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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. Vol.50 / No. 4
Table of Contents Columns: 04. The President's Corner
By Choice, We Fully Support Equal Opportunity for All People, Regardless of Race, Creed, Sex, Age, Sexual Orientation, Disability or Ethnic Background.
07. Message from the Chaiman 13. Message from the First Lady
Features: 12. SCLC Fights Corporate Racism 15. Traces of Elaine: An Unsung SCLC Legend 19. Braves’ Garr-Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic Is A Hit 23. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Meetings at the Penn Center in South Carolina 30. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poor People’s Campaign Still Alive 33. Charles Black, History in the Making 36. An inspiration to a nation. 40. Celebrating the Life of Mrs. Muriel Durley and Other Icons.
Editor-in-Chief:
Maynard Eaton is an eight-time EMMY Award winning news reporter, who is SCLC’s National Communications Director and Managing Editor of the SCLC National Magazine. Eaton is also the Executive Editor/host of SCLC-TV, Talk To ME, producer/broadcast talent at Atlanta Video Network, and News/Editorial Director at GlobalVisionLive360. He is also President of Eaton Media Group and a journalism professor at Clark Atlanta University. S C LC Nat ional Magaz ine / S pr ing 2 02 1 Is s u e
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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 3
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
PRESI DENT’S CORNER
RESTORE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT…NOW!
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By Dr. Charles Steele Jr., SCLC National President & CEO estore the Voting Rights Act…Now! I have been screaming this since 2013 when the Supreme Court struck down section four and section five of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court voted to take out the crucial part of the legislation that designates states to be pre-cleared before making any changes to districts with a history of racial discrimination. Section four and five was the heart of the Voting Rights Act, and it was gutted. When section four and five was gutted from the Voting Rights Act, that took away all of our rights for freedom. This particular section was the catalyst which led the way to all of our civil rights. This means we have gone back to state rights, which means states can return to their wrong doings of the past. Now let’s talk about Georgia…Republican law makers in Georgia are trying to enact new restrictions on voting access. This would essentially make it harder for African-American voters and people of color to vote.
No, no, no…not Jim Crow! Not this time, we’ve come too far to allow Jim Crow to stick its ugly head up. We will not sit back and allow the weed of destruction to destroy the lawn from which our ancestors have died to grow and protect. Our weed killer is faith, justice, peace and non-violent protesting. After we get rid of the weeds we then must apply a fertilizer called non-complacency. See, complacency will destroy everything you have accomplished. We must not become complacent or we will look up and have the weeds of Jim Crow taking over our lawn of hope, justice and peace. We cannot afford the clock to be turned back in terms of us being first class citizens. We deserve to continue to be protected by the federal government like we have been for almost 50 years. If we do not have this protection we are destined to repeat our past. I am constantly reminded of our responsibility to ensure the sacrifices of people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jimmie Lee Jackson, Amelia Boynton, James Bevel, John Lewis, Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Rev. C.T. Vivian and many others are not in vain. As disappointed as I am in the gutting of section four and five of the Voting Rights Act, I am equally encouraged by the young people in this country. We cannot ignore the Black Lives Matter movement and in this particular case the Black Voters Matter voting rights organization. The co-founder LaTosha Brown who was born in Selma, Alabama works tirelessly on issues that pertain to social justice and political empowerment in the African-American community. I want to highlight LaTosha because it is people like LaTosha Brown who continue to carry on the legacy of Dr. King, SCLC and the many others who fought for voting rights of the disenfranchised in this country. Our work is not over and it will
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never be finished. I want to encourage the young and the old to keep fighting the good fight. Your work is not in vain and your efforts are appreciated and noticed. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) has always fought for the right to vote and be heard. The SCLC national has traveled the country raising awareness and registering people to vote for over 50 years. In the political year of 2020 we had our foot soldiers in every corner of the United States making a foot print across the country. Particularly in Georgia where SCLC helped to turn out the vote. I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the work of Stacy Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keishia Lance Bottoms for their leadership role in helping to elect President Joe Biden, U.S. Senator Jon Osoff and U.S Senator Rafael Warnock. SCLC will continue to fight suppression efforts around the country while actively engaging voters to keep making their voices heard at the polls. Let’s keep making noise!
Courage Why live in the past if it creates pain Why subject your heart to stress and strain Your goals are a part of your soul Be ambitious never let them grow cold Gaze at a mountain with a desire to reach the top Life will present obstacles, stay determined never stop Look at the ocean with an appetite to swim, Have a vision that’s never dim. The eagle that soars across the sky, Also encourage her young to fly Never embrace doubt, for time won’t let you forget, That your decision to reach perfection, you’ll never regret. Leonard Blount Copyright© 2017
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FROM THE CHAI RMAN
TRIBUTE TO MRS. MARGARET MOORE, SELMA, ALABAMA By Dr. Bernard Lafayette, SCLC Chairman
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ccording to Merriam-Webster, racism is defined as:
1.) a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race, and 2.) the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another. Here are a few questions to ponder as move into Springtime: Is racism a virus? Does one inherit the attitudes and beliefs listed above? Is racism a derivative of nature or of nurture? Is racism based in fear? If so, of what is one afraid? Is the fear of losing “white supremacy” at the root of racism? Eight people, six of them Asian women, were killed on Tuesday, March 16, in a string of shootings at Atlanta-area spas. A white male has been arrested and charged with the killings. FBI director Christopher Wray stated that “it does not appear that the motive was racially motivated,” but deferred to the state and local investigation on that for now. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN, “It looked like a hate crime to me.” Was the impetus behind the murders based in racism? CNN reports that the month of March is National Women’s History month. Since women are pretty historic year-round, why then is this month significant to women’s history? International Women’s Day is March 8, and it has been observed in some form since 1911. In the 1970’s we began celebrating Women’s History Week. The movement was so popular, people began lobbying for a more formal observance and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter designated the first official National Women’s History Week, beginning on March 8 of that year. States began declaring the whole month of March as Women’s History Month, and Congress declared March 1987 as the first official Women’s History Month. When I first arrived in Selma, back in 1963, I moved in with a schoolteacher, Mrs. Margaret Moore, and her family until an apartment became available. Mrs. Moore was a master’s level teacher and had lived in Selma for many years. She owned rental property and graciously opened her home. I enjoyed her superb cooking, as well as her intelligent conversation and insightful thinking. As a by-product of my new living arrangement I became concerned about her safety and her involvement in the movement. Because I was there to mount the Voter Registration Campaign, this generated hostile feelings on the part of many whites. But not once did she show fear or discomfort. In her
