On April of 1968 a group of sanitation workers were clamoring to be heard. They had gone out on strike-- fighting for equal treatment of pay and safety -- one black worker had died and his death was treated with the same tenor of the years of ridicule and demeaning most of them experienced at work and on the streets of Memphis as just men -- thus prompted them for the next 65 days to proclaim, "I am a Man."
To accomplish their goals, they organized marches and leaned on the assistance of community organizers in churches and in their unions to shed light to their cause. That cause lead to Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. -- whose Civil Rights career was ignited by his own organization of the black community of Montgomery, Alabama for the bus boycott. Remembering his community organization roots King told his skeptical aides that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Justice is suppose to be blind -- which is why it might be interesting to note that at the Republican National Convention -- community organizer became a bad word -- some suggested it was code for black or urban or radical -- a subtle way to inject racial politics into the political campaign.
Whether that is true is more conjecture than concrete -- but what is not left to debate is the fact that for a political party -- one whose candidates if elected will swear on the bible that he (or she) will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States it seemed odd that people like the former mayor of New York City and a potential Vice-Presidential Candidate would denigrate such a noble duty as shedding like on injustices anywhere because it threatens injustice everywhere.
Perhaps they do not know what community organizers have done in this country -- perhaps they think of them as just urban rebel-rouser's -- who try and get handouts of welfare and free cheese for black folks. To those:
It was a group of community activists who rose up against the British and organized a revolt on tea ships from Great Britain-- a group of community organizers who said "No taxation without representation."
It was a group of community activists who rose up against the institution of slavery and through the organization of the abolitionist movement, ignited a culture war that lead to war and created the 13 - 15th amendments of the United States Constitution.
It was a group of community organizers who after the 15th amendment turned their sights to women's rights and organized the suffrage movement-- the very movement that is the reason Palin can accept a nomination for Vice President.
It was a group of community organizers who demanded that blacks be educated and created HBCUs in Wilberforce, Ohio and across the South.
It was a group of community activists who organized the first sit-ins in Greensboro, NC that helped spark the conquest to end racial injustice in America
It was one community organizer who started a movement and along with hundreds of community organizers across the country brought 200,000 people to the Mall on Washington and told them about a dream and for his efforts was assassinated and given a national holiday.
It is a group of community organizers who set up get out the vote campaigns that are essential to each political parties success.
So with all of that said, I think we should not belittle service to our communities, and to the interest of mankind.
It is surprising that a political party which counts evangelicals as an essential part of its base support would forget that Jesus told us that is is easier for a rich man to walk through the eye of a needle than reach the gates of heaven.
Jesus gave us the parable of the good Samaritan, and told us in the "beattitudes" -- blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...blessed be those who hunger and thirst for justice for they shall be satisfied...blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God...
It seems these are not the attitude of many who belong to party where the majority of its delegates are worth more than a million dollars and a convention where only 1.5% (36) of delegates were African-Americans. Perhaps they are not voiceless or powerless and need the help of community organizers.
Could it be possible that it is Barack Obama -- the one who is the so called Muslim and radical -- who has actually learned the lessons of the beattitudes -- which conclude:
Blessed are you when men reproach you, persecute you, and speaking falsely, say all manner of evil against you, for my sake.
We should all wish these politicians who wear their religion not only on their sleeves but on their lapels and in their polices would actually follow its principles and defend those who give water to those who thirst and throw out the money peddlers from the temple.
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