M a r k D i l l e y

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

B A N C O: black autonomy network community organization

"Rev. Edward Pinkney is facing 20+ years in prison for standing up to racism and corporate power in Benton Harbor. He needs all the support he can get in the courtroom on Tuesday, Oct. 11. If you can take the time off of work, school, etc. to make the drive to Benton Harbor that morning, by all means do so." (from an email)

From Rev. Pinkney:

"1. No, not Alabama or South Africa. Injustice that's difficult to fathom is happening right here in Michigan: Berrien County officials are arresting my witnesses, three so far.

For more information, call me anytime, night or day: 269-925-0001

2. Please send tax-deductible donations for my legal fees to:
Atty.Tat Parish
c/o BANCO
1940 Union St.
Benton Harbor, MI 4902

3. My Preliminary Trial Examination
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 9am
Berrien County Courthouse
811 Port St.
St. Joseph, MI
I-94, exit 33

We need to turn out in huge numbers to show that Michigan is watching the travesty of justice playing out in Berrien County.

4. Rally

Sat. Oct. 29, 1pm

Benton Harbor Public Library

213 Wall St.

5. The following was put together by me after a trip to New Orleans.

In 1965, the city of New Orleans, in the face of Hurricane Bessie, loaded a barge and dynamited the levy, diverting the water to the poor neighborhood of the lower 9th ward because it was about to pour into the exclusive French Quarter. Many bodies were found. Now in 2005, the levy was dynamited again and the water was diverted to the 9th ward once again. Many,many bodies will be found flowing in the water.

Like most residents of New Orleans, Sandra Moore thought Hurricane Katrina was a usual storm just passing through, but awakened in total shock to see her neighborhood submerged in water.

"We have nothing now! No jobs, no homes, no schools, no hospitals, we have nothing but bodies flowing everywhere," said Ms. Moore with her 6 month old baby wrapped under her arm. She headed for higher ground in hope of receiving help. That hope turned into hell, frustration, and long hours.

I was part of a caravan that brought people out of the gulf area and placed more than twenty families in homes. We brought two truck loads of donations and were turned away. As a last resort we distributed relief items in a store parking lot. Cleaning supplies, aspirins, bottled water, canned goods, hygiene supplies, baby formula, diapers, wipes, and batteries of all kinds.

We visited many outlying towns and villages in Mississippi and Louisiana - places that the Red Cross and FEMA hadn't been to. I spoke with a nurse who said a New Orleans doctor told her how she prayed for mercy as she ignored every tenet of medical ethics and ended the lives of many she had earlier fought to save. Her heart rending account has been corroborated by a hospital orderly and by local government officials. Those who they claim had no chance of making it were given morphine and lain down in a dark place. Euthanassia is illegal in Louisiana.

It was shocking and awful what happened after Katrina - a total non-response of the federal government for four dayas. The world was left to see pictures of tormented black faces, relief was nowhere to be seen for the poor.

This could have easily been Benton Harbor. As long as we have four corrupt black families, Whirlpool, Cornerstone Alliance, and racist commissioners, judges, and lawyers destroying lives and families, there will be no relief for the people of Benton Harbor.

Respectfully Yours,
Rev. Edward Pinkney
phone: 269-925-0001
email: banco9342@sbcglobal.net
website: bhbanco.blogspot.com