Redeeming the Soul of America....since 1957 National Magazine
Spring 2022 SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE "EXCELLENCE THROUGH DIVERSITY"
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REQUIREMENTS Must be a U.S. citizen Must be between 21-39 years of age Must have a High School diploma or a GED Must have a valid U.S. driver's license Must complete a background investigation
BENEFITS Competitive starting salary of $64,815.00 Health, dental and vision insurance Life and Long-term care insurance Thrift Savings Plan Flexible spending accounts Covered under the law enforcement provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System Student Loan Repayment Program Incentive up to $10,000 per year
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Table of Contents 6
E
Dr. Charles Steele Presidents Corner
9 Dr. Bernard Lafayette Chairman’s Corner
12 Mrs. Steele
From The First Lady
15 Angst & Awe, Refelctions at SCLC Turns 65
DeMark Liggins
19 Hosea Williams: The Tactical Mastermind of the Selma to Montgomery March Rolundus Rice
22 And Still We March Debbie Ellison
26 Selma 65
Autumn Smith
31 The Significant Contributions of Black Farmers in America Heather Gray
37 The Transformation Begins Locally Paster William Smart
ABOUT THE SCLC: Established in 1957, the SCLC, whose first president was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is an international organization made up of chapters and affiliates with programs that affect the lives of all Americans: north, south, east, and west. Its sphere of influence and interests have become international in scope because the human rights movement transcends national boundaries. For additional information about the SCLC, visit www.nationalsclc.org.
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NATIONAL EXECUTI V E OF F ICE R S
Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. President & CEO
Martin Luther King Jr. Founding President
Ralph D. Abernathy President 1968 - 1977
Fred L. Shuttlesworth President 2004
Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr Chairman
Joseph E. Lowery President 1977 - 1997
Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. President & CEO
Martin Luther King III President 1998 - 2003
Howard Creecy Jr. President 2011
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PRESI DENT’S CORNER
Calling All Future Leaders…Stand Up, Speak Up and Create Change! By Dr. Charles Steele Jr., SCLC National President & CEO
As I sat and thought about what I wanted to write about in this issue of the SCLC magazine, I knew I wanted to speak to our upcoming leaders. It is time that we understand the importance of creating leaders in our own communities. Leaders aren’t born, they’re taught, nourished, trained and developed. I believe to be a good leader you must know what a leader looks and acts like. We must start training our children on how to be good leaders. To be a leader you must have once been led. You must understand what it takes to be a leader, study under a mentorship, give of your time helping others and understanding their issues. You can’t speak to issues you don’t understand. It’s time to stand up, speak up and create change. SCLC is always willing and able to train young people on how to be leaders under the Kingian non-violent conflict reconciliation training courses. We need more leaders in this country. One or two leaders is not enough. We need leaders in every community and on every corner. We cannot lose this fight…our children’s lives depend on it! SCLC is reigniting the fire of Justice. We are lifting the torch high as we transform into an innovative organization ready and willing to take on that silent monster called racism. ‘ SCLC has transformed from a national organization to an international organization. Why? Because unfortunately, racism has a passport. As racism transforms, so will the SCLC. We are ready to devise new strategies to deal with the ever-camouflaged racism that exist. We are proud of our legacy and as we transform to deal with a changing world, we remain rooted in the followings of our co-founders. SCLC will continue to focus on domestic issues while embracing the international community simultaneously. What I have learned over the years is that there is no America without the world and there is no world without America. We have to care about the underserved across the globe as well.
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SCLC will do its part to uplift those affected by the war in Ukraine. We are all heart broken over the events taking place in Ukraine. As we see the unfair treatment of God’s children all around the world, we must speak up and help create change where we can. We can do this by helping to create SCLC leaders in every community in this country. Your voice is important and needs to be heard. SCLC is also concerned with not only what happens in the streets, but also what happens in the suites. I have been talking to you for almost two years about our “From the Streets to the Suites” campaign. 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! However, it’s time to take it to the suites. What goes on in the suites directly affects the streets. We need more leaders in the streets and the suites. The “From the Streets to the Suites” initiative targets corporations. This initiative looks at helping those that have been treated unfairly at their place of employment. We 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 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. This SCLC campaign has been taking from the streets to the suites for the last two years. Not only must we fight injustices in the streets, but we must also fight injustices in the suites. Corporations 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. Calling all leaders…It’s time! Find an SCLC chapter and we will help find you a mentor…leadership is calling.
We join the SCLC in honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We fully support equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic background. SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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FROM TH E CH AI RMAN
Chairman’s Corner Sclc Chairman Dr. Bernard Lafayette: The Interview Part One
Written by: Maynard Eaton Managing Editor
Dr. Bernard LaFayette is a bona fide Civil Rights Movement legend. He is one the few living comrades of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, and Julian Bond. Now overdue praise, tributes, honors, and awards are pouring in for the 81-year-old Chairman of SCLC. During Black History Month, the Tampa Bay History Center gave their native son a singularly significant salute with the first annual presentation of the Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. Award for the Preservation of Black History and Heritage. This annual award recognizes an individual or group whose work and contributions have significantly enhanced the understanding and awareness of the Tampa Bay area’s rich Black history. Dr. LaFayette, who was born in Tampa, Fla., co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1960 and has spent the decades since as a Civil Rights Movement activist, minister, educator and lecturer on strategy and nonviolent social change. And, there are more accolades. Dr. LaFayette also had a street named for him in Selma this year during the commemoration of the Selma to Montgomery March and he also was interviewed for a television series on his reflections of the President and Michelle Obama portraits travelling exhibits. Throughout most of his stellar career, Dr. LaFayette has shunned the spotlight, preferring instead to teach and train the tactics and philosophies of Nonviolence. That is changing somewhat now as he’s being showered with accolades and applause. During a wide-ranging hour long interview, I asked him about that and his iconic career.
