NAACP Gets Klan Assets in Forsyth Case ,Settlelllent
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
» o o ;>0 m (n (n on ;>0 ;>0 m n o-i Z ;>0 om C m ~ mo ~g~rER~ --------.. ~y ~"1 VOL. 24 iili~ JANUARY A PUBLICATION OF THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER ___N_O_._l W_1 1_99_4 K_L_A_N_W_A_T_C_H_e_T_E_A_C_H_I_N_G_T_O_L_E_R_A_N_C_E _ NAACP Gets Klan Assets in Forsyth Case ,Settlelllent • Tools of hate used by the marchers who were attacked erhood and better race rela Invisible Empire, Knights of by a Klan-led mob in Forsyth tions," said SPLC President the Ku Klux Klan will now County, Ga., in January 1987. Morris Dees. help further the interests of The inventory included a com people the white suprema puter, typewriters, a copying Death of an Empire cists sought to oppress. machine, air conditioners, The settlement approved in The North Carolina-based desks, chairs and other sup- May by an Atlanta federal hate group turned over its . plies. court marked the end of a office equipment to the Wake "It's ironically fitting that long legal struggle and the County chapter of the ~AACP equipment and supplies used death of the Invisible Empire, on Sept. 3 as part 0 a settle y the largest an group in the country's largesL and mo t ment of a lawsuit filed by the the country to foster intoler violent Klan group. The Klan Southern Poverty Law Center ance and create disharmony group was forced under the on behalf of civil rights will now help promote broth- settlement to disband its net work of chapters in 20 states Infront cfa statue ofMartin Luther KingJr. in Raleigh, N. c., Invisible from Maine to California, give Empire assets are turned over to the Wake County c1uJpter ofthe NAACP. up all its assets and pay the From left: SPLC President Morris Dees; Georgia State Rep. Billy McKin civil rightS marchers $37,500. ney; Rev. H.B. Pickett, NAACP; and SPLC local counselfim Fuller. (continued on page 6) Klanstnan's Deathbed Confession Leads to FBI Investigation The Shadow of Hate Teaching Kit • At the request of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the FBI is conducting an investigation to in Production determine if its agents knew that one of their informants was involved in the killing of a black man 36 years ago. • Production of the sec is heading the project. "'We Ex-Klansman Henry Alexander made a deathbed ond Teaching Tolerance overcame them, but these confession to his wife last December that he and at video--and-text kit, entitled challenges rocur. In a free least three other men forced Willie Edwards Jr. to The Shadow of Hate, is society, where there are jump to his death from an Alabama River bridge underway. The film, text multiple religions, ways of on Jan. 23, 1957. Alexander also told his wife that book and teacher's guide life, values and traditions, he had been a paid FBI informant. that comprise this package there is a constant struggle SPLC President Morris Dees, who represents will examine the varied to remain a- tolerant whole. Edwards' family, asked the FBI in August to pro forms that intolerance has We need to come to terms duce Alexander's government records. taken throughout U.S. his with this responsibility if "The family wants to know what the FBI knew tory. our ideals ¥e to survive." WiUie Edwards about him, and if he was working for the govern- "There were times in Guggenheim's assistants ment at the time of the murder," Dees said. "If the our history that we now have completed the re records show that FBI agents wex:e negligent in handling Alexander as an informant or consider almost unthink search phase and are cur that they had prior knowledge of his propensity for violence and continued to employ able," says AcademyAward rently conducting inter his services, the Edwards family will consider bringing legal action against the United winning film producer views around the country States to compensate them for Willie Edwards' death." Charles Guggenheim, who (continued on p4ge 5) (continued on page 6) " PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER MAILBOX Klanwatch to Offer For once I am delighted to Without an effort to under have been on someone's stand other people, as well as Two Special Reports mailing list! I have long been to constructively communi an admirer of the work done cate, there is no society. by the SPLC. My contribu - L. and P.Judge tions are so small as to be Torrance, Calif. in Spring 1994 almost symbolic, but my heart is happy about supporting Thank you for telling me what I feel to be the signifi about the eight Los Angeles • The Klanwatch project of the SPLC will citizens when hate crimes occur. cant issue of our time. Every