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face could be seen quiet courage, with confidence and assuredness for her mission. Her pursuit of justice and equality was fact. She had a clear expectation that the voting campaign would succeed. She was there and ready wherever and whenever she was needed. Self-assured, posture erect, chin up and shoulders back, Mrs. Moore seemed almost to strut when she walked. She was an avid participant in marches and demonstrations. In later years, Mrs. Moore was often referred to as an “invisible giant” because of her continued efforts and behind-the-scenes work to improve life for black people. Her children—a young son, Reginald, and two teenage daughters, Harriet and Gwen—were well mannered and well disciplined, not because she was stern and rigid, but rather because she expected them to act with intelligence and to use good judgement. And they did. Mrs. Moore taught them early on a life’s lesson of standing up for what they believed. She was a stranger to fear and had a passion for service and community. As a teacher she went beyond the call of duty, often teaching students after school about their real black history, not what white people had written in the history books. She not only was well acquainted with her subject matter but also showed enormous love and compassion for her students. Fast forward to March, 1965. On the day of the march, there was an eerie silence, a nervousness in the air as everyone sensed something horrible was about to happen. Yet, more than six hundred marchers continued on their mission, leaving Brown Chapel two by two and walking toward the Edmund Pettus Bridge. At the top of the bridge, marchers could see the swarm of blue uniforms of the state troopers. The troopers ordered the marchers to disperse. Hosea Williams and John Lewis knelt down, and the hundreds of marchers likewise knelt in a wave behind them. John began to pray out loud. The troopers, wearing gas masks tossed tear gas canisters into the masses, and all hell broke loose. A sound like thunder filled the air as the horses galloped into the crowd, trampling people, whips slashing heads. Hundreds of marchers scattered, unable to breathe, eyes stinging, running toward the water to escape the gas and beatings. Others staggered back toward Brown Chapel with open wounds and blood-drenched clothes, chased by troopers on horses thrashing whips and wielding batons. Confused and injured, marchers tried to help each other while fleeing the onslaught of violence. The leaders, Hosea and John, and hundreds of others suffered bloody beatings. At the end of the day seventeen were hospitalized, including Mrs. Boynton and Mrs. Moore. Yet from blocks away, through the breeze, the sweet sounds of voices could be heard singing “We Shall Overcome.” An objective analysis would conclude that the protesters were defeated. However, from the songs in their souls, one could hear victory. And victory it was, as this march, referred to as Bloody Sunday because of the bloodshed, increased the awareness of the important issue. It is with heartfelt gratitude that I honor Mrs. Margaret Moore during this month of March. In her own quiet way, she contributed great gifts to her family, her students, and to the community. She was a positive influence on me and she surely inspired many others with her selfless dedication to her career and to her country.
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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You are his legacy in action. A preacher. A leader. A Nobel Peace Prize winner. The founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. An icon for the ages. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated with a single day, but the impact of his legacy is too vast and his sacrifice was too great for a day to do him justice. We honor Dr. King for laying the foundation for social justice and those who continue to build on his dream for equality, unity and change.
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FROM THE FI RST L ADY
THE EVOLUTION OF THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR BLACK WOMEN IN AMERICA By Cathelean Steele, Founder, Justice for Girls
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lack Women were active in the struggle for the right to vote years before the Suffragist’s march on Washington, DC in 1913 where Black women marched behind the White women because they were not allowed to march side by side. In 1896 Francis E.W. Harper, Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells Barnett founded the National Association of Colored Women Clubs ( NACWC). The NACWC and many other groups of Black women organized and fought relentlessly for the passage of the 19th Amendment while the white suffrage movement continued to distance themselves because of the need to separate their desire to vote from the issue of race in America.
On November 2, 1920 the 19th Amendment was certified by The Secretary of State. The 19th Amendment reads: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex, Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” Despite the passage of the 19th Amendment Black people in the South were still denied their right to vote because of Jim Crow Laws. During the 1960’s civil rights movement, many young Black women became activists and dedicated themselves to encouraging Black adults to registrar to vote. Among those young women was Lula Joe Williams, a native of Montgomery, Alabama. Mrs. Williams worked throughout Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas. In researching Mrs. Williams work in the movement I read that she and other workers would talk to young people and adults and “guilt them a little, into registering to vote.” Mrs. Williams believes that Voter Education and Voter Registration must be a continuous process. The effectiveness of the ballot was evident with the election of President Joe Biden as President of the United States and in the state of Georgia as this red state was turned blue for the first time in nearly thirty years. Thanks to voter activists like Helen Butler (Coalition for Peoples’ Agenda), Barbara Arnwine (founder of Transformative Justice Coalition) a LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright ( Black Voters Matter) Stacy Abrams, Nse Ufot (Chief executive Officer of the New Georgia Project) and others who worked tireless to get Blacks registered to vote. (Article continued on Page 11)
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According to statics the number of Black Americans eligible to vote reached around 30 million. These record numbers of voters have now created a new problem. Republicans in the Georgia legislature are now proposing tougher restrictions on both absentee and in-person early voting. The bill would of course affect minority voters in large populated areas. These areas are strongholds for the Democratic party. Black voters must continue to observe the political process and never become complacent. In 1975 Harold Melvin and the Blue Note wrote a song entitled Wake Up Everybody; in the third verse, the lyrics are “the world won’t get no better we gotta change it yeah, just you and me.” Mainstream organizations must continue to monitor our elected officials and not allow the system to manipulate the laws to benefit only a few. Everyone should be allowed access of the vote. A special tribute to an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement
Dr. Glenda Miller was the first president of Rome, Georgia’s chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She continued her dedication to SCLC after moving to Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Miller has been a great supporter of our Justice for Girls Initiative. Thank you for your dedication to the SCLC.
THE ONLY THING MORE IMPORTANT THAN STARTING THE CONVERSATION IS KEEPING IT GOING.
We honor the men and women who began the dialog for social, economic and political justice through our commitment to help continue it.
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SCLC Fights Corporate Racism By Jerry Thomas
TLANTA - Officials from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the organization co-founded and first led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has ended protests against Nielsen, the global data and measurement corporation, saying the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by longtime senior Black executive Cheryl Grace has been amicably settled.
