(HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUSIC; TRADITOINAL) Yep...I bet you are saying, “what is that Ponder talking about, now?”
Well, I’m talking about September 9 being the 50 th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Its was written by President Dwight Eisenhower’s Administration (Attorney General Herbert Brownell) after the national shock of the Little Rock, AR school controversy. Remember that, when the governor blocked the door of the school so that negro students couldn’t attend the school?
It was a hard struggle but “Ike” stuck to his commitment and the legislative maneuvering skills of Vice President Nixon made it a reality. Republicans, both. From this bill, the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice was established. This office is also responsible for the implementation and compliance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Nixon came back to further implement the latest Act via Affirmative Action written by the esteemed Arthur Fletcher.
Wasn’t it wonderful when presidents used to compete their legacies for who supported civil rights the most? And, these are both Democratic and Republican presidents! In these past 50 years, have we made some progress in civil rights? Sure, we can go to any water fountain we want to and get a drink. We can sit at any lunch counter we want. We can sit in the front of the bus, and we celebrate Black History month every February and Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday every January.
Wow, we’ve come a long way. Well, let’s look a little closer. Now, we can own the building that the water fountain is in. We can own the restaurant where the lunch counter is. We can now drive the bus, run the bus company (Charles), and can even own the bus! And its not just black folks celebrating black history month nor Dr. King’s birthday, a national holiday, but white folks too! (and Hispanics). Is that progress? Sometimes, its not easy to see something you are standing in the middle of. And sometimes, progress is in the eye of the beholder. Blacks can play any sport, and can referee, coach and even own the team and the arena. Its true we don’t have Martin, Malcolm nor Rabbi Hershcell. But we have Sandy Womack, Malik Abdul Zahir and Rabbi Spitzer. And a whole lot more.
Has the civil rights laws made a difference these past 50 years? How about the controversial affirmative action? We’ve discussed that before here on Points to Ponder....some folks think that its reverse discrimination, and technically, it is....but you have to reverse or absolutely stop the present discrimination. While its true that a rising tide lifts all boats, how high can your boat be lifted if it is riveted with holes? Would you stand a better chance if you had some help to fix those holes so that your boat can rise with everybody else’s? if you didn’t have to bale as much, you could spend more time in charting your course toward success and rowing in that direction. Instead, you are called shiftless and lazy and told that you can’t do it. Whatever it is at the moment. Sure, some boats are going to rise that maybe shouldn’t, based on what they put in the deal...but that’s the case in every situation, and in this situation, the majority of the minority would benefit most. And so would society. And there are many boats out there a floating and a speeding toward success.
But there is much more work that has to be done. There are far too many social issues within the black community that we as a community have to deal with...maybe with a little help from our friends. We have to get a grip on the drug problem, the plight of the black male, especially the younger ones; education, personal responsibility. Things we that we, as a culture, must recognize and deal with. No civil rights law ever enacted could do that. We must. And we are. There are many bright spots where black folks are doing for ourselves, mostly out of the limelight. Not enough, mind you, but there is also not enough in the white community. Its negative effects are, however, admittedly more destructive in the black community, but we are not alone. I would gladly forgo affirmative action if there were a special administrative civil rights court, with teeth, that could hear allegations...true allegations....of civil rights abuses, and could rule quickly and demonstrably in cases where there was discrimination. Punish the perpetrators and punish them harshly. Wouldn’t be a need for affirmative action then.
But instead the administrative remedies, including the federal courts, are underfunded, which results in long, costly pursuits of justice. The federal government under these presidents, set the standard. They hired many blacks, promoted many of them (sometimes before they were ready!)...And I would like to see the federal government do more now to foster and promote equality. I understand that there is constant debate about the role of the federal government, how active it should be, what it should spend on the “welfare” of its citizens, how active it should be in fostering, and sometimes forcing equal rights. Republicans, as a group, profess to want small government and a limited amount of tax dollars going to “welfare”. Of course, they don’t count as welfare tax abatements, no-bid federal contracts for corporations, farm subsidies and the like. Only money given to “those” people. That’s welfare to them. Democrats, as a group, sometimes think that the federal government has all the answers. It can solve everything. Throw some money at it and some of it will stick, and maybe, just maybe the problem might at least be mitigated. Many blacks see the federal government as an ally...and in fact, sometimes, a savior. It was federalized troops in Little Rock that assured the right of an equal education to the kids in ___.
It is the federal government that has provided that safety net. The federal government should be as non-intrusive as possible, but should also be active and nimble enough to provide support...equally across the board....to further the quality of life for all of its citizens. Whether its in the area of business regulations, environmental relations, health care and insurance, or whatever. Cost effective, efficient support, along with providing national protection. In recognizing the civil rights law birthday, I recognize that we have come far as a nation, but we still have much further to go.
In remember hearing the comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory say, back in day, (he was speaking on the campus of Akron Univeristy)...anyway Dick Gregory said that he wanted to thank the young college students in the audience for making the civil rights struggle...into the human rights struggle. And though I was teed off that he...my black brother...was thanking these college students...the white college students....instead of us dashiki wearing, afro wearing brothers...but I didn’t, at that time, recognize that they were my brothers as well. Dick Gregory did, and today, I do. And as we all joined the “human rights struggle”, we began to embrace diversity...of colors, of genders, of sexual orientations, of religions... We are beginning to recognize that we all have groups that we belong to...voluntarily or involuntarily. Seniors. Blacks, whites. Hispanics, catholics. Muslims and jews, Baptists, Methodists factory workers, pharmaceutical salespeople, business owners, teachers, talk show hosts, listeners of Points to Ponder...... You get the point....we are all part of some groups.
Every group that we belong to has needs, and we want those needs met. But they must be met in an equal way. So on this birthday of the civil rights law, instead of what Ike did, and LBJ and Tricky Dick, we have a president who, after giving us so much promise as he stood on the rubble of the twin towers with his bull horn in one hand and his other arm around a New York city fireman, and promised justice...as he united us after 9-11...instead, this president brought our hopes and our dreams as Americans tragically down like the twin towers themselves...its as if he hijacked our American dreams and crashed into our twin towers of hope and faith.
But I still have some hope and some faith, buttressed in part by the younger generation who seem less inclined with artificial barriers such as skin color, and more preoccupied and respectful of each other’s individual’s rights...as Americans, and brothers and sisters... Yes, happy birthday, civil rights Act, and lets hope that in the next 50 years we not only have better presidential leadership, better administrative leadership, but even more leadership from....ourselves.
