Op-Ed

Beyond the Rhetoric: ‘Selma’ Can Help Teach the Young

Published

11 years ago

January 27, 2015

By Harry C. Alford
NNPA Columnist

If you haven’t seen the movie “Selma” yet please hurry up and do I and take your family and anyone else who is close to you. This film thoroughly brings out what happened in that sleepy Alabama town back in 1965. Selma became a battleground with the importance rivaling Normandy D-Day, Gettysburg, Yorktown, etc. What the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did was genius. He showed through American television just how ugly and mean-spirited southern segregation was. It was the segregated South that was the prototype for South Africa’s apartheid system.

It is extremely important that every American understand this era and what it took to evolve us from the horror. My family roots are rural Louisiana and just about every summer during the 1960s we would journey back to those red clay roads of Bossier Parish. During a few summers, my mother would put me on a Greyhound bus and send me on an itinerary to visit each one of my aunts and uncles during my stay. Her main mission besides letting me know my roots was to let me feel the evil of segregation and how vile it could be. It was more than impressionable on my young curious mind.

There were moments that were downright terrifying. I can still remember the screams directed at me for sitting towards the front of a bus; being chased out of a public restroom; walking through the front door of a department store; asking for the restroom key at a gas station; hearing the term nigger and realizing someone was addressing me. Gone are those days but the memory will last forever. The experience has made me intolerable towards discrimination of any kind. Mom’s plan for me was a success.

It is very difficult to explain these times to our own children and grandchildren. Furthermore, it can be equally difficult to make them understand the importance of knowing about it. The history of African Americans is very unique and is something we can all be very proud of. As one college professor (Jewish) explained to me at the University of Wisconsin, “It defies nature and all of the odds that American Blacks are alive and walking around this nation. The mere survival of what you have gone through in this nation is truly unique and something to hold with pride.”

Selma adequately describes the segregated South as I knew it. This is a history lesson about one of the world’s greatest leaders and how he took on a mighty nation and made it change its ways for the better. It wasn’t easy but the significance of his success can rival Moses, Mandela and Gandhi (King’s role model).

Like Jesus, he only had a few followers but he took those “disciples” and made them become some of the best organizers the world has known. He came to Selma with a car load of followers and left, after three weeks, with thousands of those who were pure at heart. One third of them were White. The local police and state troopers were as racist as they could be. Thus, they marched out with the protection and supervision of the United States Army. This is what faith and courage can do. “Selma” accurately portrays this historical phenomenon.

Tears flowed from my eyes more than a few times during the movie. It brought back those memories and brilliantly showed the pain and suffering that was inflicted on children of God. You could feel their pain and recognize the devil in their adversaries. It brought back painful memories of an America that was not living up to its code. Never again will we allow that to return and our children, grandchildren must understand why. “Selma” is a great tutorial. At the end of the movie, the audience gave it healthy applause.

There has been some criticism of the movie’s portrayal of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. I don’t understand that because what I saw in the movie is the same person who we hear on LBJ’s own recorded phone calls. How could someone be such a “friend” to Dr. King and at the same time allow the vicious J. Edgar Hoover to harass him and his family? It is widely known that President Johnson would casually use the N-word. He would refer to the Civil Rights Act as the “Nigger Bill” while talking with southern elected officials. He was upset about having the Voting Rights Act pop up before his face right behind the Civil Rights Act. He thought that part of his work was done. All things would become better now. Dr. King finally made it clear to him that what good is a civil rights act without the right to vote.

Get your family and friends together and go see this classic piece. Then thank God that your children will never have to live through it.

Harry C. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.

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Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

3 days ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

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Activism

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

At the deepest and also most expansive level of reality, we are all part of the same being, our bodies made from the minerals of the earth, our spirits infused by the spiritual breath that animates the universe. Willingness to move more deeply into fear and pain is the first step toward moving into a larger consciousness. Willingness to move beyond the delusion of our separateness can show us new ways of working and living together.

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

By Dr. Lorraine Bonner, Special to California Black Media Partners

I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical Western medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an individual’s health.

