Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 22:45:26 -0400
From: Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library 
Subject: Howard University Will Award Honorary Ph.D. To Kwame Ture On May 8th

                    For Immediate Release Worldwide

                             Please Forward!

Contact:  Paroots2@yahoo.com

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!