Skinheads affiliated with the publish two Special Reports in the spring of Breaking the Chains of the Hate Movement time I mail a check I will be white supremacist Church of 1994. will focus on the conversion of racists: what reminded and encouraged to the Creator who were arrest Combating Hate: A Police/Community makes dedicated white supremacists decide do whatever I can in my local ed for plotting to start a race Response Guide will be printed in two ver to renounce their beliefs, the problems community. war. It is discouraging to have sions, one for law enforcement officials and reformed racists then face from their former -So OlurchiU a case like this come up when one for community leaders. The first ver allies in the hate movement, and some sug Hillsbqro, Ore. the Center's funds are need sion will provide suggestions for law officers gestions on encouraging white supremacists· ed for the Teaching Toler on how to prepare for and respond to hate to give up their hateful doctrines. Having lived in the Los ance project. I am going to rallies or marches in their area as well as The reports, S{;heduled for publication Angeles area our entire lives, add a little to my pledge, as I strategies for dealing with hate crimes. The this spring, will be sent to any law enforce it has become very apparent can, from time to time. secoryl version will give tips on what com ment officials, community groups, human to both of us that what affects -E. Hunt munities can do to counteract white relations commissions and individuals who others in our city eventually S. Yannouth, Mass. supremacists' hate-filled rhetoric and unify request them. affects all of us [and] the country as a whole. Teaching Keep up the good work. I tolerance of others who are want to see more convictions 'different' from 'us' is vital to against the Klan and other the cohesion of our society. white suproemacist groups. Your center seems to be one of tf.1e few to achieve tangible results in the fight against racism, which is why you are receiving my contribution. -J. Lyndr. SPLC Boulder, Colo. REPORT Thank you for sending us the video. It is a summation VOL. 24 No. 1 JANUARY 1994 of our knowledge of the out spoken and veiled hatred and SPiC Report Editor bigotry we have been aware Elsie Williams of all our lives. That there is a Southern Poverty dedicated organization such Law Center as the SPLC working to com Chairman of the Board bat this intolerable scourge is Joseph J. -levin, Jr. almost unbelievable. Directors of the Board - J.L.H. andJ.G.H. Patricia Clark Francis M. Green Hope, Ark. Judge Rufus Huffman Howard Mandell Jack Watson Thank you so much for President your outstanding work in the Darrow~ Morris Dees field of human relations and by Clarence 1 Executive Director your continuing efforts to found this book to be Edward Ashworth enact social change. I have one of the greatest Legal Director just received my first issue of books I have read! ... J. Richard Cohen Teaching Tolerance, and it cer- I se eople being Mail Operations Director tainly has given me good Mamie Jackson . ideas and has encouraged me njustly Planned Giving Director to feel supported for some of to stop Amelia Montjoy my own work with my school but I c ~t wait for the Fundraising Director district. It helps to know that day when I can fight it David Watson others share the desire to try in a courtroom. I hope K1anwakh Director for a kinder world. Danny Welch that one day I will be -E. Picard able-to visit the South* Teaching Tolerance Beachwood, Ohio Director ern Poverty Law Cen Sara Bullard ter in Alabama. And I know one day Creative Director We welcome letters from all Paul F. Newman Southern Poverty Law Center for sure I will be fighting racial injus Administrator & supporters. Send your comments tice in America. Secretary/Treasurer and suggestions to: JoAnn Chancellor SPLC Mailbox Sincerely, The SPLC Report is published by Makis Antzoulatos the Southern Poverty Law Center 400 Washington Ave. 400 Washington Ave. Montgomery, AL 36104 Montgomery, AL 36104 PAGE 2 SPLC REPORT • JANUARY 1994 Ex-Klansman Pleads Judicial Elections Guilty to Sending Death Unfair in Alabama, Threat to Morris Dees Cohen Argues • On November 1, Center involved in- voting rights liti black voters. At the time the Legal Director Richard gation. In one of the first suit was filed, only one mem Cohen argued a voting rights cases of its kind, the Center ber of the state legislature case that is likely to have a far was black. Today, there are reaching impact on the 24 black members. The Cen Alabamajudiciary. ter hopes the Alabama judi The case concerns the ciary case will have a similar method of electing Alabama impact.