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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1987)
1 Paye 8, Poitland Observer, November 18, 1987 David Duke: Promoter of "White Rights" Extremists In High Places: Where Do They Find These People? by Judy Bolton ... ....... , .- lih e A n li Defamation League's Civil Rights Division ________________________________ _____________— This a rtic le is reprinted front the November 1987 issue o f the ADL B u lle tin , n atio n al p u b lica tio n of the A nti-D e fa m a tio n League of B 'n ai B 'rith __ ________ - ---------------- Has David Duke really hung out h.s KKK sheet to dry? The 36-vear-old former Imperial Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Kian (KKKK) and founder president o, the National Association for the Advancement o White People (NAAWP) claims that he has recently announced his inte tion to seek the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1988 A long time racist and anti Semitic agitator, Duke was instrumental n the Kian resurgence of the 1970s and continues to propagandize whrte supremacist positions through the NAAWP. an organization that is, in effect, a Kian without the robes. last January, during the Forsyth County, GA, mtegrat.on demonstra- .lions, Duke was arrested (along with Frank ShWeV ' ; nmem. ^ •Miller’s North Carolina based White Patriot Party, and Don Black, Duke s successor as KKKK Imperial Wizard) for reckless conduct and illegally blocking a state highway after a screaming confrontation with the Georgi Bureau of Investigation. I„ attempt to capitalize on the aftermath of a December 1986 racial incident in Howard Beach, Duke visited New York City in February as a •white rights” activist Newsday described him as All dressed up bu with I nowhere to go.” The article reported that Duke s visit at,rac' e^ „ „ o n a n d that he was unable to set up a meeting he sought w.th Mayor Fdward I. Koch or develop any other publicity for his cause. Duke first came to public attention in the mid-1970s after launch,n , a publicity blitz that not only boosted membership in h.s Knights of the Ku klux Kian but somewhat demystified Kian ritual. His public campaign began at the grass roots level as he urged Klansmen to ' get outto the co w pasture and i.rto hotel meeting rooms.” Following h,s own advice Duke got himself on network television, appearing on programs with Tom Snyd am. Ba,ba,a Waite,s as be articulated his subtle brand of racism. Duke skillfully exploited legitimate issues such as illegal immigration, affirmabve action and forced busing. This new breed of Imperial Wizard also upgraded Kian vocabulary by renaming himself "national director and referring to cross burninas as "illuminations. . David Duke's preoccupation with racist ideology dates back to his voutb At 17. he became active in right wing extremist groups. Wh.e ittending Louisi; J State University, he pursued his avid interest in wh, e s u p re m a c y ant, emitisnr and Nazi history and founded the White Youth Alliance, a gkrup affiliated with the neo Nazi National Socialist White Peo ple's Party o f Arlington, VA. To protest a speech by activist attorney Wl1' liam Kunstler at Tulane University, Duke marched wearing a' N ^ r o w shirt and a swastika armband and carryrng a placard that said Gas the Chicago 7." Duke described the stunt as "guerilla theatre and termed In the late 1970s, his Knights sought to establish Kian cells in military camps and bases. After a violent racial disturbance at Camp Pendelton, CA in 1976 it was found that a group of white Marines were members of Duke’s Knights of the KKK and were actively recruiting new members. In June 1979, a large Kian unit was uncovered at Fort Hood; TX. Following the racial violence at Camp Pendelton, the 18 Marines invo ved were transferred. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit on behalf of the Marines, claiming that the transfer violated their right o asso ciation. The incident prompted the Anti Defamation League to ca l for a Congressional investigation of extremist groups operating in the United States military. ADL also expressed the same concern to the Defense Department, which, in response, organized a number of programs for mili tary personnel to counter racist activity and promulgated restrictions re garding off-base participation in Kian and other racially-motivated rallies Duke's group pursued additional organizing efforts, including the active recruitment of high school students in a number of cities to form a ” Klan Youth Corps." The KKKK operated the racist "Patriotic Press in Meta|'n'ei 980, Duke's days as a Kian leader ended abruptly. Bill Wilkinson, who had left Duke's organization five years earlier to form the Invisible Em pire in Louisiana, told the press that he had forced Duke's resignation from the Knights of the KKK by secretly videotaping a meetrng during which Duke offered to sell Wilkinson his membership lists for $35,000. Duke denied the incident but left the Kian soon after to establish the NAAWP, which he described as "primarily a white rights lobby organization a racist movement, mainly middle class people. We do not have ritual. We do not w by David Kusnet it! Former Education Secretary Terrel Bell made headlines recently when ai he revealed he had often heard "mid-level right wing staffors in the Rea »b IT qan Administration make racial slurs. Bell's revelations, contained in a soon-to be-published book on h.s four ei years as a cabinet secretary, came as no surprise to students of the •q Right's