SCLC National Magazine - Fall 2021 Issue

National Magazine

Dr. Charles Steele Jr Salutes Civil Rights Veteran

Tyrone Brooks

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect At ACS, we are exploring new and sustainable ways to advance our core value in our workplace and the chemistry enterprise.

acs.org/deir2021 SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Vol.50 / No. 5

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SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Table of Contents Columns: 06. The President's Corner 08. Message from the Chaiman 12. Message from the First Lady

06-00032 SCLC AD.indd 1

Features:

5/28/18 2:59 PM

15. Housing is a Civ il a nd Huma n R ight 19. Civil Rights Legend Tyrone Brooks & Maynard Eaton: One on One, Q&A 23. Our Blood Saves Lives 26. A Butterfly’s Journey - Naomi Ruth Barber King 31. Community, Culture, and Mental Health 35. What’s the Big Fuss About Critical Race Theory? **Cover Photo by Fa it h Sw if t

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 OFFICE 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

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Martin Luther King III President 1998 - 2003

Howard Creecy Jr. President 2011

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PRESI DENT’S CORNER

SCLC: From the STREETS to the SUITES…

By Dr. Charles Steele Jr., SCLC National President & CEO

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) has been focused on the evolution of the civil rights movement since 1957. Civil rights is a complexed movement in that it is everchanging in its approach to reaching the masses and helping people all over the world. SCLC has always understood that we can’t fix the world without addressing the issues in America. Although we attempt to do as much as we can, we are only as strong as our foundation.

Therefore, SCLC is continuing to do the maintenance necessary to ensure that we are strong and fit for future generations.

Contrary to what many might think, organizations like SCLC are imperative to our freedom today, tomorrow and forever. We want to be a glimmer of hope for all God’s children all over the world and it is imperative that we understand the foundation from which we build must remain strong. SCLC has to stay in the streets! It is the foot soldiers of SCLC that keep us visible in the streets all across this country. We must raise up a new generation of foot soldiers. These are the courageous people who are ensuring that we are getting people registered to vote, being a source of information for their community, training the community on the Kingian Non-violent Reconciliation and helping to ensure the SCLC is a resource and help to all around the country. This is our foundation.

Now, how do we go from the street to the suites? I’m glad you asked. We have to take that same enthusiasm to ensure equality and justice for all in the workplace as well. The “From the Streets to the Suites” initiative targets corporations. This initiative will look to help those who have been treated unfairly at their place of employment. We will focus on organizations that have been accused of racism and discrimination, especially companies that have been lauded as leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion.

It is written down in history the accomplishments of SCLC and the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. Lead by our co-founder Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr., SCLC was able to help bring

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about the 1965 Civil Rights Act. Of course, we have all witnessed most recently the Black Lives Matters’ demonstrations that focused much of its efforts on ending injustices in the streets as people all over the country protested police violence against people of color. This should never change and is always needed. Now, SCLC is taking from the streets to the suites. Not only must we fight injustices in the streets, but we must also fight injustices in the suites.

The SCLC’s “From the Streets to the Suites,” campaign is aimed at corporations because they hold the power to close many of the gaps between the races in America, including gaps in income, education, housing, healthcare and public safety. Justice in the streets is just as important as justice in the suite. Civil rights is ever-changing and we will continue to change with it every step of the way.

The SCLC has helped many employees and executives receive justice in the suites of corporate America. Our most recent move for justice happens to be at the suite of SherwinWilliams, one of the largest paint companies in the world. Sherwin-Williams has been noted and recognized for being committed to diversity. However, we must not assume that because a company has accolades that they are exempt from their commitment to a diverse workforce and equality in the workplace. In a 2020 Field Report of the Business Forward Foundation, Sherwin-Williams said, “We condemn the recent tragedies in the U.S. which illustrate the terrible consequences of racism, discrimination and injustice. We believe the most impactful actions we can take at this time are to continue building on our strong culture of conscious inclusion through our ongoing commitment to attract, develop and engage our diverse workforce.”

Ironically, the corporation’s reputation and track record have come under siege as it prepares to build its new corporate headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio and a research facility in a nearby community that will exceed the cost of $600 million.

Officials of The Black Contractions Group have accused Sherwin-Williams of failing to fulfill promises to select a Black-owned firm as one of the lead companies participating in the massive projects, which is receiving more than $300 million in city, county, state and federal funding. Sherwin-Williams’ failure to include a Black-owned firm, in a city that is nearly 51 percent Black, has prompted community organizations to call on the company to name a Black-owned firm, including the Cleveland Clergy Association, which is chaired by Rev. Dr. E. T. Calviness. Dr. Calviness is also president of the SCLC’s Cleveland Chapter, and he has requested that the SCLC’s national office lend its support and influence to help achieve fairness.

SCLC believes fairness can be achieved surrounding this project, because Sherwin-Williams has been a major stakeholder in Cleveland for nearly 155 years. Sherwin-Williams knows that Cleveland cannot grow unless businesses owned by people of all colors are at the table and playing a key role in the development of the city.

Justice and equality in the STREETS and the SUITES!

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FROM TH E CH AI RMAN

Chairman’s Corner

UNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY Calling on the Past for Methods of Strategic Activism

By Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr., SCLC Chairman Written by Davynn Brown

Civil Rights history was alive and well as I sat down with Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., a civil rights leader with a long history of dedication to activism. Dr. LaFayette was appointed National Program Administrator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and National Coordinator of the Poor Peoples’ Campaign by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He Co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee(SNCC) and directed the Alabama Voter Registration Project. In sum, Dr. LaFayette has spent his life crafting strategies for impactful activism.

As we began our conversation, Dr. LaFayette shared that a fellow Freedom Rider, Ernest ‘Rip’ Patton had recently passed. Dr. LaFayette was preparing to give a speech at the Homegoing Service of his long-time friend. Dr. LaFayette recounted Ernest Patton’s legacy as a Freedom Rider who was imprisoned in Mississippi. Although Patton was a lifelong activist, Dr. LaFayette most fondly remembered his talent as a singer and musician. Patton was 81, and Dr. LaFayette just celebrated his 81st birthday. These legends dedicated their lives to envisioning and orchestrating the movements that shaped the world that we grow and thrive in today. It fills me with joy to know that they have witnessed the fruit of their labor.

