Is ANYBODY Listening? Can ANYBODY Hear? Does ANYBODY Care?
Posted by caclarkfrieson on August 13, 2005
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
