On February 26 Jimmie Lee Jackson a Baptist Deacon and member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was participating in a peaceful Assembly in Protest involving the right for African Americans to register to vote. Encouraged by the White Citizens Council who was affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, The Alabama State Police attacked those participating in the peaceful Demonstration.
In an attempt to protect his Mother from the attacking Alabama State Troopers, Deacon Jackson was shot by Alabama State trooper Corporal James Bonard Fowler. Eight days later Deacon Jackson died from his injuries. 45 years later former Trooper Fowler was tried and convicted of manslaughter. He is currently being investigated for the 1966 killing of Nathan Johnson as well. Trooper Fowler is also an alleged former member of the Ku Klux Klan, though this has not been proven.
In response to the killing of Deacon Jackson the SCLC organized a peaceful March from Selma Alabama to Montgomery. On March 7th 1965 approximately 600 hundred protestors gathered in front of Brown Chapel A.M.E Church. Led by Hosea Williams of the SCLC and John Lewis, Chairman of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). All participants knelt in prayer before they commenced their march to Montgomery.
The Protesters began marching in silence in a two by two alignment on route to Montgomery. As they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge (Alabama State Route 80) the protestors were met by approximately 150 Alabama State Troopers who were ordered by Governor Wallace to stop and desist the March.
As the Protesters approached, Alabama State trooper Major Cloud told the protestors to stop and disperse. He informed the protestors this order came directly Governor Wallace (D) who declared the protest march to be unconstitutional.
John Lewis requested to speak with Major Cloud who denied his request. A few moments later Major Cloud ordered the protestors to comply within two minutes.
One Minute and five seconds later Major Cloud ordered Alabama State Troopers to advance, Troopers followed his order with clubs their hands they menacingly approached the silent protestors who simply stared in disbelief, none moved as the first trooper raised his club and began beating the defenseless peaceful demonstrators.
John Lewis was the first who suffered a head fracture as carnage continued. Shortly after tear gas was deployed. By the time the assault ended 60 protestors lay injured in the street. This event would later be known as Bloody Sunday and would be the turning point of the civil rights movement.
Six Months later president Lindon Baines Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights acts. The events that took place in Selma Alabama would mark the beginning of the end of the Jim Crow laws and the acceptance of segregation within the South. The Ku Klux Klan continued to use intimidation tactics though by the end of the sixties due to Federal Arrests, their violent activities were drastically reduced.
1968 proved to be a turning point in our nation’s history for all Americans. On April 4th 1968 Dr. Martin Luther king Jr was shot and killed while standing on the 2nd floor Balcony of the Lorrain Motel in Memphis Tennessee by James Earl Ray (D). Dr. King was clergyman and leader of the SCLC who played an integrate role in the Civil Rights Movement. James Earl Ray who was a fugitive from a Missouri State penitentiary and known racist shot Dr. King once in the chest with a Remington .30-06. Dr. King was pronounced dead at 7:05 Pm at Saint Joseph Hospital. Rev. King was only 39 years of age at the time of his death.
James Earl Ray was captured four days later at Heathrow Airport in London England. He was brought back to the United States where he Pled Guilty of capital Murder to avoid the Death Sentence. Later he would refute his claim that he murdered Dr. King but was never given another trial. He died in prison in Prison on April 23. 1998 at age 70 of Hepatitis C.
In 1993 Loyd Jowers while being interviewed on ABC’s Prime time. He alleged Dr. King was killed by the Mafia working with the US Government. James Earl Ray was only a scape Goat and the real assign was Lt. Earl Clark of the Memphis PD.
The King family believed this conspiracy and elected to file a $100 dollar suit, Jower was found legally liable and the King family accepted the $100 suit that was an amount chosen by the King family to show they were not after financial gain.
Later Dr. William Pepper Defended James Earl Ray in a made for TV Mock Trial, in hopes of encouraging authorities to Give Ray the trial he never had. A year later James Earl Ray passed away in Jail, having never received a proper trial.
After a long difficult search for the truth behind whether Martin Luther King Jr was a registered Republican or not can finally be answered. First Martin Luther King Senior who publically endorsed Richard M. Nixon in the 1960 Presidential Election, Second it was A. Phillip Randolph an African American and registered Republican who organized the Famous March in Washington where Dr. King made his famous “I have a Dream” speech.
Dr. King’s niece Rev. Alveda King (R) has long argued that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was a registered Republican. For Further information on this topic please refer to the following web site: http://www.africanamerica.org/printer-friendly-topic/why-martin-luther-king-jr-was-a-republican.
A few months after the Death of Martin Luther King, On June 5th 1968 Robert F Kennedy was also assassinated at the Ambassador hotel shortly after winning the California Primary. RFK’s Murder was a man who’s name is Sirhan Sirhan a Palestinian who was the first known Middle Eastern terrorist. He is presently serving a life sentence in a California State prison.
While the sixties were a turbulent period in our history, it was music and the Love movement that began to unite our Nation. Through Groups like the 5th dimension, and the birth of Motown along with many others, music brought us together.
By 1974 Vietnam as almost over and the Watergate incident had been laid to rest. Finally our nation began to heal as racism in the South slowly began to fade. This crusade toward a truly United States continued bring us all together. Now looking back over the past 50 years we have made great strides. We went from Jim Crow Laws in the South to electing a Black President.
Though President Obama is trying to tear this nation apart, the fact still remains of the accomplishments made by our country. The sixties are part of our past and over the past half century we have made great strides toward ridding this great scourge known as racism.
There will always be racist people in our Country, we have close to a half billion people living in this nation and in of such large numbers there are bound to be some shallow minded people who cannot get past a person’s appearance, or religious faith.
This problem is not one that emerges from a single racial group but it is born in all. Until we stop blaming one race for all of our problems, then we will never be able to place this behind us. We need blacks, whites, Asians and Latinos to all reach out together and look beyond how we look or where our ancestors came from.
For we are no longer African Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans, European Americans. We are all simply Americans with the same Love for country and devotion to the constitution of the United States of America. As we look toward heaven we see old Glory proudly flapping in the breeze.
We can truly see that we are the melting pot and out of it comes a new race “Americans” The Longer we are here, the closer we become.
It is said of all breeds of dogs, the best ones come from the pound who are a mixed breed. This is who we are and by combining our strengths while losing our weaknesses, we become Stronger and more resilient.
Mixed breeds come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Let’s embrace those differences so we can take our rightful place as the guiding light for the rest of the world to follow. We have been ordained by God Almighty, so let us unite and show the world that we are a truly exceptional race. We are proud loyal Americans. The Republican Party was created out of the abolitionist movement and we are proud of our origins, and yes we believe and live United under the Red, White, & Blue. These are our colors. GOD BLESS AMERICA.
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