Reverend William Barber says Medicaid Cuts are “Retrogression”
NNPA White House Correspondent
By April Ryan,
“Put a face on the deadliness of this big bad, deadly, ugly bill That is what Reverend William Barber says as he conducts Moral Mondays in 11 Southern states today He is laser-focused on 11 local U S Senate offices in Alabama Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and Tennessee In these states Barbers says 1 5 million people are expected to lose their healthcare due to federal funding cuts to Medicaid
See Rev William Barber, p 6
Obama’s blunt message for Democrats: ‘Toughen up’
By Arlette Sanz, CNN
Former President Barack Obama addresses the Obama Foundation's Democracy Forum on December 5, 2024, in Chicago - Scott Olson/Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama issued a call to action for Democrats at a private fundraiser in New Jersey on Friday evening urging those frustrated by the state of the country under President Donald Trump to “stand up for the things that you think are right ”
See President Barack Obama, p 6
Black Lives Matter marks 12 years with global expansion and renewed calls for accountability
By Stacy M Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Black Lives Matter has reached its 12th anniversary, and the organization’s co-founder and prominent scholar-activist Dr Melina Abdullah says the movement is not only growing internationally but also confronting what she described as an unprecedented wave of “fascism and unmasked racism ”
Black Lives Matter, p 6
Florida lawmaker blasts Alligator Alcatraz as ‘Concentration Camp’
By Stacy M Brown Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Inhume cages inside the prison for immigration deportees
Florida state Rep Angie Nixon has condemned the state’s $450 million immigration detention facility in the Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as an inhumane politically motivated stunt that is detaining people accused of minor infractions like driving without a license or running a stop sign
See Concentration Camp, p. 6
Rep Figures leads bipartisan effort to introduce NIL bill to establish national framework
By
Staff,
Gr eene County Commission authorizes pur chase of
The Greene County Commission held a work session and regular monthly meeting on last Wednesday, July 9, 2025
All five commissioners were present for the meeting In the work session, most of the discussion was centered on Assistant County Engineer Calvin Culliver s requests for purchase of new equipment for road repair work in the county Culliver suggested selling three dump trucks owned by the County and buying three new dump trucks Since the equipment is relatively new it will have a good resale value, but also the County will acquire new trucks which will require lower maintenance and repair costs
The Commission approved a similar financial arrangement to purchase the current dump trucks,
County
two years ago This purchase will require the Commission to advance
$750,000 from its $1 9 million Bingo General Fund for the purchase of new trucks and then reimburse the bingo funds from the sale of the current trucks
This arrangement to purchase and sell three dump trucks was approved in the regular Commission meeting following the work session
Assistant Engineer Culliver requested purchase of a new lowboy tractor for $194,000 to transport equipment to work sites
The County will sell its current lowboy tractor as part of this transaction
Culliver requested purchase of three new pickup trucks for the Highway Department at a cost of $44,700 each The existing pickup trucks some as old as a 1998 model will also be sold The Commission
approved these purchases in its regular meeting following the work session
In the work session, the County Highway Department requested rental of a Track-hoe with a mulcher attachment for dealing with fallen trees along the roadways This equipment can be rented for $7 500 per month The engineer felt he could recover some of the cost by charging other municipalities for use of the equipment after storms He also anticipates lower cost for dumping of the mulched materials, which can be spread along the side of the road rather than finding a landfill for disposal of tree limbs The Track-hoe rental was also approved in the regular meeting
CFO Mac Underwood estimated that the total impact of the equipment purchases and sales would reduce the Bingo General
Fund resources from $1 9 to $1 6 million Commissioner Allen Turner pointed out that this arrangement could not continue forever without replenishing the reserve fund The Commission recognized Charlie Gomez, who was in the audience, to consider his request for changes in his contract to lease the old Greenetrack facilities Gomez requested a name change on the agreement for his corporation to Iron Wolf Media LLC He also requested some changes in the contract language to allow for sub-leasing In the regular meeting, the Commission agreed to the name change and authorized its attorney Mark Parnell to negotiate the language on subleases
See Commission, p 3
T his r ur al county hoped to r eopen its hospital. Voting for Tr ump killed it
By Staff of Daily Kos
Martin County, nestled in northeast North Carolina, had 24,500 residents in 2010 By 2020 that number had dropped to 22,000 Like much of rural America, its population is steadily declining
Politically it s followed a familiar trajectory President Barack Obama carried the county twice by 5 points In 2016 President Donald Trump edged out Hillary Clinton, 49 2% to 48 8% And by 2020, Trump’s margin grew to 52% to President Joe Biden s 47% Last year, he won it by 55% to Vice President Kamala Harris’
