PIKES PEAK SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Volume 2, Issue 6 June 2020 Only a few jurisdictions News&History publicly report coronavirus cases and deaths by race. We have provided some of the “Our lives begin to end the day we become statistics and opinions that are available to us in this issue. silent about things that matter.” To all of our members and supporters, please stay safe and Ahmaud Arbery well during this pandemic. May 8, 1994 - February 23, 2020 Another Life Taken Inside this issue: By Dakin Andone, Angela Barajas and Jason Morris, CNN Updated 7:18 AM ET, Sat May 9, 2020 Ahmaud Arbery 1 Glynn County, Georgia was a suspect in a string of son," he said. "I just want (CNN) Gregory McMichael, burglaries. them to pay the price for the 64, and his 34-year-old son, crime they did." 2 NPR Interview with Travis McMichael, were McMichael told police his son Top Doctors arrested Thursday evening shot Arbery after the latter Marcus Arbery Sr. likened his and face charges or murder allegedly attacked him as he son's killing to a modern-day 2 Gratitude to All of and aggravated assault in stood in the road with a lynching. Those Putting Their Arbery's killing on February shotgun, according to the Lives on the Line 23, according to the Georgia police report. "Anytime you pursue a young Bureau of Investigation. man, go jump in a truck with The President’s 3 shotguns and a pistol ... and Corner "We've been here before" you follow him and slaughter whether it's Tamir Rice or him like that, that's lynching," Malcom X 4 Trayvon Martin," said he said. Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Arbery's father. "When African-American 5 they kill our children, they Poetry then try to assassinate their character and I know they're Voter Registration 5 going to do that with Ahmaud But those who knew Arbery Arbery." said the former high school football player often jogged Leadership 6 The case prompted outrage in through the neighborhoods recent days over the fact the southwest of Brunswick. His McMichaels, who are white, loved ones described him as a MLK on Leadership 7 had not been arrested more "very good young man." than two months after Arbery, James Baldwin — 8 a black man, was killed while "His heart was always in the jogging through a right place. And he just loved Prophet neighborhood outside Bruns- people," said his father, wick, Georgia. Marcus Arbery Sr., Friday on James Taylor — Shed 9 CNN's New Day, on what A Little Light That day, according to a police would have been his son's report, the McMichaels 26th birthday. The Back Page 10 allegedly chased Arbery down in a pickup truck, believing he "I just want justice for my Volume 2, Issue 6 Page 2 erroneously accused of years leading a movement that assaulting white women. He changed the course of the signed the letter, “M.L. King, nation. JR.” . 6, 1946. It is perhaps the only letter Kick Up Dust King wrote to the paper, even though he became friendly “I often find when decent with the paper’s pioneering treatment for the Negro is urged, a editor, Ralph McGill, one of certain class of people hurry to the few white newspaper raise the scarecrow of social editors to take a vocal stand mingling and intermarriage. These questions have nothing to do with against segregation.) the case. And most people who It may be true that In the letter, published Aug. 6, In late July 1946, the lynchings kick up this kind of dust know 1946, “King is responding to of five African-Americans in that it is simple dust to obscure the law cannot make the upsurge of lynchings of Georgia made national the real question of rights and returning black soldiers,” said a man love me, but it headlines and pricked the opportunities. It is fair to Clayborne Carson, editor of conscience of a Morehouse remember that almost the total of King’s papers. “During the war can stop him from College student. race mixture in America has come, there was the double V cam- not at the Negro initiative, but by lynching me, and I The first killing was of Maceo paign for black soldiers. It said, the acts of those very white men Snipes, an African-American ‘Yes, we’re going to fight who talk loudest of race purity. think that’s pretty World War II veteran. Snipes against fascism and Nazism, We aren’t eager to marry white was killed in Taylor County, in but when we get back home, important.” girls, and we would like to have retaliation for daring to vote in we’re not going to return to our own girls left alone by both a statewide primary election. the old way.’” For that four white men shot white toughs and white — Martin Luther King Jr. him outside a relative’s home. But that declaration was met aristocrats. with a rising tide of violence by “We want and are entitled to the Days later, two black couples, some whites against soldiers basic rights and opportunities of George and Mae Murray who expected equality after American citizens: The right to Dorsey and Roger and Doro- they had served their country. thy Malcom, were killed by a earn a living at work for which we mob at the Moore’s Ford This was also during a time are fitted by training and ability; Bridge between Monroe and when the NAACP was equal opportunities in education, Watkinsville. They were c h a m p i o n i n g f e d e r a l health, recreation, and similar murdered after Roger Malcom legislation that would declare public services; the right to vote; had a dispute with a local lynchings a crime. Congress equality before the law; some of white farmer. Dorsey was would not pass such the same courtesy and good seven months pregnant when legislation, Carson said. manners that we ourselves bring to she was beaten and shot to Propelled by this confluence of all human relations. events, King wrote his letter. death. M.L. King, JR.” “It represents and shows how All of this was too much for a 17- ye a r- ol d Mor eh ou s e early his social consciousness student. Martin Luther King, developed,” Carson said. “He Jr. penned a letter to The had an intellectual sense for Atlanta Constitution in which the need for change. I’m not he called out the immorality of sure the editors realized he was racism and showed a only 17 years old. Most people burgeoning passion for social are in high school at that age.” justice. The writer also referred Here is King’s letter, headlined to the murderous tactic that “Kick Up Dust.” It’s an early had led to so many lynchings expression from a young man across the South: black men who would spend the next 22 News&History Page 3 The President’s Corner Have you heard the term, “I'm Another killing of an unarmed said they saw Mr. Bailey holding sick and tired of being sick and black citizen. Another his waistband and were certain tired?” I'm sick and tired of being conversation concerning an he had a gun and believed he sick and tired of seeing the killing undeserved death. I'm so sick presented a threat to the of black citizens on the streets of and tired of being sick and tired community when they shot him America. of having conversations about a in November 2019. A grand jury problem that appears to be agreed and unanimously On Tuesday, May 26, 2020, I sat getting out of control. determined the shooting of Mr. in my office in unbelievable Bailey was justified. Again, how horror as I witnessed the death (The four officers’ employment can I grieve for Mr. Floyd while I Colorado Springs, Colorado, of an American citizen on has been terminated for the am still deeply troubled by the something went terribly wrong Facebook. involvement in the death of Mr. death of Mr. Bailey. and two citizens lives were taken Floyd. A criminal investigation is by Law Enforcement in their On Monday, May 25, 2020, underway.) How can we justify either death individual communities. I am sick shortly after 8 p.m. Police to be less or more important than and tired of being sick and tired. Officers Derek Chauvin, Thomas As the Chapter President of the the other? Both Mr. Bailey’s and Lane, Tou Thao and Pikes Peak Southern Christian Mr. Floyd’s deaths were I say to the citizens of J. Alexander Kueng arrived at Leadership Conference, I work unnecessary. I sincerely Minneapolis the same thing I say the 3700 block of Chicago daily to emulate the vision of this appreciate the phone calls and to us here in the Pikes Peak Avenue in Minneapolis, organization's Founder, concerns about how Mr. Floyd's Region: Violence as a way of Minnesota for a forgery in Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King life was taken in Minneapolis, achieving racial justice is both progress and this call for service Jr., so I want to believe in our Minnesota, but my concerns are impractical and immoral. But I resulted in the viral Facebook nation, I want to believe in my also focused here in the Pikes add to my community, aren't you video showing a restrained fellow citizens and I want to Peak Region.