One need not look very far in Cynthia Tucker’s editorial entitled, “SCLC should channel energies into plight of black youth,” to realize that she asserts social service for black America over social advocacy. Historically, traditional civil rights organizations that were mentioned, the SCLC and the NAACP, have fought and I would argue, successfully, their battles in the streets and most importantly in the courts, for change. It is through direct action and legal litigation by which that change happens.  From Brown vs. the Board of Education, to most recently, the NAACP’s efforts, a few years back, to legally exonerate, by way of the Georgia Supreme court, Marcus Dixon, all have contributed to the betterment of young black people. Without a doubt, the plight of young people in our country, irrespective of ethnicity, deserves top priority. I maintain that every movement for social justice and change, has been through the leadership of society's young people and an incessant desire for change.  Systematically and historically maintaining platforms based upon social advocacy has been instrumental in the effectiveness and relevancy of both organizations, in this still new century.

As an immediate former National Official of the NAACP, it is nothing less than a fallacy and insult to assert that traditional civil rights organizations are dying slow deaths and are respected more for their traditions than for their most recent accomplishments. In a medium such as an opinion editorial, there is neither enough space nor time for me to list nor deal the most recent accomplishments related to civil rights and social justice. I do, however, want to put to rest the aforementioned idea and assure all readers that there will always be an NAACP and an SCLC, doing what we have always done: speaking truth to power.     

    

Racism, I agree, is by no means dead nor in any way diminished; the only difference is that it is illegal and it is not blatantly outright. It means nothing that we have a black Secretary of State and African nations are still suffering and we are still perpetuating an unjust war against someone named terrorism. In my opinion, diplomacy has never been an option for the current administration. I heard it stated recently that, “war is an extension of politics,” and that may well be the case.  It means nothing that we have a black contender for the Democratic Party. Instead, the question is being raised, "is he black enough?”

Michael Vick, is innocence until proven guilty by a jury of his peers. Interestingly, I can’t remember the last time I saw someone prosecuted and his reputation destroyed for fighting chickens. For far too long, the black family has been America’s excuse and crutch for her faults and shortcomings.  Racism and classism has proven to be one of the most deadly flaws in humanity.

Racism will never disappear, in that it has been uniquely woven into the fabric of American culture. We have intently convinced ourselves that it is black and white, rich and power. It is going to take a continuing movement to unthread such poison. As an activist, by calling with every waking moment and breath I have, I will continue to right every wrong I see.  The thesis of William E. B. Dubois captures it appropriately and permeates the confines of time. In 1903, he prophetically wrote, “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.” And so, disagreeing with Ms. Tucker, there is no more important work to be done, but social advocacy in a major way.

The Reverend D. D. Prather, is a noted Civil/Social Justice Activist, and a native of Atlanta, GA . Click here to contact the Reverend Prather.

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