Mary France was born one of eight children, in Scottsburg, Va. Her father never went to school; he and Mary’s mother were farmers. Mary graduated from Mary Bethune High School in Halifax, Va., an all-black segregated school.
After high school Mary moved to Corona, Queens, She got married, had six children, worked for an agency part-time cleaning offices early in the morning and late at night while she took care of her children and began attending York College in Jamaica. She worked with the Parent Associations in her children’s schools, including being the president of the P.A. at PS 92 in Corona. She graduated Cum Laude from York College with a BA. in English in 1980. Mary was the founding president of the Parents Coalition for Education in 1982 and continued in that capacity until 1989. She ran for school board twice, in 1986 and 1989 and as an independent for State Assembly in 1994. She has been a member of the Queens Coalition for Political Alternatives, National Black Child Development Institute, NAACP, and the National Council of Negro Women. She played a leading role in the Emergency Campaign to Save Our Schools, African Americans
Political Power, the Citywide Coalition of African American Education Organizations, Advocates Children, the National Committee for Independent Political Action and the Campaign for a New Tomorrow(CNT). She was N.Y. State coordinator for Ron Daniels’ Independent Presidential campaign -in 1992. She has worked actively with CNT’s Haiti Support Project.
Mary was the Director of the Office of Parent Involvement under Richard Green, the city’s first American School’s Chancellor. She has worked as the Director of the Homework Assistance Program at the Langston Hughes Library and Cultural Center, Senior Instructor and Project Director at York Adult Learning Center and Director of the Even Start Program in Community School District 2. She currently teaching English at I.S. 227 in East Elmhurst and serves on the N.Y. State Regents Visiting Committee for Low-Performing Schools. In addition to her sir children, she has six grandchildren.
WHO IS MARY ALICE FRANCE?
Where No Man
Has Gone Before
A few nights ago, while driving east on Atlantic Avenue, I heard some strains of live jazz that were so sweet I almost ran right off the road. The shock was compounded when I parked and discovered the sounds were floating from somewhere between the various shuttered auto-repair garages (we’re talking about Atlantic between Washington and Grand Avenues, an industrial area that is all but dead at night).
Lo and behold, I followed the music and stepped into a cafe with classy hardwood floors, a fully stocked bar, an outdoor patio and a jazz trio earnestly bouncing through a set of Miles Davis classics. It reminded me of the Dean Street Café back in 1991, before all the crowds showed up.
The new place is called Pork-Knockers and no, they don’t have swine on the menu. Apparently, in Guyana, “Pork Knockers” was what they called adventurous miners who set off into the wild, unmapped regions of the country in search of diamonds and gold. The new restaurant, according to the owners, “was built on that same spirit and drive.”
At night, that stretch of Atlantic is pretty much a wilderness, so the name is well chosen: Pork-Knockers is in uncharted territory. But these Guyanese adventurers have come well-prepared, with a Caribbean cuisine that includes curried goat, jerk chicken, snapper, ox-tail, ital stew, ackee and cod fish. Side dishes include sweet plantains and salmon cakes. The rice and peas were spiced so perfectly I forgot to ask for the hot sauce. Dinner and drinks for two came in around $40, which is real bargain when you throw in the music.
Pork-Knockers is open from 4 pm to 1 am on Sunday through Thursday, and 4 pm to 4 am on the weekend. The address is 956 Atlantic Avenue (between Washington and Grand) and the number is (718) 638-0727.
Safety First
It was with great sorrow and great anger that I read about the murder of a Wendy’s manager in New Jersey in the course of a robbery. The victim, Tanyi Benedicta, was an African immigrant who, after 13 years of hard work, was still opening the place at 4:30 in the morning, alone. Early reports suggest that a push-in robber surprised Ms. Benedicta as she unlocked the door, then stabbed her to death and robbed the restaurant.
To all managers and owners of cash-based establishments: please get yourself a partner and a cell phone and set up a system to save your life. Here’s a basic security procedure that I have seen work at banks and check cashing stores: have one person unlock the door, while the other acts as a lookout, safely parked across the street with the cell phone turned on and ready to call for help at the first sign of trouble.
