LaNesha DeBardelaben on the 60th Anniversary of The March For Freedom and Jobs

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hey, Good morning everyone, andwelcome to the public Affair show of your
favorite iHeartRadio station right here in Seattle. I'm Lee Callahan and right now we
are in the middle of the NorthwestAfrican American Museum's Freedom Weekend, commemorating the
sixtieth anniversary of the historic civil rightsMarch on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

(00:24):
A lot went down that weekend andhere to tell us about it and what
the museum is doing is the executivedirector, Lenisia de Barta Laban. Welcome
to the show. Lenisia, goodmorning. We are happy to be here
today. Thank you. Now,yesterday was Youth Day, was day one
of the all weekend long festivities.But let's talk about first what happened in

(00:49):
August of nineteen sixty three in Washington, DC. You know, when we
look back on history, there areso many lessons of inspiration, lessons of
information, and lessons of empowerment,and that day of August twenty eight,
nineteen sixty three combines all three.It was so inspiring, informative, empowering,

(01:15):
and transformative for the entire country.Two hundred and fifty thousand people of
all ethnicities, of all religious backgrounds, who believe in freedom, opportunity,
equity for all, gathered in Washington, DC on the nation's capital steps Lincoln

(01:41):
Memorial to really push this country tolive up to the highest ideals of equity
and justice for all. And itwas a pivotal point in the civil rights
movement, and it featured some ofthe leading activists of the day, some

(02:07):
of the leading cultural musicians and culturalleaders of the day. Ended helped change
the trajectory of American and equity policies. Yeah, it was a huge day.
Quarter million people strong, activists fromall over. Can you tell us

(02:30):
about the planners and how Doctor Kingwas supposed to only speak for four minutes.
The organizers of the march included aPhilip Brandolph. They are rustin Roy
Wilkins of the End of lact andthose organizers including Anna Arnold Hedgeman, one
of the leading Black women of thatday, Dorothy Height, one of the

(02:53):
leading black civil rights leaders. Theywere all helping to organize this one day
demand for justice and equity, andso they created a very robust schedule.
It was a full day with speakersand singers and all kinds of activity from

(03:13):
the podium and Doctor King was slatedto give brief concluding remarks, and they
were not brief, nor were theyconcluding. They really helped to revolutionize people's
spirits for standing up for justice,equity, truth. His remarks have become

(03:40):
the most iconic speech in American history. It's often quoted as the I Have
a dream speech. But he beganwith very very revolutionary comments about the inadequacy

(04:00):
of America's promises to African Americans,and that this promissory note has come back
to insufficient funds, and we demandnow to be paid in full, paid

(04:23):
and full with freedom, with opportunity, with equity. And so his speech
just reinvigorated the movement and helped peopleto see possibility differently, to see the
future of America differently, and tosee themselves differently on one another differently.

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Now, before probably the biggest speechof his life, doctor King was already
a big figure in this civil rightsmovement. Right he was indeed one of
the leading he would be leading civilrights activists of that time. He wrote
to fame during the nineteen fifty fiveMontgomery Bus Boycotta, and so he had

(05:11):
been traveling the country up to thatpoint from coast to coast, speaking on
behalf of civil Rights, including makinga stop in Seattle, Washington in nineteen
sixty one. That earlier that year, in nineteen sixty three, he visited
Detroit and gave a speech somewhat similarto the I Have a Dream speech.

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So he had been building up thisvision for inequitable America, and he had
been traveling speaking to communities all acrossthe country with this vision that there was
something special about August twenty eight,nineteen sixty three that just opened up his

(05:58):
spirit to speaking as powerfully as thiscountry needed him to speak, and as
truthfully and as transparently as this countryneeded. And it created it created open
doors for eventually policies to change.The Voting Rights Act came a few years

(06:24):
later, the Civil Rights Act caena few years later. So that that
speech, that moment, that daychanged America. Everybody on the phone with
me, the executive director of theNorthwest African American Museum, Lenisia de Bard,
laban, if I could play anypart of that speech back today,

(06:45):
because so much of it is sopowerful. It is sixteen minutes, chocolate
block full of everything. What wouldbe your favorite paragraph? Can you pick
up favorite paragraph? I think theway he began it and the way he
ended it are both so thoughtful andso impactful. He began by looking back

(07:12):
at history, talking about the roadthat led this country to this this point
of protest, and then he endedit with vision, with a prophetic envisioning

(07:35):
of a future that no one atthat point had seen, that little black
boys and little black girls, girlswill be able to, you know,
just sit at tables with little whiteboys and little white girls as sisters and
brothers. And he takes folks to, you know, to the mountain top

(07:57):
with this speech as he concludes.And so the ginning in the end,
I think are just the crescendos ofthis experience that everyone felt together in that
moment and steal feel when we hearthe speech sixty years later, we still

(08:18):
feel the sense of urgency and thesense of possibility in those words. Absolutely,
And I'm so glad that you arecommemorating this day this weekend, sixty
years later at the Northwest African AmericanMuseum. Today is day two of the

(08:39):
ceremonies in the commemoration, and todayat the museum a beautiful film festival that
starts at eleven o'clock. You wantto tell us about that. We are
excited to present an all day filmfestival, our Freedom Film Festival, going
from eleven am to five pm.We have films about John Lewis and his

(09:05):
commitment to good trouble. We havefilms about the nineteen sixty three Children's March
of Birmingham and how the children helpedto bring a new spirit and a new
energy to the civil rights movement.We have films about the nineteen sixty three
march. Some member some little beforeseeing footage of the march that has been

(09:31):
restored. Some of that old filmfootage has been restored, and so it's
a variety of films of concessions willbe assault, snacks and sault. We
invite everybody to come out and justenjoy learning and being reinvigorated by this moment
that changed American history for all ofus. We're also excited that midway during

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the day there's going to be ahuge rally in March to com to commenmor
March on Washington. The march willstart at the Northwest African American Museum at
three pm today and it will endat the MLK Junior Memorial Park, and
that's being co hosted by the MLKCommemoration Committee, who's also lifting this anniversary

(10:16):
in a very major way. That'sfantastic. Where is MLK Junior Memorial Park.
It is on Martet the King Jr. Highway, right here in the
Central District. Okay, So moviesand then a break at three for a
march to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary ofthe March on Washington for Jobs in Freedom

(10:39):
or two hundred and fifty thousand peopleshowed up. And we're going to take
a real quick break right now,Okay, and we'll get back into our
conversation with Lenisia day Bardeleaban of theNorthwest African American Museum about this epic anniversary.
We'll be right back. Welcome backto the Public Affair show of your
favorite iHeart radio station. Right herein seat, I'm your host, Lee

(11:01):
Callahan. I'm in conversation with LaNichiche de Barda Laban, the executive director
of the Northwest African American Museum.I have here on about once a month,
and right now this weekend festivities commemorationcelebrations are on in remembrance of the
sixtieth anniversary of the March on Washingtonfor Jobs and Freedom. This was a

(11:24):
march twenty years in the making.It's not like they threw it together in
six months. They've been trying toget the march, but there were setbacks.
Do you know about those? Absolutely? A Philip Randolph in the nineteen
forties, nineteen forty eight, andsomewhere in the nineteen forties he organized the

(11:48):
idea for the march and told thepresident of the time that he would organize
an interracial march that would demand thiscountry change its racist, discriminatory practices and
policy. But it didn't happen inthe nineteen forties, and it didn't happen

(12:13):
in the nineteen fifties. But bynineteen the early nineteen sixties, it was.
It was so urgent and so essentialthat A. Randolph fulfilled his vision
of gathering but two hundred and fiftythousand people to protest the oppression that this

(12:37):
country had placed upon an entire raceof people. Everybody on the phone with
me today to talk about the sixtiethanniversary of this amazing march on Washington is
Lenisa de Bardi Laban. She isthe executive director of the Northwest African American
Museum and You can go to theirwebsite at in a mnw dot org to

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see all the festivities going on.You talked about an interracial gathering. Were
there prominent non African Americans at thismarch who also spoke? Absolutely Walter Ruther,
who was a leader in the autoindustry of Detroit. He was one
of the keynote speakers. There wereseveral rabbi of the Jewish faith who spoke

(13:26):
during the program. Several Catholic leadersspoke. There were individuals from various ethnicities
that were aligned with this commitment toan equitable America, and they spoke,
and oftentimes the Jewish rabbis would saythat as they marched, it felt as

(13:50):
if their legs were praying, becausethere was there was such an energy as
they marched with the African American communityfor such an essential value of freedom and
justice. And so even though themarch was surrounded by big gifts and races

(14:22):
who did not believe in that,and they were shouting on the sidelines and
they were being hostile, that interracialcrowd supported one another faith in a better
America. I was about to askyou how risky was it for people of
either race to talk about equal rightsout loud in public, like Walter Ruther

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the did he catch any flack forstanding up for African Americans? Do you
know? You know the the autounions and several unions of other industries they
were They were pretty influential in helpingto raise funds for the march, because
this was a very expensive endeavor.I mean they had to close streets and

(15:09):
they had to organize buses. Theyare. Weston was a strategist who helped
to organize all the details and toensure that the March on Washington was well
organized with smooth was successful and thatpeople that it was the objectives were accomplished,
and that people felt this sense ofpossibility. And so it was very

(15:33):
risky. People placed their personal andprofessional safety on the line as they participated,
but there was no turning back.This was a turning point in the
American civil rights movement. Women werealso extremely instrumental in organizing and lifting up
their voices, but they were notallowed to speak from the podium. There

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was only one Daisy Bates was theonly woman who really spoke from the podium.
Mahalia Jackson sang and John Bass sang. But there was sexism that was
pregnant at the time in the countryand within the movement. Absolutely, it's

(16:18):
great to know that these African Americanswho gathered together, these leaders of their
people gathered together to do this.But we're also backed up by non African
Americans financially and with support. Soeverybody put their hearts on the line,
their reputations, their safety, everythingon the line to have this happen that
day. And I didn't know thatpeople were right down there protesting and yelling

(16:42):
horrible things, I'm sure at thesemarchers. Yes, absolutely, the gathering
August twenty eight, nineteen sixty threewas just like the gatherings you know in
the Deep South. There were biggestand racists who have their hate signs and
raised their voice objection to the tothe activists. Do you know if the

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police were helpful? Yes, theorganizers of the march really ensured that safety
was priority and paramount, and sothey worked with all kinds of law enforcements
and had their own safety patrols thatwere well organized and executed an exceptionally march.