45%
Now the county faces a very different kind of loss: its only hospital shut down in August 2023 due to financial strain making the nearest emergency room 22 miles away a 30minute drive that, for some is fatal It’s even farther for more advanced medical services There were plans to reopen the hospital, but then Trump’s proposed cuts to Medicaid framed as a crackdown on fraud and waste” shattered that possibility According to The New York Times, the impacts are felt acutely by Martin County residents, more
than a quarter of whom are older than 65 The nearest hospital is in Greenville 40 minutes away Verna Marie Perry, 66, a former worker in the county s adult and aging services department, told the Times that she now fields calls from friends in medical crises Neighbors have called me crying moments after someone close to them died while being transported to the nearest hospital, she said It’s a tragic reality made worse by the fact that some residents still can’t or won t see the connection between their vote and the disaster now unfolding
Cathy Price 72 a lifelong Williamston resident and former nurse at the shuttered Martin General, told the Times that while she still backs Trump’s efforts to trim Medicaid, we re in a life-and-death crisis People’s lives are on the line because of the hospital not being here There it is: She voted to hurt other people, not herself And even now, she clings to the fantasy that all of that fraud and waste must be happening somewhere else See Rural Hospital, p 2
Suzette Powell announces candidacy for Eutaw City Council, District 5
I am Suzette Powell, a dedicated community member seeking to continue my position as the Eutaw City Council Member for District 5 With a strong commitment to improving the lives of those
in my community I stand ready to be a voice for the people of Eutaw as a whole not just District 5 My extensive involvement in various community organizations, my role as a mother, and my unwavering dedication to my faith and service make me an exemplary candidate for the position I am deeply rooted in my community through my active participation in several organizations I am a member of the Second Baptist Church where I have been involved in numerous church activities and programs, helping to foster a sense of unity and support among the congregation
My dedication to my faith is a driving force behind my commitment to service I am employed at the Greene County Jail Annex
As a member of the Greene County Civic Social Saving Club, I have taken part in various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for residents in Greene County
Additionally I am a member of the Classy Sisters Organization, a group that focuses on empowering women and promoting social and economic development
I am the proud mother of three children, a role that has deeply influenced my perspective and approach to community service My experiences as a mother has given me a unique insight into the challenges and needs of families in Eutaw, and I am dedicated to addressing these concerns through my work on the City Council In my bid for election as the Eutaw City Council Member for District 5, my vision for Eutaw includes: enhancing the quality of education in Eutaw by advocating for better funding for our schools, ensuring that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed
See Powell, p 9
Law Enfor cement r epor ts five ar r ests
Alabama Political Reporter On Thursday, Representative Shomari C Figures D-Alabama led a bipartisan effort with the Republican chairmen of the Committees on Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; and the Judiciary to introduce the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act to establish a national framework that stabilizes the use of student-athletes name, image, and likeness
See Shomari Figures, p 3
On July 9 2025 the Eutaw Police Department arrested Tequila Spence, of Hale County on warrants for theft of property 3rd degree On July 12, Wind Dell Graham, of Mississippi, was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest On July 9, 2025, the Greene County Sheriff Department arrested John Maddox 53 of Ralph AL for assault 1st degree He was released on a $10,000 bond On July 10, Farris Little 29 of Eutaw was arrested and ordered to serve 7 days for assault 3rd
degree Demarius Ward 25, of Boligee, was arrested on July 10 and ordered to serve 14 days for reckless endangerment
The Eutaw Police Department reported the following incidents
7/5 - Dav'Feshia Simmons reported an assault and criminal mischief 2nd degree
7/7 - Tykehia Allen reported burglary 3rd degree
7/7 - Corey Cockrell of Eutaw reported theft of property 4th degree
7/8 - The Bait Shop (cashier) of Eutaw reported a gas drive off
7/9 - Mary Hall reported harassing communications
7/11- Michael Gordon reported domestic violence assault 3rd degree
7/11 - Couple traveling through Eutaw reported a toddler running down the street by the hospital 7/11Mercedes Jordan reported burglary 3rd degree Greene County Sheriff Department reported the following incidents
7/7 - Walter Beck reported criminal mischief Item damaged is a 2017 Mazda 6 valued at $3 000
7/8 - Ali Albalakhi of Chevron, reported theft of
Rev William Barber
Rep Shomari Figures
Carol’s Notes
Me and Struggle
I woke up this morning just like I wake up most every morningin spite of myself.
