One year after riots, Cincinnati struggles with boycott as a way to push for change

<br>CINCINNATI (AP) _ A year after the police shooting of an unarmed black man sparked days of rioting, signs of healing are mixed with an ongoing source of division: a boycott called to prompt social

Wednesday, April 3rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CINCINNATI (AP) _ A year after the police shooting of an unarmed black man sparked days of rioting, signs of healing are mixed with an ongoing source of division: a boycott called to prompt social change.

Black activists have prevailed on entertainers like Bill Cosby and Whoopi Goldberg to cancel appearances in Cincinnati, and urged others to avoid spending money in the downtown business district.

But some black business owners and others say the boycott has slowed the economic health of the city and jeopardized jobs _ the opposite of what its backers intended.

``They do not speak for the masses _ absolutely not,'' said Tom Jones, 57, who has a graphic arts business and ran unsuccessfully for Cincinnati City Council in November.

Jeff Ruby, who is white and is owner of one of the city's once-busiest steakhouses, said the boycott has mostly hurt the hospitality industry. ``We have turned this great town into a ghost town,'' he said.

Boycott backers say the costs are worth the struggle. They are seeking social and economic equality and public accountability of police. They also want a citizens police review panel to be given power to subpoena police officers to testify about use of force.

``We have just asked anyone who can help not to come to Cincinnati until we see justice for our dead and economic inclusion,'' said spokeswoman Amanda Mayes.

Cosby, Goldberg, Wynton Marsalis, the O'Jays and the Temptations all canceled appearances, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention moved its 10,000-member event to another city, dashing hopes of millions of dollars to city businesses.

To fight back, Ruby bought a full-page ad the day before Cosby was to have performed in Cincinnati. The ad urged people to come downtown anyway and boycott the boycott.

Patrons responded, but had to walk past signs that read: ``Eat, drink and be racist.''

The Rev. Damon Lynch III, an advocate of the boycott, said Cincinnati must first show real progress in improving the lives of its black residents before the protest will be called off.

``Justice is healing. That's what we haven't had,'' said Lynch, who has criticized police for what he says is use of excessive force against blacks.

A year ago Sunday, 19-year-old Timothy Thomas became the 15th black man to die at the hands of the Cincinnati police since 1995. Thomas was shot by Officer Stephen Roach, who was acquitted of misdemeanor charges.

The three nights of rioting following the shooting led to more than 800 arrests and a dusk-to-dawn curfew. Forty-three percent of Cincinnati's population of 331,000 people is black.

On Sunday, a march has been planned to commemorate the first anniversary of the shooting.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating police procedures and has recommended numerous changes to enhance training and shore up record keeping and vague policies. City officials have promised to adopt many of the recommendations.

Thomas' mother, Angela Leisure, has a civil lawsuit pending in U.S. District Court against Roach and the city of Cincinnati seeking unspecified damages.

Early Wednesday a tentative settlement was reached in a separate federal lawsuit filed against the city by activists who accuse police of illegally targeting and harassing blacks for 30 years.

Mayor Charlie Luken and others point to progress in the past year, including efforts by a Luken-appointed commission to improve education and job opportunities for blacks.

``Cincinnati's getting a bad rap. Some of it may be fair. Most of it's not,'' said Luken, who is white.

Valerie Lemmie, Cincinnati's first black female city manager, and Alicia Reece, who also is black, are featured in a new brochure Cincinnati has distributed to hotels, tourism and convention groups to highlight the roles that prominent blacks occupy in the city.

Luken and Reece say the boycott is wrong and hurts employment opportunities for residents. The Cincinnati Arts Association, operator of three major arts venues in the city, sued several boycott advocates in March demanding almost $600,000 in damages.

One resident who opposes the boycott is Babe Baker, 86, who came to Cincinnati 75 years ago. He operates a supermarket and bar and owns commercial real estate.

He said police are unfairly criticized when they try to fight crime in predominantly black neighborhoods like his in Avondale. And, he said he doesn't understand claims that the city's blacks are denied economic opportunity.

``When I first came to Cincinnati, you couldn't go into the hotels, the restaurants. All of that has changed now,'' Baker said. ``Progress has been made, the whole situation is different.''