June 25, 2000
Mr. Stephen L. Brown, CEO
John Hancock Financial Services
200 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02117
Sir:
An American icon, the John Hancock pen's stroke symbolizes the boldness of America's founding fathers' assertion "that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Signed by your company's namesake, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed freedom, justice and equality for all, and laid the furrow which history books say guide American democracy. However, the living record shows those ideals were not maintained when writing the United States Constitution. Replaced by the 3/5ths Compromise of Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution, legalized slavery valued black human capitol as 3/5ths white. The American Civil War relegated slaves' descendants to second class citizenship, although the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments said otherwise. "Jim Crow" segregation maintained blacks in virtual slavery until the 1980s, when Reaganomics criminalized blackness.
In joining Major League Baseball's (MLB) All-Star celebration with Fan-Fest, the John Hancock Insurance Company undermines Georgia policyholders' confidence and makes your organization no different than others in the industry. Recent reports reveal America's insurance industry is in a league with baseball in regards to its legacy of racism and segregation. Culprits like Aetna, American General Corporation and State Farm Insurance Company have systematically robbed black consumers for years. Aetna sold millions of "slave policies," which insured slaves as property. State Farm fraudulently rewrites doctors' reports to reduce the amount paid to black policyholders. On June 22, 2000, American General Corporation revealed it applied the 3/5ths value of Article 1 Section 2 in gouging black policyholders. Blacks were charged 2 to 3 times more than whites for so called "burial policies." Popular during the 1930s, 40s and 50s, these policies paid pennies on the dollar in survivor's benefits.
The educational process of enlightening people about the constitutional bases of slavery and its residual effects reflect Georgians resolve to change the state flag. Citizens of Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina launched an international boycott against states that officially display Confederate emblems. On May 17, 2000, we wrote Commissioner "Bud" Selig requesting MLB move its All-star Game from Atlanta to some other city to support Georgia's international boycott. In letters to Great Britain Prime Minster Tony Blair and European Union President Romano Prodi, we asked that they withhold all economic support and avoid travel to America in general and states like Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina, in particular, until an African American Equal Rights Amendment (AAERA) is passed.
The AAERA repeals the 3/5ths value ascribed slaves' descendants, adds to the Constitution the principle of equality the Declaration of Independence espouses, grants slaves' descendants reparations and creates structures to reeducate and alter Americans' mind-sets about it's slave history.
Sir, if John Hancock is not a part of the sleazy history of the insurance industry, Georgians are sure you will support our protest by withdrawing your planned exhibit - "Fan-Fest"- from the All-Star celebration, now that you are aware of our efforts. The international boycott of travel and economic support for states like Georgia is necessary to draw attention to the southern plantation style of management, which perpetuates slave/slave master mind-sets. An excellent example of this onerous burden is the situation in DeKalb and Fulton Counties.
The Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit Authority's (MARTA) one-cent sales tax exemplifies taxation without representation. Taxpayers in these counties pay to provide serves to whites that we, the taxpayers, do not receive. Like a plantation owner, Governor Roy Barnes took the train DeKalb residents paid for and gave it to Cobb and Douglas Counties, where the MARTA sales tax is not imposed.
John Hancock's support of the All-star celebration delivers a message, which basically says to blacks that it supports the racism represented by the Confederate battle emblem and the southern plantation style of management employed to deprive blacks of resources and revenue. Georgia consumers ask that you reconsider your support for the Atlanta All-Star Game and honor our boycott. Furthermore, we ask that John Hancock speak out against American racism and genocide, as well as, demand reparations, freedom, justice and equality for slaves' descendants
Sincerely,
John Burl Smith
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