By Aswad Walker
This weekend, individuals and organizations will descend upon the nation’s capital to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Most folk remember the “I have a dream” refrain from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech that day. But the real fire came when said those Aug. 28, 1963 marchers were returning the check America wrote to Black people marked “insufficient funds” and reminded attendees of the “fierce urgency of now.” Rev. Al Sharpton and other Aug. 26, 2023 event organizers stress it’s not a “commemoration” but a “continuation” of that demand for justice. So, whether you’ll be in DC marching or marching with your own squad here in H-Town, we would all do well to remember the words of the late State Rep. Al Edwards who said “There are just a few laws between us and the plantation.” And whatever gains we’ve made since ’63 are being threatened. So, let’s get to work. Because as our South African cousins often said while battling apartheid, “Aluta Continua” (the struggle continues).
EMMETT TILL DAY, AUG. 28, 1955
On Aug. 28, 1955, Emmett was kidnapped, tortured, mutilated and murdered. The “trial” of his murderers was a shame. Everyone knew the accused were guilty, yet, an all-white jury set them free. The murderers had the nerve and privilege to later admit their guilt, then profit off sharing their story with LIFE magazine. The woman who lied on Emmett, which led to his murder, was allowed to live out her days, deep into her 80s, and die a peaceful death (unlike Emmett), never being held accountable. And here we are, 68 years later, and each week it seems there’s another Emmett Till; another Black person who had their life stolen from them (or darn near), yet the perpetrators get off scot-free. If not for ourselves, then for our children, let’s honor Emmett Till Day by devoting some piece of ourselves to creating a world where such crimes against our humanity are no longer allowed to occur… at the very least, not without serious consequences and repercussions.
SIMONE BILES’ TIMELESS GREATNESS
I know Simone Biles’ return to competition went down a few weeks ago, but I can’t help thinking about how we’re, in the words of my pastor, “missing our shout.” Biles came back to competition, and it was as if she never left. If that’s not insanely incredible enough, think about this: At the age of 26 (ancient for a female gymnast), she still reigns supreme. Her recent “don’t-call-it-a-comeback” is all the more powerful when you remember that she stepped away from the sport in the middle of the Olympics, placing herself and her reputation in the crosshairs of small-minded haters, to prioritize her mental health. Self-righteous folk chastised her for not having a true great’s focus and willingness to push through life’s stresses. Professional athletes and non-athletes alike had the nerve to attack Biles for prioritizing her own well-being. Then, she came back to competition slaying as usual, as if to tell the haters, “How ya like me now.” This is a story worth celebrating, whether I’m late to the party or not.
MILES’ PROPAGANDA PLAY
This negro here. Who writes a whole-A production about themselves, then “stars” in it alongside students who are now mad that they were hoodwinked and bamboozled into participating in it to legitimize current HISD “reform” efforts? Only a person willing to do something as insane as converting school spaces into market-price jail cells would dare do that. Oh, wait…
