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Page 10 The Skanner April 4, 2018 ince and came to Johannesburg as the city’s first Black female social work- er. Her research into the high infant mortality rate in a Black township, which she linked to poverty caused by racism, first sparked her interest in politics. In 1957, she met Nelson Mandela, an up-and-coming lawyer and an- ti-apartheid activist 18 years her se- nior, and they married a year later. The first five turbulent years of their marriage saw Mandela going under- ground to build the armed struggle against apartheid, and finally to pris- on in 1963, while his wife gave birth to two daughters. Madikizela-Mandela always was aware of the danger of being in the shadow of her husband’s all-encom- passing personality. Even before they were separated by Nelson Mandela’s long stay in pris- on, she had become politicized, being jailed for two weeks while pregnant for participating in a women’s protest of apartheid restrictions on Blacks. The apartheid police later harassed her, sometimes dragging her from bed at night without giving her a chance to make arrangements for her daughters. In 1977, she was banished to a remote town, Brandfort, where neighbors were forbidden to speak to her. She was banned from meeting with more than one person at a time. The woman who returned to Johan- nesburg in 1985 was much harder, more ruthless and bellicose, branded by the cruelty of apartheid and deter- mined vengeance. In her book “100 Years of Struggle: Mandela’s ANC,” Heidi Holland sug- gested that Madikizela-Mandela was “perhaps driven half-mad by security police harassment.” In an infamous 1986 speech she threatened “no more peaceful protests.” Instead, she endorsed the “necklac- AP PHOTO/GREG ENGLISH, FILE News Madikizela-Mandela cont’d from pg 9 In this March 5, 1986 file photo Winnie Mandela mourns the death of 17 Black activists at a funeral service held in Johannesburg, South Africa. ing” method of killing suspected in- formers and police with fuel-doused tires put around the neck and set alight. “Together hand-in-hand, with our boxes of matches and our necklaces, we shall liberate this country,” she said. Madikizela-Mandela complained bitterly on a North American tour af- ter she was forced to testify to South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1997 that the commis- sion never asked her about the treat- ment she suffered over 18 months in solitary confinement. The Mandela marriage that sur- vived decades of prison bars dis- solved with a formal separation in 1992, two years after Nelson Mandela was released. The couple divorced in 1996, two years after Mandela became presi- dent in South Africa’s first all-race elections, with Mandela accusing his wife of infidelity. As the mother of two of Mandela’s children, Madikizela-Mandela and her ex-husband appeared to rebuild a friendship in his final years. After Mandela’s death, however, she became involved in disputes over his inheritance. AP-NORC Poll: 50 Years After Dr King, Civil Rights Goals Unmet WASHINGTON (AP) — Fifty years after the assassination of Martin Lu- ther King Jr., only one in 10 African Americans think the United States has achieved all or most of the goals of the civil rights movement he led, accord- ing to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Three-quarters of African Ameri- cans said there has been little or no progress on fair treatment by police, and more than half answered the same about fair coverage by the media, polit- ical representation or equal economic opportunities. Currently, things are steadily “go- ing on a quick downward spiral,” said Stephanie Sutton, 42, a Silver Spring, Maryland, housewife who is Black. “Inequality touches everything, from work, police, schools, education, in- come, houses.” “Going backward” on police treatment of Black men Even when it comes to voting rights — the high point for perceived prog- ress for all of Americans in the poll — just 34 percent of Blacks said there has been a lot of progress made toward equality. “We’re going backward to where we’re starting to see more Black males mostly getting assaulted by police offi- cers unjustly and stuff like that,” said Kyla Marshall, 28, of Lansing, Michi- gan, a state government worker who is Black. Americans overall were only slightly more optimistic. More than half said major progress has been made toward equal voting rights for African Amer- icans, but just a quarter said there has been a lot of progress in achieving equal treatment by police or the crim- inal justice system. Among whites, 64 percent think there’s been a lot of progress and anoth- er 25 percent think there’s been minor progress on voting rights, while 28 per- cent think there’s been a lot of progress and 31 percent partial progress toward equality in the criminal justice system. “Not sure how” to make racism go away The poll found that 30 percent of American adults — 35 percent of whites and just 8 percent of Blacks — said all or most of the goals of the 1960s civil rights movement have been achieved. Most of the remainder said partial progress has been achieved. “I think the civil rights movement was phenomenal in forcing banks, political systems and educational systems” to change, said Grant Jay Walters, 53, of Hamburg, New York, who is White. “I think it absolutely achieved its goals. I do not think the civil rights See MLK on page 11 Happy 100th Birthday On March 29, James Jackson joined an elite population of centenar- ians and celebrated his 100th Birthday. James was born in Ashdown, Arkansas, on March 29, 1918. On his own by 16, he developed a strong work ethic stacking and load- ing crossties. In 1955 he moved his family to Portland to drive logging trucks for Totem Transit Co. He remembers driv- ing in rural areas and not seeing anyone who looked like him. He also drove double and triple trailers for Silver Eagle Trucking Co. and retired in 1986. Before losing the love of his life, James and wife, Willie B. celebrated 64 years of marriage. He is the father of 8 children (2 in California and 6 live in Portland). The Jackson family name is known throughout Portland for law enforcement and community service. James has been a member of Morning Star Baptist Church for over 60 years and has served as deacon for 50 years. He loves working in his garden, singing, visiting the sick and watching the Blazer James Jackson games. He attributes his longevity to hard work and his faith in God. Fam- ily and friends gathered to help him celebrate at a luncheon in his honor at Colwood Golf Center, on March 31, 2018.