United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.

The text of U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is presented as part of Black History Month.

Every year, in February, we attempt to recognize and to appreciate black history. It is a worthwhile endeavor for the contributions of African Americans to this great nation are numerous and significant. Even as we fight a war against terrorism, deal with the reality of electing an African American as our President for the first time and deal with the other significant issues of the day, the need to confront our racial past, and our racial present, and to understand the history of African people in this country, endures. One cannot truly understand America without understanding the historical experience of black people in this nation. Simply put, to get to the heart of this country one must examine its racial soul.

Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race.

It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation’s history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us. But we must do more- and we in this room bear a special responsibility. Through its work and through its example this Department of Justice, as long as I am here, must – and will – lead the nation to the “new birth of freedom” so long ago promised by our greatest President. This is our duty and our solemn obligation.

We commemorated five years ago, the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. And though the world in which we now live is fundamentally different than that which existed then, this nation has still not come to grips with its racial past nor has it been willing to contemplate, in a truly meaningful way, the diverse future it is fated to have. To our detriment, this is typical of the way in which this nation deals with issues of race. And so I would suggest that we use February of every year to not only commemorate black history but also to foster a period of dialogue among the races. This is admittedly an artificial device to generate discussion that should come more naturally, but our history is such that we must find ways to force ourselves to confront that which we have become expert at avoiding.

As a nation we have done a pretty good job in melding the races in the workplace. We work with one another, lunch together and, when the event is at the workplace during work hours or shortly thereafter, we socialize with one another fairly well, irrespective of race. And yet even this interaction operates within certain limitations. We know, by “American instinct” and by learned behavior, that certain subjects are off limits and that to explore them risks, at best embarrassment, and, at worst, the questioning of one’s character.

And outside the workplace the situation is even more bleak in that there is almost no significant interaction between us. On Saturdays and Sundays America in the year 2009 does not, in some ways, differ significantly from the country that existed some fifty years ago. This is truly sad. Given all that we as a nation went through during the civil rights struggle it is hard for me to accept that the result of those efforts was to create an America that is more prosperous, more positively race conscious and yet is voluntarily socially segregated.

As a nation we should use Black History month as a means to deal with this continuing problem. By creating what will admittedly be, at first, artificial opportunities to engage one another we can hasten the day when the dream of individual, character based, acceptance can actually be realized. To respect one another we must have a basic understanding of one another. And so we should use events such as this to not only learn more about the facts of black history but also to learn more about each other.

This will be, at first, a process that is both awkward and painful but the rewards are potentially great. The alternative is to allow to continue the polite, restrained mixing that now passes as meaningful interaction but that accomplishes little. Imagine if you will situations where people- regardless of their skin color- could confront racial issues freely and without fear. The potential of this country, that is becoming increasingly diverse, would be greatly enhanced. I fear however, that we are taking steps that, rather than advancing us as a nation are actually dividing us even further.

We still speak too much of “them” and not “us”. There can, for instance, be very legitimate debate about the question of affirmative action. This debate can, and should, be nuanced, principled and spirited. But the conversation that we now engage in as a nation on this and other racial subjects is too often simplistic and left to those on the extremes who are not hesitant to use these issues to advance nothing more than their own, narrow self interest. Our history has demonstrated that the vast majority of Americans are uncomfortable with, and would like to not have to deal with, racial matters and that is why those, black or white, elected or self-appointed, who promise relief in easy, quick solutions, no matter how divisive, are embraced.

We are then free to retreat to our race protected cocoons where much is comfortable and where progress is not really made. If we allow this attitude to persist in the face of the most significant demographic changes that this nation has ever confronted- and remember, there will be no majority race in America in about fifty years- the coming diversity that could be such a powerful, positive force will, instead, become a reason for stagnation and polarization. We cannot allow this to happen and one way to prevent such an unwelcome outcome is to engage one another more routinely- and to do so now.

As I indicated before, the artificial device that is Black History month is a perfect vehicle for the beginnings of such a dialogue. And so I urge all of you to use the opportunity of this month to talk with your friends and co-workers on the other side of the divide about racial matters. In this way we can hasten the day when we truly become one America.

It is also clear that if we are to better understand one another the study of black history is essential because the history of black America and the history of this nation are inextricably tied to each other. It is for this reason that the study of black history is important to everyone- black or white. For example, the history of the United States in the nineteenth century revolves around a resolution of the question of how America was going to deal with its black inhabitants. The great debates of that era and the war that was ultimately fought are all centered around the issue of, initially, slavery and then the reconstruction of the vanquished region. A dominant domestic issue throughout the twentieth century was, again, America’s treatment of its black citizens. The civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s changed America in truly fundamental ways. Americans of all colors were forced to examine basic beliefs and long held views. Even so, most people, who are not conversant with history, still do not really comprehend the way in which that movement transformed America.

In racial terms the country that existed before the civil rights struggle is almost unrecognizable to us today. Separate public facilities, separate entrances, poll taxes, legal discrimination, forced labor, in essence an American apartheid, all were part of an America that the movement destroyed. To attend her state’s taxpayer supported college in 1963 my late sister in law had to be escorted to class by United States Marshals and past the state’s governor, George Wallace. That frightening reality seems almost unthinkable to us now. The civil rights movement made America, if not perfect, better.

In addition, the other major social movements of the latter half of the twentieth century- feminism, the nation’s treatment of other minority groups, even the anti-war effort- were all tied in some way to the spirit that was set free by the quest for African American equality. Those other movements may have occurred in the absence of the civil rights struggle but the fight for black equality came first and helped to shape the way in which other groups of people came to think of themselves and to raise their desire for equal treatment. Further, many of the tactics that were used by these other groups were developed in the civil rights movement.

And today the link between the black experience and this country is still evident. While the problems that continue to afflict the black community may be more severe, they are an indication of where the rest of the nation may be if corrective measures are not taken. Our inner cities are still too conversant with crime but the level of fear generated by that crime, now found in once quiet, and now electronically padlocked suburbs is alarming and further demonstrates that our past, present and future are linked. It is not safe for this nation to assume that the unaddressed social problems in the poorest parts of our country can be isolated and will not ultimately affect the larger society.

Black history is extremely important because it is American history. Given this, it is in some ways sad that there is a need for a black history month. Though we are all enlarged by our study and knowledge of the roles played by blacks in American history, and though there is a crying need for all of us to know and acknowledge the contributions of black America, a black history month is a testament to the problem that has afflicted blacks throughout our stay in this country. Black history is given a separate, and clearly not equal, treatment by our society in general and by our educational institutions in particular.

