The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 4

ft-A I ML UuuniLn-ouui ti ire 17, 1995 I ULUU A9 TIE MILLION MAII MARCH Farrakhan has his day in the sun I I aft1 ntL-' FARRAKHAN'S HISTORY An enigma to many Americans, Louis Farrakhan has used several names throughout his eclectic career. Raised in Boston under his birth name Louis Eugene Walcott, Farrakhan's early vocation was singing calypso music. He was known as "Calypso Gene" or "The Charmer," and he made $500 a week on tour. Farrakhan, 62, an accomplished classical violinist, played the instrument as a teen-ager on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour in 1949. When he was 22, he was recruited by Malcolm for the Nation of Islam.

He took the name Louis and kept on singing and writing stage plays with ethnic themes. Farrakhan gave up his performing in the late 1960s, when Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad told him that to be a minister he'd have to stop being "a song and dance man." After Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975, Farrakhan split with the founder's group and followed a more aggressive road that has drawn him into continual controversy. At least for this day, Farrakhan may have earned himself top billing in the drama of black political leadership. But as impressive as the sea of black men on the Mall was, it is unclear what it will mean for Farrakhan or what it says about the heart and direction of black America. The turnout makes one thing clear.

Farrakhan has tapped into a deep and wide sense of discontent in black America. Roger Wilkins, a historian at George Mason University, says Farrakhan has become a powerful voice largely by default. "Responsible black people," Wilkins said, "have been trying to get the attention of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party for a long time to tell them that black people were unemployed at double digit levels for two decades, that black teen-agers are in trouble, black families are falling apart largely because they do not have adequate incomes. White people have not listened. "Their response," he said, "was (House Speaker Newt)Gingrich programs to.punish the poor.

By ignoring moderate black leaders they sowed the seeds for the emergence of Farrakhan as a more important figure in American life." Farrakhan has been working for this day since 1978 when he started his own Nation of Islam, three years after the death of his mentor, Elijah Muhammad, the founder of the Nation 70 years ago. In 1980, 15,000 people turned out to hear Farrakhan speak in New York City and he has been packing them in ever since, said Lawrence Mamiya, a religion professor at Vasser College. "I think he would like to be perceived as one of the legitimate leaders of black America," Mamiya said. "I think one reason he called for the march is he feels that the Nation of Islam, in order to grow, will have to begin including people from the member class." Continued from Page One hours later, as thousands of those who had come for his "Million Man March" began leaving to catch buses back to their cities and towns. The National Park Service said 400,000 had answered his call for a day of prayer and protest.

Organizers put the crowd at more than a million. It was a stage the 62-year-old grandfather has been working for since his days nearly four decades ago as a Calypso singer billed as "The Charmer," but especially in the last 17 years, as he traveled the country, talking to small crowds in small churches. As he methodically went about rebuilding the Nation of Islam, most people beyond the black community ignored or dismissed him as the head of a sect with a fetish for bow ties. More recently, his public image has been haunted by charges of anti-Semitism, sexism and homophobia. But at least parts of his message of pride and anger have struck a chord across class lines, from the brother on the block to the brother in the boardroom.

At times yesterday he stirred the crowd to cheers, as when he rebuked his critics and delivered his message of black empowerment. "Whether you like it or not, God brought the idea through me, and he didn't bring it through me because my heart was dark with hatred and anti-Semitism," he said. "If my heart were that dark, how is the message so bright, the message so clear, the response so magnificent." But other parts of the speech left many baffled. "What is so deep about this number 19?" Farrakhan asked at one point. "Why are we standing on the Capitol steps today? That number 19, when you have a nine, you have a womb that is pregnant, and when you have a one standing by the nine, it means that there's something secret that has to be unfolded." Jewish, Alliant to run hospital Continued from Page One UofL President John Shumaker called the new contract "an extraordinary opportunity" to improve medical education and unify the downtown medical center, ending decades of competition among hospital firms.

Of the $241.9 million that the partnership expects to spend in the next five years, a large chunk, $102.3 mil-nlion, would be paid next year. That includes $20 million to buy out Co-' lumbia and $35 million for capital projects, including expanding the emergency room and improving the Brown Cancer Center, ii- The two corporations plan to raise first-year money through a bond issue, said Henry C. "Hank" Wagner, president of Jewish Hospital Health-Care Services. The bonds would be backed by Jewish and Alliant, not by any government. Payments to of in later years would largely come from profits from running University, which is a regional trauma center.

Still, Mamiya said, Farrakhan "remains an enigma to those of us who study him." "How do I characterize his politics?" Mamiya said with a laugh. "Disruptive. You can never predict what he is going to say." Farrakhan is a Booker T. Washington-style conservative and a Marcus Garvey black nationalist. He lives in the lap of luxury in an integrated neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, just blocks from some of the city's worst black poverty.

He is often portrayed as a militant, but much of what he says sounds ghost-written by a Republican, with its talk of self-help and bootstraps. He is a Muslim but tends to quote more frequently from the Bible of his youth. Even before the march, it was a year of reconciliation and image polishing for Farrakhan. In January, Malcolm X's daughter, Qubilah Sha-bazz, was charged in federal court in Minneapolis with trying to hire a hit man to kill Farrakhan, who Malcolm X's family had long suspected of playing a role in his death. But instead of speaking out against Shabazz, Farrakhan condemned the government, saying Shabazz had been set up.

