SSS SSS SEE SPECIAL ISSUE DRED SCOTT 1857 ARAMBEE ARE aN A CAN PLOPLE | ee a. : K ‘TIGER’ a JWIDELL GARY JACKSON 1970 Historically, Amerika has always adherred to a very racist policy in reference “to Black people. This has been true in the past, and it is true today. We can equate in principle the firing of Gary Jackson to the racist decision handed down in the case of Dred Scott. The overriding implication in both situations is that a Black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect. In 1857, the decision in Dred Scott wv. Sandford was handed down by then Supreme Court Chief Justice Taney. The factual situation differs from the one Surrounding Gary, but that is not what matters. what matters is that histori- cally and presently, the at- titude of the white powers has not changed. AS Black people we still confront the same questions today that Dred scott faced in 1857. In the Dred Scott case, the’ court faced this basic ques- tion: "Can a Negro, whose ancestors were imported into this country and sold as slaves, become a member of the political community formed and brought into exis- tence by the Constitution of the United States, and as such become entitled to all rights, and privileges, and immunities guaranteed by that instrument to the citi- zen?" In coming to its conclu- sion, the court relied heav- ily on the meaning of the word “citizen.” Citizen was sSynonomous with. the words "yeople of the Unites States" They both described the poli- tical body which, according to their republican institu- tions form the Sovereignty and which holds the powsr and conduct the government through their representatives, The question was, therefore, whether Dred Scott was of that class of persons. if ne were of that class, then Congress could not make any laws foiling his right to es- tablish religion and the free exercise thereof, or abridge his freedom of speech or of the press, or his right to peaceful assembly and peti- tion the sovernment for re- dress of grievances, Nor could Congress deny him the right to keep and bear arms, the -rignt to trial: by -jury, or force him to be a witness against himself in a criminal proceeding. Was Dred Scott of that class? The court held "We think they(Negroes) are not, andthat they are not included aod were not intended to be included, under the word ‘citizen’ in the Constitution, and can, therefore, claim none of the rights and pri- -vileges which instrument pro- vides for and Secures to Ccl- tizens of the United states. On the contrary, they were at that time considered as a subordinate and inferior class of beings, who had been sub- .l2 GUAGE jugated by the dominant race, and whether emancipated or not, yet remained subject to their authority, and had no rights or privileges but such as those who held power and the govern- ment chose to grant them," In essence, a 3lack man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect. Now, more than a hundred years later, has our predi- cament changed at all? Of course not. The Kansas soard of Regents arbitrarily dis- missed Gary. He did not break any laws and had fulfilled the obligations required of his academic appointment, but his Constitutional and human rights were violated by an arrogant clique of managers who chose to ride roughshod over this University, its faculty, and its students, Dany a_man the right to work, and you deny him the right to live. lialecolm X said that Black people in this country are merely twentieth=century slaves, Only now, we are the happiest, best fed, best dressed, richest best educated, most tzlented Slaves on earth. But, what does that mean if we have no fundamental control over our lives, if white racists and fascists still determine our destiny,-if the persons in power rip us off at random every time we do something that they don't approve? One hundred and thirteen years after Dred Scott, Black people still have not received equal protection of the laws or due process of law. We, aS a people, must not allow this cnprecedented sit- uation to continue. At some point in our history we are going to have to stand up and say “cnough!" The limitations of a tyrannical government and its agents are only prescribed by what a people will endure, Racism and fascism will only go as far as we let it, or ignore it. Action and resistance Will stop it; 20 call the go- vernment, the Board of Regents fascist, faggots and pigs meanstnothing. History has AN INJURY TO ON2, IS AN INJURY TO ALL!!! proven them so. The ques- tions we must ask ourselves are: What are we going to do about it? and What are we willing te endure? All the lamentations and screams in the wicld didn't stop the pigs from murdering Tiger, from running £ldridge into exile, from unseating Adam Clayton Powell, from murderin; Fred Hampton, from dismissing Angela Da vis at U.C.L.A. for her beliefs, and so on down the line from before <= 1857 until now. At a time when we as a people are trying to close ranks and speak in terms of nation building and conceive ourselves as a nation within a nation, we cannot allow anyone to violate our most fundamental rights and vamp on us at will. One of the basic tenets af nation building is the ability to protect members of the nation from the aggressions of out- Siders, if we seriously believe the idea that an in- jury to one is an injury to all, then let us not allow the Board of Regents to arbitrarily dismiss Gary Jack- son without expressing our most serious protests and political consequences. To- day it may be Gary, Tomorrow it may be you or me, The pigs in power have proven themselves historically to have a thirst for lynching A nigger, Some nigger, Any niggers. Therefore, we are calling on all Blacks at this Uni- versity, in this community, in the state of Kansas, in Amerika, and in the world; we are calling on all pro- gressive and freedom loving people to defend Gary and demand that he be reinstated by the Board of Regents, who so flagrantly, arrogantly, impudently, and arbitrarily violated his.Constitutional rights today, just as Dred scot's were in 1:/57. Unity Trust and Respect At present, we are asking every one to sign the petitions individually,and as interest groups or organizations. The petitions will be located in the main area of the Union. Also, there will be persons carrying petitions at at various locations. Help us get Gary rein- x stated and sign the petitions. of acting in the interest of maintaining the white power and United States world domi- ‘mance, The chancellor has