As younger generations continue the fight today for equal rights and justice worldwide, a social justice arch has been created. Dr. LaFayette shared some key gems that he learned from developing activism strategies during the Freedom Rides, Sit-Ins, and the Civil Rights Movement at large.

BUILD COALITIONSDr. LaFayette’s first piece of advice is to continue the use of coalitions. These are groups focused on one issue that form an umbrella under which multiple organizations with converging causes can come together. Dr. LaFayette recalls Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of coalitions, specifically for the March on Washington. “Building coalitions was one of the most important things that King did and something that made him different. The March on Washington brought together leaders from different groups. Everyone had their own causes as an organization, but they didn’t necessarily come together. Dr. King felt like you didn’t have to agree on everything, but if you found those things that you do agree on you should come together and show the unity.” Dr. LaFayette explained that Dr. King

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also helped bring churches of different denominations together. “If one church had a mass meeting that focused on a specific topic and subject then people from the community and other churches would just come together to support their efforts.”

Dr. LaFayette described some of the Coalitions that were formed during the Civil Rights Movement such as the Montgomery Improvement Association(MIA), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Dr. LaFayette told the story of the formation of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. “The Birmingham NAACP was banned from operating by the state because the government had asked for the NAACP to turn over their contribution lists, mainly to identify white supporters, and the NAACP refused. Once the Birmingham NAACP was investigated, they were branded as a foreign corporation that was supported by communists and outlawed in the state of Alabama. Dr. King was in support of the Birmingham Movement and NAACP. As a solution, the Birmingham chapter of the SCLC decided they would form a statewide chapter that would include those who had been a part of the NAACP. They named this the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. They included the word ‘Christian’ in the title of the movement because it made it difficult for the government to say that they were communist.”

MUSIC AND SPIRITDr. LaFayette’s second piece of advice is to embrace the power of music as a tool of resistance and protest. Music was a huge part of the Civil Rights Movement’s Marches and Protest. Patton would often sing while he was imprisoned as a Freedom Rider. Dr. LaFayette recalled, “During gatherings Dr. King provided the opportunity for groups such as the Freedom Singers to sing. Music was very important to uniting people. The words of the songs articulated their views and concerns. Music is part of the movement. Music is the movement!”

Dr. LaFayette recalled songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and “Paul and Silas Bound in Jail” that were sung across the nation as people fought for their rights. People would take songs from different churches and change the words. Dr. LaFayette sang “Paul and Silas bound in jail ain’t got no money for to go their bail.” Protesters applied the lyrics to the movement to show how they were arrested and many times they did not have bail. However, even with these troubles, they insisted that jail should not stop the movement.

SUSTAINABILITY: Dr. LaFayette’s third piece of advice is to craft a strategy that is sustainable and can be adjusted as needs arise. Dr. LaFayette discussed how the movement changed and shifted to meet the unexpected challenges that they faced. In specific, Dr. LaFayette recalled the everadapting strategy of the Freedom Rides. Dr. LaFayette described the goal of the Freedom Rides as “a way to make people aware of the discriminatory practices in the various states.” According to Dr. LaFayette there was an opportunity after the Supreme Court handed down a decision that desegregated the Montgomery buses. Dr. LaFayette explained,” The irony was that while they arrested people because the Greyhound buses and the bus stations were segregated, the people who lived in Montgomery could ride on an integrated local bus to get to the segregated Greyhound bus.” According to Dr. LaFayette a large part of the strategy of the Freedom Riders was to stop in the cities and inspire the local people to take action against segregation. In Montgomery the first group of Freedom

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Riders from Birmingham did not go into the bus station, they were instead picked up by people from the local churches and taken to protests and rallies where they could spread the message and get to know the local people.

According to Dr. LaFayette, “The original destination of the Freedom Rides out of D.C. was New Orleans, but when they were stopped and arrested in Mississippi it was decided that Jackson, Mississippi would be the new destination.” He then explained how the leaders created timelines that would maximize their impact in Jackson and allow the Freedom Riders and Supporters minimal disruption to their lives. Dr. LaFayette explained, “In Jackson the policy was that if you were arrested, you could stay in jail for 40 days before you put up your bond. If you did not put up your bond by then you had to serve out the entire term that you had been charged for. The Freedom Rider’s strategy changed to take advantage of these laws. People rode the bus and planned to stay in jail for 39 days until they used up their appeal period. The riders could plan ahead because they knew how long they would be in jail. Many would take advantage of their vacation time from school and work. People from nearly 11 different countries came down to do the Freedom Rides because there was a pattern and strategy so they knew what to expect.” Dr. LaFayette explained that the leaders who helped put on the Freedom Rides used students who had time after they finished their exams. Dr. LaFayette jokingly recalled, “The students would go on the Freedom Rides and stay for the summer. It worked out because they didn’t have to pay for food and housing.”

Dr. LaFayette believes that current and future generations should ask themselves, “How can we establish our protests in a way that makes it a pattern?” Dr. LaFayette boldly proclaims, “The response to your direct action should be predictable.”

As the fight for justice continues around the world each generation crafts new ways of strategizing and mobilizing. The rise of the internet, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle poses its own unique challenges for this generation, but this conversation with Dr. LaFayette reminds me that although the world continues to change the crux of activism remains the same. No matter where we are in the world or what issue we face we must find ways to unify and amplify our voices, and we must develop resistance strategies that are resilient enough to withstand pushback and the test of time. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. has crafted a legacy that will live on forever. It is my hope that his advice and mentorship can help the social justice warriors of today to craft a lasting legacy of their own.

He ended the conversation with this note of wisdom “Training in Kingian Nonviolence lays the foundation for the strategies for change. Institutionalizing nonviolence is essential for long lasting movement!”

Dr. LaFayette is a noted author and lecturer. His autobiography, In Peace and Freedom is available on multiple platforms, including the National SCLC merchandise store at www.nationalsclc.org/merchandise

Davynn Brown is currently a third-year law student at Georgia State University College of Law. She is acting VP of the Black Law Students Association, and has a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies from Yale University. Davynn has a passion for people and believes that she is the embodiment of her ancestors wildest dreams.

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FROM THE FI RST L ADY

The right of a woman to choose abortion or choose life for her unborn child

By Cathelean Steele, Founder, Justice for Girls

The Supreme Court allows a new Texas law that bans most abortions. The law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks – before some women know they are pregnant. This law goes further and allows private citizens to sue Texas abortion providers who violate the law. There are no exceptions in this law even in the case of rape or incest.