influence over the Administration. Virtually every administration has its share of incompetents or worse bi However, his Administration has appointed a remarkable number of .dec j t logical extremists - some of whose records are so embarrassing that hey •p have been forced to resign or have been denied confirmation by tl.e Senate. io For instance: A' • In 1985, the Administration appointed Marianne Mele Hal to thi •ff $70,000-a-year position as head of the Copyright Royalty Tribun il. She »b resigned after it was revealed she had helped write a book which sail >q Blacks "insist on preserving their jungle freedoms, their women, their avoi w dance of personal responsibility and their abhorrence of the work e th ic . lit • Anthony Bouscaren, a 1986 appointee to the National Council on the Humanities, had worked for Pioneer Fund, an organization which has nt sought to prove that Blacks are genetically inferior to Whites. Bouscaren s rv nomination was rejected by the Senate Labor and Human Resources Corn have oaths." • The "NAAW P News' regularly carries advertisements for neo-Nazi literature and anti-Semitic films. Since forming the NAAWP, Duke has continued to promote bigotry. A recent issue of "NAAW P News” pro claimed "Victory in Forsyth County” and condemned the " vicious anti- white propaganda that has emerged from the Howard Beach incident. In a January 1987 letter circulated with the "NAAW P News . Duke claimed that the NAAWP had grown 32 percent in membership and an "incredible” 72 percent in subscriptions the previous year but cited no actual figures. . , . . In the same letter Duke asserted that he had recently attended a specia six-week university program in Salzburg, Austria, and claimed that he tra veled through Europe meeting "hundreds of white activists, many of whom are NAAWP members and supporters." Duke boasted that he received extensive publicity which included "dozens of radio and magazine inter views" as well as speaking engagements. In the report of his trip he claimed to have personally met and interviewed Kurt Waldheim. In reality, Duke was simply a part of a legitimate educational group received by Wald- ‘ Shortly after graduating in 1974, Duke exchanged his swastika for a Kian robe and founded Louisiana’s Knights of the Ku Klux Kian. As; se appointed Wizard, he cultivated a clean-cut, articulate image ^ved h„r, well m promoting the Kian and its rituals. For the first time in Kian his tory, women were accepted as equal members. Catholics, traditionally bar red were encouraged to apply for membership. ' Duke professed nonviolence and encouraged members to become politically active. In 1975, he received one-third of the votes cast for a sea ,n tire Louisiana State Senate. His moderate-sounding approach to racism attracted audiences; his relative sophistication allowed him to couch hrs bigotry in pseudo scientific and sociological terms. Duke articulated his S m a slick manner that led journalists to describe it as "rhinestone Duke has been receiving steady coverage in "S potlight", a weekly publication of Liberty Lobby, the Washington-based anti-Semitic propa ganda apparatus, in connection with the Forsyth County events and his bid for the Presidency. The May 25, 1987, issue of "S potlight" profiled him as a serious contender for the Presidency in the paper's "Race for the White House" series. Duke's racist activities, including his Kian involvement, were acknowledged in the profile which quoted Duke supporters as saying he "has the potential of becoming the modern-day George Wallace.” On June 9 1987, on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol, Duke announced that'he would seek the 1988 Democratic Presidential nomina tion. Among those present were Daniel Carver, Grand Dragon of The In visible Empire, KKK; Sam Dickson, Duke's attorney; Ed Fields of the White Supremacist National States Rights Party of Marietta, GA, and Don Black, racism’ and "buttom down terror.” In 19/5, he organized the largest Kian rally the nation had witnessed since the 1960s - in Walker, LA, with an estimated attendance of 2,700. He also built up local organizations in other states including California, Flo rida and Texas. Although he publicly shunned violence he was convicted m 1979 of inciting to riot in connection with a Kian rally in suburban New Duke's successor in the KKKK. The man "S potlight" describes as "America's most renowned white rights' advocate" tried to run as Democrat for the Presidency in 1980 but his campaign never materialized due to lack of any significant support. Although David Duke has faded in and out of the media's limelight, his notoriety among white supremacists is unwavering and his candidacy for the Presidency may again vault him into the public arena. mittee. )h • Recently, the committee rejected another nominee to the National >0 Council on the Humanities, Charles Moser, who had been active in efforts ni to ban public school textbooks in West Virginia. • Another controversial nominee was Warren Richardson named in 1981 as assistant secretary of Health and Human Services. Richardson ß had been general counsel for the Far Right group Liberty Lobby, which has rt) called the Nazi Holocaust a Jewish hoax. Richardson asked that his nomi A nation be withdrawn. • Carolyn Sundseth, who served as the Administration's lia is o n to tuj most religious groups, declared members of the President's staff should ÌC "get saved or get o ut" — a remark suggesting that only those who share her religious beliefs should serve in government. e) • The head