You should stagger the arrival time and change your travel route at random, so that nobody can detect a pattern. Once in a while, ask a nearby cop to watch you open up. And obviously, if you arrive and sense anything wrong at all, call the whole thing off and just keep driving.
This won’t ward off all robbers, but it definitely makes their job harder. Remember that criminals spend as much time planning crimes as you spend making an honest living. Stay alert, and keep them guessing!
How You Gonna Win?
Even when safety is taken care of, the nightmares and problems of a small business owner don’t end. One of my favorite Bed-Stuy merchants recently had a very public encounter with an irrational, obscenity-spewing landlord who decided to barge in and deliver verbal abuse and illegal threats of eviction in full view of customers. Mind you, this attack was on a small business that had already paid several months of rent in advance and honored every letter of its lease agreement.
The dispute was over how to complete an upgrade to a storefront. The landlord had failed to supply the place with air conditioning or electrical outlets, then threw a public tantrum out when the small business completed the needed repairs on its own. The landlord is not based in Bed-Stuy, but appears to have decided that gaining control of vacant parcels of land from the city carries with it the right to threaten and disrespect Central Brooklyn merchants at will.
The bright note in this story is the grace and patience with which the small business handled the situation. Instead of “going there” and answering the landlord’s obscenities in kind, the merchant quietly asserted its rights under the lease and politely told the landlord to go fly a kite. The whole incident-which is fast making the rounds of Bed-Stuy business and political circles-reminds me of the new Lauryn Hill song, where Miss L. sweetly asks the local gangster: how you gonna win, when you ain’t right within?
Hostile forces-from push-in criminals to bullying landlords-threaten small businesses at every turn. The incident underlines the need for every small business to have the name of a good attorney on file and ready for use when people try to interfere with the basic right to make a living.
Where the Jobs Are
Here’s how to get a job for $3.50. First, get The Chief, a newspaper which lists tons of jobs openings and examination dates for city, state and federal jobs. According to a recent edition, the U.S. Customs Service is looking to fill hundreds of Customs Inspector positions in New York, Florida, Texas and California. These are the people who check anyone entering or leaving the U.S.
The starting pay ranges from $21,000 to $27,000 and you need three years of work experience (unless you already have a college degree). The test date has not been announced yet, but you have to sign up for the test between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31. Call 800-944-7725 for more information and a test application.
After you’re finished reading The Chief, take the train or bus to the Central Brooklyn Neighborhood Employment Center (718-573-9197), our community’s one-stop source of training and job placement. In just over three years, CBNEC has placed more than 200 people in jobs, including public assistance recipients. The service is free, and walk-ins are accepted. The storefront office is at 796A Putnam Avenue, between Malcolm X Blvd. and Stuvesant Ave.
Errol T. Louis can be reached at (718) 623-9027 or via email: ErrolLouis@aol.com
Wayman Hale
cousin of the late
Mother Clara Hale:
“We are survivors. We were always survivors. And we’ve been walking all our lives. All our lives obstacles have been set up to prevent us from getting the proper education. As long as they can put black youth in jail, they are not afraid. This morning at 6am, there were thousands of police officers on churches, on rooftops. I brought my camera for that reason. The camera is a form of protection. Our youth must keep a level head and walk with this kind of protection. (Looking around) This is like Nazi Germany. Now you must always look to the roof. We’ll march right into the Millennium; we’re past tired. You can’t stop tired, determined people.
Toshay Zeigler
Coalition for the Homeless
There were very positive speeches. Some rhetoric regarding the Jews which I did not totally agree with and some references I wouldn’t make… but we’ve been through this. First Amendment Rights is God-given.
But outside of that, there were positive messages: involve yourself, do something with your life, stand up for one another and work together. These were the messages I received. I wasn’t coming at first. I was on by way to meet friends at Coney Island. But I got off the train at 125th Street, when the conductor – a black man – told passengers that the trains were being diverted because of the “hate march”. I couldn’t believe it. When he said that I just got off the train. Why would anyone call this a hate march? Right then and there, I wanted to be a part of it, to represent the youth of the city.
But after the march I realized we’ve got a nation that thinks the whole thing was racist. I called my brothers in Spokane, Washington, my sister in Washington, D.C. and a cousin in Jacksonville, Florida, so they know the real deal and will pass it on. Apparently it aired live in all those states, except ours.
