WHAT: The International Black Coalition for Peace and Justice will hold a mass rally to demonstrate opposition to the Bush Administration's war on

Iraq and the Iraqi people.

WHEN: Saturday, March 29 at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Leimert Park located at 43rd Place and Crenshaw Blvd. in Los Angeles.

WHO: Members of the broad based and continually growing coalition include Congresswoman Maxine Waters and The Black Women's Forum, Dr. Maulana Karenga and The Organization Us, Human Rights Advocacy, African Student Union - UCLA, Artists for Justice and Liberation, KRST Unity Center of African

Spirituality, SCLC, Leimert Park Merchants, NAACP, The Brotherhood Crusade, CORE, The African Diaspora Foundation, African American Community and Labor Leaders Alliance, First A.M.E. Church, West Angeles Church of God in Christ, Ward A.M.E. Church, and various other religious, political, cultural and

educational groups and individuals.

WHY: The international coalition of Continental and Diasporan African groups has declared that "War is not the Answer" and believes that Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr.'s statement that "We cannot remain silent as our nation engages in one of history's most cruel and senseless wars," is as relevant now as it was for the Vietnam War.

The coalition states that it opposes the war on Iraq because of the massive number of deaths and destruction it will inflict on the Iraqi people, the

diversion of needed resources for U.S. domestic social programs, and the anticipated disproportionate loss of life by U.S. women and men of color given that African Americans and Latinos make up 60 - 65% of the U.S. armed forces in the region. Additionally, there is the fact that the war is unnecessary and represents corporate interests rather than national and human interests. Moreover, outside of UN sanction, the U.S. war with Iraq is in violation of international law.

According to Congresswoman Waters, "As this war drama is played out by the White House, it becomes increasingly clear that the only thing that will stop this war is the people. We must continue to organize and take our anti-war message to the streets."

It is for this reason, that "We call on African people everywhere to stand up in resistance and opposition to the war against Iraq which by definition is a war against the Iraqi people without justification and thus, unjust, immoral and illegal," says Dr. Maulana Karenga, Chair of the Organization Us.

Additional members of the growing coalition, include:

NAACP Youth And College Division - I, Faith United Methodist Church, Black Studies Student Association - CSULB, Los Angeles Black Deaf Advocates, Concerned Men With Families, Stop The Violence /Increase The Peace, FAMLI, HIV Prevention

Trials Network and Los Angeles Council of Churches, and the All Afrikan Peoples Revolutionary Party.