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Here is Part One of our conversation. Maynard Eaton: You have been celebrated recently by friends and colleagues for your stellar career. Do you think that, at last, you are getting your just due as a Civil Rights leading activist? Dr. Bernard LaFayette: “Actually, I devoted my life to developing leaders so we can continue to have good leadership, social change and continue to institutionalize nonviolence. So, you need to have good institutions that would serve that purpose. And the way you can have good institutions is you’ve got to have good leadership and people who know how to not only make things change on the outside and in the community and globally, but you have to be able to maintain your institutions and you can’t do that without good leadership. So, in addition to training people, the strategies and the philosophy, I devoted my time to helping the trained leadership. So I cannot particularly promote myself as a leader, but as I get older, people have come to recognize the work that I’ve been doing a lot of people don’t know about”
ME: You are self-effacing, indeed. I mean you’re not necessarily striving to be viewed as a civil rights star, but as you grow in grace, don’t you want your work recognized and rewarded? DBL: “If I’ve just really focused on myself, then when I am gone, I have left nothing behind.” ME: Tampa Bay History Center and the first annual Bernard Lafayette award. You’re not going away. Your name’s going to live on, if nothing else, through that award and your accomplishments. What does that mean to you? What is that to you? The first annual Bernard Lafayette award in your name? DBL: “Well, I’m a native of Tampa, Florida, and I have a lot of history there. Even before I got involved in the movement. My experiences in Tampa, Florida, where I was born, those years helped to give me the vision that I needed and also the determination. So I experimented with how you can bring about changes at an early age. So I was convinced that it’s possible to change things. You don’t have to accept things, particularly if those things not for the good of all people.”
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ME: Share with us a little bit how you felt getting that award? Being back home and being recognized. You and famed attorney Ben Crump on the same evening. DBL: “Well, there was an irony there when I received that award. It was very special to me and it was already planned and people, my family and close friends, all planned to be there to celebrate. The irony of the thing, it was the same week that we were celebrating the life of my oldest sister. She was not older than I was, but she was my oldest sister and that had some interesting kind of dynamics. Well, people gathered for me, but they also gathered for her. So you gathered for a celebration of life, for both of us.” In Part 2 of my interview with Dr. LaFayette in our upcoming SCLC 2022 Anniversary magazine edition, we learn more about his fascinating life and his dedication to teachings on Nonviolence as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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We’re all
unique. Each person has different perspectives, experiences, and dreams. It’s through inclusion that we learn, grow, and create a better world around us. At Lowe’s, we believe in making homes better for all, without exceptions. By celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., we also honor the legacy of equality for everyone. ©2022 Lowe’s. Lowe’s and the gable mansard design are registered trademarks of LF, LLC.
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FROM THE FI RST L ADY
What is lupus nephritis? By Cathelean Steele, Founder, Justice for Girls
Greetings, I was recently asked to become a part of a team that is focusing on educating the African American population about lupus nephritis. I must admit that I had never heard of lupus nephritis. The Cleveland Clinic defines lupus nephritis as an autoimmune disease that triggers your immune system to attack your tissues. In addition to your kidneys research shows that lupus can attack your brain, heart, joints, skin and other parts of the body. Symptoms can include fluid buildup in your body and increased urine output. A research study by the Cleveland Clinic found that 80% of children with lupus will develop lupus nephritis. I researched this disease based on ethnic groups. The largest percentages of individuals with lupus and lupus nephritis are blacks, at 40 percent; whites, 38 percent; Asian, 5 percent; and Native Americans, 2 percent. I discovered through continued research that 50% of adults with lupus will develop lupus nephritis. Unfortunately, lupus nephritis develops about five years after the symptoms of lupus first appear. If you have lupus here are some symptoms that you might also have lupus nephritis. - Edema (swelling in your lower body or around your eyes.) - Fever with no known cause. - Hematuria (blood in the urine). - High blood pressure. - Increased urination, especially at night. - Muscle pain. - Proteinuria, which often causes your urine to look foamy. - Red skin rash on the face. - Weight gain due to excess fluid in your body. Lupus nephritis prevents your kidneys from controlling blood pressure and blood volume. This disease also prevents filtering wastes out of your blood, regulating hormone levels and maintaining the right levels of body fluids such as salts, acids and minerals.
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The long-term complications of this disease are a higher risk of certain cancers, including B-cell lymphoma (lymphoma affects the lymphatic system, which exists throughout the body and plays a major role in immune function.) Heart and blood vessel problems which can be incurable. According to research developed in the healthcare community kidney failure develops in ten percent to thirty percent of people with lupus nephritis. If kidney failure occurs you will need dialysis. Dialysis is a procedure to clean your blood when the kidneys aren’t working correctly.
Lupus nephritis is diagnosed through a physical examination. The antibody blood tests check for high levels of proteins made by the immune system. The labs check your kidney function. Urinalysis checks your wastes and other abnormal substances. Urine protein test checks for protein and other abnormal substances. Many healthcare providers do a kidney biopsy. The biopsy is a procedure to examine a small piece of tissue or sample of cells from your kidneys. This test helps the healthcare provider determine the severity of your kidney damage. It is important for all us to be aware of lupus and lupus nephritis because we can all make a difference in bringing awareness to our communities. With that being said, May is Lupus Awareness Month and May 10 is World Lupus Day. To show your support on May 10 the Lupus Foundation is encouraging us to wear purple. Please join the millions around the country and donate to the Lupus Foundation, or attend fund raising events. If you have lupus share your story on social media and encourage your friends to share your story on their social media platforms. Social media is a great way to spread awareness. Cathelean C. Steele
“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would say no sound is more powerful than the rhythm of marching feet. May we recommit ourselves to continue the march towards equality, justice, and freedom for all.”
