The SCLC has outlived its usefulness. Give it a decent burial
WASHINGTON — Let’s be clear about the current round of controversy engulfing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference: The machinations of its factions have nothing to do with eliminating injustice, elevating human rights or reducing the remaining vestiges of racism. Activists associated with the group are engaged, instead, in ego-inflating demagoguery, petty score-settling, and, quite possibly, outright thievery. They are not in the business of carrying out the organization’s original mission.
The SCLC — long an organization in decline — has been caught up in this latest round of infighting since last year, when a group of board members accused the former chairman, Raleigh Trammell, and the former treasurer, Spicer Gordon, of diverting more than half a million dollars of the organization’s funds to their personal use. (A criminal probe continues.)
Trammell and Gordon have been ousted, but they organized a rump faction to try to take over. The two groups are engaged in bitter internecine warfare, replete with name-calling, finger-pointing, lawsuits and, earlier this week, a late-night sneak attack on the SCLC’s Atlanta headquarters. The Rev. Markel Hutchins,(cq) a camera-seeking Atlanta activist and member of the rump faction, welded the back door shut and padlocked the parking lot gate.
The back door ought to stay welded shut, but not because Hutchins has the moral high ground. The doors should remain closed because the SCLC is no longer a credible civil rights organization.
Part of the problem is the mission itself: It is an anachronism. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and several of his civil-rights colleagues, including the Rev. Joseph Lowery, founded the SCLC in 1957 to fight legally-sanctioned apartheid. At the time, black shoppers couldn’t try on clothes in major Atlanta department stores; black parents couldn’t send their children to the city’s best schools; black patrons couldn’t dine in its fanciest restaurants. Nor could they register to vote in numbers large enough to influence the politicians who wrote the oppressive laws.
The SCLC helped to spearhead several of the most memorable activities in civil rights history, including the 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 voting rights campaign in Selma — with its attempted “Bloody Sunday” march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Those protests helped to persuade Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
But the SCLC became a victim of its success — mired in the past, confused by the present and unable to adjust to changed circumstances. Its mission isn’t suited to an era marked by the election of the nation’s first black president.
The most difficult problems facing black America are related to social and educational dysfunction, not to structural barriers that inhibit black advancement. And the most pressing human rights issues of the day involve full equality for gays and immigrants, not the old tussles over black rights and white bigotry. SCLC doesn’t have visionary leadership capable of tackling any of those challenges.
As a result, it has suffered from dwindling membership, money problems and infighting for years. Since 2000, two high-profile leaders — Martin L. King III and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth — have resigned in frustration. In 2004, police were called to SCLC’s annual convention in Jacksonville after fighting broke out during the election of officers. The feuds remind me of funerals in the rural south, where family members erupt in pitched battles over a modest estate.
Can’t the leadership just give SCLC a decent burial? The current board ought to announce that the organization will be shut down and a commemoration held to honor its many achievements. After all, President Obama credits the civil rights movement for blazing the trail that led to his victory.
And the SCLC’s successes are evident in the life of the Rev. Lowery, aco-founder and longtime president. After surviving bombs and bullets as a lieutenant to Dr. King, Lowery gave the benediction at the inauguration of the nation’s first black president. SCLC, which helped to make that inaugural possible, can rest in peace on that record.
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260 comments Add your comment
The One
May 19th, 2010
7:51 am
Are you kidding? How about burying the ACLU, unions, ACORN, NAACP, etc. etc. etc.? Get a grip, Cynthia.
Sarah H
May 19th, 2010
7:56 am
Let them fight. I think it is funny.
Oxymoron
May 19th, 2010
8:01 am
What? No “article” about how the incumbents got their collective @sses handed to them last night in the primaries? Let’s not forget the primary where the Tea Partier won by a landslide! Cynthia must be too busy rubbing A&D Ointment on her chapped butt!
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:08 am
I agree at this stage they have become obsolete. They seem to be a very small older group now.
The NAACP constantly looks for ways to bring in new blood, and they seem to change their agenda with the times.
The locking of doors is kinda immature and looks silly to those on the outside watching this.
