Editor’s note: The following letter tells a story of events at the recent Selma to Montgomery March commemorations. Due to its format, Weld is presenting it as a Storyboard.
“Who wants to go to jail today?”
The question crashed against the movement of people who had gathered in Selma, Alabama on Saturday, March 7 like a bullwhip; lashing back and forth with waves of toxic memory and heartache released by the vulgar arrogance of this young (maybe 30 years or so) policeman.
Toxic memories, for it was not 1965, it was just last week, 2015. Toxic memories for many of us who had gathered to see, and touch the hands of those who had suffered Bloody Sunday; we too, in other ways known and unknown to pages of written history had been foot soldiers in our country for Civil Rights. We did not think we would hear that phrase on this day, in this place, used against people who had gathered in peace.
Why did this officer address hundreds of folk waiting, standing for hours to hear our president, governor and other elected officials speak, in such derogatory terms?
Crowd control.
When my children and our friends arrived in Selma that morning, it seemed as if those in charge were surprised that President Obama was coming. I happened to be using a walker, and my daughter was in a wheelchair (thanks to my genetic disability). I asked more than three police/state troopers if, or where there was a line for handicapped people to wait on line – eventually a captain told me; “We didn’t make a provision for that, Ma’am.”
I also asked if there would be a section set aside for handicapped seating once we had waited; the answer was again negative. So, we went to the end of the line, which, of course, was multiple blocks long. I had expected the long line, but had no idea the crowd control would be so lax that when three busloads of college students arrived, they would be allowed to enter ahead of those who – like my party – had already been waiting for two hours.
In the confusion of who would stand where, in the street or the nearly non-existent sidewalk, came the shout of the policeman, “Get on the sidewalk NOW!”
The crowd tried to comply. I was almost knocked to the ground. My daughter’s chair nearly pitched forward.The bullhorn brayed, WHO WANTS TO GO TO JAIL TODAY!”
I guess black Americans have progressed in one respect – we shouted back at the officer that HE was out of line, and none of us were arrested or beaten. Yet for my children, the day never did right itself – they were in “Two steps forward, three steps backward” mode.
We told my mother all about it, she who passed the Alabama Voting Test in 1951, and has never stopped asking questions of “the establishment.” She heard about the perceived lack of planning which eventually led to “Who wants to go to jail.” She made this observation; “The ghosts of racism are still flying – the plans were afoot for the day to fail. Luckily it didn’t.”
I have thought long and hard about making this incident known. What good would it do to say again – racism is not over? But that’s just the point – racism will never be over if people don’t address it, head on. Bottom line – we are all human, and to treat each other differently based on skin color, eye shape, body odor, religious belief, life partner, hair texture, height, weight, language, disability (I know I’m leaving out someone) is INhuman.
If you are inhuman, change your ways – it’s hard and just may take the rest of your life – do it. If you are in a group, say a fraternity or sorority, and some are saying inhuman things, call them out on it, report them, or resign. Do you really want brothers or sisters who are inhuman?
In the weeks and days leading up to the Selma to Montgomery celebration, reporters repeatedly asked “What does it all mean?” I had my answer. I was ten in 1965, and after integrating classes in New York City, I thought Selma meant that when I had children, they would not have to prove they were human, like my sister and I did, just about every day.
Seems I was wrong.
Pamela A. Canzater is a retired minister of the United Church of Christ.