The resignation of Rachel Dolezal as President of the Spokane Chapter of the NAACP is a loss for the Spokane community, for the Black community, for the social justice community, for the NAACP. See resignation letter
Now who won?
Don’t say no one! That’s EXPLETIVE DELETED! The same folks who always been winning! I’ve seen it happen for the 40 years that I’ve lived in Spokane – always with a scandal.
Historical Spokane African American Voice T Shirt
By Robert J. Lloyd
As for the current scandal, I could care less what Rachel’s ethnicity is. She has been a strong advocate for civil rights, social justice and issues of gender. She is a superb artist. I support her in her advocacy and speaking out on issues. The Spokane Black community has not had a representative voice since Eileen Thomas was president of the NAACP in 1998. Rachel did not seek the presidency of the Spokane NAACP but was recruited to run for the office.
Many people are talking about honesty and integrity. Let’s have the IRS look over their tax returns. Let’s have access to their emails and telephone conversations. Let’s check out their pedigrees. And where have all the investigative journalists been on important issues?
Spokane African Americans love their symbolism: hearing the “I Have a Dream” speech, wrapping up in kente cloth, wearing their dred locks and Easter bonnets. But on substantive matters Black leadership has been absent without leave in the Spokane community for many years. None of the university and city multicultural specialists and advocates have spoken out on the issues with the fervor of Rachel Dolezal. None of the African American History teachers and historians have spoken out on contemporary Black issues in Spokane.
We left a vacuum and Rachel Dolezal and the young college students that she inspired stepped in to fill it with the support of a few progressive community activists and Unitarians.
I plead with those with a sincere interest in the issues that Rachel has championed to keep on fighting. I would suggest that the NAACP Monday night meeting be the largest in the history of the Spokane chapter and that we support Rachel. I solicit the support of MORE white people to walk in our shoes. I welcome MORE white people to share the oppression of Black America.
Be prepared to answer the question what will you do to make that dream a reality. Write your name and contact information on a piece of paper and give it to one of the event organizers saying what you are prepared to do. Dig down deep up under both couch pillows find that spare change and make a contribution to the organizations that you think are working for human rights and social justice. Take out a subscription to Spokane’s new black newspaper the Black Lens News, come to this website www.4comculture.com the day after.
On December 23 the Spokane chapter of the NAACP held a strategy meeting where the president-elect Rachel Dolezal presented a PowerPoint of her suggested organizational structure and suggested officers for the new year. It was obvious looking at the room that there is new interest in the organization. See links to older 4comculture posts and pages regarding NAACP activity and compare them to posts of activity since Ferguson. I think this is the beginning of a new movement with a much younger and energetic group. Only time will tell. I would encourage those under 40 to join the civic engagement and that we older folks stay home and send a check to support the youth.
Historical Note: When Dr. King joined the Montgomery Bus Boycott he was 26 years old. When he died he was 39 years old. Below are photographs of the SCLC field staff who were all in their late teens and early 20’s.
Spokane solidarity with Ferguson MO
The Black Student Union at Gonzaga University sponsored a demonstration on December 11, 2014, to stand in solidarity with communities across America against police misconduct.
The Benson Brothers are “creating a love letter to Spokane” (Spokesman Review) at Maple and 2nd.
More images at Maple Street Art Project
Spokane also has its share of those who are part of the African Diaspora, including Ugandans, Kenyans and South Africans. Quoting the article below “… many of her nationals went overseas to earn an education or seek greener pastures. Today, all these Ugandan sons and daughters are mockingly referred to as “Nkuba Kyeeyo”or Kyeyoists” crudely translated as “menial workers cleaning foreign streets for a living after leaving Uganda.” The author makes the point that this is not true. Some may have begun at such menial levels but many have taken advantage of every opportunity and become pharmacists, bankers, politicians, ambassadors, health administrators and media producers. They certainly are not “Nkuba Kyeeyo”!
By Patricia Bayonne-Johnson
Railroad and mine companies in the West had a severe shortage of laborers in the 1880s and 1890s so they reached across the Pacific to Japan to solve their problem. Thousands of healthy, strong, young Japanese laborers were recruited. Kisaburo Shiosaki was of the laborers who came to America and eventually ended up in Spokane.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7x8YMXVsy0&feature=youtu.be
