Vol. 71/No. 40      October 29, 2007

“This crime was not against one person, it was against all of us,” said Jon Douchan, of the Student Committee on Diversity in opening the rally. “It will not be tolerated.”

“Hanging a noose reeks of cowardice on many levels,” said Constantine. “I want the perpetrator to know that I will not be silenced.” Constantine, a professor of psychology and education at the Teachers College, has authored books on racism and race relations.

Many placards drew a parallel with recent protests around the Jena Six. In Jena, Louisiana, unjust charges were filed against six Black high school students, in a case sparked by nooses hung from a tree near their school.

Rosemary Henderson, a 60-year-old Black home nurse, took off work early “because what’s going on affects me,” she said. “I lived in the era of lynching.” Henderson was born in Jackson, Mississippi.

Nikki Hazelbarth, and Joann Kintz left class to attend the action. “We heard the rally from our classroom,” said Hazelbarth. “The professor said that if anyone wanted to go, they could. We just looked at each other and left.”

On October 11 a swastika and an anti-Jewish cartoon were found in a building at Columbia University.

Some capitalist politicians have used these incidents to push for stronger “hate crime” legislation. New York state senators Bill Perkins and Eric Adams and state assemblyman Dov Hikind said they plan to introduce legislation adding nooses to existing laws, which make it a felony to draw swastikas on private property. The move is backed by 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement.
 
 
Related articles:
SWP candidate joins debate on Blacks in Iowa jails
Blacks were in forefront of 1930s labor battles, resistance in WWII
Minneapolis meeting: ‘Justice for Jena 6!’  
 
 
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