Fighting Fire With Love
By Alton H. Maddox, Jr.
I started writing regularly for the New York Amsterdam News at the same time that Elinor Tatum became its Publisher and Editor in Chief. This was a difficult time for the Tatum family. Bill was going through a series of medical operations both in the United States and in Europe. He was paralyzed from an accident.
New York Amsterdam News is more that a century-old. It is an historic institution. Many great Black writers have written for the newspaper including but not limited to W.E.B. DuBois, J.A. Rogers and Louis Clayton Jones. It was an honor for me to follow in their footsteps and maintain the high standards they set in informing and educating our people. Information is power.
Although I have had to spend hundreds of dollars weekly to publish the articles, I understand that the newspaper was unable to pay for the relative value of my work (six figures annually) or the weekly expenses to publish it. High standards require scholarship and industriousness.
Moreover, I was unwilling to trade-in my independence for chump change. It is better to be a good Samaritan than an independent contractor or employee. The research, editing and writing of the articles consume countless hours weekly and include a staff of two other persons.
When you love your people, you are willing to make the sacrifice. I also love the Tatums—Bill, Susan and Elinor. During the months that Bill was in hospitals, I visited him weekly. Many times my grandchildren were with me. Young children can cheer up a hospitalized person.
My love is for Black people. During my tenure as a lawyer, I waived millions of dollars in legal fees to represent unpopular as well as poor people in addition to the Black community pro bono. This competent and zealous representation upset New York’s three branches of government. They retaliated in 1990 with faint opposition.
The list of pro bono cases included but are not limited to Michael Stewart (Reform of NYC ME’s Office), Howard Beach (Special Prosecutor), Bensonhurst (Joseph Fama - 33 yrs. in prison), NYC litigation for a non-white Schools Chancellor (Anthony Alvarado), Black United Front (Congressional Hearings on Police Brutality), Black Liberation Army (Brinks Bank Robbery), Coalition for a Just New York, Schomburg Coalition (Struggle against Hiring of White Archivist), Kirkland v. Cuomo (Retaliation in Malcolm X Assassination), National Association of Black Social Workers (Transracial Adoptions), Coalition for Community Empowerment, Medgar Evers College Center for Law and Social Justice (Founder), Rev. Al Sharpton (70 counts on tax charges and grand larceny), Anthony Davis (murder of white teacher), Andre Nichols (murder of white Catholic priest), Central Park jogger case, Hicks v. Bieber (Displaced Workers), Preston Wilcox, Charles Barron, Willie Bosket, Jonah Perry (Frame-up of Witness in Police Murder Case), Marla Hanson case and Tawana Brawley (Special Prosecutor and Defense of Black Women).
After my legal career, I have been virtually shunned by my own people. In most circles, I am an outlaw for refusing to back down to white supremacy. Black-oriented radio and television stations have banned me from the public airwaves. Except for Earl Caldwell, I am also banned from WBAI-FM. My friends in Black radio are limited to the City College radio station (Black Leroy) and Junior Jawara Blake on 93.5 FM.
Unless President-elect Barack Hussein Obama is willing to follow in the footsteps of Marcus Garvey, Harry Moore, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin L. King, Jr., among others, he will be of no help to us in the White House. Love for Black people means personal sacrifice. Even Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were assassinated. Senator Robert Kennedy was also assassinated.
At this very moment, whites are arming themselves to the teeth. Membership in the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups are on the rise. Although Obama won by a landslide in the Electoral College, he won only 52 % of the popular vote while McCain won 46%. This means that white supremacists still, overwhelmingly, outnumber other whites.
This is not the time for Elinor Tatum to substantially trim down my forecasts. This is exactly the aim of my articles. I predicted the Obama White House last January at the beginning of the presidential campaign. Before Election Day, I predicted that history would start to repeat itself. Blacks would suffer a new wave of white terrorism. Unless challenged, her promised threat will take effect immediately.
I will be at the Elks Plaza, 1068 Harriet Tubman (Fulton Street) near Classon Ave. in Brooklyn this Saturday, November 15 at 8:30 a.m. to complete UAM business and, afterwards, to discuss our plight including the future of my writings in the New York Amsterdam News. Soon these writings may be AWOL. There will be refreshments. You are invited. Take the “C” train to Franklin Ave.
By Alton H. Maddox, Jr.
I started writing regularly for the New York Amsterdam News at the same time that Elinor Tatum became its Publisher and Editor in Chief. This was a difficult time for the Tatum family. Bill was going through a series of medical operations both in the United States and in Europe. He was paralyzed from an accident.
New York Amsterdam News is more that a century-old. It is an historic institution. Many great Black writers have written for the newspaper including but not limited to W.E.B. DuBois, J.A. Rogers and Louis Clayton Jones. It was an honor for me to follow in their footsteps and maintain the high standards they set in informing and educating our people. Information is power.
Although I have had to spend hundreds of dollars weekly to publish the articles, I understand that the newspaper was unable to pay for the relative value of my work (six figures annually) or the weekly expenses to publish it. High standards require scholarship and industriousness.
Moreover, I was unwilling to trade-in my independence for chump change. It is better to be a good Samaritan than an independent contractor or employee. The research, editing and writing of the articles consume countless hours weekly and include a staff of two other persons.
When you love your people, you are willing to make the sacrifice. I also love the Tatums—Bill, Susan and Elinor. During the months that Bill was in hospitals, I visited him weekly. Many times my grandchildren were with me. Young children can cheer up a hospitalized person.
My love is for Black people. During my tenure as a lawyer, I waived millions of dollars in legal fees to represent unpopular as well as poor people in addition to the Black community pro bono. This competent and zealous representation upset New York’s three branches of government. They retaliated in 1990 with faint opposition.
