Long term economic improvement or short term civil rights?

[Robert Chism]

The reason I ask this question is to find out from older people who actually lived through the 60's civil rights movement how they would choose? I would also like to  know from my generation how you would choose? While researching Arthur George Gaston I read that one of his biggest disagreements with Dr.King was that we needed long term economic improvement vs short term civil rights.

   Now off the top of my head I can tell you I would choose long term economic improvement over short term civil rights. Why you ask? Even with the decent job I have now,I truly don't know what it feels like to be economically empowered,but I know how it feels to be broke! Which brings about another question. Do you think the short term civil rights blurred the vision of long term economic improvement?

   Even after the movement I do believe it was still hard on people of color economically. Growing up in the 70's/80's there are many things I can think of my mother wanted for me that she couldn't afford,because of her economic situation. Private school,piano lessons, a saxophone when I started playing,just to name a few things. She did the best she could with what she had. Now I find myself doing for my child what my mother wanted for me but because of her economic condition couldn't.

   As far as civil rights goes,I was born on the Ides of March 1971 so I missed the 60's movement,but I felt it later. It seems to me that it took almost 20 years for Brown V. Board of Education to come around full swing. And when it did I was caught smack in the middle of it. My mother graduated 1968,and Dad 1967 both from Lester High School in Memphis Tn. Neither ever attended a desegregated school. Ahhhh but that would change for their first born child who was born into this new era of so called equality. The first school I went to was.... you got it Lester!!!! I can still remember my kindergarten teachers name,Carolyn Higgins. And get this Ms.Higgins was a white women,but I still have found memories of her! I think she was a flower child lol,she wore wire frame glasses like John Lennon. This only lasted a year,my first grade year I was apart of the mass exodus of colored children out of their community for the sake of civil rights. I can tell you now,I HATED every day of the first grade! Richland elementary is where we where bussed off to if you lived on the northern side of Johnson ST. If you were on the South side it was Graham Wood. I hated the bus ride,I hated the school,I hated the teacher,and she was BLACK! She treated us like trash,but as I look back on it,I don't think she wanted to be there either. Maybe she was scared for her job I don't know,but what I do know is she treated the little white kids like they were angels,and treated us like MUD. This was my first experience of being called a NIGGER,COON,and SPOOK. I can't forget this one" I can't touch you because my dad/mom said black would rub off on me" This was a lot for a 6 year old in 1977 who had no clue to what the real world was like. Very traumatizing indeed. When we were looking for a elementary school for our daughter,Richland was one of the most suggested schools that came up on a consistent basis. I refused to send my child there because of the emotional scars it left upon me. Now here recently talking to my dad I found out he hated me going there just as bad as I hated it. I think the only thing I truly learned at Richland was how to tell time. 3 o'clock couldn't get there fast enough for me!

   

  Now for second grade! Instead of going to school from Binghampton, I went to school from my address in North Memphis. I don't know why I'll ask my mom( she may be reading this and answer.) We stayed in the Klondike community. Speed and Vollintine. Now would somebody tell me with Klondike elementary 3 streets over,why in the hell was I again bussed to the other side of town? This time deep in the heart of Frayser Tn. This just doesn't sound right to me? Whitney elementary was the school this time. Whitney wasn't as bad because there were more black kids,but still a racial overtone hung over our heads everyday. More so from the teachers,probably didn't want to be there teaching the little black kids?  The only thing good I got from Whitney was a life long friend who was also bussed from the Klondike community also. It didn't take long for me to figure out I was inferior. I didn't know that,but that was the program that was running. Why would I say that? Because that is how I felt,like I wasn't good enough because of the color of my skin. Remember I was only 7 years old,and the program was doing what it was designed to do! I remember one day standing in the kitchen telling my mom I want to be WHITE and that I was tired of being black. She asked me why and I told her they get everything they want,and they're RICH. I can't remember everything she told me,but I do remember her being upset,not because I said it,but because the program was working. She probably still to this day doesn't know thats why she was so upset. The Program. 

  Needless to say the next year,and the rest of my elementary years were spent at Klondike elementary. Some of the best years of my life. Jr. High was East and Bellevue,and by the time I got there it was so heavily integrated people of color were the majority. High School was Northside High School,amidst all the untrue rumors of how bad Northside was,I had the time of my life!!! So I would take the long term economic power any day over the short term civil rights. It seems to me all the short term civil rights did was to fuck me up mentally. Here I am damn near 40 and still coping with this shit and trying to deprogram years and years of programming! Yeah I'd rather have economic power,not be broke,and have my community empowered. I don't need law to force people to befriend me that don't really want to,hell I dont want to befriend their knuckle draging asses either.  All of my less melanated friends aren't my friends because of a LAW.It's because we have common interest,or enjoy common conversation,and they stand up vertical,and don't drag their knuckles. I know a few of my colored people who are still dragging their knuckles also(program still running). Anyway that was on my mind this morning,and I wanted a few thoughts from other people on this topic.<Photo 2>

[Kym Alexander]

I have no intention of going it alone! And I only intend to do my small part. I have no delusions that I am a true freedom fighter. I play by the rules too much. I just hope to educate myself and my little future family and maybe make one or two waves in this world that reverberate outward and shake things up a bit. For now, I am happy to be part of the discussion. To be learning and expanding in ways that feed and rattle my soul a bit. Safety and playing by the rules offers little reward, if anything it harbors bitter disappointment when things don't play out the way "they" promised it would if you just did what you were told.

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Nice and easy only gets you nice and easy. I hear you. I honor the agitators and iconoclasts and in fact have been know to do both at times. My concern is just to be careful pouring new wine into old skins. They cannot take it and they will burst.

Namaska