I woke up this morning and there was struggle hovering over my bed waiting to shroud me in my day.
I woke up this morning and I said: Come on struggle, I know where you came from but you aint gonna have your way
I woke up this morning just like I wake up most every morninghaving a few words with God
I woke up this morning and I said: Lord, you sent me this struggle and you say it’s a gift, well, I’ll take it today Lord, Long as you remind struggle that I’m in charge.
So I woke up this morning happythat me and struggle got us another day
Carol Prejean Zippert
Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Williams M. Branch Courthouse Eutaw, AL 35462 Everyone is invited to join us for Praise, Music, Food and Fellowship
Sponsored by Alabama Civil Rights Freedom Movement, Inc Spiver W Gordon, President
--Community Calendar--
July 27- St Paul United Methodist Church will host Friends and Family Day at 2:00 p m Rev Samuel Ezell Pastor of Zion Brush Creek Eutaw AL and Friendship Baptist Church, Akron, AL along with his choirs and congregation is the special guest Rev LaTonya M Brown is church pastor The public is invited
July 27 - Join us at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church as we celebrate our 159th church anniversary
We are thrilled to welcome Rev Moses Finch, Pastor of Christian Light Cumberland Presbyterian Church as our guest speaker for this special occasion
The anniversary program will start at 1:30 p m We invite all members, friends, and the community to join us as we reflect on our rich history celebrate our present blessings and look forward to a bright future
Come and be a part of this joyous celebration! We look forward to seeing you there
August 4 thru 6- Zion Hill M B C of Pleasant Ridge AL cordially invites you and your church family to our annual revival service starting at 7:00 p m nightly
Monday: Rev Brian Croom (New Light, Clinton) Tuesday: Rev Michael Lavender (St John Clinton) Wednesday: Rev Kenneth Kirkland (New Bethay Aliceville)
Rev Kenneth Gilmore is church pastor All are welcome to come fellowship
August 9,- Missionary Gospel Singers will celebrate their 19th Choir Anniversary Saturday, August 9, 2025 at the Southside Church of God in Christ in Tuscalosa, Al, 6:30 p m Elder Ben Jackson Jr is church pastor Climax: Sunday August 10 2025 at Mt Zoar Missionary Baptist Church at 2:30
Rur al Hospital
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Don’t
Poetry
Reign of Ter r or
Bishop W illiam Barber’s Mor al Messa ge
by David W Marshall
(TriceEdneyWire com) -
The pain that millions of Americans will feel from the Republicans megabill is real It may take time for the reality and pain of the new domestic policy to hit but it will eventually come, and it will not be pleasant
Part of the current pain is knowing that the legislation could have been stopped during the Senate vote There was hope that Sen Lisa Murkowski (RAK) would have joined a handful of her fellow Republican colleagues who found reasons within themselves to vote against the so-called Big Beautiful Bill ” In turn she became the key undecided vote that allowed the controversial bill to clear the Senate after accepting a series of carveouts that would lighten the impact on her home state Sen Rand Paul (R-KY) opposed the legislation because it included an increase to the debt ceiling Sen Thom Tillis (R-N C ) objected to Medicaid cuts, saying that Trump is breaking his promise not to push people off the program
Sen Susan Collins (RMaine) voted against the bill despite the last-minute doubling of the fund to support rural hospitals to $50 billion All 47 Democrats or independents who caucus with the Democrats opposed the bill
The three GOP defections created a 50-50 deadlock resulting in Vice President Vance s tie-breaking vote Murkowski may have called herself making a bad bill better for her constituents with the carveouts and schemes but after casting the pivotal vote, she asked the Republicanled House not to pass the bill she had just voted for It was no surprise that Murkowski’s appeals were ignored without hesitation by House Republicans Despite the carve-outs, Alaskans will still be hurt by the bill Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association
President Jared Kosen says it s impossible to know how much of the $50 billion rural healthcare fund
Alaska will get Meanwhile, he expects approximately 34 000 Alaskans will lose Medicaid coverage Murkowski’s vote was not political; it was a moral
By Julianne Malveaux (TriceEdneyWire com) -
They came to MacArthur Park on horseback and in riot gear, their faces covered and their weapons out They were part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and the California National Guard They came with more than a dozen military vehicles as helicopters swarmed overhead They came heavily armed with rifles and other weapons They came clearly ready to rumble armed to excess Why?
