Civil Rights Leaders and Black notables come to Jackson State University...but not to the students

I sat in on the recording of Smiley - West radio talk show over at the JSU e-center this morning/today.  Tavis Smiley wasn't present, but Dr. West is in town to speak at JSU tonight and so they recorded his segment of the radio show.  Cornell interviewed Morgan Freeman and Charles Evers there live, but he interviewed Myrlie Evers via satellite (she was in L.A.). And then there was another new local tv talk show, Direct Line, hosted by Brad 'Kamikaze' Franklin, being recorded...so the interviews were overlapping. Lots going on...lol. Cameras galore.

I got to take a pic with Dr. West, but it was rushed and shared with someone...I don't know who she is...lol...but hey they were rushing him on to the next stop.  

He seems to be very down to earth though...he wanted to spend more time taking pics and just talking, but schedule demanded otherwise.

I thought it was quite ironic...everyone who was interviewed--Freeman, both of the Evers, and even West's--main points were that the youth should be involved and the older generation should be able to relinquish the charge to us and we should in turn have respect for the sacrifices that were made and for those who made them.  That is all fine talk, but the ironic part to me today was...West was surrounded by young JSU current students and recent alumni and they were trying to talk to him, but he was being whisked away to something else, which I doubt included students or the youthful community they all so unanimously sought to exhort to action.  And I doubt that any of the rest of his day here will include connecting with young folk.  He speaks in a few hours at the AAC.  Anyway, I think it was a missed opportunity to actually put into action the very things we sat for hours listening to them harp about.  

The civil rights era has been so glamorized, when the actual battles and struggles were not glamorous at all.  It is those battles and struggles that are not being really told and expressed to us young folk on a consistent basis.  I know your view on this, but I must say that is a part of this problem of the younger generation not taking up the torch.  We are not hearing the horror stories, we are hearing sound bites. And when we decide to inquire more...the storytellers are whisked away to some formal engagement that celebrates their past contributions, as if they are done contributing...they are still very much a part of this struggle as they claim we are supposed to be.  The fight is not over...cut the cameras off and talk some real talk.  

I'm laughing just thinking about your response to this...I don't care...blast all of my points or what have you...I'm venting really...that's all.  Thanks for listening. :-)