Who Is Lorenzo Ervin? From FreedomJournal, 2000. Who Said Lorenzo Ervin Is Emerging As A New Leader In The Black Community? Is Lorenzo Ervin emerging as a new Black leader? This was the title of a recent article in the Chattanooga News-Free Press. While the Black community of Chattanooga is in need of leadership at this crucial time, here lately, Lorenzo Ervin has showed signs of mental disability that may hinder him from becoming an emerging Black leader. Surely, the Black community in Chattanooga is not so backward to trade corrupt leadership of the past for a person with a possible mental disability. This is what is implied in the article that J.B. Collins, Urban Affairs editor for the News-Free Press, wrote. Mr. Collins raises two questions of particular concern to the Black community. The first major question raised by Mr. Collins was that since Lorenzo Ervin has been the most vocal person regarding the at-large federal law suit, is he emerging as a leader in the Black community? A positive response to Ervin's leadership role is seriously questioned, especially in view of the second question raised by Mr. Collins IS LORENZO ERVIN MENTALLY STABLE? According to a deposition Ervin gave in federal court during the at-large lawsuit, Ervin admits that he is receiving $354 per month from Social Security for a mental disability. And as most people, who are familiar with mental disability know, you have to almost be foaming at the mouth to get mental disability in this state. So, how did Lorenzo Ervin get it? Even with Ervin on mental disability, there are arguments for and against his emerging as a new leader in the Black community. For one, Dr. Thomas Brooks (who was unavailable for an interview) is a staunch supporter of Ervin. For example, Brooks and Ervin have recently proposed a 7th district plan for the new city government. From all indications, this plan is ill advised, unreasonable and irrational. This plan seriously questions Dr. Brooks credibility and his intentions. Are Brooks and Ervin on a high-flying ego trip for Black leadership in Chattanooga? If Ervin is not on an ego trip and consistently seeking publicity to promote himself as a Black leader, there are some Blacks who think he is. For sure, Ervin has made some contributions toward Blacks receiving equal rights in Chattanooga, but a confidential source close to Ervin, who would like to remain anonymous, has serious problems with Ervin as a leader and/or potential elected official."Ervin can best serve the interest of Blacks in Chattanooga as an agitator and should not jeopardize the best interest of Blacks by seeking a leadership position" the source said. Although Ervin denies being certified as mentally disabled on one hand, and negates the importance of being mentally disabled, on the other, he fits the profile of an irrational person who does not realize victory and wants to struggle at all cost. Thus, there are those who conclude that he is deranged and that he does not see victory for the Black community with the District Plan that has been submitted for the new government to the federal court. Our anonymous sources also noted, that Ervin has over estimated his influence with the federal lawsuit against the city. Ervin's campaign to become the number one plaintiff in the lawsuit proves that Ervin is an opportunistic self-serving hypocrite. With Ervin admitting in open court that he is mentally disabled, anyone in their right mind would seriously question Ervin's leadership ability. Who is Lorenzo Ervin? Is he truly an emerging Black leader or is he merely a mentally deranged so-called radical? Ervin has described himself as a "political activist" in Chattanooga in the 1960's. Because of his activities, he claims, he was harassed by the Chattanooga police. Because of fear for his life, the thought it was best to hijack a plane and fly to Cuba. To do this, he fled to Atlanta. Ervin thought the police and FBI wanted to kill him for his political activities. Lorenzo (Hijack) Ervin, at gun point forced an Eastern Air Lines pilot to fly him to Cuba. Evidently, Ervin had suffered from a mental disability all his life. Confidential sources within the Chattanooga Police Department noted that the police were not looking for Ervin before or after he left Chattanooga nor at any other time. Ervin, in thinking that he was a wanted political activist is further indication of his split personality, and his wild imagination. At best, police sources said, Ervin may have been guilty of parking violations, jay walking or spitting on the sidewalk. These are hardly infractions that would prompt a rational human being to hijack a plane to Cuba. For all practical purposes, the Cuban government upon Ervin's arrival decided that he was not of sound mind. Ervin claims he does not know why the Cubans sent him to Czechoslovakia. Castro has a history of getting rid of undesirables, the crazy and the mentally deranged. From our information, Ervin is the only so-called Black American radical that was ever sent to Czechoslovakia. So again, who is Lorenzo (Hijack) Ervin? Ervin is confused with Socialist, Marxist-Leninist and Communist ideals. Consider his more than ten years of imprisonment, his long standing mental instability and his ambition to lead the Black community in Chattanooga, if you are not scared, I am. Back to Anarchism And The Black Revolution