Peadawg
May 19th, 2010
8:10 am
I agree with The One, let’s bury ACLU and the NAACP too. They are as useless as the SCLC. Agree, Cynthia?
Granny Godzilla
May 19th, 2010
8:10 am
Kinda’ like Miss Havisham….sad.
T-Town
May 19th, 2010
8:12 am
As long as there is one penny left in the SCLC’s coffers, the pitched battles will continue. You are correct when you allude to money/property fights within families after a funeral and this has created deep divides within these families. Money breeds contempt, contempt breeds lobbyists, and lobbyists breed politicians.
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:12 am
What? No “article” about how the incumbents got their collective @sses handed to them last night in the primaries? Let’s not forget the primary where the Tea Partier won by a landslide! Cynthia must be too busy rubbing A&D Ointment on her chapped butt!
The Tea Party guy beat one of your republican buddies in a republican state. Nothing gained or lost the way I see it. He beat Grayson who was backed by McConnell.
So you replace some incumbents with some new blood, and in 6 months the new guys get to see all the perks that come with the job and are going to do the same thing as the previous guy.
Morrus
May 19th, 2010
8:13 am
Curiously, in a supposed anti-incumbent year, most of the departing are not retiring but seeking higher office. We may recycle more than we replace. The bad news is that a frustrating 114 seats still have but one contestant. Two of them aren’t even incumbents, meaning they will affect state policy without being vetted by voters. And I have to think that we’d be better off if many had run instead for the Legislature — and cut down on the number running unopposed. Georgia’s problems are numerous. They aren’t going away. There’s too much stale thinking at the Capitol, on both sides of the aisle. New voices would be welcome.
Jethro
May 19th, 2010
8:16 am
It’s a shame to see what’s happened to the SCLC. They’ve outlived their relevance, and it’s a shame because the ideals they once espoused are so in demand right now. Apparently the ideals are greater than those to which the members are capable of aspiring.
CJJScout
May 19th, 2010
8:18 am
Rarely is Tucker right, but she is spot on here. I think at this point they are tarnishing their legacy.
Yeah, OK
May 19th, 2010
8:19 am
The One makes a very good point.
Chuck Allison
May 19th, 2010
8:20 am
The SCLC, like other negro civil rights groups is a left over club housing people who prey on the ignorance of the African Americans, making them think that they are still persecuted and need more special rights than other people. When our black neighbors realize that they are being taken advantage of by SCLC, NAACP, ACORN, ACLU, Cynthia Tucker, and others, this nation will be a better place.
ame
May 19th, 2010
8:21 am
Become a voice for the right of other especially children used in sexually slavery in your own state, in Atlanta. Focus on the horrible conditions of the Educational system,the need for stronger parenting, for the rights of Grandparents that have to raise their grandchildren without the assistance that Foster care systems use. The transportation system is in disarray due to serious budget cuts leaving those without cars in a bind. Work on these things plus a list of more and that will keep you busy for the next 200 years. Egos and arrogance! Humble yourselves and hear from God, observe, be still. You are the Southern Christians Leadership Council right?
Listen Everybody
May 19th, 2010
8:21 am
The One, where have you been? ACORN had been disbanded. The original founders of the NAACP were mostly Jewish progressives back in the day;look it up. Google Springyarn and Merigold. Why do you think the Jewish Temple on Peachtree was bombed during the infancy of the Civil Rights Movement? I know, you cringe at the thought of examining black history. Ever ask yourself why?
A CONSERVATIVE
May 19th, 2010
8:22 am
CYNTHIA..WHILE YOu R AT IT…bury…. the old, tired, worn out liberal Media…your time has come & gone.
A CONSERVATIVE
May 19th, 2010
8:22 am
CYNTHIA..WHILE YOu R AT IT…bury…. the old, tired, worn out liberal Media…your time has come & gone.
Polly
May 19th, 2010
8:25 am
What exactly is the”full equality for immigrants” that Tucker thinks is our most pressing rights issue?
Peadawg
May 19th, 2010
8:26 am
Polly, Cynthia probably wants amnesty right away so they can all vote Democrat.
