Posted on 08/18/2002 5:09:34 AM PDT by H8DEMS
Washington, D.C. (CNSNews.com) - Thousands of blacks rallied in Washington Saturday in support of reparations for past slavery, joining Nation of Islam Leader Minister Louis Farrakhan and shouting "They owe us!"
"We're not asking white people [for reparations]," said Farrakhan, who headlined the 'Millions for Reparations Mass Rally'. "We are demanding what is justly ours."
Farrakhan also urged enlisted military personnel to not fight for the U.S. should an armed strike against Iraq be initiated, and called for the ceding of land to black Americans.
The Nation of Islam minister told the predominantly black, pro-reparations crowd that "reparations is a proper theme around which all black America should and must unite."
Farrakhan believes the U.S. government should issue reparations to black Americans as compensation for past slavery in the United States, saying "our pocketbooks" need repair.
By his account, blacks need "payment for the destruction of our minds; the robbery of our language, our culture, our history, our religion, our God, our self-dignity, and our self-worth."
However, Farrakhan said, "We cannot accept a cash payment because a fool and his money will soon part." Instead, he advocated the transfer of "millions" of acres of land from the U.S. government to African Americans.
Farrakhan explained that blacks live in an America that is a "nation within a nation." The America that blacks inhabit, he said, does not enjoy "true freedom, justice and equality" from white America.
"As a nation within a nation, we need land as a basis of economic and political independence," Farrakhan said. "We cannot settle for some little jive token - we need millions of acres of land that black people can build and use for ourselves."
Farrakhan said his "just demand" for building a black nation on American soil would reward blacks for their service in the United States military.
He concluded his brief 15-minute speech urging blacks, Hispanics and "poor whites" enlisted in the military not to support or fight in any military attack that President Bush may unleash upon Iraq.
"I don't think we need to fight in the white man's army," Farrakhan said. "Our fight is in America against the recalcitrance of white supremacy, and we shall win this fight because it's a just struggle."
Socialist Agrees With Farrakhan on Reparations
"There should be restitution for the crimes of slavery," said John Coursey, a representative of Solidarity, a group that describes itself as a "revolutionary, socialist, democratic, feminist, anti-racist organization." He claimed that much of the inequalities that exist in American society today can be traced back to slavery.
Coursey acknowledges that slavery was outlawed in the U.S. more than a century ago, but laws and segregation continued to oppress blacks well into the 1970s and still do so today.
He believes corporations operating in America today should also pay reparations to blacks for the hardships of their ancestors decades and centuries ago.
"Specifically, I think the money should come from corporations that have built their power today from exploiting and oppressing black people," Coursey said. "Look at the people that have wealth who have actually exploited slavery and benefited from it."
Coursey said a reparations payout to blacks would act to balance America's "widely unequal" distribution of wealth.
Green Party Rep Compares Slavery to Holocaust
"If Germany could apologize for its crimes against gypsies and the Jews, why can't this country begin to do some apology and soul searching about what it's done to the American Indians and black people," asked David Barrows, a protestor representing the D.C. Statehood Green Party.
Slavery reparations are an official policy of the Green Party nationwide and the D.C. Statehood Green Party, Barrows said.
Barrows believes that compensating blacks is a great opportunity for the U.S. government to make a "clean break" from its oppressive past. "Reparations is a good start," he said.
"The country has to say, 'We committed crimes against humanity against a major part of our people, and we do not want to be a part of this exploitation,'" Barrows said.
Seems they'd be grateful. Look how those we didn't "rob" in Africa are faring.
-- Booker T. Washington
Okay. If you go about blaming all of your perceived problems on your race, you are doing nothing but using a crutch to sail through life. I could bullshit all day about how I'm 1/8 indian and my ancestor's land was taken away, blah dee blah, but what the hell does that prove and why would I let something that didn't happen to me and has no direct affect on my life have any bearing on my self-worth?