“This is a breakthrough moment,” Dr. Steele said. “We wrote to the chairman and CEO of Nielsen. We meet with them via the Internet, and we urged them to settle this lawsuit filed by Ms. Grace, and, in just a few months, Nielsen has decided to resolve it. I commend Nielsen for doing the right thing. I think they took the SCLC and the movement very seriously. We followed the six steps of direct action as introduced by Dr. King, which is still effective today.” Dr. Steele said the SCLC will now move to the next phrase of its new campaign called ‘‘From the Streets to the Suites,” an initiative where the social justice organization targets corporations that have been hit with discrimination lawsuits. As part of the campaign, SCLC officials meet with corporate leaders with the goal of settling the lawsuits, but also assisting them in addressing systemic racism and discrimination within the corporate culture. That culture, Dr. Steele said, is historically linked to the gaps in employment, income, education, healthcare, housing and other areas. Last June, a few days following the social justice protests that occurred in many communities across the nation, some corporate leaders committed to righting the wrongs inside their companies by announcing programs, many with financial contributions. “Those corporations are doing what they should have been doing,” Dr. Steele said. “But the Streets to the Suites Initiative is to monitor those corporations and make sure they are delivering on their commitments, and it is to place the spotlight on other corporations that refuse to do what is right when it comes to being fair and just to all of its employees and consumers.”
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The SCLC entered talks with Nielsen in December shortly after it received word that Ms. Grace, the Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliance and Consumer Engagement, had filed a lawsuit, charging Nielsen with racism and creating a hostile work environment. Grace noted she was marginalized after she engaged with the CEO David Kenny, who is also the Chief Diversity Officer, about racism and career advancement. Grace had been the face of the 97-year-old company for almost 17 years in communities of color. She founded and produced a series of annual reports, which include data on the buying power of Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians in America, which is widely used by organizations. With Nielsen, Dr. Steele said the SCLC followed the six-step Kingian Philosophy instituted by Dr. King, who sought to address all matters nonviolently and conclude with a peaceful understanding. Our first step is to gather information. Our second step is to educate the public. Our third step is to enlist the company’s support to address what has been presented in the lawsuit. The fourth step is to negotiate fairly. When there is no effort to negotiate the injustices, the SCLC moves to direct action. This is not our first resort, but when necessary, this option is effective to move companies that choose to ignore fair negotiations. Regardless of what measure is taken to bring about justice, the SCLC always seek to reconcile. “The Nielsen victory will encourage other employees to be courageous when it comes to fighting for fairness inside Corporate America,” Dr. Steele said. “Their victory affirms that moving the protests from the streets to the suites is the right strategy. We just want other corporations to take heed and do the right thing before we arrive outside their headquarters.”
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Unprecedented time. Extraordinary action.
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Traces of Elaine: An Unsung SCLC Legend! By Alysia Burton Steele
“There are unsung heroes and Sheroes in the Civil Rights Movement and Elaine is one of them. A courageous photojournalist during a dangerous era, a spicy stand-her-ground woman in a field dominated by men.” – Sue Ross, photographer
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laine Tomlin, the only Black female staff photographer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1960s, documented racial injustices throughout the country. She didn’t walk arm-in-arm with SCLC President Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or his successor Rev. Ralph Abernathy, but she was on the front lines like other countless foot soldiers – her weapon? Her camera! Tomlin didn’t leave papers in archives. Little is known about her outside the SCLC. Photographer Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, widow of tennis great Arthur Ashe, first acknowledged Tomlin in her 1993 book Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers. I read her book one day, and a sentence caught my eye:
Movement that helped change not only the South and America, but it changed the world,” he opined. With the SCLC’s own communications system, the noted civil rights organization told its own stories. “We could print our own magazine and newspaper, and we had our own national and later international radio program, which was Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaks. I mean, we were first class, we were doing it,” Brooks explained. “We had it right there because, you see, one thing about King and Abernathy, they knew that the mainstream media was not going to project our stories accurately.” On July 10, 1969, JET Magazine reported Abernathy supported union workers striking in Charleston, S.C. Over 400 people joined the march.
“Elaine Tomlin, known for her images of urban riots, rural poverty, and civil rights marchers, went on to become the official photographer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,” Moutoussamy-Ashe reported.
“Charged with inciting a riot, parading without a permit and disorderly conduct...Abernathy and Williams ( Hosea Williams), knelt to pray, were picked up bodily by police and put in the paddy wagon,” they reported.
Scholars have written little about her, although Tomlin’s 30-year career shows work published in numerous Black-owned newspapers and magazines.
Tomlin was there photographing Dorothy Ann Richards, 18, beaten by two White state troopers - her face covered in blood. Troopers believed Richards participated in the march. They pummeled her head with blows. Tomlin created a five-photo sequence of the beating as Richards staggered to the police van. “Despite her protests of innocence, trooper’s club her, using a burly knee to pin her neck on rough pavement,” Tomlin reported.
SCLC colleague and former Georgia state legislator Tyrone Brooks, now chairing The Moore’s Ford Movement, said people should know Tomlin helped elevate the Movement through her writing and photography. “I want them to realize that Elaine Tomlin, in her own way, contributed through her talents, and her ingenuity, and her skills to a
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Friend Susan Ross, another revered Black woman photographer in Atlanta, met Tomlin in the 1980s while Ross worked for former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young. With over 37 years of city government experi-
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ence, Ross notes that Tomlin also contended with sexism at the SCLC. Times were different for women then, and they didn’t always get credit for their work. “She would’ve had to deal with issues of police brutality within the Movement. She would’ve had to deal with issues of sexism because even though they respected your craft, you are just a woman,” she sadly said. Evelynn Newman, former press secretary for then-SCLC President Rev. Joseph Lowery, met Tomlin in 1981. Tomlin told Newman she’d joined the SCLC when King led the organization. “She was feisty. We used to clash. I think we both had sort of bossy personalities,” she said. “So, of course, that’s a conflict waiting to happen, but we got to know each other better, then settled down and became friends. I think she respected me, and I respected her.” “She had a laugh that would make me laugh. It was a robust laugh,” Newman recalled. The last time they talked in 1995, Newman said Tomlin was diagnosed with emphysema. Doctors couldn’t do anything else, and she died that year. “She didn’t say she was calling me to tell me goodbye, but that’s what it was. I knew it in my spirit,” Newman recalled. “I knew that I wouldn’t see or talk to her anymore, but she lived a good life. She had a lot of experiences. Being involved in something as important as the Civil Rights Movement was important to her. When you know you are contributing to change and helping im-
An SCLC march against polychlorinated biphenyl dumping in Warren County, NC in 1982, as seen in an Elaine Tomlin photo, SCLC records, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.
prove lives, you can die with that.” “Elaine Tomlin hasn’t gotten the attention she deserves as a chronicler of the Civil Rights Movement. Her photographs document the vital work of SCLC from the 1960s through the 1980s and show how the Movement grew and expanded to address issues that we’re still grappling with today,” said Sarah Quigley, head of collection processing at Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library at Emory University. Thousands of Tomlin’s priceless photographs were stolen from her Atlanta condominium in 1987. JET interviewed her. “It really hurts. They took my life’s work,” she said. “What good is that going to do to anyone?” Friends say Tomlin was devastated by the violation.
