by Chantelle Grady
Carolina Peacemaker
Originally posted 7/29/2011
At the International Civil Rights Center and Museum on July 23, Greensboro’s role in the nation’s Civil Rights movement was the topic of a panel discussion which featured a new book by author Eugene Pfaff.
Pfaff’s new book is “Keep On Walkin’, Keep On Talkin’: An Oral History of the Greensboro Movement.” It was used as a springboard for dialogue on the city’s involvement in the quest for equality. His fellow panelists were author and former News & Record columnist, Jim Schlosser and author and Bennett college English professor, Dr. Linda Brown. Brown also served as panel moderator.
The three shared their observations on how Greensboro has changed since the Civil Rights era. They all agreed a lot has been accomplished, but the city still faces major challenges in regards to equal rights. “The thing that strikes me now,” Schlosser said, “is how absurd segregation was.” He believes it actually held the city’s economic growth back. He also said he still hears racist comments from various people.
Dr. Brown stated that many people participated in the plight for success in Greensboro, not just the ones whose names made headlines. “There’s work that happens in movements…invisible work,” she said about those whose efforts will rarely- if ever- get due credit. She also spoke about Bennett College’s tradition of fighting for social justice, which dates back many years prior to the Greensboro Sit-Ins. Brown’s aunt, Dr. Willa Player, was Bennett’s president during the Sit-Ins and did not deter her students’ participation. Rather, Dr. Player encouraged them to take a stand for what was right.
Author Eugene Pfaff said that while conducting interviews for his book, he was told: “This is a nice-nasty town.” Audience members could be heard saying ‘uh-huh,’ and nodded their heads at the comment. Pfaff took this to mean that, “There was a veneer of civility,” that disguised prejudice. “I believe it is now much better, due to the empowerment of the African American community,” he added. Jim Schlosser qualified that statement when he said, “Greensboro has always been very image conscious.” He went on to say that, “Greensboro, to this day, still worries about its image and rightfully so.”
Linda Brown stressed that, in the African American community, it was understood that folk had to fight for everything they got. She also said that there is still a level of resistance to full equality, although it doesn’t always come in the form of hate groups. There are those in certain positions who don’t want to cede any amount of power. “You can’t have equality, and hold on to all the power at the same time,” Brown said.
Compared to the 1960s or earlier, most of the panel believes that African Americans have something they did not have then. “I believe that one thing that is working in the favor of African Americans today, is legislation,” Pfaff said. He continued by saying that those hard-won battles still need to be defended. Schlosser said, “There’s just no way we can go backwards. I don’t think anyone wants to.” Schlosser said that African Americans have a seat at the table of power.
The panelists voiced that more needs to be done and that there will always be a group that will have to rise up against inequality or as Schlosser put it: “I don’t think there will be a day where we declare victory and say that equality is here.”
