January 2015
n a i l l i v e z n o r B e th
nt Suppleme A newsletter from the An electronic newsletter from the Department of African African American American and and African African Studies Studies Community Extension Extension Center Center Community
The many sides of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Alex Haley’s interview of America’s Apostle of Love Features
By: Judson L. Jeffries, Ph.D.
Pages 1,3: The many sides of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Alex Haley’s interview of America’s Apostle of Love – Judson L. Jeffries, Ph.D. Page 5: Is King's Dream a Dream? – Renford R. Reese , Ph.D. Upcoming Events Page 4: Rites of Passage Mentoring Program Page 6: Girls Go Techbridge Page 7: The Math and Science Program Page 8: 2015 Summer Enrichment Camp
Fifty years ago, Alex Haley’s interview of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., appeared in Playboy magazine. From this interview we’re provided a window into Dr. King’s sense of humor, his thoughts on the Republican candidate for the presidency, as well as the Nobel Peace Prize he received the previous year, to name a few. One of the early topics on which Dr. King touched was how he was perceived by many within and outside of the African American community. King was not unaware of the fact that some believed him to be the farthest thing from a militant warrior. On the contrary, Dr. King says, “I have always tried to be what I call militantly nonviolent. I don’t believe anyone could seriously accuse me of not being totally committed to the breakdown of segregation.” King defined militantly nonviolent in this way: “A strong man must be militant as well as moderate. He must be a realist as well as an idealist. If I am to merit the trust invested in me by some of my race, I must be both of these things.” Unlike some leaders, Dr. King was not one to mince words. While his criticism of others may not have been as stinging as Malcolm’s, Dr. King was not one to dilly-dally. When asked about the 1964 presidential race, Dr. King zeroed in on Barry Goldwater, the US Senator from continued on page 3
Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center 905 Mount Vernon Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43203-1413
Phone: (614) 292-3922 Fax: (614) 292-3892 http://aaascec.osu.edu aaascec@osu.edu
2 the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
of the CEC 12Core Programs 6 T he Ohio State University’s AAAS Community Extension Center is the outreach component of the Department of African American and African Studies. The CEC is one of the few off-campus facilities of its kind in the nation. Originally housed at two different locations on Ohio Avenue, the CEC moved to its current location in 1986. The CEC plays an integral role in enhancing the life chances of those who live in and around the Mount Vernon Avenue Area. Toward that end, the CEC offers an array of programs at no or nominal cost to the public. Programs include, but are not limited to, the following: conferences, symposia, computer classes, credit and noncredit courses, summer programs, lecture series, and film series. People from all walks of life have participated in these programs. Based on evaluations of our programs and personal testimonies, the CEC is having an impact on residents living in and around the Bronzeville Neighborhood.
1 Black Veterans Day Salute During the salute, Black men and women from Ohio who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces are publicly recognized. Since the salute’s inception in 2006, the CEC has honored Vietnam War veterans (2007), Korean War veterans (2008), African-American servicewomen (2009), World War II veterans (2010), Gulf War Era veterans (2011) ,Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans (2012) and Black Civil War Veterans (2013)
2 Ray Miller Institute for Change & Leadership This 10-week long leadership course trains young Black professionals from the Columbus community in various areas of leadership. The Institute was founded in 2006 by former State Senator and Minority Whip Ray Miller. Miller has built a reputation as a strong advocate for those who have historically not had access to power. Admission to the Institute is highly competitive. The Institute is offered during OSU’s autumn and spring semesters with the support of OSU’s Office of Continuing Education. Participants who complete the course receive three CEU credits.
3 Senior Citizens Movie Matinee The movie matinee is a chance for senior citizens to watch a film that otherwise might be cost prohibitive in an accommodating environment. A discussion, usually led by an OSU professor or administrator, is held at the end of the film.
4 Computer Literacy Program Throughout the academic year, the CEC offers free and reduced-cost computer technology courses. The program is geared toward seniors but open to everyone. Courses include the following: Senior Computer Orientation, Internet, Email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.
5 Lecture Series Presentations given by OSU faculty, students and/or community members about topics pertinent to the Black community.
Math and Science Program
The Math and Science Program was established in partnership with the OSU Medical Center in 2003. The Math and Science Program exposes students in grades 4 through 12 to the wonders of math and science using hands-on activities. The purpose of the program is three-fold: 1) To increase competency in math and science among students of color; 2) To expose students of color to math and science related careers; and 3) To encourage students of color to major in math or science. The program meets on the fourth Monday of each month from October to May.
