Looking back at civil rights protests with regrets
In the 1960s, African Americans (organized in large part by CORE) picketed the two major down town Tallahassee, Florida, theaters, the bus station and numerous lunch counters because these facilities were segregated. I was out of town when this protest occurred in May 1963 at the Florida Theater. Most of the time, I was in town but stayed away from the protesters even though I supported their cause. I still regret this.
Why wasn’t I there?
- Fear of the white hecklers who openly hobnobbed with police.
- Fear of the KKK.
- Fear of losing friends and becoming an outcast.
- Worry that my father would lose his government job.
- Worry that my mother would lose her church volunteer work positions.
At the time, these concerns were very real. Unfortunately, they are in somewhat different ways, still real today.
The late Patrician Stephens Due, a Tallahassee CORE volunteer and a student at Tallahassee’s Black college (FAMU) was at the center of many of the Tallahassee protests. She would write later in the book she co-authored with her daughter that when it came down to it, a very small minority of African Americans actively took part in sit-ins or picketing. Fewer Whites took part even though many of us always rode in the backs of city buses when there was space. That wasn’t enough.
Looking back, I’m sorry that I didn’t do more.
–Malcolm
Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of two novels about racism in Florida, “Conjure Woman’s Cat” and “Eulalie and Washerwoman.”
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I was too young to participate in 60’s protests, but I’m certainly not too young now. Still, I haven’t joined in on any of the recent marches, though I agree with much of what they represent. I’ve not frequently expressed my opinions about the current state of things in any public way, either. I’m not exactly sure why I’ve stayed away, but I have wondered if I will regret remaining largely quiet.Maybe that wondering is a little voice I should heed.
I stay away from most of the controversy because I don’t want to have a “political” blog or Facebook presence. Too much arguing. Too many trolls. Too many impolite responses.
Those are pretty much my reasons, too. They don’t sound a whole lot different or better than the ones you listed above, though. There’s also the not-changing-anyone’s-mind thing. That one seems fully alive since much of what I read online seems to have been written (comments even more than posts, though it applies to both) by people who mostly like to operate with open mouths and closed ears. That seems true of folks on any side of any issue. It makes jumping in seem pretty much pointless. May as well bitch to the dog.
Some of the posts and comments are “preaching to the choir” statements that sound like they came from the PAC, party or other organization that’s for or against the issue. I often wonder if some of the posters put those memes up without even clicking on them to read the entire statement or article. Dog probably doesn’t want to hear it either.