Racism ‘over time crushes the soul’
By Helmut Schmidt, hschmidt@forumcomm.com
The Forum - 01/21/2002

The United States has come a long way in race relations, says Andrew Jackson, but the road is a lot longer.

Jackson, a member of Moorhead’s People Escaping Poverty Project, says Martin Luther King’s dream of a colorblind America isn’t a reality.

“There’s a lot more of his dream left to be accomplished,” Jackson said. “We’ve got a long way to go. It’s good, but it could be better.”

Jackson grew up in Augusta, Ga., and said King’s work opened a lot of doors for blacks. But now the dynamics of America have changed. With a growing Hispanic population and refugee groups from across the globe, there are many cultures.

The 44-year-old says the picture King painted of people walking together and “not seeing the differences, but accepting the differences” is “something that stuck with me.”

But attaining it will require overcoming ingrained prejudices, Jackson said.

Jackson says racism here is mostly covert, but he’s also had racial slurs yelled at him on the street by college-age youths as they’ve driven by his wheelchair.

“I can tell you, no matter if you’re young or old, it doesn’t feel good,” he said. “… It’s beyond any type of reasoning. There’s no reason for that at all.

“It’s a sad commentary on what our country is doing to combat racism. To me, it’s something that should have been dealt with long ago. It tears at the very fabric of our society.”

Defeating racism requires people to speak out and to act on King’s vision, he said.

If Americans devoted the same energy to ending racism that they showed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the nation could do great things, he said.

“It was just so powerful. Why does it take a disaster like that for people to remember we’re all human beings.”

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The United States has slid backward in its fight against racism, says Fargo resident Lew Lubka.

“Martin Luther King’s dream has not been realized in North America. If anything (race relations have) regressed since he led this mighty march, this movement of people,” Lubka said. “He was not just a leader of blacks, he was a leader of all people. All right-thinking people.”

Lubka, who is retired after teaching for 18 years at North Dakota State University, is a longtime social justice issues advocate. He speaks out passionately against racism. And touts the virtues of diversity.

“I’m white, but my heart is as black as ebony,” he says proudly.

Lubka met King while he was a student at Georgia Tech in 1960. He said he was at an Atlanta church, talking about protest strategy.

“We were talking about sit-ins and lunch counters. Here was this young guy, kind of short and stocky. He was not committed or involved yet. He was sort of studying it.”

The quiet King didn’t make a tremendous impression on Lubka that day. But the ideals of the civil rights leader did make their mark.

Lubka says he’s still dedicated to fighting racism.

“There’s still rampant racism. And that’s still a thorn in the American dream,” he said. “Racism has been the Achilles heel of this country. It’s limited us.”

Helen Pemble gets to see children from many ethnic groups in her work at the West Central Regional Juvenile Center.

When she does, the Moorhead teacher also gets to see the pain of racism.

“(Racism) over time crushes the soul,” she said. “I want Fargo-Moorhead to be a place where no one faces racism.”

To that end, she says that it’s important that people celebrate Martin Luther King Day. But not just with pomp and platitudes. She wants some action, too.

“I think in the spirit of Martin Luther King, something should be done for the homeless or the poor. If he was here, he would not want it to be about his adulation,” Pemble said.

Pemble wants more done to make sure everyone in F-M has food and shelter.

She also wants more multicultural education in area schools – and multicultural personnel. She says there are no principals, top administrators, and few teachers of color in the metro area.

“Actions do speak louder than words. Those are the things that hurt the hearts of children,” Pemble said.

Finding a balance, maintaining a cultural identity and taking to heart King’s words are part of the personal philosophies of Brandon Richardson and Jerry Covington.

Richardson, the president of NDSU’s Black Student Organization, said he wants to live his life the way King did. He respects the civil rights leader’s commitment to nonviolence “and the positive way he spoke to people.”

Covington, the group’s vice president, says King’s words are important, but they have to be taken to heart.

“Education is not enough. You have to internalize it as a philosophy, rather than just words on a paper.”

Covington also finds that one philosophy doesn’t fit all.

“Action or patience depends on the situation,” he said. “We’re stuck in real, organic situations that constantly move.”

Both found that living in Fargo-Moorhead can be overwhelming for a young black man, or anyone from another land or culture.

“The assimilation process is well and alive here,” Covington said.

People are assuming the role of the majority, putting cultural diversity in the closet in order to fit in, he said.

“I believe in adapting, but not to the point of losing my identity,” Covington said.

“I think up here they expect you to do as the neighbors do,” Richardson said, adding that even in athletics, the pressure to conform can be a bit much.

“There’s a sense of togetherness, but sometimes it’s overwhelming.”

Covington said blacks are looking for another leader of the stature of King. In some ways, pop icons Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali have taken part of that role, he says.

In the meantime, he says blacks will plant the seeds of leadership in their sons and daughters “and hope that there will be a harvest.”

Readers can reach Forum reporter Helmut Schmidt at (701) 241-5583