I looked out over the large audience. I knew so many of the faces. My brother and sister and their spouses were there. Other relatives were there. Old friends and acquaintances were there. Some had known me for 50, 60, 70 years. Most were unknown to me. It was my hometown of Bay Minette. This was the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration.

The audience was mostly African American with European Americans sprinkled throughout. The Mayor of Bay Minette was there. So were city councilpersons from Bay Minette and Foley. Various other officials and leaders were present. Most were unknown. I wondered for a moment how my words would be received for I intended to not only be honest, but frank. I could do no less.

The theme for the occasion was The Destruction of the Ballot. To speak to this theme required real facts and hard truths. It also required honesty and frankness. I hoped I could rise to the occasion. I want to share with you what I tried to say. However, I can only summarize what I said or tried to say during the 40 minute presentation.

I started off lifting my mother, Ola Mae Sanders, who had just a seventh grade education but was one of the smartest and wisest persons I have known in my 73 years. I shared with them how when things got bad, my mother would gather her nine children (she eventually had 13).

She would sit in our one chair in the front room of the three room house (not a three bedroom house, a three room house) and make us sit on the floor in front of her. Then she would say, “Children, things are always kinda bad with this big “po” (poor) family. But they are real bad now.” She would go quiet for a moment and then continue, “But don’t y’all worry, I’m at my best when things get bad.” It was so powerful. Things are getting bad with the destruction of the ballot. Therefore, we must be at our best.

I asked those present to join me in examining ourselves as well as others who are contributing to the destruction of the ballot. We all have played a role in the destruction of the ballot.

We all have roles to play in stopping the destruction of the ballot. I shared Dr. King’s famous give us the ballot litany on how, if given the ballot, black people would stop the lynching, mob action, segregation, injustice and separate education.

I reminded the crowd that Dr. King’s life was not just about dreams but profound change. As a result, he was attacked viciously in the media, stabbed in the chest, jailed numerous times, framed for a crime he did not commit, had his home bombed and hounded relentlessly by the FBI. Finally, he was murdered at 39 years of age. Today, we rarely lift the sacrifice or the work; we just lift “I Have a Dream!”

I talked about how the destruction of the ballot for black people is threatening again since the United States Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act; the enactment of various voter suppression techniques such as Voter Photo ID, restrictions on voter registration, reduction of voting days, hours and places; and redistricting. These are the modern day equivalents of poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, etc. Also, too many of us simply do not vote.

I then dealt with how black people are the only group in the United States of America who had the right to vote taken away after it was granted. Once Jews, Catholics and women obtained the right to vote, it was never taken away or even threatened. I also dealt with white supremacy, the root causes for the destruction of the ballot for African Americans. I discussed how white supremacy came about; how the United States Supreme Court Dred Scott decision made white supremacy the highest law of the land; how white supremacy continued after slavery in the form of segregation with thousands of lynchings and other state sanctioned acts of terror. I spoke about how white supremacy continued even after passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act. I said that the destruction of the ballot will continue unless we deal with the poison of white supremacy. These were hard truths but the audience received them well.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebrations are rarely about Dr. King’s life and work. So often his sacrifice, body of work and accomplishments are not even mentioned.

It’s up to all of us to really make his celebration about advancing his work. Voting is one of these works.