Op-Ed

To Be Equal: From Selma to Montgomery—Martyrs of the March

Published

10 years ago

March 16, 2015

By Marc H. Morial
NNPA Columnist

“What could more profoundly vindicate the idea of America than plain and humble people — the unsung, the downtrodden, the dreamers not of high station, not born to wealth or privilege, not of one religious tradition but many — coming together to shape their country’s course?” – President Barack Obama, 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Selma’s “Bloody Sunday”

No social reformation, reversal or revolution has ever rested solely on the shoulders of its most notable actors. This was as true during that pivotal moment in our nation’s history when colonists rebelled against the tyranny of British rule, as it was 50 years ago in Selma, Alabama, where a decisive blow was struck to the institutionalized denial of voting rights for the city’s African Americans—setting the stage for historic strides in social justice, not just for African Americans but for Americans of every stripe, color and creed.

Progress—the kind that balances the scales of justice and swings open the doors of equality and opportunity to a wider swath of our nation—never comes as the result of one act of injustice or one trajectory changing act of bravery. Clarion calls for action often follow years, even centuries, of slights and injustices. Likewise, the march towards justice is paved with innumerable acts of bravery, large and small, by the prominent and the unsung.

The American movement to attain the unobstructed right to vote was born within the walls of an unassuming green house on Lapsley Street in Selma. The home to Mrs. Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson and her husband Dr. Sullivan Jackson became a haven for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other prominent civil rights leaders. The Jacksons’ hospitality in an environment that proved inhospitable to both their guests and their struggle to expand the exercise of constitutional rights can only be described as one in a multitude of courageous steps on the long road to justice.

Running from police after a peaceful demonstration for the right to vote, civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and killed by an Alabama state trooper. Many of those enraged by his murder suggested marching his body from Selma to Montgomery. Stirred by his conscious after witnessing the violence at the first attempted march, Rev. James Reeb came to Selma answering Dr. King’s call to ministers to join the movement. The 38-year-old father of four met his death there at the hands of club-wielding white supremacists. Viola Liuzzo, a 39-year-old mother of five, was shot and killed by Klansmen after the last of the three marches from Selma. Episcopal seminarian Jonathan Daniels came to Selma after Bloody Sunday. He stayed in Alabama to work on voter registration. Daniels was shot and killed by a police officer with a bullet meant for the Black, teenage girl he pushed out of harm’s way.

President Obama put it succinctly during his speech marking the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, “What a solemn debt we owe. Which leads us to ask, just how might we repay that debt?”

First, we can, and must, do more than commemorate the work of these men and women because so much of what they accomplished is being dismantled today. The Voting Rights Act of 1965—arguably the crowning achievement of the Selma to Montgomery marches—is under attack. The 2013 Supreme Court ruling allowing states to bypass federal approval before changing their voting rules, ushered in a wave of voter suppression laws not seen since those days of marches and peaceful protests. Congress has been tasked with devising a new formula to determine which states require federal approval before making any changes to their voting rules, but Congress has not acted on this pressing matter. We must pass a new voting rights bill, because it is not enough to gain the right, we must maintain and protect it as well.

Second, we must build a modern-day civil rights movement that draws its inspiration from those who came before us and suffered reprisals, were beaten and unlawfully jailed and paid the ultimate price with their lives so this country could inch ever closer to its mandate to create a more perfect union. While signs of social progress within the African American community are undeniable, we celebrate the victories of past battles won under the cloud of recent high-profile killings of Black males and the Department of Justice’s recent release of a scathing report detailing systemic racism in the Ferguson police department. Selma is now.

Countless heroes—both known and unknown—have tasked each and every one of us to continue to walk in their steps and be bold in the journey to justice. We have the opportunity today to show them that their work and sacrifice on behalf of this nation was not in vain. We are fortunate, because as the president recognized, “Our job’s easier because somebody already got us through that first mile.”

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

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Activism

Actor, Philanthropist Blair Underwood Visits Bay Area, Kicks Off Literacy Program in ‘New Oakland’ Initiative

These community activations were coordinated with the San Francisco-based non-profit program “Room to Read.” Ray said he is also donating his time to read and take pictures with students to encourage their engagement and to inspire them to read more. The inspirational book “Clifford Ray Saves the Day” highlights Clifford Ray’s true story of saving a dolphin.

Published

1 month ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Blair Underwood (left) and Barbara Lee (right). Courtesy photo.

By Paul Cobb
New Oakland Series
Opinion Part 3

The Post mentioned three weeks ago that a number of our local luminaries were coming together to support the “New Oakland” movement. As this current national administration continues to eliminate our “legacy” institutional policies and programs left and right, most communities find themselves beyond “frozen” in fear.

Well, esteemed actor, long-time Bay Area supporter, and philanthropist Blair Underwood returned to Oakland this week to speak with city leaders, community trust agents, students, the Oakland Post, and local celebrities alike to continue his “New Oakland” initiative.

