National Magazine
Dr. Steele National President
Convention Issue 2022
Mrs. Steele First Lady
Dr. Lafayette Chairman of the board
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VOTE WITH POWER The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has lived out the spirit of numerous civil rights leaders since its founding by educating communities on advocacy and civil rights, including the right to vote. Alabama Power is honored to partner with the SCLC to continue achieving social, political, and equal justice for all. We proudly support the SCLC 63rd national convention.
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Table of Contents 6
Dr. Charles Steele Presidents Corner
9 Dr. Bernard Lafayette Chairman’s Corner
12 Mrs. Steele
From The First Lady
15 African American & General Trauma
Dr. Jane L. Coleman
16 Roe v. Way
Rev. Adwoa Rey
19The Dream and the Hope of the Slave: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Michelle Simpson
28 Keeping History Intact Levon LeBan
32 SCLC’s First Lady Honored by Georgia Secretary of State Maynard Eaton
36 Inter-related
DeMark Liggins
ABOUT THE SCLC: Established in 1957, the SCLC, whose first president was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is an international organization made up of chapters and affiliates with programs that affect the lives of all Americans: north, south, east, and west. Its sphere of influence and interests have become international in scope because the human rights movement transcends national boundaries. For additional information about the SCLC, visit www.nationalsclc.org.
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NATIONAL EXECUTI V E OF F ICE R S
Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. President & CEO
Martin Luther King Jr. Founding President
Ralph D. Abernathy President 1968 - 1977
Fred L. Shuttlesworth President 2004
Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr Chairman
Joseph E. Lowery President 1977 - 1997
Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. President & CEO
Martin Luther King III President 1998 - 2003
Howard Creecy Jr. President 2011
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PRESI DENT’S CORNER
THE RIGHT TO VOTE…THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE! Join us for the 63rd Annual SCLC Convention! By Dr. Charles Steele Jr., SCLC National President & CEO
ATLANTA – As president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), I would like to welcome you to the 63rd Annual SCLC Hybrid Convention. We’re so excited about the opportunity to gradually move towards pre-covid style conventions with our hybrid model meeting schedule this year. Although most off the convention will be virtual, we will have an in-person prayer breakfast. The convention will begin with a prayer breakfast Thursday morning at Hillside International Truth Center in Atlanta, GA with all subsequent events being held virtually on the SCLC convention website (www. sclcconvention.com). We’re so excited to meet at the convention with so many distinguished and national and international leaders from around the globe. Each year that we host our annual convention is another year that hope springs eternal for the world. Our faith in God helps us regenerate a restored hope in humanity that the good in us all will outweigh the bad. At this year’s convention we have brought together like-minded individuals as we work to safeguard justice and equality for all God’s children all across the globe. With all Americans tired battered and bruised from the effects of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, I, Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), today call on each and every one of you to stand up and create change and leadership in your community for the good of mankind. Understand the power you hold in your voice, your actions and your leadership. I believe that God created each of us for a divine purpose of helping mankind in our very own way…big or small. We all bring value into this world. Let us not become complacent in our thinking. Let not the societal temptations of the world distract us from the very real issues that plague our country today. Poverty, violence, voting
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rights and racism (at its core) in this country is an issue that touches us all. You can choose to close your eyes to the issues or your can stand up for what’s right. SCLC has been sounding the alarm for years about the need to restore the 1965 Voting Rights Act which paved the way for freedom and justice around the world. SCLC, which has been on the frontline fighting for voting rights that led to historic 1965 Voting Right Act, will not sit idly by and allow this freedom to be taken from citizens. It is written down in history the accomplishments of SCLC and the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. The gutting of this right is personal. It has single handedly wiped away years of struggle, tears, sweat and blood. This very reason is why we have worked so hard to convene the SCLC 63rd convention because, hope is needed, strategy and planning and most importantly love is needed to continue the fight for justice and equality around the globe. This is what the SCLC conventions are about. We must come together to strategize and plan for a better tomorrow. Let’s not give up…let’s not give in…justice and equality will prevail in the end. We look forward to seeing you at the SCLC 63rd Annual Convention. Register today at www.sclcconvention.com.