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“It takes a particular kind of person to photograph demonstrations. You have to make sacrifices to do this work. It’s important work. It has to be done,” said Ross. “She was a trailblazer.” “She loved life. She enjoyed having fun. We played Bid Whist, a card game like Spades,” Brooks said. He remembers her cooking – he loved her soul food, said her home was as meticulous as her work. She cared enough about her work that she installed a darkroom in her home. “Elaine has been largely forgotten in her contributions,” Ross said. “There are unsung heroes and Sheroes in the Civil Rights Movement and Elaine is one of them. A courageous photojournalist during a dangerous era, a spicy stand-her-ground woman in a field dominated by men.” But Elaine isn’t forgotten. I see her. When my Mother, Stella Duncan was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, and my husband, Bobby, was diagnosed two months later, I sometimes didn’t know how to focus on my doctoral studies in History, focusing on Black women’s labor during the Civil Rights Movement. My momma passionately and purposely pushed me to go to the library and find traces of Elaine; to perhaps also find myself. And in learning about her work, I believe Elaine kept me company. Even my momma wanted to know about this mysterious woman. Before mom died, she said she would be there watching me. She wanted me to learn everything I could about this talented storyteller. She told me, “We finish what we start in this family.” So, my quest is in finding Elaine, interviewing those who knew her – she deserves that recognition and respect - so the storytelling of her heroics is to be continued!
Alysia Burton Steele, associate professor of journalism at The University of Mississippi, is completing her Ph.D. in History, focusing on Black women’s labor during the Civil Rights Movement. She hopes to center her dissertation on the SCLC and Tomlin. For those who remember Elaine, please contact her at shutterburt@gmail.com.
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Coastal Alabama Community College
Braves’ Garr-Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic Is A Hit HBCU Alumni Proud of National Spotlight
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By Harold Michael Harvey
arie Duval did not attend an HBCU; she received her educational experience at a predominately white institution, Mercer University, a private Baptist-supported school in Macon, Georgia, her hometown. The other half of the Duval family, Steve Duval, attended two HBCUs, Hampton University and Tuskegee University. The Duvals traveled 150 miles to witness a rare national spotlight shine on Black college baseball. “I am excited to be here, Marie Duval said, then explained, “There are times I wish I had attended an HBCU. “I am rejoicing with my HBCU friends,” Marie Duval said. “Every time I go to an HBCU event, I get caught up in the affair. There is always a different flavor to an HBCU gathering that you don’t get at PWI occasions,” she explained. Emotions like Duval’s spilled over yesterday at Coolray Field, home of the Atlanta Braves National League Baseball Club’s triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers, and host of the first Ralph Garr-Bill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic. At noon on the second Sunday in March 2021, the doors opened at Coolray Field. A steady stream of fans filed through the gates, as they had done the two previous nights. They were mostly wearing paraphernalia bearing the nation’s top historically Black colleges and Universities like Morehouse, Clark-Atlanta University, Tuskegee University, Tennessee State University, Southern University, and Hampton University. Families with children in tow, high school, and travel ball coaches, recent and not so recent HBCU alumni, and old Black men, including this writer, who had played collegiate baseball at an HBCU, came out to
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the classic. The attendees sauntered into Coolray Field: Their eyes beaming, chests stuck out, attired in pandemic face masks which could not contain the smiles tucked away from public view. The fans’ locomotion strutted HBCU pride with a swagger seen every day on Black college campuses. In a sense, they were coming to witness two of their member institutions, Grambling State University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, square off in the first Ralph GarrBill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic, hosted by the Braves with support from Truist. In another sense, they came to express their pride in the HBCU culture conceived in the dark days following the emancipation of enslaved Africans to educate the children into the ways of free Americans. “This is the first Black college baseball game I have attended. I grew up in California. We don’t have Black colleges out there.” said Bert Strane. He is a former minor leaguer who volunteers his time and baseball knowledge to help the ATL METRO RBI program develop baseball skills and the fundamentals for Black and minority student-athletes’ academic success. “It’s a wonderful thing to see HBCU baseball get some attention,” Ralph Garr said as the threegame series ended. “My dad would be thrilled to see the Ralph GarrBill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic. I think he would be pleasantly surprised that the Atlanta Braves named a baseball classic in his honor,” Bill Lucas, Jr. said . Like his dad, Bill Lucas, Jr., played baseball at FAMU. He was a hard-hitting, sure-handed
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shortstop who played several years in the Braves farm system before settling into a professional career in information technology. “I hope other major league franchises will develop an HBCU Classic in their cities and that Black kids will want to play baseball at an HBCU,” said the proud HBCU alum. Lucas played baseball between 1978 and 1983 said, “The only thing we had like this HBCU Classic was the Black college tournaments at Tuskegee.” In the late 1970s, James Martin, Tuskegee’s head baseball coach, organized a round-robin tournament each year and invited the country’s top HBCU baseball programs to participate. He also asked a cadre of major league scouts to view the tal-
ent. It was an annual scouting event for the Braves’ player development director, Hank Aaron. He wanted to give Black college baseball players exposure. Martin, in 1973, organized the only All-Star game in the history of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In those days, the conference champion did not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tuskegee’s 2-1 win in the All-Star game secured them an invitation to the NCAA Mid-Eastern Regional and made it the first HBCU to win an NCAA regional game. “I am happy to be here. Anytime I can attend an HBCU event and be around my people, it’s a good day,” said Mario Jackson, an HBCU memorabilia collector and a 2011 Tennessee State University grad.
Clarence Johns played baseball at Southern University. He has spent over ten years as a major league scout and cross-checker for the Colorado Rockies and the Texas Rangers. Recently Johns left scouting to become a player representative. He currently represents hot prospect Michael Harris, who many insiders believe will break into the Braves starting lineup before September. “For me,” Johns said, “first and foremost is the fact that the two schools are recognized, but more specifically, the recognition of Black college baseball, and this fills me with pride.” Greg “Goody” Goodwin, perhaps the dean of amateur baseball in the Atlanta area, wore his Ten-
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nessee State University baseball jersey to the game. Goodwin said, “It is good to see recognition given to HBCUs in baseball.” Before becoming the principal at Redan High School in Dekalb County, Georgia, Goodwin, coached the school’s baseball team and left a rich winning tradition. “The myth that Black kids are not playing baseball is not valid. Hopefully, the Ralph GarrBill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic will lead to more interest in HBCUs. I am glad the Braves hosted this event,” Goodwin said. Joe Gunn, like Marie Duval, did not attend an HBCU. He grew up in the east and attended the California University of Pennsylvania. His son Joe, Jr. is an outfielder on the Grambling State team. “This classic means a lot to me. Where I’m from, there are not many Black people, and my son rarely saw more than two Black guys on a team. So to have HBCU baseball, it makes me proud that my son enrolled in Grambling. Fifty years ago, Steve Duval was a left-handed power-hitting first baseman on the Tuskegee roaster. He beamed with pride as he watched the two teams play. “This HBCU Baseball Classic means a lot. It connects us to our past, our present, and our future. It gives the alumni a chance to come out and support our students and schools. I dare say that not many, if any, of these guys will play baseball beyond college, but they will get an educational experience for life,” Steve Duval said.