This week, he kicked off his “Guess Who’s Coming to Read” literacy program in some of Oakland’s middle schools. Clifford Ray, who played the center position of the 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors, donated close to 1,000 books. Ray’s fellow teammate Charles “The Hopper” Dudley also gave Converse sneakers to students.

Underwood also spent quality time with the Oakland Ballers ownership group and visited the amazing Raimondi Park West Oakland community revitalization site. In the 1996 TV film Soul of the Game, Underwood played the role of the legendary first Black Major League Baseball player Jackie Robinson and commended the Ballers owners.

“This group of sports enthusiasts/ philanthropists needs to be applauded for their human capital investment and their financial capital investment,” Underwood said. “Truly putting their money and passion to work,” Underwood said.

Underwood was also inspired by mayoral candidate Barbara Lee’s open-minded invitation to bring public-private partnership opportunities to Oakland.

Underwood said he wants to “reinforce the importance of ‘collaborative activism’ among those most marginalized by non-empathic leadership. We must ‘act out’ our discomfort with passionate intentions to create healthy change.”

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Activism

Councilmembers Ramachandran, Kaplan, Unger Identify Funds to Save Oakland Fire Stations

Our budget crisis – one of the worst in Oakland’s history – is compounded by the fact that people do not feel safe coming to Oakland due to our public safety crisis. By investing in our fundamental public safety resources today, we can send a signal to the world that Oakland is open for business. We have such a rich and vibrant culture, arts, and food scene that is worth celebrating – but we can only showcase this if we are able to keep our neighborhoods safe. Having fully functioning fire stations are absolutely essential to these efforts.

Published

1 month ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Courtesy photo.

By Janani Ramachandran

There is no greater concern to the people of Oakland today than public safety. Fire stations are the bread and butter of essential city services – and every day that we have stations shuttered, we imperil the lives of our community members. In response to widespread outcry over the current and planned closure of stations, myself, along with Councilmembers Kaplan and Unger, have painstakingly worked to identify millions of dollars of new funding to save our stations. The legislation we introduced on Thursday, February 13th, will amend our budget to prevent the closure of four fire stations that are currently on the chopping block due to our budget crisis and will re-open two closed stations that have already been closed – Station 25 and 28 – in the near future. The resolution that will provide the funding to keep our stations open will go before the full City Council for a vote at our meeting on Tuesday, March 4^th at 3:30 PM – and we invite you to join us at City Hall to share your perspective on the topic.

With the devastating Los Angeles fire at the top of people’s minds, terrible memories of Oakland’s own wildfires are re-surfacing from the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm to the Keller fire just a few months ago – and how essential fire stations are to mitigating these catastrophes. But in Oakland, our fire stations don’t just fight wildfires – they also provide emergency medical services to our most vulnerable constituents, put out structural fires and encampment fires, and much more.

We recognize that there are a number of competing interests and important initiatives fighting for sparse City resources. But from my perspective, core safety services are the most pivotal functions that a City must spend its resources on – especially given the outcry we have heard around fire stations.

The fight to save our stations is not over. The resolution we introduced is a critical first step, and there are hurdles to overcome. If you support keeping our fire stations open, we invite you to be a part of the solution by making your voice heard at the March 4^th City Council meeting at 3:30 pm.

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Activism

NNPA Launches National Public Education and Selective Buying Campaign

“We are the trusted voice of Black America, and we will not be silent or nonresponsive to the rapid rise of renewed Jim Crow racist policies in corporate America,” stated NNPA Chairman Bobby R. Henry Sr. “The Black Press of America continues to remain on the frontline keeping our families and communities informed and engaged on all the issues that impact our quality of life.”

Published

1 month ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

Washington, DC: The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing the Black Press of America, has announced the planning and implementation of a national public education and selective buying campaign across the nation in direct response to those corporate entities that have dismantled their respective Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commitments, programs and staffing. NNPA Chairman Emeritus Danny Bakewell Sr. explained, “Now is the time for the Black Press of America once again to emphatically speak and publish truth to power.”

At a recent convening of NNPA member publishers and editors, a united resolve was reached that each member publication of the NNPA will begin a national public education campaign coupled with the release of research data on those American companies that are engaging in efforts to sanction racial injustice, inequitable polices, divisive leadership, and economic apartheid in America.

“We note forthrightly that Black Americans spend $2 trillion dollars annually as consumers of products and services throughout the United States,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. emphasized. “We now must evaluate and realign to question why we continue to spend our money with companies that do not respect us,” Chavis continued. “This now must come to an end. These contradictions will not go unchallenged by 50 million Black Americans who have struggled for centuries to ensure equality, fairness and inclusion in our nation’s democracy.”

A selective buying campaign involves exercising the right to select what we spend our money on and who we spend our money with. We are starting with targeting TARGET.

The following are some of the major American companies that have publicly retreated from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: