“Everything Has Changed and Nothing Has Changed.” - Rev

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

“Everything Has Changed and Nothing Has Changed.” - Rev Last Friday, our nation lost two giants of the civil rights movement, Representative John Lewis, the “Conscience of the Congress,” and Reverend C. T. Vivian, described by Martin L. King, Jr. as "the greatest preacher to ever live.” This, after the passing in March of Reverend Joseph Lowery, known as the "Dean of the Civil Rights Movement." It is hard to imagine where our country would be without their moral conviction, physical courage, and resolute leadership over the last half-century. We, as a nation, owe them more than just our gratitude for the progress they sacrificed so much to achieve. We can never repay them directly, but we can take two important steps. First, we can show respect by learning more about them. Prepare to be awed by their strategic vision, unwavering commitment to nonviolence, and sheer grit and will to effectuate change. You also will discover that they utilized nonprofits to advocate effectively to change public policies, such as founding and leading the Black Leadership Forum, the National Anti-Klan Network, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and the Voter Education Project, among many others. Second, as nonprofits we can – and must – accept our role in the relay race of life. These three men received a relay baton that was in miserable condition. But while it was in their hands, they used everything they had and did everything they could to make it better and stronger before passing it to us. That much-improved, yet still-imperfect, baton is now in our hands – we hold it in trust for future generations, and therefore must make further improvements so we pass our nation forward in far better shape than we received it. The words of Lewis, Lowery, and Vivian guide this month’s edition of Nonprofit Knowledge Matters. As Rep. Lewis wrote in an early draft of the speech he delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, “Our minds, souls, and hearts cannot rest until freedom and justice exist for all the people.” advertisement “Everything has changed and nothing has changed.” - Rev. Joseph Lowery DE&I efforts have seemingly been prevalent in the nonprofit sector for several years now. But, new research from the Building Movement Project shows that not much true progress has been made. Organizations undertaking DE&I initiatives or activities were reported by about 75 percent of respondents. White respondents also began recognizing the unfair advantages they have held in career advancement. Both are important steps. But there is a difference between realizing a problem exists and taking significant action to remedy that situation. More must be done. The pursuit of equity cannot end with public statements or with a training session or two. It is essential for equity efforts to occur in conjunction with efforts around systems change. One without the other will not create the change that is necessary. As the Building Movement Project states, “Change in the sector can only happen when nonprofit groups identify the concrete, structural factors that reproduce racial leadership disparities, and undertake new and transformative steps to fundamentally include and expand the voices and experiences of people of color.” advertisement “Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.” - Rep. John Lewis In last month’s issue, we shared the words of Trabian Shorters, Co-Founder and CEO of BMe Community. Our network's leadership was lucky enough to hear from Shorters recently during a private virtual presentation, learning about the importance of asset-framing. Fundraising appeals that allow donors to play the role of savior may work, but such framing causes unrecognized damage and perpetuates inequality. Utilizing asset-framing, we see and describe people as their aspirations and what they can achieve rather than stigmatizing them by defining them by their challenges. In a similar vein, a movement called Community-Centric Fundraising seeks to reexamine fundraising philosophy in order to advance social justice. Among the initial principles of the movement are to foster a sense of belonging, not "othering" or reinforcing the “savior complex,” and promoting the understanding that everyone benefits from the work of social justice, that it’s not just compassion or charity. It is up to all of us to break down the systems that perpetuate negative stereotypes and keep us divided. We must be part of the solution to create a more equitable society. advertisement “Leadership is found in the action to defeat that which would defeat you.” - Rev. C. T. Vivian These words from Rev. Vivian seem like the motto for nonprofits. Right now, as a pandemic rages across the country, defeat can come in the form of financial challenges that make it more difficult to serve our communities. Fundraisers cancelled. The health of our staff members, our board members, our families, and our communities at risk. Seeing some long-time supporters become the people reaching out for help. And now the prospect of frozen government contracts or significant budget cuts. As you read this newsletter, decisions are being made that can affect your nonprofit’s ability to serve the community. Most eyes are focused on Washington, DC and the negotiations between the House, the Senate, and the White House on more coronavirus relief legislation. Last week, a nationwide coalition of nonprofits issued a new call for Congress to provide more much-needed relief for nonprofits in the bill that they are negotiating. We urge everyone to continue to reach out to your Senators and Representative in the days ahead. But don’t forget state and local governments that are staring at enormous revenue shortfalls and will be making tough decisions about cuts in the months ahead. They need to know the impact your organization is having in the community and the consequences that cut-backs would have on the people you serve every day. Let us know how your nonprofit is doing so we can help advocate for provisions at the federal, state, and local levels that will help all nonprofits continue their vital work. “Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.” - Rep. John Lewis We don’t need to remind anyone that this an election year. But voter registration and engagement efforts carry even more obstacles this year than normal. COVID-19 adds new challenges, especially as some states continue to consolidate polling places and fight efforts to expand voting by mail. We all have to do our part to encourage safe voting through the remainder of local primaries and the general election in November. Nonprofits have always had a prominent role to play in encouraging voter registration and engagement. You and your nonprofit can join the efforts of groups, such as Justice Aid, the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, Nonprofit VOTE, and Voto Latino to ensure free and fair elections this November. And, before getting out the vote, we still need to get out the count and ensure every person is counted in the 2020 Census. A new challenge emerged yesterday in the form of the President’s unconstitutional Executive Order to restrict who gets counted. Our communities are relying on a fair, accurate, and complete count of all persons in the country, as required by the Constitution. Promoting census participation now helps our communities receive the proper amount of funding for the next ten years – and it helps cut down on the need for door-to-door census takers to put themselves at risk. We conclude with these words from John Lewis: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” .
