Turnout 75%: Georgia Democrat, United States Representative Cynthia McKinney's efforts to get the Bush administration to participate in the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance (WCAR) to be held in Durban, South Africa August 31 - September 7, 2001 became an in-your-face, nose-to-nose battle this week. Representatives of the State Department were still not returning telephone calls or responding to e-mail messages regarding WCAR.

On Friday, White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer renewed the administration's threat to boycott the conference entirely, if Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other WCAR leaders allowed African Americans to discuss slavery or reparations. Fleischer stated, "The U.S. plans to go. The only thing that will stop the U.S. for going...is if the leaders of the conference make the very unwise decision of equating Zionism with racism or if they take other steps that have not been supported by previous administration." Those other steps include reparations for American slave descendants.

Republicans in Congress dealt another blow to Rep. McKinney's efforts by refusing to allow a vote on HR 211, a resolution calling on the United States to support WCAR. Rep. McKinney also wants to give victims of racism and Zionism an opportunity to tell their story in their words at WCAR.

Meanwhile, in the trenches in Atlanta, the battle over WCAR moved to a new level. The week began with Rep. McKinney's office laying plans to hold a congressional educational hearing on WCAR as part of Poets for Peace "International Speak Out" on August 16, 2001. Sister Poets Embracing Altruistic Kinship (S.P.E.A.K.), Kimotion, Voluptuous and Sunshyne will help coordinate local venues, where poets and others can take the microphone to speak out about the devastation of racism. S.P.E.A.K. will be supported by Aquiyl and the MoorEpics Slam Team, which includes GA Me (Georgia Me), Alexis, Malik and Yohannes. The slam team, which competes in the National Slam August 1-5, 2001 in Seattle, Washington, has a new CD titled MoorEpics Slam Team 2001 that is badly needed ammunition in this war of words over WCAR.

Rep. McKinney and Congressional Black Caucus President Eddie Bernice Johnson ended the week with a distress asking everyone in the Diaspora to: CALL DEMOCRATIC LEADER RICHARD GEPHARDT @ 202-225-0622 AND HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER DICK ARMEY @ 202-225-7772. DEMAND THE SUPPORT OF HOUSE RESOLUTION 211 AND US PARTICIPATION IN THE UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON RACISM.

Every slave descendant is a victim of American racism. As battles go, this one will not solve black people's problems forever. Nevertheless, some battles must be fought regardless of the outcome. This is our opportunity to let the world know we exist and are ready to take our place on the international stage. Moreover, we refuse to be silenced by Bush and the forces that support worldwide racism. Join Poets for Peace, the Congressional Black Caucus, S.P.E.A.K, Live Poets and The DISH on August 16 and speak out. Help break the WCAR silence!