PRESI DENTS CORNER
PRESIDENTS CORNER
By Dr. Charles Steele Jr., SCLC National President & CEO I am rarely without words, speechless or floored. However, I am completely shocked at how the process of the 2020 election has played out. All of our hard work, all of the tears, the bloodshed and the marching to get us to the point where we can freely vote. Vote without guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar, but to stand in line proud and in awe of the sacrifice of our ancestors. We have sacrificed too much for a free America to let anyone take us back 250 years to Jim Crow.
“Becoming too comfortable always poses a risk. We have become too relaxed in electing officials to represent us.” Unfortunately, we have been witnessing our democracy and our right to vote as African Americans be challenged. However, my response is…NO, we shall not be moved. We must keep up the good fight, but there is much work to be done. Let’s be honest…we can never allow ourselves to get comfortable. Believing the days of Jim Crow and oppression were over caused us to be jolted back into reality. The reality is that racism is systemic. We never cut the root of racism in America. We merely cut the grass and added pretty flowers, but we never got rid of the weeds. Becoming too comfortable always poses a risk. We have become too relaxed in electing officials to represent us. We have become complacent in registering to vote and keeping up with current legislation. I have been speaking about the 1965 Voting Rights Act being in jeopardy for years and in 2013 the Supreme Court struck down section four of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court vote gutted the crucial part of the legislation that designates which part of the S C LC Nat ional Magaz ine / K I NG 2 02 1
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