his
oath of office as the nation's 43rd
president, thousands of protesters
gathered in Tallahassee to take an
oath of their own: "Never again
will every vote not count."
"Let us take an oath," said
Rick Trumpca. secretary/treasurer
of the national AFL-CIO, "that
the misdeeds committed against
minority voters and elderly and
student voters will not be forgiven.
And never again will this injustice
happen."
"Never again," the crowd
chanted.
More than 2,000 protesters
gathered at the Capitol on Jan. 20
to protest what they called a stolen
election.
The march was held simultane
ously with a "shadow inaugura
tion" protest held in Washington,
D.C., where thousands gathered in
front of the U.S Supreme Court
T r + d
during Bush's swearing in ceremo
ny.
NAACP President and CEO
Kweisi Mfume, said, "Every day
school children across the county
pledge allegiance ... 'One nation
under God, indivisible with liberty
and justice for all.' But the Ameri
can republic is still not yet one
nation and nowhere can it be said
in our lifetime we've ever practiced
liberty and justice for all. We need
only look to Florida."
The Florida protest was led by
the Coalition of Conscience, a
group of more than 80 advocacy
groups who organized the historic
March on Tallahassee protesting
Gov. Jeb Bush's One Florida Ini
tiative. which eliminated race as a
factor in college admissions and
public contracting.
"Florida and America were
cheated on Nov. 7," said Gerald
Mclntee. president of the national
AFSCME union.
"We were cheated when
African-American voters faced
police roadblocks. We were cheat
r? ? t . i
ed when unreliable punch card
machines were purposely put in
precincts. We were cheated when
the Supreme Court of the United
States stopped the count. But we
told them we will be coming back
time and time again until we get
justice."
Protesters say they came from
across the country in a show of
solidarity.
Rob Okun of Amherst. Mass.,
bypassed the D.C. protest to come
to Florida.
"As a white man. 1 wanted to
stand with African Americans
who didn't get a chance to vote."
he said. "1 believe every vote
should count and the feeling that
the people of Florida got cheated
just would not go away."
Angie Fraiser of Columbia,
S.C.. said, "It's about our rights. If
we don't stand up for our rights we
will fall for anything and into any
thing."
The Rev. Joseph Lowery, for
mer president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference,
said the rally was a show of new
found unity.
"We are not here, as the media
put it. just to protest," he said.
"We are really here to proclaim
and celebrate the revival of the
coalition of conscience. We have
come to congratulate ourselves
f - - T -
and celebrate the fact you turned
out in great numbers and won a
great victory," added Lowery.
"Look at us," Mfume said.
"We are black, brown, white and
yellow. We are old and young,
union workers and civil rights
groups and we ain't gonna let
nobody turn us around."
Rally speakers sent a clear
message of determination.
"We're gonna tell Mr. George
W. to have a good time this four
years because they're your last
four," said Dr. Adora Obi Nweze,
president of the Florida Confer
ence of NAACP Branches. "Have
fun, Jeb," she added, referring to
the governor. "Two more years
and you're out."
During his inaugural address.
President Bush continued his call
for healing and a unified nation.
But protesters say they're not
buying Bush's call for diversity
and unity, saying his actions in
nominating former Missouri Sen.
John Ashcroft as U.S. attorney
general speaks otherwise.
"George Bush's daddy gave us
Clarence Thomas. Jeb Bush gaye
us 'One Florida' and George W.
gave us Ashcroft," said U.S. Rep.
Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) "What
happened in Florida will go down
in history as a coup d'etat. We are
witnessing the inauguration of the
president who was selected, not
elected."
Ashcroft stands firmly against
affirmative action, women's right
to choose and gives little credence
to complaints about racial profil
ing.
"We will not tolerate the turn
ing back of the clock." Lowery
said.
Maynard Jackson, former
mayor of Atlanta, said the turmoil
in Florida was a wake-up call. "We
forgot that the struggle for free
dom is two-fold," he said. "First
you got to get free. Then yotl've
got to stay free," said Jackson,
who is running for chairman"J>f
the Democratic National Commit
tee. said. "Let Florida be a guitle
for us to get up and fight again"
Photo by NNPA
President Bush's inauguration parade route looked like a war zone at times as protesters threw bottles, shouted and made obscene gestures
toward Bush's motorcade as it passed by.
isjansmen, tamily gather to mourn
killer of civil rights leader Evers
De La Beckwith's legacy of hate prominent at funeral
BY JASON STRAIT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.
Klansmen and family members
stood in salute as the Confederate
anthem "Dixie" played to honor
avowed racist Byron De La Beck
with, the assassin of civil rights
leader Medgar Evers.
Supporters on Saturday said
Beckwith was a hero of the white
supremacist movement who was
unjustly persecuted for his outspo
ken hatred of blacks and Jews.
"Don't believe any of the lies
the enemies of God say about
him." said Van Herrell, a white
supremacist pastor who delivered
the eulogy. "He was filled with love
for his race and for righteousness."
Beckwith died Jan. 21 at 80
while serving a life sentence in a
Mississippi prison for the 1963
assassination of Evers, a field sec
retary for the National Association
of Colored People.