As a former American history major I am struck by the fact that such a major part of our national story has been divorced from the whole. In law, culture, science, athletics, industry and other fields, knowledge of the roles played by blacks is critical to an understanding of the American experiment. For too long we have been too willing to segregate the study of black history. There is clearly a need at present for a device that focuses the attention of the country on the study of the history of its black citizens.

But we must endeavor to integrate black history into our culture and into our curriculums in ways in which it has never occurred before so that the study of black history, and a recognition of the contributions of black Americans, become commonplace. Until that time, Black History Month must remain an important, vital concept. But we have to recognize that until black history is included in the standard curriculum in our schools and becomes a regular part of all our lives, it will be viewed as a novelty, relatively unimportant and not as weighty as so called “real” American history.

I, like many in my generation, have been fortunate in my life and have had a great number of wonderful opportunities. Some may consider me to be a part of black history. But we do a great disservice to the concept of black history recognition if we fail to understand that any success that I have had, cannot be viewed in isolation. I stood, and stand, on the shoulders of many other black Americans.

Admittedly, the identities of some of these people, through the passage of time, have become lost to us- the men, and women, who labored long in fields, who were later legally and systemically discriminated against, who were lynched by the hundreds in the century just past and those others who have been too long denied the fruits of our great American culture.

The names of too many of these people, these heroes and heroines, are lost to us. But the names of others of these people should strike a resonant chord in the historical ear of all in our nation: Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Walter White, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Charles Drew, Paul Robeson, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Vivian Malone, Rosa Parks, Marion Anderson, Emmit Till.

These are just some of the people who should be generally recognized and are just some of the people to whom all of us, black and white, owe such a debt of gratitude. It is on their broad shoulders that I stand as I hope that others will someday stand on my more narrow ones.

Black history is a subject worthy of study by all our nation’s people. Blacks have played a unique, productive role in the development of America. Perhaps the greatest strength of the United States is the diversity of its people and to truly understand this country one must have knowledge of its constituent parts.

But an unstudied, not discussed and ultimately misunderstood diversity can become a divisive force. An appreciation of the unique black past, acquired through the study of black history, will help lead to understanding and true compassion in the present, where it is still so sorely needed, and to a future where all of our people are truly valued.

]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/02/19/attorney-general-speaks-at-black-history-month-program/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/01/31/obama-signs-first-piece-of-legislation-into-law/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/01/31/obama-signs-first-piece-of-legislation-into-law/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:00:59 +0000 Terry McMoore http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=15098

President Obama has  signed a law that expands the time frame in which workers can sue for discrimination they have experienced based on gender, race, national origin or religion.

“We are upholding one of this nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” Obama said before signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which effectively nullifies the 2007 Supreme Court decision.

http://www.truthout.org/012909R

Vandalism of a Dorothy Cove home in Jackson has caused alarm and distress. The Jackson Police Department (JPD), is investigating the vandalism as a property crime. The damage has been estimated at between $8,00 and $10,000. However the Jackson-Madison County Branch of the NAACP has said it views the incident also as a hate crime. Police have not denied that racial epithets were found at the home last Tuesday, as part of their investigation.

Harrel Carter, president of the Jackson-Madison County NAACP Branch issued a press statement denouncing the hate crime. He based the characterization on the presence of racial epithets found in the home on Dorothy Cove. Carter held a press conference in the lobby of the Jackson Police Department, 234 Institute St.

Carter said that the local branch “denounces the racial epithets” found last Tuesday in a Dorothy Cove home once rented to a black family. Jackson Police Capt. Gerry Campbell said that JPD is still investigating the vandalism as a property crime. “We are investigating it as an aggravated vandalism,” he said. “We are reaching out to people in the community to see if anyone has any information on what happened.” Campbell added, “We think it is someone in the neighborhood (who did this), a juvenile, but we are not certain.”

Carter said that the branch has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident as a hate crime. Hate crimes are the special purview of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI defines a hate crime as: “A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, Congress has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.” Additionally the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section states, “HATE CRIMES (18 U.S.C. § 241, 18 U.S.C. § 245 and 42 U.S.C. § 3631) — Violent and intimidating acts of racial, ethnic and religious hatred that interfere with federally protected rights, such as housing, employment, voting, and public services.”

Joe Thompson, a Memphis real investor who had shown the Dorothy Cove home, said that the house was being leased to a white family from Atwood when the vandalism occurred.

“They have asked for their deposit back,” Thompson said during the press conference. “They said they didn’t want to move into the neighborhood (because of the vandalism.) In fact, they said that they didn’t want to live in Jackson anymore because of the incident.” Thompson has said that the estimated damage to the home was probably between $8,000 to $10,000.

[Information for this story obtained from NAACP newsletter, USDOJ: <www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/overview.htm> and the FBI: <www.fbi.gov/hq/cd/civilrights/overview.htm>]

NCC members meet with State Senator Rosalind Kurita. (l-r) Dr. James Cossingham-member; Virginia Moore-Secretary; Senator Kurita; Virginia Moore-Secretary, Doug Kirby-President. (Not shown- Turner McCullough Jr-member/photographer)

The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Springfield Branch is currently undergoing a reactivation and reorganization effort. The branch had lapsed into an inactive status. However, citizens recently have expressed their desire to see the branch once again active and engaged in local affairs as an advocate and watchdog for their civil rights.

Rev. Gardner with Terry McMoore and Jimmie M. Garland Sr. of Clarksville Branch NAACP.

Rev. James Gardner, president of the Springfield Branch, conducted the meeting. The reactivation meeting was attended by more than sixty citizens. He thanked those attending. He stated that the main objective at this point is to increase the membership level to the critical threshold for activation as a viable branch. Due to recent constitution changes, branches are now required to have a minimum of 100 members for activation.

Rev. Gardner stated that a primary interest of Springfield citizens is the equitable distribution of taxpayer dollars in providing city services such as sidewalks, street lights, parks, recreation and/or community centers. He said that some citizens had expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of sidewalks in the Southside and Westside communities, while seeing the provision of these amenities in other more affluent areas of the city. There was also concerns with the lack of adequate street lights in the aforementioned minority communities. While more affluent areas of the city seem to have no problems getting this city service, minority citizens are at a lost to understand this disparity in regards to their own community. Gardner then stated that “all residents should feel that their government hears and heeds all inquiries about government services.”

