The Why

Keshet's Story

[Links added and URLs updated. -ed.K]

           

21 October 1997

Mr. Kweisi Mfume
President, NAACP
4805 Mount Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215

Dear Mr. Mfume:

I was pleased to receive your recent invitation to become a Friend of the NAACP. I have long been an advocate of the principles and goals of this honorable organization. I am therefore deeply saddened to say that I cannot in good conscience support the NAACP at this time.

Recently I became aware that the NAACP presented the Church of Scientology with several prestigious awards. Quoting from the August, 1997, International Scientology News:

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), among the most prominent and influential civil rights organizations in the world, recently honored the Church of Scientology for providing and implementing the most effective solutions to rampant illiteracy, with LRH Study Tech through the World Literacy Crusade. In recognition of Scientology's contribution, the NAACP presented the church with two of its most distinguished awards.

[the Roy Wilkins Distinguished Leadership Award and the James Weldon Johnson Award]

Additionally, the Dr. W.E.B. DuBois Award was presented to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard (posthumously), who —in the words of the Western Regional Director of the NAACP, Ernestine Peters — is "the man behind this all — a man who has made this all possible. A man who has done so much around the world to help our people and all people in all areas of life, all over the world" (also from the International Scientology News, August 1997).

I am dismayed that the NAACP would legitimize this criminal cult in such a fashion.

The "Church" of Scientology is not a religious institution at all, but a commercial enterprise. I refer you to the May 6, 1991 Time magazine article by Richard Behar, "Scientology: The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power", in which the author states, "[Scientology] poses as a religion but is really a ruthless global scam." The article is available on the World Wide Web ("web") at:

<http:// www.solitarytrees.net/ pubs/ time.htm >

You might also be interested in Scientology's disreputable practice of intimidating, harassing, and suing its critics. From the same Time article: "[it is a] highly profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in Mafia-like manner." Scientology has no compunction about presenting falsehoods to bolster its image. A prime example is its claim of educating 1.5-2.5 million South African children — a complete fabrication, at least according to the South African Department of Education and Culture and the Department of Education and Training. Please see the April 7, 1992 letter from the South African Embassy (Canberra, Australia) at:

<http:// www.solitarytrees.net/ racism/ biglie.htm>

Further, L. Ron Hubbard was a pathological liar, a drug user, and very probably a racist; see:

L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?
by Bent Corydon [and L. Ron Hubbard, Jr.]
(1987 / Lyle Stuart, Inc. / ISBN 0818404442)
<http:// www.whyaretheydead.net/ misc/ Factnet/ CORYDON.TXT >

Bare-Faced Messiah
by Russell Miller
(1988 / Henry Holt & Co. / ISBN 0805006540)
<http:// www.solitarytrees.net/ pubs/ bfm/ >

[…]

Why did the NAACP bestow its honors on such a dishonorable organization? Surely it must be a case of ignorance, easily corrected by better research in the future. However, I can't help but consider a more sinister case — that Scientology somehow influenced the award process. May I direct you to the web pages of Mr. Ted Mayett of Las Vegas:

<http:// www.solitarytrees.net/ racism/>
<http:// www.solitarytrees.net/ racism/ thewhy.htm> [this page. -ed.K]

In these pages, Mr. Mayett describes his less-than-successful attempt to bring Hubbard's racism to the attention of the Las Vegas NAACP and to discover the basis for the DuBois award. I invite you to thoroughly explore this web site and its links forsome rather unflattering documentation of Hubbard's prejudices.

I sincerely hope that the NAACP will recognize its error in presenting awards to Scientology, and particularly the Dr. W.E.B. DuBois Award to L. Ron Hubbard, or provide hard evidence for their merit. Until that is done, I must regretfully withhold my support of the NAACP.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Ted's Story

[Links added and URLs updated. -ed.K]

August of 1997 a post was made to the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology that mentioned that the NAACP had given several awards to Scientology. The post was originally put up anonymously. Immediately I got on the phone to the closest major branch of the NAACP and questioned this. I had called the office of Ernestine Peters, Director of the Western Regional Branch of the NAACP . I was not able to get an answer from the secretary there, I was not able to get any answers to my questions. The questions I first had were: When were the awards issued? Where was the ceremony held? I was unable to get any reply at all, other than, "yes we did give those awards out." I posted this information and then received, anonymously, the magazine containing the article. Here is the text of the article. I now called the local, Las Vegas branch, of the NAACP and asked about the awards. I mentioned that L. Ron Hubbard was racist and questioned how such a prestigious award as the Dr. W.E.B. DuBois Award could have ever been issued. The woman I spoke to here was initially very interested in this information. As I had done with the Ernestine Peters office I gave my name and phone number. Ted Mayett, 702-696-1966. Neither office returned my calls! (We now know the awards were presented April 26, 1997.)