Local Angelenos, who might ordinarily be hanging out selling food and toys or simply enjoying the day, were warned that immigration might be out
vote She previously admitted that in many parts of the country “there are Americans that are not going to be advantaged by the bill ” Despite her understanding and acknowledgement of the human toll, Murkowski simply did not have the moral courage to stand up for individuals in Alaska and nationwide who will lose their healthcare She had 34 000 reasons to vote against the bill: The 34 000 Alaskans and their families who are impacted by legislation that will slash Medicaid, food assistance, and public education while simultaneously giving tax breaks to some of the wealthiest Americans is what motivates and inspires Bishop William Barber s moral message against the immoral actions of those leading our government –including Murkowski’s immoral vote of conscience ” Bishop William Barber II is the co-chair of the revived Poor People s Campaign a national movement that challenges inequality through moral protest and policy change In this era when political leaders such as Murkowski often seem more interested in power than principle, Bishop Barber stands as a prophetic voice, calling Americans of all races and political persuasions to reclaim the nation s moral center Barber ’s battle is both a moral rebellion against Trump’s America and the entrenchment of inequality that has persisted throughout every previous administration His movement doesn’t simply resist a sitting president; it challenges the politics of division, intimidation and fear In Barber s view, Trump is not the disease; he is the symptom of a nation that never fully confronted its sins “When politicians and priests bless policies that hurt the poor,” Barber said, that s when the prophets have to rise ” For Barber, this is the prophet s role: to expose to indict and to force a moral reckoning in the public square By grounding resistance in both scripture and strategy the actions of his movement are shaped by a long tradition of religious protest in the U S Barber ’s strategy mirrors that of Martin Luther King: not to write legislation personally, but to focus enough attention on a moral crisis that the system must respond Barber ’s organizing is intentionally multiracial He reminds us that there are more poor white people in America than any other group, and policies that harm people experiencing poverty are not limited by race
Many are too fearful to go out but a summer day camp for children was operational Many of the young people attending the camp had parents who were working – camp was summer childcare Camp counselors took the children inside to shield them
from the chaos Still, many of the children were frightened A little girl, interviewed on CNN wept as she spoke of her fear and the fact that she hoped her mother would come home from work LA Mayor Karen Bass described the military action as outrageous an un-American Why did more than 90 heavily armed ICE officers carrying rifles and riding Humvees descend on urban MacArthur Park in an area that is heavily immigrant? This is nothing more than intimidation It is manifestation of the reign of terroir that the President has ushered in With no respect for the law and order than he so frequently touts, this impersonation of a human being has authorized a group of out of control zealots to inflict fear on an entire neighborhood It doesn’t matter whether residents are legal (which most are) or not These Gestapo-like law enforcement” officers can stop anyone who they suspect of being illegal If the person is not carrying the appropriate identification, they may be taken to a temporary holding facility You might be fingerprinted, interviewed, or detained Your belongings (including your telephone) may be confiscated You will be forced to prove that you are legal, guilty until proven innocent This is
fearful for both legal and illegal migrants, but it ought to be an occasion of fear for all of us Lots of Black folks could be mistaken as Latino and held Who really carries their passport with them? (I just put a picture of mine on my phone One can never be too careful)
We are living in a maniacal oligarchy where the whims of one man are dictating the ways that we live, especially in blue states like California The stunt of raiding MacArthur Park terrorizing children and flexing terrorist muscles circumvents the law
But then almost everything this administration has done, from firing federal workers and Biden appointees to playing with tariffs to criticizing the head of the Federal Reserve and pressuring him to quit, circumvents the law In the mind of this deranged Commander in Chief there is no law except his law, and while he makes it up as he moves along many of these moves are outlined in Project 2025 What is most outrageous is the differential application of law and the uneven compassion that is offered to victims of this nonsense More than a hundred people are dead and another 160 at least missing, including girls and their counselors who attended “Camp Mystic at