Recommended publications
  • Today in Georgia History October 6, 1924 Joseph Lowery Suggested
    Today in Georgia History October 6, 1924 Joseph Lowery Suggested Readings David J. Garrow, Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1955-1968 (New York: William Morrow, 1986). Anthony Lewis, Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment (New York: Random House, 1991). Image Credits October 6, 1924: Joseph Lowery Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery, 1965 Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-08102 Ebenezer Baptist Church Image courtesy of the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center Ebenezer Baptist Church, 1975 Image courtesy of the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center, VIS 71 248 09 Interior of Ebenezer Baptist Church Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS GA,61-ATLA,54 Joseph Lowery and Andrew Young Image courtesy of the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center Joseph Lowery speaking in a church in Birmingham, Ala Image courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Q21218 KKK cross burning, Burke County Image courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, bur141 Lowery giving 2009 Presidential Inauguration benediction Image courtesy of Getty Images, 84375573 Lowery receiving medal of freedom from President Obama Image courtesy of Getty Images, 89761093 Martin Luther King Jr. and Joseph Lowery seated and listening to a speaker in a church in Birmingham Alabama Image courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Q16726 Martin Luther
    [Show full text]
  • Virginia State Unit of the SCLC
    Virginia State Unit of the SCLC Office of Andrew Shannon June 15, 2018 The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 RE: Letter of Support for the Release of Phillip A. Hamilton from federal prison Dear President Trump: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was founded in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. C.K. Steele, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Rev. Joseph Lowery and others to redeem the soul of America. The organization was the heartbeat and soul of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and continues to today as one of the few national organizations that use broad based nonviolent direct action to address issues of racism and equality. Our organization has over 75 chapters across the country and internationally, with a membership base of more than 10,000 people and reach more than a million people annually through our network and our quarterly publication the SCLC Magazine. We would like to thank you for the Proclamations honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. nationally in January 2018 and in March 2018. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 and our nation honors the legacy of the slain civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King believed in freedom, justice and equality for all. Of course, as a Pastor, Dr. King also believed in Biblical principles of feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, visiting those who are in jails and prisons; and forgiveness. In fact, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    [Show full text]
  • Black-Jewish Coalition” Unraveled: Where Does Israel Fit?
    The “Black-Jewish Coalition” Unraveled: Where Does Israel Fit? A Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program Professors Ellen Smith and Jonathan Krasner Ph.D., Advisors In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Leah Robbins May 2020 Copyright by Leah Robbins 2020 Acknowledgements This thesis was made possible by the generous and thoughtful guidance of my two advisors, Professors Ellen Smith and Jonathan Krasner. Their content expertise, ongoing encouragement, and loving pushback were invaluable to the work. This research topic is complex for the Jewish community and often wrought with pain. My advisors never once questioned my intentions, my integrity as a researcher, or my clear and undeniable commitment to the Jewish people of the past, present, and future. I do not take for granted this gift of trust, which bolstered the work I’m so proud to share. I am also grateful to the entire Hornstein community for making room for me to show up in my fullness, and for saying “yes” to authentically wrestle with my ideas along the way. It’s been a great privilege to stretch and grow alongside you, and I look forward to continuing to shape one another in the years to come. iii ABSTRACT The “Black-Jewish Coalition” Unraveled: Where Does Israel Fit? A thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts By Leah Robbins Fascination with the famed “Black-Jewish coalition” in the United States, whether real or imaginary, is hardly a new phenomenon of academic interest.
