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February 2, 2005

Insults fly at council meeting

Although a controversial speech by Imari Obadele went smoothly Tuesday night, insults and barbs were tossed earlier in the day.

Obadele, a former Republic of New Africa president, stood before a crowd of about 150 people at Jackson City Hall Tuesday night to kick off a Black History Month program and lightheartedly retold portions of a controversial gun battle 33 years ago that killed Jackson Police Lt. William Louis Skinner.

As Obadele spoke, some supporters nodded heads and clapped, while others interjected "that's exactly right."

Obadele, invited to speak by Councilman Kenneth Stokes, was jovial when he discussed a 1971 shootout and its aftermath, but never addressed the death of Lt. Skinner.

But earlier, Obadele attended the City Council's meeting, saying his organization was peaceful.

"We were in our house and the police and the FBI ... attacked us," he said.

Hinds County Justice Court Judge Bill Skinner, in a news conference at his office, said his father was murdered and Obadele is responsible.

"This man is a terrorist," Bill Skinner said. "He ran a terrorist organization and there is no difference between him and Osama bin Laden."

Lt. Skinner was shot through his car window and police helmet on Aug. 18, 1971, when police and FBI raided the RNA's headquarters at a house on Lewis Street. Obadele served more than five years for conspiracy, assault and firearms possession.

Just days before the shootout, Obadele had as much told Lt. Skinner that he was going to kill him after Skinner had called Obadele "meek as a lamb," Bill Skinner said.

"I'm a commander, I'll show you how meek I am. This is going to be a long revolution," Obadele said, according to a 1971 police report.

Bill Skinner, holding back tears, said Lt. Skinner never got to attend his children's graduations and never got to hold his six grandchildren.

"Richard Henry (Obadele's name at birth) was tried and convicted and is basically being brought in with the red carpet rolled out to get a key to the city," Skinner said, chastising Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and the council members who did not speak out against Obadele.

Only two of seven council members, Ben Allen and Marshand Crisler, have publicly said Obadele has no place speaking in City Hall.

At the council's 10 a.m. meeting, the face-off between both sides roiled emotions.

Obadele, bodyguards and local lawyers Chokwe Lumumba and Imhotep Alkebu-lan sat in the front row, about 8 feet from the council.

Obadele said the RNA wanted to establish an independent country that included Mississippi.

White supremacy is still alive in law enforcement today but different, Lumumba said, referring to Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin's stance against Obadele's visit.

"Law enforcement is slicker now. We know (McMillin) has at least one council member here," he said, referring to Crisler, who sat just to his right. "He wears a black face, but I saw him smiling there with McMillin (Monday at the sheriff's news conference)."

Responding to Lumumba's comments, McMillin said Tuesday night "Mr. Obadele doesn't know me. He's not from here. I think I will put my reputation up against his for service to the community."

At the morning meeting, Crisler was visibly angered by Lumumba's accusations. He told Lumumba he does indeed work for, respect and support McMillin. "But I will not be misrepresented," he said.

Lumumba tried several times to cut in while Crisler had the floor. Council Vice President Margaret Barrett-Simon gaveled Lumumba down and gave him a stern warning.

But Stokes took aim at both McMillin and Allen.

"McMillin lives in Clinton. How can he run things here?" Stokes said. "Ben Allen is the biggest racist I know, but at least he stays in Jackson."

Allen, seated next to Stokes, burst into laughter, along with many others in the chamber.

Johnson said he didn't come forward — for or against Obadele's visit — because the council and the media can't offer a platform wide enough to put the issues into context. A committee should be formed where race issues can be resolved, he said.

When asked if the move to invite Obadele was part of a publicity stunt for the upcoming city council election, Stokes replied, "Nonsense. I did it to kick off Black History Month, and he's the perfect person."

Carl Marks, a west Jackson systems analyst at Jackson State University, said curiosity drove him to attend the Black History event.

"I'd never heard of Obadele, but I heard he was pretty controversial," Marks said. "I'd heard of Skinner, and I came to see what the drama was about. I think it was a positive thing to have the event. Anybody who is trying to support blacks is OK."

I remember the RNA & 1971 shooting well. My father in law served on the jury that convicted Henry. It's hard to admit that Jackson has devolved into a cesspool & just confirms our 1979 decision to leave was the right one.

Sickening. Utterly sickening. Speaking from a realist's position, Jackson is lost. Good people of every color should abandon ship while they can.

MM

Watching the excerpts on the news was enough for me.
Of course, Kenny Stokes is a hero to his constituents,
so he'll be even more embolden now that he's pulled this off.

Boy.....this is our reward for ending Jim Crow.

I sure feel better now....patting my own back.

This is precisely what my ancestors feared. Disintegration not integration.

I see no solution. Jackson proper has become like any other of that demographic. Now who's to blame?

FReeper do-gooders who aren't living it have no clue.....none whatsoever.

This worm turned hundreds of years ago and this is the fruit it's borne.