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THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
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FROM TH E CH AI RMAN
Chairman’s Corner The Chairman’s Corner: Dr. Bernard Lafayette Day in Selma
Written by: Maynard Eaton Managing Editor
A Selma, Alabama street had already been named in his honor, but shortly thereafter on May 14th officials there also wanted to salute SCLC Chairman Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. for his historic contributions as the architect of the legendary Selma to Montgomery Movement. Following the ceremonies, we talked about it briefly in an interview that follows. Maynard Eaton: What was your reaction to this event? What did it mean to you? Dr. Bernard Lafayette: “It was somewhat of a surprise. I was totally engulfed in trying to think about such a great honor. And these are the people who live in Selma, grew up there and I knew them when they were just young children. To hear them talk about I had such an impact on their lives, and they felt that I made a difference. Some of them were elected officials. The mayor was 13 years old when (the Selma Movement) happened, and he is there looking at me and telling me I made them who they are. So, to have such an impact on persons who grew up during that period and were involved in the Selma Movement, it really made me feel a sense of worthwhileness. “All of these years – we are talking about back in the ‘60’s now – I did not get any special recognition because my mission was to evolve leadership that would make a difference and make changes that would were necessary; and teach people how to do that so everybody would be better off. We were not just trying to help Black folk. We wanted everybody to be able to change and not allow the racism that existed to make their lives miserable. “I had to think and wonder why in the course of that Movement that there were not any Black
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people killed in Selma, Alabama. I was trying to train them about to bring about changes with the least amount of violence. Now, there was violence, no question about it, I think we were just fortunate people were not killed. I was targeted for assassination at one point and managed to survive that on the same night Medgar Evers was killed in Jackson, Mississippi. The FBI told me it was a tri-state conspiracy. “Other than that people behaved in a nonviolent way and it helped to bring about nonviolent change. It turned out to not just be a local Movement in Selma, but it leaped into a national Movement that helped to bring about the Voter Rights Bill. ME: What do you think this Selma salute says to you and about you? BL: I was very much surprised that people were aware of what I did. There were a lot of people involved in the Selma Movement, but I was surprised that people recognized what I did and the way I did it. Basically, what I was doing was training leadership and that’s what we saw. There was very powerful leadership that came out of that. What now in the aftermath of Selma’s show of appreciation? What are your feelings now? BL: I appreciate it. It is something that is important to them to appreciate where they got their got their training and where they learned their skills. Remember it was just not skills of learning how to go register to vote, but how to make decisions and run their communities and participate in government. And, not just in Selma. These are elected officials for the entire state, and the United States. They understood the value that they received, but they are the ones who put it to work. They are the ones that went forth with the change that took place. ME: But the cradle, the birth, the embryo of the Selma Movement was under your leadership was it not? BL: Yes, that’s true. I will admit it. And I appreciate that they wanted to say thank you.
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Prevent Sex Trafficking
An iniiaave of the Southern Chrissan Leadership Conference SCLC developed as an educaaonal awareness project aimed at highlighhng the alarming growth of sex trafficking in our communiies. A pracccal guide of interaccve lessons designed to increase the sense of value and worth of girls 5-18 thereby reducing the risk of commerical sexual exploitaaon.
For more informaaon or to partner please email us at jussceforgirls@naaonalsclc.org SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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FROM THE FI RST L ADY
SCLC’s 63rd National Convention By Cathelean Steele, Founder, Justice for Girls, National SCLC Convention Chair
Greetings, it is convention time once again. Dr. Charles Steele Jr, President and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. Chairman of the Board of Directors have been busy this year with the political climate that has affected the voting rights of African Americans throughout these United States. This past year has also been a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr who was and still is a warrior for civil rights. We are elated to announce that on March 3, 2022 – Union Street in Selma, Alabama was renamed in honor of Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. COVID 19 prevented us, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and friends from our traditional in person conventions. We are flooding with enthusiasm because we will be able to see you, our supporters in person for the first time in two years. A heartfelt thank you to Bishop Dr. Jack L. Bomar and the staff at Hillside International Truth Center for allowing us to host our breakfast in the King Chapel. “The Right to Vote-The Fight for Justice “is our chosen theme representing the struggles facing African Americans voters since section four and section five of the Voting Right Act was overthrown by the Supreme Court in 2013. Section 4 and section 5 provided” federal oversight of election administration.” President Steele often reminds us that the fight for equality is a continuous battle. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is continuing the fight and honoring those brave warriors who continue to educate and inspire us to keep the torch of freedom burning. Women have always been a powerful engine of our fight for equality. The Women’s Empowerment Awards Ceremony will recognize a few of these great warriors. The theme “Women Blooming Where They are Planted. Making a Difference at Home and Abroad”. Thanks to our warriors for continuing to educate, inspire and dedicate your time to making this world a better place for the children of the future. I believe that we must never forget the women that support our warriors from behind the scenes. The staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) sends our love
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and appreciation to Mrs. Kate LaFayette for her years of support for Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. Lastly, I would like to conclude with these words of encouragement. In 1963 during the March on Washington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr spoke these words. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. Eleanor Roosevelt also left us with a quote that is meaningful today. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
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African Americans and Generational Trauma By: Jane L. Coleman, Ed.D., LPC-S, NCC, AADC, ICAADC, CCDP-D, ICCDP-D
The dictionary defines trauma as “a deeply distressing or disturbing experience.” When trauma is experienced at a young age, the person may not remember the events of the traumatic experience but will have reactions to reminders or triggers of the event unconsciously. Many times, when asked about their behavior, some people will respond with “I don’t know why I did/ said that!” Generational Trauma is where responses to trauma are passed down from generation to generation. Some examples of generational trauma are slavery, food insecurity, violence (experience or witnessed), abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, and verbal), neglect, and poverty. In my experience, we, as a people, tend to place traumatic events on the “back burner.” In my family, traumatic events of the past were not dwelled upon or talked about. Any attempt to talk about the event was met with resistance and reprimands that caused emotional insecurity surrounding thoughts and feelings. This caused confusion and feelings of inadequacy which were carried into adulthood. As a means of survival, my parents and grandparents treated trauma as if it was over and in the past and there was no need to talk about it. Responses to trauma include, but are not limited to, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Substance Misuse, and other mental health diagnoses. If left untreated, unhealthy coping strategies are passed on to future generations, unless the cycle is broken by deliberate decisions to seek assistance. There is a negative stigma to mental illness in our society, especially in the African American Community. In today’s environment of daily news of violence, suicide, crime, and abuse of our children and elderly, we must take responsibility for our mental health. There are many agencies and programs where the mission is to reduce the negative stigma of mental illness and educate communities about the facts about mental illness. By reducing this negative stigma,
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hopefully, people will feel more comfortable seeking help. There are many local, national, and international programs available to assist with locating mental health services. It is time to begin to heal! Some resources to access help: Call 911 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 nimh.nih.gov
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You good?
