The Peoples Institute of Economics

The Peoples Institute of Economics...

East Bloc visit

In 1985, a delegation of 16 Afro-American journalists traveled to the Soviet Union, German Democratic Republic and Czechoslovakia.

The delegation consisted of

• Robert Chrisman Editor and publisher of The Black Scholar
• Utrice Leid Managing editor New York City Sun
• John Williams Photographer, New York City Sun
• Marcia Keizs Editor of the Carib Sun
• Ben Dupuy Director of Haiti Progress
• Terry Johnson Reporter for the Philadelphia Enquirer
• John Woodford National Alliance of Third World Journalists
• Charles Belle Syndicated business columnist representing the National Black Publishers Association
• Valerie Van Isler International news staff, Pacifica Radio, New York
• Lena Sherrod Director of The Peoples Institute of Economics
• Joe Walker International Organization of Journalists US
• Edward Palmer President Black Press Institute
• Jan Carew Executive Board PresidentBlack Press Institute
• Richard Hudlin Phd, writer and researcher, Black Press Institute
• Kevin Blackistone Reporter for the Chicago Reporter, Black Press Institute
• Alice Palmer Black Press Institute

The trip was organized by International Organization of Journalists executive Don Rojas, the American educated former press secretary to Grenada's late leader Maurice Bishop, in conjunction with the Black Press Institute, the National Alliance of Black Journalists and the National Newspaper Publishers Association-the US's largest organization of owners of black newspapers.

According to one of the tours leaders Alice Palmer;

The trip was extraordinary because we were able to sit down with our counterparts and with the seats of power in three major capitals-Prague, Berlin and Moscow. We visited with foreign ministers, we talked with the editors of the major newspapers in these three cities...

It was a very unusual trip because we were given access...Every effort was made to give us as much as we asked for...We came back feeling that we could speak very well about the interest of the socialist countries in promoting peace.

This was before the (Soviet nuclear test ban) moratorium, this was before the Reykjavik offers...It was very clear to us in our conversations and interviews with people at that time, that this was already something of concern and, something that would be promoted when the opportunity arose, as we can see that it has been.

References

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