Representing the Tennessee State Conference of NAACP Branches and the Clarksville Branch were State Conference 3rd Vice-President and Clarksville Branch President Jimmie M. Garland Sr. and Branch First Vice-President Rev. James Hill. Garland addressed the gathering, encouraging their continued efforts to reactivate their branch. Garland noted that a review of the local government structure might well reveal a disparity in school system suspension rates, and likewise a review of jail incarceration rates might display a similar disparity in the make-up of inmates. Garland said there is clearly defined “Cradle to Prison” syndrome being impacted upon the minority community. Young minority males, both Black and Hispanic/Latino, are finding themselves routed out of the social mainstream, via suspensions in the education system into the juvenile and adult judicial/incarceration system, at devastating rates. Additionally, he stressed that a review of the heads of local government agencies will likely show a disparity in positions of leadership. “All of these points are areas of concern and interest to you and the NAACP.”

He noted that the history of the NAACP is borne out of a desire and struggle for equal treatment in America’s bounty. The fight against discrimination which so many Americans, not just Blacks, but also Native Americans, Jews, Chinese, Irish, Catholics, Hindus, Arabs, Persians, Italians, Hispanics and Latinos, the handicapped and the disabled, the immigrant- regardless of status, and the GLBT community, have suffered at one time or another has been championed by the NAACP. Equality and fairness are the main goals of the NAACP’s struggle. “As much as we would like to see the day when we don’t have to make that argument, THAT day is not yet here.”

Garland said the Tennessee State Convention would be held in Clarksville in September and invited the Springfield Branch to co-host along with the Dickson and other neighboring area branches. He added that this would be an excellent opportunity for a newly initiated Youth Council to meet and network with other Youth Council chapters from across the state as well.

First Vice-President Rev. James Hill spoke of the shared health interests between Springfield and Clarksville. He heads up CAMTAN, Clarksville Area Ministers Technical Assistance Network, a HIV/AIDS assistance and support network, which serves clients in both Clarksville and Springfield. The organization provides assistance and support to HIV/AIDS victims. The lack of funding to communities beyond the Greater Metro-Nashville population places many of these victims in adverse situations of alienation, abuse, neglect, homelessness and an inability to obtain the medical care vital to their very survival. Additionally, CAMTAN is also active in increasing awareness of STDs. He said that the statistics for infection rates of STD’s and HIV/AIDS in the Springfield/Clarksville and greater area represent an underreported population that will only increase the need for treatment. Many people who are infected with HIV are not even aware of their condition. The infection rate for STDs such as Chlamydia, Syphilis are on a rampant upswing in our area. Statistics show that women, especially Black women, are bearing the brunt of the HIV infection upswing. Rev. Hill told the group that CAMTAN serves Robertson, Chetam, Stewart, Dickson, and Montgomery counties and is not a government funded agency.

Terry McMoore spoke to the group as the past press and publicity person for the Clarksville branch. He encouraged the group to continue in their effort and said that their mayor had issued a press statement saying, “As long the leaders and membership are the right make-up, the NAACP is welcome in Springfield.” He urged the group to take the mayor at his word and show local government that ” ‘the right people’ are indeed involved with your branch.” He went on to say that, “Often people outside the NAACP fear its presence. but that need not be the case. Experience has shown that many times officials conduct government affairs in discriminatory ways unintentionally, out of ignorance. Many times, thru NAACP efforts, when those ways have been shown to be hurtful and harmful, the officials have taken corrective actions to eliminate the offensive practices.” He encouraged everyone to become branch members and be active in branch affairs. He also told the group to solicit their own government officials as members.

In an encouraging sign, when a call for a show of hands of registered voters was made, every Springfield citizen’s hand was raised. Rev. Gardner thanked the Clarksville visitors for their encouragement and show of support. Membership forms were distributed to the group. Membership is open to all who support the mission and objectives of the NAACP. The Springfield Branch meets monthly, on the second Monday of the month, at 7 PM. Contact Rev. James Gardner for further branch and membership information.

Springfield citizens excited about the branch reactivation.

Springfield citizens talk about their objectives.

Rev. Hill and Rev. Gardner converse among Springfield citizens.

“Everybody gets several opportunities in life to risk everything they have to become what they can be.”

– Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Dr. Jill Eichhorn of Women’s Studies, APSU, told me that she didn’t know exactly what Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon would do for us, but guaranteed that whatever she brought to us would be “great.” Since Jill knows well my interest in civil liberties, and since CO author Terry McMoore had published a story about Dr. Reagon coming here on March 19, I knew I had to see this.

Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon is Professor Emeritus of History at American University. She recently retired after 30 years from performing with Sweet Honey in the Rock, a cappella ensemble she founded in 1973.

APSU President Tim Hall said he knew how music has the capacity to make us listen. It arrests and challenges us. Growing up in a family whose father led singing in the car after church, Hall couldn’t think about war without hearing the song in his head, Where have all the flowers gone by Peter, Paul, and Mary. When civil rights issues surface his mind visits the song, We shall overcome. So it was that he welcomed with utmost respect the civil rights leader, speaker, singer and composer, Bernice Johnson Reagon, to speak.

With a beautiful introduction by graduating senior, Sherrylon Bolden, Ms. Reagon took the stage. She said that nowadays when she participates in civil liberty roundtables, she realizes that her reality of civil liberties greatly differs from this generation’s, and the events that took place in her lifetime are yet to be covered in the history text books.

“But these stories have to be told and listened to, by black and white, in order for people to understand and heal.”

Her talk involved telling the stories and history that she was a part of and that she honors, as should we all. She introduced her talk as one that would describe what those “people who appeared to not have any power” did to reset the equation.

In Florida, two people, Harry Moore and his wife, decided to register black people to vote. Harry lost his teaching job because of it, to which he said, OK, now I’ll have more time to register people. They were the first two leaders of the NAACP to be assassinated. On Christmas Eve, 1951, a bomb that was planted under their house went off. In her beautiful voice, Reagan sang a song to us which had the words, No bomb can kill the dreams I hold. Freedom never dies. Reagan said their memory lives within the song. She said as long as we remember the imprint of a life, it is still with us.

Terrorism is not a new issue to Reagan. She said that she has lived with two issues of it everyday of her life. And so do many of us.

1. Being female means there are predators within our own species. We are always in danger of being violated. We have to be watchful, hold constant vigil. And yet everyone expects us to not pull up short in any category. We’re expected to not be stopped by fear but never forget that we are in danger every day.
2. She grew up in southern Georgia as a black person. As she was growing up in the segregated south, black people did not under any circumstance wish to talk to the police for any reason. They would avoid contact if at all possible. They never considered that the police were there to help them. Not until she was an adult, and a Jewish woman she was with asked a policemen for directions, did she realize through her shock that police had a different role.