Harold Michael Harvey is the Living Now 2020 Bronze Medal winner for his memoir Freaknik Lawyer: A Memoir on the Craft of Resistance. He is the author of a book on Negro Leagues Baseball, The Duke of 18th & Vine: Bob Kendrick Pitches Negro Leagues Baseball. He writes feature stories for Black College Nines. Com. Harvey is a member of the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and a member of the Legends Committee for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Harvey is an engaging speaker. Contact Harvey at hmharvey@haroldmichaelharvey.com
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American Express commits $1 billion toward combatting systemic racism, inequality, and injustice. We’re proudly backing our colleagues, customers, and communities to create meaningful change.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Meetings at the Penn Center in South Carolina and the Local Impact
This article is about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s meetings at ‘The Penn Center’ in the St. Helena area of South Carolina in the 1960’s and a reflection of the local impact in South Carolina. It includes commentary from three individuals, who I interviewed in 2021, and who were working at the Penn Center when Dr. King held meetings there. In fact, between 1964 and 1967 Dr. King visited the St. Helena area five times. The meetings were generally organized by Dr. King’s organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
By Heather Gray
About the Penn Center SCLC was just one of many groups to use the quiet campus of older buildings to plot radical strategies. At the time, it was one of the few places blacks and whites could meet or spend the night together. (The Penn Center – Island Packet) It is noted that the most distinct African community in the United States is in South Carolina in the Sea Islands south of Charleston. This remarkable area is populated by the Gullah who were slaves from West Africa. While engaged in agriculture for the South Carolina slave owners, they were largely isolated and, importantly, maintained much of their African language, culture and skills. In 1862, just before the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation, The Penn School, now ‘The Penn Center’, was created in Beaufort, South Carolina by abolitionist activists from Pennsylvania to educate freed slaves. The Penn Center name is derived from the Quaker William Penn (1644-1718) who was the founder of the State of Pennsylvania. Penn “was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans. Under his direction, the city of Philadelphia was planned and developed”. (Wikipedia) In the 1960s, the Penn Center was one of the few places in the South where you could, safely, hold an integrated meeting. It was, at the time, under the direction of the late Courtney and Elizabeth Siceloff.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Visiting ‘The Penn Center’ The meetings at the Penn Center were held to explore movement discussions and plans for action. Given that civil rights organizing meetings in the 1960’s in the South were dangerous, the meetings at the Penn Center were held and conducted secretly. Some of the meetings included renowned civil rights activists such as Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, Joan Baez, Hosea Williams, Bernard Lafayette and others. Comments from Thomas Barnwell (Penn Center – former Director of Community Development)
Thomas Barnwell worked at The Penn Center when Dr. King held meetings at the Center. He, in fact, was generally the one who drove Dr. King from the Savannah area in Georgia, to the Penn Center for the SCLC meetings. When I was driving Dr. King we talked about voter registration and voter education. We talked about the process of recruiting people for training to prepare persons to become eligible voters. Beyond voting, we discussed housing ownership; about individual landowners; and the potential of developing land, as through housing, etc. We talked quite a bit about the need for health care and the affordability of health care. For the discussions in the planning sessions at the Penn Center, I was not there for all of them, as some were not open to the general public or our staff. Those that I was able to attend, however, were inspirational. It’s hard to find the adjectives to describe how being in that environment made you feel. It was like feeling you must do something, you must not fail. It made you feel that you must do something to help to make life and things better, not just for you and your individual family, but the broader community. In the larger SCLC group, concerns were regarding education and training of African American doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other health care professionals. And in my lifetime, I was able to help develop a comprehensive health program for 25,000 people in Buford in Jasper County that’s still in existence today. Comments from Joe McDomick (Penn Center - former Project Supervisor and Director of the Land Program)
Joseph McDomick worked at the Penn Center when Dr. King visited – he helped organize the events and was inspired to make changes and challenges for justice in the St. Helena’s community after these SCLC meetings.
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When King came to the Penn Center, in the 1960s, he was kind of quietly sneaking in and out because we didn’t want to make too much noise about him being here because it was so dangerous back in those days. And you never knew who was around. We were very careful at the Penn Center when King came because we were afraid that something might happen, and if it did, we would feel like we might be responsible. He would usually have an open session with the community the last night. But most of the time that he was here, it was just him and his group working to strategize and plans for big things across the country. We had to be very careful while he was with us and we would exhale when he was finally out of the state. So, the Penn Center director, Courtney Siceloff, who was white, was there, of course. But the gatherings at the Penn Center were largely of black folks from all over the place. Once we found out what the overall strategy of the SCLC meeting was, we would often try to use the plans in our area such as in businesses for folks to get better jobs. We did it on a local level. For example, we organized a group of older people to boycott the welfare department. We boycotted a lot of the businesses that didn’t have black clerks, and we saw some big changes. So again, we worked in conjunction with the staff of Dr. King. Comments from Dave Duffin (Penn Center – Volunteer Photographer)
Dave Duffin was a photographer with the Marine Corps and, in the 1960’s was in Paris Island close to the Penn Center. He wanted to explore the Penn Center and met the director, Courtenay Siceloff, that began an on-going association. I ended up doing some photography with the Penn Center. And I went out on some tours, observed some of the work they did with organizations and churches and so forth. And then I photographed some of the work they were doing and helped with brochures, etc. Courtenay Siceloff asked “Do you think you could help do some brochures?” and I said, “Oh, boy, sign me up”. One afternoon, I had a call from Courtney. And he said, “Dave, we’d like you to come out tonight for a sort of a special meeting we’re having out here”. And he said, “I can’t necessarily explain what it is over the phone. But I could say that it would be a very unusual experience for you. I want you to meet someone.” So, I went the Penn Center and sitting in the inside of the porch was Dr. Martin Luther King. And I said, “Oh, my goodness”. So, we all sat down. Then Courtney said, “Tonight we’re having a little get together over at the meeting room. Maybe you could stay around for that”. I said, “That’d be an honor.” The meeting and dinner that night resulted in the photo, above, by Duffin, of Martin Luther King along with the Siceloff family in 1963, that is now renowned.