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This was sixty years ago, Augusttwenty eighth, and at the Northwest
African American Museum, they're commemorating theMarch on Washington for jobs and freedom,
which are one and the same.A lot of the time, you know,
financial freedom and the ability to workto pay your way through the world

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was not readily at hand for alot of people, a lot of the
African American people, which is crazyto think about. So at the Northwest
African American Museum, there is moviestoday and in March today just go do
naamnw dot org. And tomorrow you'vegot a community panel because that's actually right

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on the day, the twenty eighthof August. Who's going to be talking
about the importance and the change thesole day made sixty years ago. Yeah.
The panel discussion on tomorrow will beat five thirty pm at the Northwest
African American Museum, organized by theMLK Commemoration Committee. It will include a

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variety of faith leaders. It willinclude Eddie Rye, who helped to change
the name of our county to MartinLuther King Junior County, Washington. He
has been on the forefront of helpingto honor doctor King's legacy here in Seattle.

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He will be one of the leadpanelist tomorrow to talk about the continuing
work and fight that still has togo on until justice and equity is a
reality for all. It'll be anintergenerational panel discussionment, so we'll have a

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variety of voices helping to lift upa call to action because we all have
to get involved in this continuing pushfor equity for all. It's not a
reality yet, but if we getinvolved, we stand up, speak up,

(19:41):
and take action, we'll get closer. Oh yeah, I appreciate everything
you do, Lenisia, and Ijust want to say when you talk about
equity for all and what you mentionedearlier about what happened sixty years ago today
for women at that march, arewe talking equity for women also? App
solutely we're talking about equity for onebandit that is the one of just the

(20:04):
most passionate areas of the fight forjustice that I believe is too far from
completions. We must, we mustbring equity to women, and girl,
you know talking to you about whatcan be done still, what needs to

(20:26):
be done still. Maybe there aresome things that happen amongst the African American
community that maybe I am oblivious to. Maybe I don't know what still happens
today when it comes to jobs andfreedom. Can you enlighten me? The
disparities in this country are so starkand debilitating for African Americans. The healthcare

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disparities, the educational injustice, thefact that zip codes determine the quality of
education for children, and education determinesthe quality of life. I mean,
these disparities are severe and are debilitatingto lives, to the lives of African

(21:22):
Americans. And how thing discrimination,the fact that economics continue to create the
gas in our country based on raceand ethnicity, and many times the disparities

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just multiply inequalities. And African Americanshave been pushing for equity and eliminating these
disparities because our lives literally depend onus experiencing equity and Shasta Lenisia Debardeleban,

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you are everything that the Northwest AfricanAmerican Museum needs, a historian, an
advocate, speaker. I appreciate youso much for always enlightening me and my
audience. It's much needed. Thankyou, Thank you Lee for having us
on. We invite folks to comeout today eleven to five, to come

(22:27):
out to the march at three o'clock, and to come tomorrow to this powerful
panel discussion. I'm so glad you'recelebrating this. I'm so glad you guys
sent me this press release so thatI would even know that the sixtieth anniversary
of this historic march on Washington washappening. Thank you for keeping us well
informed on history and today. Muchappreciated, Lenisia, Thank you Lee.

(22:52):
This means so much. Jos,I appreciate me you taking me kind of
like buy the hand and helping mebe able to discuss these matters. It's
not easy, and I just wishit wasn't this way that we had to
discuss something. Absolutely, yeah,but you help. I mean, these
conversations just help bring awareness to theseinequities. People are living their lives.

(23:15):
They're not thinking about you know,what's what reality is for other people.
Reality is causing causing people to losehope. There are so many hopeless realities
out here. The fact that certainpeople can't afford to buy a home,

(23:37):
or can't afford to send their childrento a decent school, or can't afford
to get the best medical options,medical treatments. It is a travesty that
sixty years later, we are killedgrappling with this idea of freedom and justice

(24:00):
a hollow and so thank you forallowing us to be on a platform that
brings awareness to these realities. Absolutely. Lenisia de Bardileban, executive director of
the Northwest African American Museum. Goto NAAMNW dot org. Thanks again,
Thank you, my dear sister.I thank you, thank you for calling

(24:22):
me that and I will see youin another month. Okay, sounds great.
Thank you, Bode. Bye.