Reagan said that even with all that danger, we can’t be paralyzed; we are expected to keep going. “If you’re alive in this world, you already have things you’re afraid of. Everyone expects you to go to your maximum anyway. If you’re not dead, then carry out your schedule.”

She sang to us:  No bomb you can make can stop us from being free…”

Regan mentioned the death of Emmett Till, a black youth from Chicago who moved to segregated Mississippi and was brutally, brutally killed because on a dare he whistled at a white woman.

From the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture: From 1889 through 1918 mobs lynched 129 persons in the Midwest, 9 in New England, and 2,915 in the South and Border South. The nation reached a total of 3,587 by 1930. By 1900 this “punishment” was reserved almost exclusively for blacks.

Reagan talked about the Greensboro sit-ins.

From wikipedia: On February 1, 1960, four African American students — Ezell A. Blair Jr. (now known as Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain — from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a historical black college/univeristy, sat at a segregated lunch counter in the Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth’s store. This lunch counter only had chairs/stools for whites, while blacks had to stand and eat. Although they were refused service, they were allowed to stay at the counter. The next day there was a total of 27 students at the Woolworth lunch counter for the sit-in. On the third day, there were 300 activists, and on the fourth day, around 1000. This protest sparked sit-ins and economic boycotts that became a hallmark of the American civil rights movement.

Reagon said that sit-ins became a student activity across the nation for blacks and whites. People picketed stores all over the country thanks to the media coverage. The owners of the company helped put a multiracial committee into the mayor’s office. Reagan sang a song: Heed the call, American’s all, side by equal side…Brothers sit in dignity, Sisters sit in pride….

Reagon said that for schools to be integrated, the military had to occupy the school. You cannot maintain military occupation of a people.

The segregation limits set for blacks were set in law. But it becomes clear to people after awhile that they are at fault for going along with the set-up limits. They realize that they have “bought into” the threat of terror and it’s up to them to challenge those limits.

Reagon cited Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who led many other slaves to freedom; she was also an abolitionist, Civil War soldier, and women’s rights advocate. Tubman said: “I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.”

Greyhound buses had a rule: white people sit in the front, black people in the back. Both blacks and whites decided to challenge that. They got on buses in New York headed to New Orleans and switched designated area seats. Blacks sat in the front, whites in the back. In order for this to work, if you were a white, you had to know some blacks, said Reagon. You had to work together. Everything went fine until they hit the Mason/Dixon line. In Alabama a bus was burned (on Mother’s day). The riders were beat up in Birmingham. Buses were cancelled. In Mississippi the riders got off the bus and into a paddy wagon. Reagon sang a song, Freedom’s coming and it won’t be long…

The law abiding citizens who broke the law did it because they had to break the law to stand for equality, to combat segregation. And they were combating it with their lives. Reagon asked us, What were slaves charged with when they ran away from slavery? “Stealing.” When you were a slave, you were someone’s property.

From : http://www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis61.htm#1961albany Early in December, eight SNCC Freedom Riders (4 Black, 4 white) led by SNCC’s new Executive Director James Forman are arrested after integrating the Albany train station, along with 3 Albany Movement activists who are there to greet them. But Chief Prichett does not charge them for violating segregation, instead they are charged with “Disturbing the Peace” after they leave the station. Bond is set at $200 each for a total of $2200 [equal to $1300 each and a total of $14,300 in 2006 dollars]. These huge sums are almost impossible for the impoverished Black community to raise.

On the day of their trial, 267 college and high school students march in nonviolent protest. They are all arrested. Inspired by the young peoples’ courage, Marion King — wife of Albany Movement leader Slater King (no relation to Martin Luther King) — leads a protest prayer at City Hall. She and the others — mostly adults — are arrested, as is her husband who leads a similar prayer protest. Two hundred more are arrested on another nonviolent protest march. Police Chief Prichett states, “We can’t tolerate the NAACP or the SNCC or any other nigger organization to take over this town with mass demonstrations.”

With the Albany jails overflowing, Prichett transfers arrested demonstrators — who are guilty of nothing more than exercising their Constitutional right to free speech, and have not been convicted of any crime — to lockups in the surrounding plantation counties notorious for police brutality and abuse of prisoners. For some adults with families and jobs, the $100 bail is posted, but money for bonds is desperately short and there is no way to get majority released.

On November 27, 1961, Reagon left school with Miss Albany, GA, to walk around the court house showing support for the eight freedom riders incarcerated within. Reagon had announced their decision to do this to other students but as they were walking away from the college, she could not help but feel dread at this decision. Miss Albany then told her to look back. She didn’t want to but Miss Albany insisted. When Reagon turned she saw a long line of students following them and she was pleased.

Seven hundred people were put in jail in one week, the largest mass arrest in history. Albany had four jails for each category, four for white males, four for white females, four for black males and four for black females. They moved them to stockades with 11 women crammed into cells made for four, with four bunks and one toilet, and people of all ages who did not “get along” with each other, Reagan was called again and again to lay a song on the situation. “I feel better, so much better, since I laid my burden down… she sang the crowd into peace and focus again and again.

Though extremely uncomfortable, Reagan said of that jailing that they could lock up her body and not have actually jailed her at all. She knew there was no place else for her to be. Her convictions were only strengthened by it.

Since those struggles and others she has gone on to be an award winning music consultant, composer and performer for several radio, film and video projects.

For me, seeing Dr. Reagon on the same day I listened to the speech about race by Barack Obama was extra meaningful to me. Here was a woman who had stood in the front lines of civil liberties, who acted and prevailed against the law despite the fear of death. Here was a woman who truly knew segregation in the south. It is not possible for a nation to go up to her and say, there, there, it’s all over, everything is fine now. Don’t dwell on the past. NO! As a member of this nation, I must experience her story through her words and songs. I must seek to understand what life was like for her because she is a part of me that I must come to terms with. I cannot push her story down like I push down all my uncomfortable past. Until her voice and those like hers, are heard, I cannot expect her to treat me as an equal. I need to hear about her social prison, her bravery and her feelings. And I need to forgive myself for having the human capability to do what those white people did to the blacks.

Day after exhausting day this mid-western state was daily on TV and in the news. It overshadowed and neglected a recent but equally newsworthy event, yet this eclipsed event deserves an equally careful hearing and analysis.

The issue: a judgment by the 8th Circuit Court.

Americans United [for Separation of Church and State] won a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Iowa Corrections Department’s support for Charles Colson’s InnerChange, a prison program that trains inmates in evangelical Christianity.

