Where Are We Now?

One of my colleagues and I were talking about The Butler and the issue of Black on Black crime. My colleague said she walked out of the movie because she could not tolerate being face to face with the pain of the Civil Rights Movement. The turning point for her was when the Black girl was spit on during the Woolworth sit in.

Although Black people (and all people) should demand equal treatment from society, we are often cruel and unjust to each other. Black on Black violence dominates many neighborhoods, the value of education in many communities has depreciated, and our youth idolize those who portray us as being hoes, bitches, dope dealers, and gangsters while those who are trying to succeed in legal and socially acceptable means are considered lame.

The struggles during the Civil Rights Movement were not done in vain, but many of our youth have failed to pick up the torch of empowerment. How do we get our society back on track when we so many seem to have fallen astray is a question I often ponder. During the Civil Rights struggles, protests were not impromptu occurrences. In many instances, they were planned for weeks or even months before any action was taken. Leaders of organizations such as the NAACP, CORE, and SLCL attempted negotiations with business owners and government officials before picketing. Their negotiations were usually accompanied by a list of demands. If the white business owners agreed to meet the demands of the Black community, the boycott would be called off. If business owners failed to agree to all the demands, the black community was prepared to go forth with their plans to protest. Often, they met daily on matters such as who would go to jail (if necessary) and acquired bail money before their feet hit the pavement.

In September of 1962, the National Jackson Youth Council along with the Tougaloo College Chapter of the NAACP began planning a boycott of the businesses on Capital Street in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. Their plan was to start the boycott during the Christmas shopping season in an attempt to hit store owners where it would be felt the most- in their pocketbooks. They were prepared to boycott the stores for as long as possible until the following demands were met:

(1)  personnel were hired and promoted based on their personnel merit without regard to race, color, or creed

(2)  to end segregated drinking foundations, segregated restrooms, and segregated seating

(3)  service to customers be done on a first-come, first-served basis

(4)  the use of courtesy titles such as “Miss,” “Mrs.” “and “Mr” with regard to ALL people

Their boycotts were successful in organizing the Black community and supporters of integration. For months, the business owners and local government refused to budge.

Woolworth Sit-in (Jackson, MS)
May 28, 1963

Regardless of how violent their oppressors were, the protestors maintained their peaceful position and strategized to legally initiate change.

If we were to strategize a method to bring social change and ethical awareness back to communities in need, what would be our demands? Which factions within our community would we deem to be most important to change first?

• Would we direct our demonstrations towards BET, MTV, and VH1 whose daily line-up of shows and videos display our young people in degrading ways?
• Would we revamp the education system an in effort to help our students and parents understand the true benefits of a degree?
  • Would we demand Black history courses become integrated into the curriculum as early as elementary so that our children will have a true sense of self?
• Would we fight for the funds to provide more job training for the Black community?
• Would we promote mental health services for our communities to help citizens deal with the overwhelming issues of dysfunctional relationships, rape, child abandonment, fatherless families, drug abuse, and victims of crimes?

Would it make a difference?

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