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Actor Danny Glover, target of right-wing McCarthy like witch hunt, receives support from African Americans, 5/18/03

Actor Danny Glover is a strong friend of Cuba and the current chairperson of TransAfrica Forum. He is the subject of a McCarthy witch hunt by the American right, designed, as the articles below describe, to "black list" him from work, including his work as MCI spokesperson. But he got support, and that helped!

Tom Joyner suggested what may be the best response on his popular national radio show, the Tom Joyner Morning Show: let MCI know you are watching their actions. Joyner's web site, Black America Web, had this to say:

Danny Glover has a right to disagree with Bush! 5/20/03 Black America Web: "Right on, Danny Glover. Right on, for having the courage to dissent. Right on, for not merely being a Hollywood star who has earned millions and achieved fame, but for being an artist who speaks out with opinions that may not be popular. Stand strong, Danny Glover. Pit bulls from the right wing of America's functionally insane have gone on the attack. Judicial Watch, a conservative activist organization, is trying to cajole telecommunications giant MCI into dropping you as its spokesperson because of your opposition to the Bush administration's policy toward Cuba. It probably doesn't help that you opposed the war with Iraq."

Other support has come in from WRKS's popular Wake Up Club:

WRKS hosts unite to back Danny Glover 5/5/03 NY Daily News: "WRKS (98.7 FM) morning cohost Jeff Foxx yesterday said his show will actively join in defending actor Danny Glover, who is under fire for his criticism of the Iraqi war and President George W. Bush. Foxx spoke to the WRKS Sunday "Open Line" team of Bob Pickett, James Mtume and Bob Slade, who is also the newsman on the daily "Wake-Up Club" with Foxx and Shaila. Pickett, Mtume and Slade charged there are "echoes of McCarthyism" in the attacks on Glover, who has been a target of MSNBC commentator and former GOP Rep. Joe Scarborough."

All of this did result in some progress!

Urgent Alert -- We Celebrate A Victory 5/20/03 TransAfrica Forum: US right wingers had tried to get Danny Glover fired from his MCI contract for his stance on Cuba and Iraq -- "Our contract with Danny Glover runs through January 2004 and we intend to honor our contract... " This message resonates with the sound of victory for our "Dial-in for Democracy" Campaign. It was launched in response to the right-wing attack on TransAfrica Forum Board Chairperson Danny Glover. Our action alert last week asked friends and supporters to contact MCI to insist that it not back down in its relationship with Danny in the face of attacks from right-wing extremists. Our alert was followed by an outstanding commentary by Tavis Smiley on the Tom Joyner Morning Show (May 15th), along with other media attention. A massive response ensued. MCI was deluged with telephone calls, e-mails and faxes."

Danny Glover Targeted for Anti-War Views 5/18/03 AP: "Similar frostiness extended to the Dixie Chicks, and actors Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon when they came out against war in Iraq. Glover said this chill comes from right-wing factions that he denounced as self-appointed thought police. "It's basically this rabid nationalism that has its own kind of potential of being maniacal, in some sense. As we march down and wave the flags, we must be sure of what we're waving them for," Glover said in an interview. "The whole idea is to crush any kind of dissent," he said. "Something is happening now that is very dark and very sinister in this country, and for us to not admit it is happening is, in some ways, for us to be blind." There is so much concern about this in Hollywood that in March before the fighting even began the Screen Actors Guild issued a statement warning studio executives not to deny work to entertainers who speak against war in Iraq… "We are at an important point in our history and we need a serious, open debate about it," said David Kairys, constitutional law professor at Temple University. "Criticizing Danny Glover, or wishing all sorts of ill fortune to him, would be counterproductive. The way to counter this is for more and more people to stand up ... in an atmosphere where people can express their views, and not be afraid they're going to lose their jobs." In Glover's case, it was not just his anti-war activism that drew the wrath of the right. It also was his signature on a two-paragraph statement from 160 artists and intellectuals that appeared May 1 in the Cuban government newspaper Granma. That statement, addressed to "The Conscience of the World," called the Iraq war an unprovoked, unjustified invasion and said there is "a strong campaign of destabilization" against Cuba that could be used as "a pretext for an invasion" much like that launched against Iraq."

The Strange Conscience of Danny Glover 5/14/03 NewsMax: by the inimitable right wing hack, Myles Cantor.

Glover's dangerous weapon 5/14/03 The Age: "He recently signed an open letter in support of Fidel Castro that stated that the administration's "harassment against Cuba could serve as a pretext for an invasion." A number of groups have threatened to boycott MCI if it doesn't disconnect Glover as pitchman from its ad campaign, MSNBC's The Scoop reports. In a Brazilian magazine interview, Glover accused Bush of pushing a "conservative program designed to eliminate everything Americans had accomplished" in matters of race and equality. In a statement, MCI praised Glover's work. But the company added that it is reviewing "options for new product campaigns." The whole thing may be moot since Glover's contract with MCI runs only two more weeks." On 3/15, Tom Joyner advised his large audience to call into MCI and advise them they would be switching if they even thought of causing trouble for Glover.

TRANSAFRICA FORUM URGENT ACTION APPEAL: Dial In For Democracy and to Support Danny Glover 5/13/03 TransAfrica: "Despite all the rhetoric from the White House and in conservative political circles regarding freedom of speech and human rights, the illegal Anglo-American invasion of Iraq demonstrated that it is all at best disingenuous. This is becoming all too clear at this moment with the concerted attack on TransAfrica Forum Board of Directors Chairperson Danny Glover… The attack on Danny takes place at the same time that other courageous public figures are facing the wrath of the administration and their allies on the political Right for daring to challenge US foreign policy on Iraq, Cuba and countless other situations. The attempt to isolate and destroy political opponents is reminiscent of the McCarthy era. It happened to the great Paul Robeson in the 1950s, and from that lesson we should learn that this can NEVER be allowed to happen again."

MCI SPOKESMAN SUPPORTS CASTRO: TERRORIST MURDERER WHO SYSTEMATICALLY VIOLATES HUMAN RIGHTS 5/13/03 Judicial Watch: from Black Commentator: "The "Get-Glover" campaign is spearheaded by the far-right attack dog Judicial Watch, a truly primitive outfit. "MCI must fire Glover," howled Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. Outraged at Glover's support for lifting the U.S. embargo against Cuba, Fitton threw a ... fit. "Any more than it should have a spokesman supporting Osama bin Laden, it can't have a spokesman supporting terrorist Castro," he raged."

Actor Danny Glover, target of right-wing McCarthy like witch hunt, receives support from African Americans, 5/18/03

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