On Getting Involved
Posted by caclarkfrieson on March 11, 2006
On Getting Involved..
I pray that our readers have not only enjoyed, but have been both inspired and enlightened by the hodgepodge of articles in The People’s Voice. It is my prayer that the Voices Of The People are finally being heard, from all avenues throughout East-Central Alabama and West-Central Georgia, for it has been far too long that our true voices have been silent.
One common thread that runs through this issue of The People’s Voice is seen in story after story that bears witness to the urgency for contemporary African Americans throughout all our communities to “Get Involved.” One thing is crystal clear: that much of the injustice that plagues our respective communities is our own fault. We are no longer vigilant. Decades of inactivity; decades of unresponsiveness; decades of apathy is the reason why a kid like Genarlow Wilson (and many like him) sit behind prison bars serving a mandatory 10-year sentence for committing an act that practically even teenager in America has committed. Thus we need a black renaissance. What is needed is a renewed interest in black unity, African-American pride and achievement. We are not paying attention to the real issues anymore. This is the reason why a Michael Dobbs can just fire a top-ranking official like Ruben Hairston, and not have to account to anyone for it. We stopped voting in local and national elections. Throughout our various communities there is a visible lack of appreciation for the fact that somebody bled, died, and took all kind of abuse both verbal and physical, so we could walk into the voting booth like any other citizen, and cast our ballot. So, we now, have no appreciation for the right to vote. Most of us don’t even participate. But, understand, participation is mandatory for survival.
Until we realize that participation is not optional – but mandatory, we will continue to be “blind-sided” by blatant acts of civil wrongs that obscure our civil rights. We need to utilize every resource at our disposal to forge ahead toward that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., dreamed about.
We cannot afford to sit back and continue to be blind, deaf, and dumb, regarding the status of “God’s least of these.” In 1619, when the first boat-load of slave ships landed at Jamestown, Virginia, our ancestors emerged from the belly of slave ships ― TOGETHER. They realized their respective plights were linked. Although they came from different tribes, and spoke different languages, they nevertheless understood the common language of anguish; travail; and spiritual bondage. Today, we find ourselves in a far worse state of bondage and travail; however, it is a state far worse that our ancesters witnessed, because today, it tied to pre-occupation with drugs, materialism, and a false sense of security that in truth does not exist. Wake up, people.
Every great stride; every great movement; every successful African-American campaign resulted from the unified effort of the people. It is my belief that we are seeing an increase in racial disparity because of the “falling away” from our tradition of brotherly love, and concern for our fellowman, which characterized the spirit of the Civil Rights movement. We also must not forget that even though the primary focus of the Civil Rights movement of the 20th Century was on black liberation, at the end of the day, poor and disadvantaged whites got just as much benefit from it, too. Thus, the implication for us is that we must get involved. If we don’t, generations of those who come behind us will find themselves totally helpless, because WE failed to tell our stories; WE failed to pass the torch; WE failed to teach them the concepts of struggle for justice and equality; they won’t know how to conquer or overcome their oppressors because WE will have failed to teach them about the heroes of yesteryear, who understood the politics of racism and who masterminded their own liberation. Again, it’s time to Get Involved!
Copyright 2005 by Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson.
This article was composed and written by Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson, and appeared in the March 11, 2006 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