I am old enough to remember when pregnant women used clothes hangers and put their lives in the hands of unlicensed doctors. Therefore, I decided to interview a few women to get their perspective on this Texas law.

Interview #1 – “I cannot believe that in our progressive society the Supreme Court would allow the rights of women to be taken away. Row V. Wade was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive restrictions.”

Interview #2 – “The Republicans in Texas do not realize that women will find a way to abort an unwanted child even if it means going to another state or resorting to tactics of the pass.

Where there is a will there is a way. I also believe that the Due Process of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which provides a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a woman’s liberty to choose whether or not to have an abortion will stand.”

Interview#3 – “I have a question to the Republicans that passed this restrictive law. Who is going to provide for all of the unwanted babies? I don’t think that they thought about the financial burden that will be placed on the welfare system.”

The question asked during my third interview caused me to pause and think - who is going to provide for all of the unwanted babies. This question led me to research the number of abortions in Texas in 2020. I found that Texas facilities performed about 54,000 abortions

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in 2020. I myself began to wonder how the state was going to enforce this very restrictive law. The key to the enforcement of this law relies on the citizens of Texas suing abortion providers over alleged violations. The person bringing the lawsuit is entitled to at least $10,000 in damages if prevail in court. Furthermore, Texas Right to Life, the largest antiabortion group in Texas launched a website to receive tips about suspected violations. The Texas Right to Life group has attorneys ready to bring lawsuits.

Steven Schwinn, constitutional law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago stated “the Supreme Court has given other states a roadmap for circumscribing Roe vs Wade.” On a more positive note - Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said that the Justice Department would continue to protect women who seek an abortion in Texas. The Freedom of Access to clinic Entrances Act, or FACE, is a 1994 federal law that guarantees access to entrances of clinics that offer reproductive health services, including those that offer abortions. Under this law, it is illegal to threaten, obstruct or injure a person seeking access to such a clinic or to damage the clinic’s property, punishable by a fine or imprisonment. Research shows that in Arkansas, Republican state Senator Jason Rapert tweeted that he planned to file legislation mirroring Texas’ law for the Legislature to take up when it reconvenes this fall. In Mississippi, Republican state Senator Chris McDaniel said that he would “absolutely consider filing legislation to match the Texas law.

When questioned about the Texas Law, President Biden commented to Politics that “restrictive Texas abortion law is “almost un-American, creates vigilante system.” President Biden we need you to become more vocal on this issue. Speak up and speak out for the rights of women. We in American have fought for the freedom of others for years. We spent twenty years in Afghanistan and part of that fight was to give women certain rights, such as the right to an education. Women in America should not have to win the same battle that we already won on January 22, 1973.

If this country allows a Texas law to take away the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion – what right will they take away next. There seems to be a new pattern forming in America. In 2013 in a 5-4 vote the Supreme Court gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Since then various states have added voter ID laws and restrictions aimed once again at the enfranchisement of African Americans. African Americans are once again fighting the battle to have the right to vote without having to deal with unnecessary restrictions. The right to choose to have an abortion has no color boundaries.

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes said it best, “wake up everybody the world won’t get no better if we just let it be.” Wake up everybody, we took a nap on progress while others were making plans to take away the rights we worked so long to earn.

Cathelean C. Steele

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SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Housing Is A Civil and Human Right

By H. Benjamin Ed. D, President, Cobb County Chapter of the SCLC

By Mr. Richard Pelligrino, Director of Field Operations, Cobb County Chapter of the SCLC

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization [WHO] declared COVID-19 a

global pandemic. Stated differently, respected scientists concluded that the virus has caused the death of over 4,571,410 people world-wide, while 647,000 occurred in the USA and in the state of Georgia more than 22,000 lives were lost to this phenomenon that experts inform usonlyhappens once every one thousand [1000] years. Mental and emotional illness and death were not the only consequences resulting from this rare and deadly horror. The pandemic has placed our fragile social system network in a deadly chokehold that if left unattended will wipe out many of the accomplishments that still stand as bed rock of the civil rights movement that fought for jobs, housing, education and hundreds of other pieces of legislation and policies supporting social justice for all. The pandemic has caused the separation of employees from their employers; the separation of parents and students from their teachers and their schools; and the separation of tenants from their landlords.

Regrettably, evictions have skyrocketed leading many observers to predict the coming of an epidemic owing to the large number of individuals and families who will be at best forced to be sheltered with family members or friends, and others who will use their automobiles, tents, blankets, cardboard boxes and/or caverns formed by traffic overpasses for shelter. The unsheltered who secure vouchers from local housing authorities are found unacceptable by an increasing number of land lords who also have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. Although funds are available to pay delinquent rents, the system is not efficiently operated and landlords who need the income they receive from their rental properties are caught in a bind and, like tenants, many of them suffer.

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Why Is this A Concern for SCLC? Equitable access to employment, housing and education illuminates the years of struggle in which the Southern Christian Leadership Conference [SCLC] has been involved for more than six decades. Access to housing is the linchpin that ties together the fruit derived from gainful employment and access to schools that work well for all students.

The Fair Housing Act of 1965 addressed the myriad obstacles that obstruct Black Indigenous People of Color [BIPOC] and poor people from access to housing that is affordable for purchase or rent. In 2018, Dr. Steele was invited to the Florida Panhandle to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael. Subsequent to his visit to the Panhandle, it is reported that he committed to use the SCLC brand and resources to help the victim of Michael’s rage overcome the damage done to their lives. His actions affirmed our commitment to all who are in need of housing. In the 2019 Summer Edition of the SCLC Magazine, Dr. Charles Steele offered an observation describing the plight of BIPOC and poor people: “For poor folks throughout the world, there is a daily storm for survival, and always another one of some sort on the way.”

Government agencies at all levels have intervened to delay the pending roll out of evictions put on hold owing to the pandemic caused by COVID-19. The interventions, although necessary, have been unpredictable, temporary and insufficient to assuage the mental and emotional effects on tenants and landlord.

Members in the Cobb County Chapter of SCLC are knowledgeable about our organization’s commitment to help ensure that access to affordable housing remains at the forefront of the work we are chartered to perform. Members of our chapter have been actively involved in researching sustainable solutions while employing the Kingian methodology to resolve conflict.

