BB-15-c
Dec. 14, 1977
Peoples Temple Agricultural Project
P.O. Box 893
Georgetown
Dear Comrade:
Enclosed is a recent article from the Guyana Chronicle which we had no idea was going to be written or published. (The dentist who came to our project in Jonestown was not accompanied by a reporter, and the picture was taken for a photo album, not for a newspaper article.)
Because of rumors being circulated about our ministry in Guyana, we thought this article was helpful in showing Peoples Temple in its proper perspective. We are passing it along in case you missed it in the recent Sunday edition.
Also enclosed is a letter sent to Guyana from Assemblyman Willie Brown, a very dynamic and high-ranking Black attorney-legislator in the California State Assembly who works closely with Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally. (Dymally, who is a friend of Bishop Jim Jones and Guyana, is quoted in the enclosed Chronicle article.) Both Assemblyman Brown and Lt. Governor Dymally have been victims of harassment and investigations in the U.S. which were based on trumped-up charges that led nowhere.’ The two officials were cleared of all charges against them, as in the case of literally hundreds of other black and minority leaders in the States who have been under investigations.
Finally, we’ve included a letter from a prominent and respected San Francisco couple, which we feel contains some keen insight in reflecting the extreme difficulty of living a co-operative lifestyle in a viciously competitive society. Despite the difficulty, we are effectively carrying on our ministry in the States, and it continues to grow.
Here in Guyana, we’re glad for the opportunity to more fully live what we believe in and to build a truly equalitarian community which we’ve found to be our answer to the social-economic problems caused by racism and exploitation.
If you have any suggestions or constructive criticism of our work in building a new home for many hundreds of settlers, we’d love to hear from you. We want to do everything in our power to serve this country’s best interests to the utmost of our capability.
Respectfully,
/s/Richard Janaro
Richard Janaro