Monday, Aug. 23, 2010
John Spevak: Liberty and justice for all
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ReprintI'm not sure when I was first became aware of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Growing up, I lived in the Chicago area, where de facto segregation was palpable. Neighborhoods were either black or white, except for places like Hyde Park, near the University of Chicago, where people of all backgrounds lived together without significant problems.
I was only 8 when the Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court ruling was made in 1954, which struck down segregation in schools.
I was 11 when I saw black-and-white television reports of the 1957 desegregation of Central High in Little Rock, Ark., showing the vehement hostility against the nine black teenagers who entered the previously all-white high school.
Gradually, I came to realize the role of the NAACP in these and other similar events throughout the United States, as the organization worked to create equality for all.
When I was a child, "colored people" was a common term used to refer to African-Americans, before the term "black" or even "Negro" became widely used. But I hadn't realized as a child in 1957 that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had been in existence by then for 48 years.
Since 1909, the NAACP had been one of the strongest voices of courage, non-violence, persistence, justice and faith in its effort to ensure equal treatment for all persons, regardless of color. As I grew older and watched local and national events unfold, I came to understand the importance of that organization.
And when Martin Luther King Jr. became a national figure during sit-ins and freedom rides in the early 1960s, speaking with eloquence and advocating tenacious nonviolence in the pursuit of justice and equality, I also came to understand how much strength and support he received from the NAACP.
King came from a long line of preachers and nonviolent activists within the NAACP who spoke out against injustice and spoke up for African-Americans and others who otherwise might not have a voice. Each year, as I grew older, I developed an increasing respect for the NAACP.
When a friend of mine asked me earlier this summer to attend the fourth annual NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet in Los Banos on Aug. 6, I considered it a privilege, an opportunity to express in a very small way my appreciation for all that the NAACP has done.
I was also intrigued that this event would be the first held in the new Los Banos Community Center, nearly a month before its official grand opening.
My high expectations for the evening were met and exceeded. I noted that the new center was ready -- on schedule -- for the event. All the planning and work that city staff members like Elaine Post, Mark Fachin and Paul Cardoza and their staffs had done was successful.
I liked the design of the hall in which the banquet was held. It was expansive enough to easily accommodate the large group of people in attendance. Its high ceilings and ample windows made the room seem spacious. Its clean lines and warm color tones made the people within it feel comfortable.
I felt a pride in my community for creating a practical and pleasing facility that will serve generations to come. Throughout the evening, I heard people behind the microphone and in the audience talk about the pride they felt in the new building.
But even more impressive was the event within the building and the people who were a part of it, including Jeanette King, the emcee; Candice King, who sang the stirring, "Lift Every Voice and Sing"; Rhonda Prater, who gave a dramatic interpretation of a poem celebrating the pride of being a woman; Jon Grissom, the president of the Los Banos-Dos Palos-Gustine chapter of the NAACP, who gave the concluding remarks; council member Joe Sousa, who gave the toast; Mayor Tommy Jones, who presented the prestigious "Drum Major Award" and to whom the audience showed great affection; and Joe Gutierrez, who received the Drum Major Award.
I particularly admired the keynote address by the Rev. Nelson B. Rivers, III, the NAACP vice president of stakeholder relations, who traveled from South Carolina at the invitation of Grissom for this event.
Rivers spoke with passion and eloquence, using as his theme the concluding words of the pledge of allegiance: "With liberty and justice for all."
He noted the words, as well as the rest of the pledge, were written in 1892 by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy.
"With liberty and justice for all," Rivers said, could be considered to be motto of the NAACP. He noted that when the pledge was written, liberty and justice for all was not a reality but a promise.
Much has been done, he said, in the past 101 years to bring liberty and justice for all closer to a reality, but it still remains a goal to be achieved.
Rivers also emphasized the importance of servant leadership as depicted in the Gospels. He said that great leaders need to be great servants. All of us, he added, have the opportunity for greatness because we all have the ability to serve.
During his remarks, Rivers also pointed out that adults today need to encourage young people to develop principles and convictions and then stand by them, even if that means sometimes standing alone.
By the end of his talk, Rivers had deeply moved the emotions of his audience, and the audience gave him a standing ovation.
As the evening drew to a close, I felt a special pride in being an American, living in a country that declares that all persons are created equal and that pledges liberty and justice for all.
On another note: Happy Birthday to Bob Edminster, who turned 85 this week, a guy who continues to defy the odds, living a vibrant life.
Comments on the writings of John Spevak, a regular Enterprise columnist, are encouraged and can be sent via email to spevak@telis.org.