The Director of Field Operation and the President of the chapter have been directly involved in attempting to ameliorate the escalating conflict between landlords, BIPOC and poor people caused by housing instability resulting from both the pandemic and years of gentrification and the availability of affordable housing. We have helped form a diverse, bi-partisan coalition of change agents in the county whose focus is both the immediate and long-term prevention of evictions and homelessness through programs aimed at providing affordable housing. In the immediacy of the crisis, we have formed an alliance with We Thrive in Riverside Renters’ Association whose work as the county’s sole tenants’ rights organization has been recognized nationally by Oprah Winfrey. In that role, the Cobb SCLC Chapter has become the mediator when there is a dispute between tenants and landlords, mainly in apartment complexes, using the Kingian methodology to resolve those conflicts: first, ascertaining the facts, then arranging a meeting of all parties concerned to negotiate a resolution, and, if that doesn’t work or breaks down, engaging in a direct action to bring the matter to the public court of opinion and persuasion—always with the goal of resolution and reconciliation.

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We have had several wins in this regard, with zero “losses” thus far. For example, one apartment complex of over 600 residents, with a mixture of income based and market rate rental units, was recently sold and bought at auction by a Massachusetts based company, who discovered that several of the buildings were unsafe for tenants and needed emergency repairs which could not be completed while occupied. Since the other buildings were at capacity with no vacancies, they could not relocate the affected tenants on the property so they exercised a clause in the leases which said in the event of the need for emergency repairs, residents must vacate the premises in thirty days from such notice, which is untenable even in normal times. We were contacted by a We Thrive representative and tenants to intervene. We contacted the corporate office of the new owners of the property. They were so impressed that SCLC, a national civil rights organization was interested in assisting the parties find a mutually acceptable solution.

Their Chief Operations Officer flew down immediately and met with us, together with his local and regional staff---and provided guidance that resulted in the development of a plan to relocate the 27 families affected to other properties in the county. We brought the elected County Commissioner and local non-profit aid agencies who have received Covid-related rental assistance dollars, to the table and they all formed a working relationship to get this crisis resolved. News of that relative success has spread, by both the media and word of mouth, and tenants at other apartment complexes, including a brand new one for seniors, have contacted us to provide similar mediations. Although our efforts to mediate conflicts have been met with resistance by some property management or ownership companies, when they encounter our resolute steadfastness combined with our unbiased approach, in favor of both the tenants and landlords, issues have been resolved without the need to resort to direct action and confrontation.

Since the distribution of pandemic related rental assistance funds has been slow, we have lobbied for continued eviction moratoriums, both nationally and locally. Landlords would be made whole by those funds thereby de-escalating their sense of urgency to

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press for evictions of tenants awaiting the completion of a review process that often is stalled within the bureaucracy responsible for the timely distribution of funds to mitigate potential financial losses by landlords.

While working hard to help fix a broken system and reconcile conflict between tenants and landlords, we learned, to our dismay, that our own Georgia Association of Realtors (GAR) was one of the parties filing suit against the President’s and CDC temporary eviction moratorium. To address this unforeseen occurrence, we formed a partnership with the Housing Justice League and American Friends Service Committee after which we reached out to GAR to attempt to stop their action to sue for a number of reasons: [1] the law suit was a conflict of interest; and [2] the GAR By-laws requires the organization to represent landlords and tenants as well as buyers and sellers of homes. Although their lawsuit eventually prevailed and the national moratorium has been lifted, we are still attempting to discuss with GAR what actions they will now take to help prevent evictions and advance affordable housing for all. In this regard, we are also lobbying our local elected leaders to enact a temporary local eviction moratorium and we remain committed to the Southern Christian Leadership’s belief that housing is a civil and human right.

Where Do We Go From Here?

In closing, we offer the following path forward toward solutions that will prove to be invaluable to our need to build a supply of affordable housing.

• Work to strengthen the role housing authorities play so they remain aligned with purposes for which they were established.

H. Benjamin Williams

• Advocate for a community outreach taskforce charged with sharing the responsibilities to inform, educate and advocate for equitable access to affordable housing.

• Amp up participation in local planning and zoning boards with the understanding that their decisions are made for future generations.

• Acquire and use your understanding of Executive Order #13985 AKA Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government

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Richard Pelligrino

Civil Rights Legend Tyrone Brooks & Maynard Eaton: One on One, Q&A By: Maynard Eaton, Editor in Chief SCLC Magazine

Tyrone Brooks can talk! And armed with a photographic memory, the wordsmith can regale, enthrall, and educate you spinning stories about the SCLC Civil Rights Movement and its colorful and charismatic former leadership.

Brooks, a former Georgia State Representative who was elected 18 times, is a riveting raconteur as you will read.

Maynard Eaton: The cover photo of this current SCLC National Magazine issue features you and President Charles Steele Jr. in front of the MLK Statue at the Georgia State Capital. “We collaborated to make it happen,” says Dr. Steele. Tyrone, what was your key role in making that statue a reality?

Tyrone Brooks: As a disciple of Dr. King, my job was to carry forth the legislation that would bring Dr. King’s statute to the state capitol. In December 2013, I pre-filed the legislation, and ironically that day, Martin Luther King III walked up to me at the front steps. I told him, I’m getting ready to introduce legislation that, if it ever passes, will bring a statue of your father and our leader to the grounds of this building. He looked at me and said “Really”?

The next week a reporter called and told me, “The governor is going to embrace your bill and he’s going to do it at Ebenezer Baptist Church on the MLK Holiday.” And the governor did. The legislation passed and Gov. Nathan Deal signed it in the Rotunda in May of 2014, and all of the SCLC family came. Right before then President Steele, Dr. Joseph Lowery, Rev. Albert Love, Rev. Samuel Mosteller, and all the great leaders had come to endorse the legislation under Dr. King’s portrait in the Capitol. So, that’s how it happened and, of course, the Capitol put Dr. King’s statute there in 2017.

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ME: What is the significance and lasting impact of that King Statute? What does it mean today and forever?

TB: It is absolutely appropriate, and most significant, to have him on the Capitol grounds of this state more than any other place in the world because he was born in Atlanta. His house where he was born on Auburn Avenue is just a few blocks from the State Capitol. The other thing that touches me deeply, Maynard, is that after the assassination of Dr. King and after we came back from Memphis, as we marched on April 9 from Ebenezer past the Capitol, Gov. Lester Maddox ordered all the State Troopers to turn their backs on us; turn your backs on Martin Luther King, Jr. He wouldn’t allow us to bring Dr. King’s body inside the Capitol to lie in state so people could view his body That’s why it is so important to me.