Reach out to a friend about their mental health. Find more ways to help at SeizeTheAwkward.org
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Roe v. Wade: Why We Care By: Rev. Adwoa Rey, President and CEO of Women of Praize and SCLC National Women’s Health Liaison For the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of representing SCLC as the National Liaison for Women’s Health at the Bans Off Our Bodies marches and rallies in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Adwoa Rey, Bans Off Our Bodies March in Washington, DC
Here, in the heart of our nation, I stood at the Washington Monument and near the Supreme Court and Capitol buildings with thousands of women and men from different races and ethnicities, sexual preferences, and social economic and religious backgrounds in a protest of the Supreme Court’s egregious assault on women’s health and reproductive rights.
Feelings of dismay, disbelief, and downright outrage filled the air as we lamented together in response to the Court’s expected and eventual ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion. As a student of political science, the significance of this moment in history is not lost on me. As a 41-year-old single black mother in America, these dangerous and uncertain times are all too familiar. In 1973, when the landmark Roe v. Wade decision was handed down, I was not yet born, but I benefited from the bodily autonomy it granted in reproductive matters. It troubles me to think that my kids won't enjoy the same freedom. The Christian story of redemption from humanity’s fall from grace is predicated on freedom of choice. The woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion is a sacred right, that must be extended to all and protected. For Black women in particular, the constitutional right to abortion is critical in a country that neither prioritizes nor adequately supports their health and well-being. The U.S. has the highest black maternal mortality rate among developing countries, and many black women lack quality and affordable healthcare for themselves and their families. Black mothers are less likely to have access to programs and services needed to raise their children in a safe and healthy environment. Black women are at a higher risk of sexual violence, which may result in unwanted pregnancies. For too long, America’s ostentatious melody has overshadowed its beautiful composition of freedom, justice, and equality. The Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional right to
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abortion further marginalizes women of color already on the fringes of society longing to be welcomed to the nation’s tapestry of citizenry. God is love. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, which is the second greatest commandment. One cannot refuse, limit, and remove the structures of love around mothers and children, yet profess to be pro-life. Failing to provide basic human needs of children and their families—like quality and affordable healthcare, education, livable housing, healthy food, and clean water and air—aborts “the least” and most vulnerable among us. We must continue to focus on building a community of love and support for all of God’s children regardless of their color, where they were born, how wealthy their parents are, or who they choose to be with. I am disheartened by the Supreme Court’s ruling to end the constitutional right to abortion. But I am not defeated. I have a renewed spirit for love and justice. I will fiercely advocate for the rights that I have as a woman and an American. The issue of reproductive rights is critical to the mission of both SCLC and Women of Praize. As an organization that provides spiritual support to women of color throughout our nation, we will continue to educate faith communities about women’s health. We will be holding panel discussions with SCLC and other partner organizations to educate people about reproductive rights. We will provide fact sheets for clergy to share with their congregations and toolkits to facilitate conversations with family and friends at the dinner table. Through our healing circles, we will support women of color as they feel the devastating and traumatic effects of the Supreme Court’s harmful decision. As I addressed the crowds at the recent marches and rallies, I thought about my children. I am doing my part to create a hopeful future for them. I thought about the many women, my sisters in Christ, who saw abortion as their only recourse, that no longer have that freedom. I carry their pain and grief on my shoulders. I thought about those who marched before me. The brave women and men who risked their lives to further the work of peace, justice, and equality for all. It is their faithful examples that give me hope at a time when options are few. I am proud to stand with the SCLC in this fight. Together, we will “Keep On Walking, Keep on Talking until we are Marching Into Freedom Land.
