Newspaper Page Text
February 4, 1979
The Wolverine Observer
Mrs. Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. Martin Luther Photo by Victor Wilder
King, Jr. -
Photo by Victor Wilder
Stevie Wonder addresses marchers on Dr. Martin Luther
King’s 50th birthday.
. . . Dreamkeepers”
On January 15, 1979, a jubilant
and forceful crowd marched in an
effort to “Keep the Dream Alive.”
Thousands of supporters from
near and far gathered in the streets
of Atlanta to recognize the
contributions of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. who would have
been fifty years old on that day.
The King family along with U.S.
Ambassador Andrew Young,
Atlanta Mayor, Maynard Jackson,
celebrities Stephanie Mills and
Stevie Wonder and long-time
friends and supporters of Dr. King
led an entourage of dreamkeepers.
Student Government Associa
tion President, Norman Harring
ton spoke to the crowd about “A
Day When All People Can Be
Dreamkeepers.” “The name Mar
tin Luther King Jr. is synonymous
with the word humanity,” and a
holiday for “humanity is long
overdue,” said Harrington, as he
expressed the need for Dr. King’s
birthday to become a state and'
national holiday. A day in remem
brance of this great advocate of
peaceful existance will “emphasize
the need for economic, political
and social equality for all the
world’s people,” said Harrington.
Harrington along wfth masses of
other faithful supporters advo
cated not only a day to commemo
rate Dr. King but “a day when all
people can be Dreamkeepers.”
SGA President Norman Harrington speaks to thousands at March
Photo by Victor Wilder
Dionne
Warwick
says:
“Get your
blood into
circulation?
Call
Red Cross
now fora
blood donor
appointment.
US. Policy in South Africa
By S. Weston Milligan
The Atlanta Association of
Black Journalists were told that
U.S. corporations enjoy Africa
because of the low labor costs, sta
bility of materials and hugh prof
its, while they employ only 50-
70,000 of the two million blacks
needing employment in South
Africa. .
Abdul Malik-Hakim, political
journalist from Atlanta University,
said, “The US ranks second to Brit
ish corporations in South Africa,
taking $925 million each year in
raw materials essential to the US
industry.”
Earl Picard, political scientists
from Atlanta University, said that
economically each country in
southern Africa is tied together
experiencing the same problems of
oppression. ■
President Carter has told South
African newspapers that he is
against apartheid but that econom-
'ical development is the only way to
achieve racial justice, indicating
that his main interest is in raw
materials with no regard for the 25
million blacks who are suffering
under apartheid.
Picard added that the South
West African People’s Organiza
tion (SWAPO) in its latest attempt
to gain control over Nambia, the
liberated name for South Africa,
are negotiating in the U.N. for a
majority ruled government.
“The present government in
South Africa has developed reser
vations for blacks to live on while
maintaining 80 percent of the land
for whites who make up only three
percent of the population,” said
Picard.
The US embargo against South
Tupelo
Eugene Pasto of Tupelo, Miss,
was jailed for riding with a white
woman in his car. While in jail he
was forced to sign a statement say
ing he had forged some checks.
The black community of Tupelo
called the Urban League in Holly
Springs to take action against the
policemen involved. The UL
demanded that the two officers
involved be fired. When no action
was taken towards the two officers,
a boycott of all white businesses
Africa prohibits the supplying of
equipment to apartheid govern
ments. However, this embargo is
being breached by the subsidizing
of other countries who in turn sell
or trade goods with the colonial
powers of South Africa.
This violation enables the South
African government to build and
strengthen its military to combat
the Black Africans who are fight
ing for majority rule.
went into effect.
Finally, the two were transferred
to the fire department, but,protes
ters were not satisfied and the boy
cott grew. Then the officers were
fired with full pay, and the boycott
grew even more and by then the
issue was not only the two officers,
the demand now included: hiring
blacks downtown, more black pro
fessionals in the hospitals, more
black principals, teachers, counse
lors and coaches in the schools; an
Picard said, “This military dev
astates countries which continue to
support the liberation struggles.”
“American corporations in South
Africa also subsidizes equipment
with nuclear warfare capabilities.”
Journalist Malik-Hakim con
cluded that black consciousness in
both US and Africa must be
broaden to the racial injustices in
both Africa and the U.S.
end to discrimination in housing,
an end to police brutality, etc....
Since February, the boycott has
been 90 percent effective and has
severely hurt department stores
that are usually frequented by
blacks. Because of the boycotts
many blacks have been arrested
and sentenced for minor charges.
The UL each time lists another
demand to be met. The most
important one now is saving black
owned land.
" You can’t understand what is going on in Mississippi if you don’t understand what is going on in the Congo...
And you can’t really be interested in what’s going on in Mississippi if you're not also interested inwhat’s going on
inthe congo. They’re both the same... The same interests are at stake... the same schemes are aj work... the same
slake— no difference whatsoever."
El Hajj Malik Shabazz
Boycott Continues