Newspaper Page Text
Freedom Hal Underway
By Adele S. Newson
Atlanta Mayor Maynard
Jackson told a crowd of more
than 2,000 people that Mrs.
Coretta Scott King has done a
superb job in coordinating the
Freedom Hall Complex, honoring
the late Martin Luther King, Jr.,
at the ground breaking ceremony
Oct. 18.
Jackson went on to say that
Mrs. King “has the unqualified
support of this city’s govern
ment.” The city has pledged
nearly $2 million dollars to aid
the $3 million dollar complex “in
continuity.”
Also in attendance were Vice
President Walter Mondale, for
mer Ambassador Andrew Young,
Henry Ford II and a' host of
political leaders, businessmen,
community representatives, and
scholars from all over this coun
try.
Vice President Mondale
pledged an additional $1.5 million
from the federal Economic
Development Administration “to
continue the work” of the center.
Henry Ford II announced that
as of date $8.2 million had been
raised for the project. According
to Ford, “Reaching our goal
means many things: it means the
center can begin construction on
all buildings of the Freedom Hall
complex. It means the center can
plan with certainity its future
programs and activities and it
means the center can begin this
Photo by Keith Harriston
new chapter during the 50th an
niversary of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.’s birth.”
The complex will be located on
“Sweet Auburn Ave.,” surroun
ding the marbel tomb of Dr. Mar
tin Luther King, Jr. It is estimated
that the complex will attract
more than 225,000 tourists a year.
The complex will bring in a con
siderable amount of revenue by
selling $175,000 worth of
souvenirs this year and by con
ducting tours of Martin Luther
King’s birthplace for $1.00 per
adult.
Mrs. King conceived of the
idea of a Jiving memorial to her
husband in 1968, just after his
death. It is now, more than 10
years later, that her dream will be
realized. She views her efforts as
“a living memorial filled with all
the vitality that was his, a center
of human endeavor, committed
to the causes for which he lived
and died.”
Critics maintain that the King
Center is grappling for an iden
tity. Dudley Weeks, former
program director of the center,
contends that administrators of
the center are trying to decide if
“...they want to be ac
tivists—reaching out to the
people Dr. King would have wan
ted to help if he were still alive.”
Currently the center maintains
10 programs. The day care center
and the reading institute are the
only two of the 10 programs
geared to the general public. The
other eight programs are in
tellectual in scope, training in
dividuals for leadership. This fact
has caused many to wonder if the
center’s chief concern is for the
“disadvantaged.”
Former UN Ambassador An
drew Young said that this
criticism is unfounded because
the “Martin Luther King
Movement was never an
economic movement,” rather it
was directed to “training people
for social change.”
Woman Molested
In Howard Harreld
On Sunday mprning, October
7, three o’clock a man entere 1
onto the ground floor of Howard-
Harreld Hall. He was described
as being a black male, light
skinned, medium build, about
(See MOLESTED, p. 3)
S.W.A.C Involved
ByLaRondaLMorris Academic Affairs will work on
student/teacher evaluations and
October 22-26th was the week
dedicated to Protection
Awareness by the S.W.A.C.
Organization. The Spelman
Womens Action Coalition
(S.W.A.C.) took on this new
name after the newly elected Ad
visory Board Chairperson,
Carolita Jones, felt that the
Organization would have a more
positive influence on students if
the name were changed.
The purpose of this
organization is to act as a liaison
to channel the concerns of the
students to the S.G.A. and/or
President of Spelman. Under this
organization are various com
mittees such as: Academic Af
fairs, Food Services, Housing,
Security and Student life. There
are presently twenty-five active
members in the organization.
Some of the accomplishments
that the S.W.A.C. team hopes to
achieve during the academic year
79-80 are: Protection Awareness
during Homecoming to make
students aware of protective
measures, also dealing with rape
on and off campus: a survey will
be taken by the Housing Com
mittee to ensure better housing
arrangements for next year;
establishing an honor society; the
Student Life Committee is in the
process of working on taking a
“PROF” to lunch (faculty, ad
ministration, staff). The
remaining committees are also
working on other activities.
Carolita feels this organization
will continue throughout the
years because concerned studen
ts need somewhere to channel
their complaints. When asked
how this organization will benefit
Spelman students, Carolita
responded, “They will have a
channel which they (Spelman
students) can directly relate
problems or complaints having to
do with Spelman with the feeling
some action will be taken to help
modify the problem for the bet
terment of the student body.”
Inside
•Blacks and the
Kennedy Boom p. 4
•Special Tribute to
Stevie Wonder p. 12
Rev. Lowery Visits Middle East
By Cynthia Williams
In a historical trip to the Mid
dle East for a meeting with Israeli
Ambassador to the United
Nations and the Palestine
Liberation Organization’s United
Nation representatives, key mem
bers of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference (SCLC)
called for an end to the senseless
killing of innocent Israeli and
Palestinian citizens.
This delegation consisted of
national religious leaders as well
as SCLC members and was led by
SCLC president the Reverend
Joseph E. Lowery. The con
ference with the representatives
of major Middle East factions
was held August 20 and 21 of
1979. The SCLC called for a joint
moratorium on violence while
peace negotiations in the Middle
East continue.
President of the SCLC
Reverend Lowery, who was elec
ted to this position in August of
1977, gave some background in
formation on the problem in the
Middle East with the PLO while
here in Atlanta.
Reverend Lowery explained bv
telling of the formation of the
Nation of Israel by the United
Nations in 1940. This creation of
the Nation of Israel was com
posed of much of the land area
where the Arabs or Palestinians
lived. This was done without con
sultation of the Arabs. The Arabs
were then offered land on the
West Banks, but refused because
they had been left out of the
original agreement. Reverend
Lowery continued by stating,
“Today there are three and-a-hair
Palestinians who are now
homeless. They were kicked out
of their land and the Palestian
people have a ligitimate gripe.
The recent peace negotiations
in the Middle East do not include
the Palestian Liberation
Organization even though they
are willing to accept the West
Banks and Gaza Strip area.
Israel, Reverend Lowery further
(See REV. LOWERY, p. 3)