    [Show full text]
  • Civil Rights History Project
    The Reverend Joseph Lowery Interview, 6-6-11 Page 1 of 26 Civil Rights History Project Interview completed by the Southern Oral History Program under contract to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Library of Congress, 2011 Interviewee: The Reverend Joseph E. Lowery Interview Date: June 6, 2011 Location: Sanctuary of Cascade United Methodist Church, Atlanta, Georgia Interviewer: Joseph Mosnier, Ph.D. Videographer: John Bishop Length: 1:02:49 Special Note: Cheryl Lowery-Osborne, Reverend Lowery’s daughter, drove him from his home to the church and stayed to watch the interview from a rear pew. John Bishop: We’re rolling. Joe Mosnier: Today is Monday, June 6, 2011. My name is Joe Mosnier of the Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am with videographer John Bishop. We are in Atlanta, Georgia, at Cascade United Methodist Church to complete an oral history interview for the Civil Rights History Project, which is a joint undertaking of the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. And we are especially privileged and very pleased today to be with Reverend Joseph Lowery. Um, Reverend Lowery, thank you so much for sitting down with us. Joseph Lowery: You’re quite welcome. You’ll get a bill in the mail. [Laughter] The Reverend Joseph Lowery Interview, 6-6-11 Page 2 of 26 JM: I thought I might, um – I thought, as we’re going to be talking here today mostly about, I think, the ’50s and ’60s, um, and then a little bit, um, a little bit – a few questions thereafter, mostly ’50s and ’60s.
    [Show full text]
  • James Baldwin's Radicalism and the Evolution of His Thought on Israel
    ESSAY “The Shape of the Wrath to Come”: James Baldwin’s Radicalism and the Evolution of His Thought on Israel Nadia Alahmed Dickinson College Abstract This article traces the evolution of James Baldwin’s discourse on the Arab–Israeli conflict as connected to his own evolution as a Black thinker, activist, and author. It creates a nuanced trajectory of the transformation of Baldwin’s thought on the Arab–Israeli conflict and Black and Jewish relations in the U.S. This trajectory is created through the lens of Baldwin’s relationship with some of the major radical Black movements and organizations of the twentieth century: Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, and, finally, the Black Power movement, espe- cially the Black Panther Party. Using Baldwin as an example, the article displays the Arab–Israeli conflict as a terrain Black radicals used to articulate their visions of the nature of Black oppression in the U.S., strategies of resistance, the meaning of Black liberation, and articulations of Black identity. It argues that the study of Baldwin’s transformation from a supporter of the Zionist project of nation-building to an advocate of Palestinian rights and national aspirations reveals much about the ideological transformations of the larger Black liberation movement. Keywords: James Baldwin, Palestine, Israel, Black radicalism, Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, Nation of Islam, Black Power I think black people have always felt this about America, and Americans, and have always seen, spinning above the thoughtless American head, the shape of the wrath to come. James Baldwin, No Name in the Street1 As the state of Israel was established in 1948, James Baldwin felt the urge to flee America.
    [Show full text]
  • Civil Rights Done Right a Tool for Teaching the Movement TEACHING TOLERANCE
    Civil Rights Done Right A Tool for Teaching the Movement TEACHING TOLERANCE Table of Contents Introduction 2 STEP ONE Self Assessment 3 Lesson Inventory 4 Pre-Teaching Reflection 5 STEP TWO The "What" of Teaching the Movement 6 Essential Content Coverage 7 Essential Content Coverage Sample 8 Essential Content Areas 9 Essential Content Checklist 10 Essential Content Suggestions 12 STEP THREE The "How" of Teaching the Movement 14 Implementing the Five Essential Practices 15 Implementing the Five Essential Practices Sample 16 Essential Practices Checklist 17 STEP FOUR Planning for Teaching the Movement 18 Instructional Matrix, Section 1 19 Instructional Matrix, Section 1 Sample 23 Instructional Matrix, Section 2 27 Instructional Matrix, Section 2 Sample 30 STEP FIVE Teaching the Movement 33 Post-Teaching Reflection 34 Quick Reference Guide 35 © 2016 Teaching Tolerance CIVIL RIGHTS DONE RIGHT // 1 TEACHING TOLERANCE Civil Rights Done Right A Tool for Teaching the Movement Not long ago, Teaching Tolerance issued Teaching the Movement, a report evaluating how well social studies standards in all 50 states support teaching about the modern civil rights movement. Our report showed that few states emphasize the movement or provide classroom support for teaching this history effectively. We followed up these findings by releasingThe March Continues: Five Essential Practices for Teaching the Civil Rights Movement, a set of guiding principles for educators who want to improve upon the simplified King-and-Parks-centered narrative many state standards offer. Those essential practices are: 1. Educate for empowerment. 2. Know how to talk about race. 3. Capture the unseen. 4. Resist telling a simple story.
