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[ R e p o r t e r %u2019s N o t e b o o kJackson Tells Evers%u2019 Grads That Civil Rights Resistance Still PrevailsBY LIZ KOCHA ppearances m ay have changed over the last 25 years, but the sam e spirit that resisted the efforts of civil rights activist Medger E v ers in the late Fifties and early Sixties still prevails. That was the m essage delivered to the 1986 graduating class of Brooklyn%u2019s M edger E vers College on June 14.%u201c The spirit of our age is not unlike the spirit of 1963. The approach and appearance are different, instead of white gowns and hoods they are dressed in suits and ties,%u201d Rev. Jesse Jackson told 400 graduates and relatives and friends, some of whom held um brellas in the hot sun. The black civil rights activist M edger E vers after whom the Crown Heights cam pus of City University of New York is nam ed, was gunned down in Mississippi in 1963.Jackson told those present th at the struggle th at E vers faced in his fight for voter registration and civil rights needed to be rekindled in the face of growing opposition. %u201c He died th at we m ight live, that we m ightvote,%u201d Jackson said. %u201c You m ust recapture the vision of justice and the will to struggle for it,%u201d he urged.Jackson w arned this 15th graduating class of the school that the R eagan adm inistration was seeking to reverse the progress blacks had m ade. %u201c There are those who oppose youand will confuse you and organize a constituency against you,%u201d he said. %u201c U nder Mr. R eagan the first have becom e m ore first and the last have become m ore last. 700,000 d iild ren live in fam ilies below the poverty %u25a0 k in the shadow of Wall Street.%u201d j o i n t i n g to the percentage decrease of blacks attending large nam e universities such as the Universtiy of Chicago, Princeton and H arvard, and the poor representation ofblack producers and associate producers in high level positions on television news pro-, g ram s, Jackson urged a change, quoting%u2019 from the bible: %u201c Without vision the people perish,%u201d and added em phatically: %u201c R eversing the trend is the load you m ust carry.%u201d The problem of violent crim e and drugabuse in black com m unities was another factor with a negative effect on the future, he said and offered statistics to the graduates of the school. %u201cOne black in 40 will be m urdered,%u201d he said, pointing out that black on black m urder ran particularly high.%u201c We cannot fall back we m ust fight back. We m ust turn to each other and not on each other. Make a vow, th at I am not going to kill, m aim , or injure anyone,%u201d he urged. %u201cLetpeace begin here and now and let it begin with m e and you,%u201d he said.%u201c In the face of life%u2019s odds you cannot drowni in a sea of cynicism , pessim ism , liquor and crack,%u201d he added. %u201cWe are suffering from a national ethical and spiritual crisis and you m ust be the center of spiritual renewal and say no to liquor, no to drugs and yes to spiritual renew al, life and peace,%u201d he said to thundering applause.The audience responded w arm ly and enthusiastically to Jackson%u2019s com m encem ent address, only once seem ing uncertain how to react to his words. As he opened his speech he im m ediately requested that all unregistered voters stand. %u201c To graduate without a registration card from this school is a contradiction that is intolerable,%u201d he scolded as som e 30 stood. %u201c You m ust vote so that his dying in cold blook on the kitchen floor might not be in vain,%u201d he said. The 30 students who stood received m ail-in registration form s.We are suffering from a national ethical and spiritual crisis and youm ust be the center o f spiritual renewal and say no to liquor, no todrugs and yes to spiritual renewal, life and peace.( C o m m u n i t y p o r u m view s o f read ersHeights Association Sounds a %u2018Preservation Alert * Over Pending LegislationEDITOR%u2019S NOTE: the following %u201cP reservation A lert%u201d has been sent by the Brooklyn Heights Association to its m em bers and other interested people about pending legislation in the New York State Legislature that It believes would w eaken the protections provided by current Historic D istrict and Landm ark laws.The Flynn/W alsh (or St. B art%u2019s) Bill, which would exem pt all non-commercial, religiously-owned property from landm ark law s across New York State is once again before the Legislature in Albany. The Bill is being strenuously supported by religious organizations throughout the State who plan to launch a m ajor effort to gain support in the days ahead.The BHA is opposing this bill because webelieve it would be extrem ely harm ful to Brooklyn Heights and to historic districts generally.To create holes in the district by exempting religiously owned landm arks would destroy the very quality the district was created to protect. As one of the earliest settlem ents in this %u201c Borough of Churches,%u201d Brooklyn Heights has an unusually large num ber of churches. In addition, the largest single property owner in our com m unity is an expanding religious institution, the W atchtower Bible and T ract Society.In an historic district everyone shares the benefits of preservation as well as the necessary obligations th at come with it. Individual home owners are