Opportunity for Young Activists to Meet Unmet Needs

By Barbara R. Arnwine

Fighting for social and racial justice is the enduring component of the civil right movements. In the tumultuous 1960s many great leaders emerged, dedicating their lives to moving America toward justice. Iconic civil rights activist, Medgar Evers made tremendous efforts in fighting for positive change and social justice. June 12, 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Evers. Though only 37 at the time of his death, he had become a key civil rights leader who worked diligently to secure equal rights in the state of Mississippi.

It is vital to ensure that his work and legacy does not become blurred with other historical events. We must continue to teach younger generations of activists how we have been afforded certain rights, including voting rights, because of the bitter sacrifices of sheroes and heroes like Evers. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law extends its deepest appreciation for Mr. Evers' courageous life and civil rights legacy.

Among my sheroes is Evers' widow Myrlie Evers-Williams, who has valiantly upheld their shared ideals since his murder. The Lawyers' Committee fully supports Myrlie's efforts to build a memorial for her late husband at Alcon State University in Mississippi. More information about the memorial is available at http://mememorial.org/.

After becoming the first field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi, Medgar Evers organized and participated in voter registration efforts, demonstrations, and economic boycotts of companies that practiced discrimination. He also worked to investigate crimes perpetrated against African Americans. Evers' many contributions to the civil rights movement, along with his untimely death, were both factors in the creation of the national Lawyers' Committee, which I have been honored to lead for the last 24 years.

In the summer of 1963 demands for racial justice were increasingly being met with lawless intimidation and violence, and immediate action was needed. On June 11th President John F. Kennedy gave a nationally televised speech on civil rights stating that "it is better to settle these matters in the courts than on the streets." Tragically, only hours after Kennedy's speech, Evers was assassinated by a member of the White Citizens' Council.

Shortly after President Kennedy heard the news of Evers's assassination, he called for the best and the brightest attorneys in the nation to attend a historic meeting at the White House and urged them to defend the rule of law and the rights of civil rights demonstrators. Within a week, the Lawyers' Committee was formed to obtain equal opportunity for minorities by leveraging the pro bono resources of the private bar to address legal factors that contribute to racial justice.

Today the Lawyers' Committee and our partners remain vigilant on civil rights issues. We are currently fighting for stronger tenant laws in New Orleans, providing a voice for those who may not know how to speak up for their own fair housing rights. In addition, we are fighting to protect voters from voter suppression laws. We also strive to break the School to Prison Pipeline (STPP) through helping students who have fallen subject to the juvenile justice systems reenter into school to complete their education and educating teachers and parents on STPP issues.

In our efforts to uphold the legacies of civil rights activists, and encourage new activists to emerge, we have also implemented the Young Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights initiative. The goal of this initiative is to encourage lawyers in the first 10 years of their career who are interested or actively engaged in the work of the Lawyers' Committee to join us in the fight. With our Young Lawyers Initiative, we are assisting the next generation to answer the call to action and become more knowledgeable about pressing racial and social justice issues by getting involved and connected with the civil rights issues nationally.

Leaders like Medgar Evers blazed a trail for generations to come; it is now up to us to continue fighting for justice. Let not the work of Mr. Evers be done in vain, but let it be a reminder of how far the civil rights movement has come and how much work remains.

June 17, 2013

U. S. Senate Could Craft New Protection if High Court Guts Section 5 
By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - If the U. S. Supreme Court strikes down or alters the Section 5 Preclearance Clause of the Voting Rights Act, Congress should be prepared with a remedy to protect against discrimination, according to members of the U. S. Senate in a roundtable with Black media last week.

“This supreme court is more and more skeptical of the root causes of, the evidence of and the consequences of discrimination,” said Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), “And I think We need to be prepared to act legislatively to deal with the likely consequences of a federal government that may be more reigned in in terms of its ability to proactively reach out.”

Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was speaking during a June 13 roundtable during which 12 Senators met with 19 Black reporters to discuss issues of importance to their readers.

Issues of race and public policy dominated the 80-minute discussion held in the Mansfield Room of the U. S. Capitol. Anticipating a ruling this month, reporters, policy makers and civil rights leaders alike are bracing themselves, already contemplating the next move in the case of an adverse ruling given racial discrimination that still exists.

Coons continued, “Discrimination absolutely is still a problem in housing, in employment and in voting. And in my view, we’ve got to be vigilant and attentive” of the opinions handed down by the Supreme Court “because I think we may see restrictions in the ability of government to act…And to deal directly and proactively with discrimination.”

Among key items on which the court is set to rule is Shelby v. Holder, which challenges Section 5, which requires states and territories with a history of discrimination to clear any changes in voting laws with the U. S. Department of Justice. Striking down this provision - which was just reauthorized by an overwhelming, bi-partisan majority of the Senate seven years ago - would effectively gut the Act, opening the door for gerrymandering of congressional districts and other political lines as well as the creation of voter ID laws that discriminate against African-Americans and other people of color.

Two other race equality cases before the court are also viewed as endangering racial justice. They are Fisher v. University of Texas and a Michigan law which has banned affirmative action in public college admissions. An adverse ruling in either of these cases could either end the consideration of race in college admission policies or cause what lawyers call a “chilling effect". The "chilling effect" is when a ruling is so damaging that it causes universities to end or severely alter policies on their own in order to avoide future law suits.