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Awe and Angst
Reflections as SCLC turns 65 By: DeMark Liggins, Chief of Staff Southern Christian Leadership Conference
I am a 43-year-old Black man, father, son and husband. I also hold the distinction of being the Chief of Staff for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Reflecting on the SCLC, what has meant to my life and our country, fills me with pride and humility to hold this position. The SCLC has been active in protests, movements and nonviolent direct action. Beyond that, it has been at the forefront of seminal legislative and moral victories, highlighted by Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. Additionally, there have been countless local, state and corporate victories that were byproducts of the advocacy of the SCLC. The SCLC is deeply intertwined with the history of Black people in our country and the efforts to secure rights for the disenfranchised and oppressed. Without the SCLC, I would have never been able to obtain my Series 7 license and work as a stockbroker/banker prior to coming to the SCLC. My sister would not be an accomplished attorney, nor my other sister be the President/CEO of a city partnership in one of the largest cities in the South. My father would not have been a retired Lieutenant Colonel and Chaplain in the United States Air Force. My mother would not have obtained her Master’s degree in Social Work. Particularly because both of them grew up in the segregated south. My children were born in a time where we celebrated the election of our country’s first Black President and First Lady. My thirteen year old daughter is able to aspire to be an entrepreneur and a dermatologist. My six year old twin boys can dream large, live freely and laugh. None of this would be possible were it not for the convening of pastors, February 14th 1957. That day, a group of pastors, under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., convened to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Rooted in their faith, they dared to change our country for the better and challenge America to live up to her ideals of liberty and justice for all. They fought for equality in our laws, our right to vote and to reconcile the oppression and injustice that too long plagued our nation, particularly in the south. 65 years later, I find myself standing in a peculiar position. I am in awe that the SCLC led a nonviolent movement of direct action, leadership and change that defined the historic Civil Rights Movement. I am in angst, that entrenched tenacles of oppression and injustice still choke our communities. Yes, I am proud of the work the SCLC has done, but am committed to making sure that we will continue to “Redeem the Soul of America”. Income inequality, wealth gaps, housing disparity, racial profiling and voter suppression are too often the norm for the Black and the poor. Addressing those issues been exacerbated by the presence of the exceptions to those norms. Of course, we applaud and highlight members of our community who have been able to overcome the perilous path faced by many in in our country. But civil rights and advocacy is the work of making sure that access is for the masses not the few.
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The influence and impact of SCLC over the past 65 years was not a product of our degrees, our job titles or the square footage of our homes. Our history has come from being resolute in confronting issues with the boldness of truth, the fearlessness of faith and a humility of spirit. Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., our National President/CEO, often says that America cannot heal, until every community affected by slavery and oppression can reconcile the scars that both the oppressor and the oppressed carry. It is not an easy task to undertake. In a world defined by clicks, media appearances and likes, we often overlook the work and patience it takes to affect change. The allure of popularity makes it difficult to confront the harsh past of our nation and the systemic oppression that continue to exist today. Yet, Dr. Steele stands as a reminder to me, the SCLC, and our country that our work is not yet finished. The SCLC is still standing 65 years after its establishment, a feat in and of itself. Many groups were not able to withstand the perils of time. I am impressed that the organization is strong and resolute. We will continue to press America to live up to her best ideals. We will be here for the next 65 years and beyond until freedom and equality are indeed found from sea to shining sea.
We congratulate the SCLC’s efforts to improve world peace and equality for all. www.fnf.com
DeMark Liggins is a proud alum of Alabama State University, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and involved in several civic organizations in the Atlanta area. He is married to his wife Atoya and they have three children, Reagan (13), Darden (7) and Deuce (7).
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Voting
Justice
65
Equality
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h
Hosea Williams: The Tactical Mastermind of the Selma to Montgomery March By: Rolundus Rice, Ph.D
Historians and journalists have documented the events leading up to “Bloody Sunday.” However, many scholars have not examined the critical fourteen days between March 7 through March 21, 1965. Hosea described these two weeks as “crisis-packed.” “We immediately set to work preparing for a second Selma-to-Montgomery march….” Hosea, Young said, “assumed responsibility for logistics.” According to John Lewis, “Hosea never stopped. Apparently he started planning for the continuation of the march” as soon as the chaos ended on Sunday. “He,” Lewis continued, “became the leader and ringmaster more than anyone else.” Early on the morning of March 8, Hosea, as the lead plaintiff, filed suit in the United States District Court Middle District of Alabama against Governor George Wallace, Al Lingo, the Director of Alabama Public Safety’s Department and Sheriff Jim Clark. Seasoned civil rights attorneys Fred D. Gray, Solomon Seay, James Nabrit III, and Jack Greenberg served as counsel. In Williams v. Wallace, the plaintiffs filed motions for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to nullify Governor Wallace’s March 6 proclamation banning any marches in Selma—an act that Judge Johnson would later declare crossed the “constitutional boundary line.” Initially, however, Judge Johnson told the plaintiffs that he would not immediately enjoin the defendants from blocking any subsequent marches