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On February 14, 1957 a group of pastors and leaders, gathered under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to form an organization to bring nonviolent direct action to empower and bring freedom to Black Americans under the umbrella of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
April 4, 1968, a tragic day, when an assassin’s bullet took the life of Dr. King. But it did not take the life out his movement, instead it provided the spark that brought light to his life’s work on nonviolent direct action and change.
The Love and Light Campaign supports the history, the work and the future of the SCLC. As you join, you help us continue to fulfill our mission of “Redeeming the Soul of America!”
Please head to http://nationalsclc.org/lal for more information
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The Dream and the Hope of the Slave: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson By: Michelle Simpson, Esq
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday, June 30, 2022 as the 116th justice, fittingly replacing Justice Stephen Breyer for whom she clerked a little over two decades ago. She is the first Black woman to have ever even been nominated. Her confirmation on April 7, 2022 was understandably a joyous day for many and included multiple celebrations throughout the nation, both planned and impromptu. As a daughter of parents who both attended segregated schools and graduated from HBCUs, she is a true embodiment of the memorable line from the late Maya Angelo’s poem “I Rise”: Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise. Justice Brown Jackson has a very diverse resume, more diverse than any current justice and among the most diverse of any justice in the 232 year history of the Court. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University and before attending Harvard Law School, she was a researcher and staff reporter for Time magazine. After graduating from HLS cum laude she was a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit before clerking for Justice Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. She spent time in private practice in Washington, DC and Boston, MA. She was an assistant federal public defending in DC for cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. She was also an assistant special counsel to the United States Sentencing Commission and eventually nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the vice chair. During her term as vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the guideline range for crack cocaine offenses was reduced retroactively. Justice Brown Jackson’s first judicial appointment was to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was nominated by President Obama in 2012 and
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United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
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confirmed in 2013. Justice Breyer swore her in. As a federal district court judge she wrote approximately 600 opinions, of which less than 2% were overturned. President Joe Biden nominated Justice Brown Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in 2021 and she was confirmed last June. As a district court judge and on the appeals court, she has made numerous rulings that were of significant importance regarding labor rights of union workers and administrative actions of the government. A well-known quote from one of her opinions, “presidents are not kings,” was found in a federal district court decision against the Trump administration when the then White House counsel would not comply with a legislative subpoena. Not only is Justice Brown Jackson the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and only the third Black person, she is the first public defender. Similar to our beloved Justice Thurgood Marshall, her representation of indigent defendants will most certainly provide a much needed perspective to a court with such a wide and lasting impact. Also comparable to the late Justice Marshall, Justice Brown Jackson was successful in obtaining exceptional rulings for her clients that were rare and hardfought. Her cases primarily involved appealing convictions, so her victories lead to shortening the length of or even erasing her clients’ prison terms. Civil Rights Organizations have long pushed for the White House to nominate judges with work experience in fields other than just prosecution and corporate law. “There is a direct line from my defender service to what I do on the bench, and I think it’s beneficial,” Justice Brown Jackson stated during her confirmation hearing. Despite this monumental appointment and all that there is to celebrate about it, we have to also consider the limitations of the impact of Justice Brown Jackson. Currently the Supreme Court has six justices nominated by Republican presidents and three justices nominated by Democrat presidents. Justice Brown Jackson will replace one of the three so the division will stay the same. Although the justices are free to vote in any way they see fit, and they have a life-time appointment to increase the chances that they will do so without any political pressure despite the party of the president who nominated them, the history of the Court proves that decisions made along party lines are more common than not. With several recent decisions leading to numerous protests that are expected to continue for an uncertain period of time into the future, the most notable being Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade, the impact of the division is even more obvious than it has been in recent memory. Justice
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Brown Jackson has a track record of being involved in much needed changes to the courts and organizations she has been apart of and at just over 50 years of age she hopefully has several decades of service to provide as a justice. However, until the Supreme Court is more balanced in terms of the voting proclivity of the justices serving on it, we most likely won’t see any immediate significant impact of her appointment. As a fellow Harvard Law School graduate and Black woman who practices law, I am most certainly filled with hope and pride to witness the representation Justice Brown Jackson’s appointment on the highest court in our country exemplifies. No race or gender is a monolith; however, we do possess many shared experiences based on how we are treated by others and what we contend with systemically because of our identifiable appearance. It only serves to make our nation better to have a federal supreme court look like our population. We still have a significant journey ahead of us to get to that point; but looking back to our enslaved ancestors, we have also come from a mighty long way. The poignant words of SCLC co-founder Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. must forever compel us forward, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
A Howard University and Harvard Law School graduate, Michelle Simpson, Esq. practices transactional law in Atlanta, GA. While others have hobbies that are fun and amusing, her hobbies include pushing for equality, equity and justice. Pray that she enjoys life a little more...but also VOTE!
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63rd Convention Award Presentations SCLC Living Legend Award | Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr. Chair, SCLC Board of Directors
SCLC President’s Award | Rev. Dr. E. Theophilus Caviness Senior Pastor, The Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church, Cleveland, OH
Presidential Award Presentations
SCLC Humanitarian Award | Dr. Joseph Lam Founder and President, World Children’s Fund
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SCLC MLK Dream Keeper’s Award| Ms. LaTosha Brown Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter
SCLC Living Legend Award |Dr. Ruth Naomi Barber King Founder, The A.D.King Foundation
SCLC Women’s Advocacy and Empowerment Award | Dr. Ruth Pauline Plummer CEO/ Founder Covenant Daughters International, Covenant Daughters Television Network | First Lady of Israel, COGIC
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SCLC Community Engagement Award| Elgintine Dudley Executive Director, Eleanor-Monroe Foundation
SCLC Youth Advocacy Award |Beth Bolden Educator, John Lewis Invictus Academy
SCLC Evelyn G. Lowery Award| SCLC W.O.M.E.N., Inc. Linda Williams Executive Director
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SCLC Media and Government Relations Award | Brenda Lowery Senior Integrated Media Specialist, Political & Government Team Specialist, Urban One, Inc., Radio One Atlanta 2021 President’s Club Winne
SCLC Faithful Servant Award LaRita Reid, Special Events Coordinator, National SCLC
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SCLC’s First Lady Honored by Georgia Secretary of State By Maynard Eaton, Editor in Chief Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who has become a national news notable because he rejected former President Donald Trump’s demand to “find” 11,780 votes ahead of the infamous Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and has admitted Trump was “trying to intimidate me and cajole me into something” recently honored SCLC and the First Lady. It was an Outstanding Business Proclamation to Justice for Girls and Ms. Cathelean Steele. “I am honored by the recognition, but I don’t do the work for the recognition,” says Steele who launched Justice for Girls in 2012. “I do the work to make a difference.” And, she has done just that according to robust Georgia Politico J’Lyn Furby and others. “Cathelean Steele is the last remaining business person, wife, mother, sister, and daughter of the Civil Rights era. The honors that we presented to her were well past due. We as a community need to give her flowers now by honoring and supporting her legacies as a Pillar of the Civil Rights Era and founder of Justice for Girls,” opines Furby, Director of American Kinetics LLC, who presented her with the Georgia W.O.M.A.N of Triumph Award 2022 and the 8th Annual Georgia W.O.M.A.N Monthly Mixer’s National Small Business Week Conference and State Awards Luncheon. During Furby’s successful May 4th event First Lady Steele talked about the racism she has witnessed since childhood, and how her medical battles as three-time brain tumor survivor has yet to deter her from her true calling of teaching young girls about sex trafficking and self-protection so they will be prepared for world. That is her present passion and pursuit. “At this point in my life, I am happy that for several years now we have been working with an initiative I named Justice for Girls, and the purpose of that initiative is to educate our young girls on sex trafficking,” she tells this reporter. “That is so prevalent in this country and many of our girls do not know how easily they can be kidnapped or tricked or trafficked. And they are unaware how rampant it is around them and in their communities. So, we try to educate them.”
Cathelean Steele, SCLC First Lady and J’Lyn Furby, President, American Kinetics LLC
And her program goes beyond that to include college tours and hiking for young women among other activities. “For example, we did an Alabama tour one year that the girls loved,” she said. “We started out in Auburn, then Tuskegee, Alabama State, the University of Alabama, all the colleges in the state so they can get a feel for a college they
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might want to attend. Another thing we do is take them to museums, especially Black history museums. We just try to expose them as much as we can.” The First Lady spent 25 years as a former Alabama educator and is listed in a 1994 book of Who’s Who Among America’s Best Teachers, thus the classroom is an integral part of the programmatic thrust. “I let them express how they feel about life; what’s going on at home, and what they really want to achieve. So, to me sex trafficking prevention is not just about talking about sex trafficking. We give them examples of girls that have been sex trafficked, but it is also about exposing them to the world that is available to them. Justice for Girls is about teaching.” Says Ms. Furby about her honoree, “Ms. Steele is a physical embodiment of God’s plan for women. Mrs. Steele’s life of service and compassion are twined to Justice for Girls.” It is believed that Ms. Steele’s education efforts on behalf of young women, are in effect, a continuation of the Civil Rights Movement. “The Civil Rights Movement never ends because I am seeing things now that I would never have imagined when my parents had me to integrate the schools. You would think things that happened then would not happen now. Racism doesn’t really disappear. It is how we navigate through it, and around it because it is not going anywhere.” The ongoing political policymaking to debunk or dismiss CRT (critical race theory) or the intersection of race, society and law in the classroom is a disturbing phenomenon for Ms. Steele. “It is ridiculous, and we have to fight it,” she says. “How can you teach history if you are going to eliminate a whole part of history? That is selective teaching. You are not trying to make young students feel guilty. All you are trying to do is let them know this is what happened in that era and look where we are now. Are we going backward or forward? So many of us do not even know our own history.” Ms. Steele says being the First Lady of SCLC, “is an opportunity to teach.” She adds, “as long as I am here, I’m still a history teacher.”