7 Summer Residential Program The Summer Residential Program (SRP) was established in 1999 and is designed to provide students with both an appreciation for and an understanding of African-American and African culture and history. The SRP also helps students strengthen their computer literacy skills. Past themes include: “Entrepreneurship in the Black Community and Economic Freedom” (2013), “The Underground Railroad” (2012), “All Eyez On Me: Deconstructing Images of African-American Women in Hip Hop” (2011), “letz b down: Social Justice Advocacy for Blacks During the American Revolutionary War Era” (2010), “The Low Country: Black Culture, Literacy and History in Charleston, South Carolina” (2009). The program is held every June and is for rising 11th and 12th graders. Students live on OSU’s campus.
8 African Affairs Symposium This one-day symposium brings members of the African American and African communities together to discuss issues of particular interest to Africa. The inaugural symposium in 2007 examined the life of South African civil rights activist Steve Biko. “Africa in the Age of Globalization” was the theme of the 2008 symposium. The 2009 symposium examined the life of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, West Africa. In 2010, the focus was on Pan-Africanism and the Diaspora. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was the theme of the 2011 symposium.
9 Summer Enrichment Program This week-long, non-residential day program is designed to help rising 9th and 10th graders improve their reading and writing skills. The program, which was founded in 2009, is hosted annually in June and accepts approximately 15 students.
10 History of Black Columbus Conference This one-day conference celebrates the rich history of African Americans in Columbus and increases awareness of the significant contributions African Americans have made in all areas of city life. This annual conference is held in the spring.
11 Black History Month Forum The forum is in its fourth year and is focused on celebrating African descended peoples from all over the world. This year, documentaries about the following influential Black historical figures were shown: John Henrik Clarke, Kwame Nkrumah, Fannie Lou Hamer, James Baldwin, Minister Elijah Muhummad.
12 Enemies of the State The annual event features activists from America’s most notorious radical organizations, people who pressured America to live up to its highest ideals. In past years, activists from The Revolutionary Action Movement (2013), The Us Organization (2012), and the Black Panther Party (2011) were invited to speak.
About Bronzeville During the 1930s, African-American leaders in Columbus named the predominately African-American neighborhood between the boundaries of Woodland Avenue (East), Cleveland Avenue (West), Broad Street (South) and the railroad tracks (North) “Bronzeville.” The population was approximately 40,000 residents. In 1937, the same African-American leaders elected a mayor of Bronzeville and created an eight member Cabinet to address social, political and economic issues in the neighborhood. Now, as a result of the establishment of several Neighborhood Civic Associations such as the Woodland Civic Association (East) and the Discovery District (West), Bronzeville was reduced to its current boundaries: Taylor Avenue (East), Jefferson Avenue (West), Broad Street (South), and I-670 (North). The Bronzevillian is inspired by this rich history.
CEC Advisory Board Paul Cook Wanda Dillard Francisca Figueroa-Jackson Mark S. Froehlich Ray Miller, former State Senator Lupenga Mphande, Ph.D. William E. Nelson, Jr., Ph.D. (Deceased) *Ike Newsum, Ph.D. and Chair Rick Pfeiffer, City Attorney Thomas Simpson, Ph.D. Reita Smith Charleta Tavares, State Senator Nana Watson
CEC Director *Judson L. Jeffries, Ph.D.
CEC Staff Sarah Twitty Senior Program Coordinator & Fiscal Officer Kevin L. Brooks, Ph.D. Program Coordinator Alecia Shipe Technology Program Coordinator
Address Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center 905 Mount Vernon Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43203-1413 *Ex officio members.
the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
3
Arizona. Dr. King quipped that Goldwater was the most dangerous man in America. He may have been genteel in manner, but “he gave aid and comfort to the most vicious racists and the most extreme rightists in America.” According to Dr. King, “he gave respectability to views totally alien to the democratic process. Had he won, he would have led us down a fantastic path that would have totally destroyed America as we know it.” Dr. King was no less forthcoming when it came to Governor Wallace, the Alabama Governor who stood in the doorway of the state’s flagship university and vowed “segregation, today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” Only when Wallace was confronted by the National Guard, which had been federalized by the president of the United States, did common sense get the better part of valor, prompting Wallace to step aside, thus giving way to a new order. “Wallace is a demagogue with a capital D,” said King. “He symbolizes in this country many of the evils that were present during Hitler’s Germany,” King said to Haley. King continued, “he is a merchant of racism, peddling hate under the guise of State’s rights. He wants to turn back the clock, for his own personal aggrandizement, and he will do literally anything to accomplish this.”
On being the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. King was reflective. King believed the award to be “not a personal tribute, but a tribute to the entire freedom movement, and to the gallant people of both races who surround me in the drive for civil rights which will make the American dream a reality.” As far as King was concerned, the award was a symbolic recognition of “the gallantry, the courage, and the amazing discipline of the Negro in America, for these things are to his eternal credit.” At one point during the interview, Dr. King showed a lighter side of himself when he injected some levity into the discussion regarding the branding of him as a conscious agent of Communist conspiracy by the John Birch Society. In response, Dr. King deadpanned, “as you know, they sought to link many people with communism, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a former President of the United States. So I’m in good company, at least.”