until he held hearings later that week. Pointedly, Johnson strongly recommended that the SCLC postpone the march scheduled for Tuesday. After filing the motion at the federal courthouse in Montgomery, Hosea traveled a few miles to the MIA’s headquarters on Dorsey Street to plan strategy for new demonstrations to demand the right to vote and a redress of grievances. On Monday evening, March 9, after spending Sunday night sleeping on the kitchen floor in the Brown Chapel parsonage, Hosea met with King, Young, Bevel and SNCC members, Lewis, Willie Ricks, and Fay Bellamy, to discuss how to channel the momentum that had reached a crescendo only twenty-four hours earlier. Engaged in the teleconference meeting from Washington, D.C., was United States Attorney General, Nicholas Katzenbach. With Katzenbach dissenting the meeting participants initially decided to march to Montgomery the following day until they realize the logistical nightmares that would follow a hastily-planned fifty-four-mile march that could easily span four or five days. Planning was complicated 19 SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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by the fact that over four-hundred priests, ministers and rabbis had already arrived from throughout the country in Selma in response to King’s plea to support the demonstration. For example, “We had to find places for them, and figure out how to feed them,” Hosea said. Moreover, Johnson, whom the SCLC needed as an impartial ally, had cautioned them against marching until he could hear testimony later in the week and, as Katzenbach made clear, the Johnson Administration vehemently opposed a march the next day. As a compromise with the White House and the Justice Department, King, with the counsel of his senior leadership, including Hosea, agreed to lead a symbolic march close to Haistens Mattress and Awning Company on Tuesday. Haistens was located just before the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Once the 1,500 marchers, one third of whom were clergymen, reached the bridge, they knelt in prayer and marched back to Brown Chapel. The next week was arguably one of the most hectic and demanding seven days of Hosea’s tenure in SCLC. King instructed him to formulate a logistical plan to be submitted to Judge Frank Johnson for the latter’s consideration when deciding to permit the march to Montgomery. “What a job,” he told King. But his military training from his days with a quartermaster truck company during the Allied Occupation of Europe and his experiences in leading highly-publicized civil rights demonstrations during the previous three years in Savannah and St. Augustine gave him the background needed to create a logistical plan that could pass judiciary muster. That plan carried was also important in shaping Lyndon Johnson’s deliberations because Alabama officials had insisted in hearings on March 16 and 17 that a march from Selma to Montgomery was not conducive to the safety of the public. Thousands of marchers presented one problem, protecting, feeding and providing toilet facilities presented other obstacles. Moreover, Hosea had to construct a plan that not only conformed to state and county parade procedures, he also had to anticipate and preempt Wallace’s and Lingo’s arguments while devising a proposal within a very short window of time. Hosea solicited the assistance of Attorneys Jack Greenberg and James Nabrit to ensure that his proposal, which was submitted to Judge Johnson on March 17, did not break any laws, a misstep which would have been used by the defendants to halt any plans for the march and thereby bring the movement’s momentum to a halt. Over the next few days, Hosea devised a detailed logistical plan that included the dates, times, routes and the mileage that would be covered each day of the march. By all standards of measurement, he, and to some degree, other SCLC staffers, had to plan for the unpredictable actions of Governor George Wallace, the Alabama Department of Public Safety and the nameless and numberless white toughs who will invariably stalk and attempt to ambush unarmed marchers. Undaunted, he considered every conceivable, reasonable detail. He laid out the support services that would be available to the marchers: food, truck-borne washing and toilet facilities, litter and garbage pickup by truck along the route, ambulance and first-aid service, and communication services via “walkie-talkie.” Lastly, Hosea spelled out what would happen once the marchers reached the state capitol in Montgomery on the final day of the fifty-four mile trek from Selma. Hosea’s detailed plan won the approval of Judge Johnson. On March 18, 1965, at approximately 4:42 p.m., Judge Johnson signed the order declaring that the march could
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proceed. Hosea’s plan called for the march to commence Sunday, March 21. On Sunday morning, March 21, exactly two weeks to the minute since Hosea had delivered his impassioned speech to congregants at Brown Chapel AME, he and a diverse group of approximately 4,000 demonstrators prepared to leave for the first-leg of the four-day march. “When it finally got started, it was pretty tame. I was so busy, I probably missed a lot,” Hosea said. The huge number of out-of-town participants strained even the best laid plans. Alexander Aldrich, chairman of the Special Cabinet Committee on Civil Rights in the administration of New York Governor, Nelson Rockefeller, painted a clear picture for posterity: “Lots and Lots of the brass, and hundreds of kids, plain folks, white and Negro,” came to support the epic protest. The fifty-four mile protest reached its climax on March 25 after more than 30,000 marchers, including two Nobel Peace Prize winners, several United States Congressmen and entertainers, made it to the Alabama State Capitol on Dexter Avenue, less than one hundred yards from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church — the only church that King pastored a decade earlier. Marchers started out that morning eight abreast, fighting to keep the lines organized until they made it to the capitol. Hosea, Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta, took the lead with Ralph and Juanita Abernathy. Marchers knew they were witnessing a historic moment in the history of the United States as they saw the stars and bars of the Confederate flag atop the dome of the capitol building—with a spot on its portico identifying where Jefferson Davis had taken his oath as the president of the Confederacy in 1861 – irony that is Williamsesque in every sense.