I would like to see a debate between Mayor Giuliani and Khalid Muhammad. The mayor would be stuck. Members of the Coalition for the Homeless showed up at a community meeting where he was speaking. I stood up during his speech and asked, ‘What are your views on the homeless, sir?” The Mayor looked at me, and said, “You have to go.” I said, “Wait a minute. Why not answer the question.” And the cops grabbed a bunch of us and took us out. The mayor knows me very well. I attack him on every issue. He’s not doing what he said he would do during his campaign.
One of the riot cops told me it wasn’t his fault he was there. If I was told to jump in some riot gear, I’d say, the Hell with you. They had a choice. They were out for blood. He’s not going to fire 3500 cops. And some of the cops were crying, a block from the March. I turned to one on the train and said, “Tell me this, and be honest. Why did he send the riot police in at 3:50?” This was the moment of truth for this one police officer. He gave me the evil eye. He looked me dead in the eye but he didn’t respond.
Dr. Jack Felder
Teacher, Biochemist, Author
I’m a fighter for black human rights, national and international… I believe that black people have to be conscious before they can liberate themselves. And liberation must have information and organization. So I was anticipating participating in the organization of black youth so they wouldn’t have to go through life making the same mistakes. If you were at the march you would have seen how people supported him and that most of the messages were messages of liberation, not about anti-Semitism or hate. A liberator for oppressed people is considered a terrorist by the oppressor. When Nat Turner was a freedom fighter for black people the white slaveowners in Virginia called him a terrorist; Toussaint was a freedom fighter for the Black Haitians, but he was called a terrorist by French slavemasters. George Washington was a freedom fighter for the white Americans who owned plantations, but he was called a terrorist by British colonialists. Even though Washington was a patriot in American, he was considered a traitor to England.
As one of the speakers at the March, I spoke about AIDS and vaccinations. We had a number of people with positive receptive messages. I realized from the moment I arrived on 125th Street at 9:30am, we were not supposed to be on stage at 9a. From the moment I arrived at 125h Street and Malcolm X Blvd. I knew Black people were going to be in trouble that day. The barricades were metal not steel. There were water cannons, tanks, horses. And I was told that they had the Army Reserve on the waterfront by the Hudson River. In fact, I did see the Army when the vendors were removed. They were waiting in case the police failed.
“At 9:30am, I could not get on Malcolm X Blvd. The police blocked me. I walked up Adam Clayton Blvd. to 123rd Street. The side blocks were barricaded. And I was supposed to be a speaker I even saw them blocking the stageworkers who had to set up the stage.
“Also, the program did not start at 12 noon. The city did not allow the people in until 12 noon. Then I saw the menacing helicopters overhead, and I saw the thousands of police lining Malcolm X Blvd. We were surrounded by metal, penned in like cattle. Finally I was able to get behind the stage, by going under a truck. All the speakers were hemmed in by cops behind the stage, and Khalid Muhammad had to personally bring in the speakers, one and two at a time to the stage area. You could tell that some of the police wanted some kind of confrontation. That’s what was going through my mind. I felt something was going to happen so I interspersed with warnings. I saw a lot females with children and babies in carriages. The cops were waiting on one side. The audience was calm, well-behaved. There was something in the air. Everyone on stage felt there would be a bloodbath in Harlem. Khalid said he wasn’t going to speak because so many people wanted to speak. At 3:45 I knew he was not going to speak. He would close it and that would be it
“A most dangerous thing: at about 3:50, the cops formed a phalanx behind us. All white cops with guns batons, face shielded by helmets, lined up behind the stage, to bumrush it. Officers were giving orders. We saw them preparing. Khalid got all the women and children off the stage. At 3:52 the cops were in attack mode behind the stage. I took out my camera. At 3:54, Khalid took the microphone to warn people about what was happening. He warned them the in a way that they knew this was serious business. The last thing he said was “Go in peace.”
“The last few minutes all women and children were gone. There were a few guys on stage; everyman was for himself. We felt they would beat us and take us to
jail. At 4pm, I was taking pictures as cops charged up the stage. I jumped to the right. Then, jumped off before they took over the entire stage. Khalid was surrounded by his security guard. and probably went off to the side. They would have done damage to that man.