I told Hosea Williams that, ‘One day we’ve got to bring Dr. King back to the Capitol.’

So now he is standing on Martin Luther King Jr. and Capitol Avenue looking toward Ebenezer Baptist Church and Auburn Avenue. So, now he’s back, and he will stand there, as long as the Capitol Building stands there.

ME: Speaking of the late Rev. Hosea Williams, it certainly seemed to many observers, including myself, that you two enjoyed a special relationship and kinship?

TB: Maynard, he was my second father! Moses Brooks Jr. from Warrington, GA is my biological father, that’s on my birth certificate, but as far as the public is concerned, they think Hosea Williams is my daddy because Hosea would walk around telling people that I was his son. He told [iconic Atlanta radio disc jockey] ‘Alley Pat’ Patrick that one day and ‘Alley Pat’ got on a live radio show said, ‘Hosea Williams is here in the studio with his son, Tyrone Brooks’, and I replied, I am his son in The Movement. But Hosea wanted everyone to think I was his son. Even his wife Juanita Williams, who later assumed his seat in the Georgia state legislature, looked at me one day and asked, ‘Are you and Hosea related? You two have the same mannerisms, you both like the same foods. I said, Juanita, I’ve been around him too long!

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ME: Tyrone, looking back on your distinguished and multi-faceted career, should history remember you as politician or a civil rights leader and activist?

TB: DeMark Liggins, [SCLC’s Chief of Staff] said to me recently, ‘Tyrone, we’ve always viewed you as a civil rights warrior or a civil rights activist who just happened to be inside the body politic doing the civil rights work. We saw you going into politics at the State Capitol to carry on The Civil Rights Movement.’ I said, that’s exactly what [former SCLC President] Dr. Joseph Lowery used to say. That’s exactly what Dr. Ralph Abernathy and Rev. Joe Boone used to say. That’s what Hosea used to say. So, I want people to see me, Maynard, as a civil rights/human rights activist, and someone who is trying to fulfill the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and other SCLC leaders who have followed him; but I don’t want them to ever consider me a politician. They can call me a public servant because that is part of my civil rights work. I spent 35 years in the body politic as an elected official, but my love has always been The Civil Rights Movement.

ME: Something that puzzles, and often troubles me is that when it comes to the infamous crossing of The Edmund Pettis Bridge in 1965, why does history give John Lewis more credit than “your daddy” Hosea Williams?

TB: We let the media take that and spin it in a way that’s inaccurate. If the late Rev. C.T. Vivian was sitting here right now, he would say let me set the record straight. C.T. would say, it was Hosea Williams there representing SCLC, and representing Dr. King. He was Dr. King’s agent there that day.

So many SCLC members have asked the question of how John Lewis got from Lowndes County to Selma? On the last Saturday in June of 2010, John Lewis came to our Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials [GABEO] convention and he articulated how he got to the bridge. He said Hosea was the leader. He had been kicked out of SNCC by Stokely Carmichael and he just came up to be with Hosea. He said, Hosea invited him to go from Brown Chapel AME to the bridge. I give John Lewis credit for coming to Savannah to really explain how he got there to be with Hosea on Bloody Sunday.

I think John just let the media take that, and spin it, and it just got out of control. John was never untruthful about how he got there. He always gave Hosea credit.

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ME: Speaking of bridges, The Moore’s Ford Bridge civil rights crusade is dear to you.

Why is that so significant, why should people care, and why are you so devoted to it.

TB: On July 25, 1946, when the Malcolm’s and Dorsey’s were lynched and brutally attacked before they died. Ms. Dorsey was seven months pregnant, and they cut the baby out her womb. So, Robert Malcolm, Dorothy Malcolm – and we named the baby, Justice in 2008 – and then you have George Dorsey, a retired military veteran who fought all around the world for his U.S. Army and his wife Mae Murray Dorsey.

Dr. King was a 17-year-old student at Morehouse when the lynching’s occurred. He was outraged and began to write letters about lynching’s in America. He was on a crusade at Morehouse. Dr. King launched a movement as a student around the same time that Dr. Charles Steele, and I were being born.

Then Hosea assigned me to Monroe, Ga in January of 1968 to go meet the undertaker who had buried the victims. His name was Dan Young. The first thing he asked me was ‘who’s with you’? He said, ‘you can’t drive over her by yourself. You are in the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan.’ So, I got my warning from Dan Young about just how dangerous this project was.

We come to March 23, 1968, and we are in Macon, Ga. Dr. King, Dr. Abernathy, Hosea and all the great leaders are there promoting the Poor Peoples Campaign March to Washington.

We heard Dr. King make a promise to Mr. Dan Young as they’re getting ready to go back to Memphis to be with the sanitation workers on their second march.

Dr. King said, ‘Dan, when Ralph and I finish helping the sanitation workers in Memphis, we are coming to Monroe to help you.’ And he told Hosea Williams to assign some staff ‘to be working as we come in.’ Hosea chose Willie Bolden and me. We were sent to Monroe, and that’s where we were on the day Dr. King was assassinated, April 4, 1968.

Maynard, this was a project that was assigned to me, and I have no other choice but to carry it forth.

We have proven that the Malcolm’s and Dorsey’s were lynched because they dared to vote in 1946. We have proven the fact that Gov. Eugene Talmadge, U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell, and others were complicit in organizing the lynch mob.

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Our Blood Saves Lives

By Tiffany Taylor, Biomedical Communications Specialist American Red Cross

needs of patients with sickle cell each day.

Many may know someone who suffers from sickle cell disease. It is a condition that is not spoken of or rallied around as much as other diseases but has a massive effect on the Black community.

Sickle cell disease currently affects more than100,000 people in the U.S., most of whom are Black. This disease, which distorts soft and round red blood cells, causes patients extreme pain and sometimes cause life-threatening complications. While people may know little about sickle cell disease, it is critical that we raise greater awareness to help meet the immediate and ongoing

Patients with sickle cell enter hospitals every day enduring indescribable pain that requires various treatments to help them cope. In many cases, blood transfusions are necessary.

Compatible blood products donated from someone of the same blood type and race, or similar ethnicity offer patients with sickle cell the best chance for a smoother recovery process. Unfortunately, that compatible blood, at times, is not available when needed.

