Human in Humanity

Yesterday, we started our day at the Rosa Parks Museum. To remember the work that she did, what she symbolized, and how quickly her communities surrounded, supported, and begun work as a result of what took place, I believe, is very telling of the type of unity, and passion that was among black individuals in the Deep South. For a few days now, a theme that I have been seeing so powerfully and obviously is the intentional lack of humanity. Again, it is easier to hate someone, to treat them inhumanly, to see them as nothing, when you can’t see them for being human. The bus transportation, a lot of individuals mentioned, was the most degrading, humiliating form of segregation they experience, with the main reason being that they had to get up for anyone. When buses were full, and even when seats were open, blacks had to give up their seat, to children, teenagers, adults, regardless of age, regardless of gender. To be a grown black adult, and to have a teenage white person, a child, call you “boy” or “girl” and then instruct you to move, for them, devalue an individual, but completely erases their personhood, their dignity, the respect that they should receive. This continual theme of was evident when viewing media coverages of Rosa Parks and others at their nonviolent teaching camps. The dehumanization, vilification, that these “credible sources and organizations”, through intentional language would use, not only morphs the truth and reality but confirmed whites at that time, that their truth was the absolute one. Meeting with Joanne Bland and her sister, Lynda Blackmond Lowrey, was so encouraging. Joanne took us around Selma, showing up historical places, but also local spots and people, who impacted her, the community, and the movement at large. When Joanne took us to the park, where the last pieces of original land in the 50s and 60s remained, she said something that served as such a crucial reminder. She said that when they make new history where old history was, that we can erase old history. But that it is our responsibility to make sure old history is not lost, hidden or forgotten, so that we may never have to have another generation experience the pain that they did. I will end with words that Lynda said, and the quote that Joanne left me, after signing my book, in hopes that it moves the reader, in the same way, that it moves me every time I read it. “We needed to put the UNITY back in Community, and your generation needs to put the HUMAN back in HUMANity” and finally, what Joanne left me with, “Learn where we’ve been, then take us to where we should be.”

Hope Hammond

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