of the Education Department's Denver office, Thomas 5V Tancredo, mailed a speech at government expense declaring that the United States was once a "Christian nation" but has been taken ovei by I’i Jesse Jackson by Nyewusi Askari When I called the campaign headquarters of Rev. Jesse Jackson seek ing the latest campaign update, a familiar voice greeted me. It was none other than former Portlander Pam Smith. Many people in the city will remember Pam for her work with the Oregon Rainbow Coalition and The Urban League of Portland. In the early '80s, Pam migrated to Portland from Chicago, her home town. Earlier this year, she was chosen by the Jackson camp to work in the area of communications. The appointment took her to Washington, D.C., and, now, Chicago. New Appointments Last Friday, Rev. Jesse Jackson held a press conference to announce the appointments of Mr. Jerry Austin, who will assume the duties of Cam paign Manager; and California's Speaker of the House, Willie Brown, who R to think more clearly! Kll K AI ION An Illustrated Answer to Drugs is Name Address b r im m in g w ith hard facts on the lin g e rin g e lle e ts of drugs, alcohol and c h e in ir als It gives v>u the answ er to m ain ta m in g m e e ia l sharpness despite h a v in g had these substances no m atter how long ago or how m uch’ I his b r illia n t hi ok gives you the resu lts ol years of research m easy to u n d e rsta n d d e ta il Only $ 1 2 .5 0 ! State/Prov. City- Order your copy today from: Dianetics Center 709 S W SALMON STREET PORTLAND OREGON 97205 (5031 228 0116 ’ uz’arrf e o"7e' r.ym & j g t • Cata r*a Sue* L o i * . »5 • '9 A 5 b y C S ' ..c * * • '» »' '*-«d Oy tM «• j m # SA 8002? O '* *•€ T'C S ’ « a —o'oç» P ' ^ ’e d ' U S A A Public Service of the Portland Observer A lbina M inisterial A lliance 284 6023 •Ad • atod *•«* will assume the duties of National Campaign Chairman. The appointments of Mr. Austin and Mr. Brown bring an exciting credi- 1 bility to the Jackson campaign. At the press conference, when asked if he thought a Black could win the nomination for President, Mr. Brown replied that not only did he think; a Black could win, he felt that a Black was going to win. He expressed his belief that Rev. Jackson was going to win, because he is the best candidate. Mr. Brown is quotes as saying, "The fact that Rev. Jackson happens to be Black is a source of pride for me and my mother. Mr. Brown explained that although he didn't support Rev. Jackson s bid for Presidency in 1984, he is totally on-board and committed to making sure that Rev. Jackson makes it to Atlanta and Washington, D C. Mr. Austin expressed a similar commitment and reminded the press t at he, like Mr. Brown, would not have joined the Jackson campaign if he didn t believe that Rev. Jackson could win. Persian Gulf Trip Rev. Jackson has planned to visit the Middle East, although his request to visit American troops in the Persian Gulf was denied by the Pentagon. The purpose of the trip will be fact-finding, meeting with leaders in the region, and talking to Americans who are doing business in the area. While in the Middle East, Rev. Jackson will visit Bahrein, where he will stay for a few days before journeying to Saudi Arabia. From there, he will go to Addis Ababa and Ethiopia. Rev. Jackson is also scheduled to meet with the Organization of African Unity. The trip will begin November 24 and end November 30. Update According to CNN (Cable News Network) earlier this week, Rev. Jack- son received a death threat that is attributed to the KKK. The FBI is reported to have notified the Jackson camp of the threat. To date, Rev Jackson has received more than 300 such death threats. lO "Godlessness." • A special assistant in the Education Department, Eileen Gardner, resigned during a controversy over her view that federal aid to tire handi dl capped is "misguided" because, if people are disabled, "it was not a t uel O’ act of fate . . . it's from God." Gardner had written in a draft position paper for the Heritage Foundation that physical handicaps reflect people's "level of internal spiritual development." • Herbert Ellingwood, who served as chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board from 1991 through 1985, worked with a "talent bank to place conservative fundamentalists in federal jobs - a questionable activity for an official entrusted with protecting the integrity of the federal civil set vice system. Ellingwood's name was floated for head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy, which screens nominees fo. federal judgeships, but, following a public outcry, Attorney General Meese decided not to appoint him. Examining the records of these and similar appointees, observers are tempted to ask: "Where on earth do they get these people?" The answer is from the Far Right, which not only places its own people in influential positions but harasses many of the most distinguished members o the Administration, including Howard Baker, George Schultz, and ferre m iW himself during his years in the cabinet. Political patronage is nothing new in American politics, but ideological patronage for extremeists is unusual. And. when responsible positions are entrusted to people whose major credentials are bizarre or intolerant beliefs, people have the right to ask why extiemists have_friends in h.qt. p - es. /I: dl D ^ id T U ^ n lt’ i s T v i ^ President ol People Fo. The American Way, a 270.000 member „on partisan constitutional liberties o rg a n iz a tio n ___________________ Campaign News A- •m r fj fo ?c