Black Panther Party demands city action, threatens marches

Jace Radke

Tuesday, April 3, 2001 | 10:30 a.m.

The Las Vegas Black Panther Party, demanding a meeting with government officials to discuss improvements in West and North Las Vegas neighborhoods, is planning protest marches on Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard if it doesn't receive a response.

Ron Current, head of the Las Vegas Black Panther Party, has delivered a list of demands to Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. The demands include street repaving, a new drug rehab center, a new recreation center and more job opportunities.

"I'm treating it like I treat anything else," Goodman said. "I put it in the pile on my desk, and I'll look at it like anything else I get from a citizen."

Current's list of demands, which was faxed to Gov. Kenny Guinn and North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon, states that if no meeting is set by April 16 a march on Fremont Street will take place sometime in May.

"We intend to cause problems if we march," Current said. "Things like stopping the flow traffic at certain times. It might be 1,500 people, 1,000 or a few hundred. Certainly, we want to ward off this type of action and meet with these people."

Goodman said that although he hasn't had a chance to read the list of demands, the pressure of a deadline will not be an asset to the Panthers.

"I'm the wrong mayor to give a deadline to," Goodman said. "When people put their face in my face they get nowhere."

If by May 15 no one has met with Current's group a protest march will occur on the Strip June 1, Current said. More marches will occur until the Panthers get an audience, he said.

The demands include the rebuilding of the Doolittle Community Center, 1940 N. J St., repaving of streets, putting together a committee to bring new businesses into the community, starting an employment center and appointing a liaison to represent the community to Guinn's office. In addition, the Panthers are demanding construction contractors in the community hire at least half of the needed laborers from West and North Las Vegas.

"It's really rough for guys to sit there without a job and see other people come into their community to work," Current said. "Plus, we want to get the community involved in improving the quality of life so that they can feel some pride. I think that anybody who reads the demands will see they are very reasonable."

Las Vegas Councilman Lawrence Weekly, whose ward encompasses much of West Las Vegas, says that he isn't opposed to meeting and discussing the issues but pointed out that steps are already being taken in his ward.

H Street was recently repaved, and Owens and Washington avenues are scheduled to be repaved next year, said a city spokesman. In addition, a $9.8 million expansion of the Doolittle Community Center is expected to be completed in late 2002 and will include new parking, a computer lab, a new gym and a remodeled swimming pool, Weekly said.

Current said he is confident "that they (city officials) know me enough to know I won't back down."