“Faith-based” initiatives, which propose turning the provision of social services over to religious groups, threaten individual rights and could lead to taxpayer support of religious ministries. In those cases where religious groups want to take tax aid to provide relief, they should first agree to run secular programs and drop all forms of religiously based discrimination from their hiring policies.” – Americans United for Separation of Church and State

This Iowa court rendered a profound, sharp and ringing endorsement on on religion and the use of tax-dollars to support and subsidize the “Inner Change Freedom Initiative” [ICFI] in Iowa prisons.

The ICFI’s mission, with a fundamentalist indoctrination tenet, inclination and proclivity, is to minister to prisoners. Perhaps you already know that Charles Colson of Watergate fame [and a convicted criminal] is the author and presenter of this type of evangelizing and proselytizing program. While the program of ICFI is admissible to reduce recidivism among inmates, the use of tax dollars to accomplish it is in conflict with the U.S. Constitution. Evidence at the trial showed that the ICFI in Iowa disparaged Catholics and their staff members declared that Catholics were not Christians. The non-evangelical Christians didn’t escape scathing criticism either. Again, the staff referred to them as lost, pagan and those who serve the flesh.”

The ICFI is free to publicly endorse their own religious beliefs and publicly degrade the religious beliefs and faith of others. But in their prison ministry they received tax dollar support and special benefits to carry out this discriminatory outreach.

After the hearings and pronouncements by three judges, one prophetic voice summarized the significance of the ruling when he stated “I expected the decision to have a huge impact in support of our own fight to combat federal and state officials’ efforts to expand taxpayer funding of religious social services … and to halt the expansion of government aided religious ‘rehabilitation’ programs in prison more specifically.”

Whatever our faith — Baptist, Lutherans, Christians, Presbyterians — let us as U.S. citizens protect the U.S. Constitution. There are efforts to funnel our tax dollars to faith groups who in turn discriminate in their hiring and try to use social services and programs to push a personal religious agenda. With vigilance and courage to confront such efforts, the state of Tennessee will avoid such sectarian goals.

The guest speaker will be Chaplain Alvin Miller, Pastor of the South Chapel located on the Fort Campbell, KY military base. Both churches’ choirs will be combined for this occasion in order to perform the music for the service. Refreshments will be served.

On Monday January 21st from 9am-noon will feature a poster contest, educational classes, and informative seminars for all ages, starting at 9am at Burt Elementary School located in downtown Clarksville. These programs are sponsored by local sororities and other civic organizations.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative march through the city will leave Burt School around noon.

The NAACP extends an open invitation to everyone regardless of their ethnicity to participate in these events.

The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. For questions or more information please call Elder Frank E. Washington at (931) 980-1918.

Dr. King was an American leader, not solely a leader for African-Americans. He taught us to fight racism and bigotry with intelligence, knowledge, and education, not violence. He wanted people of every color to have the same rights and opportunities, and tremendous progress has been made in those arenas for which he is directly responsible.

Sadly, we still have a long way to go and I’m not sure some will ever view others as equals because of their skin color. Skin color is a descriptive characteristic holding no more importance than eye color or height. Unfortunately, no matter how people are viewed, some only see the differences among ourselves in a negative way.

Racism, which is defined as the belief that a particular race is superior to another, or as discrimination or prejudice based on genetically transmitted physical characteristic, does have its place in our society. It should be used as a reminder of how NOT to act. It should be a sobering account of our historical ignorance. It should serve as a tool so that we may never forget what some people have experienced in the greatest country the world has ever seen.

Dr. King exemplified a spirit of opposition to ignorance and a willingness to confront it using his intellect. He evaluated people on the content of their character and did not judge them by the color of their skin. He was truly a great leader; just imagine what might have been had he not been taken from us when he was. We should all celebrate this day with enthusiasm no matter what the color of our skin.

It still befuddles me why some still insist on making race an issue to suit their backward and regressive agendas. I hope that one day we will see a world without racism and bigotry, but I feel as though both have become so deeply ingrained in some areas of society that it will take generations to make it less prevalent, to tamp it down.

What we can do today is celebrate this wonderful holiday with enthusiasm and strive for the ideals and goals Dr. King spoke and preached. With hard work, determination, compassion, and searching your heart to do what is right, we can ALL reach the mountaintop. We can ALL enjoy the freedoms this wonderful contry provides. We can ALL overcome the obstacles and live together in relative peace and harmony. We can ALL share his wonderful dream.

The recent discord over the makeup of the City Charter Review and Revision Committee has revealed a most unpleasant undercurrent in our government and our community. The fact that this committee, which will revise the city’s primary policy document, lacks any minority participation has caused many to question the selection process and the fairness of the results.

As the title of this commentary states, ‘We’re All In This Together!’ That is so very true and appropriate to this situation. The city charter affects and applies to every resident of the city. The declaration by the mayor’s office that there will be no minority participation is dangerous folly and actionable. This city depends on the millions of federal dollars annually funneled into our city coffers to operate. This declaration gives every one of those federal agencies reason to suspend those disbursements and investigate our government actions.

‘We’re All In This Together!’ also means that the city council should be mindful of its obligation to uphold all city, state and federal laws as sworn to in taking their oaths of office. Despite protests to the contrary, the denial of minority participation is a direct affront to state law regarding minority representation and participation in appointed bodies. (See TCA 10-7.601, et. al.) Beyond that, this denial places our compliance with Title VI law and regulations in serious jeopardy. Denying participation of protected classes in important decision and policy-making bodies is a direct violation of Title VI principles, law and regulations.

‘We’re All In This Together!’ would have us remember our Christian principles to be mindful of our fellow man. That means not treating others as we would not wish to be treated ourselves. That means not denying our fellowman the considerations we demand for ourselves.

‘We’re All In This Together!’ is common sense. We share this small blue planet together. Clarksville belongs to all of us. Gone are the days the of ‘White Citizens Councils’ of the ‘Old South’ that made political decisions without regard from the Black Community. Do we want to harken back to those detestable and terrible times? Have we learned nothing from the recent turmoil that resulted from noose displays and discrimination charges against our city?

“We’re All In This Together!” means that Blacks, Hispanics, Koreans, Native Americans, Middle East Indians, Pacific Islanders, Japanese-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Pakistani-Americans, the disabled- vision, hearing and/or mobility, even the GLBTQ community all deserve a seat at this table to decide the revisions to be made to OUR City Charter. That is what being FAIR is all about. It just makes good sense.

After all, ‘We’re All in This Together!’

