Don’t Let The DEVIL RIDE…..

It never fails.  Whenever African-Americans decide to straighten their backs up, and do something positive to propel themselves a little farther along in terms of their social progress, it seems to ire certain people who see it as “tryin to start somethin’.   Then starts all the negative talk and vibes about whatever initiatives are being taken by African-Americans.  Ultimately, then, the initiators become so war-torn from trying to fight off all the negative reaction until at some point in time their efforts are finally thwarted, and the initiatives come to a screetching halt!   That is how certain people have always been able to defeat our collective efforts to “overcome” all that oppresses us.

Well, we are tryin to start somethin’.   What we’re trying to start is something that will positively impact African-Americans –  something that is good and right in every way for black folk who have historically been the most deprived group of  people known to mankind.

But, the Devil is a lie.   And we don’t intend to let him ride. 

Just because there are many non-African-Americans who have not been exposed to the “black press” and think it’s a dirty word, we are not about to you let anyone talk down our initiative and cause us to lose sight of our goal.

The People’s Voice is a positive element that has been added to the community, and if it is God’s will, we plan to be here. 

We don’t apologize for calling The People’s Voice the “New BLACK Voice of East Alabama and West Georgia,” because that is just what it is. 

There are approximately 400 black weekly newspapers published in the United States today.   They serve a vital purpose to their readers, bringing them culturally relevant news, information that both informs and inspires.  Compelling its readers to focus on the real crucial issues that affect Afrian-Americans.   Issues nobody else is talking about or printing.    Material about our economics;  our children; our health and well being;  our political issues; our religion;  our state of mind.   This is the kind of stuff we need.

“So, don’t let the Devil ride.    Because if you let him ride, he’ll surely want to drive.”

This article was composed and written by Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson, and appeared in the August 19, 2005 edition of The People’s Voice African American Weekly News (http://www.peoplesvoiceonline.com/).   This article may be reprinted with permission from the author:
Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson
email:  caclarkfrieson@msn.com
322 Wilkie Clark Drive
Roanoke, Alabama 36274
334-863-4885
334-338-1149

We are all very very proud of all the young African-American men and women who have successfully entered the law enforcement field.

I simply want to take this opportunity to remind them, particularly those who work in the City Of Roanoke, that jobs in law enforcement haven’t ALWAYS  been available to blacks. 

In Roanoke and Randolph County, it was the efforts of my father, the late Wilkie Clark and others, in the late 1960’s that resulted in the first black police officers being hired.
I recall those years, when black leaders submitted petition after petition asking the city to employ black police officers.

The first officers hired here were Theodore Carlisle, Charles Ware, then later J.W. Baker, and Lorenzo Woody.

I vividly remember that in the beginning, the Mayor and City Council in Roanoke didn’t even want to empower the black officers with the same authority that the white

officers had.  They were restricted in what they could do.  Later, all of this changed very gradually.

Now, there is probably not a city in America, where blacks don’t feel extremely intimidated by Police Officers, because it has long been understood in our communities that whites who worked in law enforcement often used their law-enforcement status as justification to abuse and harass us.   It gave them a “way out.”  So they could hide behind their badges, and legally mistreat us, knowing there would be very little recourse.

During the turbulent 1960’s and 70’s, it was the police forces (then 100% white) that were used to inflict harm upon those who marched during the Civil Rights campaigns (which was their constitution right).
 
Whether you believe it or not, this problem continues to plague every black person who has ever been stopped by a police officer.   The growing problem is that it seems that in this new day, so many young black cops are now assimilating and taking on these nasty, insulting behaviors they observe

among their white counterparts.

My prayer is not to see young black law enforcement officers get caught up in trying to take on these unprofessional and unbecoming attitudes and stoop to the level of mistreating or harassing ANY individual placed in your custody regardless of their race.  

I want to encourage you to read and study the history of police mis-use of excessive and deadly force against blacks.  Read and study at the statistics, and you’ll understand why this article is necessary.   Don’t be fooled.   All you have to do is look at how grossly blacks are over-represented in Alabama’s jails and prisons, to know that African-Americans are targeted by law enforcement.  