Cops were rushing towards me. They were moving towards the epicenter and the stage was epicenter. Anyone on the stage they were going to beat. Some young Black brothers from security and some who were in the street, surrounded me and grabbed me out of the way. They said, “We got to get you away from here, you are our alert elder. We can’t afford to lose you.” These young men surrounded us – me, Dr. Barashango and other speakers. They formed a circle around us, and got us out of the back area. I didn’t even know them. But they knew us. They took us to a car and it made me realize, we are valued by our youth.
Black people showed great calm and restraint in the face of being attacked and intimidated. I was very proud of my people that day.”
Officer T.
Law Enforcement
“I am thankful that the situation didn’t arise where anyone was punished for doing viable community work. I think the event overall was a good event. It was a good event despite the fact that it was not funded to the degree that the previous marches were. It lacked some of the structure of previous marches. That’s only because this March was organized under the extremely adverse conditions put forth by Mayor Giuliani.
“The Mayor was a Federal Prosecutor before he was elected into office. He’s aware of the limits of his office as it relates to Constitutional issues which means he willfully and knowingly denied these people their Constitutional rights to peaceful assembly; he prevented them from having a march, in clear violation of the agreement reached by the Judge. The restriction of access came to a point where I had to intervene for a handicapped individual trying to get home. He lived on the block for 40 years. Police was denying him access. He was in a wheelchair, and would have had to wheel 6 blocks out of his way. I wanted the captain’s information to file a complaint. I let the captain know it was inexcusable to engage in the fine-line policing that would not be done in another community just because this person did not have ID.
I have been on the job for 12 years. I have spent time on the Borough Task Force. My responsibilities have included responding to civil unrest at parades. Never in my career have I seen or heard about an event like this where people are denied access. Black people walked blocks and blocks out of their way. I have never seen court orders that limited the scope of a particular event. It’s either you can have it or it you can not have it. People were moved from one block to another: These idiosyncrasies were imposed upon the event organizers, but they prevailed despite all of it
“Black youth are the most vilified group of individuals on the planet. These are supposed to be the cutthroats. I was there from start to finish. I didn’t see any alcoholic beverage, one puff of marijuana. These are supposed to be uncontrollable young people. Yet, there was a message they wanted to hear. Conceptually, it is all African. No matter how much light is shone on others, sooner or later we’ve got to shine light on ourselves.
“(Regarding some of the complaints of Black Elected officials) The Black Elected officials have to do a little self-check. If they were in fact so virtuous, that type of dialogue would not be entertainment to our youth. If you make an indictment, you must also consider what are the conditions that make this type of profane dialogue acceptable, what are the conditions that bring about this type of profane dialogue. If it’s truth it is truth. We live our lives in such a way that when someone affects our lives, we have to look at the validity of their argument. If their language is couched in a context we like but is disturbing we have to look at in this light: Are the elected officials really doing our bidding? Are they doing our bidding? Are they consistent with democratic ideals? Or are they doing something other than what the community wants them to do? Khalid is really a powerless individual. He does not enact legislation. He does not enforce anything. The conditions in the African community give him power. Eliminate poor education, heavy-handed police, and all the isms, and Khalid would have no platform.”
Voices From the Crowd
Wayman Hale
cousin of the late
Mother Clara Hale:
“We are survivors. We were always survivors. And we’ve been walking all our lives. All our lives obstacles have been set up to prevent us from getting the proper education. As long as they can put black youth in jail, they are not afraid. This morning at 6am, there were thousands of police officers on churches, on rooftops. I brought my camera for that reason. The camera is a form of protection. Our youth must keep a level head and walk with this kind of protection. (Looking around) This is like Nazi Germany. Now you must always look to the roof. We’ll march right into the Millennium; we’re past tired. You can’t stop tired, determined people.
Toshay Zeigler
Coalition for the Homeless
There were very positive speeches. Some rhetoric regarding the Jews which I did not totally agree with and some references I wouldn’t make… but we’ve been through this. First Amendment Rights is God-given.
