BMORENEWS.com : News, video and live radio for the black community in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area
http://www.bmorenews.com/blog/tgr-reflecting-on-the-struggle-with-j-howard-hende.shtmlTGR: Reflecting On 'the Struggle' with J. Howard Henderson, Pres. & CEO of the Greater Baltimore Urban League
As a matter of fact, he talked about how in the early 80s, the National NAACP (of which he was a part under Dr. Benjamin Hooks) made it their business to address the issue of the prison-industrial complex. They saw – early-on – that the over-incarceration of African Americans was about to mushroom. Some 30 years later, America has the rep of being the most incarcerating nation on earth. What an honor!
And, leading the way in that demographic, is black men – with the number of black women increasing faster than any other demographic.
We also discussed the impact of all of these prison sentences on the black family. We talked about the emasculation of black men – the removal of the black man’s testicular fortitude – on the family, on the race, and on the society.
By Doni Morton Glover, www.bmorenews.com
(BALTIMORE - July 20, 2012) - I had to go and see J. Howard today. That’s J. Howard Henderson, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL). The GBUL was an early home of BMORENEWS.com. In sitting and talking with Mr. Henderson, we caught up on a lot of the developments that have occurred in the interim – from the nation electing the first black president to the over-incarceration of African Americans.
As a matter of fact, he talked about how in the early 80s, the National NAACP (of which he was a part under Dr. Benjamin Hooks) made it their business to address the issue of the prison-industrial complex. They saw – early-on – that the over-incarceration of African Americans was about to mushroom. Some 30 years later, America has the rep of being the most incarcerating nation on earth. What an honor!
And, leading the way in that demographic, is black men – with the number of black women increasing faster than any other demographic.
We also discussed the impact of all of these prison sentences on the black family. We talked about the emasculation of black men – the removal of the black man’s testicular fortitude – on the family, on the race, and on the society.
We talked about multi-million dollar athletes and who they have whispering in their ear. We talked about the notion among some black folks that “I’ve got mine, and you’ve got yours to get” and just where that thinking has gotten us.
We talked about the African Americans who were able to navigate corporate America to the top – only to re-find that they are still a castigated lot like the rest of us. And we talked about how some of us – when we finally got there – forgot all about how the ancestors carried it: You know, help somebody else get up there. Apparently, it is not important for upwardly mobile blacks to be connected with the masses of black folks, that is, until they get in trouble. Then, they want to pull the race card.
And we talked about the faith of the elders and the ancestors that continues to keep and protect us even in the hostile territory of North America. We reminded each other of how we, as a people, have overcome every single obstacle – from slavery to sell-outs with a house slave mentality to crack cocaine – with the faith of our fathers, handed down to us by grandma and her Bible.
We seemed to have a good ol’ time. He’s always been a father-figure to me. I have always like his character. And he’s always sharp.
Yes! It was a good day at the GBUL. Their charge is to address the economic issues of the race. Names like Whitney Young come to mind. So does the late Raymond V. Haysbert, who served as Chairman of the Board. Of course, Mr. Haysbert’s story alone can fill an encyclopedia. He knew so much. And he was a good friend of J. Howard’s.
Ray said that “now that we have civil rights, it’s now time for silver rights.”
So, do remember the GBUL. They’re right down on Orchard Street – near MLK and Druid Hill. It’s a place that I’ve been to many, many times. And it’s a place where I met a lot of black icons – from Magic Johnson to Ruby Dee to Ossie Davis to Sinbad.
Yes, remember the Urban League – and their mission for economic empowerment of black and poor folks. After all, their job is harder today than ever before. How ironic, especially given all of the efforts made in the past to help black folks.
One last thing: The Orchard Street Church, the building the GBUL is in, is a site of the Underground Railroad. In the building is a hiding spot where runaway slaves hid. I’ve seen it many times. However, back around New Year’s – I got a chance to see something I had never seen before: the Niagara River. Why is this so important? It was technically the end of the Underground Railroad. That is – if you made it across the river into Niagara, Canada. One can only imagine how many skeletons are at the bottom of that great freedom river.
‘Til next time, let’s continue to teach and share black history. After all, a people with no recollection of their history is like a tree with no roots. And we simple just can’t have that. Too many people have fought, bled, sweat, and died for all we have today. Let’s appreciate our story so as to create a brighter tomorrow.