Although we understand that you have a job to do, my prayer is that you will dignify the job, and not let the job dignify you.  Don’t forget who you are and where you came from.  And if you observe a fellow police officer harassing or mistreating a citizen, report it to the proper authorities.

I stole these words from the late Earl Shinholster of the NAACP, who used them as the title for an address he delivered in Randolph County many years ago.  He used the words to call attention to the way we (African-Americans) often IGNORE the fact that our progress rests on the backs of many dead, wounded and fallen soldiers – those who fought on the battle ground of Civil Rights.

The Wilkie Clark Memorial Foundation is all about black folks coming together and working together as a team, to make better communities, better our standards of living and provide a better community for our children and grandchildren to grow up in.

It is about looking back on the lives of great black citizens and learning from the works they wrought and the lives they lived, so we can better understand what it takes to craft a better future for ourselves and our children.

The Clark Memorial Foundation is about teamwork, black unity, staying connected to each other and togetherness.

The People’s Voice black weekly newspaper is one wonderful example of what can be accomplished if we stand together and pull together.  When we first launched the WCMFoundation and began meeting and generating ideas, there were many who doubted our ability to launch this black weekly newspaper.  But, HERE IT IS!   This is but one of many ideas that we can put into action by organizing and communicating with each other. 

We have set a goal, to build an African-American Archives and Empowerment Center in the East Roanoke Community on land that we already own.  

This center can be a wonderful monument to our black leaders throughout East Alabama and West Georgia, as well as a grand facility to house and accommodate our special events.  Why do we need this building?   Well, just think about the recent R.C.T.S. reunion that was held in LaGrange, Georgia at West Georgia Technical Institute.  Now, wouldn’t it have been wonderful if we had had a place right here at home that WE own and maintain to accommodate such an event?  The R.C.T.S. Reunion Committee probably spent thousands of dollars on facilities alone, to accommodate the Reunion.   But, we were unable to host it, because all these years, we have sat here all these years, and nobody has expressed or acted upon any concern about the (COLLECTIVE) black community.  We must think about the countless opportunities that we forfeit because we fail to think about development of our community, until something comes up, then we wonder why we don’t have anything?   We don’t have anything because we have neglected the one area of black life that is essential for community growth and progress, thus we haven’t prepared anything.

Look at our traditional institutions, such as the Masonic Hall.  Our communities need to pull together to help the lodge brothers renew the Lodge Hall Building, not because we’re all masons, but because we have community pride –  East Roanoke is OUR community.  We should be encouraging more young men to affiliate with the lodge.

Another Example:  Ms. Veronica O’Neal of Anniston, Alabama is the director of the Boys and Girls Club.  Although I have not spoken with her recently, however in prior weeks, she has literally begged for our support – and a larger facility in which to work with the boys and girls of this area.   We have assured Ms. O’Neal that when we begin plans to construct our archives building, we will be certain to include the Boys & Girls club in our plans.  

What does this say to us?  It says, that we must now learn how to become more community oriented people.  The African-American people in the U.S. have made tremendous strides toward liberation, but often, these wonderful opportunities cause us to momentarily forget what it took to get us here.  We forget that by and large, we are still in a state of deprivation.  The “City Fathers” are not thinking about us.  They are not thinking about preserving our history.  They are not thinking about building us a building of any kind. 

These are matters that we as a community must prepare to take into our own hands, if we are to continue to experience true liberation as a race.  We must act on the one freedom known as free enterprise, to ensure that we prosper in every aspect of our lives.

This article was composed and written by Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson, and appeared in the August 13, 2005 edition of The People’s Voice African American Weekly News (www.peoplesvoiceonline.com).   This article may be reprinted with permission from the author:
Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson
email:  caclarkfrieson@msn.com
322 Wilkie Clark Drive
Roanoke, Alabama 36274
334-863-4885
334-338-1149