With a targeted focus, the American Red Cross has launched a national initiative to increase blood donations within the Black community to support patients with sickle cell. This effort is critical because studies show that while the majority of sickle cell patients are Black, only about 4% of the Red Cross blood donor base is Black.

The low number of blood donors who are Black can be attributed to a myriad of things including a lack of knowledge around the need, historical healthcare traumas, a

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lack of nearby blood drive opportunities and now, the pandemic. The Red Cross recognizes these various barriers and is working to provide solutions. In addition, the organization is collaborating with community-based partners to provide blood donation information and dispel myths around giving blood. These partners, who are immersed in their communities and committed to the well-being of them, are instrumental in the success of improving the lives of those suffering with sickle cell disease.

Safety, especially during these times, is a top priority for the Red Cross. To ensure the most comfortable donor experience, all blood drives have processes in place, including enhanced disinfection measures for all surfaces and equipment, and social distancing between donation beds, waiting and refreshment areas.

As you prepare to help save a life by donating blood, here are a few things you should know: 1.The blood donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour.

2.You will undergo a mini health screening where they will check your blood pressure and hemoglobin level.

3.Your blood will be sent to the lab for a few tests including infectious diseases, blood type and sickle cell trait testing.

Our blood saves lives. Patients depending on lifesaving blood transfusions need us. The Red Cross is committed to improving the health of our communities by ensuring all patients have access to compatible blood products whenever and wherever needed.

To learn more about sickle cell disease and the valuable role blood donors who are Black play in treatment, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood. There, you can schedule an appointment to give blood, sign up to host an in-person or virtual bl ood drive and make a lifesaving impact.

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

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A Butterfly’s Journey - Naomi Ruth Barber King

By Debbie Ellison, co-chair of the Education Committee of the Cherokee County NAACP and the Executive Director of Global Humanitarions Unite

Like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, Mrs. Naomi Ruth Barber King, after 45 years of silence since her husband’s death, emerged to share her husband’s legacy and her message of love, hope, and peace.

Mrs. King is the widow of Alfred Daniel (A.D.) Williams King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s brother. Like his older brother, A.D. was a respected leader of the Civil Rights Movement who stood by his brotherand strategized many of the marches.

Naomi Ruth Barber King

She is also the Founder and Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the A.D. King Foundation, a nonviolent conflict resolution entity that promotes youth empowerment development and nonviolent social change strategies as a way of life.

King has lived through much tragedy, the challenges of the Civil Rights Movement; the bombings of her home and church; the death of three children; and the murders of her husband, brotherin-law, and mother-in-law, yet she remains loving and hopeful.

Rev. Albert Paul Brinson, Civil Rights Movement leader and close family friend, says, “When you look at her, you see a person who has not only known tragedy, but she is a role model for standing tall and letting us see that with God’s help, we can come through all kinds of difficulty.”

Born in Dothan, Alabama, in 1931, she was an only child raised by her mother, Bessie Barber. She grew up and went to public schools in Atlanta.

Naomi and A.D. King’s Birmingham home after it was bombed.

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She met Rev. A.D. King when they were teenagers when she and her mother joined Ebenezer Baptist Church where Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. was the pastor. They were married in 1950 and had five children: Alveda C. King; Alfred D.W. King III (deceased); Esther Darlene King (deceased); Reverend Derek B. King, and Reverend Vernon King (deceased).

King has been called the “Butterfly Queen” since the day her daughter, Alveda, took her to Calloway Gardens and she entered the butterfly room. She says that when she held out her hand, butterflies lit in her hair, on her finger, and on her shoulder. “Butterflies give me such peace that I am peaceful regardless of whatever goes on. And somewhere in the mix, people just started calling me Butterfly Queen.”

Dr. Babs Onabanjo, President and CEO of the A.D. King Foundation, says “she exemplifies the attributes of what the butterfly means - calm, cool, collected, colorful, beautiful, and she loves people, especially children.

“She believes that the Civil Rights Movement is not in the past, but that we live it day by day.

And she promotes peace, harmony, and nonviolence. That is a way of life, that is who she is, and that is the legacy that I believe she wants to leave, that she has made a difference.”

She has wise words for future generations: “It’s up to you. You’re going to lead a good life or a bad life, what’s it going to be? So the decision is yours to make.”

King says, “Parents teach their children what they live by. Children are born innocently. You have to teach love. Shame on you for teaching hate.”

She has taught her children to love. Her daughter, Dr. Alveda King, activist, author, and former Georgia state representative, says, “My mother, Mrs. Naomi Ruth Barber King, is one of my greatest heroes. In 1950, she and my father, Rev. A.D. King, and my grandparents, Daddy King and Mama King, chose life for me, even in the face of abortion pressure. Today, my mother is still my hero. She has always been a wonderful wife and mother, servant of humanity, and civil rights advocate. I salute my mother, Mrs. Naomi Ruth Barber King.”

(Reference, 1 Timothy 5:9-10) During its metamorphosis, a butterfly will struggle to escape from its cocoon. The struggle is key to its development and freedom. The Civil Rights Movement too involved a struggle of a people fighting for freedom, justice, and equality. As leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and A.D. King were part of that struggle.

King says, “Having my beloved husband, Rev. A.D. King, in the Civil Rights Movement has been a lesson just to learn hateful things that people do, and to see the way that A.D. dealt with it nonviolently, and in the struggle, just to watch him in the midst of that.

“The two brothers were as close as breathing. A.D.’s role was to work with his brother Martin on whatever issues were at hand, and whatever Martin couldn’t do, he would turn over to A.D., and A.D., being an icon in his own right, would handle it nonviolently.”

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Statue of 3 Civil Rights Movement leaders in Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham, AL (Rev. John Thomas Porter, Nelson H. Smith, and Rev. Nelson H. Smith, and Rev. A.D. King Kneeling in Prayer)

On May 11, 1963, her house in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed twice. Right before the bombing, A.D. told her that it was too quiet in the house and they needed to leave.

“He took me by my hand and moved me away from the windows. What I did not know was when I saw a picture begin to crack, that was bomb number one, and I was told that it was the police who threw that bomb into the hedges. And by the time we got to the middle of the house, another bomb went off, and all of the front of the house was blown away.” The family escaped by exiting the back door and climbing over the fence into the street.

The home was designated part of the African American Civil Rights Network, which highlights people, places, and events associated with the African American Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

The church in Louisville where A.D. was pastor was also bombed.

