Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 January 2002 — Page 4

PAGE A4

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11,2002

"Let Freedom Ring: Continuing the Legacy 32 nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner

JS /

m

Jury selection begins in murder trial of former ’60s radical H. Rap Brown

■'7k ■■■■•■ y

Sponsored by the IUPUI Black Student Union

We invite you to join us as we honor Dr. King and acknowledge those outstanding individuals who have exemplified King’s Dream. Our program will feature Minnijean Brown-Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine - the African-American students who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

Monday, January 21,2002 Indiana Roof Ballroom 140 W. Washington Street

Ticket price: $35 for General Public Ticket Deadline is January 14,2002

For other questions about the dinner or the Black Student Union, call274-3931-

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

ATLANTA (AP) — Attorneys were preparing to question as many as 1,500 potential jurors in the murder trial of the Muslim cleric and former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown. Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin is charged with the murder of a sheriffs deputy and the wounding of another. Jury selection begin Tuesday amid heavy security and scrutiny from followers of the Atlanta mosque Al-Amin leads and police officers seeking justice for the killing of one of their own. If convicted, Al-Amin could face the death penalty. Jury selection is expected to take up to a month. Among other things, jurors will be asked their opinions about Muslims. The trial was postponed once because Judge Stephanie B. Manis said anti-Muslim sentiment after the Sept. 11 attacks would make it difficult to seat a jury. Fulton County Deputy Sheriff Aldranon English is expected to testify that Al-Amin fired at him and his partner. Deputy Ricky Kinchen, when they tried to serve him with a warrant on minor charges in Atlanta on March 16, 2000. Kinchen died the next day. English was wounded but recovered. Al-Amin, who was captured four days later after a gun battle with authorities near Montgomery, Ala., says it’s a case of mistaken identity. ‘T am falsely accused of shoot-

ing and injuring a deputy sheriff and denying another of his life,” the 58-year-old Al-Amin said in a letter to his followers Dec. 14. He also said the murder charge is the latest episode in a government conspiracy that has dogged him since his days as a high-profile Black Panther. “The FBI has a file on me containing 44,000documents, but prior to this incident, their investigation has produced no fruits, no indictments, no arrests,” he said in a jailhouse interview with the New York Times published Sunday. “At some point, they had to make something happen to justify all the investigations and all the money they’ve spent.” According to police records, Atlanta authorities and the FBI kept a close watch on Al-Amin during much of the 1990s, investigating him for possible connections to domestic terrorism, gun running and more than a dozen homicides. He wasn’t charged in any of the investigations. At the time of the shooting, he was being sought for failing to appear in court on charges that he was driving a stolen car and flashed a police badge when stopped by officers in 1999. Kinchen and English were trying to serve that warrant when they were shot. Defense attorneys are expected to focus on inconsistencies in English’s statements, including his claim that both deputies shot their attacker. Al-Amin was unharmed when he was arrested, and body

armor he was wearing showed no signs of dents. In recent years, Al-Amin was known more for his religious beliefs and efforts to improve Atlanta’s West End than his past. He converted to Islam while serving a five-year prison sentence for his part in a robbery and a shootout with police in New York, and became leader of one of the nation’s largest Black Muslim groups, the National Ummah. The movement, which has formed 36 mosques around the nation, is credited with revitalizing povertystricken pockets such as West End. On Monday, Manis ruled that Al-Amin violated a gag order by writing letters from jail proclaiming his innocence and doing the telephone interview with the Times. Manis called it a deliberate attempt by Al-Amin to taint the jury pool and stripped him of jail phone privileges. She also limited his approved visitors to his attorneys and an investigator. One of his attorneys. Jack Martin, argued that Al-Amin hadn’t discussed the facts of the case but had just declared his innocence, “what any American ought to be able to do when they’re charged with a crime.” But Manis said Al-Amin had violated her order, which she handed down in May, after his own attorneys asked for it. “The defendant has the right to proclaim his innocence in the courtroom, not in the newspaper,” Manis said.

Indianapolis^ Bart Peterson, Mayor

First annual Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity Award Luncheon

Join Mayor Bart Peterson as he recognizes businesses and organizations that embrace and celebrate diversity, making our community a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Guest speaker, Oljen Williams addresses the audience of health professionals concerned about minority health disparities at the Minority Health Coalition’s 4“’ Annual Membership Drive Breakfast. (photo/J. Buntin) Health professionals address minority health disparities .

By JAMES BUNTIN Staff Writer The Minority Health Coalition of Marion County sponsored its 4 ,, ’ Annual Membership Drive Breakfast this week at the Ashanti Ballroom. The theme of the breakfast was “Accounting for Minority Health Disparities: A Report to the Community.” A five-member panel was on hand to discuss the current health disparities in the minority commu-

nity. Guest panelists included Dr. Gregory Wilson, the state health commissioner; Dr. Robert Jones, the chief executive officer and medical director of Wishard Health Services; Dr. Virginia Cain of Marion County Health Department; Oljen Williams, executive director of the Christamore House; and B.J. Isaacson Chaves of the Indiana Primary Health Care Association. Many health care professionals from across the country attended

the event to learn what the legislative agenda is for the year. They also learned how the Marion County Minority Health Coalition is helping to eliminate health disparities. The goals of the coalition are to increase access, awareness, education and support for minorities in regards to health care and to assure that minorities receive equal access to health care.

-Monday, January 28; 200211a.m. Registration - 11:30 a.m. Lunch -The Westin Hotel, 50 S. Capitol Ave.--For ticket or table informationwww.indygov.org/mayor -or- (317)327-3601 Ah equal opportunity employer

Indiana to develop immunization registry

Special to The Recorder The State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have taken a major step toward establishing a statewide immunization registry in Indiana. The Department of Health’s Immunization Program and the CDC, working in conjunction with the General Services Administration, have awarded a contract to Scientific Technologies Corp. for the development and implementation of a centralized immunization registry. “This project, known as the In-

diana Statewide Immunization Information System, or ISIIS, will increase the accuracy and accessibility of immunization information and thus improve the overall immunization levels for the children of Indiana,” said State Health Commissioner Greg Wilson, M.D. Wilson said that the immunization registry will be a Web-based system. Seven regional areas throughout the state have been selected to participate and serve as test sites during 2002. According to First Lady Judy O’Bannon, a supporter of the effort, the registry will have a tremendous impact on Hoosier chil-

dren for generations to come. “When we talk about building a foundation for the future, ensuring our children get the medical resources they need to remain healthy is one of the most important things we can do,” Mrs. O’Bannon said. We can thank the stakeholder :rs, including the local health :partments, health care provid- >, and community volunteers, for :ir vision and tireless efforts in identifying resources, needs, and solutions that have made this registry a reality,” Mrs. O’Bannon said. “We are also grateful that a number of legislators have lent their support to this project.”

A