the Guadalupe River The President has offered the appropriate condolences and pledged support from FEMA to rebuild the area The media has talked about the missing little girls in ways that tug at the heartstrings All the condolences and support are appropriate But what about the little boys and girls who went to MacArthur Park for their summer camp? Is there support for them? And what about those affected by floods in Kentucky and Virginia who have not curried favor with this President Compassion should not be partisan Traumatized children regardless of race or immigrant status, must be managed compassionately In a reign of terror though some children are to be cherished and other to be terrorized The armed raid of MacArther Park, which yielded not a single arrest was a nothing more than intimidation Kudos to Mayor Bass and Governor Gavin Newsome for resisting this nonsense Caution to all of us We are living in a reign of terror and the mentally impaired are now in charge of our country
Dr Julianne Malveaux is an economist author and educator She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina
Rising water s will not dr own the American spirit
By Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire com)
On the Fourth of July
Donald Trump signed his “megabill ” The law boosts the dying fossil fuel industry with tens of billions of taxpayer dollars It invites an additional 470 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2035 – that s the equivalent annual emissions of more than 100 million gas-powered cars And it aims to stop dead in its tracks the clean energy transition and the green manufacturing jobs boom the Inflation Reduction Act was already starting to create
Just hours later a climate-fueled storm settled over and dumped four months’ worth of rain on Texas Hill Country The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet within 45 minutes The resulting flash floods killed at least 104 people – at the time of this writing although that number will go up – mostly in Kerr
The low points in our nation’s past often served as a catalyst for moral movements that pushed America toward a more perfect union Today, we are definitely at a low point in our nation and it is time to speak truth to power As part of Barber ’s Moral Monday movement on July 14, clergy, impacted people, and community leaders will visit U S Senate
County That death toll includes dozens of young girls attending the Camp Mystic youth camp
This disaster was not a random event It was a crisis written by the climate crisis and made far worse by the types of policies being pushed by this administration every day
Before the absurdly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act landed on Trump s desk his administration had already begun gutting America’s frontline defenses against climate disasters – like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s climate labs, the National Weather Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
As questions abound about why parts of the flood-impacted region did not receive adequate warning about the floods, Trump insisted that nobody expected it and it was a once in 100 years event
But storms like this as well as increased flooding from the Guadalupe River, were expected – and predicted The US Geological Survey – another vital body Trump is trying to eviscerate – issued a report to that effect in 2019 The science is clear: warmer air holds more moisture intensifying storms and accelerating flood risk We’re now witnessing the violent
offices across the Bible Belt states of the South (Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and North Carolina) The visits will serve as a sacred action which is a bold response to an immoral budget and unjust policies that harm the poor, women, children, and workers
proof of these predictions
According to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain, "this kind of record-shattering rain (caused by slow-moving torrential thunderstorms) event is *precisely* that which is increasing the fastest in [a] warming climate "
As for the one in 100 years claim, those oncein-a-century extreme weather events are now happening far more often thanks to the climate crisis! Between just 2015-2019, one St Louis suburb had three major floods and at least two of them were considered 1-in-100-year events
It is not hard to see how the climate crisis became a political debate Decades of anti-science propaganda from the coal, oil, and gas industries Politicians bought and paid for by fossil fuel oligarchs A current administration with a cabinet full of industry shills Big Oil alone spent a whopping $445 million through the 2024 election cycle to influence Trump and Congress A staggering figure to be sure, that does not include donations funneled through dark money groups (likely tens of millions of dollars more – at least) And it still falls short of the $1 billion Donald Trump asked the country's oil executives to kick in to his campaign --
The pain imposed on people experiencing poverty is very real, so too is the hypocrisy of lawmakers who have no shame when inflicting the pain on vulnerable people According to Barber and his movement House Speaker Johnson and his colleagues do not mind prayer that does not challenge their violent political actions, but they are afraid of praying peo-
an amount Trump insisted would be a deal for the industry because of what he was willing to give them