Photos are courtesy of American Kinetics LLC /Photographer Faith Swift
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T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L B R O T H E R H O O D O F
TEAMSTERS SALUTES
THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE On the Occasion of Black History Month
JAMES P. HOFFA General President
KEN HALL General Secretary-Treasurer
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Patron Chapter Listings
The National Office of the SCLC wants to acknowledge and appreciate the support of our 63rd Convention Chapter Patrons Prince Georges County MD Josephine Mourning President Cobb County (GA) SCLC Dr. Ben Williams, President Tuscaloosa AL SCLC Rev. James Williams, President Cleveland OH Rev. E.T. Cavinesss President
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Dr. Charles Steele Jr. Saluted as a Civil Rights ‘Warrior’ By Maynard Eaton, Editor-in-Chief
At last, SCLC President & CEO Dr. Charles Steele Jr. is receiving his just due, national recognition and respect as a Civil Rights icon. At the 2022 Trumpet Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, for example, founder and civil rights icon Xernona Clayton honored Dr Steele with its coveted Warriors of Justice Award along with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder/President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Marc Morial, President/CEO of the National Urban League; and Derrick Johnson, President/CEO of the NAACP. That combo represents the jazz, if not the de facto Mount Rushmore of today’s seasoned Civil Rights Movement leadership. “I felt very elated that the four of us agreed that we should be there because we showed up,” he tells this reporter. “The mere iconic fact of not only us as individuals, but what each organization represented, and it is all in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He brought all of us together through his spirit. Xernona Clayton is a representative of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So, to bring those four entities together is the spirit of Dr. King. He will never die.” The Warriors of Justice Award honors those institutions (and their leaders) who have been on the front lines fighting for social, political, legal, educational, and economic equality of rights for people of color. “By us being there and accepting our individual awards demonstrates there is a possibility for unity within the African American Civil Rights Movement, as well as the race, and the cohesiveness of all ethnicities,” Dr. Steele opines. It additionally suggests that Steele has secured a lofty status in the civil rights community because of his hard-earned credibility. “Dr. Charles Steele is one of the last legends from the modern day Civil & Human Rights
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Movement that remains true to the cause of equality and equity,” says Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, Pastor Emeritus of Atlanta’s Providence Missionary Baptist Church. “He continues to exemplify what it means to be undeterred by political harassment and being bought off by numerous opposing forces. Dr. Steele, in the tradition of SCLC, continues to make this organization one of the premier front line groups ‘speaking the unadulterated truth to the powerful.’ As a veteran civil rights servant, I am proud to follow and work with Dr. Steele on whatever cause that he deems appropriate to uplifting our communities.” Dr. Steele admits and laments that praise and platitudes of that sort for his civil rights work and international prominence have often been slow in coming. The 76-year-old Alabama native will have been married to Cathelean Steele 45 years come September 3rd, and they have been inseparable in marriage and mission. “She’s been there with me every step of the way” he says. “It is our life’s work, and we are proud of the fact that we are getting recognized for it. Many times, we do not get recognized for it. But we show up anyway and be in the back of the room when we feel like we should be in the front of the room. We don’t make a scene or create a confrontational moment; we just want to be included out of respectability and honor for the work that we have done.” Throughout SCLC’s 65-year history, there have been notable duos at the helm. There has been Martin and Coretta King, Ralph and Juanita Abernathy, Joseph, and Evelyn Lowery. Now SCLC’s twin leadership rests with First Lady Steele alongside our President/CEO Dr. Charles Steele Jr. “I studied them. They were an example for me,” he admits. “I was around Dr. Joseph Lowery and Mrs. Lowery. That is the key to the success, not only of the Civil Rights Movement, but those who anticipate being successful in any professional pursuit. You need to have a united front in terms of a marriage. You cannot do it without a marriage. How can I trust you if you do not trust someone to be married to?” Steele continues, “My wife, like Coretta was to Martin, brings about a lot of my influence. She and I always have our private meetings – in the bed, in the car, traveling abroad on the airplane. What else can you ask for from God other than to have a mate that has a vision like you and enhances what you do.” This 63rd Annual Convention of the National SCLC has been titled: The Right to Vote; The Fight for Justice. What does that say and mean to you, he was asked? “It means that we have gone full circle in ‘The Movement’ but we have gone asleep at the wheel,” Dr. Steele concludes. “People do not realize generally, but we do as civil rights leaders, that as soon as you make an advancement there is always a campaign to take away whatever you have accomplished and gained. We went to sleep when we elected President Barack Obama. We went to sleep at the wheel. Politics has never freed the oppressed; the oppressed must free politics. We need a new Emancipation Proclamation. President Joe Biden could do a new Emancipation Proclamation through an Executive Order, and I challenge him to do that. Because we have lost 60 years of progress through politics. The enemy wants to erode and take away all our successes.
