The Civil Rights Movement — "Easy to Understand"

— by Sen. Robert Ford

The life that Black people live in America now is a tribute to the unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement between the periods of 1957-1969.  Another way to look at it is from Montgomery, AL to Charleston, SC.  Let me also point out, this account is from my advantage point of being a part of this great movement from 1962-1969.  Also, every Black person must accept the fact that whatever you are able to do in life from the standpoint of being Black in America in 2013, is a result of the actions of the crusaders who were willing to give their lives for the existence you now enjoy. 

This writing is my first effort based on my understanding of the 78^th Psalm.  When you look at public accommodations and how comprehensive the impact of what that legislation covers, eating establishments what and wherever you want to eat, accommodations to whatever degree you can afford, if you are a Black contractor, your ability to bid and apply for any local or federal government contract that requires the use of public dollars race cannot be used as a factor in the non-hiring of your company as a contractor.

The 1964 Civil Rights Bill covered about 80% of those things that are considered as public accommodations.  In 1962, I visited my oldest sister who was a professor at Grambling College in Grambling, LA.  During that visit she introduced me to Dr. James Kirkpatrick who was also a professor at Grambling and a strong Civil Rights activist. My sister knew I had a strong irritation about the way Negroes were being treated at that time.  Later that summer, I got permission from my parents to go and join Dr. Kirkpatrick in his state of Alabama to do voter registration.  I later joined Dr. James Bevels who was leading the Birmingham Crusade for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s organization.  Having been arrested at a young age in several counties in Alabama, we suddenly arrived in Birmingham, Alabama in the late summer of 1962.  Several times in 1963, I had the opportunity to visit Birmingham with Dr. Kirkpatrick.  In October of 1962, I helped organize the Louisiana Caravan to the March on Washington in 1963. Many references are made to this march because of Dr. King’s famous, “I Have a Dream Speech.” 

The theology and logic of James Bevels was that young people should be actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement at all stages.  That is why the 16th Avenue Baptist Church was bombed and resulted in the death of Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Denise McNair. So therefore, my Brothers and Sisters in 2013, it would be nice to remember these four young ladies who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the life we now live.

Because of the Birmingham Crusade, President John F. Kennedy called for and introduced the Civil Rights Act Bill of 1963 on June 11, 1963.  The Conference Bill was passed by both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson on July 2, 1964.  The next big event in the Civil Rights Movement took place when President Johnson signed into law the 1965 Voting Rights Bill.  Even though Blacks all over the South was interested in voter registration, once again Dr. King assigned James Bevels, James Orange and Diane Nash to work with the locals in Dallas County Alabama to achieve this goal.  Their task was to work with the local grassroots organizations and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee whose objective was to register people to vote in this county in Alabama.

I received a call from Rev. James Orange to join him in Selma, Alabama in the summer of 1964.  We were arrested several times, fire hosed, beaten with and without clubs and attacked by police dogs. However, these brutal and inhumane actions coupled with the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, Viola Luzzio and Rev. James Reeb and those beaten and almost killed, we now have almost 12,000 Black Elected Officials in America today.

Now, if we would serve our people like our lives depended on what we do like true Black Elected Officials, that would be our first step.  Use as an example the many sacrifices those earlier pioneers made and just maybe it would end all of the shucking and jiving that many current Black Elected Officials portray today.

I remember when James Bevels introduced James Orange and me to the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell of New York in 1963.  Congressman Adam Clayton Powell explained to us why it was so crucial to get our people to register and vote and engage them to participate in the political process.  He believed by doing so, it would be the greatest tool that Black people would have in our quest for total and complete freedom in the United States of America.  Bevels, Orange, Dr. Kirkpatrick and Congressman Powell spent their lives working so that we could be elected to serve our people today.  I am most proud to have been a part of the Civil Rights movement, I am doubly proud to have the honor to serve my people.  This is why I urge you, let’s be serious about our duties and responsibilities. Incidentally, this is why I get so angry when we do not take our responsibility as an elected official seriously.

The next major crusade took place in Cicero, IL in 1966, a suburb of Chicago, IL.  Black people in America in 1966 saw the growth of the Black middle class.  Blacks all over the country were living a different type life and progressive lifestyle.  But one major problem still existed, it didn’t make any difference of how much money you had, you still had to live in an urban ghetto and rural type homes in rural neighborhoods.  Suburbia was out of the question.  But that came to a screeching halt when Dr. King took his staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and led the Open Housing Demonstrations in Cicero, IL.

Later that year, President Johnson signed into law the 1966 Open Housing legislation, which means that in 2013 you can live in any neighborhood that you can afford without any discrimination whatsoever.  Many of us were beaten and thrown into jail and suffered all types of verbal and physical abuse for the success of each of these campaigns. Now brothers and sisters, let’s take note on this 2013 Black History Month and every future Black History Month and each day of our lives, that we shall remember the proud history that brought us to this point of the struggle in America.

