Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 September 2000 — Page 8

PAGE A8

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8,2000™

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FIND OUT FIRST. On the net or in the book, a few minutes in here can save you hours out there.

National News

Selma, Ala., auto arson a 21 -

political tactic? Williams says he’s still trying WASHINGTON (NNPA)—In “ to P rove m y innocence ”

the aftermath of the arson set out-

Howard said that he met with

he said.

“(Testing things like) dog hair would not exonerate Williams ab-

side the law offices of Chestnut, Williams’attorney Lynn Whatley, Sanders, Sanders, Pettaway and whorequested testing for Williams. Campbell law firm in Selma, Ala., tes,in 8 Whatley (initially) late last month, many community suggested does not involve eviand national leaders believe the dence that would result in) a direct incident was politically motivated | nd,( ; at i 10n of « u,lt or innocence,

in light of the city’s mayoral elec-

tions Sept. 12.

“We need people from around , ^ A „ , the country to keep an eye on solutely . There is no DNA fordog Selma,” says attorney and commu- ^ because the hair has no folnity leader Rose Sanders. Sanders * lc ^ s ( ro ot s ). ... is also president of the National ^ art ev| dence used in the Voting Rights Museum in Selma. Williams case involved dog hairs, “This isjust like what was going on fibers, and bloodstains. 30 years ago and the only way to Howard said that before making fight it is if the whole nation is a final decision questions must be watching,” she said. ans ^ ed b y . ^ atley ab ° Ut According to local leadership, kind of material he wants tested, the national call has led to incom- ^ Williams wrote to the Atlanta ing support from Martin Luther Daily World about his conviction King HI, Nation of Islam Minister Here are his words sent to the World Benjamin Chavis Muhammad, co- on „ y “ . . , , median/activist Dick Gregory and Reflecting back over the past others, including former political 19 years since my arrest and subseprisoner Geronimo Pratt. quent conviction for the deaths of Upon seeing the devastation, the ,wo a< f u l ts during the Atlanta murformer Black Panther called the der crisis, it becomes obvious that incident "an outrage.” Blacklead- someone had to be blamed in order ers, civil rights groups and a group t0 bnn S c osur ^. to one ^ tb ^ dar ^* of Native American women are est sagas in the history of the United

expected to come into Selma over States.

coming weeks to look into Selma’s ^ was tba f sacr, fi ce ’ but closure election and to help monitor and remains elusive as disturbing quessupport non-violence. t ‘ ons are " ow be * n g raised about Some see the long-standing this terrible tragedy inflicted upon struggle between the mayor’s of- Atlanta s Black community. Just fice and the African-American as city officials gave little attention community as a political battle that ‘° t th ? ° f SeVeral ties in with local Black farmers’ ^ children until their parents struggle to keep their land, jobs demanded action in July of 1980, and fairness in city management. ! be sam ® sad scenano 1S repeating The incident occurred the night ltse u to day. ... , after the 37th anniversary of the , In a c,t y cau g ht U P ,n j the P 6 * 5 March on Washington entitled ofeconomicsuccessand mtema“Redeem the Dream” and less than tlonal acc j ,a ' m ’ fe L w P 60 ? 6 a month away from one of the most concerned about the unsolved hopitched battles for the mayor’s seat m,clde L s of over 40 Black females in Selma’s history since the time of the Atlanta murIn the law firm’s parking lot, dercrisis, including 21 deaths since two cars which were full of anti- 1988. Nor is there .any effort to Smitherman campaign literature * Ka l n,n ® youth murders that have and placards in the windows were 0CCWTe d a b er m y an«8t u»4981, set fire and completely burned. eve “ thou S h tbe y have strikin .g Local police, noting the heavy similarities to the 28 cases mvestiamount of gasoline in and around 8 ate d b y tbe Task Force during the

the vehicles and the fact that only At,anta murder cns,s -

campaign vehicles were torched, ^ dare sa y tbat bad tbese deaths began to investigate the possibility occurred P rior t0 m y the y of political motive in the case. w ° uld no doubt have been on the The incumbent. Mayor Joe ‘ l,st of Task Force v,c - Smitherman, has held the office tims - 7116 fact . is tha ‘ since m y for nearly 40 years and has a arrest ’ conviction, and impnsonstrained history with the city’s menl ’ ^e murder of Black youth, Black community. Smitherman has women ’ t and y™ th adu,ts cont,n ' been quoted referring to Dr. Mar- ues In Atlanta. The difference now tin Luther King as “coon” and call- | st h at die media is no longer counting the city’s first Black school ' n 8 bodies, and there are no courasuperintendent, Norwood Rousell, 8 eous ar, d enraged persons like an “overpaid nigger.” Cami,,e Bell, Venus Taylor, and Smitherman has held onto his Willie Mae Mathis to tell the world position as mayor in spite of the that something is still terribly wrong

racial division many say his office * n Atlanta,

is responsible for stirring. “ 0ver the course of m y efforts “He has used every divisive and t0 P rove m y innocence, a considermanipulative tactic to keep anyone ab * e amount information has else out,” Sanders says. People been revealed that ex P oses the wonder why we haven’t elected depthofpoliticalfactorssurround-