That led to a public embrace by Malcolm X's widow, a show of unity and healing that went a long way to enhance Farrakhan's reputation beyond his narrow Nation. That is a prospect that worries Adolph Reed, a professor of political science at Northwestern University. Reed said the march is a symbol of a growing sense of desperation in many blacks, including middle-class blacks who are afraid of attacks on affirmative-action programs. "People are feeling pinched and threatened and a lot of political leaders don't seem to have any answers," Reed said. "People like Farrakhan feed on that sort of desperation.

The substance of his message and agenda there for many, many years and has been very successful. Several of medical programs are housed at Jewish or at Alliant hospitals. Some things will remain much the same at University Hospital. Current employees will stay on the job, Wagner said, adding that he envisions hiring more in the future. And the hospital will continue to provide indigent care for the Louisville area, receiving some money from local and state governments to offset that cost.

Once the fine print is worked out, the new corporation will start running the hospital in February. The decision means Columbia will be without the downtown hospital and university affiliation that were key parts of its local network. Columbia issued a statement expressing disappointment with the decision, saying its proposal presented "a unique opportunity for the university to join with us to develop a truly outstanding medical center and equally share the reward." Although Columbia pledged $45 million in capital improvements, it fell far short of the Jewish-Alliant proposal elsewhere. The selection committee said the partnership would deliver $83.5 million in profits, revenue sharing and other funds for academic programs, compared to $46.5 million from Columbia. That outweighed what the committee said were strengths in Columbia's meshes well with right-wing Republicans." But Reed's concerns seemed far removed from the black men who had listened to Farrakhan for more than two hours.

After the minister had finished, they hugged and shook hands with friends and strangers. ASSOCIATED PRESS Hundreds of thousands of black men filled the Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument yesterday. 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 I I I 'i i 1 '1 1 I II 4 1 i I 1 fw 1 -4 ft ii i i '11 I 1 1 XivYhU' Hffi'NC 111 ii 11. Mb STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL HAYMAN From left, Stephen Williams, president of Alliant Health System; Donald Kmetz, dean of the University of Louisville medical school; university President John Shumaker; and Henry C. "Hank" Wagner, president of Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services, discussed the new contract.

but it also agreed to boost that amount by $5 million every five years. Columbia offered to reduce its management fee from its current 10 percent of net patient revenues to 5 percent. However, the partnership II IBaldwDini To Wear On CONCRETE! THE OF HOSPITAL CONTRACT Who: University Medical Center a new entity formed by Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services and Alliant Health System to lease and manage the hospital replacing ColumbiaHCA Healthcare Corp. How long: 15 years, with extensions possible. How much money: of to get at least $172 million over the first five years, and probably much more; actual payments to total $241 .9 million, based on current earnings.

What It will buy: Expanded emergency room, improvements at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center and more money for of L's teaching programs. New academic and research specialties, to be decided later, will be housed at hospital. Where profits go: Jewish and Alliant to turn over all profits to of and not even keep a management fee. Indigent care: Louisville-area indigent patients to continue being treated. Local and state governments to still provide a fixed amount for the care, and the new corporation to cover any amount above that.

Also, at least $1 million in outpatient indigent care to be given at Ambulatory Care Center across from hospital. Who's in charge: of to appoint six of the new corporation's 12 directors, including its first chairman. "bounce In addition, the partnership will pay $9 million in 1998 for a medical-research building UofL plans to build. Jewish and Alliant had previously pledged the money, but only if the state matched it; that string is now removed. By unseating Columbia, Jewish and Alliant removed their for-profit competitor from downtown.

Columbia will still have three hospitals it owns in Jefferson County Audubon, Suburban and Southwest. In addition to that short-term gain, Jewish and Alliant hope their marriage with UofL will create Kentucky's "best medical address," Alliant President Stephen Williams sai(J. They and of officials envision a medical center in which each hospital has its specialties and doesn't compete with the others. Mayor Jerry Abramson said selection of the Jewish-Alliant consortium will help fulfill his office's longstanding desire to have a single entity "coordinate and enhance" all components of the medical center. Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Henry, an orthopedic surgeon, said the formal link among Jewish, Alliant and the university builds upon "a natural association that has been ALLIANT HEALTH SYSTEM More than 4,400 employees.

Owns three hospitals in downtown Louisville Norton Hospital, Kosair Children's Hospital and Alliant Medical Pavilion. Operates several outpatient centers in the Louisville area and manages 23 rural hospitals in Kentucky. Operates Norton Psychiatric Clinic. Specialties include oncology, psychiatric care, women's surgery, heart surgery, pediatric care, neuroscience and spinal surgery. Announces Our Annual Used Piano Clearance 1.

tf: would likely charge less. Rather than a fee, it would provide management services at cost, which could not exceed 5 percent of net patient revenues and, the committee found, likely would be under 4 percent. llfOQttl -V I li St BOUNCE proposal, including its hospital-management expertise and its financial strength. Like Columbia, the partnership agreed to pay $5 million a year to lease the hospital from the state shock away" Professionally Fitted AcnvriY UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER INC. The new not-for-profit corporation chosen to manage University of Louisville Hospital is a partnership of two large, not-for-profit corporations: Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services and Alliant Health System.

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