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AND STILL WE MARCH – How long? Not long! By: Debbie Ellison
Under the leadership of its national president, Dr. Charles Steele Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference helped lead the Selma-to-Montgomery commemorative march again this year, as it first did in the historic 1965 march under the leadership of Hosea Williams. Every first weekend in March, the Bridge Crossing Jubilee sponsors a crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 1965 march, which historically has been known as “Bloody Sunday,” and the march from Selma to Montgomery that followed. On March 7, 1965, peaceful protesters, including the late Rev. Hosea Williams and Congressman John Lewis, were met by more than 50 state troopers as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. When the demonstrators refused to turn back, they were brutally beaten and tear-gassed. At least 17 were hospitalized. On March 21, 1965, protesters marched 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery. These marches led to Congress passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law on August 6. This year, national civil rights and voting rights groups led the full 54-mile Selma-toMontgomery March, with a different organization leading each day to honor the men and women who marched that same route 57 years ago. It is an annual recommitment to the fight for voting rights and to inspire the new generations of activists. Prior to this year’s march, former Senator Hank Sanders, co-founder of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, joined with other national civil rights and voting rights leaders in a zoom media conference to emphasize this year’s 50-mile, six-day march to “lift the continuing struggle for voting rights in this country.” Senator Sanders said, as a student at Talladega College in Alabama, he participated in the last leg of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march.
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“I know first-hand the power and impact of the 1965 voting rights march,” he said. “We need some of that power and some of that impact right now. I vividly remember Dr. Martin Luther King’s refrain of ‘How Long Not Long.’ And when he would say ‘How long?’ we in the crowd shouted ‘not long.’ I never thought that ‘not long’ would have us marching from Selma to Montgomery in 2022, some 57 years later, fighting for the right to vote. However, we are now called upon to not just protect and expand the vote for marginalized people, but for an even larger cause. We must save democracy in America and perhaps in the world.” Speaking on behalf of SCLC National President Dr. Charles Steele Jr., SCLC Chief of Staff DeMark Liggins expressed why this march right now is important to the SCLC and to the country. “It’s really one of those things, when we talk about Selma, it led my spirit to the Bible’s Book of Hosea, mostly because, if you know about Selma, you would have to know about the Civil Rights Movement and Hosea Williams and what that meant and his impact in terms of why he led the Selma-to-Montgomery march. And Dr. Steele always reminds us that we must remember how these Movements started and what they were started for to remind us of why we’re still fighting to this day.” Liggins continued, “SCLC will always continue to fight forces of oppression with nonviolent direct action, as we have since we were started back in 1957.” With Marcus Arbery, father of Ahmaud Arbery, standing behind her, Barbara Arnwine, Esq, President and Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, said, “We just walked out of the Ahmaud Arbery hate crimes case against the McMichaels and Bryan. There’s nothing more important in this day and time than recreating, recommitting, relaunching the modern-day immediate fight for the right to vote.” LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said during the news conference, the march would be joined by ten HBCUs that would each be leading one mile of the march. “We want to make sure that the voices of young people are heard and are amplified. This is not a reenactment; this is a recommitment, and this is to reenergize the movement that should really be able to protect voter rights in this nation that is under attack. What we also recognize is that there is a new generation of young people who have the vision of moving their country forward to be the nation that we desire and we deserve.” The Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s National Field Director, Bishop Tavis Grant, also participated. “Two U.S. senators who represent less than three percent of the population are blocking so much that means so much to us in terms of our fight and our quest for equal protection under the law. These senators are blocking the George Floyd Justice Act, they’re blocking the Freedom to Vote Act, they’re blocking the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, they’re blocking the Electoral Count Act. They’re blocking billions of dollars that would come to at-risk communities for the unemployed, the uninsured, and the marginalized, and the low-wage workers across our country.”
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“This is a pivotal political year,” contended Liz Theoharis, Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary. She also co-chairs the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival. “We, in this year, are seeing the biggest onslaught of voter suppression laws and the biggest attack on voting rights since Reconstruction, since right after the Civil War. We see the march as vital, as necessary. When one-third of the electorate of the nation is pulling away from voters, and we see the kind of attacks that we see going on, we know that we cannot be silent.” NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney, Tanesha Williams, said, “This year’s theme, Fight For the Vote, is an urgent call. The stakes could not be higher for our democracy this year. So we q will march from Selma to Montgomery because the history made by foot soldiers who marched before us cannot and will not be unwritten.” Melanie Campbell, President/CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable, expressed her frustration. “Here we are again, back to the future when it comes to where we are, when it comes to our voting rights. The Voting Rights Act and all the blood that has been shed all those many decades ago is calling for us. We have to have this Voting Rights Act restored to its full strength to be able to enforce the tsunami of attacks we know are there.” When asked if this signaled a new day for the Civil Rights Movement, Senator Sanders answered, “It signals a recommitment to complete what the old days never did complete. These initiatives didn’t even start in 1965. They started far before that. It’s a new moment, new initiative, a recommitment.” The Selma-to-Montgomery march mattered then, and it matters now, many believe. As Martin Luther King Jr. said in his “How long? Not long” speech on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol after the completion of the Selma-to-Montgomery march on March 25, 1965: “They told us we wouldn’t get here. And there were those who said that we would get here only over their dead bodies. But all the world today knows that we are here and we are standing before the forces of power in the state of Alabama saying, ‘We ain’t goin’ let nobody turn us around.’ How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Are the leaders who marched in Selma in 2022, as those who did 57 years ago, still asking, “How long?”
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www.sclcconvention.com
63rd Annual Convention of the National SCLC
The Right to Vote The Fight for Justice
Thursday, July 21, 2022 Friday, July 22, 2022 There is no cost to register for this virtual event.
