America 1982-Chapter 275 - 9: The Arrival of Earl Rash

Delia walked out of the guest bathroom naked and asked Tommy, who was flipping through documents in front of the floor-to-ceiling window while basking in the sun:

"Does your fiancée mind other women using the toiletries in the bathroom?"

"Don’t worry, Delia. My fiancée has never been in this guest bedroom. It’s for guests to stay in. Moreover, every time before she comes back, the villa is meticulously cleaned twice by different cleaning companies. She has no idea you used this body lotion, not to mention if you had killed someone here, there wouldn’t be any trace left," Tommy said, looking down at the information about Black lawyers Delia had brought over:

"It took you almost two months to find me a Black lawyer. He better not disappoint me, or I will be disappointed with your efficiency."

Delia walked over and stood naked next to Tommy in front of the sunlit window. She tilted her head, reached over, and took the cigarette from Tommy’s mouth, placing it between her own lips for a drag, exhaling a ring of smoke out the window as she began to explain what she knew:

"Earl Rash, born in 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, lost his father at the age of seven. His mother took him and his siblings to settle down in Oakland, California. In 1963, he dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Army, which was stationed in his hometown of Chicago. It’s strange how fate works; his mother took him away from there and God sent him back. There, he went AWOL and joined the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party founded by the renowned Black activist Fred Hampton, serving as the head of the local Chapter’s armed defense forces."

"In 1969, Fred Hampton was drugged by an FBI informant and fell into a coma in his apartment. The investigation report indicated that the Chicago Police Department’s tactical squad and fourteen FBI agents fired over one hundred shots into the apartment. Then they told the judge in court, with absolute straight faces, that the people inside the apartment fired first..."

"After the massacre, Earl Rash spoke at the Black Panther National Convention, declaring that weapons alone could not lead Blacks to racial equality. Blacks couldn’t solely rely on weapons to arm themselves; they needed to understand the game of power and to play by their rules, not those of the whites. Otherwise, the outcome would be like Fred Hampton, who, despite evidence showing he had been drugged into unconsciousness, was still smeared as initiating gun fire. Following that, he held a press conference, formally announcing his departure from the Black Panther Party and the disbanding of the armed defense forces. In 1975, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and then joined the law firm of Miller & Gallagher, becoming a lawyer and often providing free legal aid to Blacks."

"I don’t need a Black saint..." Tommy said, browsing through the materials as Delia gave her introduction:

"I remember your understanding is excellent, Delia. You are well aware of all my requirements."

Delia turned around to face Tommy and said with certainty, "He meets your criteria."

Tommy looked into Delia’s eyes and nodded slightly, "Continue."

"In 1976, Earl Rash ran for a seat on the Oakland City Council. He was the first Black person with a former Black Panther affiliation to seek public office in Oakland, but sadly, he lost to a Republican candidate. However, he immediately rallied his supporters to back the white Democratic candidate and cooperated with the Democratic Party. You know, the Democratic Party is actually more capricious than the Republican Party; it can be more conservative or more radical, depending on what the voters want to see. Earl Rash’s smooth collaboration with the Democratic Party angered many Blacks, but he put it beautifully, arguing that racial equality shouldn’t be advanced by Blacks alone but needed white involvement. He wanted to be the bridge that built trust between Blacks and whites," Delia said, flicking the ash from her cigarette:

"The Democratic Party reciprocated his overtures, and he joined the Party. Soon after, the California Democratic Party’s headquarters gave him the title of Communications Coordinator."

Tommy nodded in understanding, "He volunteered himself, and the Democratic Party gave him some small favors, as well as a party opportunity. But for the future, his success would depend on his abilities, since his decision was too bold for the Democratic Party to be sure whether he could still draw Black votes for them. So for now, they just gave him the role of Communications Coordinator, allowing him the freedom to come and go. If he proves himself exceptional, the Democratic Party might support him to run for office anytime, but if his abilities are ordinary, they may let him stay in that position until the end of his days."

"Exactly. He now needs to regain the trust of the Black community and show the Democratic Party his influence among Blacks to get a chance to run for office. So when he heard that there was a benefactor starting a Black television station and was looking for a Black person with a legal background to help manage it, he was very interested," Delia told Tommy.

Tommy continued to ask, "What’s his appetite like?"

"He wants fame and fortune, just like when I first met you—greedy. But I must remind you, my greed was due to carelessness, while his choice is made even after knowing your situation," Delia said with a smile, recalling how her own greed had made her a pawn in Tommy’s scheme.