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“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” American Tower honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and thanks the SCLC for its leadership in working toward equity and justice for all people. We are committed to equity, inclusion and diversity in the connections we create with our employees, customers, vendors and the communities where we operate.
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Residential segregation is choking the very life out of us. Because of structural racism and discrimination in our housing markets, residential segregation has gotten worse. The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, Rev. C. T. Vivian, and Congressmen John Lewis gave voice to this issue with courage, conviction, and devotion. To honor their legacy, we must continue the fight for freedom and equality. We cannot rest until all Black Americans have access to fair housing, fair and impartial policing, healthcare, clean environments, well-resourced schools, healthy food options, living wage jobs, quality credit, transit, and opportunities to build wealth. To join us, go to nationalfairhousing.org.
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The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poor People’s Campaign Still Alive and Inspiring New Levels of Commitment to The Homeless in Detroit By Rev. Aaron McCarthy, SCLC Detroit President
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s the country continues to feel the increasing deadly effects of COVID-19, the level of poverty and homelessness has risen to epic proportions. That is also while the morbid effects of Michigan’s deadly winter weather have raised the death rate along the mile and a half stretch of city blocks in Detroit now known as Resurrection City Detroit. It is named after the historic 1968 City of Hope, where 3,000 poor people from all over the country lived in tents for 42 days to address and bring attention to poverty through housing, and economic injustice. That is the same as the unrelenting four-year boots on the ground efforts of SCLC-Detroit to bring relief to the homeless who continue to look to the original Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poor People’s Campaign. Their dedicated efforts have been responsible for the opening of a privately owned homeless warming center, and a mental health facility moving into Resurrection City Detroit to help the poor and homeless access benefits and resources that they do not know that they are qualified to receive. It will give them access to the services provided by two doctor offices, and a pharmacy, that have also located their businesses into the area called Resurrection City Detroit. In addition, there is a new service station wanting to benefit from the increase in traffic that the Poor People’s Campaign’s boots efforts have brought to the community, giving it a newfound economic rebirthing.
A regular voice in meetings, convened by, community organizations, neighborhood organizations, city government, county government, and state government officials, SCLC-Detroit and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poor People’s Campaign has become the foremost organization when the homeless and impoverished community is the topic of discussion. This year because of the accidental freezing death of one of Resurrection City Detroit’s most faithful homeless encampment residents, SCLC-Detroit and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poor People’s Campaign was called to another level of commitment to its homeless community. Because there was no money or family to recover Ramones body from the morgue and properly lay his remains to rest, I successfully, appealed to the powers that be; raising enough money to recover Ramones body from the morgue, cremate him, and have a remarkable celebration of life, and memorial service officiated by SCLC-Detroit. State Senator Coleman A. Young II, the son of former Detroit Mayor: Coleman Alexander Young, gave a powerful presentation focusing on the importance and purpose of the Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. Poor People’s Campaign and how it continues to be lifeline and resource for the homeless walking the streets of Resurrection City Detroit. Every year the Detroit’s SCLC Chapter continues to evolve and find itself advocating for justice for the poor and homeless in different areas, and on different levels of activism. In June of 2020 after documenting its history and the purpose of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Poor People’s Campaign, and with the approval of SCLC National
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President, Dr. Charles Steele Jr, I submitted a proposal to Regent Universities School of Divinity’s Pastoral and Practical Theology Masters Internship Programs for seminary students wishing to go into ministries serving the poor and homeless after graduation. It’s an exciting eight-week pilot internship program outlining, demonstrating, and recording Poor People Campaign activities, and events. The program is designed to provide insight to those that will one day be ministering to the poor and homeless, while being supervised, monitored, and graded weekly by Regent University professors and SCLC. In my view, it is a viable and legitimate platform for seminary students wishing to minister to the poor and homeless after graduation, and was permanently placed on Regent University’s list of accredited graduate Internship Programs, which keeps the Dr. Martin Luther King Poor People’s Campaign alive and bringing attention to the poverty and economic injustice that continues to haunt African Americans more than anybody else in America.
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Saluting the power of a dream and the courage of a voice.
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Charles Black, History in the Making
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By Mariah Hill
he Atlanta Student Movement, formed in 1960 in Atlanta by students of the campuses of Spelman, Morehouse and other Atlanta University (AUC) students has changed drastically during the years from fighting for inequality and the civil rights movement. For generations students and leaders have walked the brick promenade to get their education or become the next African American scholar to make a difference in our society. From the regentrification buildings in the late 2000’s to creating new healthy resources for students around the area.
The actor, activist and previous president of the AUC’s Committee on the Appeal for Human Rights, Charles Black played a huge part in history by taking a class at Morehouse led by Martin Luther King himself. The class consisted of philosophy and democracy. Black came out of that class creating Atlanta’s first civil rights movement with Lonnie King. The idea came to mind from the four men who hosted a series of nonviolent protests/sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. Considering his recent learned insights from MLK Jr, Black, the activist, was prepared
to take a stand for human rights. “We were already mad and wanted to change things. When we saw what the boys in Greensboro have done, that gave us a way of dealing with these situations,” Black said. The process began with a meeting held on Morehouse College campus where King fully warned the prospective participants “if you’re not ready to do this, this nonviolent protest, then you can go about your business and don’t talk about it.” Soon after, the respective HBCU college presidents were agonizingly aware of the upcoming event. This created potential concerns with the Atlanta University Center AUC executive leadership. “They called us in and initially tried to talk us out of it.” Although Black was certainly determined to get his point across. “If we’re going to do this thing, we have to let
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the city know why we are doing this.” Once the Morehouse and AUC student leaders were convinced, there was nothing in this historians’ way to speak forcefully for inequality. Prior to the first sit-in, the Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Constitution, and other major news outlets, published a riveting and revealing advertisement speaking on the incident. This was later “picked up and ran by the New York Times and a paper in L.A.”, Black recounts. Once the world discovered what citizens were doing for their community, Black took this opportunity to build togetherness. “Hundreds of us would go to 11 different places in downtown Atlanta at exactly 11 o’clock,” Black said.
