Melvin B. Tolson and the Wiley College Debate Team

RedState reader suggested to me that, instead of speaking about Black History activism and activism I should just focus on encouraging Blacks towards academic pursuits. I replied to his comment with: What is the best way to know if I’m not doing this already??

It was not something I mentioned in the comments. However, I am going to start this Black History Month blog post by sharing this thought. Have been there. still doing it. Two young Black men were two of my influences. Their future was dependent on them overcoming their ignorance. One of them was a professional football player. I helped him with his writing and oral presentation. As a result, his abilities to learn and navigate through his coursework increased as did his GPA. His academic prowess was not the only thing that he graduated with. My tutor was a young man who could only read. The other young man I tutored was only a freshman at high school and could not read beyond fourth grade. Langston Hughes, James Baldwin and Zora Nealehurston were some of the books we read. We also studied Maya Angelou and other Black intellectuals to stimulate his imagination and encourage curiosity. He was reading at a grade-level level after three months.

As I have said in previous Black History Month posts, just because the Left has co-opted certain terms, doesn’t mean we cannot take them back and restore their meaning. Education and activism cannot be separated. I find that my most effective activism has been done by supporting young people academically.

Melvin B. Tolson was the best person to understand this. Tolson, a poet, writer and scholar of exceptional quality, used his remarkable talents to instill, empower and train thousands young women and men to seek, return and preserve their righteous minds and then to use them for the greater good.

 Anyone know the identity of Willie Lynch? Anybody? Raise your hand. Who is this? In the West Indies, he was a brutal slave owner. Lynch was sent to the colony by slave-masters of Virginia who were struggling with their slaves. The word “lynching” came from his last name. While his methods seemed simple and straightforward, they were absolutely evil. Maintain the physical strength of the slave, but make sure that he is psychologically stable and dependent upon his master. Maintain the body and take care of the mind. I and every professor on this campus are here to help you find, take back and keep your righteous mind.

Melvin B. TolsonWhich judge are you?
Samantha, Henry Lowe James Farmer Jr. Hamilton Burgess: God is the judge.
Melvin B. Tolson: What is God’s purpose?
Samantha, Henry Lowe and James Farmer Jr. Hamilton BurgessHe decides who wins and loses. My opponent.
Melvin B. TolsonWhat is your enemy?
Samantha, Henry Lowe and James Farmer Jr. Hamilton Burgess?He doesn’t exist.
Melvin B. Tolson: He doesn’t exist!
Samantha, Henry Lowe and James Farmer Jr. Hamilton BurgessHe is just a dissenting voice to the truth that I speak

In the triumphant moment of the debate between the Wiley College debate team and the Harvard University one, the character of James Farmer, Jr. uses in his final argument a St. Augustine quote: “An unjust law, is no law at all.” I have used this myself in my advocacy against AB5, which stripped independent contractors in California of their ability to work as they chose, and the PRO Act, which is still a threat to independent professionals nationwide.

Denzel Whittaker’s portrayal of James Farmer, Jr. is a beautiful act. The character gives this powerful speech depth and gravitas.

Texas has a policy of lynching Negroes. One of my teammates and me saw a man who was tied around his neck and lit on fire. After driving through the lynch mob we pressed our heads against the flooring and drove on. My teammates looked at me. I could see the terror in their eyes, and even more, their shame. What was this Negro’s crime that he should be hung without trial in a dark forest filled with fog. Is he a criminal? He was a murderer? Was he a killer? Did he work as a sharecropper or a preacher? Was he a preacher? Are his children still waiting for him to come? We can’t just sit there and do nothing. The mob is the criminal, no matter what he did. However, the law didn’t do anything. Just left us wondering, “Why?” My opponent says nothing that erodes the rule of law can be moral. There isn’t any rule of law south of Jim Crow. Negroes cannot be denied housing. Schools, hospitals and other facilities are closed to Negroes. We are not lynched. St Augustine said, “An unjust law in no law at all.’ Which means I have a right, even a duty to resist. Violent or civil disobedience. The latter should be prayed for.

The possibilities are endless. Rent inspiring films if you like them. The Great Debaters. You should read more about Melvin B. Tolson’s academic activism. Go buy his book if you are a lover of poetry and want to see the impact he had on America’s literary landscape.

Let me quote another favourite fictional character. Find out more.