Griffin Speaks
NELSON
MANDELA TO
VISIT MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
It
is a very realistic possibility that Nelson Mandela will visit Montgomery,
Alabama in the very near future. Businessman Greg Calhoun’s success with
bringing NBA basketball legend Magic Johnson to Montgomery a few weeks ago
has inspired others to reach for the stars. There is talk that a committee
of some of Montgomery’s most powerful citizens will be convened to plan
the event.
At
the moment no one knows for sure who will be asked to serve on the
“Committee to Bring Mandela to Montgomery, but I suppose that it will
consist of some of the following powerful people with extraordinary
connections: Greg Calhoun (entrepreneur), Morris Dees (Southern Poverty Law
Center), Rev. Michael F. Thurman (Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist
Church), Dr. Joe L. Reed (AEA), Rep. Alvin Holmes (civil rights leader and
elder statesman), Dr Gwen Patton (educator), Rev Bennie Liggins (Community
Congregational), Mrs. Johnnie Carr (civil rights activist), Rev. James
Arnell (St. John AME), Mrs. Sadie Penn (educator), Rev Al Dixon (owner and
publisher of the historic Montgomery-Tuskegee Times), Rep John Knight
(statesman and future Montgomery Mayor) etc. The list of possible committee
members could increase because there are so many people in Montgomery that
could make this great event happen.
Nelson
Mandela is equivalent to Martin Luther King Jr. in his contribution to Black
people. He personifies struggle. It was Mandela that led the fight against
apartheid in South Africa. He spent nearly thirty years of his life behind
bars and was later to become the first democratically elected State
President of South Africa (May 10, 1994 – June 1999). He accepted the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 on behalf of “all South Africans who suffered
and sacrificed to bring peace to their land.”
I
am thrilled and looking forward to Nelson Mandela’s arrival. Once again
the eyes of the world will be on Montgomery, Alabama. I am sure that he will
want to tour west Montgomery to see how much progress has been made since
the civil rights movement. I am sure that he will want to tour Montgomery
Public Schools to see how integrated they have become since the days of
Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Will
the committee please convene?
Greg
Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by
visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com
