Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer NO, Not Me/Us Ma'am and Sir
by: Mary Glass – October 10, 2010
Why the GIANT pushback to the September 18 to Now refusal to accept the “bullying”, “discrimination”, “arbitrary and capricious” acts that violates the human and civil rights of the Milwaukee Branch Membership of the NAACP.
The Constitution of America is a work in progress. However, it does have battles we have won. I for one, do not willingly accept disregard, arrogance and usurping either the NAACP Bylaws and/or the Constitution.
Being part of the NAACP movement during the 60’s and remembering the struggles and milestones that gave the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People its name, I offer the following:
When African Americans and some Caucasians were seeking the justices that we have been able to put in place, they were often challenged with bullying, segregation and discrimination. They were many times violently violated with mutilation with fire hoses on full-strength, Billy clubbed and given stick beatings to send a message to cease and desist. We were lynched and/or found shot, floating in a river with a concrete or weighted anchor; burned and buried.
As a 65 year old who lived in the South, I remember well. It goes like this . . .
When my people, African Americans tried to vote, they were cajoled by the Caucasians that had them as sharecropper workers and field assistants. The Caucasians bartered with fear and two or three nuggets – less field work, a minute increase in sharecropping, or produce for family well-being. Not all of us were on farms sharecropping. Some of us would not barter, they said, NO, Not Me/Us Sir.
Later, when African Americans tried again to vote, they asked the questions, “What do you want to vote for? Why are you trying to be like those northern “N”? Don’t I take care you, your wife and children (often in a southern disrespectful reference to his wife, his children and others like him)? Some of us felt compromised and would bow our heads, smile outside and curse inside, talked under-our breath and remained; but, some continued to say, NO, Not Me/Us Sir.
The next time, the slave owner or owner of the land, used more bullying tactics. This time, he launched a fear-decree that was arbitrary and capricious “law-on-the-spot” that said if he found you in the line to vote, you would be beaten or he wanted all owed on the books and family off property. Many had to succumb. But, there were those of us (if only 1) who continued to say, NO, Not Me/Us Sir.
When we got to being protected by the troops at the voting sites, there were Caucasian politicians (like now) coming into the neighborhood and donating to churches (minuscule amounts of cash), promising the sky and delivering on nothing, dropping off “goat meat barbeque and the like”, lots of alcohol and trinkets, some did their bid; but, there were those of us who continued to say, NO, Not Me/Us Sir.
Because there was always a PUSH-BACK though ever-so-slight, it was a thunder-clap because it kept HOPE alive, it kept the MOVEMENT on-going.
So, when the Caucasians sought another method to discriminate and keep us out, they chose testing us. Well, since most of us were not able to go to school – worked for the nation’s cotton and field crop wealth and just plain were not allowed to get a decent education (like today); it would be easy to impose this arbitrary and capricious “law-on-the-spot”. So we had ridiculous questions like, “how many bubbles are found in a bar of soap”? But, there were those of us who said, NO, Not Me/Us Sir by taking it through the American justice system.
And, on and on are the stories of how we got to September 18, 2010.
Therefore, when President Jerry Ann Hamilton, from Mississippi, forgot her responsibility to/for the Membership on behalf of the national association, as well as the ongoing responsibility for the support of human and civil rights under both the Constitution and the NAACP Bylaws, I for one, said, NO, Not Me/US Ma’am.
It was more resounding when President Hamilton brought in Rev. Gill Ford (national whoever) and Mr. Roger C. Vann ( Chief Operating Officer whoever) equally forgot respect for the Membership’s rights, code of conduct, respect for the bylaws, Constitution and professional fairness and protocol; it was without a doubt, NO, NOT ME /US MA’AM AND SIRS.
The same is true if President/CEO Ben Jealous, Chairwoman Roslyn Brock and the Full Board forget their manners in Code of Conduct and usurping the NAACP BYLAWS and the US Constitution.
NO, NOT ME/US MA’AM and SIRS.
NAACP History
Visit this site below of the NAACP and hear how “NO, Not Me/Us Sir were championed by Attorney Charles Houston and he became the architect for dismantling the Jim Crow laws. He and others, Mr. Homer Pressy – “Separate but Equal” (13/14 Amendment), Mr. Brown’s refusal to accept NO and HE and 12 others complaint were the genesis of the Brown vs Board of Education decision.
The pathway is filled with NO, Not Me/Us Sir from many including: Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin King Jr, WEB Du Bois, Dorothy Height, Ben Hooks, Justice Thurgood Marshall, Medgar and Charles Evers, Shirley Chisholm and on and on.
It appears that President Hamilton, Rev. Ford and Mr. Vann need to view and/or be reminded that best practices, truth-telling, public scrutiny and accountability are on the table for a reason.
Start your RENEW with Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer speech to the DNC 1968
Accountability Counts.
We will not be "SNOOKERED"
No comments:
Post a Comment