But outside of that, there were positive messages: involve yourself, do something with your life, stand up for one another and work together. These were the messages I received. I wasn’t coming at first. I was on by way to meet friends at Coney Island. But I got off the train at 125th Street, when the conductor – a black man – told passengers that the trains were being diverted because of the “hate march”. I couldn’t believe it. When he said that I just got off the train. Why would anyone call this a hate march? Right then and there, I wanted to be a part of it, to represent the youth of the city.
But after the march I realized we’ve got a nation that thinks the whole thing was racist. I called my brothers in Spokane, Washington, my sister in Washington, D.C. and a cousin in Jacksonville, Florida, so they know the real deal and will pass it on. Apparently it aired live in all those states, except ours.
I would like to see a debate between Mayor Giuliani and Khalid Muhammad. The mayor would be stuck. Members of the Coalition for the Homeless showed up at a community meeting where he was speaking. I stood up during his speech and asked, ‘What are your views on the homeless, sir?” The Mayor looked at me, and said, “You have to go.” I said, “Wait a minute. Why not answer the question.” And the cops grabbed a bunch of us and took us out. The mayor knows me very well. I attack him on every issue. He’s not doing what he said he would do during his campaign.
One of the riot cops told me it wasn’t his fault he was there. If I was told to jump in some riot gear, I’d say, the Hell with you. They had a choice. They were out for blood. He’s not going to fire 3500 cops. And some of the cops were crying, a block from the March. I turned to one on the train and said, “Tell me this, and be honest. Why did he send the riot police in at 3:50?” This was the moment of truth for this one police officer. He gave me the evil eye. He looked me dead in the eye but he didn’t respond.
Dr. Jack Felder
Teacher, Biochemist, Author
I’m a fighter for black human rights, national and international… I believe that black people have to be conscious before they can liberate themselves. And liberation must have information and organization. So I was anticipating participating in the organization of black youth so they wouldn’t have to go through life making the same mistakes. If you were at the march you would have seen how people supported him and that most of the messages were messages of liberation, not about anti-Semitism or hate. A liberator for oppressed people is considered a terrorist by the oppressor. When Nat Turner was a freedom fighter for black people the white slaveowners in Virginia called him a terrorist; Toussaint was a freedom fighter for the Black Haitians, but he was called a terrorist by French slavemasters. George Washington was a freedom fighter for the white Americans who owned plantations, but he was called a terrorist by British colonialists. Even though Washington was a patriot in American, he was considered a traitor to England.
As one of the speakers at the March, I spoke about AIDS and vaccinations. We had a number of people with positive receptive messages. I realized from the moment I arrived on 125th Street at 9:30am, we were not supposed to be on stage at 9a. From the moment I arrived at 125h Street and Malcolm X Blvd. I knew Black people were going to be in trouble that day. The barricades were metal not steel. There were water cannons, tanks, horses. And I was told that they had the Army Reserve on the waterfront by the Hudson River. In fact, I did see the Army when the vendors were removed. They were waiting in case the police failed.
“At 9:30am, I could not get on Malcolm X Blvd. The police blocked me. I walked up Adam Clayton Blvd. to 123rd Street. The side blocks were barricaded. And I was supposed to be a speaker I even saw them blocking the stageworkers who had to set up the stage.
“Also, the program did not start at 12 noon. The city did not allow the people in until 12 noon. Then I saw the menacing helicopters overhead, and I saw the thousands of police lining Malcolm X Blvd. We were surrounded by metal, penned in like cattle. Finally I was able to get behind the stage, by going under a truck. All the speakers were hemmed in by cops behind the stage, and Khalid Muhammad had to personally bring in the speakers, one and two at a time to the stage area. You could tell that some of the police wanted some kind of confrontation. That’s what was going through my mind. I felt something was going to happen so I interspersed with warnings. I saw a lot females with children and babies in carriages. The cops were waiting on one side. The audience was calm, well-behaved. There was something in the air. Everyone on stage felt there would be a bloodbath in Harlem. Khalid said he wasn’t going to speak because so many people wanted to speak. At 3:45 I knew he was not going to speak. He would close it and that would be it
“A most dangerous thing: at about 3:50, the cops formed a phalanx behind us. All white cops with guns batons, face shielded by helmets, lined up behind the stage, to bumrush it. Officers were giving orders. We saw them preparing. Khalid got all the women and children off the stage. At 3:52 the cops were in attack mode behind the stage. I took out my camera. At 3:54, Khalid took the microphone to warn people about what was happening. He warned them the in a way that they knew this was serious business. The last thing he said was “Go in peace.”
