A Proud Memory and a Little History Lesson (no poem today)

 I am writing to all of you too young to remember the experience of August 28, 1963, or those of you who were not taught about a significant event in the history of the United States or to those who have forgotten.

I see and hear how upset you are about the protests turned violent, as you should be,  however, you also need to be reminded or educated of the events that proved that non-violence and leadership could make a difference.  Contrary to recent rhetoric, protesters who are not violent or looting or burning are NOT terrorists.  They are invoking their constitutional rights. 

The First Amendment text reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

 

                                        Notice what the sign says about Police Brutality

The Civil Rights March, August 28, 1963, was organized by the following black leaders of Civil Rights and Non-Violence movement of the time.

Bayard Rustin

Phillip Randolph

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

James Farmer, Jr

John Lewis

Whitney Young, Jr

Roy Wilkins

YouTube videos of August 28, 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnjfeueZB3Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s

The Great March on Washington, which included approximately 250,000 people, was peaceful, organized and was to protest the inequality of jobs and civil rights.  The Great March traveled a mile ending at the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr delivered his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech.

 After the Great March, the culmination of many months of planning and leadership, President John Kennedy and Vice-President Lyndon Johnson met with all the leaders. That meeting helped forge ahead and establish the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

However, since that time not much has happened.  I posted this a few days past that very little has been done to establish the Civil Rights protection our country desperately needs:

From Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia of American History.

Not much has changed since 1967.

"The race riots of the 1960s led President Johnson to establish a National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders in 1967. The commission identified white racism as the main cause of the riots. Specifically mentioned were pervasive discrimination and segregation, black migration to the cities as whites left them, harsh ghetto conditions, and frustration of hopes and a feeling of powerlessness on the part of many blacks. There is little evidence that there were no serious efforts to correct the problems raised by the commission. The Johnson administration, and those that followed, viewed the riots as law-enforcement problems rather than signs of social imbalance."

 

The inequality that is so systemic in our country can end, but with what I see as one word: Leadership.  Something that is lacking and absent in so much of the country.  Our country does not need politicians or big business!  We need people like John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, who wanted the best for everyone!  Not Democrat or Republican, not black or white or brown---leaders who love this country and are willing to fight and perhaps die as did Martin Luther King and John Kennedy did.  They had only begun their fight for equality and were killed probably because of the same systemic injustice that was prevalent then and so overwhelmingly in our country today.

Change can come, but as a citizen, it can only happen if you vote!  Vote for a candidate representing a city, state, and federal who has morals, compassion, and nothing to hide or no hidden agenda.  For that to happen, we all must educate ourselves with open minds and open hearts and with a passion for ensuring equality for all the citizens of this United States. You know the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?  Well, it's broken, and that means it's time to vote the old out and vote the new in, all across the board.

If you are 18 and over and are not registered, please register!  You can do this easily online:

https://www.ok.gov/e…/Voter_Info/Register_to_Vote/index.html

If you are registered and are 18 and above, there is no excuse not to vote.  If you are unable to get to the polls, you can easily do absentee voting.  Follow this link to apply:

https://www.ok.gov/elections/Voter_Info/Absentee_Voting/