Community holds anti-war, anti-racist meeting
By
Sharon Black
Baltimore
Published Sep 23, 2005 9:55 PM
Unity United Methodist
Church, a historic African-American church on Baltimore’s west side was
the venue for an important discussion on the Iraq war Sept. 14. It also
addressed the outrage over the racist neglect of people in New Orleans and the
Delta and the horrific execution of Frances Newton in Texas that took place that
very evening.
This event brought together mothers who have had children
killed in Iraq; families like the Smoots whose uncle was beaten to death in
Baltimore’s City Jail, along with longtime political activists and those
new to struggle. It brought young and old, Black and white together to map out
plans for fighting back in a city whose poverty rate is the 5th highest in the
U.S. The church was filled.
Speakers included: Larry Holmes, a national
leader of the Troops Out Now Coalition; Fred Mason, President of the Maryland
and D.C. AFL-CIO; Tia Steele, coordinator for the Eyes-wide Open Exhibit
/American Friends Service Com mittee, whose son was killed in Iraq; Reverend
Kwame O. Abayomi; Doc Cheatham, President of the Baltimore NAACP, and other key
community organizers.
Denise Lowery from the All Peoples Congress stated,
“We are outraged and in grief over Frances Newton’s execution and
about Katrina but we are going to do something about it.”
Lowery was
referring to plans to support the 50th anniversary of the day that Rosa Parks
sparked the modern civil rights movement with a nationwide strike against
poverty, racism and war. The first part of the campaign is a protest scheduled
for Sept. 27 at the school board to demand that the board inform every parent
and student of his or her right to “opt out” of being recruited
along with declaring Dec. 1, 2005, an “honor Rosa Parks day—no
school”.
A growing coalition is developing that plans to distribute
information at every city high school, community center, and work place to
develop creative tactics.
The first protest will be Sept. 27, 4:30 p.m.
at North Ave. and Calvert Streets. The group will then attend the School Board
meeting to volunteer for this campaign. Call (410) 235-7040 for more
information.
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