    [Show full text]
  • To Fred L. Shuttlesworth the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
    tions 4(in) their world wide aspects, and was instrumental in getting Finletter 4 Apr to propose this in his commencement address at Hampton Institute several years 1960 ago. Greenfield's number and address is as follows in case you want to get in touch with him directly; Edward L. Greenfield Edward L. Greenfield & Co. 501 Madison Avenue N.Y. 22, N.Y. Phone: PLaza 9-6535 Forgive the sharp criticism in this note at a moment when something big has happened, but I trust that you expect from me a full and honest reaction. Thanks for calling me from Chicago the other day. It was great hearing your voice. These are historic days in the South, and I have confidence that the cre- ative role you are playing is just beginning. Love to Coretta. As ever, [signed] Harris Harris Wofford Associate Professor HW:mh TALS. MLW-MBU: BOX74, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project To Fred L. Shuttlesworth 4 April 1960 [Atlanta, Gu.] Afer Shutthorth's second arrest during the stua!ent sit-ins in Birmingham, King pledges SCLCS support and praises the minister? "@ic making career.'" REV FRED SHUTTLESWORTH 3191 NORTH 29~~AVE HAVE JUST LEARNED OF YOUR RECENT ARREST ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES BY CITY OFFICIALS OF BIRMINGHAM YOU HAVE THE ABSOLUTE SUPPORT OF THE I. On 3 I March, the first day of a student sit-in campaign that resulted in ten arrests, Birmingham police also arrested Shuttleworth for giving false information regarding an alleged incident of police brutality. Two days later he was arrested for vagrancy as well as aiding and abetting civil disobedience.
    [Show full text]
  • Board of Christian Social Action NEWSLETTER
    Board of Christian Social Action NEWSLETTER September 2020 Volume 1, Number 2 A Message Becomes a Movement In This Issue By Lynda Mack We honor three civil Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17 year old, was shot and killed in 2012 by a rights legends: neighborhood watch volunteer. The following year the shooter was acquitted. This sparked the online message “#BlackLivesMatter”. Three women, Alicia • Rep. John Lewis Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors, were the creators of the “online community • Rev. C.T. Vivian to help combat anti-Black racism across the globe”. Today the message has evolved to include #What Matters2020campaign. This will • Rev. Joseph E. Lowery address 14 issues including racial injustice, police brutality, criminal justice reform Also included and voting rights and suppression. There are 14 chapters of BlackLivesMatter in the • A Message Becomes a US (including Washington DC),and 3 chapters in Canada striving for liberation. Movement • Message from Minister The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for • The Importance of All Black Lives. Voting • Vacation Bible School The Conscience of the Congress: Rep. John Lewis By Paula Young Shelton John Lewis is a soldier of the civil rights movement with whom we are all familiar. He was born in Troy, Alabama on February 21, 1940. Lewis, as humble as he was powerful, made it a point to always connect with young people, perhaps because he himself was so young when he began fighting racism. He even told his story in a graphic novel, March, to share his experiences with the younger generation.
    [Show full text]
  • Fulfilling Our Obligations, and Passing the Torch
    August 28, 2020 Fulfilling our Obligations, and Passing the Torch “When I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin under the Hitler regime, I learned many things. The most important thing that I learned under those tragic circumstances was that bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence. Rabbi Jacob Prinz, Speech at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963 “I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete. We must get in this revolution and complete the revolution….” John Lewis, Speech at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963 We in the Black Freedom Movement of the 1950s and 1960s held countless mass meetings in churches and community halls in Black communities throughout the Jim Crow South. On August 28, 1963, for the first and only time, we gathered before the Lincoln Memorial for a mass meeting on a national scale, joined and witnessed by the entire country. We called this mass meeting “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. No one who was there can ever forget it. We were there. With approximately 250,000 in attendance, and tens of millions watching on network TV, the March on Washington was the largest gathering for racial justice, economic equality and human rights ever assembled to date.
