Support the Greensboro Two

The Alabama New South Coalition Justice/Peace Committee urges everyone who
can to support the Struggle in Hale Co.this Friday Oct. 12, at 9:00 a.m. in
Greensboro. One more time two Black women, this time, Valada Paige-Banks
and a grandmother, Rosie Lyles, are being charged with illegal activity in
conjunction with absentee voting, and it is rumored the "special" Grand
Jury may return additional indictments. Paige-Banks and Lyles, members of
Campaign 2000 and Beyond will plead innocent.

As explained in the Oct. 3rd Greene Co. Democrat, Campaign 2000 resulted
after "a group of Black residents came together and formed [the]
organization . . . .to better educate, inform communities and to obtain
better representation and service" from local governments. Infirm citizens
and others previously unable to vote at the ballot box learned how they
could vote by requesting absentee ballots (Previous problems are
illustrated by the fact that workers at catfish factories had not been
allowed to leave work in time to get to the polls).

As a result of their organizing, the community in 1998 elected the city's
first Black mayor who won over a 20 year incumbent. Since then they've
voted into office the circuit judge, circuit clerk, DA, state senator,
commissioners and councilmen.

Since Campaign 2000's success, another group formed in Hale and throughout
the Black Belt, "called the Democracy Defense League, consisting of mostly
white members." This group asked the Attorney General to investigate
alleged voter fraud in Hale Co.

Selective prosecution is once again at work in Alabama. Although there have
been allegations of voting irregularities committed by whites, the AG's
investigation, going on since 2002, has only targeted the Black community.
Once again Black voters have been harassed by authorities with resultant
voter intimidation. Apparently part of the goal of this action is to
suppress Black votes so that progressive Black candidates will not win; as
Eugene Lyles says in the Democrat, "Residents are using their friends in
the court system to destroy Campaign 2000 and keep us from participating in
the election process. . . .I assure you that none of Campaign 2000 members
has done anything illegal."

Oct. 7 several ANSC leaders participated in a large Greensboro rally,
including Sen. Hank Sanders, who spoke along with the Rev. Al Sharpton,
SCLC President Charles Steele, and Alabama Sen. Bobby Singleton.

In addition to showing support by attending the Oct. 12 arraignment and
future events, people are encouraged to mail financial contributions to
Citizens Trust Bank, 213 Main St., Eutaw AL 35462

Judy Collins Cumbee
ANSC Committee for Justice, Peace, Human Rights, Environment