But it is high time that our leaders at every level and of every party stop kowtowing to a toxic and unnecessary industry built on death, illness, and poisoning our communities It is time they treat this crisis as a struggle for survival –a fight for the future our children deserve As the people of Texas grieve and the country grieves with them, their pain is our warning
We are at a crossroads: We can double down on denial and let superstorms, heatwaves droughts floods and fires determine our fate Or we can lead –with science resilience courage, and a recommitment to our values If we harness our outrage and come together to fight like hell for our collective future we will win Because when people stand up and demand a safe planet nothing – not even rising water – can drown the American spirit
Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania
ple who will also become acting people liberating people, and voting people who pray against their policies, thereby putting a light on their ugliness
David W Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization TRB: The Reconciled Body and author of the book “God Bless Our Divided America
Being Loving Champions for Justice
By Marian Wright Edelman
For people whose hearts are broken by seeing news of parents, families and children suffering anywhere, this has been a difficult week It was an ideal moment to be buoyed by hopeful news like the messages the King Center in Atlanta shared during their celebration of Be Love Day on July 9 as they invited people to pledge to Be Love every day in order to create and strengthen the beloved community Dr Martin Luther King, Jr envisioned
As part of the Be Love pledge says: I pledge to allow love to drive my thoughts, words, decisions and actions and honor the humanity of every individual I pledge to speak the truth to power in love I pledge to focus on defeating injustice and not destroying the person I pledge to support leaders who demonstrate a love for humanity I pledge to promote unity and refuse to perpetuate or magnify division I pledge to demonstrate a life of courage, care and compassion as I boldly confront anything that stands in opposition to love ”
This is a needed path Later this month, faith leaders and child advocates will gather at Children’s Defense Fund’s Haley Farm in Tennessee, CDF s own space for building beloved community for the 2025 HallProctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry Named for Rev Dr Prathia Hall and Rev Dr Samuel DeWitt Proctor this is a place where faith, action and joy come together to build a better world and an experience that helps participants continue the necessary hopeful, sacred work of pursuing justice and joy for all young people Ten years ago, the beloved late South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu sent attendees a video message with a timeless exhortation for this work: “Justice needs champions Good leaders with the ability to identify the challenges and the tenacity to address them Good leaders driven not by personal ambition, but by an innate desire to improve the circumstances of the human family and the human condition
Archbishop Tutu continued: “We inhabit a moral universe Goodness righteousness and fairness matter We are born to love all of us,
including Black Latino and White [children] and everyone else As members of the human family God s family we were created with equal, infinite worth for interdependence In conditions of harmony, equity, and common purpose the whole family thrives God does not use strongarmed tactics to ensure justice is done God empowers us to do the right thing It is up to us you and you, and you, and me
He then shared what he believed was God’s dream for all children: “And God says I have a dream I have a dream that all of my children will discover that they belong in one family my family, the human family a family in which there are no outsiders; all are held in the embrace of the one whose love will never let us go; the one who says that each one of us is of incredible worth, that each one of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God s hands And God says, there are no outsiders Black White red, yellow, short, tall, young, old, rich, poor, gay lesbian straight everyone All belong And God says I have only you to help me realize my dream Help me ”
It is still up to us to use our own hands to help realize this dream How long will it take? Dr King himself answered that question in a similar context: We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself a society that can live with its conscience I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment however frustrating the hour, it will not be long because ‘truth crushed to earth will rise again How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever How long? Not long because you shall reap what you sow’ How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice How long? Not long, even in this current moment as long as a critical mass among us remains determined to be love and be the partners and champions for justice that immigrant children, children experiencing poverty children of color, and all children young people and members of the human family need
Marian Wright Edelman is Founder and President Emerita of the Children's Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities For more information go to childrensdefense org Senate Sketches #1986.....by Hank Sander s Erasing History is Bad