4 the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
Rites of Passage Mentoring Program
the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
Is King's Dream a Dream? By: Renford R. Reese , Ph.D. Some ugly truths keeping Martin Luther King’s dream still a dream: Guest commentary Has America moved forward in embracing King’s dream or has it regressed? As I was watching the film “Selma,” I was struck by how the present mirrors the past. As we celebrate another Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we should examine who and what are undermining King’s Dream. By being anti-civil rights, anti-gay rights, anti-Immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-black, and anti-inclusiveness, conservatives in America are undermining King’s Dream. I recently saw a pickup truck with a sticker of a cartoon figure urinating on the name “OBAMA.” Reminiscent of the way King was treated in Selma, this type of conservative-inspired hate is killing King’s Dream. King appealed to the white clergy who remained on the sidelines of the fight for equality and social justice until Selma. Today, a substantial number of conservatives are evangelical Christians who are supposed to be guided by the principles of Jesus. What is their current stance on police brutality, poverty and social justice? Where are their outreach efforts for those on the fringes of society? “What would Jesus do?” Jesus would be in the streets feeding the people and protesting injustice with the people. Jesus had a dream before King did — and if this group followed that dream our society would be a better place. We cannot move forward because when there is a tragedy such as Michael Brown or Eric Garner, the country immediately takes sides based on race. Blacks automatically take the side of the victims: Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice. Some whites automatically take the side of the perpetrator. This divide undermines King’s dream. The reason some whites will stop reading this article right about now is white guilt. And the reason some whites automatically take the side of the perpetrator in these recurring tragedies, ironically, is white guilt. Whites are rebelling against being wrong. In an argument about race in America, the black person always seems to have the upper hand. Who wants to always be wrong about an issue? Consequently, whites are rebelling against feeling guilty about historic mistreatment, police brutality, black poverty and poor schools. And anytime a person speaks candidly about the problem they are immediately viewed as the problem. Their knee-jerk response to the struggle of blacks is to be pro-white. This approach is easier than being burdened by guilt. Nevertheless, this reaction undermines King’s dream. Because of the overwhelming benefits of white privilege, many whites cannot see injustice because they, or their family members, have never experienced it. They cannot fathom what it feels like to be the mother of Mike Brown or the wife of Eric Garner. White privilege gives whites the benefit of the doubt, something blacks are rarely afforded. It is the invisibility of white privilege that blinds whites to the comparative injustice experienced by blacks. This phenomenon undermines the capacity to achieve King’s dream. King fundamentally believed in nonviolence. There are those who are violent and lawless in their protests of racial injustice. Their approach is to be heard and seen by any means necessary. This approach is contrary to King’s philosophy and is counterproductive in achieving his dream. Racial discrimination and social injustice in America have given blacks a sense of entitlement to anger. Whites say stop playing victim. Blacks say stop the victimization, “Black Lives Matter.” But the black voices of protest are so loud and animated that no one else can be heard. For two decades, young black men have increasingly embraced the “gangsta-thug” persona. Their enthusiastic embrace of this rebellious spirit is manifested in a myriad of ways. Everyone sees it but few people want to confront it. The black community has not held this population accountable for its counterproductive behavior and we see the consequences of this neglect everyday. Where is the mentorship? Where is the guidance, the education, and the discipline? I run one of the biggest prison education programs in the United States. I also direct the Reintegration Academy for adult parolees and juvenile probationers. Some 10 percent of the volunteers for my programs are black and 70 percent are white. This fact tells us that not all whites are adversarial toward the “cause” and not all blacks are truly committed to the “cause.” In order to move forward, we need candor in our discourse and protests must be coupled with commitment. Today, King’s dream is still a dream. Ferguson is not Selma but America is nowhere near achieving King’s ideal. We are immersed in a recalcitrant domestic crisis that has been fueled by blindness, negligence and dishonesty. When everyone is right, no one is. And when no one is to blame, we all are. It is only when we begin to acknowledge these ugly truths that we begin to heal, evolve and march toward making King’s noble dream a reality. Renford Reese, Ph.D. is a professor of political science at Cal Poly Pomona. He is the author of five books and is the founder/ director of the Prison Education Project, www.PrisonEducationProject.org
5
6 the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
Girls Go Techbridge
. For more information visit http://aaascec.osu.edu or call 614-292-4144
the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
The Math and Science Program
The next Math and Science Club Session is Monday, January 26, 2015. For more information visit http://aaascec.osu.edu or call 614-292-3922 or 293-8357
7
the Bronzevillian Supplement January 2015
8
The 2015 Summer Enrichment Program
We are now accepting applications for the 2015 Summer Enrichment Program. For more information visit http://aaascec.osu.edu or call 614-292-3922.