“Anti-Human and Anti-Civil Rights”
The Anti-Civil Rights Anti-Human Rights Era
America is in a full-blown Anti-Civil Rights, Anti-Human Rights era.
This is a time not unlike 1877 – 1954. A time when racism was legal, powerful and popular. Churches made it the center of their worship. It was the center of education from Kindergarten to University. It ruled the workplace…It was the religion of Western Civilization. It ruled the military from Boot Camp to West Point.
During this above era, most of our HBCU’s were born. Black fraternities and sororities were born. W. E. B. DuBois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Nannie Helen Burroughs, Dorothy Height, Benjamin E. Mays, Charlotte H. Brown, the NAACP, the Urban League, Black banks, insurance companies, and great self-help and “in spite of” endeavors were created. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in 1929, the year of the Great Depression.
The above era was a time when great leaders of civil rights, liberation, education, business and religion came forth as prophets, apostles, writers, and activists. It was a time when great creativity came forth and became immortal. I lift up all the above to underscore how greatness is born and blossoms in the worst of times.
I write the above to remind myself and others that God brings forth lilies, roses, oaks, pines, cedars, springs and streams in deserts, storms and dangerous times and places. Look at Moses and Jesus… Look at Maya Angelou, Harry Belafonte, Martin Luther King, Jr., Fred Shuttlesworth, Fannie Lou Hamer, Thurgood Marshall, Marian Wright Edelman… Look at yourself.
Many of us share the living and lasting testimony: “Through many dangers toils and snares I have already come.” Grace and Courage will lead us home. However, we must VOTE! We must help each other. Especially in the time of storms, earthquakes, and faith-quakes!
We must never cease singing to ourselves and others. “I’m so glad trouble [Trump] don’t last always.”
| We have work to do. | |
| We have votes to cast. | |
| We have children to nurture and liberate. | |
| We have a charge to keep. | |
| We have burdens to bare. | |
| We have blessings to share. |
This is no time to whine and dine on crumbs of despair. We have journeys before us. We must come to the table of possibilities in the presence of hostilities.
“If God be for us, who can triumph over us or enslave us?” Love, justice and truth are not sleeping. They are calling upon us to remain awake through dangers, toils and snares.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” We must trust God, help each other and lift and love our children. We can rise, live and achieve in this anti-human rights, anti-civil rights and anti-democracy age.
In years now gone, a well-known poet said:
| “Wrong rules the land. |
| Waiting justice sleeps.” |
I think injustice has short and fast legs while justice and truth have long and deliberate legs. Lies run fast but truth with long legs and deliberate strides will eventually overtake lies and vicious distractions. Lies sometime fly in jumbo jets while truth walks barefoot through history. It is better to walk with truth than fly with a lie.
