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4A ®Ijt l)pra(b <©a?tttf Tuesday, February 9,2021
Opinions
Reflecting on MLK Jr., where we stand now
JACK BERNARD
Red and Black guest column
“A nation that con
tinues year after year to
spend more money on
military defense than on
programs of social uplift
is approaching spiritual
death. The problems of
racial injustice and eco
nomic injustice cannot be
solved without a radical
redistribution of political
and economic power. ”
Martin Luther King Jr.,
1967
We are now into Black
History Month — and
this is the right time to
think back at who Martin
Luther King Jr. really
was and what he truly
represented, not just the
Ghandi-like myth. 1 never
met the man, but 1 ad
mire him tremendously
as an American change
agent.
In reality, MLK Jr.
raised the moral bar
for all public figures. He
was a good man who
preached non-violence
but wanted to strongly
confront injustice. He
was the spiritual prede
cessor of Warnock ... and
Jon Ossoff, a progressive
Jew, for that matter. He
believed in peace and
true equality of the races.
When 1 think back to
Georgia in the 1960s, 1
recall that he was not
popular among the vast
majority of my fellow
whites. In fact, it was
common to hear them
call him a “radical”, a
“socialist” and a “com
munist” (and, of course,
racial epithets). 1 have
heard the same over the
last few months about
another prominent Black
Georgia preacher, includ
ing receiving literally
dozens of postcards from
the GOP containing these
lies.
1 was a student at the
University of Georgia
during the mid-sixties,
some of the worst years
after desegregation. 1
remember walking into a
French class and notic
ing no one sitting around
the one Black student in
the class. Without much
thought about it, 1 sat
down next to her, and all
of the other seats quickly
filled in. Small acts can
have larger, lasting im
pacts.
1 also remember at
tending a full staff meet
ing at The Red & Black
where the elderly, very
Southern faculty advisor
told the editorial staff
not to cover civil rights
at UGA in depth because
it was too controversial.
The editorial staff threat
ened to resign.
Around that time at
UGA, MLK Jr. was criti
cized as anti-American
and a “trouble-maker” for
saying we were too mili
taristic. It was charged
that he was trying to to
tally defund our military
and was disrespecting
our troops. Critics said
his domestic proposals
would raise taxes and
violate American values.
They said he wanted to
let lawlessness run loose
in the streets (1 was told
this by a white UGA Law
Professor). Just like what
they said about Rev.
Raphael Warnock, the
pastor who until recently
preached full time at
Ebenezer Baptist, MLK
Jr’s, church, until he was
elected U.S. Senator from
Georgia.
MLK knew that jus
tice was not going to be
achieved by simply sit
ting back and waiting. As
he told white moderates
in his Letter from a Bir
mingham jail, we cannot
accept a “negative peace
which is the absence of
tension” rather than “a
positive peace which is
the presence of justice.”
I was thinking of this
quote when 1 heard white
supremacists in our
Congress saying that we
must now quickly “rec
oncile” after the murder
ous white power riot at
the Capitol, while never
admitting their own elec
tion transgressions, in
cluding encouraging the
violent mob (Fox News,
1-21, “Ted Cruz”).
When I was with the
Atlanta poverty program
in the early 1970s, 1 heard
MLK Sr. speak to the
other board members. 1
don’t remember the ex
act details of his presen
tation, but I do recall that
he advocated for equality
and for actively lifting
up the poor. And the fact
that he frequently cited
Jesus and his dead son.
It was personal to him,
as well it should be. But
for the rest of us, regard
less of color, who believe
in the legacy of MLK Jr.,
the fight must be person
al as well. Only then can
we achieve a “positive
peace” with justice for all
Americans.
Things have changed
for the better since the
60s when I attended
UGA, but the struggle for
real equality is far from
over. This Black History
Month, we should reflect
on what is yet to be ac
complished and work
harder for a true pres
ence of justice.