“The lesson in that for me The former president has recently been recognized in the book ‘Nine Days to Race, Save MLK Junior’s Life’ is we don’t always know speaking on how Martin Luther King marched with Lonwhy people are enduring nie King and Black himself for the first time in Atlanthe circumstances that ta, Georgia after previously disagreeing. “We mostly felt that we needed a spark in our Movement, and we knew they are endure.” that if Dr. King got arrested, that would bring a lot of attention.” He was highly ecstatic to bring life back into the change. “That hit the national news and international news.” March 15, 1960 was the start of an historic moment in the Atlanta culture that was later revamped in 2020. The Black Lives Matter Movement gave African Americans the opportunity to showcase inequality from the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others. Aside from his activist background, Blacks acting career also sparked some attention. The Florida native once played the role of a homeless man who became insane after lighting a cigarette, throwing it into a waste basket which caused the house to burst into flames killing his wife and children. This was a very powerful moment for Black. “The lesson in that for me is we don’t always know why people are enduring the circumstances that they are endure.” Charles Blacks acting career began when he enrolled his daughter into an acting class at the age of 10. Since the class was located some ways from his house, the instructor suggested Black would stay and join the meeting. “I was one of the three that he encouraged to get in the game you know.” It wasn’t long until the actor was a household name in Hollywood. “I got a call for an audition … once I finished, they asked how long I have been in the business. I looked at my watch and said about five minutes now and got the role.” Once he received his first movie role in John Emran’s Carolina Skeletons, Black had no intentions in leaving the business. “I decided hey, you know this is pretty cool. I can do this.” 30 years later, Charles Black continues to be in acting business doing some projects. This well-rounded individual has been a national commodity for years in the making. The historian continues to share is story with the world by being the guide to the next generation to come.
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BL ACK LIVES MUST MATTER FOR EVERY SPARK TO SHINE Walmart is proud to be part of the American family and believes that America’s social challenges become Walmart’s challenges to help address as well. We all must do more to stand against racism and to keep supporting the basic principles of human rights, dignity, and justice. Moving forward, we’re helping build a more equitable world by influencing these four systems: Criminal justice. We’re supporting work to reshape hiring practices to help non-violent, formerly incarcerated applicants be appropriately considered and assisted as they re-enter the workforce. Education. We’re strengthening recruiting of diverse associates, including from historically Black colleges and universities, and addressing potential disparities in development programs. Financial. We’re supporting more diverse suppliers and Marketplace sellers, along with leveraging our influence to increase access to capital for women and people of color. Healthcare. We’re looking to improve healthcare outcomes for women and people of color as we contribute to building a more holistic healthcare business in the U.S. Together with the Walmart Foundation, we’re also addressing racism and inequity within these four systems by committing $100 million over five years through a new Center for Racial Equity. We are committed to helping build a brighter, more diverse, and more equitable America. Visit Walmart.com/RacialEquity to learn more.
An inspiration to a nation. Young women of color inspired by Vice President Harris’ Inauguration. By Takyia Price
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epresentation matters and the historic Inauguration of Kamala Harris as the first woman, and the first woman of color as America’s Vice President is highly significant to Sha’Miya Wilson and others like her. “After so many years, the glass ceiling, that obstructs women of color from being in high level positions, has been shattered,” says Wilson, an Albany State University sophomore. It’s like an unknown weight has been lifted off my chest. I feel like I can truly succeed in the workforce.” Society seemingly has a distorted image of Black women in leadership positions. This tiresome narrative often unfavorably depicts those demographics. Under representation and negative representation shape how we as a whole view ourselves and how others view us. Vice President Harris’ rise to power as the first Black and Asian-American woman (she is a second-generation American to parents from India and Jamaica.); the first historically Black university graduate ( Howard University) and member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority to serve in National office, has given those communities a sense of pride and hope for their future. African Americans were featured performers at the inauguration festivities in many prominent, and arguably, wondrous ways. Harris’s escort to the venue was Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman. Just weeks before the inauguration, Goodman was hailed a hero after defending the building against insurrectionists. On January 6th, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in hopes of breaching the Senate and overturning the Presidential election results. In honor of his selfless actions, Goodman was promoted to the acting deputy Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and is set to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. In tribute of Harris’ commencement, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority declared the 21st as Kamala D.
Harris Day. Members of the sorority and other women worldwide wore “Chucks and Pearls” and the sorority’s pink and green colors in support of Harris. Much like many AKA sisters, Clark Atlanta University Graduate Mariah Hill watched in support of her Soror. Hill describes the backlash many HBCU students face for attending their respective schools. “Lots of people believe that HBCUs don’t teach you the values that an Ivy League would, but this is the true definition that you could go to any university and be a leader in this world,” she argues. “If anything, Harris’ inauguration validates the HBCU experience that many minority youths seek.” Now could be the apropos time to acknowledge that HBCUs are becoming more vital to advancing our future. HBCUs produce professionals in a variety of professions. Some 80 percent of Black judges and 50 percent of Black lawyers and doctors are HBCU graduates such as VP Harris for example. The Inauguration event is widely seen as a turning point in the position and perception of minorities in American history and, arguably, signifies the possibilities for future generations. Harris’ victory is even more sentimental because of the many precedents she has set by a single vow. “When she [took] the oath of office, little girls and boys across the world [knew] that anything and everything is possible,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota. “The moment highlighted the importance of people of color having elected officials who look like them.” Experts reportedly agree that representation matters because when young Black children feel like society is against them, they can look to the experiences of those who have won a seat at the table and be reassured that they can achieve the same level of success. They can reflect on
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the youngest Inauguration poet in U.S. history. Since the event, Gorman’s book “Change Sings” has become Number One on Amazon’s bestseller list, has amassed two million social media followers, signed with IMG Models, and became the first person to recite poetry at the Superbowl.
the professionalism and confidence of those represented to push themselves to surpass expectations and break the glass ceiling, it is believed. VP Harris’ rise to success should be the precedent of granting Black women leadership positions. To some having Kamala in office is like when Disney introduced the first black Disney princess. Princess Tiana, from Disney’s Princess and the Frog, broke the racial barriers of who can be a Princess. “Young women are always glad to see someone that looks like them in a leadership position. That encourages the next generation that they can do anything they set their mind to. You never know, we might have the next first woman of color being the President of the United States,” opines Hill, a budding journalist. Yet another African American trail-
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blazer, who pundits say stole the Inauguration show, was National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. Among the many highlights of the event, one of the most talked-about moments was Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb.” Miss Gorman captivated and dazzled the crowd with words of intellect and inspiration. She is a native of Los Angeles and a Harvard graduate. Within hours of reciting her poem, she became an online trending search. Gorman is the country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate and is
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Gorman was tasked with composing the poem in late December. She was specifically selected by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. She finished the primetime poem the night after the Capitol Hill insurrection by Trump loyalists. Gorman spent the night adding references to the horrific events that took place at the Capitol, speaking of “a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it [it] would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.” Changing the tune, Miss Gorman spoke of healing and left Americans with a message of unity and hope.” The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.” It will likely go down in history as the day that changed the perception of Black women. Men and women across the world were left filled with pride. “I feel a great sense of ac-
complishment. Not one but two Black women who graduated from HBCUs stood at the national level because of their abilities! It’s not every day you see something like this. America is entering a new period, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” says Imani Smith, a junior psychology student at Fort Valley State University. “The Inauguration served as an inspirational start to the new year. Despite the growing darkness of hatred, America rose above it and put forth a spirit of hope.”