PW
May 19th, 2010
8:28 am
Every day when I hear about this story on the news it saddens me. At a time when it was sorely needed, SCLC propelled this country to make changes that have ultimately resulted in the election of the first African American President of the United States. They have many past accomplishments to be proud of. Unfortunately this organization has lost it’s way and a stop needs to be called to all this nonsense and let the SCLC close it’s doors after a job well done. Don’t let this foolishness wind up as the legacy for a great organization.
Sick of this mess!
May 19th, 2010
8:29 am
I agree with you whole heartedly! Please put this organization to rest for once and for all. The SCLC is not fighting any worthwhile causes and it is slowly placing another smudge on Atlanta’s black culture.
Granny Godzilla
May 19th, 2010
8:30 am
Oxymoron
Posts:
Let’s not forget the primary where the Tea Partier won by a landslide!
What he does not mention, or more likely does not know…..
The two main contenders in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate each got more votes than Paul did in the GOP race.
Who’s chapped?
D-Boe
May 19th, 2010
8:30 am
Let’s bury the Sons of the Confederacy while we’re at it.
Cynthia Mussell
May 19th, 2010
8:32 am
I think this is the first time in history that I have ever agreed with Ms. Tucker – get rid of the SCLC. It is a joke, almost as much as the in-fighting between the King kids!
CRB
May 19th, 2010
8:35 am
Will someone please check the temperature in Hades? I might agree with Cynthia on something.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
May 19th, 2010
8:37 am
I think all of the observations of our esteemed hostess are valid, encapsulated in the single sentence, “But the SCLC became a victim of its success — mired in the past, confused by the present and unable to adjust to changed circumstances.” The same arguments can be made for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Like the Missouri Compromise or Plessy v Ferguson, those statutes reflect the sensibilities of a different era, one long gone. The legislative detritus of that era serves no purpose other than to reopen scarred tissue, in that it manufactures unworthy litigation, compelling consumers to subsidize plaintiff attorneys. Repeal would serve many valid purposes, and offend none.
Johnson Fitzwell
May 19th, 2010
8:38 am
If I were Cynthia, I would want this freak show to go away along with all the other organizations that are nothing but scams on the black community – but think of the entertainment value they give us!!!
And where are the comments on the vote? WELL, CYNTHIA????
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:39 am
The SCLC, like other negro civil rights groups is a left over club housing people who prey on the ignorance of the African Americans, making them think that they are still persecuted and need more special rights than other people. When our black neighbors realize that they are being taken advantage of by SCLC, NAACP, ACORN, ACLU, Cynthia Tucker, and others, this nation will be a better place.
I like when a patriarchal white man comes along to tell Blacks what they need to do, since we are incapable of thinking for ourselves.
Apparently any organization that fights for peoples rights are wrong and Blacks need to stay away from them in order to be well of in society. In other words stay in your place coloreds and we will not have a problem.
Please put this organization to rest for once and for all. The SCLC is not fighting any worthwhile causes and it is slowly placing another smudge on Atlanta’s black culture
How can one organizations downward spiral affect all of Atlanta’s Black culture? Our culture is diverse and the SCLC is/was just a part of it.
Just curious, what things smudge white Atlanta culture?
RxDawg
May 19th, 2010
8:40 am
“So you replace some incumbents with some new blood, and in 6 months the new guys get to see all the perks that come with the job and are going to do the same thing as the previous guy.”
Then this country really is screwed. One can really hope that the new guys will truly do the right thing.
resno2
May 19th, 2010
8:42 am
No, the infighting between the King kids is a MUCH bigger joke than the SCLC.
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:42 am
I think white culture would be better off if they gave of the sons of confederated daughters and other anti-American treasonous groups from the confederate.
The tea party is pretty farcical also, a bunch of bigoted necks trying to take their country back……to 1950
Auburn Fan
May 19th, 2010
8:43 am
Great piece Cynthia! I can’t believe how much we are in agreement on this issue. You really surprised me today. You are turning more conservative every day.
