Washington, D.C., -August 29, 2013 - I bought my ticket to Washington last Friday with less than a 7 day advance purchase, feeling compelled at the last minute to breakthrough and make it to the 1963 March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs 50th Anniversary. With the call from a Trinidadian friend I had met several years ago at the
Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, artist and teacher,
Evelyn Caesar Munroe saying she'd be in Washington until the end of August and closer to home, Reverend and Mrs. Greggory Brown of Oakland's Miracles of Faith Community Church, ECLA, front line social justice advocates, called to say they'd help me get there, how could I not go? Why bother to fight through the throngs of thousands? What is this all about, my Lord? Washington D.C.! "Fighting through the throngs;" what was that compared to those who fought off the dogs, hoses, and the destructive oppression of racism to the point of death by hangings and via arbitrary whims of morally bankrupt people.
Then it hit me and I am sure the revelations will continue for days, weeks and years to come. August 28, 1963, I was ten years old and banished from the haven of what I had always known, integrated military base existence. There I was living in the all black projects of Phenix City, Alabama while my father was in the jungles of Viet Nam "fighting for the Vietnamese people to have freedom and a better life." That's what my Dad told me before he was shipped off with the 114th Air Mobile Company at Fort Knox, Kentucky and moved us to Phenix City (an hour and a half from Montgomery) to be closer to my Mother's Mom and family since Mother, Ouida Fay McLendon Wright was pregnant with his fourth child.
My dad's Commander and Chief, President John F. Kennedy was shot down in Dallas within 90 days of the 1963 March on Washington for "letting the Negras get out of hand;" that was about 120 days before my Dad, 32 year old,
Sp5 Wyley Wright meritoriously lost his life March 9, 1964 as honor guard for Secretary of Defense Robert Strange McNamara. On that day, a young White soldier, 18-year old John Francis Shea also died a hero's death as their helicopter was downed in the Mekong River. The March on Washington brings to mind the march of time through some bloody days as Malcolm X, Dr. King, and Robert F. Kennedy followed in martyrdom, not to forget Medgar Evers who had been murdered a little over two months before the march. So with such hallowed sacrifices, can we now sit back or lay down to the disintegration of America from the inside out.
So much was said then and now. The same words echoed through time still speak to us and even more words were
 |
|
Jean Quan, a social justice advocate during Civil Rights era, now Mayor of Oakland took a quick moment for photo on way to catching flight back home. During chance encounter, photo kindly taken by aide Maisha Everhart(Senior Policy Advisor for Intergovernmental affairs).
|
expressed. It's important to put those words into action. Finally, I came to Washington because my father couldn't in 1963. I came to Washington because I realize there are still battles for equality and justice that still need to be won. When a righteous vision/dream is spoken, it is important that we use all within our personal zone of responsibility to do all we can to fulfill it. I was touched personally as Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the man who sent my father to Viet Nam spoke and as Lynda Bird Johnson Robb the daughter of
the man who consoled my mother after my father's death, spoke of her father's achievements for Civil Rights. From the deep South, Lyndon Baines Johnson, the Texan was an unlikely friend of the Civil Rights movement, yet his administration achieved: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 that did not allow discrimination in employment or in the use of public facilities; The Voting Rights Act of 1965 which outlawed discriminatory practices keeping Blacks from voting and The Civil Rights Act of 1968 eliminated housing discrimination.
On a practical personal note, I came to pay respect to all the people of all races, creeds and those without, who made a difference and stood for justice that day long ago. Also I came to get information from Arlington National Cemetery on how to have my father's body removed from Mt. Olive Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida to Arlington National Cemetery. The inquiries began a little over a year ago when I realized that the City of Jacksonville contrary to reports over the years, had not kept its promise to upkeep the cemeteries in the Northern part of the town, the Black cemeteries in the Moncrief distict. I began by writing Florida Senator Bill Nelson who has been very responsive to date and I continue my memorial trek here in Washington.
There's so much to write about from the various events of the 2013 celebration to the
music of the civil rights movement. For instance, Mahalia Jackson sang in 1963 and one of her protégés via Gospel great Albertina Walker, Reverend Shirley Caesar brought that same spirit to the 2013 march with Clara Ward's "How I Got Over." The song was written from the experience of Ward's mother Gertrude feigning demon possession when a group of White men angry because Black Women were traveling Cadillac in 1951 besieged their car. As a result the women escaped harm and made it to their destination Atlanta, GA.
The importance of media is something that we need to be vigilant about. Even Reverend Brown's recent interview by CBS News, demonstrates the two-edged sword of media. As the story talked about violence in Oakland and the actions some residents were taking in, the report omitted the fact that Brown who was threatened at gunpoint, was threatened by his White neighbor. A fact that needed to be pointed out, if you take the time to analyze the story, you'll more than likely agree.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57599011/violence-in-oakland-forces-residents-to-seek-private-security/
The "watch dog of government," needs to be watched as well since the "Fourth Estate" is comprised of humans. It's too critical to our democracy to go unappreciated or unchallenged.
"The March on Washington 'Let Freedom Ring!' 1963-Fifty Years-2013," a historical moment we'll be talking about for days and years to come, must inspire America to get beyond talk and take action to be the country we can be, "O beautiful for patriot dream: That sees beyond the years: Thine alabaster cities gleam: Undimmed by human tears!"
If no one's crying, that means we will have achieved "liberty and justice for all" and freedom will ring!
 |
Moment of Reflection on a hill above
the Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool at MOW 2013 |