King says she would like to leave a legacy of love, truth, dignity, and youth empowerment.

“Because I love children, and I hope that all of us would embrace love, give up those who are filled with hate, and that we would set good examples for our youth and just get it right and do right and please God. “I can’t think of anybody that I don’t like because when I look at you, the same God made everybody, but He made them in his image. So why would one think that they are better than the other one? Why are you going to get hung up on race?

On July 21, 1969, a year after Martin was assassinated, A.D. drowned in their home swimming pool. The family believes that he was murdered.

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

King is the recipient of many awards and the author of A.D. and M.L. King: Two Brothers Who Dared to Dream. She was a consulting producer of the documentary about her husband’s life, “A.D. King, Brother To The Dreamer.” She travels all over the world promoting youth/women empowerment and nonviolent social change strategies as a way of life.

As the butterfly alights on a flower, sucking its sweet nectar, inspiring us with its beauty and grace, so Naomi King inhales the sweet nectar of life, inspiring the world with her beauty, grace, and her story of struggle and hope.

“I think if we would just all work together,” she says, “and don’t turn on each other, but reach out and talk to each other, I think this would be a better world, and God would be pleased.”

For more information: www.adkingfoundation.com.

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On it.

Ending racial injustice requires all of us to work together and take real action.

What can you do to help?

Educate yourself about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist. Educate yourself

about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist.

Commit to actions that challenge injustice and make everyone feel like they belong, such as challenging biased or racist language when you hear it.

Vote in national and local elections to ensure your elected officials share your vision of public safety.

Donate to organizations, campaigns and initiatives who are committed to racial justice.

Let’s come together to take action against racism and fight for racial justice for the Black community.

Visit lovehasnolabels.com/fightforfreedom

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Community, Culture, and Mental Health

By Dr. Doris Vaughan

Mental health has become highlighted in the media as a topic of much discussion in the context of the Corona Virus global pandemic and the personal anxiety and depression struggles experienced by elite athletes during the Olympic games. The need to attend to mental health has become popular, as evidenced by the many therapy companies suddenly populating the landscape of healthcare. Despite its popularity, lack of access to mental health care parallels lack of access to medical care, economic resources, and civil rights for those members of society who are poor, disenfranchised, and labelled as minorities.

In light of this renewed interest in mental health, the definition of mental health has come under much scrutiny. The former perspectives of mental health included the absence of mental illness, as well as; the presence of positive emotional experiences towards life. Mental health is now viewed more wholistically with allowances for values, culture, and social background.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) mental health is “a state of wellbeing in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. A proposed more current definition of mental health published by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) purports that “mental health is a dynamic state of internal equilibrium which enables individuals to use their abilities in harmony with universal values of society…”

Every person knows someone who is coping with mental health challenges whether in response to the pandemic or a normal stressor that is part of the human condition. The lack of access to mental health care for all people presents an unaddressed ill of today’s society. African Americans and Indians, as well as other cultures, have a rich history of forced resilience and traditions that can diminish today’s negative-impacts of inequitable access to care.

African American culture has an aura of celebration even during the worst of times.

Historically, rituals and traditions were a staple in preserving mental health in African American communities. They persevered through gross and overt oppression, such as

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slavery. Present day insidious practices of racism and coping with the pandemic commands a return to the collectivistic and resilient spirit of our culture.

The continuance of mental health is becoming more and more challenging. This in part is attributed directly to the pandemic where our lifestyles have been altered, isolation is a safety measure, many lives have been loss, and our traditional practices around death, funerals, and bereavement are no longer possible.

A second barrier to mental health is living in a world of technology where community and human interaction is watered down to various virtual platforms for work, online religious services, healthcare, and socialization. Our normal ways of coping has failed for living with the stressors of modern society. The invention of the internet has created of culture of instant-gratification mentality, however; this way of thinking is in juxtaposition to mental health. Achieving and maintaining mental health is an ongoing journey throughout one’s lifetime. The separation between mental health and well-being and mental unwellness is perpetually one negative life experience away.

Losses are often the catalyst and tipping points for immersion into a mental health crisis or state of being mentally unwell. There is a heightened sensitivity to stressors resulting from the pandemic, leaving many people struggling with anxiety and depression with resultant isolation and hopelessness.

The loss of a loved is devastating for many during this pandemic. Other pandemicinspired losses that have a negative impact on mental health include socioeconomic factors, political issues, identity crises, health concerns, and so forth.

Though simplistic, coming together around community and culture remains vital to mental health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) instructs that “social connections might help protect health and lengthen life. Scientists are finding that our links to others can have powerful effects on our health – both emotionally and physically”.

Revisiting our forefathers cultural approach to life with an aura of celebration can bolster mental health and well-being. Mindfulness, meditation, prayer, and having gratitude are mentally healthy practices. Safely seek community by re-instituting cultural practices around food, music, and celebrations (adhering to COVID and standard precautions).

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Consider joining online support groups and social groups with others who have similar interests.

Educate, improvise, compromise, and creativity are tools our ancestors used for their mental health and survival. Educate oneself on emotions and emotional regulation for the achievement of mental health and wellbeing, despite circumstances. Lastly, encourage the services of a professional mental health provider or organization when deemed necessary.

All of life in interconnected and the realization of a more mentally healthy existence can be found in the interrelatedness of community, culture, and mental health. The creation of joy despite circumstances is a rich part of our heritage. African American’s cultural aura of celebration can be a conduit for the sustenance of mental health that helps to close the gap of lack of access.

At Novartis, we harness the innovation power of science to address some of society’s current and historically challenging healthcare issues and disparities.

Our researchers work to push the boundaries of science, broaden our understanding of diseases and develop novel products in areas of great unmet medical need. We are passionate about discovering new ways to extend and improve the lives of people across the globe.

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WHEN WILL THIS

exhaustion fade?

WE’RE WITH YOU

Get re-energized with things that bring joy— like art, cooking, exercise, or friends.

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

What’s the Big Fuss About Critical Race Theory?

Anthony S. Lewis, Ph. D

As school districts around the country begin another school year, the health and safety of staff and students are still top of mind as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times as a result of COVID-19 and the momentum-gaining Delta variant. As I look out my office window, I see onlookers in traffic yelling at the anti-mask protesters assembled near our school district sign. The ongoing debates of should kids be in school or not, should kids wear masks or not, and now, is Critical Race Theory (CRT) taught in schools have taken over the job responsibilities of school superintendents and school boards across the country. As a black male superintendent in a red state, I have to wonder, why is the latter receiving so much attention?

