Posted on 08/24/2004 2:31:59 PM PDT by leadhead
With a monument to slavery's legacy as a backdrop, civic leaders yesterday denounced racist fliers left on Annapolis front lawns and doorsteps by a white supremacist group opposed to an upcoming attempt at racial reconciliation.
The coalition urged the community to stand up against the National Alliance, which late last week peppered local households with literature opposing the Lifeline Expedition Walk scheduled for Sept. 29 at City Dock.
"The legacy of slavery is still alive in America," said Leonard A. Blackshear, president of the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation based in Annapolis. "Is it alive in Annapolis? The answer is yes."
Mr. Blackshear's foundation is helping to bring the walk to America. It features white people wearing wooden yokes as a symbol of penitence for the enslavement of Africans, who walk alongside to show their forgiveness.
The walk starts where the news conference took place, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial. The memorial honors the award-winning author of "Roots" and Kunta Kinte, Mr. Haley's ancestor, who arrived in Annapolis as a slave in 1767.
Based in West Virginia with a branch in Baltimore, the National Alliance lambasted the walk with a flier titled "Say No to White Guilt!"
Another flier criticized what it called the Jewish monopoly on Hollywood and the media and "neo-communism" in classrooms.
Mr. Blackshear said the racists are targeting Annapolis because "somewhere here, they believe they're getting results."
"We are moving along a path of social development that does not tolerate (the National Alliance) in our midst," he said.
"We are a community that can and will confront our dark side and heal."
Annapolis Human Relations Commission Chairman Michael J. Keller found a flier on his property. He said he was "appalled but not surprised" by the group's action.
"(The walk) stands for values which are the antithesis of the doctrine of the National Alliance," Mr. Keller said.
"... (The walk) seeks to raise awareness about the legacy of slavery and its lingering impact on American society. The National Alliance embraces racial hatred and intolerance. (The walk) is faith-based. The National Alliance spreads religious prejudice."
The Rev. Mamie A. Williams called the National Alliance's actions sinful and "evil."
"When we go about the business of separating people instead of bringing them together, we are in the process of sinning against one another and our creator," said the Rev. Williams, Annapolis district superintendent of the United Methodist Church.
Others who attended the news conference included alderwomen Louise M. Hammond, D-Ward 1, and Cynthia A. Carter, D-Ward 6.
It isn't the first time National Alliance fliers have been distributed in the county. But police and a state Attorney General's office spokesman said the fliers themselves aren't illegal because they're protected speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Mr. Blackshear remains committed to organizing the walk, which will tour 10 U.S. cities beginning with Annapolis. A London-based group has put on the event in Europe.
Calling racism a cancer, he said society must work together "to provide chemotherapy to that cancer."
Sure makes me want to work together, whatever that is.
What a repulsive, racist and manipulative idea. Anyone who would participate in such a walk has SERIOUS self-esteem issues.
This is stupid... The people who were enslaved are long dead. The people who enslaved them are long dead.
The descendants of both are equal under the law, and the injustice has been rectified. There are a few things that need to be done still, but saying "I'm sorry!" now isn't going to produce anything meaningful.
What am I saying? I'm only 1/8th white.
Wear a yoke my a$$.
The lingering impact of slavery? They should take that up with the dems who continue to enslave them with entitlement programs and free for alls instead of having people work to accomplish something. grrrrr
National Alliance is a neo-nazi gang.
Leonard Blacksheare's group is a race-guilt-manipulating leftist gang.
Let them duke it out with each other and then shoot the winners.
"Kunta Kinte" is a fictitious character in a novel written by Harold Courlander (a white man BTW), which was plagiarized by Alex Haley.
The National Alliance, founded by the author of The Turner Diaries, is equally ridiculous.
They denounce "neo-communism", yet the last chapters of The Turner Diaries advocate a social organization indistinguishable from Maoism.
Everyone involved in this whole episode is useless.
You mean continue to enslave us by making us pay for all those socialist deadbeat`s programs.
And it will stay that way as long as A-Holes like this guy can make a buck off it.
Probably. There was a segment on the news the other night about a "Slave Trading Village" memorial/museum. About 30 seconds into the piece my brain shorted out and flat-lined until the segment was over.
Statistically less than 7% of the population owned slaves before the Civil war. It might even be lower than that. While I think the idea of owning another human being is abhorrent, I think the "slaves brutalized, raped and murdered by evil white men just for fun" is a little over the top. Economically it's suicide.
I don't know anyone who owned slaves. I can't find any direct ancestors who owned slaves so, so I don't feel guilty. No yoking.
ps- Americans didn't invent slavery, but you already know that.
I live in Annapolis, and this is the first I have heard of this idiotic march. Sounds like the cryptonazis have given these goofuses just what they needed, a little publicity. It's bad enough that I have to look at those stupid statues every time I pass by City Dock -- Kunta Kinte, indeed. Any involvement by the Annapolis City Council will be guaranteed to make things worse. It is home to some of the worst race-baiters you could imagine.
"Mr. Blackshear's foundation is helping to bring the walk to America. It features white people wearing wooden yokes as a symbol of penitence for the enslavement of Africans, who walk alongside to show their forgiveness."
These are w/o question the worst kind of white people -- those who suffer from white guilt. It probably accounts for a significant part of the motive that makes one a liberal.
Is there anything worse than white guilt?
I was refering to the wage slavery of those who actually pay income taxes to support these programs for those who don`t. Freedom means ownership of yourself, that includes your labor. Slavery means non ownership of self. How can we be free if the Gov. can essentially put a gun to our heads and say you will take care of these "unfortunate ones" (dead beats) or else.
Ah, yes, that 4 months of the year that the federal monkey is on our backs.
The whole notion of reparations makes me absolutely NUTS. Public displays like this are just as bad. The leaders must have been edumacated in inner city publik skools. They have absolutely no concept of history.
Amen!
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