ELECTION 2002 PRIMARY
Coalition rallies to help
'lift every voice and vote'
By MAE GENTRY
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
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The rally, held at Gresham Park's athletic field, was sponsored by the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples' Agenda, a nonpartisan organization headed by the Rev. Joseph Lowery. It was one of many political events held throughout metro Atlanta on the last weekend before election day, including an appearance Saturday night by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan on behalf of U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney.
At Gresham Park, volunteer J.R. Lentini hammered "Darden for Congress" campaign signs into the soft wood-chip-covered dirt, even though south DeKalb is not part of the 11th District candidate Buddy Darden seeks to represent.
"We're not campaigning for votes here," Lentini said. "We're campaigning for the democratic process."
Niesha Worthy, 19, registered to vote for the first time at Saturday's event. "I've never done it before, and I've always wanted to participate in something like that," she said.
Seated under a green-and-white tent, Lowery bobbed his head to the beat of a rap song he recorded two years ago, "You Got the Right to Vote." The 80-year-old civil rights veteran talked about his organization's civic efforts.
"Our goal is to improve the quality of governance by promoting an informed and active electorate and responsive elected officials," he said.
Volunteers grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, demonstrated a touch-screen electronic voting machine, the method Georgians will use in November, and offered to register those who turned out.
Candidates distributed campaign literature and spoke to the sparse crowd.
Johnny Panos, who left a Scottdale parade to come to Gresham Park, said he had attended many forums during his campaign for DeKalb State Court judge. "One of the things that's been disappointing to me is . . . there haven't been a lot of voters," Panos said.
Saturday's "Lift Every Voice and Vote" rally was no exception. People came and went, but no more than a few dozen were present at any time.
Phyllis E. Turner, a candidate for state school superintendent, shook hands with people in the crowd as she touted her credentials. She said she thought the rally was worthwhile.
"I wanted to connect with the community," she said. "And I knew this was a good way to do it."
Saturday night Farrakhan spoke to the overflowing congregation at the West Hunter Street Baptist Church in the first of three voter rallies he is scheduled to attend this weekend. There will be two today.
Farrakhan has been a supporter of 4th District congresswoman McKinney, and he told an enthusiastic and cheering crowd that McKinney needed their support because she was "a sister who has been there for us."
McKinney is facing her toughest challenge from former DeKalb County State Court judge Denise Majette in the Democratic primary Tuesday, and Majette has received significant financial support from the Jewish community.
Farrakhan said McKinney had been targeted for defeat because she cast votes in Congress against Israel and spoke out in behalf of Palestinians.
"I am looking at a drama being played out," Farrakhan said at the rally. "Cynthia didn't vote right. Cynthia is brass. Cynthia has that gall."
Farrakhan said he was there because he favored McKinney, not because he opposed Majette.
"I guess Ms. Majette is a qualified woman. She has a lot to offer and there's nothing wrong with aspiring to be more than you are," he said. "Judge Majette -- I couldn't come up here and say anything bad about her."
-- Staff writer Rhonda Cook contributed to this report.
So, Farrakhan proclaims that blacks are too dumb to manage their money. That's not they way to win black friends and influence black people, Louie.
As to the millions of acres for blacks, well, if we add the millions of acres for Mexicans, between the two do you suppose that they will allow the white folks to keep Maine?
There's the rub.
Jackson and Sharpton were getting boring.
The blind pig finds the acorn...
Louie has apparently never figured out the concept that real estate can be sold in exchange for cash.
And Farrakhan's making not one, but three campaign stops for Jihad Cindy.
Did you notice the backhanded slam against Majette? Almost flattery :-)) But if Majette wins, Louie wants access to her office, and you can count on that.
Res ipsa locquitur.
Instead, he advocated the transfer of "millions" of acres of land from the U.S. government to African Americans. Farrakhan explained that blacks live in an America that is a "nation within a nation."
(BALLISTIC)
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