Transcript | Annotation | Source: 89-4286-C-2-A-8-10-16 | Month Index
Got up at 8.00. We had for breakfast apple juice, eggs, hamburger patties, toast, Sanka and carob milk. I had the girls leave the dishes, as we wanted to get to the service as soon as possible.
We left at 9.30. Service was at 10.00.
Jim was at the door and we didn’t have to go through search, nor sign meditation sheet.
No seats were left on ground floor, on account of huge crowd and sections being saved for Muslims and other visitors. Beulah and I went up to balcony. Jim came up to balcony and had me move downstairs, as white people were needed to integrate the audience.
Laurie Efrein and Dick Tropp played classical music on the piano and cello.
Tim Stoen presided, introduced Dr. Karl Irwin, who gave the invocation.
The New Birth Dancers (the Temple girls who do African dances) performed.
Tim introduced Jim who introduced the choir, which sang, United We Stand.” The congregation sang “Lift Every Heart and Sing.” Norman Ijames ang “Sing a Song of Freedom.” The congregation sang “Born Free.”
The visitors, about three rows of them , had been coming in with their Temple companions. I was not sure which of them was the reporter whom Jim considered a threat nor which was the reporter from the Examiner whom he had invited. Jim introduced some of the guests: Willie Brown, District Attorney Joseph Freitas, Dennis Banks, and a representative of the Nation of Islam.
Jim said he had been asked to “sermonize.” Ordinarily he did not preach but answered questions, saying he preferred to respond to what was on people’s minds. This he did now. Some of the questions concerned his attitude concerning hell (he believed God would not be less kind than he, a human being, is), euthanasia and capital punishment (he was extremely cautious about giving people the right to end life and was opposed to capital punishment). What made him work so hard and what was his view of his role in regard to human service (these he movingly explained how he felt about the intense suffering which others endured, such as the mother in Ethiopia with dried up breasts whose baby was starving. “I’m a human being like her and my children have enough to eat, why should I be privileged?” He received two questions about healing. The first was a white woman who complained of a pain in her neck and back. Tho he explained that he did not like to emphasize his healing ministry, there was no doubt that some people have such gifts. There is not accounting for why some people are healed and others are not, He thought compassion might be the clue, but he had a great deal of compassion for some whom nevertheless he had not been able to heal. The second person was a black person who also had back pains. Jim asked her if she was not jealous because he has healed a white person and she had not been healed. She said Yes. He was able to heal her. He added that he had had to make an effort in this case, but he could not heal a white person and leave a black on in her pain.
//whom he healed//
Jim dismissed the meeting at 1.00, saying that those who wanted to speak with the newspaper reporter could come to the platorform; the rest of the congregation should file downstairs preparatory to paying a visit to the Nation of Islam. He said the children could go out and play which gave them much delight.
I found Beulah again. The congregation lined up in separate rows, male and female. We left around 2.00. Most people left their purses behind in the Temple. Beulah and I put ours in the trunk of my car.
The Muslim service was extremely boring, consisting of prayer, a long sermon dealing with incomprehensible theology, and some remarks about marriages, betrothals and births, plus a display of a man’s suit for $85, I think made by a member or members. Jim and the leadership arrived toward the end, and Jim was introduced. The speaker had emphasized the new tolerance of the Muslims on race questions and was friendly toward Jim and the Temple visitors. The Muslim meeting ended about 4.00. Attendance had been rather sparse and I noticed few children. I didn’t want to stay at the Temple for the meal which was being served, as the crowd was too large and I had no problem as I had the car, I invited Beulah to come home with me but as I had little that I thought she would like, I proposed going to Geary and getting some Chinese food, This matter had not been settled when we met a Temple member, Evelyn Benefield, who had our purses in her hand and asked if we recognized them. She had found them in the park. They had been removed from the trunk of my car. Evelyn wouldn’t turn them over to us without consulting the Temple authorities. We checked the car, which showed no obvious signs of having been broken into. Nothing else had been taken.
