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Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! DEC. 13, 2007 VOL. 49, NO. 49 50¢ Victory in Rhode Island Crisis Colombia y Venezuela 12 Buses liberated CHAVEZ: ‘Continue to build socialism’ on Rosa Parks Day Referendum setback By Frank Neisser During the meeting, activists spoke on prisons, environmen- Providence, R.I. in Venezuela 9 tal racism and hunger in Rhode Island, showing how much had to be done. The number of people in prison in the state has Dec. 1 is Rosa Parks Day. In Rhode Island this year, it was increased by 700 percent in the last 20 years. The rate of incar- offi cially Rosa Parks Day, and everyone rode public transporta- ceration for Black males is eight times that of white males. tion for free in honor of the Civil Rights heroine, who died in Environmental racism feeds directly into the track to school 2005 at the age of 92. absence and jail. Lead-paint poisoning and asthma from rats, What brought this people’s victory to the smallest state was roaches and pollution are the leading causes of school absence. a concerted public campaign that started two years ago. The Schools are built on top of toxic waste sites. local Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee had aimed at Hunger is also on the rise. According to the census bureau, the 2005 date—the 50th anniversary of the day Parks refused 48,000 people were hungry during the year and 16,000 were to give up her seat on the Birmingham, Ala., bus to a white hungry regularly during 2004-2006, up by 3,000 in each cat- MUMIA ABU-JAMAL man and launched the struggle that won equality on that city’s egory from 2001-2003. And Rhode Island is cutting back on transit system. food stamp workers. 2 A case of media bias In Providence, as well as in New York, Boston and other cit- In the discussion on these points, community activist Asata ies that year, local committees demanded and got city councils Tigrai pointed out that these drastic conditions must all be to pass resolutions declaring Dec. 1 “Rosa Parks Human Rights traced back to capitalism and to money that is going to kill Day.” people in Iraq. In 2006 in Rhode Island, the House passed the resolution, Everett Muhammad of the Nation of Islam chaired the con- FIGHT IMPERIALISM, which the Senate signed in 2007. This not only made Rhode ference and spoke on Rosa Parks’ legacy. Island the fi rst state to honor Parks Day, but the resolution Jasmine Woodbury, youth organizer for DARE youth, STAND TOGETHER urged free transportation on the Rhode Island Public Transit described the program to train youths as organizers and activ- • Cops attack Denver Authority (RIPTA) buses. ists, including teaching political terms, public speaking, media Black activist This year the RIPTA board acted on the resolution and and information on great civil rights leaders like Rosa Parks. declared the bus rides free. Local activists say they will continue She described the community organizing project that got the • ‘Bushwick 32’ the struggle to ensure that the practice is made permanent. school disciplinary code revised to reduce the number of sus- supporters arrested Providence’s Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee, pensions and involves the community and youth themselves in which organized the struggle and which has held commemora- monitoring how the schools apply the revised code. • Tribute to Lin Biao 6-7 tions in December each year since 2005, this year conducted a Lisa Reels read Leonard Peltier’s statement to the 2007 community activists’ conference on Dec. 1 on the State of Human National Day of Mourning march in Plymouth, Mass. Everyone Rights in Rhode Island. More than 60 people, mostly from the at the conference gave a rousing round of applause to Billy African-American community, attended the conference. Kennedy, a retired steelworker who is a member of the RIPTA ANNAPOLIS, PALESTINE board and fought tirelessly to have the free fare on Rosa Parks Conference discusses action Day adopted. State Senator Howard Metts spoke on oppos- & ANTI-IRAN ALLIANCE The event discussed strategies for fi ghting back against mas- ing hospital mergers. Robert Parham read poetry from both sive looming state budget cuts, including building for a march Langston Hughes and the Lost Poets. 