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The following are members of the city Charter and Code Revision Committee, created in August, 2007:• Ward 4 Councilman Wallace Redd, committee chairman • Ward 3 Councilman James Lewis • Ward 10 Councilman Bill Summers • Roger Mannes, attorney (former County Attorney) • Chief of Staff Jim Durrett • Jeff Truitt, engineer • Dave Cooper, a Fort Campbell soldier and entrepreneur • City Attorney Mason Wilson • City Clerk Sylvia Skinner • Dr. Jeannie Beauchamp, dentist • Former Councilwoman Mary Nell Wooten

As we are now 43 years into the Civil Rights Act of 1964 being the law of the land, perhaps a brief primer is in order.

“Simple justice requires that public funds to which all taxpayers of all races contribute not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes or results in racial discrimination.” — President John F. Kennedy, in his message calling for the enactment of Title VI, 1963.

On August 3, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. Federal regulations and rules were formulated to effect its compliance and enforcement.

What Is Covered by Title VI?

Veterans Administration educational benefits, employee or student recruitment, social services, the distribution of benefits and services, construction, transportation, Contracting, Community Development Block Grants, Parks and Recreation, tax benefits enjoyed by private agencies, fraternal and non-profit organizations (501.c3), education institutions, hiring, housing, the location of facilities, welfare services, program effects on people in applicable communities, and law enforcement and environmental issues.

What Is Federal Financial Assistance?

Federal financial assistance means more than just money. It is also aid that enhances the ability to improve or expand allocation of a recipient’s own resources. Some examples include:

• Student Aid (releases recipient’s funds for other uses)
• Training of employees (permits better use of the employee)
• Grants, loans and tax-exempt bonds
• Bonds
• Property
• Loan of Personnel
• Tax incentives and tax exempt status
• Technical assistance, etc.

If an agency receives any federal financial assistance for any program or activity- the entire agency is required to comply with Title VI, not just that particular program.

How Does Title VI Apply To Public Policy?

Title VI is the mechanism that ensures that federal financial assistance, which drives or promotes economic development, infrastructure improvements, service delivery, and minority participation in decision-making is done without discrimination. The intent is to ensure that all persons have fair participation and representation in the planning and execution of public policy.

The parents of the Black students have joined with civil rights activist Terry McMoore, Director of the Urban Resource Center in calling for the immediate firing of Bergen from the Clarksville Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) and are recommending that his teaching license be revoked by the State of Tennessee and United States Department of Education.

The parents of the students involved will join McMoore for a press conference on this issue on Tuesday, October 2, at 3 p.m. outside the Public Library at 350 Pageant Lane. The Urban Resource center encourages you to join the students and their parents at this press conference as we attempt to bring the entire CMCSS in line with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which absolutely prohibits discrimination and racial profiling in our public schools.

For more information on this issue, contact Terry McMoore at 931-378-1999.

PART II CODE OF ORDINANCES
TITLE 1 ADMINISTRATION, OFFICERS, AND PERSONNEL

Chapter 13 PERSONNEL

Sec. 1-1316. Disciplinary action.

(c) Minimum due process. All regular employees will be afforded the benefit of due process. Due process requires that established rules and procedures for disciplinary action are followed and that employees have an opportunity to respond to charges made against them prior to the decision on the disciplinary action to be taken. Due process consists of the following:

(1) Employees shall be notified of the charges against them. Such notification will detail times, places, and other pertinent facts.

(2) The notification will provide for the employee to have a pre-decision discussion. The employee shall be given a reasonable period of time to prepare to answer charges and present information which might influence the disciplinary decision.

(3) The person conducting the pre-decision discussion will be a department head or the senior supervisor in the employee’s work unit.

(4) The meeting outlined above shall be for the purpose of allowing the employee to present information to the manager regarding the disciplinary action under consideration.

5) The discussion shall be informal. The employee shall have the right to present written statements or witnesses or any other information with regard to the charges. Attendance and participation by persons other than the department head and the employee shall be at the discretion of the department head.

(6) If the employee declines the opportunity to have the discussion or present information, the provisions of this section are deemed to have been met.

(d) Cause. Disciplinary actions will be based on cause or sufficient reason, as outlined in section 1-1317 of the City Code.
_________________________________________________

[Here is sec. 1-1317: Sec. 1-1317. Conduct which could cause disciplinary action. )

The following actions may cause disciplinary action up to and including dismissal:
(1) Abusive and inconsiderate treatment of the public or co-workers.
(2) Conviction of a criminal charge.
(3) Willful destruction of city property.
(4) Stealing, deceit, or other dishonesty.
(5) Conduct below the standard of the department.
(6) Reporting to work under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or the use of same on duty.
(7) Disloyalty to the aims and ideals of the department.
( 8 ) Excessive tardiness, absences, or abuses of leave of absence, sick leave, etc.
(9) Inefficiency.
(10) Insubordination or failure to carry out instructions or job assignments.
(11) Violation of rules and regulations of the department or any other failure of good behavior which reflects discredit upon an employee, the department, or the city government.
(Ord. No. 50-2005-06, 1-5-06)]

__________________________________________________
Continuation of Sec. 1-1316. Disciplinary action:

(e) Actions for which employees may not be disciplined. Actions for which employees MAY NOT BE DISCIPILINED include:

(1) Conditions controlled by equal employment opportunity law such as race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or military status.
(2) Union activities as determined by law.
(3) Reporting Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) violations, or cases of waste, fraud, and abuse.
(4) Refusing to perform an unusual work assignment which the employee justifiably believes to be hazardous or life-threatening.
(5) Refusing to perform an act which is clearly in violation of the law.

(f) Disciplinary process.

(1) Employees other than department heads or city officials.

a. Disciplinary action up to, and including, a written reprimand will be conducted by supervisory personnel within the city department. Written reprimands will be authenticated by the department head before they are placed in the employee’s official personnel file in the human resource department.

b. Offenses or conduct which would warrant suspension, demotion or termination will be thoroughly investigated and documented at the department level and the employee will be afforded due process as outlined in subsections (a)(1) through (6) above. If suspension, demotion, or termination is recommended, the department head will forward the results of this investigation and all supporting documentation, with a recommendation for appropriate disciplinary action, to the human resources director. The human resources director will verify that the employee was afforded due process and that the recommended disciplinary action is appropriate and consistent. The human resources director will then inform the employee in writing of the disciplinary decision and will advise the employee of his or her right to appeal. The employee will have seven (7) calendar days to appeal the decision by notifying the human resources director in writing and posting a $50.00 “appearance deposit” which will be refunded at the completion of the appeals hearing. If the employee who is appealing the disciplinary action does not appear for the hearing the $50.00 deposit will be forfeited and the recommended discipline will stand. Also, if the employee does not wish to appeal the decision, the disciplinary action will stand.

