We Shall Overcome

I've been having this reoccurring thought. In the 60's, we sang, "We shall overcome" as if it were our national anthem. And deep in our hearts, we believed in "CHANGE." We believed that if we followed Martin Luther King's strategy for change, White folk would one day, drop their fears and hatred, and change the laws of the land, so that we could live in equality. It was a movement, we could believe in.

We sought what we envisioned "freedom" to be at the time. Martin and his disciples, Malcolm and his believers continued God's work like others who spent their lives seeking "freedom" and equality. "Freedom" had a different meaning for brave souls like - Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass, and a far different meaning than what the men who fought back on the ship La Amistad believed.

What we need today is a leader to free Black folk from the crime we face in our communities, and to lead our youth from a gangster and thug mentality, and drugs to a more productive future. 

Our leaders of the past had "brass balls." Many Black folk, men and women, have strong will and leadership skills to pick up the cross and do Gods work. The problem is that every time someone rises to the occasion, self ordained "Black Leaders" and their "No Justice, No Peace" followers come out in mass to knock them down.  It happened when Bill Cosby made, what I call, his "we have a responsibility" speech in Newark some years back. I was so sad that he didn't completely "pick up the cross." I was so ready to join his march. 

I have to applaud, however, the self ordained leaders today. They do have "brass balls" and I actually like a few of them. But my frustration is that some of them are forever visible when there is controversy around and when their is an incident of White on Black crime.  They are less likely to be around when Black on Black crime occurs. What's more frustrating is that they tend to hinder innovation in education when it appears to impact the tenure of under-performing Black educators, teachers, and more so, poor performing students. 

If we really want "Change" in our community and in our schools, sacrifices must be made and we need a leader who has nothing to lose. Many Black people suffered and lost their lives in the early days because they wanted "Freedom" and "Change." We need a leader who believes in education reform and community change by "Any Means Necessary." We need a leader, man or woman, with "brass ball."