I let about two weeks pass and then called the local office of the NAACP to arrange an interview. The interview was very interesting. Where the woman I had spoken to initially was very interested in this subject, she was now very indifferent to it all. However, as I spoke about the verifiable slurs by L. Ron Hubbard on blacks the people in the office suddenly became interested again. At that time I told them that I was going to put together a "package" of information on Scientology and racism. That package is now assembled. Before this is posted to the newsgroups alt.religion.scientology and soc.culture.african.american, the package will have been hand delivered to six African American groups here in my city. And mailed to some NAACP offices. Addresses will follow.

Scientology is considered by Governments and individuals alike to be a business masquerading as a religion. It is certainly a very controversial group. The reason I put this "package" and web page together is because I do not like Scientology. I am an ex-member. I became an ex-member upon opening an internet account and learning of the lies and crimes my donations were supporting. Crimes that continue to this very day.

But back to the issues.

Look here what it says about Hubbard  he was a this and he was a that and some of this is proven lies . They even claim that Hubbard was the youngest Eagle Boy Scout in the US . The fact is that Scientology, in its attempts at gaining credibility, grabs any straw it possibly can. So how does it come to pass that an organization as honorable and prestigious as the NAACP can give Scientology yet more awards to help them recruit people. Scientology lies! here is a recent example, it deals with Scientology claiming that the Norwegian Defense Minister  endorsed Scientology. This never happened. To this very month, 11/97, scientology claims 8 million members. Is there a scientology "church" near you? If so, look and see if they have about 26,000 local members. The number needed per "church" to reach a figure of 8 million.

OK, so Scientology seeks to expand into the Black community. Granted, everything and everybody is seeking to expand into the black community. Still, an endorsement by the NAACP will certainly make their job easier. The facts seem to indicate that Scientology is a small, pathetic, mean cult, and that the profits at the top are enormous. Profits generated by scores of people paying large sums of money for training and processing. I don't believe the awards given by the NAACP to Scientology can be taken away now. But hopefully other notable organizations will not give them the recognition they need to get people in the doors.

Scientology refers to itself as both a science and a religion. But this is all well and good and not to be argued at this time. Right now the thing is the racist statements made by L. Ron Hubbard. Statements that are considered and legally called Sacred Scriptures in the US. Statements that anyone can find in the books sold by Scientology.

Scientology will not like this page. They would rather that people did not know that Hubbard thought that Blacks were too stupid for auditing. They would rather that people simply accept the fact that 1.5 – 2.5 million S. African school children were taught to read using the Hubbard technology. They would rather that people not know that there is no proof to support this claim of the children being taught. They would like for people to believe the "official" Hubbard profile created by Scientology. Well too bad for Scientology. The internet is a reality, honest information can be had by the serious student willing to explore the many web pages covering Scientology.

This Map of Africa <http:// pharos.uwc.edu/ cos/ africa.htm> contains a wealth of information on Scientology in Africa.

Reply from the S. African Embassy regarding the 1.5 million children taught to read.

The two following essays contain a wealth of data. They contain facts, quotes, and pictures. They are required reading for the serious student on this subject of "L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, Dianetics and Racism." Africa, Clear Continent  And Scientology's fight for Apartheid .

Pimping the African-American Community
<http:// www.appi.org/ psjournal/ oct96/ ti10.html>.
This can be reached from here
<http:// www.appi.org/ psjournal/ oct96/ psocttoc.html>.

The Scientology home page .
An introductionto Scientology .
An index  of some of the pages critical of Scientology.
A humourous  explanation for the 1.5 million children.

The "package" was hand delivered to these organizations 10/1/97:

• Nevada Urban Chamber of Commerce
  1048 W. Owens Ave.
  Las Vegas, NV 89106
  702-648-6222

• KCEP Radio FM-88.1
  330 W. Washington
  Las Vegas, NV 89106
  702-648-0104

• Las-Vegas Sentinel-Voice
  900 E. Charleston Blvd.
  Las Vegas, NV 89104
  702-380-8100

• The Black Business Directory
  1048 W. Owens Ave.
  Las Vegas, NV 89106
  702-646-4223 or 800-425-4223

• NAACP
  600 W. Owens
  Las Vegas, NV 89106
  702-657-0599

Snail-mailed to:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Committee
  1316 Morgan ST.
  Las Vegas, NV 89106-1520
  702-631-1913

• NAACP
  970 Martin Luther King Drive, Suite 203
  Atlanta, GA 30314
  404-668-8868 Fax 404-524-3633