Second-generation freedom fighter visits Shreveport

2nd April 2012   ·   0 Comments

By J. Kojo Livingston
Contributing Writer

The reception was more of that befitting a visiting prince than a scorned ex-felon. Ralph David Abernathy III, has played both roles.

Abernathy was in Shreveport “at the request of my brother in the ministry Dr. Aaron Dobynes,” pastor of Evergreen B.C. He spent four days preaching at some of the city’s most historic and prominent churches in the city. He preached at Evergreen, and then participated in the birthday celebration of Bishop Fred Caldwell at Green­wood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral. He preached for pastor Harry Blake at Mt. Canaan Baptist Church and finally addressed the Baptist Minister’s Conference at Galilee Baptist Church where Dr. E. Edward Jones is pastor. Both Jones and Black are past National Baptist Convention presidents.

Abernathy is one of two sons and two daughters born to civil rights legend, Ralph David Abernathy Jr., the righthand man of Dr. Martin Luther King. After King’s death, Abernathy took the reigns of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Ac­cor­ding to the younger Abernathy, his father’s life and work impacted him greatly. But today he stands on his father’s foundation as his own man with his own victories and his own failures.

“I have experienced being in business for over 30 years, being a gas station owner, a state legislator who served in the house and the senate for over 10. I had the unique opportunity to go to prison over $5,700 on a state senate expense account. I was given 10 years. I have the experience of being an ordained man of God, preaching God’s word. But I also have the experience of being my father and mother’s son, growing up in the heat of the civil rights movement. I remember being arrested at the age of nine, while marching on mule trains in South Georgia. We were marching from Mississippi on our way to Washington DC when we were stopped by Governor Lester Maddox. Over 60 of us were arrested. I draw on my participation in every major action as a child in the Civil Rights Movement.”

Rev. Abernathy says the impact of his father’s life and training has been tremendous. “It has given me a blueprint, a direction we need to go in our next step in our generational development as an African American community and as a nation. It has crafted and designed my vision for the next step.

“The prison experience has put me in the company of great men such as Paul, Nelson Mandela and others. I have seen what my young brothers are going through. It’s been a blessing for me. Prison in full of young intelligent brothers and sisters, many who have many talents, gifts and skills. We need to remember that they are all coming out; they need to be rehabilitated and become productive citizens.

My vision was birthed for me in prison. I had an opportunity to meet Jesus for myself. I realized that he was not only real but he was truly the light of the world. I found him in that dark, lonely, cold prison in Georgia and he lifted me through my circumstances and carried me through my valley. He called me to do a certain job and equipped me with a vision which is the B-attitudes, what I feel that we as African Americans and people of good will must be about now.

First is the Book—“This is the word of God because we must be a spiritually foundationed people. It is through the leadership of Jesus of Nazareth that example for the civil rights movements was crafted. It was not Mahatma Gandhi, it was Jesus the greatest non-violent man on the planet. We must be spiritually rooted in a foundation anchored in Christ

But the term “Book” in the first B has a double meaning, “because we must be educated. Education is the cornerstone to freedom. It’s more than physical and spiritual, it’s psychological and social. It’s psycho social. We in this country in the African-American community are still not free. Education can free your mind and once your mind is free your body can never be enslaved. Prison is made up of the young Black males between the ages of 18 and 32; 90 percent of them don’t have a high school diploma; education prevents incarceration.

“If I am called to lead SCLC or any other organization I will implement a what I call Centers for Excellence that will tutor kids in math and reading, give them a hot meal and have them home by 7:30. I am thoroughly convinced that we cannot depend on the public school system to educate our children. The dysfunctionality of our neighborhoods and of our homes with the single parents calls for the village to raise each child. I think it’s imperative that we create these centers I can see 5,000 to 10,000 centers across America.”

The second B is “Bucks—in America money talks, so Black people have nothing to say. We have to develop economic programs that will bring wealth to our communities.”

The third B is the Ballot – “Every Black adult should be registered and vote. Politics does not just shape policy but it directs the money and resources. That’s why wealthy politicians run for an office that pays less than they already have. It’s the power to control the flow of money.”

The fourth B is Bars – “We have to end the cycle of incarceration. We have to get our brothers and sisters out of the prisons so they can fulfill their real reason for being.”

The fifth B is for Betterment – “Each of us has to improve ourselves. We are dying because we don’t eat right or exercise. You don’t inherit high blood pressure; you inherit the eating and health habits that lead to high blood pressure. We have to develop our minds and bodies for service.”

Abernathy believes he has been prepared to lead. “I’m waiting. I’ve been trying to become president of SCLC for about seven years. I’ve been waiting for the Lord to make a way for me to lead that organization. It’s got a great history and a great foundation and a great spirit. I will help create a system that will address the present age. My business would be about implementing the vision I shared and that starts in the grassroots community.”

This article was originally published in the April 2, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper