◆ SpookStack

The Newmanites had told members of the People’s Party that Newman’s International Workers Parfy had been disbanded, but the People’s Party stumbled across a secret New- manite newsletter marked “confidential internal bulletin” and bearing the name Party Building. Ac- cording to Party Building, the Newmanites were recruiting inside the People’s Party and other progressive groups to build a secret “pre-party formation.” The confidential Newmanite newslet- ter explained it was being published to “function as intelligence and communications networks, reporting on the social movement of various strata in particular areas. Even though the IWP was supposed to have dissolved, plans were sketched out in Party Build- ing for its “Fourth Party Plenary” held in Gary, In- diana in early 1977. The meeting brought together representatives from various Newmanite front groups organized under the public banner of the “Council of Independent Organizers.” Depth of Black Leadership The New Alliance Party does engage in ac- tivities which support Black candidates, as the fol- lowing excerpt from a letter by NAP supporters In 1984, after campaigningfor Reverend Jesse Jackson and witnessing National Convention in San Francisco, NAP moved ahead with its independent Presidential campaign for the Afro- American candidate Dennis L. Serrette in a record-breaking 33 states where the porty had managed to secure actess to the ballot. What the letter fails to mention is that Serrette left the New Alliance Party after unsuccessfully struggling for a_meaningful leadership role for Black NAP officials who he felt had organization- al titles but no real influence or control. At first, Serrette, as a point of personal and political prin- became obvious NAP leaders were characterizing his reasons for leaving as primarily personal, and implying that Serrette continued to support NAP, ne NAP, but when i 26% Serrette went public with his charges in Mississippi's Jackson Advocate newspaper. “I left the party because it continued to claim it was Black-led —1 knew better,” Serrette is quoted as saying in the Jackson Advocate. “I mean n0 harm to these powerful Black women, Emily Carter, Lenora Fulani and Barbara Taylor, when I say that... knew from being there that they were not leading Fred Newman—be was leading them — that’s why I left....I don’t feel they can use ‘Black-led’ continuously without falling on their faces — falsehoods just won’t hold up under close scrutiny.” According to Serreue, NAP had no real com- mitment to Black-led independent politics. “I had to think about my reputation then — of people who continue to believe in me.” After raising his criticisms internally, Serrétte said he was cut off from the flow of information within the party. “It got so I didn’t know when they were holding meet- ings or anything,” said Serrette. In the course of the lawsuit by Emily Carter against the Jackson Advocate, Dennis Serrette was called by Carter's attorney to answer questions in a deposition. Serrette thoroughly denounced Newman and his followers as running a racist, sexist “therapy cult” that put people of color in public leadership positions merely as window dressing. Regarding the New Alliance Party, Ser- rette said: : ...J don't believe that it's organic...in terms of it being a working-class move- ment...Black, white and Latino. I think - it’s an elitist organization. It certainly ser- ves the purposes of its leader....it was a lie, it was clearly @ tactical ...a racist scheme of using Black and Latino and Asian people to do the bidding of one man, namely Fred Newman, that’s my opinion, and to use other whites as well, you know through the therapy practices. No one challenges Fred Newman. I raise a few word. There is no such thing as opposi- Clouds Blur the Rainbow - 13