Reality Check
May 19th, 2010
8:43 am
This organization is a pathetic joke! End the corruption and abolish it!
resno2
May 19th, 2010
8:43 am
RxDawg
May 19th, 2010
8:40 am
Isn’t that what happened with our current Potus?
RxDawg
May 19th, 2010
8:44 am
“The tea party is pretty farcical also, a bunch of bigoted necks trying to take their country back……to 1950″
More propaganda. They so much sense that opponents of the TEA party have to result to lies and insults.
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:45 am
I HATE ALL white people! I HATE THEM!!!
Mr Charlie
May 19th, 2010
8:46 am
Rev, Tea Party seem real, I think a lot more Tea Partiers than you realize voted Obama on 08. They don’t want to “bring us back to 1950, they just don’t want us to turn into 1950 USSR.
Mr Charlie
May 19th, 2010
8:47 am
Cynthia? Will you toss Rev? This should be interesting to see.
Food for Thought
May 19th, 2010
8:47 am
Actually, let’s keep the ACLU. Whenever there’s an issue that I don’t have time to research all I have to do is find out what side the ACLU is on and then just adopt the opposing view. It’s not only a timesaver but it assures me that I’m choosing the morally ethical route.
Mr Charlie
May 19th, 2010
8:49 am
SCLC, how cares, they have not been relevant for quite some time. So, it probably would help the image of African Americans if they were to disappear, but they are not going anywhere, as long as there are racist blacks to support it, it will stay around.
Bring It Back
May 19th, 2010
8:50 am
I agree. Things were much better in the 50’s and 60’s when we were all for segregation. We need to bring it back.
Scout
May 19th, 2010
8:51 am
As long as there are groups around like this, America will continue to “Balkanize”. All of the Mexican groups are now added to the fray. This does not bode well for our future.
mike
May 19th, 2010
8:51 am
“mired in the past”, an accurate statement regarding many organizations.
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:52 am
Ha!! someones using my name I see…
I am to sophisticated to just type I hate white people.
I can debate you on facts and real instances of your past
Jim Crowe anyone?
Separate but unequal
Emmit Teal
Waterhoses and canines
Rage over college integration
JKL2
May 19th, 2010
8:52 am
CT- “The most difficult problems facing black America are related to social and educational dysfunction, not to structural barriers that inhibit black advancement. And the most pressing human rights issues of the day involve full equality for gays and immigrants, not the old tussles over black rights and white bigotry”
Are you trying to distance yourself from your normal readers for some reason? Crazy talk like this will get you lynched with this crowd. Just stick to the script. “It’s all Bush’s fault” “Let’s get whitey”
Mr Charlie
May 19th, 2010
8:52 am
Well, back in the 50-60s segregationists were concerned that if we “mixed” that the cities would become cesspools, the country would be plagued with drug, alcohol and voilence problems, and that it would be the destruction of the two parent household. Boy, they were sure stupid.
Mr Charlie
May 19th, 2010
8:54 am
Rev, no, you cannot debate facts, because when I bring up facts you don’t like, you will call me a Racists, and Cynthia will ban me. So, lets just pretend ok.
joe
May 19th, 2010
8:55 am
“The most difficult problems facing black America are related to social and educational dysfunction, not to structural barriers that inhibit black advancement.”
The most difficult problems that ALL American’s face (not just Black Americans) is reliance on the government for everything. Once people of all colors, races, creeds, etc. realize this and decide to take matters into their own hands…instead of waiting for hand-outs…our country will be in much better shape. Best be a giver, not a taker…
resno2
May 19th, 2010
8:57 am
“full equality for gays and immigrants”
CT, don’t you mean illegal, oops, undocumented immigrants?
Rev Al Sharptongue
May 19th, 2010
8:57 am
Well, back in the 50-60s segregationists were concerned that if we “mixed” that the cities would become cesspools, the country would be plagued with drug, alcohol and voilence problems, and that it would be the destruction of the two parent household. Boy, they were sure stupid.
And it was because the Black man brought all of these plagues to society right? They did not exist prior to integration?
This is the same argument your necks use today about immigration. There was no crime or drugs until the illegal brown people came to town. It was an utopia