The list of pro bono cases included but are not limited to Michael Stewart (Reform of NYC ME’s Office), Howard Beach (Special Prosecutor), Bensonhurst (Joseph Fama - 33 yrs. in prison), NYC litigation for a non-white Schools Chancellor (Anthony Alvarado), Black United Front (Congressional Hearings on Police Brutality), Black Liberation Army (Brinks Bank Robbery), Coalition for a Just New York, Schomburg Coalition (Struggle against Hiring of White Archivist), Kirkland v. Cuomo (Retaliation in Malcolm X Assassination), National Association of Black Social Workers (Transracial Adoptions), Coalition for Community Empowerment, Medgar Evers College Center for Law and Social Justice (Founder), Rev. Al Sharpton (70 counts on tax charges and grand larceny), Anthony Davis (murder of white teacher), Andre Nichols (murder of white Catholic priest), Central Park jogger case, Hicks v. Bieber (Displaced Workers), Preston Wilcox, Charles Barron, Willie Bosket, Jonah Perry (Frame-up of Witness in Police Murder Case), Marla Hanson case and Tawana Brawley (Special Prosecutor and Defense of Black Women).
After my legal career, I have been virtually shunned by my own people. In most circles, I am an outlaw for refusing to back down to white supremacy. Black-oriented radio and television stations have banned me from the public airwaves. Except for Earl Caldwell, I am also banned from WBAI-FM. My friends in Black radio are limited to the City College radio station (Black Leroy) and Junior Jawara Blake on 93.5 FM.
Unless President-elect Barack Hussein Obama is willing to follow in the footsteps of Marcus Garvey, Harry Moore, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin L. King, Jr., among others, he will be of no help to us in the White House. Love for Black people means personal sacrifice. Even Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were assassinated. Senator Robert Kennedy was also assassinated.
At this very moment, whites are arming themselves to the teeth. Membership in the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups are on the rise. Although Obama won by a landslide in the Electoral College, he won only 52 % of the popular vote while McCain won 46%. This means that white supremacists still, overwhelmingly, outnumber other whites.
This is not the time for Elinor Tatum to substantially trim down my forecasts. This is exactly the aim of my articles. I predicted the Obama White House last January at the beginning of the presidential campaign. Before Election Day, I predicted that history would start to repeat itself. Blacks would suffer a new wave of white terrorism. Unless challenged, her promised threat will take effect immediately.
I will be at the Elks Plaza, 1068 Harriet Tubman (Fulton Street) near Classon Ave. in Brooklyn this Saturday, November 15 at 8:30 a.m. to complete UAM business and, afterwards, to discuss our plight including the future of my writings in the New York Amsterdam News. Soon these writings may be AWOL. There will be refreshments. You are invited. Take the “C” train to Franklin Ave.
posted by Attorney Alton Maddox at 12:13 PM
2 Comments:
SHEESH I can't believe I missed this. I realize that conspiracy theorist theorize that we should not discuss things in writing online, or on the phone or whatever. But my theory is this...my son has found camera's in my cable box, we know our home phones and cell phones are tapped. THE ALMIGHTY GOD PROMISED THAT 20million can come against his ANOINTED and he shall contend with them all.
Anywhere we meet, speak, talk etc. will be a SPEAKER for the platform of white supremacy. I would have felt blessed to be their in Nov. But unless someone is sending me email's which go directly to my mobile phone lately I have been trying to stay off of the internet.
Tonight I joined the Blogspot for the sole purpose of commenting on your blog.
Please lets do lunch...come to my meet the artist reception here in upstate ny. SOME HOW SOME WAY lets meet on a positive calm ground.
I BELIEVE GOD WANTS US TO MEET. You say when and where, and I'll make it happen if it is within my means.
HANG IN THERE...GOD IS GOOD!!! Things are happening the way that they are suppose to. No matter how many weapons, no matter how many bombs...God promised if we trust him, and do the works...pray..delight etc. HE WILL PROTECT US FROM THEM ALL. EVIL REIN IS OVER.
IT'S TIME FOR THE VICTORY...the NEGRO's who have turned their backs on you will be on the outer gates looking in and wishing they stood for something!
YOUR FINE...things are fine. HAVE NO FEAR...I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE too, but we cannot forget the non Blacks and their decendant's who fought, and died for our struggle. The judges and attorney's who helped bring about laws that changed things for us all those years ago.
In order to fight this battle we cannot fight it alone. We need people on the inside. Brave people to REPLACE the weak negro's you speak of. SURELY...in order to understand things now we MUST remember the BRAVE souls NON BLACK...who open their homes to runaway slaves feeding them and sheltering them...putting their own families lives in danger for what is right. THOSE PEOPLE EXIST TODAY.
Please don't allow this SICK system to force you into a thought process that will hold you and your MESSAGE BACK. Where there are NO BLACK RADIO STATIONS there are OTHER non Black radio stations who BELIEVE IN YOU AS I DO.
Tears fill my eyes as I read your blogs...I feel you...I understand. NY is especially "SELF LOATHING" when it comes to Black's. They will uplift a "Puerto Rican" as they tear down the African. It is a mess and I feel displaced in NY. Being from California (L.A) this NY thing that Black people are on is very disheartening.
So once again..I ask that we meet.
Best regards,
Eeinna
Good afternoon Mr. Maddox,
I am sure you have seen and heard about today's cartoon in the New York Post. This is not only an outrage - it is an outcry of hate for the black race. This is totally unacceptable, insulting, and disrespectful to both our president and our country (no wonder other countries of the world view the Americans the way they do). I am demanding a boycott of The New York Post, as well as a full front cover page public apology. I sincerely hope and pray that you and your colleagues join suit.
Thanks and have a blessed day
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