NOVEMBER 15:

1974 Montreal Quebec - Ottawa signs James Bay Agreement with Cree and Inuit; $150 million grant for land lost to power dams.

1885 Regina Saskatchewan - Father André, Louis Riel's priest, visits his charge in his jail cell and tells him he is to be hanged the next day; according to the priest, Riel takes the news calmly, and says he has made his peace with God, and is fully prepared.

In 1998, Kwame Ture, the civil rights activist formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, died in Guinea at age 57. 
 

BACKGROUND:
 

Tuesday, April 27, 1999
 
 

Howard University Will Award Honorary Ph.D. To Kwame Ture On May 8th

Howard University in Washington, DC will award an honorary Ph.D.  to Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, at its 131st Commencement Exercise on May 8, 1999 in Washington, DC.   Howard University's TV and radio stations will broadcast the ceremony live. Other media sources are encouraged to cover the event as well.

Howard University student trustees, Randy Short and Jonathan Hutto led the drive to secure the honorary degree for Kwame. They were supported in their quest by the Howard University Faculty Senate, the Hilltop campus newspaper, Julian Bond, Dick Gregory, Dr. C Delores Tucker, Rev. CT Vivian, Professor Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. James Cone, Elaine Jones, Joe Madison, Dr. Ronald Walters, Lawrence Guyot and others.

Mrs. Mable Carmichael, Kwame’s 80-year old mother, will attend the Commencement Exercise and accept this honor on behalf of Kwame, and on behalf of progressive and revolutionary students and youth, and their mothers and grandmothers, worldwide.  May Charles, as she is affectionately called by two generations of movement organizers and activists, is spearheading a worldwide effort to build, in fulfillment of Kwame’s final wishes, a Work-Study Institute and Library in his name in Conakry, Guinea where he lived and worked for the past 30 years.

Later that evening at 7:00 p.m., Mrs. Carmichael will be honored at a community gathering to celebrate this prestigious honor at the New Bethel Baptist Church located at 9th and S Streets NW in Washington, DC.

This gathering is being organized by Jonathan Hutto and Randy Short, (Howard University Student Trustees), Rock Newman (Community activist), the All-African People's Revolutionary Party and the All-African Women's Revolutionary Union, the Howard University Faculty Senate, the Howard University Student Government Association, and a host of other organizations and activists.  Rock Newman will serve as the Honorary Chairperson of this gathering.  The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend.

Mrs. Carmichael will take this opportunity to express her thanks to the People and the Movement for the tremendous support, encouragement and love that they gave to Kwame over the past four decades.  She will extend her families’ sympathy to all present, because she knows that you too have suffered a great loss.   She will express her desire to stay in touch with every one of Kwame’s extended family, and will be appreciative of your support and help in her effort to build the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library.

This is the second occasion in which an accredited University has awarded an honorary Ph.D. to Kwame Ture.  Shaw University in Raleigh, NC awarded his first honorary degree in 1971.   Kwame’s latest honorary degree from Howard University is a well deserved acknowledgment of his 40 years of service, sacrifice and suffering.  Listed are a few of his many achievements:

Kwame graduated from Howard in 1964 with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy.  While at Howard, he joined and worked with the Nonviolent Action Group (NAG) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and participated in numerous demonstrations, including the “Freedom Rides.”

Upon graduation, Kwame decided to work for SNCC full time, helping build the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO), and the Black Panther Party (BPP).  He was elected chairman of SNCC in 1966, and served as the honorary Prime Minister of the BPP from 1968 to 1969.  He was also a member of the Central Committees of the All-African People's Revolutionary party and the Democratic Party of Guinea (RDA).

In 1969, at the invitation of Presidents Kwame Nkrumah and Ahmed Seku Ture, Kwame moved to Guinea in West Africa to live and continue his work with the African and World Revolution.  While living in Guinea, he joined the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG-RDA) and helped organize the All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP).  He also supported and worked with African, Native American, Chicano, Palestinian, Arab, Irish, Vietnamese, Cuban, Libyan and other progressive and revolutionary movements and organizations throughout the world.  He made his final transition on November 15, 1998 because of complications of prostate cancer at age 57.

Kwame continued to work, study and struggle until the last day, the last hour, the last minute and the last second of his life. He continues to live as a revolutionary and a Pan-Africanist, who studied, worked and struggled all of his life for African and other oppressed peoples worldwide, especially their students, youth and women.

It is fitting that we pledge ourselves to continue his work and memorialize him.  We can all help by endorsing and supporting (materially and financially) his mother's efforts to build the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library in Conakry, Guinea.  We also ask all progressive forces worldwide to organize campus based and community based actives and events honoring Kwame building a worldwide movement to continue and expand his work.

Mrs. Carmichael asks all individuals and organizations who possess any type of correspondence, photographs, audio or video tapes, films, books, thesis, dissertations, newspaper and magazine articles, or other memorabilia by or about Kwame, to donate a copy to the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library, so that they can be housed in Conakry with his works.   Financial contributions will also be greatly appreciated.

Please send all materials, donations and/or tax-exempt contributions to the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library, c/o the Black United Fund of Illinois, 1809 East 71st Street, Chicago, IL 60649.  Telephone: (773) 324-0494.  E-mail:  Paroots2@yahoo.com

Kwame was many things to many people, however, we can all agree that he was honest, committed, dedicated, relentless and self-sacrificing in the struggle.  The spirit of Kwame lives on.  His words and action, work, study and struggle will never die.  In the name and spirit of Kwame we will organize, organize, organize, and always stay Ready for the Revolution!