Council Salutes Charles Thomas

Council Salutes Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas Jr. has had his ups and downs during a career of activism in Ann Arbor. Wednesday night was one of the better moments.

The 39-year-old one-time black militant was formally commended by City Council in a resolution praising his work with the Black Economic Development League’s Multi-Media Center.

The program gives minority youths an opportunity to learn communications programming operations, including how to operate and repair electronic media equipment.

The project, headquartered in the BEDL offices at 340 Depot St., is run by Thomas with no public support. It operates on private contributions, including scholarships provided by the local construction industry and capital grants by churches.

Council resolutions praising individuals are rare, especially when the person is still living. And the honor given the BEDL president is one of a kind.

During his flamboyant career Thomas helped in a series of demonstrations in 1970 that boosted opportunities for blacks at the University. In the process he was arrested for throwing a stone at a city policeman. The charge was later dropped when, after 42 months, he was not given a trial.

But he’s perhaps best known for a series of marches into predominately white churches in 1970 and reading the “Black Manifesto” demanding reparations from the congregations.

This led to his arrest and conviction on a trespass charge. But it also resulted in financial support from churches that helped him launch the BEDL program.

Three years later, in 1973, Thomas joined the First Presbyterian Church — one of the churches he and others “occupied” during the Black Manifesto readings — and a year later was chairman of a committee of the Southern Presbytery of Michigan.

Last May Thomas was arrested for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon. The charge was dismissed by District Court Judge George W. Alexander, who ruled police had illegally searched Thomas' van when they found the weapon.

The resolution of commendation was approved on a 6 to 1 vote, with the support coming from council Republicans. Thomas has been active in Republican circles.

The lone “no" vote came from Democratic Mayor Albert H. Wheeler, whose four fellow Democrats were out of the room at the time of the vote.