Buffalo May Out-Duel New York City

The Freedom Party needs at least 300 signatures from 15 congressional districts. The rule of thumb is 3 times the minimum number of signatures. To be safe, the Freedom Party is seeking the minimum number of signatures in 21 congressional districts. Over all, our goal is 45,000 signatures even though the New York Election Law only requires 15,000 valid signatures.

So far, the 28th Congressional District in Buffalo has submitted to the Freedom Party nearly 3,000 signatures with more signatures to come. This trumps the 10th Congressional District which is the home of Councilman Charles Barron's councilmanic district.

By comparison, there are 5 congressional districts in New York City with more Blacks than in Buffalo. Barron is known in New York City but virtually unknown to Blacks and Latinos in Buffalo. Yet, the 28th Congressional District out excels them all for him.

This is no surprising. It is about the consciousness of Blacks in Buffalo relative to Blacks in New York City. For example, in 1982 there were twelve assembly districts in New York City with Black assemblypersons. Buffalo had only one assembly district with a Black assemblyperson.

In New York City, in 1982, Mario Cuomo won more votes in 12 Black assembly districts than the 12 Black incumbents secured for themselves. Stated another way, Blacks gave more votes to Cuomo than they did for their Black assemblypersons.

Things were different in Buffalo. Arthur Eve was running for re-election as an assemblyperson in Buffalo. Black voters gave him more votes than they gave to Cuomo. Black consciousness in Buffalo far exceeds the consciousness of Blacks in New York City.

This is a critical weekend for the Freedom Party. It will start in selected congressional districts through Saturday and embark on churches this Sunday. It is too difficult for the freedom party to draft supporters.

On the other hand it is easier for volunteers to appear at the Elks Plaza, 1068 Harriet Tubman (Fulton Street) nr. Classon Ave. in Brooklyn on Wednesday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. Take the "C" train to Franklin Ave. Two blocks to Elks Plaza.

This is not the weekend to be jumping around like chickens with there necks chopped off. Everyone who intends to help the Freedom Party will need a map and a destination. They will be handed out on Wednesday evening. The next two weeks will require a focused campaign.

In one day and a half this past weekend, James Patnaude, Kermit Eady and myself nearly collected 200 signatures in Albany. This weekend effort exceeds the efforts, so far, of the Freedom Party in 6 congressional districts. We will have to return to Albany to complete the mission. No signatures currently exist in three congressional districts on Long Island.

At the annual Pine Grill in Buffalo this weekend, Councilman Barron was in attendance. Two elderly white women carried petitions of the Freedom Party. They collected 100 signatures from persons in the audience. Many Blacks were simply critics and spectators. Will white abolitionists have to save us?