The roundtable was organized by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, chaired by Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska). Senator Harry Reid, Majority Leader, did not attend, apparently due to votes. The meeting was moderated by Sen. William “Mo” Cowan (D-Mass.), currently one of only two Black members of the U. S. Senate.

Responding to a question about the historic void of Blacks in the Senate, Cowan acknowledged, “We have a long way to go” and said Americans have an obligation to "encourage people of all races to get involved in this political process.”

He said when the Senate is not representative of its constituents, it does a “great disservice”. But he added for clarity, “You don’t have to look like your constituents in order to represent the interests of your constituents.”

He agreed, “If Section 5 Pre-clearance is reversed by the Supreme court,” Congress would have to take “prompt and vigorous action” to preserve it.

Despite partisan bickering between Republicans and Democrats over the budget and other issues, Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.) expressed optimism that if the court strikes down the Pre-clearance Clause of Section 5, it could be either rebuilt in a bi-partisan spirit “or a comparable preventive measure could be crafted swiftly” in consultation with legal organizations that regularly litigate such issues. “I think it affects all of us.”

June 17, 2013

Former U.S. Rep Allen West Blasts Bill Cosby Over Comments Praising Black Muslims
By Zenitha Prince

Courtesy Photo

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper

June 16, 2013

Blackonomics   
Economic Lessons of the Past    
By James Clingman

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “I was tired of giving in.” Rosa Parks

It is always interesting to reflect on certain events that took place in days gone by, especially when it comes to economic issues.  In my entrepreneurship classes I often use the example of the Montgomery Bus Boycott to illustrate a very important lesson we could (and should) take from those strong, dedicated, and committed brothers and sisters who walked until their demands were met and bus accommodations were changed. 

Some 42,000 bus-riders walked to work for 381 days!  Not only was their action exemplary and admirable, it also offers a very important lesson in economic empowerment.

Here’s what I mean.  Let’s assume the bus fare in Montgomery at that time was 20 cents roundtrip.  We know the bus boycott lasted for 381 days, right?  Multiply 20 cents times 381 times 42,000.  The answer:  $3,200,400!  How many buses do you think could have been purchased with that amount of money in 1956 when the boycott ended?  Do you think the people could have bought a factory and produced seats, or tires, or signs for those buses?  How about opening a maintenance facility to service the buses?  Get the picture?  Do you see the lesson?

Suppose those who walked to work had put their bus fare into a common fund every day, as sort of a savings account for Black folks.  If they had done that, in addition to withholding their money from the bus company, they would have had $3,200,400.  In 1956 that was a great deal of money and could have effected great economic change.

While there are many other lessons we can learn from and take advantage of today, the Montgomery issue stands out because of a story I read in the Toledo Journal many years ago titled, “Restored Rosa Parks Bus heads for new home.”  As I read it, I could not help but think about the abovementioned numbers because the article cited the purchase of the bus by the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

The bus was found in a field, rusted and riddled with bullet holes.  The museum paid $492,000 for it and spent $300,000 more for its restoration.  With $3.2 million, not only could the bus boycotters have bought a fleet of Black owned buses, they could have also bought the Rosa Parks Bus.  Do you see the irony here?  Do you see the lesson?  Now if you want to see that bus, you’ll have to pay an admission fee to the museum.  It’s like I always say, “Many of us prefer symbolism over substance.”

Even though our “leaders” have waited nearly fifty years to tell us that economic empowerment is what we must seek and fight for, it is vital that we take our lessons whenever and wherever we can find them.  We must remember that things always boil down to economics in some form or fashion.

I don’t know about you, but I think we would be much better off today if we owned a few bus companies, the way Blacks did with the Safe Bus Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, rather than having to pay to ride on someone else’s.  I think Rosa Parks would have been happier and would rest easier if, for instance, Black people manufactured and owned the school buses our children have been riding for decades.

I would much rather go to Detroit and ride a Black owned bus than to go to a museum and pay to see the bus that Rosa Parks and others rode in 1955.  It may be a piece of history, but it’s still just a bus, an inanimate object that played nothing more than a passive role in what we now call our struggle for equality.  Someone made a few hundred thousand dollars from the sale of the bus.  Someone else made another $300,000 to restore it.  And the museum continues to make who knows how much because people want to see it, to board it, to touch it, and to actually sit in the same seat in which Rosa Parks sat.  As Don King says, “Only in America!”

I appreciate the willing spirit of those who sacrificed, walked, fought, and subjected themselves to the Bull Connors of this nation.  It would be a tribute to them if we would use their lessons to economically empower ourselves.  Celebration and nostalgia are fine, but what we need now are ownership and control of income-producing assets, like buses, museums, supermarkets, hotels, and gas stations.

Is anybody out there willing to start an equity/investment fund?  Is anybody out there ready to put some money into it?  Is anybody out there willing to support the businesses developed by such an effort?  Or, are we satisfied with simply making others wealthy by spending our way into economic oblivion?  I don’t think Rosa Parks would want us to do that.  She was tired of giving in, so she defied the status quo.  Are we tired enough to make a similar change in our economic behavior?