“The last few minutes all women and children were gone. There were a few guys on stage; everyman was for himself. We felt they would beat us and take us to
jail. At 4pm, I was taking pictures as cops charged up the stage. I jumped to the right. Then, jumped off before they took over the entire stage. Khalid was surrounded by his security guard. and probably went off to the side. They would have done damage to that man.
Cops were rushing towards me. They were moving towards the epicenter and the stage was epicenter. Anyone on the stage they were going to beat. Some young Black brothers from security and some who were in the street, surrounded me and grabbed me out of the way. They said, “We got to get you away from here, you are our alert elder. We can’t afford to lose you.” These young men surrounded us – me, Dr. Barashango and other speakers. They formed a circle around us, and got us out of the back area. I didn’t even know them. But they knew us. They took us to a car and it made me realize, we are valued by our youth.
Black people showed great calm and restraint in the face of being attacked and intimidated. I was very proud of my people that day.”
Officer T.
Law Enforcement
“I am thankful that the situation didn’t arise where anyone was punished for doing viable community work. I think the event overall was a good event. It was a good event despite the fact that it was not funded to the degree that the previous marches were. It lacked some of the structure of previous marches. That’s only because this March was organized under the extremely adverse conditions put forth by Mayor Giuliani.
“The Mayor was a Federal Prosecutor before he was elected into office. He’s aware of the limits of his office as it relates to Constitutional issues which means he willfully and knowingly denied these people their Constitutional rights to peaceful assembly; he prevented them from having a march, in clear violation of the agreement reached by the Judge. The restriction of access came to a point where I had to intervene for a handicapped individual trying to get home. He lived on the block for 40 years. Police was denying him access. He was in a wheelchair, and would have had to wheel 6 blocks out of his way. I wanted the captain’s information to file a complaint. I let the captain know it was inexcusable to engage in the fine-line policing that would not be done in another community just because this person did not have ID.
I have been on the job for 12 years. I have spent time on the Borough Task Force. My responsibilities have included responding to civil unrest at parades. Never in my career have I seen or heard about an event like this where people are denied access. Black people walked blocks and blocks out of their way. I have never seen court orders that limited the scope of a particular event. It’s either you can have it or it you can not have it. People were moved from one block to another: These idiosyncrasies were imposed upon the event organizers, but they prevailed despite all of it
“Black youth are the most vilified group of individuals on the planet. These are supposed to be the cutthroats. I was there from start to finish. I didn’t see any alcoholic beverage, one puff of marijuana. These are supposed to be uncontrollable young people. Yet, there was a message they wanted to hear. Conceptually, it is all African. No matter how much light is shone on others, sooner or later we’ve got to shine light on ourselves.
“(Regarding some of the complaints of Black Elected officials) The Black Elected officials have to do a little self-check. If they were in fact so virtuous, that type of dialogue would not be entertainment to our youth. If you make an indictment, you must also consider what are the conditions that make this type of profane dialogue acceptable, what are the conditions that bring about this type of profane dialogue. If it’s truth it is truth. We live our lives in such a way that when someone affects our lives, we have to look at the validity of their argument. If their language is couched in a context we like but is disturbing we have to look at in this light: Are the elected officials really doing our bidding? Are they doing our bidding? Are they consistent with democratic ideals? Or are they doing something other than what the community wants them to do? Khalid is really a powerless individual. He does not enact legislation. He does not enforce anything. The conditions in the African community give him power. Eliminate poor education, heavy-handed police, and all the isms, and Khalid would have no platform.”
Voices from the Crowd
cousin of the late
Mother Clara Hale:
“We are survivors. We were always survivors. And we’ve been walking all our lives. All our lives obstacles have been set up to prevent us from getting the proper education. As long as they can put black youth in jail, they are not afraid. This morning at 6am, there were thousands of police officers on churches, on rooftops. I brought my camera for that reason. The camera is a form of protection. Our youth must keep a level head and walk with this kind of protection. (Looking around) This is like Nazi Germany. Now you must always look to the roof. We’ll march right into the Millennium; we’re past tired. You can’t stop tired, determined people.