About 30 mourners attended
the funeral ceremony, including an
imperial wizard of the Ku Klux
K lan who presented a Confederate
flag and a rusted sword to Beck
with's son.
There were no protests.
Beckwith. an ex-Marine and
former Klansmen, denied killing
Evers, but said he Was glad some
one did.
Friends said it was that unwa
vering frankness that made Beck
with a target for prosecutors and
led to his 1994 murder conviction.
His example, several mourners
said, would be carried on by future
generations of white supremacists.
"He was a soldier, and a mentor
to me," said longtime friend
Richard Ford, an imperial wizard
of the KKK from Florida. "I know
that it was a setup that put him in
prison, and so do millions of other
people who are afraid to say so."
As pallbearers lifted Beckwith's
coffin into a white hearse, his son.
Byron De La Beckwith Jr., wept as
he repeatedly said, "It ain't over. It
ain't over."
Beckwith Jr. was presented with
a Confederate flag during the cere
mony. which had been draped over
the coffin during the visitation. An
American flag covered the coffin
during the burial service.
Evers' name was never men
tioned directly during the service,
but his assassination and the even
tual conviction of Beckwith were
repeated themes.
Beckwith was found guilty in
1994 of shooting Evers, a vocal
proponent of desegregation. The
conviction came 31 years after
Evers was assassinated.
Two all-white juries deadlocked
in trials in 1964, and it wasn't until
1989 that the case would be revisit
ed by prosecutors.
That year the Clarion-Ledger
in Jackson. Miss., reported that a
15-year-old book, "Klandestine,"
detailed the memories of former
KKK officer Delmar Dennis, who
became an FBI informant. The
book said Beckwith admitted to
Dennis he had killed Evers.
Beckwith claimed he was 90
miles away in Greenwood when
Evers was murdered. However, the
rille used in the murder was found
abandoned in a nearby lot with
Beckwith's fingerprints on it.
Supporters of Beckwith contin
ue to maintain that he was framed
for the murder.
"So they found a fingerprint on
the gun? If you stole all of my guns
you'd probably find my finger
prints on a few of them too," Her
rell said.
Beckwith's widow. Thelma,
declined to comment after the
funeral. His son spoke briefly with
reporters, saying he was proud of
his dad and his place in history.
"The world will not forget my
father." he said.
The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by
Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemeye in 1974 and is
published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chron
icle Publishing Co., Inc., 617 N. Liberty St., Winston
Salem, NC 27101. Periodicals Postage paid at Win
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$30.72^
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
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Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636
INDEX
OPINION A6
SPORTS . B 1
RELIGION B 7
CLASSIFIEDS BIO
HEALTH C3
ENTERTAINMENT C7
CALENDAR C9
,
Quotable*:
"Every race and every nation should
be judged by the best it has been able
to produce, not by the worst."
- James Weldon Johnson
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A CLOSER LOOK I
@ I
THE TOBACCO AGREEMENT f
It has been more than a year since
Philip Morris USA and the other major
tobacco companies entered into the
Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)
with the states' attorneys general, an
agreement that deals with many of the
issues surrounding tobacco.
We believe that it is important for
the public to understand how?in addition
to addressing a number of other issues
?this historic agreement changed the way
tobacco is marketed, advertised and pro
moted in this country.
Perhaps the most visible change is
i the removal of tobacco advertising from
j billboards in the United States.The goal of
| this provision is to limit the exposure of kids
! to tobacco advertising, a step defined by the
public health community as a way to help
I reduce the incidence of youth smoking.
At Philip Morris USA, we have
I worked hard to implement the rrteny
provisions of the agreement and to
demonstrate our commitment to
following it in letter and spirit. We
continue to do so.
We realize there are some who
question our commitment. All we ask is
that we be judged by our actions.
Our goal is to be the most respon
sible and respected developer, manufac
turer and marketer of tobacco products
for adults who choose to smoke. We are
supporting positive youth development
programs and producing advertising
designed to help prevent youth smoking.
And now that the states are beginning-*
to receive the proceeds of the settlement,
we are actively working to encourage'^
. *
state legislators to spend a significant
portion on programs that will help pre**,
vent youth smoking.
The MSA dictates many changes, -;
some of which are highlighted below. At *'
Philip Morris. USA, we fully support this:" ?
agreement, its objectives and the many- *
changes it brings to our industry. We will*
continue to work to fulfill its purpose, y*
For more information about**
our programs and marketing Stan-**
dards, please visit our Web site at
www.philipmorrisusa.com.
If you don't have Internet access,
please call 1-877-PMUSAWEB.
MSA HIGHLIGHTS
? Bans all transit and billboard adver-**
rising of tobacco products
? Bans the distribution of apparel aridV
other non-tobacco merchandise
with brand names or logos: cajls^
T-shirts, backpacks and more ?*?
? Prohibits brand-name sponsorship**
of concerts and events with a sigr**.
nificant youth audience
? Bans payments for the use of tobac-* *
co products in movies, television.. *
shows and theater productions
? Restricts the distribution of freel*
samples
? Provides for payments of billions of
dollars to the states over the next
25 years
TOBACCO
TODAY
one in a series
Philip Morris USA
www.philipmorrisusa.com
C?000 Philip Morris Inc.