Black History theme:
The Black family:
representation,
identity and diversity
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
stand, divided we fall
The Association for
the Study of African
American Life And Histo
ry has provided the 2021
Black History Theme en
titled The Black Family:
Representation, Identity
and Diversity.
“The black family has
been a topic of study in
many disciplines - his
tory, literature, the visual
arts and film studies,
sociology, anthropol
ogy and social policy. Its
representation, identity
and diversity have been
reverenced, stereotyped
and vilified from the days
of slavery to our own
time. The black family
knows no single location,
since family reunions
and genetic-ancestry
searches testify to the
spread of family mem
bers across states, na
tions and continents. Not
only are individual black
families diasporic, but
Africa and the diaspora
itself have been long
portrayed as the black
family at large. While the
After a virtual presen
tation and ranking by its
members, Lamar Gives
365 announced its grant
recipients for 2021 fund
ing.
Boys & Girls Club,
$5000 for cubbies, com
puters and operating
funds.
Lamar County recre
ation department, $3707
for special needs inclu
sive play equipment.
Donavan’s Dream,
$3500 for food bank op
erations and equipment.
Lamar County Fire &
Rescue, $3200 for medi
cal training equipment.
Lamar County Middle
School, $3000 for the
REACH Scholarship
program.
Hope Tree Ministries,
The Great Day of
Service, once an integral
part of life in Barnesville-
Lamar County, is making
a comeback
March 20. Gor
don State Col
lege is working
to bring back
this tradition.
The workday, in which
volunteers simultane
ously performed multiple
projects, began in 2010. It
was an annual event for
six years and over that
role of the black fam
ily has been described
by some as a micro
cosm of the entire race,
its complexity as the
“foundation” of African
American life and history
can be seen in numerous
debates over how to rep
resent its meaning and
typicality from a histori
cal perspective - as slave
or free, as patriarchal
or matriarchal/matrifo-
cal, as single-headed or
dual-headed household,
as extended or nuclear,
as Active kin or blood
lineage, as legal or com
mon law and as black or
interracial, etc. Variation
appears, as well, in dis
cussions on the nature
and impact of parenting,
childhood, marriage,
gender norms, sexuality
and incarceration. The
family offers a rich tapes
try of images for explor
ing the African American
past and present.”
$3000 for food bank op
erations.
Lamar Arts, $1900
for kids’ art and drama
camps.
Lamar County Health
Department, $1200 for
ultraviolet germ killing
lights.
Lamar County 4-H,
$976 for virtual learning
equipment.
Lamar County Senior
Center, $629.25 for com
puter room renewal.
Gordon State College
Foundation, $629.25 for
the revival of the Great
Day of Service.
Barnesville Library,
$629.25 for security
cameras.
Rock Springs Clinic,
$629.25 for operating
costs.
time span hundreds of
projects were completed.
Now GSC is hoping to
unite churches, schools,
businesses, civic
clubs and indi
viduals to bring
the tradition back
to life.
If you are inter
ested in getting involved
or would like more infor
mation, contact Jeremy
Monroe at 678-359-5887
or e-mail jeremym@gor-
donstate.edu.
United we
Recently I had the
pleasure of reading your
paper for the first time
and may I say I feel you
and your staff are doing a
remarkable job with it!
I happened to read
the letters to the edi
tor section and was so
impressed with one I felt
led to respond with one
of my own.
Ms. Altman ‘hit the
nail on the head’ with
her summation of what
our President Donald J.
Boy Scout
Over the last year,
the pandemic has cre
ated challenges for many
organizations in our com
munity. The Flint River
Council has certainly not
been immune to work
ing with a different set
of obstacles to share
Scouting with the youth
in our community due to
COVID-19. Over this time,
we have seen the work of
many volunteers con
tinue as the Boy Scouts
of America continues
its mission to mold
the minds of America’s
Youth. Our future is
bright. The resolve of
the American people is
strong, and we will defeat
this pandemic.