Erasing history is bad for our future History is powerful True history tells us where we were True history informs us where we really are now True history points an informed way to the future Erasing history is bad for our future
True history is an investment that pays dividends in everything we do from the personal to family to organizations to institutions to communities to nations to a people, etc When we stand on our true history, we see farther and reach higher Erasing history is bad for our future
The United States of America is made up of many different peoples originating from many different countries In fact America is truly a country of immigrants Many arrived voluntarily Some arrived involuntarily Each arriving group has a history When we erase the history of any group we diminish the history of America The history of every group in the United States makes up the true American history Erasing history is bad for our future
One reason why the peoples coming to what became the United States of America could so easily displace and or kill so many native Americans is because they decided that Native Americans had no history worth anything That is why Native Americans, whose numbers were estimated at 10 million when European immigrants began to arrive in what became the United States of America, could be reduced to an estimated 3 3 million today even after population growth over the last 250 years Erasing history is bad for our future
If the group decides the culture of another group is not worth anything, it is easy for them to take the next step and decide their history is not worth anything If the culture and history are not worth anything then it is easy for them to decide that the people are not worth anything Erasing the history of a people too often leads to erasing the people Erasing history is bad for our future
Powerful Europeans decided that they needed a reliable work force to help develop the lands they had taken by force from Native Americans They tried to enslave Native Americans but that did not work well because Native Americans either died too quickly or escaped They tried using Europeans as indentured servants but that was ineffective Therefore, an alternative workforce was needed When Native Americans were no longer needed and indeed made it difficult for European Americans to spread westward, genocide masquerading as conquering the frontier, was employed Erasing history is bad for our future
Africans had a long and productive history with some of that history well known to Europeans Some scholars went to Africa to learn However, the need for the African workforce caused Europeans in what became the United States of America to erase that history They claimed the African culture was not worth anything and therefore their history did not exist A powerful history was summarily erased
That need for vast labor re-
sources and the erasing of a history allowed Europeans in the Americas to forcefully take millions of Africans from their homes, their families, their villages, their tribes, and their continent They were then transported thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean through the Middle Passage to North America and South America The Africans were greatly needed for the hard labor so genocide was not an alternative Erasing history is bad for our future
In Germany, Adolph Hitler and his minions decided that the Jewish history was destructive It was too hard to deny the Jewish history so the history was demonized This eventually led to incarceration of millions of human beings in Germany with twelve million being mass murdered, six million being Jews Too often we forget about the other six million, which included those with disabilities and captured soldiers and more It was massive genocide Erasing history is bad for our future
There are many other examples across the world, but we must consider the present There is a growing movement to erase the history of certain Americans There is an erasing of the history of African Americans For example the very efforts of African Americans fighting to preserve their history down through the years is being demonized Some powerful leaders are opposed to Black History month Some don’t want Juneteenth which commemorates and celebrates the end of slavery in this country When it comes to Juneteenth they say we have too many holidays They claim that African American history makes White American children feel uncomfortable They claim that African American history is unfair to American history They claim that African American History is not balanced However they forget much of American history has made African American children perpetually uncomfortable In fact, African American history only begins to balance a historically erased history Erasing history is bad for our future
The Trump Administration has moved to limit certain history illustrated in the National Museum of African American History and Culture The Trump Administration has moved to wipe out or reduce African American History reflected in the United States Armed Forces The Anti-Diversity Equity and Inclusion Movement is really about destroying the past present and ultimately the future of a people Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which powerful white supremacy forces call “DEI” because initials sound more mysterious and dangerous came about because the history of certain peoples were not included equitably and because certain people were not included equitably Now a growing movement to again erase history of certain people which, if we are not vigilant and determined, will lead to another erasure of certain peoples in these United States of America
