The Rev. Ken Hill: There's still much for us all to do to bring about

Only time and struggle have prepared and taught

the Negro to begin to utilizehis truth of self on an everyday basis, making history that will be beneficial to future generations.

Special to The Capital-Journal In the aftermath of another season of Dr. Martin Luther King recall, the evidence of change is not as apparent as some choose to believe. The inclusiveness of the Negro remains a political football. The Negro needs the intervention of the courts again to re-establish boundaries and enforce laws. Rather than guess about where we have come, the Negro must revisit his truth to himself and not assume someone else was better able to oversee his interest. At what juncture did the Negro begin to assume God no longer required him to make use of his faculties? Was it the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education school desegregation decision of 1954, or maybe Urban Renewal taking all it could in Topeka? That was a beginning of the destruction of black communities and incentive to own property among young blacks. It is high time for the Negro as a unified body to awaken out of the sleep of darkness and demand reasonable fairness in the laws. As a civil rights leader I have witnessed dastardly, damnable actions played out against the progress and hopes of the Negroes, and of their former communities in Topeka. Disheartening as it remains, some of the strongest opposition the NAACP has ever encountered was that of the power structure's continuing assurance of Judases and jackals from the ranks of the Negro. These are mostly insiders who have become so compromised and neutralized or plain ignorant of the games that they cease to be upright with our ranks. I am sure that a lot of reasons can be found by some who continue to reject change in matters of race. One grows accustomed to the lonely journeys in rejection. Dr. King, at this juncture, may have taken up the march to demonstrate. The hurtful thing that he had to endure was being called a troublemaker, and more, by some of our ranks who thought they had arrived. Through it all, the Negro finds strength to interact and not react. We sense how entrenched the demoralizing effects of racism are to government of all the people. Only time and struggle have prepared and taught the Negro to begin to utilize his truth of self on an everyday basis, making history that will be beneficial to future generations. I now know that Dr. King and others had mastered this sensing of real spiritual truth. In a sense, it is the same as saying "forgive your enemies" with an added portion of good. Then the horizon holds the key to greater promise. I reach out to the young adults around me regardless of race, denomination or association. I know that thing of retaliation that continues to be used so effectively against many young people these days. Some fear getting involved with any organizational movement such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. We have reports of people in work settings who have instigated bad tales to confuse and turn people in general against the NAACP. By nature they want to belong to something. Should it be any surprise that gangs have become their only refuge when seeking safety nets? Today's youth, more especially blacks, become targets of lies - - words that hide true intent to deceive, basically good meaning words like tact, diplomacy and let us not forgot that new monster, diversity, that city hall is selling this season. Now again, the preparation and anticipated recognition of many of our slaughtered, violated dead are again upon us in our recall of America's unjust history to blacks and people of Negro blood, history that has not as yet gone away. Yes, I will be grateful that a scant few blacks might still get opportunities to tell our story. The fact is, we are more than a seasonal people. The Negro's history is in all nations. It should be told throughout our lives. None should tread lightly this season in presenting the history of blacks. Anything to the contrary does our ranks a disservice. The thing that has been tried for centuries, and nearly accomplished, echoes the words "remove a man from his heritage and you can do anything with him or to him you choose." Black history is not a gala affair for me. It is a solemn reminder of inhumanity and ongoing insensitivity to the Negro's plight until this day. No less than that of American Indians or the Jews of the Holocaust. The wait-and-see attitudes in our ranks simply diminish the people's hope, regardless of grouping. The positive interest of the masses fades when excessive procrastination invades the unified reasoning in our ranks. One would think that Sunday mornings could be a time to remind the congregations that the NAACP has been a fighting arm of the Negroes' churches for nearly a century, addressing the secular movements for blacks in all walks and stations of this nation. It is here crude forms of politics and administrative insensitivity oftentimes construed meekness of black men as weakness and their kindness as stupidity. Through it all, time presses one's personal needs toward security as a greater priority. The struggle fades and focus dims and questions of "why" come with less frequency. It is here the Negro becomes more vulnerable to racist undermining and victim to organized methods of discrimination, however subtle. This thing is allowed to rise from puny, demented minds as the law and many claiming to be good citizens look the other way. Now that the once capable civil rights agencies of this city and state are all but disbanded by design, it may be noted that new agencies are springing up, structured dominantly white and paying high salaries to conciliate the Negroes' claims. Few deny that it remains good business/economics to majority whites to increase their job potential and to minimize damages of kind paid to the blacks in their rightful complaints. This NAACP person can only say, woe unto the people and their needs. Here again, the need for the Negro to survive rises to paramount levels in his search for justice. It is here also that many blacks and persons of Negro blood surrender without demands for a fair hearing, and I do mean fair. The administering bodies in time- consuming ways delay the conciliatory processes because of some incompetent and limited numbers in staff. Some have said, "So what? They are just blacks with mostly frivolous charges." These attitudes result in mostly telling plaintiffs, No! Much of this is born out of the fact that many black plaintiffs cannot afford competent lawyers in matters of civil rights. Fact is, many law firm of this city will not handle their cases, for some reason or another. Well, you might agree that those state and local agencies now serve as a tool to 8-to-5 workers and few give a damn about ongoing human inequality and suffering. Through the NAACP, I support and pursue rightful claims of the Negro's civil rights. More especially, those of our youth and young adults. I reason that many are becoming too satisfied and not investing in their futures. We can, with their help, demand change to the growing stint of racism in city and state government. It is time that majority Negroes become politically educated beyond just their right to vote. The NAACP believes that each tomorrow is a concern worthy of pursuit by every young adult. Hopefully, the young people will stay focused on their strongest allies, caring and sharing. The fads and perceived loose living of some of our young people are not indelible. Those habits, too, shall pass, as well as elders of present power who listen not to all the people. Generation errors mend quickly, so I say to our young adults, do not allow yourselves to be used to indict your own futures. Get involved in the processes and make your suggestions for change so that a select few of old, obsolete reasoning will not go on ruling so they might go on living in the manner they would like to be accustomed at the expense of the masses. I say to all people, "Evil only prevails when good men cease to come forth." More shall overcome than fail, if they hold fast to principles. Much of Kansas government, more especially the capital city's government, appears as actors upon a stage. Many only agree when they are the ones out front dictating the pace and setting the beat, another sad commentary to carry into the doors of the 21st century. Therefore, I say to the young adults 18 and up, put away your war axes for a season and do the truly godly thing and support whatever is good. If you are part of and representing moralistic values, belong to organizations interested in and respecting the rights, freedoms and dignity of any human regardless of race. Make time in your busy schedule to become a member and continue to be supportive of the NAACP. The NAACP is one harness for all morally grounded people. This branch discourages separate harnesses for special people, because it tends to weaken the movement. One of our purposes is to resolve differences before they become destructive. The Rev. Ken Hill is president of the NAACP chapter in Topeka.

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