February is Black History Month. This is a time to remember, celebrate and honor the contributions that Black Americans have given to America. As we recognize what these great Americans have done it makes us proud to be part of a country with such strength and diversity.
Mostly, this month is used to revisit the words of some of our great civic leaders like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglas and Thurgood Marshall. It is important to remember, when we think of these great leaders in history, that social change has never come about solely through isolated efforts of a handful of great men or women. Instead, the causes of equality and injustice have always been advanced through the collective efforts of vast numbers of civic leaders working together for change. We must keep in mind that as heroic as these individuals may be, we need to be careful not to dismiss the power we each possess to bring about change in the world.
This point is made in a book called Everyone Leads, by Paul Schmitz. He argues that the civil rights movement in America is really a story of collective effort by large numbers of empowered citizens. For example, soon after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat at the front of a segregated bus in Montgomery, Ala., Dr. King was brought to the community to lead a bus boycott. He played an important role, but make no mistake about it: That bus boycott was only successful because the entire Black population of Montgomery refused to ride a bus — a tremendous sacrifice and inconvenience! — for more than a year. Segregated busing came to end because the entire Black community led — not just Ms. Parks and Dr. King.
When we think about the famous 1963 March On Washington, the first thing that comes to mind for most of us is Dr. King’s prophetic, iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. However, it is important to remember that a key reason why that speech has become so iconic is because it was delivered in front of a vast crowd of 200,000 individuals, all of whom earned the title of “civic leader” through the efforts they made to take a personal stand for jobs and freedom.
It is important to note that the story of how that crowd was rallied provides an important glimpse into the reality of social change. The march was organized by A. Phillip Randolph, President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car porters — the first predominantly Black union. Once the decision was made to hold the rally, the organizers had just seven weeks to plan the program and turn out a crowd. Randolph knew exactly who to turn to: Bayard Rustin. It is safe to say that Rustin does not have the same level of name recognition today as MLK, but be was absolutely essential to the success of the march. He was Black, gay, socialist — and the most universally respected community organizer among African Americans of that era. The goal was 100,000 attendees, and in just seven weeks Rustin succeeded at turning out twice that number — with only the telephone, telegraph, and snail mail as his communication tools. No email, texts or Facebook.
So the next time you summon that image of Dr. King speaking from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, make sure you “zoom out” to focus not just on the brilliant speaker at the podium, but also on the huge crowd of citizens gathered on the national mall. Remember that Bayard Rustin gathered that crowd, as well as 200,000 civic leaders who were personally committed to standing for jobs and freedom. From this perspective, it’s clear that it took far more than a speech by Dr. King to put the “Great” in the “Great March on Washington”.
As we look back on Black History this month, let us remember that it is the choices that we make today that will create the history of tomorrow. Let us rise to the challenge of confronting the civil right issues of today, working with all those who seek to advance the Dream In Our Own Era!
To achieve our Dream ‘A New Contract’, CWA Members must stand shoulder- to- shoulder with a vast group of leaders committed to make a stand for the middle class, our jobs and justice. Together, we will write a new chapter in Union History.