10 WW commentary on the State House in Providence on April 4, 2008, the anniver- Larry Woodbury, a youth coordinator with the Rosa Parks sary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the 40th Human Rights Day committee and member of Fight Imperialism, anniversary of the Poor Peoples Campaign. Stand Together (FIST), presented a verse, saying in part, “The people got to unite as our future isn’t so great as the rich keep getting richer, LOU DOBBS World AIDS Day slavery is in sight. They got our youth Why he must be in the prisons, African Americans in jails. It cost $68,000 to free Michael stopped 5 Bell. And our houses are for sale, the banks is buying them out. I’m starting to think the rich want us to move down South. Sometimes I think about Ms. TIJUANA Parks to shut my mouth and ease my pain. Nonviolence, I’ll try those things. CONFERENCE But there still remains that line you cannot pass. Keep killing our youth and Uniting workers’ watch City Hall go up in a fl ash.” n struggles Rosa Parks, Dec. 1, 1955 worldwide 9 WW PHOTO: LIZ GREEN Above, Boston College's Subscribe to Workers World Phaymus Dance Company 4 weeks trial subscription: $1 One year: $25 performs on Dec. 1. See page 3 article. NAME PHONE EMAIL Right, members of Rosa Parks ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP Human Rights Day Committee, WORKERS WORLD NEWSPAPER Providence, Dec. 1. 55 W. 17 St. NY, NY 10011 212-627-2994 www.workers.org WW PHOTO: ED CHILDS Page 2 Dec. 13, 2007 www.workers.org Media bias in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal H In the U.S. Buses liberated on Rosa Parks Day . 1 By Betsey Piette by also featuring as guests Media bias in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal . 2 Philadelphia Linn Washington, Jr., Philadelphia Tribune col- New Orleans demolition of public housing . 3 As the case of Pennsylvania death-row political umnist and associate profes- New York crowd demands 'Free the SF8!' . 3 prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal enters its 27th year, sor of journalism at Temple ‘A job is a right! Housing is a right!’ . 4 despite the growing body of evidence that sup- University, and Dr. Suzanne Lou Dobbs: Why he must be stopped . 5 ports both his innocence and the charge that he was Ross, clinical psychologist Black activist attacked by Denver police . 6 denied a fair trial, the mainstream media have been and co-chair of the Free ' Bushwick 32' supporters arrested on phony charges . 6 relentless in their bias against this award-winning Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, African-American journalist. This media bias is well NYC. The International Student group formed on Rosa Parks Day . 6 documented by Covert Action Quarterly, FAIR.ORG, Action Center also helped Committee steps up defense of Victor Toro . 7 and the documentary film “Framing an Execution.” launch an online petition for Media coverage was sparse during Abu-Jamal’s May 17 people to send to MSNBC. Go to www.iacenter.org. H Around the world Philadelphia hearing before a three-judge panel from the As of result of the campaign, “Today” scheduled a tele- World AIDS Day observed . 3 United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The judges phone interview with Pam Africa of ICFFMAJ, who pro- Remembering Lin Biao . 7 heard oral arguments on four different issues regarding vided them with a press packet on the case. Afghanistan: Reaction to NATO massacres . 8 the fairness of the original 1982 trial. Attorneys for Abu- The Fraternal Order of Police and the state powers Lavender & red, part 116 . 8 Jamal, including Christina Swarns of the NAACP Legal that want to execute Mumia Abu-Jamal have always Chávez on referendum: 49% say yes to socialism . 9 Defense Fund, argued that there is strong evidence that counted on people’s ignorance of and confusion about a racist judge and racist jury practices contributed to the the facts surrounding this case. Since most people will Confrontation at Venezuelan Consulate . 9 sentencing of Abu-Jamal to death row. never read the trial transcripts, the FOP feels free to Tijuana conference . 9 Only progressive media like The San Francisco Bay present its own “facts”–lies that are never challenged Annapolis conference . 10 View, a national Black newspaper, have published any of and frequently repeated by mainstream media outlets U.S. resisters continue fight for Canada asylum . 10 the 26 crime scene photos taken by photographer Pedro like the Philadelphia Inquirer. That newspaper publishes Meeting plans int'l conference . 11 P. Polakoff. The photos—which the 1982 jury never saw— a regular column by the pro-death-penalty Smerconish, Israel wages war on Gaza population . 11 call into serious question the prosecution’s scenario. who recently tried out to replace “Imus in the Morning” But with a ruling from the May 17 appellate court on WNBC after host Don Imus was fired for racist H Editorials anticipated at any time, the big-business press and their remarks. A vicious cycle . 10 allies in the Fraternal Order of Police are rehashing an The official myths have been rehashed by former old tactic in their arsenal: trial by front page and jury Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Buzz Bissinger in Vanity H Noticias En Español made up of talk-show hosts.