    [Show full text]
  • Resurgenssummer 2017 Page 3 the Official Newsletter of Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, Post1at-Large Special Legislative Section Begins On
    Special Legislative Issue ResurgensSummer 2017 page 3 The Official Newsletter of Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, Post1at-Large Special Legislative Section Begins on Atlanta City Councilmember l Michael Julian Bond l Post 1 at-Large Bond Authors Legislation for Homeless Opportunity Project Worth $50 Million Supporting Atlanta’s Most Vulnerable Citizens Councilmember Michael J. Bond was proud to author the legislation “It reaffirms solidly the city’s commitment to behind the City of Atlanta’s recent major step toward eradicating dealing with the issues of the homeless,” said homelessness. In July 2017, the Atlanta City Council authorized Invest Bond. “This signals to them that they are not Atlanta to issue its revenue bonds to fund the new Homeless Opportunity forgotten and that they are priority of this Project, a massive three-year effort to reduce underemployment, government.” unemployment and resulting homelessness in Atlanta. The $26 million bond from Invest Atlanta will be added to a $25 million donation from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban the United Way of Greater Atlanta. Over the next three years, the $50 Development reports that in recent years, million in funds will be used to create 364 new homeless shelter beds, Atlanta has decreased the number of homeless provide 254 homeless youths with housing interventions, and provide individuals by 52 percent. However, according permanent homes for 500 homeless to anti-homelessness nonprofit Partners for individuals and 300 homeless families. Home, over 3,500 men, women and children in Atlanta are still in need of shelter. The ordinance authorizing the project, which was sponsored by Councilmember “We now have the opportunity to end chronic Bond, was approved unanimously by the homelessness in our city, and ensure that all city council.
    [Show full text]
  • Administration of Barack Obama, 2015 Remarks Commemorating the 50Th
    Administration of Barack Obama, 2015 Remarks Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches for Voting Rights in Selma, Alabama March 7, 2015 Audience member. We love you, President Obama! The President. Well, you know I love you back. It is a rare honor in this life to follow one of your heroes. And John Lewis is one of my heroes. Now, I have to imagine that when a younger John Lewis woke up that morning 50 years ago and made his way to Brown Chapel, heroics were not on his mind. A day like this was not on his mind. Young folks with bedrolls and backpacks were milling about. Veterans of the movement trained newcomers in the tactics of nonviolence, the right way to protect yourself when attacked. A doctor described what tear gas does to the body, while marchers scribbled down instructions for contacting their loved ones. The air was thick with doubt, anticipation, and fear. And they comforted themselves with the final verse of the final hymn they sung: "No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you." And then, his knapsack stocked with an apple, a toothbrush, and a book on government— all you need for a night behind bars—John Lewis led them out of the church on a mission to change America. President and Mrs. Bush, Governor Bentley, Mayor Evans, Congresswoman Sewell, Reverend Strong, Members of Congress, elected officials, foot soldiers, friends, fellow Americans: As John noted, there are places and moments in America where this Nation's destiny has been decided.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and Civil Rights Movement
    California Three Rs Rights, Responsibility, and Respect CCSESA A Project of the California County Superintendents Educational California Three Rs Services Association and The First Amendment Center Advisory Committee Robert F. Kane, Esq. Volume 9, Number 2 November 2011 Americans United for Separation of Church and Statet Teaching the Importance of Religion in the Modern Civil Rights Movement Michelle Deutchman By Jack Bareilles, Northern Humboldt Union HS District, CA 3Rs Planning Committee Anti-Defamation Leagueat Kathy Northington Association of California School I always loved teaching the Civil Rights Movement. It didn’t matter if I was working at Administrators a Catholic elementary in Oakland or a public high school in Humboldt County—the Wayne Jacobsen BridgeBuilders topic grabbed the attention of my students and didn’t let go. But until the summer TBA of 2004 when I participated in a weeklong workshop in Alabama, and then a year California Council of Churches Avi Black later when I had the honor of hosting the late great Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth California Council for the in Humboldt County, that the fundamental but often downplayed role of religion Social Studies in the movement hit home. Julian Crocker California County Superintendents Educational Services Association With the exception of early movement leaders like A. Philip Randolph, the head of Kenneth McDonald the Pullman Porters, lawyer and jurist Thurgood Marshall, and later more “radical” California Department of Education Beth Slutsky leaders like Malcolm X and members of SNCC and the Black Panthers, the bulk of the California History-Social Science Project leadership of the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to the late 1960s were ministers.
    [Show full text]