They really know how to commemorate and celebrate the life, struggle, and legacy of Dr. King in East Tennessee.
I am writing this as I’m on a planes, trains, and automobiles trip back to Philly through the snow blanketing so much of the eastern US, but not before a PERFECT Dr. King holiday and weekend in Knoxville.
United Campus Workers-CWA, which is one of America’s best scrappy and gritty unions with no bargaining rights is fighting the entire power structure of the state. They invited me down to speak to their Dr. King Monday night barbecue banquet, and a barbecue banquet in Tennessee is a helluva banquet. Jobs With Justice co-hosted the banquet with them so I was surrounded by about 400 of my closest friends — many of whom I had never met.
They started off with a high school choir singing freedom songs, introduced the honored guests including Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrooks, a friend I’ve known for decades, the new NAACP President Rev. Dr. John Butler, and various political leaders. I bared my soul and poured out my heart in the speech. It was a magnificent night.
Travel has not been my friend this trip. I almost didn’t make it into Knoxville Saturday night through that storm, but I did. I spent the whole weekend with my dear friends and southern social justice icons Rev. Jim Sessions, Fran Ansley, and their activist daughter. I was surrounded by brotherly and sisterly love 24 hours a day.
Sunday morning my dear friend and comrade of 15 years now organizing for United Campus Workers, Cassie Watters picked me up so we could do the Soul Man Hubert Smith’s radio show — tons of fun and lots of discussion about the Real Dr. King on 90.3 fm, the Rock of Knoxville.
After the show and a strategy session brunch with UCW staff, I rode in a car caravan to speak to a couple hundred Latino immigrants who are organizing a union. What a great 10 hour night! Nuthin’ better than helping workers build their union!!
Monday morning was bright, sunny, and crisp with a huge crowd for the Dr. King march. Just perfect. After the march Cassie and UCW’s lead organizer Tom Smith took me to a barbecue lunch to talk about the critical importance of fighting tough, long haul fights. They got me. I’m goin’ back and back. Tennessee is home!
Photo from the UCW Dr. King celebration January, 2014.