Critical Race Theory is not a new concept. It originated over four decades ago and attempts to explain why racial disparities exist in our country. CRT acknowledges that race is a social construct and argues we are not different species. CRT also attempts to understand the connections between race and social inequality, as there are inequalities in our country based on race. Some anti-CRT folks have connected diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, anti-racism, or anything related to race to the term “critical race theory”, and they simply do not want to acknowledge that racial inequalities exist.

As an educator, having worked in three school districts in three states, I have witnessed how the results of these inequalities play out in our school systems. Some would argue that some students simply do not work hard enough, do not apply themselves, are not as smart, or are naturally inferior. Many believe that achievement gap explanations are connected to external problems and are not the responsibility of educators. Some

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of these external factors expressed are that some children of color are genetically less intelligent, that the cultures of the children and parents do not value or support education, and that the child does not come to school ready to learn with skills and attitudes needed to succeed. Others agree or dispute the genetics argument that genetics is the cause of differences in educational achievement. The overwhelming, inarguable conclusion of thousands of scientists all over the world is that this belief is false.

In contrast, scholars of critical race theory would argue that our social systems have been designed in ways that unfairly disadvantage some groups and unfairly advantages others. For example, we try to refrain from terms like “achievement gap” as it unfairly places blame on kids.

This term also refers to the fact that the arbitrary circumstances in which people are born—such as their race, ethnicity, ZIP code, and socioeconomic status—determine their opportunities in life, rather than all people having the chance to achieve to the best of their potential. Instead, we use terms like “opportunity gap” as it draws attention to the conditions and obstacles that young students face throughout their educational careers. It therefore accurately places responsibility on an inequitable system that is not providing the opportunities for all kids to thrive and succeed.

Opportunity gap implies that, when given the resources and opportunities they deserve, all kids can achieve. And most importantly, it does not place responsibility on kids for systemic injustices (Mooney, 2018).

So, why is CRT a major topic today? As we begin to ponder this question, make no mistake, there is an organized movement to stop racial progress in our country. Think back to the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement began to gain momentum. We also cannot overlook the election of President Joe Biden and the historical day, January 6, 2021. Many witnessed before their very eyes the potential toppling of white supremacy in the south, a black preacher, Raphael Warnock, who pastors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s church in Atlanta and a Jewish man – Jon Ossoff was elected in the south, representing Old Dixie (Georgia). To have representation from two marginalized groups, ascend themselves to the helm of power was incomprehensible for some. Two Senate seats were acquired. While that was great progress and we were all very optimistic, we heard

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

rumors that former President Trump sends a white supremacist SOS to the proud boys to tell them to “stand back and to stand by” and the United States Capital building was attacked by rioters. We also cannot overlook the popularity of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project, spearheaded by New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, which centers the role of the institution of slavery in the formation of the United States. In education, this backlash has manifested in efforts to ban the teaching of anything related to race, racism, or any other social issues, which some folks have inaccurately lumped together under the banner of “critical race theory.” These efforts are happening at the local level as angry parents and community members flood school board meetings and at the state level where identical, Republican-sponsored bills are being proposed to ban the teaching of “critical race theory” in coordinated ways across the country (Griffin, 2021).

School systems should address this topic head-on. This is not a time for timid leadership if you are truly serious about transformational change. Our local school board recently (May 2021) passed an Equity Policy that states: Current and past federal, state, and local failures to act urgently in the pursuit of educational equity contribute to reduced access to academic opportunities, and disparities in graduation outcomes and disciplinary actions for students from historically marginalized communities.

To disrupt systemic racism and other forms of injustice that profoundly impact students’ current and future quality of life, the board commits to advancing educational equity by applying a systemic change framework to school governance and resource allocation. The board, district administrators, certified and classified staff will work together to aggressively and efficiently eliminate inequitable practices, systems, and structures that create advantages for some students and families while disadvantaging others. School employee behaviors shall contribute to a school district where students' educational outcomes cannot be predicted by race, socioeconomic status, and/or other historically marginalized identities; and where all students and staff are engaged in a positive and academically rigorous environment where educational equity is woven into every single department or division.

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As we continue this work, educators need to continue the messages that pre-date the CRT recent movement. As school systems, we are about serving all kids; giving them the tools to prepare them to live in a diverse world; ensuring every student is treated fairly; empowering all students to take action to make the world a better place; making sure all students see themselves and people like them reflected in what they learn at school; making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed; teaching our students accurate information about our history, and helping students learn about all kinds of people so that they can work and build connections with people from all over the world.

We have smart students who are critical thinkers who will one day become voters. Maybe this is what the anti-Critical Race Theory folks are worried about.

Mooney, T. (2018, May 11). Why We Say “Opportunity Gap” Instead of “Achievement Gap.” https://www.teachforamerica.org/one-day/top-issues/why-we-say-opportunity-gapinstead-of-achievement-gap.

Griffin, S. R. (2021, June 6). What do education leaders need to know about the critical race theory debate? https://www.justiceleaderscollaborative.com/.

Dr. Anthony Lewis is the Superintendent of Schools for the Lawrence Public Schools System in Lawrence, KS. In addition, he is the co-author of It Was A Dream: If You Can Dream It, You Can Make It Happen as well as the co-founder of TDI (Turning Dreams Into Realtes), Inc.

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

for some, feeling

LEFT OUT lasts more than a moment.

We can change that.

We’ve all had moments where we’ve felt we didn’t belong. But for people who moved to this country, that feeling lasts more than a moment. Together, we can build a better community.

Learn how at BelongingBeginsWithUs.org

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ATLANTA TECHNICAL COLLEGE is proud to be a 2021 supporter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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YouFirst SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

Like Rev. king and the SCLC, ALABAMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

we fight foR betteR futuReS foR aLL peopLe.

Design and layout by SdotArtists Management

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#Dadication

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue

fatherhood.gov

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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POWER THAT MOVES The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has lived out the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. since its founding by educating communities on advocacy, personal responsibility, civil rights, and liberty for all. As the energy industry continues to change, Alabama Power strives to create an inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We are committed to fostering an equitable environment in all areas of our company, from our leadership development programs to our charitable foundations. Alabama Power is honored to partner with SCLC to continue achieving social, political, and economic justice.

SCLC National Magazine/ Fall 2021 Issue