Toshay Zeigler
Coalition for the Homeless
There were very positive speeches. Some rhetoric regarding the Jews which I did not totally agree with and some references I wouldn’t make… but we’ve been through this. First Amendment Rights is God-given.
But outside of that, there were positive messages: involve yourself, do something with your life, stand up for one another and work together. These were the messages I received. I wasn’t coming at first. I was on by way to meet friends at Coney Island. But I got off the train at 125th Street, when the conductor – a black man – told passengers that the trains were being diverted because of the “hate march”. I couldn’t believe it. When he said that I just got off the train. Why would anyone call this a hate march? Right then and there, I wanted to be a part of it, to represent the youth of the city.
But after the march I realized we’ve got a nation that thinks the whole thing was racist. I called my brothers in Spokane, Washington, my sister in Washington, D.C. and a cousin in Jacksonville, Florida, so they know the real deal and will pass it on. Apparently it aired live in all those states, except ours.
I would like to see a debate between Mayor Giuliani and Khalid Muhammad. The mayor would be stuck. Members of the Coalition for the Homeless showed up at a community meeting where he was speaking. I stood up during his speech and asked, ‘What are your views on the homeless, sir?” The Mayor looked at me, and said, “You have to go.” I said, “Wait a minute. Why not answer the question.” And the cops grabbed a bunch of us and took us out. The mayor knows me very well. I attack him on every issue. He’s not doing what he said he would do during his campaign.
One of the riot cops told me it wasn’t his fault he was there. If I was told to jump in some riot gear, I’d say, the Hell with you. They had a choice. They were out for blood. He’s not going to fire 3500 cops. And some of the cops were crying, a block from the March. I turned to one on the train and said, “Tell me this, and be honest. Why did he send the riot police in at 3:50?” This was the moment of truth for this one police officer. He gave me the evil eye. He looked me dead in the eye but he didn’t respond.
Dr. Jack Felder
Teacher, Biochemist, Author
I’m a fighter for black human rights, national and international… I believe that black people have to be conscious before they can liberate themselves. And liberation must have information and organization. So I was anticipating participating in the organization of black youth so they wouldn’t have to go through life making the same mistakes. If you were at the march you would have seen how people supported him and that most of the messages were messages of liberation, not about anti-Semitism or hate. A liberator for oppressed people is considered a terrorist by the oppressor. When Nat Turner was a freedom fighter for black people the white slaveowners in Virginia called him a terrorist; Toussaint was a freedom fighter for the Black Haitians, but he was called a terrorist by French slavemasters. George Washington was a freedom fighter for the white Americans who owned plantations, but he was called a terrorist by British colonialists. Even though Washington was a patriot in American, he was considered a traitor to England.
As one of the speakers at the March, I spoke about AIDS and vaccinations. We had a number of people with positive receptive messages. I realized from the moment I arrived on 125th Street at 9:30am, we were not supposed to be on stage at 9a. From the moment I arrived at 125h Street and Malcolm X Blvd. I knew Black people were going to be in trouble that day. The barricades were metal not steel. There were water cannons, tanks, horses. And I was told that they had the Army Reserve on the waterfront by the Hudson River. In fact, I did see the Army when the vendors were removed. They were waiting in case the police failed.
“At 9:30am, I could not get on Malcolm X Blvd. The police blocked me. I walked up Adam Clayton Blvd. to 123rd Street. The side blocks were barricaded. And I was supposed to be a speaker I even saw them blocking the stageworkers who had to set up the stage.
