By Evette Dionne
A historic date has arrived. Hundreds of thousands of men and women, all ages, ethnic identities, and socioeconomic statuses are descending on the National Mall to commemorate the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as, the ceremonial second inauguration of President Barack Obama. African descendants from the Americas to Brazil are rejoicing in the proverbial realization of Dr. King’s dream. The first African-American president and first commander-in-chief to secure 50 percent of the popular vote twice since President Franklin Roosevelt will be sworn into the highest office of the land.
This occasion marks the beginning of the countdown to “Black History Month,” better known as 28 days of McDonald’s commercials lamenting the importance of celebrating black history 365 days (though the commercials only air in February) and students learning inaccurate information about slavery, Dr. King’s vision, and the biographies of other pioneers who assisted in bringing the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to fruition. D.C. natives and visitors will traipse to the MLK Memorial to offer their gratitude after Pres. Obama recites the Oath of Office with his hand firmly placed on the slain reverend’s Bible. But even as we bask in the importance of the moment and dredge up those painful images of Rosa Parks being led off the bus and Medgar Evers losing his life with his children and wife bearing witness, it is also essential for African-Americans to see beyond the dominant discourse of the Civil Rights Movement.
In order to grasp the spirit of what was occurring in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and dozens of other states, we must expand our consciousness to both learn the stories and embrace the leaders who have been relegated to the reference pages of history books. Davis W. Houck’s In Rhetoric, Religion and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965 is a compilation of 130 speeches that illustrate the role of religion in the development of the movement. But within his work, Houck also captures a collection of voices that have been disregarded.
“The problem with much of the civil rights scholarship is that it’s basically a ‘greatest hits’ album featuring the fairly famous civil rights leaders,” Houck told FSU News.
In the book’s introduction, Houck and his editor, David E. Dixon, write, “Dr. [Martin Luther] King got the headlines, the awards and the adulation, but the Ed Kings did the daily dirty work so essential to the movement’s many successes.” This sentence refers to Ed King, who ran for lieutenant governor of Mississippi in 1964 on the Freedom Ticket, and almost died in his pursuit of justice. A local segregationist ran a car he was riding in off the road.
In venerating the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, it is imperative to remember fighters like Lawrence Guyot (above), who spent his entire life in the trenches, even surviving intense jailhouse beatings during the 1960s. We must honor Fannie Lou Hamer (left), an activist who found her passion for the movement when she attempted to register to vote in Indianola, Mississippi. Though Hamer achieved mass acclaim later in her work, most of her earlier speeches have been lost. Houck transcribed one delivered in 1964 and included it in his book.
But what about Dave Dennis and Mildred Bell Johnson? Do their names resonate within us? Dennis was one of the original freedom fighters and was instrumental in the organization of the 1964 Freedom Summer. Johnson was responsible for the first Girl Scout troop for black girls in Alabama. She also happens to be General Colin Powell’s mother-in-law. Bayard Rustin (left), Dr. King’s advisor, led the organization of the March on Washington. He also championed intersectionality in the movement by not closeting his homosexuality. Ella Baker (below) helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) after serving as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) director. Vivian Malone-Jones enrolled in the University of Alabama in 1963, defying segregationist Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace and continued her activism in the civil rights division of the U.S. Justice Department.
These and hundreds of others are legacies that we must remember and cherish because their tireless efforts were consequential in the development of such a powerful social revolution. Their work and sacrifices were the adrenaline pumping through Dr. King’s veins. In our honoring of Dr. King and Pres. Obama on this day, we also offer gratitude and thanks to those names and lives that don’t have statues on the National Mall. It is the first step in expanding our consciousness.
