Newspaper Page Text
December, 1970
THE SPOTLIGHT
6 D. C. panther rally never
WASHINGTON (CPS)—In the wake of fed
eral harassment, Black Panthers and 5,000 of their
supporters gathered in Washington for the con
vening of the Revolutionary People Constitution
al Convention.
It never happened.
At a press conference Friday, November 20
the scheduled start of the conference—party dep
uty Minister of Education Elbert “Big Man”
Howard told reporters that negotiations with pro
jected host Howard University had fallen through.
The Panthers had previously been denied use of
Washington’s federal Armory and the campus of
the University of Maryland.
Conflicting stories abound for the reasons of
the Howard situation: Pahthers claim a down pay
ment on facilities was refused while spokesmen
for the University cite the Panther’s inability to
meet payments by deadline.
Howard, a black middle-class school, is fed
erally charted and run by a' congressional com
mittee. Its president James E. Cheek has not com
mented on the affair. However, there is indication
that the University was threatened with insurance
loss if the convention occured in the promised
three buildings and the school’s “administration”
ca’pitulated to the pressure.
While sleeping arrangements and food were
provided by the Panthers, sites for the multitude
of workshops, plenary and drafting sessions could
not be secured. The result was a shortened week
end event, more like a test of those there in their
support of the Panthers, and an indication of the
direction of the American radical movement.
The convention had been called originally to
map out a revolutionary constitution, extracted
from workshops and plenaries that occured during
and after the summer preliminary session in Phil
adelphia. That event drew 10,000 participants, 70
percent of them black.
In Washington, perhaps a third of the 5,000
were black.
The convention’s constitution was to have
pressed for revolutionary demands from the ex
isting power structure, served as a visionary guide
for a future socialist America’, and become an
organization approach for uniting black, Third
World, and white people.
Ad hoc workshops did coalesce Friday after
noon and continued through Saturday and Sun
day. About 1500 women met at Trin
ity College, a Catholic Women’s school. Other
groups like Gay Liberation and people from local
ized geopraphic areas, and men who wished to
discuss their own chauvinism, met in or around
Malcolm X Park or one of the two churches.
Earlier, on Friday night, a mass rally of 5,000
flocked to Malcolm X Park to hear calls for the
liberation of Howard and the music of the Pan
ther band, the Lumpen. Saturday evening, Huey
P. Newton addressed a crowd of about 1,500, in
side and outside Washington’s St. Stephens Church.
Many people, expecting a constitutional conven
tion and disappointed with its absence, had left the
city by the evening of Newton’s speech.
Newton was preceeded by Michael Tabor, one
Page 5
hap pened 9
of the New York Panther 21, arrested a year ahd
a half ago for the bombing conspiracy charges.
Naming American imperialism as “world enemy
number 1” Tabor called for blacks to “ally our
selves with the oppressed communities of the
world,” ahd to shed the constricting and false
ideology of black nationalism. Citing the countries
of Peoples China, Algeria and Korea as express
ion rising up against oppression and seizing self-
control, Tabor urged his listeners to follow their
struggles’ examples.
“We resolve,” he said, “to liberate our com
munities in order that we might serve the true
interests of the community.” The primary forms
of oppression, Tabor said, were capitalism, imper
ialism, and racism.
While Tabor spoke several times of the ex
istence of 'the constitutional convention, Newton
said it is “absurd to hold a’ constitutional conven
tion while we’re enslaved.” Reflecting apparent
differences in the leadership of the Party, Newton
said he understood how people felt “disturbed and
confused.”
“A raincheck,” Huey said, “should be put on
the convention until we have liberated Washing
ton. Newton expressed a willingness for accepting
criticism of the Party’s actions and his speech. In
that speech, he introduced the theory of ‘inter-
communalism’ which, Newton said, had replaced
internationalism, “because nations no longer exist.”
Newton cautioned his audience against spon
taneous action and warned “the revolution is not
tomorrow.”
"IN THE COMPETITIVE AMERICAN SOCIETY, HOW CAN THERE
EVER BE ANY WHITE-BLACK SOLIDARITY BEFORE THERE IS FIRST
SOME BLACK SOLIDARITY?" The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
One of the few remaining tra
ditions at Spelman College was
not so traditional this year.
This year’s Christmas Carol
Concert, December 11-13, had a
short contata built around two
Christmas carols. The Atlanta-
Morehouse-Spelman chorus sang
“Canticle of Christmas,” by Gian-
nini.
The canticle featured a narra
tor and Mrs. Joyce Johnson as
organist. A canticle is a song
from the Bible.
The prografn included many
standards expected by audiences
every year. One of these was
William Dawson’s “Behold the
Star.” It was not sung last year
and many people complained.
Mr. Aldrich Adkins and Dr.
Wendell Whalum, Morehouse
College, co-directed the concert.
Mr. Adkins directed the canticle
and the Spelman glee club. Dr.
Whalum directed the other AMS
selections and the Morehouse
glee club.
After the Christmas holidays,
the Spelman Glee Club will get
in shape for a proposed tour in
the northeast area of the United
States. Mr. Adkins says he is
looking for contacts in the Bos
ton-New York areas.
FAHRENHEIT IS A BETTER BOUTIQUE IN
THE TENTH STREET COMMUNITY.
Mr. Adkins
conducts
christmas
‘canticle’
Mr. Aldrich Adkins, new chair
man of Spelman’s music depart
ment, briefs the glee club before
performance night.