Julian Bond on National Organization for Marriage's "racial tensions" tactics
"NOM's underhanded attempts to divide will not succeed if Black Americans remember their own history of discrimination. Pitting bigotry's victims against other victims is reprehensible; the defenders of justice must stand together." - Julian Bond, Chairman Emeritus, NAACP
Many younger Americans may not know who Julian Bond is. Here are a few highlights from an extraordinary life:
At Morehouse College, he earned a varsity letter for swimming at a time when he would not have been allowed to swim in most American pools. At 18, he founded a literary magazine called :The Pegasus." Bond worked as an intern at Time magazine. He was also a member of the only class taught by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. From 1960 to 1963, he led student protests against segregation in public facilities in Georgia. Mr. Bond and Morris Dees together founded the Southern Poverty Law Center, and remains its president emeritus. Mr. Bond was one of 8 African Americans elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1966. The Georgia House seated him only after being ordered to do so by the U. S. Supreme Court. They tried to jerrymander him away, but failed. He went on to be elected for six terms in the Georgia Senate from 1975 to 1986.
Mr. Bond has taught at American U., Drexel U., Harvard, and the University of Virginia. Mr. Bond was chairman of the NAACP. He continues to write and lecture about the history of the civil rights movement and the condition of African Americans and the poor.
From 1980 to 1997, he hosted a TV show called "America's Black Forum." He remains a commentator for the Forum, for radio's "Byline," and for NBC's "The Today Show." He authored the nationally syndicated newspaper column "Viewpoint." He narrated the critically acclaimed PBS series "Eyes on the Prize" in 1987 and 1990.
Mr. Bond boycotted the funeral services for Coretta Scott King on the grounds that the King children had chosen an anti-gay mega-church for the funeral. [some info from Wikipedia]
How many of us can say they've spent 55 years working for justice as Julian Bond has?
Many younger Americans may not know who Julian Bond is. Here are a few highlights from an extraordinary life:
ReplyDeleteAt Morehouse College, he earned a varsity letter for swimming at a time when he would not have been allowed to swim in most American pools. At 18, he founded a literary magazine called :The Pegasus." Bond worked as an intern at Time magazine. He was also a member of the only class taught by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. From 1960 to 1963, he led student protests against segregation in public facilities in Georgia. Mr. Bond and Morris Dees together founded the Southern Poverty Law Center, and remains its president emeritus. Mr. Bond was one of 8 African Americans elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1966. The Georgia House seated him only after being ordered to do so by the U. S. Supreme Court. They tried to jerrymander him away, but failed. He went on to be elected for six terms in the Georgia Senate from 1975 to 1986.
Mr. Bond has taught at American U., Drexel U., Harvard, and the University of Virginia. Mr. Bond was chairman of the NAACP. He continues to write and lecture about the history of the civil rights movement and the condition of African Americans and the poor.
From 1980 to 1997, he hosted a TV show called "America's Black Forum." He remains a commentator for the Forum, for radio's "Byline," and for NBC's "The Today Show." He authored the nationally syndicated newspaper column "Viewpoint." He narrated the critically acclaimed PBS series "Eyes on the Prize" in 1987 and 1990.
Mr. Bond boycotted the funeral services for Coretta Scott King on the grounds that the King children had chosen an anti-gay mega-church for the funeral. [some info from Wikipedia]
How many of us can say they've spent 55 years working for justice as Julian Bond has?