http://www.thefamuanonline.com/news/civil-rights-activist-addresses-students-1.2084342
By Xion Lester
November 15, 2009
"The black community has to be willing to set its own agenda and
organize its own community." Powerful words from civil rights
leader, D'Army Bailey, who offered words of wisdom to a freshman
history class Thursday in the B.L. Perry building at Florida A&M.
A former judge, Bailey is the founder of the National Civil Rights
Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the place where Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
More than 70 students listened attentively as Bailey read a passage
from his book and discussed his encounter with well-known activist, Malcolm X.
"When Malcolm came along…there was certain ringing of truth in his
urgency," Bailey said.
Bailey is the author of, "Mine Eyes Have Seen: Dr. Martin Luther
King's Final Journey." In October, he published, "The Education of a
Black Radical."
He discussed several topics from politics to the selfishness of major
corporations in America. While Bailey admitted he is fond of
President Barack Obama, he reminded students of the necessity to hold
him accountable.
"We have to be very self critical of our politicians…without pressure
on Obama, our interests will not be met," Bailey said.
Bailey rocked the boat a little when he revealed that fact that many
civil rights organizations are backed by the dollars of
multimillion-dollar companies, which in turn, prevents them from
standing up for their constituents.
Bailey said, "There has alliance of the needy against the greedy."
He also discussed reparations. "Reparations is what they just did
for General Motors," Bailey said. "It's what they did for the
financial system. Why can't they take hundreds of millions of
dollars and put it back in the communities?"
Bailey was invited to speak by the Student Government
Association. Student Body President, Gallop Franklin said Bailey was
in town to interview for a television show. He seized the opportunity.
"We wanted to bring him here to share his life and activist work,"
Franklin said.
Student Body Vice President, Calvin Hayes, was also excited about the
opportunity to hear Bailey speak.
"That gentleman wasn't a person who was afraid to challenge the
system," Hayes said.
"He used the system to fight for his community."
Brooke Slauter, 18, a pre pharmacy student from Dayton, Ohio said the
guest lecture was very beneficial.
"He taught us that although we are young, we can still make a
change," Slauter said. "It doesn't just have to be in our state
because there are always problems in the black community."
The class instructor, Darius Young, said he got the call asking about
Bailey coming to speak from David Jackson, the chairman of the
History department. Young, who is from Memphis, had always heard of
Judge Bailey, and was more than delighted to have him speak to his class.
"I think it's always important when we can have foot soldiers from
the Civil Rights Movement come in and talk about what motivated
them," Young said.
Bailey left students with powerful words of motivation to fight for change.
"They can kick you out of school," Bailey said. "You can always go
somewhere else. They can fire you from your job, but you can always
stand back up."
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