BY JOE KLEIDON AND HATTIE McCUTCHEON
PHILADELPHIA - The National Association of Black
Journalists (NABJ) held its 20th anniversary convention
here August 16-19. Under the theme "Looking Back; Moving
Forward," the convention discussions reflected deepening
concern about the rightward shift of politics in the United
States; the increased attacks on Black rights, especially
affirmative action; and the role of Black journalists. Some
2,000 people attended the gathering.
The issue that took center stage at the convention was a debate on the case of framed-up Black activist and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Since June the NABJ board has come under criticism from supporters of Abu-Jamal and many of its own members for its refusal to take a stand on the death row inmate's request for a new trial. Abu-Jamal was formerly the president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NABJ.
Several large chapters, including New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, called on the organization to support the call for a new trial. NABJ founding members Joe Davidson, Les Payne, Vernon Jarrett, and Acel Moore, together with former vice president Betty Baye, drafted a letter to the membership saying that in the interest of justice, "we unequivocally call for a new trial." At the convention, an intense four-hour debate ensued over Abu- Jamal's case.
After several rounds of voting, board members finally voted 34-15 with 3 abstentions on a compromise statement that stops short of calling for a new trial for the framed activist. That statement reads, "Believing in the sanctity of life and justice for all, the NABJ hereby calls for a full and fair disclosure and judicial examination of all the facts involved in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal."
Davidson organized a forum at the convention's opening day on the case. Panelists included Abu-Jamal's chief defense attorney, Leonard Weinglass, and Joseph McGill, former district attorney and prosecutor at Abu-Jamal's 1982 trial.
Other panel discussions at the convention included: Assault on Affirmative Action; The First Amendment: Domestic Terrorism vs. Free Speech; Caribbean Crisis: Haiti and Cuba in the Eye of a Storm; Black Columnists Under Fire; and Campus Racial Issues and the Student Press.
A special presentation was given by NAACP president Myrlie Evers-Williams, who condemned ongoing attacks on affirmative action. She said, "Do not tell me we live in a color-blind society. All you have to do is rent an apartment, attempt to get a taxi or go to certain schools - you'll see the playing field isn't level. We need affirmative action more because of the trend happening today, not yesterday."
Presentations were also given by Harvard professor Cornell West, author of the best-seller Race Matters and advocate for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and by Johnnie Cochran Jr., lead attorney in the O.J. Simpson trial.
An ongoing "Job Fair" at the convention featured booths by major news media. At the fair managers for the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News attempted to recruit journalists to cross picket lines and become scabs for the 2,500 workers currently on strike against the papers.
At the same time, a leaflet from striking workers was distributed protesting the recruitment and urging people not to be strikebreakers. The flyers read, "Don't believe the hype! If you're a journalist working for a daily newspaper, what happens here will affect you. Please resist the lure of short-term gain and focus on a future that should include just, equitable contracts for journalists across the country."