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Selma 56: An Intergenerational Experience By: Autumn Smith
When we think about some of the most significant events in World history, the American Civil Rights movement of the mid 20th century was one of the most captivating events in modern history. The Civil Rights Movement, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was the driving force behind integration, civil rights legislation, and voting rights. The success of the civil rights movement did not come without resistance. One of the most traumatic events of the Civil Rights Movement, and in American history, was Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was a term that coined the violent and horrific event that happened on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama. John Lewis, Hosea Williams, and dozens of Foot Soldiers, attempting to march from Selma to the state capital in Montgomery in protest for voting rights, were met with extreme violence from White citizens and police in Selma. Before the protesters could even leave Selma, their non-violent demonstration was met with the ugly realities of American racism. The gruesomeness of the event has remained in the memory of United States history, and it is a story African Americans have not let America forget about. The Selma Jubilee Committee has commemorated Bloody Sunday for fiftysix years. The week-long commemoration honors and remembers the Foot Soldiers of the Selma Movement and offers an experience unlike any other. The Selma Commemoration is the only Civil Rights event that is nationally celebrated. The commemorative event draws people from around the world from all walks of life and all generations. One of the most impactful aspects of the commemorative event is its intertwining generations. You see Foot Soldiers that are ninety-one walking sideby-side with seventeen-year-olds, or the fifty-six-year-old politician walking next to the seven-year-old. The intergeneration of Selma is what makes it special.
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It is a fantastic honor to have the ability to be able to march side-by-side with those who have fought for the freedoms of African Americans in this country. The Selma Jubilee celebration allows people to experience living history from those who were there. Younger generations have the chance to listen to those who used their lives to fight for social justice. History is often explored through secondary sources, such as books or even magazine articles, but the Jubilee is a first-hand experience. It is incredible to have the ability to have personal conversations with victims of Bloody Sunday and hear their stories. I have had the pleasure of attending the Selma Commemorative event six times since 2015, and every year I am grateful to be in the presence of the Foot Soldiers and civil rights icons, such as Bernard Lafayette. Marching side-by-side with Dr. Lafyette and other Foot Soldiers has significantly impacted my life and has made me more appreciative of their sacrifices than any book or video ever could. One of the most memorable Selma experiences was the 50th commemoration when President Barack Obama was the keynote speaker. It was incredibly moving to see the first African American president march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where that would not have been possible only fifty years ago. It was moving for so many African Americans to be able to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Obama and hundreds of other foot soldiers, signifying a changing society. The most moving aspect of the commemorative service is the presence of Foot Soldiers, especially as they lead the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The presence of Foot Soldiers also gives society the opportunity to give praise and honor to those who fought for freedom. Bronson Woods, a millennial who was accompanying United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee for this year’s jubilee celebration, expressed how being able to give praises to the Foot Soldiers was one of the most important aspects for him. Father time is something no man has found a way to beat, and our Foot Soldiers are no exception. As our Foot Soldiers grow in age, it is essential that we continue to praise them, now more than ever. They are now our responsibility to care and fight for the same way they have done for us. Like many senior citizens in society, our foot soldiers are unfortunately sometimes overlooked and overshadowed. This is a flaw of society, but it is something we must become more conscious of. Selma offers Foot Soldiers a time for recognition, but that is only once a year. Foot Soldiers have made so many contributions that should be celebrated year-round. Selma Jubilee is a wonderful experience, but the recognition of our foot soldiers should not be limited to one week a year. Foot Soldiers should be recognized more by historians and popular culture. Although Foot Soldiers have not broadly gotten the recognition they deserve, the Selma Jubilee does offer us the opportunity.
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The Selma Commemoration is a lifechanging, multi-generational event that is a part of our American story. Every year the commemoration of Bloody Sunday reminds us that the violence civil rights leaders and Foot Soldiers endured was not in vain, and their protest resulted in victory. It is important that America and the world remember the story of Bloody Sunday and what they were fighting for, equality, justice, and freedom. Selma reminds us that after the rain always comes a rainbow.
Autumn Smith is a Public Historian, that focuses on African American history between 1860-1968. Smith is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in History at the University of West Georgia. She has served as a National Ambassador for the Justice for Girls Program and has sojourned with the SCLC in the annual Selma to Montgomery Commemoration since 2015.
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A a
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Prevent Sex Trafficking
An iniiaave of the Southern Chrissan Leadership Conference SCLC developed as an educaaonal awareness project aimed at highlighhng the alarming growth of sex trafficking in our communiies. A pracccal guide of interaccve lessons designed to increase the sense of value and worth of girls 5-18 thereby reducing the risk of commerical sexual exploitaaon.
For more informaaon or to partner please email us at jussceforgirls@naaonalsclc.org SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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The significant contributions of Black Farmers in America By: Heather Gray
One of the most significant communities in America is Black farmers. Their contributions have been immense as they have fed their communities and have always generously done so during slavery and since the end of slavery. Their production of food has been diverse and with a wealth of traditional knowledge throughout the generations that is maintained to the present day. Some History of Black Farmers in America In the late 1990s, while working at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, I conducted a research project of interviews with Black farmers. I was amazed at the abundance and variety of produce grown by these farmers. Even if they grew a huge acreage of crops in the South, as in monocrops, they also tended to maintain an important tradition of a diverse production of fruits and vegetables somewhere on their farm. When farmers talked about the crops they grew, regardless of their struggles, on a consistent basis I witnessed a gleam in their eyes. It’s as if farming is indeed a spiritual experience. Yet this on-going productivity has never been easy, largely because of southern and national politics, along with the growing industrial systems in agriculture that continue to threaten the integrity of our important family farmer sector and the discrimination from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that has invariably favored white farmers at the expense of farmers of color. Nevertheless, prior to and since the end of the Civil War in 1865, Black farmers have made significant contributions to agriculture in America. The Freedman’s Bureau was created in 1865 to assist freed slaves and poor whites after the Civil War. The Bureau, however, was never given the directive from Congress to offer ‘40 acres’ to individuals in the Black community but rather small portions of from 10 to 15 acres. Unlike whites that were given free land in the west, thanks to the 1862 Homestead Act, Blacks needed to “purchase” their land. In fact, with the Homestead Act, American whites received some of the most massive welfare subsidies of any people in the world in the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, by the early 1900’s the Black community had managed to purchase
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some 15 million acres of land. It was an amazing feat. Yet by 1910, the loss of blackowned land began with the advent, for one, of Jim Crow laws in the South. It was noted that between 1910 and 1997 the black farming community had lost 90 percent of their property which, according to ‘The Atlantic’ magazine, was ‘conservatively’ estimated to be worth $350 billion in today’s world.
