Ali

Just watched "Ali". I was struck by the sense of hopelessness that must have been felt in every corner of the civil rights movement as, one by one, its heroes were eliminated. Movies have the benefit of packing into two hours events that occurred over the course of many years. But to consider that in a few short years, the civil rights movement lost Martin, Malcolm, and saw most of the Black Power advocates incarcerated. In the movie, Malcolm X expresses his frustration that blacks are "fighting for a place at the white man's table." I have heard this before but now I hear it with new ears.

Why shouldn't African Americans have their own table on their own terms? There is an old spiritual called "I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table" that goes as follows:

I'm gonna sit at the welcome table,
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days,
Hallelujah!
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table,
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days.

I'm gonna walk the streets of glory,
I'm gonna walk the streets of glory one of these days,
Hallelujah!
I'm gonna walk the streets of glory,
I'm gonna walk the streets of glory one of these days.

I'm gonna get my civil rights,
I'm gonna get my civil rights one of these days,
Hallelujah!
I'm gonna get my civil rights,
I'm gonna get my civil rights one of these days.

I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter,
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter one of these days,
Hallelujah!
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter,
I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth counter one of these days.



Have we [whites] set a place at the Welcome Table? Do we even have a welcome table anymore?

I don't feel all that welcome by other whites these days. Seems that the welcome table has been surrepititiously comandeered by the various institutions that still hold power and is being used as a bargaining table where the souls of the powerless are being bought and sold to the inurement of a select few. I feel like one of those powerless souls sometimes. Now, more than ever, larger portions of society should be looking to the struggles of the civil rights movement to see what can be learned about the structures of power that seek more power.

I fear that I may sometimes wish I could acquire more power and, embarrassingly, not to do good with it but to simply protect myself from power with power. Progress in the black community will be made when those in positions of power are content to let the power go from them to those who need it. I am reminded of the woman afflicted with twelve years of menstruation who was healed when "the power" left Jesus when she simply touched his robe. Are there powerful among us who would be so free to dispense power that they don't even know to whom it goes? Could I be that person with the little power I have? Hmmm, I'll need to sleep on that.

PAX

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