Past President of THE Albany Civil Rights Movement.
In the Beginning — the Albany
Civil Rights Movement, 2021
Interview by Joseph
Mosnier, re Albany GA Movement, SNCC, Dr. King, & etc. 2011
I led the Albany Movement ... motivated by SNCC. These were students from many colleges but primarily students from Albany State College.
There were literally hundreds of people from all walks of life that came to Albany at the height of the Movement. Taylor Branch spent a lot of time with the Movement and he included some of the experiences in his books on the life of Martin Luther King. Add to those that came ... Jackie Robinson, Vernon Jordan, John Lewis, Mae Jamison ... they all participated in the "Slavery to Freedom Lecture Series" that I was privileged to produce for Michigan State University. The Series lasted over 20 years and yet still runs. Add to this list Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Wyatt Walker, Freddie Haynes and Joe Lowery.
I spent much of four years as a DJ in Atlanta and in DesMoines. In these I earned enough money to help pay my way through Medical School.
We do not need another Holocaust, Slavery, Jan 6 or 9/11.
I yet make speeches around the country, primarily to education centers for it is obvious that the next generation will follow the leader ... whoever that may be. I hope to be among those that carry a positive message of FREEDOM, LIBERTY, JUSTICE, EQUALITY all found in OUR Constitution.
I am very much pleased first with Michigan State University now has an annual program that includes the entire University and local leaders and others that have interest in the Civil Rights History. Albany was among the first to have MASS Meeting second only to Montgomery that, incidentally was where I attended college and without knowing, I was a class mate of Ralph Abernathy who later became a close friend and co-civil rights leader.
A similar incident was how I met M.L.King. He and my brother-in-law were high school mates in Atlanta, GA, David T. Howard High. To borrow a quote ... "GOD WOKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS". There was a story ... a major part of American History yet to unfold that changed a nation from SLAVERY TO FREEDOM. It is being written by people like U.S. President Barack Obama.
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