“Also, the program did not start at 12 noon. The city did not allow the people in until 12 noon. Then I saw the menacing helicopters overhead, and I saw the thousands of police lining Malcolm X Blvd. We were surrounded by metal, penned in like cattle. Finally I was able to get behind the stage, by going under a truck. All the speakers were hemmed in by cops behind the stage, and Khalid Muhammad had to personally bring in the speakers, one and two at a time to the stage area. You could tell that some of the police wanted some kind of confrontation. That’s what was going through my mind. I felt something was going to happen so I interspersed with warnings. I saw a lot females with children and babies in carriages. The cops were waiting on one side. The audience was calm, well-behaved. There was something in the air. Everyone on stage felt there would be a bloodbath in Harlem. Khalid said he wasn’t going to speak because so many people wanted to speak. At 3:45 I knew he was not going to speak. He would close it and that would be it
“A most dangerous thing: at about 3:50, the cops formed a phalanx behind us. All white cops with guns batons, face shielded by helmets, lined up behind the stage, to bumrush it. Officers were giving orders. We saw them preparing. Khalid got all the women and children off the stage. At 3:52 the cops were in attack mode behind the stage. I took out my camera. At 3:54, Khalid took the microphone to warn people about what was happening. He warned them the in a way that they knew this was serious business. The last thing he said was “Go in peace.”
“The last few minutes all women and children were gone. There were a few guys on stage; everyman was for himself. We felt they would beat us and take us to
jail. At 4pm, I was taking pictures as cops charged up the stage. I jumped to the right. Then, jumped off before they took over the entire stage. Khalid was surrounded by his security guard. and probably went off to the side. They would have done damage to that man.
Cops were rushing towards me. They were moving towards the epicenter and the stage was epicenter. Anyone on the stage they were going to beat. Some young Black brothers from security and some who were in the street, surrounded me and grabbed me out of the way. They said, “We got to get you away from here, you are our alert elder. We can’t afford to lose you.” These young men surrounded us – me, Dr. Barashango and other speakers. They formed a circle around us, and got us out of the back area. I didn’t even know them. But they knew us. They took us to a car and it made me realize, we are valued by our youth.
Black people showed great calm and restraint in the face of being attacked and intimidated. I was very proud of my people that day.”
Officer T.
Law Enforcement
“I am thankful that the situation didn’t arise where anyone was punished for doing viable community work. I think the event overall was a good event. It was a good event despite the fact that it was not funded to the degree that the previous marches were. It lacked some of the structure of previous marches. That’s only because this March was organized under the extremely adverse conditions put forth by Mayor Giuliani.
“The Mayor was a Federal Prosecutor before he was elected into office. He’s aware of the limits of his office as it relates to Constitutional issues which means he willfully and knowingly denied these people their Constitutional rights to peaceful assembly; he prevented them from having a march, in clear violation of the agreement reached by the Judge. The restriction of access came to a point where I had to intervene for a handicapped individual trying to get home. He lived on the block for 40 years. Police was denying him access. He was in a wheelchair, and would have had to wheel 6 blocks out of his way. I wanted the captain’s information to file a complaint. I let the captain know it was inexcusable to engage in the fine-line policing that would not be done in another community just because this person did not have ID.
I have been on the job for 12 years. I have spent time on the Borough Task Force. My responsibilities have included responding to civil unrest at parades. Never in my career have I seen or heard about an event like this where people are denied access. Black people walked blocks and blocks out of their way. I have never seen court orders that limited the scope of a particular event. It’s either you can have it or it you can not have it. People were moved from one block to another: These idiosyncrasies were imposed upon the event organizers, but they prevailed despite all of it
“Black youth are the most vilified group of individuals on the planet. These are supposed to be the cutthroats. I was there from start to finish. I didn’t see any alcoholic beverage, one puff of marijuana. These are supposed to be uncontrollable young people. Yet, there was a message they wanted to hear. Conceptually, it is all African. No matter how much light is shone on others, sooner or later we’ve got to shine light on ourselves.
“(Regarding some of the complaints of Black Elected officials) The Black Elected officials have to do a little self-check. If they were in fact so virtuous, that type of dialogue would not be entertainment to our youth. If you make an indictment, you must also consider what are the conditions that make this type of profane dialogue acceptable, what are the conditions that bring about this type of profane dialogue. If it’s truth it is truth. We live our lives in such a way that when someone affects our lives, we have to look at the validity of their argument. If their language is couched in a context we like but is disturbing we have to look at in this light: Are the elected officials really doing our bidding? Are they doing our bidding? Are they consistent with democratic ideals? Or are they doing something other than what the community wants them to do? Khalid is really a powerless individual. He does not enact legislation. He does not enforce anything. The conditions in the African community give him power. Eliminate poor education, heavy-handed police, and all the isms, and Khalid would have no platform.”