For a Christmas gift a son and his wife sent me a book which has quickly become a treasure. Speak Now Against the Day by John Egerton bears a subtitle: The Generation Before the Civil Rights Movement in the South. It is the story of men and women of the South who spoke and worked against the development of segregation as a way of life which they knew to be destroying both the South and the idea of equality. Read on…
In the waning years of the twentieth century it is time to recognize the significance of the Civil Rights Movement as a major contribution to democracy. It was Vincent Harding whom I first heard say that the Civil Rights Movement was about democracy. Read on…
Recently in a class I teach at Boston College, I observed a young African American woman speak firmly and eloquently about her anger in the face of racism; in that context she challenged white students to be angry also. One of the women asked, “What should I do, as a white?” The answer was quick: Read on…
1992 approached with announcements from official bodies of plans to celebrate the Quincentennial of the date when Columbus set foot on an island in the Caribbean. It was clear that the year would be crowded with expensive, lavishly-orchestrated events. In true entrepreneurial spirit, corporate entities and ad agencies began using themes of “discovery” to sell their products.
Then came the counter-campaigns. Read on…
I am an educated man.
I went twelve years to school and graduated from high school.
I am an educated man.
I went to college for two years, before going to World War II. Read on…
Fear has been asserted by many over the years as a dominant dynamic in race relations. It is a truism to say that people often fear what or who they do not know. An attempt to overcome that fear of the unknown is one rationale behind the myriad of programs which are organized to bring people together across racial lines, engaging them in discussion, play and other common pursuits. Read on…
Early in the decade it was said that those of us who were active during the ‘60’s and still continue the same activities today, are “left-overs,” “hangers-on,” out of touch with present reality, to be pitied more than scorned, because our efforts were futile.
All of that critique was negative stuff to absorb, and then along came Clarence Pendleton to call us “new racists!” Read on…