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CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MRS. MURIEL DURLEY AND OTHER ICONS! By Maynard Eaton, Managing Editor
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adly, we have already lost a long list of luminaries in 2021. They read like a Who’s Who of revered African American activists, athletes, and actors. They include legends like MLB home run king, Hank Aaron; former heavyweight boxing titleholder, Leon Spinks; middleweight champ Marvelous Marvin Hagler; NBA Hall of Famer, Elgin Baylor; NFL player and broadcaster Irv Cross, Hall of Fame Temple basketball coach John Chaney; actress Cicely Tyson, actor Douglas Turner Ward, jazz vocalist/pianist Freddie Cole, The Supremes singer Mary Wilson, Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings, Atlanta Voice editor-in-chief Marshall Latimore; Atlanta Student Movement founder Lonnie King, and Vernon Jordon, a top-flight businessman, civil rights leader and close advisor to President Bill Clinton, among others. Those are all prominent Black Lives That Mattered! And, while she may not have been a nationally known figure akin to those previously mentioned, Muriel West Durley was an authentic heroine, who for 53 years, partnered with renowned minister, civil rights activist, and environmental justice movement leader Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley. Her life mattered to him and many others. The couple were also longtime friends, collaborators and confidantes to SCLC President Dr. Charles Steele and his wife Cathelean. Out of a personal fondness and professional respect for them both, Dr. Steele attended the January 15th funeral. “I will always remember her beautiful smile,” Dr. Steele tells me about Muriel Durley during a lull in her memorial service. “Yes, they were a civil rights family. We marched many a march together. He was always there. I have to respect the fact that when you come to Atlanta, there are so many leaders, they’re so many activists, and so many people trying to do God’s work, but they chose to support me regardless of all the other leaders.” “Today is the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.”, observed Rev. Timothy McDonald, a 33-year long friend, and former Atlanta Concerned Black Clergy President. “We can live, even in death. Character is who you are when ain’t nobody watching; that’s Muriel Durley. We can learn so much from her life, and we can learn even more from her death.” In concert with her husband, Muriel Durley, proved to be a savvy political powerbroker in Atlanta and the segregated South during her captivating church and community career. That’s why Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and newly elected Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock applauded her impactful life and contributions in video tributes. They were cognizant that their comments would be resonant with their constituents and national political/human rights leaders because of Muriel’s mystique, muscle and moxie. “She always carried herself with such dignity and such grace,” opined Mayor Bottoms. “And, I always admired not just her outward beauty, but most importantly her inner beauty.” “When we think about the ministry of this couple across the years and decades in this city and across the country we are inspired” added Sen Warnock, the pastor of MLK’s famous Ebenezer Baptist Church. “We bless the memory of Sister Muriel – a woman of God who loves the church – cultured, educated and polished in every way. She was a friend of the poor and disposed. Yet she was at home among those who possessed power and influence. She never lost the common touch.”
“Muriel was regal, elegant, refined and yet down to earth”, eloquently added Imam Plemon El-Amin,
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“Muriel was regal, elegant, refined and yet down to earth”, eloquently added Imam Plemon El-Amin, Imam Emeritus of the Atlanta Masjid Al-Islam from the Providence Missionary Church pulpit. For 46 years his family was a part of her church family. Since 2002, Imam El-Amin and Dr. Durley have been on 16 world pilgrimages to 11 different countries together. “She had a dignified common touch. She was caring, compassionate, cool, calm and collected,” El-Amin continued. “And that’s exactly what she needed to be to settle and tame the self-proclaimed, dynamic, devasting, dangerous, darling [Dr. Durley] from Denver. She tamed him, she smoothed him out for 53 years.” Between the 25 years that Dr. Durley was pastor at Providence he officiated and presided over 22 funerals of Imam El-Amin’s family members. “And every time he did them, Muriel was with him,” he reveals. “He brought his prayers and his spirit, but she brought that comforting hugs and tears and peaceful presence of support, sympathy and sincerity. She was always calm, caring, listening, and relating with such sweet assurance that made you know that things would be alright. She was there for my family, and many of your families. She was even more so there for her husband – the preacher, the pastor, the social justice activist. She was the source of comforting spirit that he always relied on.” Muriel Durley, an educator, was repeatedly couched and complimented as a quintessential First Lady of an historic and major African American church in the heart of Atlanta’s internationally influential southside. In his emotional eulogy entitled, A Love Letter to the Love of My Life, Dr Durley emphasized that his late wife was the epitome of a wife, partner, and exceptional First Lady. “One of the first roles in the church is the First Lady because she’s always under a spiritual microscope. Muriel was the epitome of what a First Lady is, but she said I just want to be a Christian who loves people. She wrote the book on what it meant to be a First Lady – a lady of class, a woman of distinction, a person of elegance.” Dr. Durley recalled his third sermon at Providence, “where I had just butchered the congregation with a horrible sermon”. Heading home, he asked his wife how she thought the Sunday service was. “The choir was great, and I’ve never seen better announcements in my life,” she cleverly replied. “She didn’t back up. She was always the one that would say ‘this is it’ but she wouldn’t beat you over the head with it. I do this in love,” she would say. She’d never put you down, she was always encouraging.” What marveled Dr. Durley, and countless others ostensibly, was Muriel’s uncanny and unflinching wisdom. “Your soft, penetrating wisdom is who you were and gave us all hope and encouragement to be the best that we can be,” he eulogized and exalted. “She was peaceful and pleasant. My love you are the tree of life. Muriel personified wisdom.” In a riveting pulpit ode to Muriel Durley – and ostensibly to the many others we’ve loved and lost this year - Hank Stewart, a popular poet, author, activist and SCLC Convention motivational speaker, soulfully repurposed his IT poem. “She had it. When she walked into the room, there was something very special about her; something radiant. You see, it is confidant; it is an air. It knows how to handle adversity. It takes things in stride. It cannot be inherited…. Simply because your mother had it doesn’t mean it will embrace you. It knows when to speak, and it knows when not to say a word. It is like a box of chocolate; you see it is preferred. You see when she smiles, you see it. When she laughs you hear it, when she tells you something, you believe it. When she hurts you feel it? Every man wants to love it. He wants to hold it. He wants to cherish it. Every man knows his life is incomplete without it.” REST IN PEACE, REST IN POWER Muriel Durley and our other African American loves and legends who have now gone on to Glory! THANK YOU!
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S C LC Na tio nal Magaz ine / Spring 2 02 1 Is s ue
