Ron Walters: Scholar, Elder, Civil Rights Pioneer

His brilliant political mind was matched only by his commitment to civil rights. We have lost a great deal with the passing of Dr. Ronald W. Walters, who was many things – a scholar, a professor, a political scientist and commentator, an activist and a civil rights activist. Over the years, I have benefited from Dr. Walters’ astute and informative analyses on race and politics, and I am thankful that he has helped us improve our understanding of the world in which we live. And as executive editor of BlackCommentator.com, I acknowledge the profound loss of a preeminent editorial board member and columnist.

Perhaps the most interesting thing that I learned about Dr. Walters was that he led the nation’s first lunch counter sit-in, at the “whites only” Dockum drug store in Wichita, Kansas back in 1958. As a student he organized a group of young NAACP members – though the NAACP did not endorse the protest – and endured six weeks of racial insults so that black people would no longer have to endure the humiliation of degrading segregationist policies. Walters’ contribution to the civil rights struggle tells us a great deal about the man’s commitment to his community, and to improving the human condition. A man ahead of his time, some of the ideas that he envisioned years ago, such as universal health care and a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, are now taken for granted and a part of mainstream acceptability.

Far too often, we fail to appreciate or acknowledge the contributions of our elders while they are with us. And far too often, we fail to learn from their wisdom, and do so to our own detriment. As we remember Dr. Walters, we must honor him each day by continuing the struggle against inequality and injustice. For BC readers and the African-American community in general, Ron Walters’ death leaves a gaping void that seemingly cannot be filled. And yet we must follow his lead and strive to fill it.

BlackCommentator.com Executive Editor, David A. Love, JD is a journalist and human rights advocate based in Philadelphia, and a contributor to The Huffington Post, theGrio, The Progressive Media Project, McClatchy-Tribune News Service, In These Times and Philadelphia Independent Media Center. He also blogs at davidalove.com, NewsOne, Daily Kos, and Open Salon. Click here to contact Mr. Love.