c. If an employee exercises his or her right to appeal the recommended disciplinary action, a hearing committee comprised of two (2) randomly selected city council members and one randomly selected employee of equal pay grade will be appointed by the mayor to hear the appeal. The committee will be convened within fourteen (14) calendar days of the receipt of the appeal request by the employee or as soon thereafter as possible. The employee will be advised of the time and place of the hearing and informed thathe or she may be represented by counsel of their choosing at their own expense. The employee shall have the right to appear and defend in person or by counsel and have the process of the city council to compel the attendance of witnesses in his or her behalf. The sole issue to be decided by the committee is whether there is just cause to support the disciplinary action. Upon review, the committee should determine whether the decision of the department head is supported by substantial and material evidence.If the committee determines that the decision of the department is, in fact, supported by substantial and material evidence of cause, the recommended disciplinary action shall be affirmed. Deliberation will occur openly and in public. After reaching a decision the committee will so notify the mayor and the employee in writing. The mayor may, upon his own initiative or upon the written request of either party, review the committee’s decision, and affirm, modify, or reverse it. A request for review of the committee’s decision shall be filed with the mayor within ten (10) days of the decision. If no request is filed, or if, after receiving a request, the mayor decides to take no action within ten (10) days, the committee’s decision shall stand as final. The director of human resources shall make the record of the hearing before the committee available for the mayor in each such case.

d. Anyone removed or dismissed may appeal through the courts of Montgomery County, Tennessee, by filing the customary appeal bond; but he or she shall not exercise any of the functions of their office during the time such appeal is pending and their compensation will be withheld pending final adjudication.

(2) Department heads and city officials.
a. This section applies to heads of major departments and these city officials: city attorney, city clerk, city engineer, and commissioner of finance and revenue.

b. The mayor will present the charges and provide due process, and department heads and city officials will be afforded the same process as other employees, except that they may appeal to the city council instead of a hearing committee. The final decision as to suspension, demotion, or termination will be upon a majority vote of the city council. The city council may sustain the action of the mayor or may reinstate the department head or city official without loss of compensation, or upon such other terms andconditions as the city council may prescribe. If the suspended, demoted, or terminated department head or city official is unwilling to abide by the decision of the city council, he or she will stand discharged as of that date. Department heads and city officials may appeal through the courts of Montgomery County, Tennessee, under the same terms and conditions as other employees.
(Ord. No. 50-2005-06, 1-5-06)

______________________________________________

The question for many is, was Burkhart still just an employee of the city or was he already a Dept. head, as some have claimed?

If a dept. head, then due process was not followed because it takes the Council as a BODY to hear his case and this did not occur.

If he was a city employee, then the hearing panel appears derelict in their duties. It violated the City Code’s Due Process Procedure and denied Burkhart due process protection by sustaining his termination even though the facts showed (1) he was not qualified for the building and codes position, and to accept the position would clearly be in violation of the law (the city code) and (2) he felt the position to be hazardous or life-threatening. The hearing panel violated sections 1-1316(e)(4) and (5) of the city code cited above.

Throughout the world, women face violence every day. From the battlefield to the bedroom, women are at risk from violence in all areas of life. Violence against women is an abuse that is not confined to any political or economic system. It is prevalent in every society in the world. It cuts across boundaries of wealth, race and culture. It affects the young and the old. Wherever we live, women are suffering violence.

Violence against women persists because society allows it to. Virtually every culture in the world contains forms of violence against women that are often invisible because they are seen as normal or acceptable.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Discrimination against women

The underlying cause of violence against women lies in gender discrimination – the denial of women’s equality with men in all areas of life. Women are also targeted because of their race, class, culture, sexual identity or HIV status, or because they are from poor or marginalized communities.

In many countries, violence against women is written into the law. In Jamaica the law fails to protect women from marital rape, incest and sexual harassment. Discriminatory maternity and infant health services in Peru are letting hundreds of impoverished women and children die every year and denying many of them the right to an identity.

Violence against women happens because far too often governments turn a blind eye to it, do not punish those who commit crimes against women and fail to ensure effective access to justice for women. The single most important factor that allows violence against women to persist, whether in times of peace or in times of war, is rampant impunity. Those who attack and rape women, know that they can get away with it, even though rape and other forms of gender violence have long been prohibited under international law.

Sexual Violence

Two thirds of sexual crimes in Hungary are committed by people known to the victim, yet few of the perpetrators are tried for their crimes. Rape by police and security forces is endemic in Nigeria as is the abject failure of the Nigerian authorities to bring perpetrators to justice.

Sexual violence affects women in all societies in times of peace as well as times of conflict. Indigenous women in the USA are at least twice as likely to be raped or sexually assaulted as women in the USA in general..

The government’s ongoing failure to tackle violence against women in Papua New Guinea has resulted in this violence becoming so pervasive that it impedes national development and contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Violence in the home

Women remain at risk within their own home as well. 50% of women who die from homicides are killed by their current of former partners. Tens of thousands of women in Georgia are hit, beaten, raped and in some cases even killed by their husbands or partners. A very small percentage of women seek help and justice from violence. Many stay with their partners because they have nowhere else to go and lack financial independence.

Nearly 3,000 women were registered as victims of violence in the home in Belarus in 2005, although the actual number is believed to be much higher. As there are no shelters for victims of domestic violence in the whole of the country, these women have nowhere go.

A lack of adequate temporary housing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – means that women have little opportunity to seek redress in a secure and safe environment.

States must protect women from domestic violence by ensuring that adequate laws are in place, that specialist training or health care is available, and by ensuring women who need it have access to shelters.

Conflict

During armed conflicts, violence against women is often used as a weapon of war, in order to dehumanize the women themselves, or to persecute the community to which they belong.

Acts of violence against women are often ordered, condoned or tolerated by those in the highest echelons of political or military power. They persist because those in power do not acknowledge the wrongs that have been done and rarely prosecute those who have committed them. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been subjected to sexual violence during the conflict in Darfur. No one has yet been tried or prosecuted for these crimes.

In the context of the current conflict in Cote d’Ivoire many women and girls are the victims of gang rape or are abducted and forced into sexual slavery by fighters. Rape is often accompanied by beatings and torture — often committed in public and in front of family members. To Amnesty’s knowledge, none of the perpetrators of these crimes has ever been brought to justice.

Despite governmental lack of interest and social apathy and silence in many countries – activists around the world continue to campaign against violence against women and to confront discrimination and impunity.

