FULL STORIES
Over 3,000 Students Walked
Out of Classes
Students throughout the Pittsburgh area
walked out of classes around 10:00am.
The
student movement was organized in part by the
"Mobilization of African Students for Justice",
a group formed in response to the acquittal of Brentwood
Officer John Vojtas last week.
Pittsburgh
Public School spokeswoman Pat Crawford said that
2,870 students left classes according to the records of
the district. Other equally impressive numbers were
recorded at the Wilkinsburg area high school where 486 of
the district's 1,400 students left classes.
Students
March on Downtown in Numbers
So where did several thousand
students go after marching out of their classes? Not home
but Downtown.
The
students were Downtown not to get a jump on the holiday
shopping frenzy but instead to encourage one another to
boycott the stores and the holidays until resolves are
reached and justice is served.
Shortly
before noon a long stream of concerned youths marched
from Freedom Corner outside of the NAACP in Hill District
to the City-County building in Downtown to protest among
many things the Vojtas verdict.
The
students carried signs, many of which read "Welcome
to Brentwood, we kill black people" and "Arrest
Brutality".
Their
outrage at the system that has failed them and their
communities was quite visible, unlike in their elders and
other factions of in the Pittsburgh area.
Sala
Udin a member of the Pittsburgh City council told the
students that it was important that they missed the day
by walking out of classes and encouraged them to continue
doing the correct things.
Unity
was the meal on the menu. Youths took the mic in hand and
encouraged each other to get together and work on issues
rather than continuing to be at odds with each other.
National
NAACP Lawyer says District Attorney is Doing a Good
Job
(and other equally
unimportant thing)
Willie
Abrams, a member of the general counsel for the NAACP
visited Pittsburgh. Abrams left with a mouthful of
acceptance seemingly meant to appease the community.
At a
press meeting he said that the prosecutor had selected
the correct means by which to approach the case and
agreed on such approach. Abrams however did not agree on
the outcome reached in the verdict of officer John
Vojtas.
At the
request of Abrams and the NAACP Pittsburgh Mayor Murphy
will send a letter to the U.S. Attorney Janet Reno
requesting the investigation of a possible civil rights
violation in the death of motorist Jonny Gammage who died
after a routine traffic stop.
Deputy
Mayor Tom Cox said that Murphy at the request of Abrams
was considering a U.S. Justice Department program which
sends local experts into communities to help remove
tensions between police and residents.
Can Stevens Balance a
Career and Maintain NAACP President Position?
Tim
Stevens was re-elected to a second two-year term as
President of the Pittsburgh branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In the
most unannounced election anyone can remember Stevens
defeated Charles Graham of East Liberty in balloting at
the Hill House auditorium.
Graham
who is retired questioned in his campaign the amount of
time that Stevens could dedicate to his unpaid position
as President.
Stevens
currently is director of volunteer services at Mayview
State Hospital in Bridgeville.
Socialist's Voice Support In
Justice for Jonny
When
you think of the Southside of Pittsburgh on a Friday
night what comes to mind? The seemingly endless strip of
bars though has an interesting neighbor who is open
for visitors on Friday night.
Every
Friday evening The Pathfinder bookstore located along
Carson street offers a forum such as that held this
evening which discussed the Jonny Gammage case from the
activists' perspective followed by an audience
participation section.
Taken up
for discussion concerning the Gammage case were the
NAACP's handling of the case, racism, discrimination in
the workplace and other similar matters brought to light
by the case. Speakers included Derba James Bailey of the
Campus Coalition for Peace and Justice, Malcolm Jarrett
of the Young Socialists and Cornell Womack President of
the University of Pittsburgh chapter of Committee to Free
Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Audience
participation was most fascinating. Unlike other forums I
have been to elsewhere a majority of the audience
numbering in the 30s had something to share.
I highly
recommend visiting the Pathfinder Bookstore located at
1103 E. Carson Street where you will also find a large
collection of books including works by Lenin and Malcom
X, literature about Cointel Pro and the embargo against
Cuba.
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