COMMENTARY
LET’S TALK ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS AND VOTER SUPPRESSION In the midst of the COVID-19 pan- demic, vestiges of racism have raised its ugly head and placed on Kappa’s “to do” list the ugly subject of voter suppres- sion. Citizens of color are once again challenged to revisit what our gallant forebears bled and died for called, “civil rights.” Civil rights are certain inalien- able rights a U.S. citizen is born with that protect them from discrimination based on their age, sex, race, or religion. As we look at civil rights today, we see other disenfranchised groups that have joined the civil rights struggle. All desir- ing to receive equal treatment and the equal pursuit of freedom and expres- sion, including education, employment, housing, public display, and much more. Civil rights are not only a fight for our African American community, but a fight for every race, creed and religion who feels discriminated against.
Let’s Crush Voter Suppression
In times like this we need to remem- ber who the Kappa voices have been in the civil rights movement over the years. We can’t call out all the brothers who fought the good fight for justice, but we can research the record and find that Brothers Robert Sengstacke Abbott founded the Chicago Daily Defender , denouncing racial injustice in America; Thomas Gillis Nutter, Esq., involved in the segregation case in Louisville, KY and the covenant cases in the District of Columbia; George E. C. Hayes, Esq., an exemplary civil rights attorney; Donald Lee Hollowell, Esq. a civil rights attorney; and General Daniel “Chap- pie” James, Jr., first Black officer in the military to attain the rank of four-star General. In many states there are laws or actions in place that tip the executive scales in favor of Republicans in the upcoming election. These restricted measures will inevitably make it hard for minorities, the elderly, and young people to vote. Never before have these voter sup- pression efforts been so blatant, wide- spread, and systematic. Politicians are attacking one of the most fundamental rights of our democracy: the right to vote. We cannot sit idly by and allow our voices to be silenced. In the rearview mirror we see numer- ous brothers who have paved the way for members of Kappa Alpha Psi ® to identify uneven playing fields and learn the nuances of achievement in spite of the obstacles. As a result, Founder Diggs now knows that his vision of achieve- ment in every field of human endeavor has resulted in brothers throughout the fraternity placing great emphases on justice and fair treatment of all human beings, no matter their nationality, eth- nicity, creed, gender or sexual prefer- ence. Brother Diggs and other brothers in Chapter Invisible have witnessed the geopolitical changes that have modified human behavior during the 110 years since the founding of the fraternity.
In recent years we have seen increas- ing numbers of our constituents join the national political process. Those who have been fortunate to win races locally, and at the state and federal levels, are now fighting against significant odds to preserve the sanctity of our political process. We have had a successful transi- tion from a U.S. President who did not embrace the moral compass that guides our fraternity. Not only did he attempt to countermand the progress of the civil rights movement, but he was able to gain increased numbers of allies who joined the movement to suppress the right to vote, primarily of Black and Brown people. Let’s look carefully at the State of Georgia and its recent enac- tion of laws making it more difficult for citizens to vote . It is clear that there are those in high political offices who are fearful that fair and equitable voting processes are threats to their success in our elections. It is clear that there are those in public leadership positions who are actively using every means necessary to disenfranchise the most vulnerable citizens from easy access to the ballot box. Each of us can make a difference in the fight against voter suppression if we just look at the contributions of our brothers who understood our duties in Phi Nu Pi and labored in the civil rights vineyard. Reach back, my brothers and reflect on the words we learned early in our Kappa lives, when we memorized with great zeal, the poem written by William Ernest Henley, called “Invictus.” Let us live these words today and do what it takes to reverse the Voter Suppression Dilemma. “It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”
Voter Rights Champion Joins Chapter Invisible
ALCEE LAMAR HASTINGS U.S. Congressman, (D-FL) 59 th Laurel Wreath Laureate
U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, a civil rights pioneer and federal judge who served in Congress since 1993, died Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at age 84.
THE JOURNAL ♦ WINTER 2020-SPRING 2021 | 11
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