A Civil Rights Hero and Writing a Racial Autobiography

Charles Avery is one of my heroes.

Mr. Avery was one of the foot soldiers during the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's, and he is still a powerful voice for hope. 

When my husband and I were on a Civil Rights tour in the fall of 2018, our leader, Mark Swiggum, arranged for us to meet with Mr Avery and to hear his story. As a young student he organized a march of children to Birmingham from his small town outside the city, and they were arrested and taken to makeshift prison cells at the fairgrounds. He told us how they were packed in a small area, and it was cold and rainy, and utterly miserable, but they kept up their spirits by singing "They Shall Overcome." 

He told us how miraculously the rain stopped and blue skies appeared. This statement, it seems to me, is a glimpse into this man's essence. 

He was also jailed, along with Dick Gregory, whom he resembles, in the Birmingham Jail, where Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous letter. Many years later he received a pardon, which allowed him to get better jobs. 

One night last week we had the privilege of seeing Mr. Avery again, along with his daughter, Dr. Dina Avery, thanks to a Zoom meeting organized by Mark Swiggum, and once again I was moved by his grace, his hope in the future, his openness, his spirit. He used the word "wisdom," frequently, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is a man of wisdom. He not only speaks from direct and painful experience about what it means to be black in this country, but he speaks from his heart, asking each of us to dig deep and listen to and act from our hearts. What an honor it was to be in his presence again. 

A few days before this Zoom meeting a writer friend mentioned the concept of a "racial autobiography." http://whitesforracialequity.org/1-awareness-activity-reflection-questions/ The idea is to explore both your earliest and most recent events and conversations about race, race relations and/or racism that may have impacted your current perspectives and/or experience." 

As I read through the suggested questions, it occurred to me that Charles Avery and all those who were jailed with him would have no trouble remembering their first encounters with racism. From what I have heard in recent weeks and from other reading and listening I have done, most, if not all, African-Americans would have painful and scary memories from early in their lives about how they were mistreated because of the color of their skin.

I have to dig deep to recall how I first learned about racial disparities in this country, and I certainly have no memory of being mistreated because I am white. Quite the opposite. 

These are some of the questions suggested for my racial autobiography as a white person.

        *  When was the first time you realized you were white?

        *  When was the first time you realized you might be treated differently because you have white skin?

        *  When was the first time you realized people of other racial identity groups are treated differently?

        *  What were the messages you heard growing up about white people? African Americans? Latinos? Native Americans? Asian Americans? Pacific Islanders?

        *  Look at your friends, family, colleagues, key professionals or service people (doctor, dentist, lawyer, counselor, handy person, etc.) --what are their racial identities? How and why did you choose to know or work with these people? To which racial groups do the people you socialize with regularly belong? 

As I continue to learn about the history of racism in this country--past and present--I must learn about my own racism--where and how I learned and absorbed what I did. 

My father, who died recently at age 96, put together big notebooks of memories and details about his life, but there is nothing in there about being white, about his awareness of racism in his world. I wonder how many of us who are white and in our 3rd Chapter years thinking about how to share our past, our wisdom, with our children and grandchildren, will address these questions.

Perhaps we should. 

One more Charles Avery story: His father tried to register to vote several times, and would be so discouraged when, in order to register, he was asked questions like "How many jellybeans are in the jar?" 

Don't neglect to vote.

An Invitation

What key stories need to be included in your racial autobiography? I would love to know.  

NOTE: 

You can read more about Charles Avery here. 
Also, I wrote about the Civil Rights Tour in the following posts: November 13, 15, and 20, 2018