The Movement needs Heroes behind the Scene

Years ago I listened to an interview with Harry Belafonte. The interviewer eventually began to talk about the involvement Belafonte and several other well known Blacks had in regards to helping Dr. Martin Luther King. It because evident that behind the scene Belafonte and this group of well known Blacks, financially supported Dr. King. According to Belafonte, Dr. King’s job was to continue to wage war against the forces of discrimination, hatred and the unfair treatment of the downtrodden. Not only did he wage war for the rights of Black people, but he fought against all human discrimination.
Because of Harry Belafonte and those well known Blacks Dr. King did not have to worry about putting food on his family’s table. Perhaps there were a number of not so well known people of color and maybe even Whites who financially supported Dr. King. The truth of the matter is, without them perhaps there would be no equality when came to Blacks being paid at the same rate as Whites in say, for instance sports. If not for the people who supported Dr. King, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez who were and are the best in their sports may have had to accept that Larry Bird, Phil Mickelson and Cal Ripken would always be paid more money than them. I think some people of color in high places forget that fact. They’re too busy making sure they don’t anger White people.
In 2007, I attended a speech by Rev. Jesse Jackson. He talked about having barbecues with Dr. King. I had never thought of Dr. King in terms of eating ribs, potato salad and drinking some grape Kool-aid. At some point he had to have kicked back with friends and shot a little pool. I’m guessing he appreciated their support. January 2008, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture. The Rev. James Lawson was the speaker. He was a friend of Dr. King’s. It was interesting hearing him talk about the behind the scenes things involved with Dr. King’s rise to prominence. He reminded the audience that Dr. King went to Memphis, Tennessee to help out the sanitation workers. Therefore Dr. King wasn’t all about fighting wars only for Black People.
Who are they?
There are two important questions that must be asked and answered. Who are our civil rights leaders today? I’m not talking about people who seem to show up for the big ticket events. I mean the people who are in their communities fighting skin color and cultural hatred and discrimination. I’m talking about the fighters who work at a job all day. They deal with hatred and discrimination on the job, in their neighborhoods and at church, yes church. They don’t get raises or promotions because they won’t allow systems to operate, business as usual, without constantly yelling in about injustice and inequality.
I consider myself a civil rights fighter. I started off teaching reconciliation of people in small churches, in the back roads of Idaho. There was a time, I’d go to towns and I’d be the only Black person in town. I’d tell the congregation how God meant for us to love everyone, including those who had different color skin. After several years I added a weekly news column, in the religion section of a local newspaper. In my column I talked a lot about how Christians should lead the way, in regards to equality. I took a fulltime job helping low income students stay in school and go to college. After being on the job for a while I became very vocal about the communication gap between White teachers and students of color and students from low income backgrounds (including low income White students).
While I was trying to get the so called right people to listen to me, I kept hearing people say I didn’t have a Ph.D. So, a few years ago, I put my life on hold and went back to college. I studied hard for three and a half years. While working a full time job and teaching once a week as an adjunct instructor, I attended an average of two classes a week at night during the fall and spring and summer. In that time I made it a point to never miss a class, rain or shine, healthy or sick. I got “straight A’s”. At fifty years old I graduated with a Ph.D. My dissertation, ‘Teacher Communication with Students from Diverse backgrounds’ won recognition at two separate American Educational Research Association Conferences (2006 & 2007). Now, I’m told my passion and my degree makes me too intimidating. So, I started the ‘Idaho Center for Racial Sensitivity’. One day The Center will become more than me driving around in a 1999 Jeep, begging the educational system to allow me to help White teachers communicate better with students of color and students from diverse backgrounds. One day I’ll convince the educational system, teaching teachers better multicultural communication skills is the quickest and most efficient way of helping poor students of all colors, get a more equal education, which could lead them out of poverty.
Where the modern day Harry Belafonte’s?
There are people like myself all over this country. We need the wealthy to get behind the scenes, in front of the scenes or wherever. They just need to find us. We have been put through the ringer and came out ready to work. We’re doing the best we can with what little support we get. Research us and see if we’re the real deal or not. Invest, donate or pass our names along to your friends. Organize yourselves and send your people out to find us. Better yet, show us how to find you. Who are and where are the wealthy people of color who will replace the Harry Belafonte’s?
It’s been depressing to watch people of color, locally and nationally, care only about their bank accounts. It’s almost as if they feel they must be approved by Whites. With a bank full of money they seem afraid to speak out against not only skin color discrimination, but any discrimination. For instance when did it become wrong to speak out for kids of color who are getting treated unfairly in the public school system? When did the rule become wealthy people of color are not allowed to help kids of color unless they help White kids? I don’t see expensive, predominately White country clubs across the country, building computer rooms and hiring tutors in the intercity. Having made that statement, I have to be honest. There are some White wealthy people who understand the situation. I’ve helped several poor students of color get the Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship. Even though Mr. Gates has other scholarships for students regardless of their skin color or culture, he has no problem saying the Gates Millennium is only for students of color. I guess being the richest man in the world allows you to see truth and do something about regardless of what others may think. Shouldn’t the fact young people of color are dealing with unfair treatment bring out the same wisdom and boldness in wealthy people of color?