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“If you want to run for elective office, I can assure you will not get elected if you tell voters you are going to help poor folks. That is systemic racism, and systemic economic injustice.” Dr. Steele is also challenging Black America’s leadership to reassert itself to help stem the disturbing and devastating wave of gun violence and political divisiveness. “I feel that we - including myself, my generation and the generation before me - flunked our young people in terms of passing the baton of history,” he laments. “And the historicity is not in our schools. There is a movement, as you know, who refuse to accept the fact that we should be taught our history in the public schools. That is part of the problem for our people, particularly teenagers and young adults, who are involved in this violence. “They don’t know our history to the umpt degree, let alone CRT – Critical Race Theory,” he adds. It is a double whammy for us. The opposition to this should be called the enemy. Whoever refuses to let you know your history, in terms of African Americans and people of color, are not only oppositionists to what you are trying to convey to your people in the next generation and generations to come, they are enemies to truth. And we need to let that be known. The enemies of truth!”
We Join SCLC in Honoring the Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
www.southernglazers.com
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Interrelated: How International Issues Connect With Issues in America By: Dr. Steele, National President of the SCLC
“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be... This is the inter-related structure of reality.” Dr. King, Letter from the Birmingham Jail The current events of this May 2022 bring this quote to the forefront of my thoughts. There is a war raging in Ukraine, a heinous and racially motivated mass shooting of ten people in Buffalo, NY, followed by a sick and twisted mass shooting of elementary children in Uvalde, TX. This coming off the front of mind headlines of the killing of American citizens that are unarmed by policeman in their homes, during arrest and at traffic stops. Sadly, these events also are happening when economic pressures are devasting the American economy and particularly the Black community. Inflation, wages gaps, wealth gaps and housing inequities are out of control and crippling the fragile footing of our neighborhoods. In the midst, we are mindful that we bear the burden of leadership through these turbulent times. Though, the media may fascinate itself with talking points and bemoaning, those are not nearly enough to effect change. We must act strategically and with purpose. Two items that have been at the forefront of the activism of the SCLC has been our push to work with Mayors nationwide to bring aid to Ukraine and our continued effort to see a Black prime contractor for the national headquarters rebuild of the Sherwin-Williams in Cleveland, OH. On the surface, they are very unrelated to the realities of what many are talking about today. Yet, reflecting on the Dr. King’s words from the Birmingham Jail reminds us they have their common ground in a single garment of destiny.
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War, poverty, police killings are violence perpetrated on the marginalized by those in power. It is imperative that we all realize that violence, in all its forms, are at the root of virtually every issue we face globally. It is why as President/CEO along with our Chairman, Dr. Bernard LaFayette have traveled the globe teaching and institutionalizing the Kingian Nonviolence Philosophy. People are often amazed how a single training can be diverse and be so relevant in settings as varied as policy makers, politicians, schools and businesses. It is because if you attack the source of conflict in the world around you, you can begin to build a world that strives to have not just the lack of violence but the presence of peace. Humanitarian aid in crisis is always needed. As I worked with Pastor Slavik Radchuck and Mykola Polishchuk, president of the Red Cross in Ukraine, it shook and saddened me how devasting the war had been on the people of Ukraine, particularly the Christian community. They are in dire need of so many things that we take from granted. Water, blankets, food and medicine. Their stories led me to work with our SCLC Affiliate in Connecticut, under the leadership Pastor William McCluster and secure over $12 million in humanitarian aid working with several cities in the state of Connecticut to provide with necessities we enjoy in abundance here in the US, but are so needed in Ukraine. I was drawn as well, though, to the work we have been doing in Cleveland, OH. Though, the Black community has not been under military assault and warfare the need to rebuild that community is every bit as pressing. In Cleveland, I am convinced the resources are there to also infuse millions of dollars into the hands of Black contractors that have been consistently denied a seat at the table and when seated are exploited to take pennies on the dollar, when companies, who owners and stakeholders have always benefited from our inequitable capital system take the lions share of the wealth. I am drawn to wonder, how are we to rebuild Cleveland the same way that so many have poured resources into Ukraine? Among the more obvious answer has been to insist that a Black contractor be a prime contractor on a heavily subsidized, billion-dollar headquarters that is to sit in the heart of the city. Those funds need to be distributed among companies that reflect the city and those the city has overlooked. It is simple. Black communities need money to build the schools, housing and infrastructure in order to compete the same way the refugees need to rebuild their cities. These crises demonstrate the brilliance of Dr. King when he told us that all of our destinies are intertwined. It is inspiring me to continue to this fight and continue to remind all of us that what happens to one, happens to all.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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We Join the SCLC in Honoring the Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. May his dream become a reality for all people.
