“font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>Recently my guests on my radio and television programs have been persons who are engaged in seeking inclusion for African Americans on construction projects on both sides of the Mississippi River – specifically, the new Mississippi River Bridge, the St. Louis Public Library and several other developments in downtown St. Louis and East St. Louis. The number of minority workers on these sites a few weeks ago totaled nearly zero. These are multi-million dollar jobs, and the construction companies ignore and disrespect the community by engaging in discriminatory hiring traditions.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr., former East St. Louis mayor Dr. William Mason, attorney Eric E. Vickers, the Rev. Larry Rice, Zaki Baruti, Kymal Dockett, Richard Dockett, Mykal Ali, Terry Artis, the Rev. Eugene Fowler, Bob Williams –the list goes on – are demanding jobs for African Americans and other minority men and women.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>It is hard to accept as true that, after so many years of struggle and sacrifices, people of color must again revert to demonstrations and civil disobedience to seek jobs and employment in a country so many of their parents, grandparents, forefathers and ancestors have fought and died for.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; background: white;”>The demonstrators are focusing in particular on jobs, because they recognize affirmative action policies require that active measures be taken to ensure that blacks and other minorities enjoy the same opportunities for promotions, salary increases and career advancement that had been the nearly exclusive privilege of whites. They see firsthand that the playing field is not yet level but filled with cronyism and racism. “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #333333;”>The National Labor Relations Board ruled that racial discrimination by a labor union was an unfair labor practice prohibited by the Taft-Hartley Act.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>To prove my point, I am going to review some quotes that I hope will make you remember some of the obstacles we have faced but apparently not overcome, and reasons why some activists have taken it back to the streets. Let’s revisit the past. Do you remember Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham jail”?
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana; color: black; background: white;”> “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was well timed in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; background: white;”>Roger Wilkins pointed out, “Blacks have a 375-year history on this continent: 245 involving slavery, 100 involving legalized discrimination, and only 30 involving anything else.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=”EN”>We can all quote Fannie Lou Hamer. She said, “I’m “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>sick and tired of being sick and tired,” but what some don’t remember is another one of her speeches that included, “Whether you have a Ph.D., or no D, we’re in this bag together. And whether you’re from Morehouse or No house, we’re still in this bag together. There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people. Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The negotiators and protesters declare
“background: white;”>they will continue with an ongoing effort to gain a clear and permanent guarantee of privileges for their groups, such as jobs on these sites, inclusion to apprenticeship programs, membership in labor unions and equal pay.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana; background: white;”> Emmeline Pankhurst thought, “You have to make more noise than anybody else, you have to make yourself more obtrusive than anybody else, you have to fill all the papers more than anybody else, in fact you have to be there all the time and see that they do not snow you under, if you are really going to get your reform realized.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana; background: white;”> The marchers’ numbers vary from time to time, but they insist they are not going anywhere until justice is served. Margaret Mead put it in a few words: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Please listen the Bernie Hayes radio program Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. on WGNU-920 AM, and watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Friday morning at 9 a.m. and Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24. I can be reached by e-mail at:
