THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 2, 1996 TAG: 9605020438
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Charlise Lyles
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Marian Wright Edleman talks in a rapid fire of words and statistics as fast as a round from one of those automatic weapons that have killed so many children.
``Our children are in a lot of trouble,'' says the founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund. ``Black child gun deaths have increased 270 percent in the last decade.
``More black children have been killed than black soldiers killed in Vietnam. What is it going to take for the black community to stand up and say enough?''
The speed and passionate force of her words can assault any sense of complacency about America's most precious resource, its children.
``We've just come through a year where our leaders felt free to cut billions from safety-net programs, not even to balance the budget, but in order to give us a tax cut.''
That's why Wright Edleman was talking especially fast in Washington Wednesday, urging folks to support the Defense Fund's June 1 ``Stand For Children'' rally at the Lincoln Memorial.
So far 2,500 groups have signed up: Girl Scouts, the March of Dimes, Easter Seals, the American Association of Retired Persons, the National Council of Jewish Women, the NAACP, and the National Council of Negro Women.
``We're going to agree across race, class, regions and age that we're going to try to do better for our children in our work places, in our worship places, in our communities.''
The stand is non-political and non-partisan.
But the impact will be political.
The idea, says Wright Edleman, is to create a common children's agenda that will guide voters in November.
The rally will also be an opportunity for all those people doing wonderful things for children to meet each other.
Kids can come. Homeless kids. Kids with HIV. Kids who've never ventured outside their neighborhoods. Everykid.
``We want our children to have a voice in change.''
Plus, the rally will be lots of fun with playground-renovation demonstrations and, my favorites, characters from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.
Who knows? Maybe Barney will show up. And Oprah's coming.
``We're going to send people home with community and religious-action packets, training videos.''
Wright Edleman wants sustained action on the homefront and in the 'hood. Key to that goal is the church, she says.
I hope she has better luck than Tom Taylor.
Inspired by October's Million Man March, the Chesapeake business manager urged Hampton Roads churches to support an action agenda against youth violence. Stunning was the apparent lack of committed support from black churches.
Wright Edleman is determined to ``shame'' them into action.
The rally will showcase scores of preachers who have launched pro-kids campaigns.
Like a church in Chicago that took back a neighborhood from crack dealers.
Like churches in Boston that put a collective foot down when a gang carried guns to a funeral.
Like a church in New Haven where a minister's family cares for an orphaned child.
Wright Edleman's strategy and speedy entreaties just might succeed. She is the only person I know who talks faster than politicians and preachers.
KEYWORDS: CHILD ABUSE CHILDREN ASSAULT by CNB