No Time To Sit Down On The Steps

MOTHER TO SON

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now --
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

By Langston Hughes

This is a difficult article to write because I understand why the Son in Langston Hughes' famous poem, “Wants to sit down on the steps”. Life is kinder hard for a lot of folks right now, including me. I believe Langston was speaking to future generations of black folks, you and me, when he wrote this poem. He understood how hard our lives would because he came from a generation that experienced the heavy yoke of Jim Crow. Yet, the Mother in the poem is urging her son to keep climbing, to keep going because she hadn’t given up. He had a moral imperative to “keep going” if for no other reason than her generation hadn’t quit.

When I was speaking to people about my plans to launch the Lift every Voice Campaign Against Global Racism, one government worker looked at and said, without apology, “I’m tired! It seems like I’ve been fighting this battle my whole life.” The folks who didn’t say those exact words to me, showed their weariness in the slump of their bodies and the glazed look in their eyes at the mere mention of the word “racism”. I hope you believe me when I say, “I’ve got it!”. Times are tough and plenty of grown folk are exhausted from the struggle to survive.

Now here’s the tough part. I know you’re tired. However, I’m going to paraphrase the words the Mother says to her Son in the poem, “This ain’t no time to sit down on the steps.”

In this the International Year of People of African Descent, we need to link arms with blacks, whites, Native Americans, Chinese, Hindus, Muslims—every person of conscience who understands “we, each of us, are our brothers' and sisters' keeper” to make a declaration of war against global racism. People driven strategies, solutions created by individuals and groups in the trenches, those on the receiving end of the boots, clubs and fists of anti-black racists, must be created. These strategies must in turn be shared through a global network along with information about events occurring anywhere in the world that a member of this campaign believes is relevant to the on-going struggle against anti-black racism.

What I’m describing is a movement of concerned, empowered global citizens working collectively to solve a social problem governments have failed to remedy in spite of lofty promises contained in multilateral agreements such as the International Convention For the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

If Katrina taught Black Americans anything, it’s the sad fact we can’t rely on our government to save us in a crisis. Therefore, I suggest you do your own research. You decide whether you agree with me that the American government’s response to global anti-black racism has been woefully inadequate.

I am by no means saying we shouldn’t demand action from the government. To the contrary, it’s their duty under international law to intercede on our behalf with governments engaged in such unconscionable practices. However, I’m also saying, we must play a bigger role in developing solutions to a problem that impacts us so directly. In the end, our solutions will have to include a role for government as well as civil society.

This brings me to the real point of this article—I need your help to make the Lift Every Voice Campaign grow from a whisper into a resounding roar that’ll be heard around the world! All you have to do is follow this link to the “A Million Voices Against Global Racism” page and JOIN:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_...

If you’re not a facebook member, consider joining just to add your name to the million plus people we want to become part of this effort; OR, ask your friends, family members, co-workers, bridge partners—really everyone you know who is on facebook to join. Most importantly, keep spreading the word about the campaign.

Finally, if you decide not to join the Lift Every Voce Campaign Against Global Racism, do something during this year to increase public awareness about the problems facing People of African Descent both in the United States and abroad. Even though things may be tough for you right now, get up and keep moving. It’s our turn to carry the torch for the next generation.