him out. First, we weren’t to get the ' n g this entire case,

right to vote for ourselves. The . ^ ot on ^ * s there convincing efforts denying us our rights are ev idence that I did not kill anyone, protecting him ” but recen tly released GBI and FBI In an economic environment documents show that facts were where Black unemployment is 53 deliberately suppressed from the percent, Sanders attributes more public, my attorneys, and my trial than 1,000 absentee ballots, coerc- j u D; A ^ so suppressed was inforing city employees and third-party mat * on tbat several suspects took campaigning as components lead- P art ' n tbe mu rders, and that not all ing to Smitherman’s longevity. She were re,ated as was falsely claimed says Smitherman is participating b ^ prosecutors during my trial in a hate campaign that seeks to These suspects include: Known scare white voters into reelecting child-molesters in the Clifford him as mayor Jones, Joseph Bell, and Timothy The mayor’s office had not re- cases - There ^ a,so e y ewit - tumed calls $ NNPA press time. nesses who P ,ace the with

the victims. In the Jones case, there

Fulton County DA says he may order DNA testing for convicted Atlanta

child slayings killer Wayne Williams

was a witness to the murder. A cult leader and drug kingpin suspected of kidnapping and murdering Lay Tonya Wilbin, and also implicated in the death of 28-year-old Nathaniel Cater, whose death was

In a world of technolofy, people make the difference

In the wake of recent cases blamed on me.

around the country in which DNA “The operator of a burglarytesting has overturned several con- fencing ring in the Jimmy Ray victions, Fulton County District Poyre case, another death I was Attorney Paul Howard said he is blamed for. Members of a North considering ordering such tests in Georgia militia group with the Ku the case ofconvicted Atlanta killer jg ux iQ an ij,,^ j n tbe murders of Wayne Williams. Lubie Geter, Earl Terrell, and Terry Williams, now 42, was con- i,, addition, Caucasian hairs victed in January 1982 for two of were found on the bodies of Milton the 28 slayings known as the “At- Harvey and Charles Stephens, lama missing and murdered chil- “This information, which was dren crisis. developed during a top-secret GBI He is serving two consecutive p ro be of possible Klan involvelife sentences in a south Georgia mcn t j n the Atlanta murders was prison for the murders of Nathaniel ordered suppressed by high-rank-

Cater, 27, and Jimmy Ray Payne,

ing authorities for fear that this knowledge would ignite a race war. Recently declassified FBI docui ments paint a disturbing picture of the immense political pressiuf brought to bear on local authorities to seek my arrest and convictiony “They reveal the existence off federal task force on the Atlanta murders headed by then Vice Pre$it dent George Bush. Local author^ ties, the documents show, eventu£ ally gave in to White House presj sure to make the arrest, and prog ceed with the prosecution. Thi sands of pages show how the FB| nr deliberately tailored a case again&t me, including the alteration of fi- q her evidence, and the suppression o of vital information concerning.) other suspects and favorable evi- ^ dence. “Even more alarming was the Fulton County District Attorney’s ‘ Office knew this and allowed FBI witnesses to testify falsely just to get a conviction. What hurts as i deeply as being wrongly accused,: in connection with this tragedy is . i the apathy shown by the Black .; community. I ask where are the;: community leaders, the elected officials, the media, the clergy lead- - > ers, the business people, and other ; Black role-players? How can this 1 ; silence over this horrendous actu committed against the Black community of Atlanta, the nation, and i the world continue? / “Have the sacrifices of life and freedom by so many to improve I the condition of our people fallen , on deaf ears? I pray not, and I hope : that the Black community still has the courage to challenge ’official’ versions of what happened, and is still occurring in Atlanta, as those enraged families did in 1980. “It is my sincere hope that some? measure of closure can be brought forth by bringing the facts of the Atlanta murders to light. I ask ev- • ery concerned person in Atlanta, ■ and elsewhere, to demand truth and justice on behalf not only of > myself, but also for every family touched by this disaster of unprec* • edented evil design brought upoir< our people.” 's BET announces its fall 2000 Black college football schedule WASHINGTON — Black col-' lege football is back on Black En- * tertainment Television (BET) this'' fall, with the network set to televise five “classic” games and the,. Southwestern Athletic Conference!! (SWAC) Championship game. ^ These games, played on neutral sites in front of large crowds, fea-• ture the best and brightest in Black ‘ college football: Teams on this season’s sched- * ule have produced legends such as - Walter Payton and emerging su- 1 perstars like Steve “Air” McNair. ■ Who’s the next NFL superstar ■ going to be? Viewers that watch BET are certain to find out. “BET is proud to televise the > finest games that Black college ’ football has to offer this season,” ' sai(f Curtis Gadson, BET’s senior ' vice president of programming. “The classics truly live up to^ their name, with the teams, play- ! ers, world famous bands and the incredibly passionate fans bring- * ing a level of excitement that’s ( practically unmatched in college sports.” • < Kevin Powell to publish writer’s anthology WASHINGTON (NNPA) — According to sources, writer and poet Kevin Powell plans to publish an anthology of young Black writers. Step Into A World: A Global Anthology of New Black Literature is being touted as an important collection of thought from Black writers at this time in world history. Authors and a release date wert not released by presstime. Powell, known to AfricanAmerican Gen Xers, achieved national celebrity as one of the firsC season’s cast members of MTV’a groundbreaking reality series “The Real World.” He has written few; I the Washington Post, Essenceyl Rolling Stone and the New Yora£ Times. Powell is also popularly? known for his role as senior editor at Vibe magazine, a music culture magazine aimed at hip-1 audiences.

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