Cable Network News anchor Don Lemon broadcast live reports Friday on the March for Justice 2007 in Washington D.C.
The protest was against the numerous Hangman's Noose sitings across the country, unequal justice among the races, ingrained racism and to get more hate crimes prosecuted.
The protest was held on the plaza of the U.S. Department of Justice.
It was crowded with supporters during the speeches. During the march seven times around the building, the crowd literally surrounded the U.S. Department of Justice in their efforts.
Early on, Lemon interviewed Judge Greg Mathis and described what the crowd looked like. I could hear a speaker at the podium and the crowd seemed attentive.
The Rev. Al Sharpton (left)
and his National Action Network along with Martin Luther King III (right)
and a host of others concerned about racial injustice, organized and or promoted the march. Sharpton and actor/comedian/syndicated talk show host Steve Harvey (not shown) promoted the march November 15 on CNN.
During a short address to the crowd, Harvey said he was honored to be there.
"I'm a result of a lot of people from the past," he said explaining that he owes his success to those in the past who fought for equal rights for Blacks. He then introduced Sharpton.
"No Justice, No Peace" were the first words out of his mouth.
He led the crowd in a chant of the famous phrase. The strength of many voices in one seemed to create a roar of hope amongst the supporters, as each refrain of the phrase grew stronger, deeper and more intense.
"We want justice now," he said during his speech.
Sharpton said he was a challenged to increase the amount of supporters who participated in the protest Friday over those who came to the Jena, LA. protest. It was unclear by whom he was challenged but he seemed successful. As the day drew on, more and more people came out to support the marchers in their seven times march around the U.S. Department of Justice, likening their efforts to the Biblical march around Jericho.
"We brought the people to the Justice Department," he told the crowd.
Sharpton then introduced to the crowd, former Chicago and Texas radio "Fly Jock" turned syndicated radio and television host, Tom Joyner.
The live reports continued on CNN International.
"The U.S. government is not fighting for hate crimes. They cannot abandon their citizens over here," Sharpton told Lemon. Lemon's interview of the march organizers was broadcast live across the world.
"It's tragic we still have to march...but I'm glad (we're) standing up for justice. I'm sad we're not further along. America is not treating it's citizens of color correctly. We will stand up for our rights until equality is achieved," King
said.
Black radio and the Internet got all of the people out there, Joyner said. He remembered how civil rights activity promotion was handled years ago.
"We would stop the music and hand the microphone to Dr. King and Abernathy (back in the day) They would tell the people where to go and when to be there. We're doing the same thing now," Joyner said.
Former civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill said the March for Justice, March on Washington 2007, is a good follow-up to the Civil Rights Movement. She made her comments on CNN to anchor Tony Harris, November 16, during an interview.
She said it's important that the prosecution of hate crimes is ongoing and that the U.S. Department of Justice should make sure that there is equal justice for whites and blacks.
She also said it is important to harness the activism of young people who are energized by the Jena LA situation.
However, inside the building, it was quiet, CNN segment producer Terry Frieden said. He was inside the building giving his report to the CNN news desk but it is unclear if reporters have a permanent office there.
He said no one from the department agreed to be interviewed on CNN, however, they were aware of the protesters. Days before the march, Frieden said department officials held a teleconference with reporters. Officials said they were doing what they could to prosecute hate crimes effectively.
I suppose federal prosecutors, like most lawyers, want to win their cases and not lose a case based on technicalities or carelessness but protesters want more funding for the department and more prosecutions.
However, official reaction seemed puzzling.
"Protests aren't unusual. Usually department officials would meet with protest leaders," Frieden said.
Also at protest the father of Mychal Bell, Marcus, said Jim Crowe laws still exist in Jena, LA. and that his son is a victim of them during one of the many interviews Lemon conducted.
Beyonce Ferrell's fiance was there. Her husband-to-be was shot and killed in a hail of bullets an hour before his wedding. She said the shooting was ruled justified by police.
My Lecture
There are still old school Civil Rights born politicians around that
could lend a hand publicly or privately on a plan of action for
the long suffering African American community.
Routinely, the state of the African American Community should be analyzed.
It is a shame that our inner-cities are crumbling and where
people live and pay taxes, they cannot find work enough to
support their families.
I said it yesterday and I will say it today: When we start
businesses and grow them and hire in our own communities, we
will lessen our own burden and uplift the image of the Black
Man and Black Woman.
Our crime in our urban communities will drop and our children
will respect us. Our social groups will improve and we will be
happier.
The Black Political Agenda (left) is of an actual document created to help oppressed people.
As long as we wait and keep asking other folk to do for us what we can do for ourselves (self-policing and paying-it-forward) we will largely be ignored. They figure if we just get ourselves together, we wouldn't need their help so much.
But some of us are like babies.
It is still only a few holding up many. Entire races of people
on this earth do what is expected of them and take a part in helping their own kind--except Blacks and I cannot understand it.
Who would have ever thunk it, back in the days of the Black Panther Party, that today, many would be calling the Black race a joke, in so many words?
Everyone sees our nakedness and classicism and obsession with
bling and how we romanticize crime and criminal behavior
(What is hustling and thugging?) and how we talk against
education and the educated and institutions of higher learning.
The march Friday was a step in the right direction but it cannot be the last step made. We have to keep going.
(Remember the thick Crayola crayons? Yeah, I got one of them and I'm coloring all over the page!)
The Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. put in place thousands of African
Americans in political office across this country. Many of these
people are still in these positions. They were put in place to
help the whole community at-large.
(Translation: White folk let y'all in there to help other
Negroes in perpetuity--not just once or twice.)
Afro Puffs against crime
Now that crime has ingrained itself in our minds and
communities over the years it will be that much harder to
extract. Anyone have a pick axe and sickle?
It's wrong to teach children to steal and sell drugs. I cannot
put it any plainer than that. It is wrong to accept gifts from
your children who you suspect are doing these things.
When they finally do get to the campus, don't accept things
they buy you with their financial aid money. Tell them to save
it in a high-yield account.
Do not teach children to jump up and fist fight at the drop of
a dime. Teach them the law so that they can sue for their
rights. That's what everybody else in this country does.
(How much different would the Jena LA debacle had been if the
parents sued the school district every time an infraction of
their rights was reported?)
The newest noose is not made of rope. It is a lack of a sound
value structure. Without this, children are criminalized early
in life (Blacks and non-blacks now) and it prevents them from
achieving certain things.
Traffic stops are the easiest noose to make. Driving without a
license, they get caught by police or run. When they run they
get shot or shot at--then what?
Most of the time it is a ticket. If they have a license and get a ticket but don't pay it or show up in court, their license is suspended.
If the police officer is white and the traffic stop turns into an incident of note, it is splashed across the TV and the race card may be played. If the police officer is black, he or she is investigated to no end and quite possibly fired or
sanctioned. Hopefully not.
Is the driving test so hard? No one can make time to teach a
teen to drive so that they can get their license?
Teens are obsessed with the freedom of driving--unless you make
your teen drive you around--then it's not so fun.
If you have a teen and a car, teach the teen to drive legally
with insurance and everything or do not give the teen the keys.
Why is it so hard for you to care?