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We believe in equal opportunity for all regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, or ethnic background.
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Keeping History Intact By: Dr. Levon A. LeBan, President, SCLC New Orleans Chapter
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 As we travel throughout the region to present the history of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, New Orleans (LA) Chapter, and the impact of its leadership on the 1965 Voting Rights Act, we are finding that there is at best a “disconnect” of historical events or a widespread “miseducation” of young people. The concept of keeping history intact is becoming more elusive with time. Colonial or Eurocentric educational systems tend to promote one prospective of an event versus multi-cultural viewpoints. For example, the fourteen-day march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 lead by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy has been variously described as disruptive, invasive, intrusive, and even militant. Often, the goals, objectives, and outcomes of various events are not articulated. Recently, a parent group submitted an eleven-page complaint to the Tennessee Department of Education to remove parts of history being taught in classrooms because of the perceived “negative psychological effects…” on children. In general, the document list four points that appear to be against any historical event that might insinuate: “(1) White people are bad; (2) People of color are mistreated (by white people); (3) America is unjust; and (4) Police officers (and firemen) target people of color.” More specifically, the document sites the following “anchor texts” in violation to Tennessee State Code: “Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington by Frances E. Ruffin; Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story by Ruby Bridges; The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles; and Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh.” The document further asserts that “the narrow and slanted obsession on historical mistakes reveals a heavily biased agenda, one that makes children hate their country, each other, and/or themselves.” History is a review or presentation of the past which often has social consequences impacting future decisions and how we view the present. Notably, history has no color; it is neither black nor white, and history is only “critical [race theory]” when it omits factual information. The presentation of historical accounts is either complete or incomplete and an important part of who we are. Unfortunately, many receive an incomplete version of history which ultimately impacts one’s view of the past and often times their concept of things to come. To remove anything – any factual account of history, especially United States history diminishes all that Americans lived, fought, and died for. Depending on the event and when it is reviewed, history can be traumatic – possibly; controversial – often; provocative – perhaps even violent! 41 SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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But the history of the U.S. also illustrates determination; resilience; inspiration; adventure; flexibility; strength; romance; hope; union; justice; confidence; and an unquenchable desire to achieve. The goal, “…to form a more perfect Union…” Of course, this is a work in progress. Humbly submitted, what’s makes America great are three simple words, “We the People!” The trauma or struggle of history can be seen throughout U.S. history from the treatment of the indigenous Native American people; the peculiar institution of American slavery – a system where free people were made slaves, and so were their children, their children’s children, etc.; the Boston Massacre and Tea Party; from the Alamo to the Battle of San Jacinto; the Civil War – also known as the War Between the States; the Trail of Tears; the Spanish Flu Pandemic – where an estimated 50,000,000 died; WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan; the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the Holocaust; Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Segregation, and Integration; the Tuskegee Experiments; Church Bombings across the South; the War on Drugs; HIV/AIDS; Space Shuttle Challenger; 9/11, Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93; Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Corona Virus, SARS, and the COVID-19 Pandemic; and, the January 6th attack on democracy – to name a few! Stories of Ruby Bridges, Gail Etienne, Tessie Prevost, and Leona Tate desegregating public schools in Louisiana and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom seem pale in comparison to the above list. “The time is always right to do the right thing.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since Sumerian authors scribed on clay tablets some 5,000 years ago, history has chronicled people, events, and places. However, history is often recorded by those affiliated with the winning side of conflicts or fewer, those that survived battles. In this case, the winners or conquerors are placed in the center of the account as they narrate their version of what happened. This “version” or “his story” always favors the narrator’s point of view. A more inclusive view would be to place the event in the center of the narrative, then have all who were impacted by the event contribute. The history of the United States of America is not a buffet where you pick what you like and leave or discard the rest. Finally, it is disingenuous at best to base a complaint on false generalizations. Not all white people or all of any people are “bad;” not all people of color are mistreated by any group; America is not unjust, but from time to time some of its citizens are. Lastly, not all law enforcement officers nor do all firefighters target people of color – in fact, most have families and experience many of the same challenges as every other citizen. History is replete with events that may be considered traumatic, depending on the maturity level of the reader or listener. Perhaps it is not what is taught but when and how it is taught. Let’s keep our history intact!
Dr. Levon A. LeBan is the President of the New Orleans of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He also serves as the State Lead for Disaster Spiritual Care for the Louisiana Region of the Red Cross.
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Your work will shape the future. Ours will protect it. The SCLC is unwavering in its work to have a lasting, positive impact on our communities and the people who live here. Just like we’re committed to protecting them. protective.com
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STANDING STRONG WORKPLACE AND IN
NEVER ON THE SIDELINES
Latonya Crisp TonyIssue Utano SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Recording Sec’y President Convention 2022.indd 44
Richard Davis Sec’y Treasurer
Lynwood Whichard Administrative VP 7/5/22 7:56 PM