Human rights defenders

Much of what has been gained in women’s human rights so far has been thanks to the efforts of women themselves. They have organized themselves, broken taboos, spoken up – sometimes at great personal cost – and have led brave and inspiring campaigns against violence against women. They have achieved dramatic changes in laws, policies and practices.

Some of them are victims and survivors of violence themselves who despite risks and difficulties and together with human rights defenders, women activists, women’s organisations and the women’s movement take a stand and speak out against violence in order to make a difference for all women in the world.

Many human rights defenders face risks, but women encounter additional risks because of their gender and the issues they address. Women who defend the human rights of women, especially women from marginalized racial or ethnic groups, can find themselves under threat of violence. Because they often challenge cultural, religious or social norms about the role of women in their society, they are frequently subjected to harassment and repression, ranging from verbal abuse to sexual harassment, rape, and murder.

Often, when women pursue legal action and stand up for their rights, they are faced with hostile systems and environments. Frequently, women activists have had to face ridicule and prejudice when they have sought to take leadership in communities or societies that view the woman’s role as strictly one within the family. Women who have dared to challenge social and religious conventions have been subjected to public accusations aimed at discrediting their character. Women protesting against discriminatory laws and practices are often accused of being traitors to their faith or culture or enemies of the state.

In March this year, four women’s rights activists in Iran were sentenced to prison for their role in organizing the peaceful protest and demanding equal rights for women in Iran in June last year. The activists are organizers of the “One Million Signature Campaign” launched in August 2006 that demands an end to discriminatory laws against women. They were officially charged with “actions against the state” and threatening “national security” and all four of them were tried in absentia.

Violence against women may be universal but it is not “normal” or “inevitable”. As long as women are denied their human rights, anywhere in the world, there can be no justice. Recognition of women’s human rights is an essential requirement for every society. Individuals and communities have vital roles to play in overcoming discrimination of women, impunity and gaining justice.

States must prevent, investigate and punish those responsible and we must break the silence – Act now, Stop Violence against Women. For more information visit Amensty International, The Health and Human Services Womens Health web site, or the Lifetime End Violence Against Women web site.

* Information in this article came from from Amnesty International and LifetimeTV.

I know we have the capability and the calling to rise above the petty behavior of …the armchair activists… who would rather lock themselves into the fading obscurity of subculture…

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that she put in an application to a GLBT publication in New Mexico. She told me what the job would entail, and how she’d really enjoy doing it, especially since a lot of it could be done remotely. After a few minutes of jovial conversation, she came to the rather grim reality that she would probably not even be asked to interview for the job.

After all, she is straight, married, and has two very active daughters. Now, to be fair, she is very GLBT-friendly and has long been an advocate and ally to those of us who are struggling for equality. When I came out to her, she voiced her strong support for gay rights. She’s lived next to gay neighbors, and has even enjoyed conversations about men with her gay friends. However, labels have a way of affecting us pretty heavily in the GLBT community, and I wonder if we’ve done exactly what those boys did way back in the days of the “Little Rascals.”
Oh, you remember them, don’t you? They were Alfafa, Spanky, Buckwheat, and Petey the dog. Those boys always got into any trouble they could. Then then was Darla. She was the precocious little girl who was always excited about some scheme that would net them “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” That’d buy little more than a Bentley today. But hey, this was way back in the black-and-white serials era.

You see, the “Rascals” had this thing where girls just weren’t allowed in their club. After all, girls have cooties. Their club had a special name, of course. It was the “He-Han Woman Haters Club.” No girls allowed! And of course, by the end of the show, the girl would always find a way to foil their nefarious plans at domination in the neighborhood. Oh, to have been in one of those soabox cars!

But we’ve pretty much done the same thing in today’s GLBT society, haven’t we? A few weeks ago, I read how at least one gay organization made clear that their transgender members were no longer welcome. Gay men have called into gay radio shows like Sirius Out-Q’s “Derek & Romaine” to complain about how lesbians were coming into their precious gay clubs. Their complaint was simple: why would they want to have women hanging around? They’re gay, for chrissakes! Women–not even lesbians– were clearly not welcome to these clubbers.

Okay, so we don’t have the “He-Man Woman Haters Club” today, but when I hear some of my fellow gay men in popular culture, I wonder if we’re not behaving much differently. My concern is that these all-too-extreme examples of pettiness might begin to reflect an overall attitude in GLBT culture.

I had a very interesting conversation after a book signing I held a few months back. The discussion revolved around how the Christian subculture has become the overwhelming culture in America, and gay subculture is relegated to cult status. The question was raised, “How can we build bridges in this kind of oppressive culture?”

This is an excellent question.

In response, I’ll ask another question: How can we even think about bridging the gap if we’re too obsessed about our own identities? Instead of the “He-Man Woman Haters Club,” it appears to some of our critics that we have what seems to be an emerging attitude where we want to seclude ourselves from mainstream heterosexual society. We might even call it the “Gay-Man Straight Haters Club.” Either way, it’s an exclusive club that demands an inclusive world.

Is it possible that we, who are quick to scream “discrimination” if someone doesn’t hire us because we’re obviously gay, are in fact just as hypocritical? After all, we’ll might refuse to talk to someone because they’re Baptist, or because they’re straight. Are we just as guilty of prejudice if we don’t hire a straight person for a GLBT publication? Discrimination is a two-edged sword.

To be sure, it’s hard enough for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and members of the transgender community to all get along with each other, let alone with the heterosexuals. It’s absolutely critical for us to understand that we can’t even begin to build bridges with our straight neighbors and bring about equality for GLBT person until we start to treat each other equally.

I’ve talked about Soulforce before, and I think it merits mention once again. Dr. Mel White and his organization are working tirelessly to reach out to the Christian and religious community in a way that few other organizations have even thought about. He follows the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who insisted on absolute excellence in everything that Black Americans did during the Civil Rights movement.

This is a message that we simply must embrace today, my friends. Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community was one where everyone worked together and side-by-side to make our nation and our world a better place to be. Our voices today will never be heard unless we’re those voices are joined with the actions of people who care about our society, and who are ready to embrace all that our nation has to offer. Our task is no longer just in building bridges. We must strive to rebuild the bridges that some in our own GLBT community have burned into bitter ashes.

I’m not in any way disillusioned, dear friends. I know we have the capability and the calling to rise above the petty behavior of a few vocal people…the armchair activists… who would rather lock themselves into the fading obscurity of subculture. The rest of us know that we have a world to reach out to; a world that needs to know what diversity is all about.

And to teach about diversity, my friends, we need to first learn it ourselves… and then live it.

Cross-posted on www.skippingtothepiccolo.com