‘Civil rights is four-beat march toward justice’

Dr. Amos C. Brown, a world-renowned civil rights advocate who was a student of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., underscored that the civil rights movement is a “four-beat” march towards justice that begins with acceptance of oneself, the first challenge of humankind.

Brown served as the keynote speaker in yesterday’s commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day hosted by the African-American Cultural Preservation Committee on Saipan at the American Memorial Park. The event marked the 7th celebration of MLK Jr. Day in the CNMI.

The theme for this year’s celebration is, “Being Drum Majors for Justice: Keeping Up the Beat in the Marianas.”

Yesterday’s event began with an orientation at the parking lot, followed by a march attended by members of AACPC, students, and other community members from the American Memorial Park to Guess store by Paseo de Marianas and back.

The marchers then proceeded to the Visitors Center Theater where the program was held. Assistant attorney general Shelli Neal and Savannah Delos Santos served as emcees, with Pastor Manuel Cabaluna offering invocation and Dr. Peter Eche for the welcoming remarks. AACPC president Joe Hill introduced the keynote speaker.

A taped video of Congressman John Robert Lewis of Georgia was also played at the event. Lewis described King as “my colleague in my struggle for civil rights” and his civil rights dream is “a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”

 Brown, in his remarks, noted that most of the problems in the world “were done by folks who haven’t accepted themselves,” thus the need for self-acceptance and not self-denial. For example, Brown said, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler “couldn’t accept himself as an artist who failed” and made millions of Jews his “scapegoat” and led them to their deaths.

“If we could get more people to accept themselves and stop hurting other people because they are hurting, what a better world it would be,” Brown told his audience.

The Baptist pastor added, “In this life, if we could see God is a God of justice, a God of love, and when God made you and me, there is no mistake to be seen in God.”

Brown said King accepted himself and accepted the fact that he was a black Baptist preacher and went around “trying to be nobody else” but himself and stood for justice, peace, and righteousness.

The second beat, Brown said, is “respect” for oneself and others. According to Brown, nobody has the monopoly for truth, wisdom, and love but everybody has a bit of God’s infinite divine power.

“There is one integrating thread in all scriptures… At the end of the day, there is the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That’s the thing that matters that’s found in all religions,” he said.

People also need to march to the beat of critical thinking, said Brown, who disclosed that Americans are “way down” in terms of achievement academically. A recent CNN documentary revealed that America is at the top when it comes to militarism and consumption but is only ranked 17th in science, mathematics, and geography.

“We have got to get back to open up the American minds,” warned Brown, who added that those who think critically like King are the only ones who can use their knowledge to help others instead of harming them.

The final beat, said Brown, is the beat of creative conquest. “Regardless to what happens, regardless to what goes down, we know how to conquer, even our enemy, with love.”

Brown urged his audience to “plant a garden” instead, like what former South African President Nelson Mandela did to his oppressors when he was detained in prison in Robben Island for his anti-apartheid activism. He said that experience made Mandela “better” and not “bitter.”

Brown pointed out that King, whom he described as “our best friend on the issue of race, opportunity, and inclusion,” did not fight back negatively or fight fire with fire but with love.

“Let us plant three rows of peace: peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of soul. Let us have four rows of squash: let us squash gossip, squash bigotry, squash greed, squash indifference. Let us plant five rows of lettuce: let us be thoughtful, let us be kind, let us be patient, let us be loving, let us be helpful. Let us plant four rows of turnips: let us turn up for meetings, turn up for service, turn up at the polls this coming November and turn up the extremes aside and put people in government who will do justly, love with mercy and walk humbly with God. Let us turn up for the day will come when we will feel good about America and all of us will be able to say, I am black and I’m proud; I’m brown and I’m sound; I’m yellow and I’m mellow; I’m white and I’m alright. Let us be there, let us do the right thing, and march to a different drum,” he concluded.