While the pandemic
has been at the fore
front of our minds, our
Nation has seen other
challenges from racial
injustice, protests, and
The Herald Gazette
welcomes letters to the
editor. For a letter to be
considered for publica
tion, please include the
writer’s actual name,
Trump accomplished!
I read and reread and
passed to others. There
are millions who would
agree as well!
While the politicians
fight like children, many
other countries are lick
ing their lips, laughing
at our great America as
we head down a road of
destruction from within.
They would be ecstatic
to be able to obtain our
land, agricultural prod
ucts, technology and
division. In Scouting, we
strive to bring people
together and create a
unified America. Scouting
focuses on ways we can
work together. America
and our youth deserve
nothing less.
Our Council has of
fered Scouting in a safe
environment over the
past several months. We
have had events follow
ing local and CDC guide
lines. As of the writing of
this letter, we have not
had a reported instance
of COVID-19 originating
from one of our activities.
Scouting is fun, safe, and
we want to invite you to
join us in helping to bring
character development
to the young people in
our community.
If you are an adult
looking to mentor young
people, what better way
address and telephone
number. Limit letters
to 250 words or less.
Shorter letters are ap
preciated. All letters are
subject to editing.
even harvest our DNA.
They are already using
many forms of artificial
intelligence against us.
We are in the ‘quiet be
fore the storm’ I feel and
there is no ‘used to be’
many long for.
I pray that God give
our country a ‘wake up
call’ and remind our
population, “united we
stand, divided we fall!’
to do that than Scouting?
If you have a child look
ing to get involved in an
outdoors program, point
them to us. We would
welcome the opportunity
to get a young person
you know engaged
with the Boy Scouts of
America. Our member
ship is open to boys and
girls aged 5-18. We have
age appropriate pro
gramming facilitated by
committed adult mentors
in our community. To get
signed up or to get more
information, look us up
online at beascout.org or
give us a call at 770-227-
4556.1 hope to see you
around a campfire in the
near future.
SINCERELY,
ROBERTYJOHNSON
Scout Executive/CEO
Flint River Council, Boy Scouts of
America
Send letters to RO.
Box 220, Barnesville,
30204, email it to news@
barnesville.com or drop
it by 509 Greenwood
Street, Barnesville.
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
Feb. 7-13
10 years ago
Jennifer Clark was
found guilty of multiple
charges in connection
with the death of her
husband Donald Clark
and sentenced to life
plus 60 years in prison.
Donald Clark disap
peared Nov. 18, 2011. His
body was found dumped
in a Redbone cornfield
on Christmas Eve. Clark
had been beaten in the
head with a metal base
ball bat while he slept.
25 years ago
The parapet on the
old bank building at
the corner of Main and
Atlanta streets collapsed,
raining debris down
onto the roadway. A
van was struck but the
driver escaped with only
minor injuries. The often
cussed train had down
town blocked, likely
saving more damage and
possibly lives. The build
ing was owned by Paul
Schmidt at the time.
50 years ago
The Gordon Military
High School Bulldogs
defeated Mt. DeSales 77-
74 in an overtime thriller
here. Sheroid Barrett had
30 points to lead Gordon.
Other scorers for the
Bulldogs were Gerald
Sloan (25), John McEach-
ern (11), Alan Sykes (6),
Jimmy Poore (3) and
Butch Armistead (2).
100 years ago
Collier Mills started
up again this week after
a shut-down of two or
three months, putting
on a force of about 75
operatives. There was
considerable rejoicing
among the people of
the community over the
starting up of the big
plant. It is also an indica
tion that business and
financial conditions are
improving.
SUBMITTED BY
DOROTHY CARTER
Lamar Gives 365
grant recipients listed
Great Day of Service
to return March 20
Letter printing guidelines
NITA MCFARUN
membership is open
Wfyt Heraltr #a^tte
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