We went back to the Temple and spent an hour trying to find our purses. We were told they had been turned into Gene Chaikin, but when I found him he hadn’t even heard of the incident. I also talked to Tim Stoen. Told Jim McElvane about the theft and he came up to look at the car. Finally we found Evelyn again and we cleared it with security to get the purses returned to us. Both purses had been emptied out. Beulah got back most of her belongings except for about $8.00 which the thieves took. I lost the $5.00 which I keep for emergencies in my wallet, what change I had, about a dollar’s worth of stamps, my Temple membership card, my apartment house keys, my bank record. Though not my checks, my little notebook, my compact. My pen had been ruined. My personal papers were intact in my wallet. With Evelyn, Beulah and I returned to the park to see whether we could find additional items. Mostly we found pieces of paper from my notebook scattered around. One of the Temple young people told us he had seen some small boys playing with the purses, naturally not knowing they were ours.
I had some food at the Temple. Wrote a preport on the theft for McElvane. Beulah had to leave with Maxine and didn’t have time to turn in a report. We went back to the car so that she could get her luggage. I drove home, because I wanted to see if Mrs. Heitmeyer was there. She was home and gave me duplicate keys, but she was not favorable to the idea of getting my lock changed. She said the apartment house was being sold and no repairs were being made. I cleaned up had a cup of Sanka and returned to the Temple.
Drove back to Temple and arrived in service at 7.00. Service had been in progress half an hour. Rides were being arranged. I offered to take some people home.
Met with McElvane and Lee Ingram on theft incident. Their chief concern whether church involved. Assured them nothing about the church in notebook which was taken. They advised me to get a post office box and pay for having my lock changed. Decision not to go to police as culprits probably kids and strong possibility that the trunk was not locked.
Names called of LA people to see whether they are returning tonight or staying to help on an emergency project. Heavy pressure on people to stay.
Norman Ijames chastised those who would not stay. Jim entered on podium and discussed in regard to LA people, how many in readiness to follow instructions and march protest when called? Fervent appeal to those who are not willing. Count made. Jim said need 500 people at least. Jim mentioned many who stayed out today, smelt a little danger. We face serious crisis, point of conspiracy nationwide, to destroy black people.
Jim: handful of Indians acted disgracefully, afraid of publicity. Didn’t back Banks.
Report from Harry Williams about possible water shortage due to failure of Hetch Hetchy system. Recommends saving water.
Danny Beck, Dov Lundquist, another little boy caught stuffing up toilets and destroying equipment.
Jim took an offering. Receipts were off this morning.
Back to the little boys. They spend too much time in the hallway and in the bathroom, They were throwing rocks on the parking lot today. Ricky Cordell also threw rocks.
Commendations: Nawab Lawrence picked up trash in Redwood Valley.
Brian Davis has good grades.
Searcy Darnes doing well in all studies.
JC Williams for getting many signatures on petitions.
Dov has been suspended from school three times in two weeks. Numerous other children, some large, reported for rock throwing. On suggestion of a member they are all to write a statement about their offense at those times. The “bathroom bandits” are to do 2000 …
Willie Malone stood up to say her was suspended from one school, going to get suspended from another. Motivation questioned. Reported he misbehaved in balcony during service. Jim told him to straighten up. Jim said they had electric shock equipment in exam room. Tracy Stone who hit another in back to be he first. His screams were heard in the auditorium. Two others got the same, one a girl, who hadn’t turned herself in for throwing rocks.
Discussion returned to question of those staying back from LA. Only a handful have to work. Yet small number staying. People started to give excuses. But Jim cut them off. He paid honor to those who ware staying. Bay Area people were told we would be reached if we were needed.
Jim performed some healings.
He dismissed the meeting at 11.00.
I gave a ride to Rose of Sharon and another.
Got home a little before 12.00.
Did the breakfast dishes.
Read for an hour. Went to bed at 2.30 after falling asleep in my chair.