Therefore, when I began to practice medicine, I also pursued training in hypnosis, relaxation techniques, meditation, and guided imagery, to bring a mind-body focus to my work in medical care and prevention.

The people I saw in my practice had a mix of problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and a variety of pain issues. I taught almost everyone relaxation breathing and made some general relaxation tapes. To anyone willing, I offered guided imagery.

“My work embraced an approach to wellness I call “Liberatory Health” — one that not only addresses the treatment and management of disease symptoms but also seeks to dismantle the conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

From my perspective, illness is only the outermost manifestation of our efforts to cope, often fueled by addictions such as sugar, tobacco, or alcohol, shackled by an individualistic cult belief that we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering.

To put these ideas into practical form, I would quote the immortal Mr. Rogers: “Find the helpers.” There are already people in every community working for liberation. Some of them are running for office, others are giving food to those who need it. Some are volunteering in schools, libraries or hospitals. Some are studying liberation movements, or are working in urban or community gardens, or learning to practice restorative and transformative justice, or creating liberation art, music, dance, theater or writing. Some are mentoring high schoolers or apprenticing young people in a trade. There are many places where compassionate humans are finding other humans and working together for a better world.

A more compassionate world is possible, one in which we will all enjoy better health. Creating it will make us healthier, too.

In community, we are strong. Recognizing denial and overcoming the fragmenting effects of spiritual disorder offer us a path to liberation and true health.

Good health and well-being are the collective rights of all people!

About the Author

Dr. Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

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Activism

Opinion: Can Donald Trump Pole Dance?

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

The news cycle has been buzzing the last few weeks. Xi, with Putin and Kim, the sweethearts of Trump carousing alone without him? The victims of the pedophile Epstein speaking out publicly in DC.

Then, there’s the release of that salacious letter Donald Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the letter didn’t exist. But it does.

Timing is everything.

Additionally, there are further concerns, such as the Supreme Court removing restrictions on ICE interactions. ICE Agents can stop anyone now. For any reason. And there’s the threat of the U.S. sending the military to fight crime in Chicago. Trump even posted a meme of himself as a character in “Apocalypse Now.”

All that with bad polls and bad economic numbers, and these topics are dominating the news cycle — Trump era chaos.

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

The reality is the opposite. He keeps going strong like nothing’s happened. Inexplicably, Trump always seems to defy gravity.

That’s why to reassure myself with reality, I just think of Trump on a pole. Dancing. He was born on Flag Day, after all.

I’ve got pole dancing on my mind because I’m in Canada at the Vancouver Fringe Festival doing my show, “Emil Amok 69, Everything’s Flipped,” about how the current political situation gets very personal.

Get tickets here if you’re near:

I’ve performed at 16 fringe festivals, and I always look for unique performers. This year, in my same venue (the Revue Stage) I found her in a show, “The Pole Shebang.”

Andrea James Lui may look like a typical Asian American at first.

But she’s Asian Canadian, married to an Australian, who now lives down under.

At the Vancouver Fringe, she highlights her special identity.

Pole Dancer

Yes, pole dancing has come to the fringe. Leave your dollar bills at home, this is not that kind of pole dancing.

This is more Cirque Du Soleil-ish- acrobatic stuff, yet it’s hard to deny the sexiness when a woman flawlessly swings from a pole with her legs apart.

The show is more intriguing than it is titillating.

Lui has created a behind-the-scenes look at the “polar” experience.

“She could have been a physicist,” says her big sister Christina, who despite saying that, supports her sister 100 percent.

Lui touches on some of the emotional depth in the poled subculture. But there’s plenty more to mine in the future. “Polar Bare,” the Musical? I’d see it.

Trump on a Pole

So that’s how I’ve come to the polar metaphor.

As Trump flails in the news, I picture him on a pole.

The letter to Epstein is further proof of the character of the man.

Will he stay afloat?

Not if the presidency were more like pole dancing.

You can’t lie on the pole.

That’s one way all of us in the Trump era can get to the truth.

About the Author

Emil Amok is a veteran journalist, commentator, and stage monologist. He has written a weekly column on Asian Americans for more than 30 years.

Contact: www.amok.com