willing to go through the landm ark review process when they wish to alter their property because theyrealize that the process also protects their investm ent from inappropriate changes m ade by others in the neighborhood. Everyone plays by the rules and everyone benefits. To exem pt religious organizations from their obligation to be a good neighbor puts them in the unique and unfair position of benefiting from others playing by the rules while they can choose unilaterally to ignore them and the common good.We believe that there are individual cases w here religious institutions m ay need to alter landm ark property in an inappropriate m anner for valid reasons such as financial h ard %u00adship. The New York City landm ark law has a very workable hardship procedure to handle exactly that type of situation. The procedure is fair to both the com m unity and to the religious organization. The form er is giventhe opportunity to try to find an alternative plan and the latter to receive perm ission to go ahead as originally planned. The hardship procedure has worked and even benefited religious properties.We urge you to join the fight against this dangerous legislation. Please w rite to the following representatives expressing your opposition to the %u201cFlynn/W alsh or St. B art%u2019s Bill%u201d (be sure to use th a t term inology):In the Assembly, the bill is Bill#A.8119. In the Senate, the bill is Bill %u00bbS.6521. Time is short and we m ust m ake our concerns known before action is taken in Albany. Write now!For additional inform ation on the pending Flynn/W alsh bill call the Brooklyn Heights Association at 858-9193.p o R t h e [ R ecordnewsm the political sc e n eReminiscing Wins Out Over Politics at 30th Anniversary D o f ClubBY ROB TAYLOR TAYI/IRThere w ere few political discussions but a lot of m em ories w ere shared by m em bers and guests gathered for the annual fundraising dinner of the West Brooklyn Independent D em ocrats (WBID) June 13, which also m arked the club%u2019s 30th anniversary.City Councilman Stephen DeBrienza (30th D istrict) w as this y ea r%u2019s featured guest and about 110 invitees paid $47.50 to honor him , the WBID, and raise m oney for political candidates supported by the reform in this y ear%u2019s elections.h i contrast to m any political events, official speeches w ere kept to a m inim um . Gene Krinsky, the club%u2019s president, spoke briefly about the club%u2019s work, thanking the m em bers for their help in what he calls %u201cthe currency of politics%u201d %u2014 petitioning.A fter his introduction, DeBrienza, who was elected to his first term on the Council last y ear after a near m iss in the previous election, said, %u201c I t%u2019s nice to be in office only six m onths and be honored so early in m y ca ree r.%u201d DeBrienza also thanked the club for th eir support and spoke about public service and the connections m ade in New York political organizations that m ake it possible for elected officials to work for their constituents.Following D eBrienza%u2019s abstention on the recent gay rights legislation that w atered down the original bill passed by the City Council in April, there was some fear th at his choice as honored guest m ight harm the tu rnout because m any club m em bers had strongly supported the first bill. But, Krinsky said the club had sold enough tickets to support this y ea r%u2019s expenses that include cam %u00adpaign contributions, adm inistrative costs and office rent.Incum bent 52nd A.D. LeaderJoan Millman, State Senatecandidate Joe Montalto andU.S. Senate candidate MarkGreen. Right: Honoree DiBrienza (center) and wife Pat withW B ID prexy Gene Krinsky.(Phoenix/Taylor Photos)Viewing positions fo r the4th o f July and Brooklynbusiness activity were theleading subjects. Butw i t h n e t it in n c r in o I n i n M --------- --10, members knew theirattentions would soonbe re-focused on politics.Political com m ents were kept to a m inim um , but the elected officials attended in full force. Borough President Howard Golden topped a list th a t also included club m em ber and State Senator M artin Connor (25th D istrict), State Senator Velmanette M ontgomery (22nd D istrict),Assemblywoman Eileen Dugan (52nd D istrict), and City Councilman Abe Gerges (29th D istrict).Candidates running for office cam e to the event seeking the support of the invited guests. Joan Millman, a club m em ber and incum bent for the D em ocratic D istrict Leader in the 52nd A.D., was an unofficial host and m ade sure th at some of the candidates who received the club%u2019s endorsem ent this y ear were introduced to all the m em bers including John M cElhinney, D em ocratic M ale D istrict Leader candidate for the 52nd A.D., who had faced lengthy questions a t the WBID endorsem ent m eeting, M ay 29, but was well received at this dinner.But with the Septem ber prim ary only three months aw ay, the club leaders appeared confident about victory and talked m ore about non-political activities in the community. Viewing positions for the 4th of July celebrations and Brooklyn business activity were high priorities.Following the dinner held a t M arco Polo Ristorantfe, guests danced, relaxed and enjoyed each others%u2019 company. With nominating petitions due to be filed by Juiy 10, m em bers knew th eir attentions would soon be re-focused on cam paigns.June 19, 1986, THE PHOENIX, Page 394