Marching 50 Years Later - Chris 'Preach' Smith

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular,
but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
- Dr.Martin Luther King 

“We need in every bay and community a group of angelic troublemakers.”   
- Bayard Rustin.  


Today, thousands upon thousands have made their way or are on the
way to Washington, D.C. for the 50th Anniversary of the historic March
on Washington For Jobs and Freedom that took place on August 28th,
1963.(Being that the actual date is on a weekday, major celebrations
are being held on the weekend and President Obama is set to speak on
the actual day in conjunction with other events.) This anniversary is a
day to honor all of those who gathered to fight for basic human rights 
denied to African Americans and others in a dramatic mass protest. The
speeches, most notable Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech
would resonate not just throughout America but the world. The March
led to the eventual passing of the Civil Rights Act a year later, and the
Voting Rights Act two years later. Fifty years later however, it is more 
than apparent that not only are we still fighting the same agents of
oppression, we are doing so under duress.

Consider these facts if you will: as of now, there are more Black men
in the United States prison population than there have ever been when
slavery was the law of the land. Parts of the Voting Rights Act have 
been dismantled by the judgement of the Supreme Court, enabling
extreme Republican state governments to further hinder people from
voting and having a say. Nowhere is this more stark than in North
Carolina, a ground zero of sorts for the fight to restore voting for all.
These same extremists within Congress have gerrymandered voting
districts in various states in addition to waging war on the poor and
working class in other ways. Despite having a Black president in his
second term, America has turned over and exposed a distorted and
rancid underbelly of racism in full force. Hate crimes are returning to
the front pages. The main tool of racism, systematic inequality, has
been more exaggerated in states like Florida, the Carolinas and in
Mississippi to name a few. Police brutality and racial profiling has 
risen, NYC’s own ‘Stop And Frisk’ the most noted example. Cities are
dying like Detroit, Michigan and Stockton, California. Immigrants are
painted as a scourge on society. We’ve had Trayvon Martin, Jordan
Davis and others murdered solely on the basis of what they looked
like. Proof positive that we have a long way to go towards that more
perfect union.


One would look at the events of today and be totally discouraged. 
Discouraged at the fact that despite some progress, there seems
to be an armada of the ignorant and ill-informed that do not want
change. Add to that the cynical and pessimistic mass of people 
that flaunt those attitudes as their out for not working towards 
change and things seem dire indeed. But one has to only look at
the March in 1963 in totality to see how despite those problems,
people came together and made change HAPPEN. Look at the 
fact that the March was not embraced by everyone in the civil 
rights struggle, with Malcolm X being the most verbally opposed.
The organizers had issues determining the aims of the protest,
and it took some time and effort to get points about economic
inequality in because they didn’t want to be seen as Communist.
Bayard Rustin, a key figure not only in organizing the March as
one of the Big Six but in Dr.King’s further acceptance and belief
in non-violence was diminished greatly because he was a former
Communist as well as a gay man. James Baldwin was dropped
from the program for fears of being too incendiary. Women were 
also excluded, outside of musical performers from speaking on the
dais, a horrendous mistake.  Dr. King was even discouraged from
giving his classic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech at the outset because
organizers found it corny. We also have to consider that D.C. was
on a tense guard, believing that there would be mass rioting then
and indulging stereotypical fears that fueled decisions for courts to
be open around the clock and a city shutdown with extra National
Guard troops flown in. Despite all of this, the March went on to be
the dynamic event we know and revere today.

The issues of intersectionality, having a unified front despite certain
differences, defying all obstacles - these struggles are major issues
today as they were back in 1963. We have to be even more mindful
of that now. And there are many who are rising to the challenge of
fighting and marching just as the 300,000 did on that day fifty years
ago. From those who take part in Moral Mondays in North Carolina
to those fighting Stop And Frisk in NYC to the Dream Defenders in
Florida to Latino Rebels and many others, that dream of America
truly being a land of freedom for all still lives. It lives in sweat, tired
bones, tears and most importantly, hope and faith. Today you’ll see
a more diverse group down there in D.C. People sick and tired of the
old illnesses of this nation coming back, but not so tired that they
will remain silent. Today and for days to come after, folks will still
be on a move until the mountaintop bids them to come home. D.C.
50 years later is just another step for all of us.