Contributions of Black Farmers, George Washington Carver & Black Farmer Lawsuit The contributions of the Black farming community in the development of U.S. food and culture have also been exceptional. Most of the slaves in America came from West Africa and that culture is reflected, for one, in the food we eat today. For centuries, Black farmers have maintained the growth of these traditional foods, and many of the African foods we eat in the 21rst century came with Africans on ships during the slave trade. African origins of some of our foods include okra, gumbo, watermelon, spinach, coffee, yams, black-eyed peas, sorghum, and African rice. All of these foods resonate in the South today. African rice was critical to building wealth in the American colonies. For example, white plantation owners in South Carolina did not have a clue about growing rice. They opted to bring in slaves from West Africa where rice had been grown for thousands of years. It was African women who taught these plantation owners, of course, as women were the farmers, as was true throughout most of the African continent. Nevertheless, white South Carolinians still resonate from the wealth they accumulated thanks to the skills and vast knowledge of African female farmers. No narrative on agriculture can be complete without referring to the agriculturalist and scientist, George Washington Carver, who played an extraordinary role through his work at Tuskegee University. Many say he saved the South. Carver recognized that the depleted soil from cotton production could be alleviated by a rotation of crops. Cotton, for example, should be rotated with legumes such as peanuts to fix nitrogen in the soil, and farmers today are largely attentive to this practice.
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It is also important to note that the discrimination Black farmers experienced at the USDA was addressed by Black farmers when they filed the ‘Pigford Lawsuit’ in 1999 in what became the largest class-action lawsuit every filed against the US government. It resulted in more than a billion dollars paid to farmers in the lawsuit. Summary As they say in southern Africa, ‘the struggle continues’, but ‘thank you’ Black farmers for your huge contributions!
We Join the SCLC in Honoring the Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. May His Dream Become a Reality for All People.
By Choice, We Fully Support Equal Opportunity for All People, Regardless of Race, Creed, Sex, Age, Sexual Orientation, Disability or Ethnic Background.
HEATHER GRAY has a history of activism on civil and human rights for decades in the southern region of the United States as well as nationally and internationally. She expresses this background and activism in media both on the radio and in articles. For more than two decades she served as the Director of Communications for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund which is the primary organization in the United States devoted to and assisting Black farmers.
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GTV M
In Honor of
Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. 1929 – 1968
Gray Television and our employees honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. May his wisdom, words and dreams continue to shape our hearts and minds for years to come.
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We believe in equal opportunity for all regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, or ethnic background.
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Saluting the power of a dream and the courage of a voice.
Snack Foods
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968 The Herr’s name and logo are registered trademarks of Herr Holdings Inc. and are used under license. ©2011 Herr Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.
The IBEW proudly stands with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The Transformation Begins Locally By:Pastor William Smart
Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California took on a new beginning In of 2013. A new President, Pastor William D Smart Jr, and new leaders Alice Goff and Pastor William Monroe Campbell(to name a few) took the helm. The Chapter embraced programs that focused on education enrichment, employment enhancements and economic employment. It increase its activities around voter participation and youth development. All the MLK Young Dreamers of Justice during the Christmas giveaway
The youth development consists of creating the MLK Young Dreamers for Justice. They are youth between the ages of 11-17, that have learned the teaching of Dr King and apply them to their lives. It is multiracial and religiously diverse. The founders Jehoshua Jireh Smart and Ella Rosenson want to make sure the organization stays relevant by addressing issues that cause the leaders to be change agents in the world today. They have learned that it is important to help provide meals to the hungry and provide toys to needy children. However is just as important to change the systems that harvest a houseless population that is disproportionate Black. SCLC-SC has develop The Beloved Community of Los Angeles. It is a transformative movement which - through collaboration, reconciliation, and redemption - offers all people the opportunity to be the best that we together can be in kinship and community. With love, respect, courage, and nonviolence, the Beloved Community works bring together diverse communities to work in concert to eliminate poverty and economic inequality, dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy, ensure the human dignity and equality of every person, and achieve justice for all, where every person experiences freedom, safety and belonging. SCLC -SC in August 2021 and then in January 2022 gave expressions of the beloved Community in two zoom events.
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We develop it into four areas Building the Beloved Community will begin with four areas of concern: 1 Peace: ending militarism and working to enhance efforts to reduce violence in the home, the neighborhood, and the city. We want to create a new vision of public safety focused on enabling a society where all people are thriving. Rather than continued investment in a militarized police state, we will advocate for investment in the resources that protect and support human health, wellbeing, and freedom of action. 2. Economic Justice: working to ensure equal access to quality education and competitive opportunities; fair distribution of resources and the fruits of labor. We want to focus on black liberation in a framework of solidarity where everyone experiences freedom, safety and belonging.
