Shabazz Supports Duggan - "It's OK, Mike. ... You're one of the five."

**Lowell** · January-13-13, 11:42 AM

“Politics makes strange bedfellows”, as the saying goes, has resurfaced in a Freep article by Tom Walsh. Having the support of Malik Shabazz, whose profile was considerably raised via his dollar-waving performance in the Daily Show mockumentary not to mention his support of the Moroun ballot initiative, might seem like a toxic distraction.

In the quote below, Duggan deflects potential stigma rather deftly. In what seems bound to be a bruising multi-candidate primary Shabazz seems to be a piece in Duggan’s puzzle.

Mike Duggan makes his case for mayor

But a few minutes later, a story about Minister Malik Shabazz drew howls of laughter.

Shabazz is the activist minister with New Marcus Garvey/New Black Panther movement who publicly railed about possible state imposition of an emergency financial manager on Detroit as "white supremacy," adding, "before we will let you take over our city, we will burn it down first."

Shabazz also is supporting Duggan for mayor. He confirmed that to me Thursday, saying: "Mike Duggan is a crisis manager. He is a master at fixing broken things. And our city is broke down and totally collapsed."

Duggan told the group at Taylor's home that having Shabazz as a supporter does have its downside, referring to a Shabazz speech online that said that there are "only five good white men in America."

When Duggan called Shabazz and howled, "Malik you can't do this stuff, it's divisive, and we've got to be uniting people, pulling people together," he said Shabazz replied, "It's OK, Mike. ... You're one of the five."

What Duggan and Shabazz have in common is their aggressive posture toward shutting down drug houses in the city, which Duggan displayed as prosecutor and Shabazz's group does by banging pots and pans on the sidewalks outside of known drug dens.

**neavling** · January-13-13, 01:59 PM

Good god. He also supports Matty Moroun, so go figure.

**brizee** · January-13-13, 06:55 PM

If we can, in the first year, get the violence down and the streetlights working and get the abandoned properties started to be occupied instead of just demolished, then I think we've got a story to tell

Tall ass order.

But he's saying the right things. Which is more than Bing's demolish and downsize self ever did.

**Gannon** · January-13-13, 07:43 PM

If Shabazz considers Duggan one of the top five white people in America today, I don't want to know the other four. What a sellout! Don't they have names for people like him?! Uncle somebody-or-other...

**Richard** · January-13-13, 09:04 PM

Maybe he figures it is best to get on the good side of the next mayor,kinda like a self preservation kinda thing.

He does not know me so I am not in the five.

**townonenorth** · January-13-13, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

If Shabazz considers Duggan one of the top five white people in America today, I don't want to know the other four. What a sellout! Don't they have names for people like him?! Uncle somebody-or-other...

So who's your candidate, John?

**Lowell** · January-14-13, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by neavling

Good god. He also supports Matty Moroun, so go figure.

One would think there would be candidates mulling either seeking Moroun's support [and his millions] or vehemently opposing Moroun to play on the existing antipathy toward him. Let's not forget Moroun significantly backed Kwame Kilpatrick, over $250K, if I am not incorrect.

Even though a mayor may be peripheral to the bridge decsions, there are other Moroun interests to be served such as deflecting attention to his MCD property code violations.

**eno** · January-14-13, 11:35 AM

There are some so-called civic-minded politicos...

Darrell Dawsey says it better here.

http://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/...hetto_politics

**Danny** · January-14-13, 12:05 PM

Good for you, Shabazz! Now just take back that " Burn Detroit down" phase and Duggan will accept your pledge.

**neavling** · January-14-13, 01:28 PM

Shabazz has said a lot of stupid things, but for people who know him, he's a gentle giant. He spent two decades forcibly removing drug dealers from drug dens. He has gotten stores shut down for selling spoiled milk. Look beyond his rhetoric and there really is a lot of compassion there.

I interviewed for more than an hour last night. He denounced his past ways and said he supports racial unity. Here is the story: http://motorcitymuckraker.com/2013/0...ral-candidate/

**aj3647** · January-14-13, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by neavling

Look beyond his rhetoric and there really is a lot of compassion there.

During a 2002 protest at B'nai B'rith International in Washington, D.C., Shabazz said: "Kill every goddamn Zionist in Israel! Goddamn little babies, goddamn old ladies! Blow up Zionist supermarkets!"

Hard to look past "rhetoric" like that.

**Honky Tonk** · January-14-13, 02:40 PM

A leopard doesn't change his spots. Based on Shabaaz's performance during the Moroun campaign, I'd say he's been paid off, or promised a payoff if Duggan's elected to office. I never totally got on the Duggan bandwagon, and this is making me even more cautious to climb aboard. The other scenario could be someone else is paying Shabaaz to publically support Duggan to sway voters their way. Who knows. I wish I could feel somone's the right candidate.

**SWMAP** · January-14-13, 07:01 PM

Shabazz is a poseur and a media whore. His little band of supporters is mostly made up of aggrieved, disturbed people. He picks them up at home and drives them around to his protests. I know because my next-door neighbor, an emotionally-disturbed bi-polar white woman was in his crowd for awhile. When she was with him she campaigned for Reverend David Murray, the self-fondling Otis Mathes and other Shabazz favorites. Neavling is maybe easily taken-in.
I refer everyone to the decade-old profile of Shabazz in the Metro Times wherein his cunning is detailed. Let's judge him by the company he keeps - and Duggan as well.

**RYANGUARD** · January-14-13, 07:28 PM

In the 90s I worked with the former Jeff Lewis,now Malik Shabazz,at a State Liquor Store in Detroit.When he walked away from the job,the State held on to it for him because of his Grandfather,Senator Holmes.The Senator had been battling for our jobs and the State didn't want to upset him.I even answered a call from him one day,he had been trying to contact his Grandson and I told him I couldn't give out that kind of info over the phone,he would have to contact our District Office.Back then he was passing himself off as somebody big and wore a dashiki to work.On that he had the tri-color african badge of red,green and black and black power,marcus garvey movement,badges.I don't think he is doing this for free.I know Malik Shabazz.....