In 1967-1968 the organizing of the Poor Peoples Campaign was in progress.  Dr. King’s efforts were concentrated on the Southern Christian Leadership Conference going to Washington, DC and building a Tent City of plywood.  The plan was to call it Resurrection City and bring to the attention of the President and Congress that there were 50 million people living in poverty in the United States. Our intent was to bring 10,000 poor people to Washington in 1968. I was one of the organizers of the Mid-West Caravan this campaign included the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana.  There were seven other caravans and we went to Washington and stayed for one month and a half without Dr. King who had already been assassinated.

I would like to remind my brothers and sisters that Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was diverted to Memphis, TN, where the Sanitation Workers did not like their living conditions and the poverty wages they were receiving from the City of Memphis, TN. 

Prior to his assassination, Dr. King had to convince the staff that we must to go to Memphis even though we were in the process of organizing the Poor People’s Campaign in Washington, DC.  He reiterated that we had poor people in Memphis, TN that needed us.  Of course, we all know what happened in Memphis. 

When Dr. King was assassinated, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy became the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with the same senior leadership.  Rev. Abernathy was one of the ministers that led the Montgomery Bus Boycott along with Rev.  Joseph Lowery, Andrew Young, Rev. James Bevels, Rev. Bernard Lee and many other progressive ministers who were also members and organizers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

What they learned during the Montgomery Bus Boycott was if in fact, you are willing to stick with a crisis long enough and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice with your life -- that was the best way to win equal opportunities across the board for Blacks in America. 

What I consider the last stand of the Civil Rights Movement was in 1969, when Rev. Abernathy ordered the staff to come to Charleston, SC.  The Charleston, South Carolina Hospital Worker’s Strike was another working poor movement.  At the time the nurse’s aides and orderlies were making $.60 cents an hour.  The 1199 Hospital Workers Union asked the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to get involved with trying, first of all to get the workers’ jobs back at Medical University of South Carolina and make sure that they make decent wages.  South Carolina was a right-to-work state just like the State of Tennessee.  But after three months in Charleston, I was arrested nine times leading daily demonstrations under the leadership of James Bevels and James Orange.  Rev. Hosea Williams and his team were also involved in the demonstrations and were able to get everyone back to work at Medical University of SC and County Memorial Hospital making a minimum wage of $2.40 per hour. As a result, the 1199 was able to organize unions at both hospitals which became Union 1199B.

I would like everyone to please to keep in mind; Rev. Martin Luther King gave his life not only for the civil rights fight, but also for all Black Americans and died for the working poor because he had a love and respect for all of God’s children.

In 2013, it will be a great tribute to Dr. King and the crusaders who were willing to die for us to live the life we now appreciate. If we all would become our brother’s keeper, I can hear and see the heavens open.  But for some reason, we as African Americans no longer have a deep love and respect for each other. This is why Psalm 78 is so important to our salvation.  If we are to truly survive as a people, we must do a better job of respecting one another, we must learn our history and we must become thy brother’s keeper.

A tribute to the living staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Rev. Jesse Jackson who championed Operation Breadbasket and  able to win thousands of top level jobs in Corporate America in the early 1960’s, based out of Chicago, IL.  Rev. Jackson worked tirelessly with corporations and business leaders and convinced them that Black people dollars were crucial to their profits.  Those that were not convinced a boycott of their company was imposed.   He was able to obtain hundreds of franchises in the automobile and fast food industries and other types of businesses as well. 

Later in the 1960’s Operation Breadbasket later became Rainbow Push.  Still, Rainbow Push was very successful in aiding Blacks that were interested in businesses opportunities, thousands were able to be employed as managers, supervisors and later became the CEO’s of companies and independent business owners.  Later, Rev. Jackson started the Wall Street Project.  Once again, the generations of Blacks that have benefitted from his efforts the most have not show him the appreciation he deserves.  There is still an insurmountable number of poor and disadvantaged people who still need help today.    

Lastly, those crusaders who are still living most of them in the Atlanta area fought a good fight.  My fellow warriors it’s not too late; if you have any energy or desire left to be involved, you still have a major role to play and we need you now more than ever.

Since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all over America some people find it necessary to promote what I called the hustling and pimping of Dr. King especially around his January birthday celebration. 

Let me point out and be more specific about what I mean.  When you ask someone to participate as a speaker at a MLK Celebration who has a deep dislike of Black and Brown people, Gay and Lesbian , (people of other ethnicities, sexual preferences and religious persuasions  that do not exemplify his  philosophies mock Dr. King and denote blasphemy. People that oppose everything that President Barack Obama proposes like his health insurance reform, Medicaid for low-income and poor families, and oppose legislation that create jobs and opportunities for all citizens is an insult to Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophy of a better life and equality for all  -- priorities and hard fought principals of Dr. King. 

When you invite these types of people to speak at a MLK Holiday Celebration or multi-millionaires who are owners of corporations, CEO’s of major companies that refuse to hire African Americans in top level positions is not a true representation of the man or the day.  People who oppose labor unions and basic human rights do not represent what Dr. King preached and fought for.  In all human decency how can you in good conscious invite this type of individual to serve as a Dr. Martin Luther King Day Celebration speaker?