We must realize that there is not the same need for
for
African Americans as there was during slavery and segregation AI makes immigrants less needed AI makes African Americans and other peoples of color less needed Erasing history is bad for our future Erasing history is clearly bad for the peoples whose history is being erased Erasing history is bad for the peoples doing the erasing because those who do not know the true history are doomed to repeat it Erasing history is bad for the entire United States of America because it prevents us from knowing how this country became the most powerful and desirable place to live in the world Erasing history also prevents the United States from continuing to maintain such a powerful status Erasing history is bad for our future
Now on to the Daily Diary
SATURDAY, July 3, 2025 – I handled many matters and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Faya Rose Toure of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Josephine Curtis and Marilyn Cosby of Selma; Dixie Bonner of Talladega; Elouise Robinson and Charles Sanders of Baldwin County; John Sanders of Los Angeles California; Azali Fortier of Spelman College; and Dr Fannie McKenzie of McDonald, Ga
SUNDAY – I walked, hosted the Sunday School Lesson with Dr Margaret Hardy on Facebook Live and Z105 3 FM Radio Station and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Sharon Wheeler of Montgomery; Ainka Sanders Jackson of the Selma Non-Violence Center and Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Amadi Sanders of Washington D C ; Wallace Community College Selma President Dr James Mitchell; Azali Fortier of Spelman College; and Josiah Jackson of Morehouse College
MONDAY – I handled many matters, participated in a ZOOM call and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Professor Emerita John Singler of New York City on his birthday; Jeremy Bryant of Birmingham; Karen Jackson and Junior Oliver of Selma; Dr Carol P Zippert of the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival; Montgomery Businessman Frank Jenkins; Former Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier; Gail Townes of Baton Rouge Louisiana; and Wallace Community College Selma President Dr James Mitchell
TUESDAY – I walked, handled many matters and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Lavern (Bonnie) Chism of West Blocton; Greene County School Superintendent Dr Corey Jones; Geraldine Wofford and Brenda Myles of Selma; Anthony Browder of Washington, D C ; Marilyn Cosby and Junior Oliver of Selma Alabama; Montgomery Businessman Frank Jenkins of Montgomery Alabama; and For-
mer Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier
WEDNESDAY – I handled many matters participated in meetings and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Former Alabama State Senate President Pro Tem Joe Fine; Elizabeth Rudledge and Jerry Hasberry of Selma; Retired Circuit Judge and Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice John England Jr ; Law Professor Kindaka Sanders; and Retired Circuit Judge John England, Jr ; Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton and John Teague, II of Montgomery on John Teague Sr ’s special date
THURSDAY – I walked handled various matters participated in a Conference call, traveled to Lowndes County and returned to Selma An electrical problem at my office prevented me from working into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Lowndes County School Superintendent Samita Jeter; Edward Dozier of Perry County; Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton; Former Alabama State Representative William (Noopie) Cosby; Lowndes County School Board President Steve Foster; Selma City Councilman Michael Johnson; Alabama New South Coalition State Coordinator Shelley Fearson; Sherrie Mitchell of Selma; Yvette Patterson of Lowndes County; and President of the Lowndes County Board of Education Steve Foster
FRIDAY – I handled many matters participated in a Zoom call and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Carlos Williams of Mobile; Cornelius Blanding of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund; Andrew Marks of Washington, D C ; Greg Francis of Orlando Florida; Shirley Sherrod of Albany Georgia; Betty Strong Boynton of Selma; Lelia Sanders Gordon of Watertown, Massachusetts; and Cornelius Blanding
EPILOGUE – History is powerful History is critical That is why every child in the United States of America learns about George Washington Thomas Jefferson and other historical figures and various events That is why certain Americans fight so hard to remember Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee and other leaders of the Confederacy and various events It is so sad that the same people who try to make certain that “their” history is preserved are so determined to erase the history of other peoples Erasing certain history is the beginning of erasing certain people Erasing history is bad for our future
