By Paul Shepard on Jan 21st 2011 1:25PM
Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
Maybe Bernice King finally saw that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, founded by her father Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. more than 50 years ago, had truly outlived its usefulness.
Or perhaps she found the cast of characters surrounding the SCLC a bit lacking in their ability to help her breathe new life into the civil rights group.
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Either way, King came to her senses and announced that she would not take over the leadership of the SCLC, even though she promised to run the group after being elected
to the post two years ago.
Part of me can't blame King for her decision.
For years, the Atlanta-based civil rights group has been making more news for its embarrassing internal legal squabbling than for advancing the rights of black people.
But even if all the SCLC leaders were on the same page, it's hard to see where the group could offer any help in advancing the complex civil rights agenda of black America.
Add to the mix that the SCLC finances are in shambles.
Talk about mission impossible?
It's surprising it took this look for the light bulb to go on in King's head that rescuing the SCLC was not in the cards.
The NAACP, a far larger and better-funded civil rights group, has trouble remaining relevant with everyday black folks these days with the ever-changing priorities of black America.
So was it ever realistic to expect the SCLC to successfully tackle this task?
The problem with King's decision is that it comes after she spent nearly two years raising the hopes of the few SCLC supporters that she could revitalize the moribund organization.
Just this August, King led a prayer rally to bring an end to the wrangling within the SCLC.
For those misguided yet true believers in the future of the SCLC, it is a shame that Bernice King deserted them.
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Comments: (14)
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By: The Truth on 1/21/2011 2:10PM
Walk a mile in her shoes.
Then and only then will you get it.
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By: SAY WHAT! on 1/21/2011 3:20PM
If there's only a few left
WHY would she stick around!
Sounds like a losing battle.
Time to move on and find another special interest group to support.
One that at least has a larger supporting membership.
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By: ARNEADER on 1/21/2011 4:37PM
She needs to desert Eddie Long's church.
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By: ADMR on 1/21/2011 3:04PM
ONE Nation Quietly Await....Thanks 4 Your Support KING....Wink!
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By: MISTER on 1/21/2011 3:53PM
PERHAPS SHE HAS EVOLVED...
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By: sdon on 1/21/2011 4:38PM
I humbly disagree with the assessment that Ms. King desserted the organization. A sinking ship is a sinking ship is a sinking ship and for the Captain to go down with the ship is utter stupidity at its best. Ms. King was in the position long enough to realize it was barely treading water and because of its numerous years of neglect, misguidance, underfunding, and ignorance to the new generation(S) that have arrived since the early days of the SCLC-the relevancy of such organization had passed long before Ms. King's tenure. The dream was distorted long ago by the poor management and lack of true unselfish, progressive leadership following Dr. King's death. I commend Ms. King for bowing out and boarding a lifeboat on the sinking SCLC ship.
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By: Charles on 1/21/2011 6:47PM
How do you know she deserted the organization? Did you ask her, have you talked to the SCLC, and how the hell do you know it's outlived its usefulness. Considering the conservative political bent of most of the South I would think it has plenty of work ahead Just more hack BV journalism...
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By: You Know Who on 1/24/2011 9:57PM
This is the twenty-first century, black so called orginations etc. are rusty and crusty,what a joke,racism will never go away. We do more violent harm to one another than any one group known, we segregate our selfs, behavior tandroms, fitts,excuses for making poor choices, stupid might be genetic.Check yourself first, and mind ones own business, I hate noisey people, ok !!!
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By: James Ward on 1/21/2011 11:43PM
It's about time..the organization deserves to die..it's not in touch with God and has no heart.
One can only HOPE that the NAACP will soon suffer the same fate - and I believe it will!
Abortion supporting..Same-Sex Marriage supporting..attacking black Christian Judges that aren't abortion-lovin' and Liberal - that's NOT the NAACP that Medgar Evers died serving..and certainly NOT an organization deserving of support from black America.
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By: Kalynn on 1/24/2011 11:33AM
James...you nailed it. What more can I say!!! We need to end the emotionalism in the 21st century.
When the purpose of a thing is done with, it's done with. Many of these so called black Christian organizations, no longer embrace what made them and have long outlived their usefulness.
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