Pastor Smart ridding the truck around city during recall of Gavin Newsom
3. Racial and Intersectional Justice: There is a long history of racism, exclusion, and discrimination against people of color, Indigenous people, immigrants, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and religious minorities in this nation. We are committed to building and strengthening transformational alliances and solidarity amongst diverse communities in our shared struggle against white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and antiMuslim bigotry, systemic racism, patriarchy, xenophobia homophobia, economic inequality, and sexism. As a Beloved Community, we embrace and will bring together Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander, White, immigrant, poor and working class, LGBTQIA+, and diverse faith communities to seek equity and justice for all. 4. Climate Sustainability: actively engaging in all efforts to reduce the deterioration of the Earth’s climate and to support the world’s people in adapting responsibly to the coming changes. As global warming becomes more evident with widespread changes in weather patterns it is necessary for the community to be resilient to these acute catastrophic events, which include droughts, heat waves, sea level rise, flooding, forest fires, and other anthropogenic-induced deviations. Community Resiliency creates alliances between residents, community-based organizations, and local agencies to withstand climate-related disasters. In order to build resilience, a community must develop capabilities such as (1) prevention, (2) mitigation, (3) response, and (4) recovery.has been working very hard on issues surrounding hunger used development and responding to the various needs of the community. Chapter has initiated the Beloved Community program that he’s reaching out throughout the community to bring about the check the system exchanges Dr. Christine so arrogant the worked on 37 SCLC National Magazine/ Spring 2022 Issue
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throughout his lifetime. The last two years the chapter has been working on issues. Centered around voter engagement and participation. The county knows that SCLC-SC stands up to anyone that attempts to disenfranchised the voting rights of anyone. We formed a comprehensive coalition, “ Out Of Many One ”, to address the inequalities of voting. Our coalition partners are working all around the country in elections to attenuate the affects of the recent Republican state mandates. We have been on national programs articulating the need to continue to push forward. We believe that there must be a four step program, some of our affiliate partners are implementing to overcome the attempts of state governments to suppress their votes. One ,investigate the new laws and see hat the masses of people can do. Two, information teach and instruct the voters what they can do. Three Vote, strategize get out the vote based on the new laws. Court, empower make sure we are strong so that we can change the electorate. SCLC-SC has a sister organization called Hurting and Hungry Charities that out President in Executive Director, along with SCLC-SC Poor Peoples Campaign they have provided groceries to over 10,000 family members that last year. With 1 out 5 people facing food insecurities in Los Angeles County the work of our group has increased during the pandemic. This collaboration, along with Woman of SCLC-SC distributed 19,000 Von Dutch Shoes to the total community Southern California.
Young man Jehoshua Smart selecting food durning the Christmas giveaway
The work of SCLC-SC could not be completed if it didn’t work closely with the labor movement of Los Angeles. There are many labor movements leaders and workers that call on SCLC-SC daily to advocate, petition, defend and support. We believe that African American workers must have access to good jobs, and one of the ways for this to take place is through a strong labor movement. Employment enhancements comes through working in collaboration with strong unions that you still must hold accountable The Women of SCLC - Southern California have been busy making a difference and effecting positive change in our community Under the Leadership of Pastor Thembekila Crystal
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Coleman- Smart , collectively are serving, growing and on the move. They are providing monthly health screenings (Especially Glucose and Blood Pressure and Weight Check- Ins ) , food giveaway, hot meals on Sundays , feminine items , Holiday meals and gifts and so much more to our community.They work to improve the health of a community that is in need and help. They sharing yoga, meditation , dance classes, and providing Covid test and vaccinations. Over the last year they have provided three vaccination sites. They are putting heat in the streets over the killings of our young people as well as offering prayers and comfort to families during the season of loss. They recognizing the need for professional counseling and mental health for black and brown women and are have offering workshops, clinical resources and peer - counseling sessions that assist and provide help with the alleviation of depression and anxiety. They are doing monthly shout - outs to discuss with other churches, grassroots groups and nonprofits to connect and check in. At our annual Gala and MLK Jr. sacrifice month , The Women of SCLC- SC give out award recognitions to those who have shown exemplary leadership in our areas of purpose, Education, Liberation, Dedication, Health and Wellness , Grassroots Action , Peace Building and Wholistic Care. Our last two awards were the Miriam Wright Edelman Award received by Doctor Kimberly Bolanile Paggett ( teacher/ punlicist ) and the Black Literary received by Dr. Daniel Black. ( Professor/ Writer) Two of the Current Campaigns they are working on are , The Black Maternal and Infant Wellness As a Civil Rights Campaign and The Rights of Ill - treated Black Women Hotel Workers at the Château Marmont (Los Angeles) . The Women of SCLC- SC seek to grow in grace , expand their platform and make strides for Justice across the community. Recognizing God's love, justice, and mystery prevails when we work diligently in the Spirit of Unity as we surrender to God's sovereignty.
Ferno-Washington, Inc. 70 Weil Way Wilmington, OH 45177 Supports Equal Opportunity for All, Regardless of Race, Creed, Sex, Age, Disability or Ethnic Background
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On February 14, 1957 a group of pastors and leaders, gathered under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to form an organization to bring nonviolent direct action to empower and bring freedom to Black Americans under the umbrella of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
April 4, 1968, a tragic day, when an assassin’s bullet took the life of Dr. King. But it did not take the life out his movement, instead it provided the spark that brought light to his life’s work on nonviolent direct action and change.
The Love and Light Campaign supports the history, the work and the future of the SCLC. As you join, you help us continue to fulfill our mission of “Redeeming the Soul of America!”
Please head to http://nationalsclc.org/lal for more information
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Burgess Pigment Co., Inc. Beck Boulevard Sandersville, Georgia
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YO U DON T H AV E T O BE SO STRONG BUT IF I’M NOT, WHO WILL?
Being a caregiver takes a special kind of commitment. We know your strength is super, but you’re still human.
A A R P. O R G / C A R E G I V I N G 1 - 8 7 7 - 3 3 3 - 5 8 8 5
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