“The months and years ahead will bring new evidence of masses in motion for freedom. The March on Washington is not the climax of our struggle, but a new beginning not only for the Negro but for all Americans who thirst for freedom and a better life. Look for the enemies of Medicare, of higher minimum wages, of Social Security, of federal aid to education and there you will find the enemy of the Negro, the coalition of Dixiecrats and reactionary Republicans that seek to dominate the Congress.” Asa Philip Randolph from The steps of The Lincoln Memorial, 1963 March on Washington.

So much, so so so much placed into the public domain in the form of this ‘prophetic voice’ spoken from this Nation’s greatest “Soapbox”— Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Now to A. Philip Randolph speaking beyond the grave to “look for the enemies of… education, there you will find the enemy of the Negro…”.

Never really knew how to put it into words until now, but I have always had major ‘dis-trust of Sermonizers’ who proclaim as GOOD— the facts of the African American community’s ILLITERACY! The old “My Grandfather never learned to read or write and he knew ‘The Word’ from Genesis to Revelation.” Or “My mother was one of the greatest women in the Church and she never had so much as a 3rd grade Education”. Don’t get it twisted. “My Grandfather AND My Mother” are the Africans born in an American Justice institution that ‘Legislated Against’ THEIR RIGHT to learn to read and write! They knew what the ‘Slave Master’s Preachers’ TOLD THEM was ‘The Word’… from Genesis to Revelation! My Grandfather and my Mother were the PRODUCT of an American INjustice System that ‘surgic-legislatively’ (yeah! that’s it), ‘cut away by law’— REMOVED, 2/5th of our ‘personhood’ while “transforming us into… PROPERTY!”

I do know that when I hear this ‘enemy of education’ propaganda spewing from The Black Church Pulpit, not only does it make my ‘skin crawl’, but, calls once again into question— in The ‘Worship Context’— that ‘Without TRUTH’ we remain a people of INCARCERATION! We no longer even know THE TRUTH… in the ONE PLACE where…”TRUTH WILL SET US FREE”! Asa Philip Randolph, valedictorian of his High School Class AND Martin Luther King, Jr., an EARNED academic Ph. D. from Boston University ‘Sermonizer’, et. al, MARCHED to this Nation’s Capital in 1963 FOR “Jobs AND Freedom”.

American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten called Betsy DeVos “the most ideological, anti-public education nominee put forward since President Carter created a Cabinet level Department of Education. In nominating DeVos Trump makes it loud and clear that his education policy will focus on privatizing, defunding, and destroying public education in America”. Still again, the Outlet reports her record in Michigan. “That’s exactly what DeVos has zealously worked to make happen on a state-by-state basis for decades. In 2000, she helped get a ballot measure before Michigan voters that would have enshrined a right to vouchers in the state’s Constitution. After the measure failed, she and her husband formed a political action committee to support pro-voucher candidates nationally. Less than a decade later, the group counted a 121-60 win/loss record.” Yet again, The Washington Post reports, “She leads the American Federation for Children, described by teacher and education commentator Peter Greene as “a dark money group that works for school privatization”.

Just this week The Tennessean reported this: “More than 1,300 Tennessee kindergarten students were suspended last school year. Overall, black students are the brunt of the students being suspended in kindergarten”. OK. So some folks need to let this sit for another… second? Minute? Hour? 5 year old African born in America BABIES suspended from school! This “School-to-Prison Pipeline” IS NOT ‘A Dream’— it is VERY REAL!!!

NOW! Emphatically Now! A. Philip Randolph speaking beyond the grave: “look for the enemies of… education; there you will find the enemy of the Negro”.

by email: mustardseedfaith@outlook.com