By C. Imani Williams
In 2004, I had the amazing opportunity of freelancing for both Between The Lines and the Michigan Citizen. As a result, I covered the 2004 Women's March on Washington.
Days prior to the march, I took part in a national conference call where Mother Dorothy Height was fielding questions about the march and the equality movement for women. There were enough sistas on the call to cover the myriad of black women's issues, so I pulled out another one of my hats and chose my SGL reporter tag for the call. At the time I was kind of known as the loud black woman at BTL and, at the Citizen I was the loud lesbian.
My question to Dr. Height was, "Will lesbian and bi attracted women be welcome to join forces at this historic march?" Her answer was quick, short and to the point, "All women are welcome. This march is for all women." End of discussion.
And it was for all women. Young sistas of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities out in force showing gyrl power. It was wild and empowering. The energy that was present that chilly and sunny Saturday D.C. morning was electric. The gathering made the 1970s hit "Ms." come to life. Generations of struggle and pride were gathered in solid numbers to lift their voices on women's issues.
The struggle of a people was recognized twice in one week recently. We celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Dorothy Height, who provided leadership for the National Council of Negro Women from 1957 to 1998. Dr. Height took over the helm of the organization from her friend and NCNW Founder, Mother Mary Mcleod Bethune."
The week also hailed the NAACP's Freedom Weekend in Detroit.
We all stand on the shoulders of Dr. Height and her work and struggle for her people, the crusade against lynching and her drive to ensure that black women were visible with a voice. History and a new day look to us for understanding, forgiveness and moving forward in a spirit of good faith. This is a requirement for all of us from the universe.
The NAACP leadership is on-point for finally beginning the dialogue within the organization to include same gender loving people. Being both black and SGL, we are factions of both equations. It is hard to separate. The goal is not to take away from the importance of civil rights and the movement for black people. In fact, the goal is to make sure that all people are respected regardless of race, gender and who they love.
Please note that who we are is a mixture of everything beautiful, raw and strong in black people and in God's people. On a humane and community level, we are your teachers, doctors, engineers, police officers, military personnel, clergy, church membership and your sons, daughters, cousins and grandchildren. We're your neighbors, co-workers and, often times, your friends.
In friendship where trust is paramount there are times people don't know who some of their closest confidants really are. Fear of judgment keeps many people silent, while breeding deception and self hatred. Perhaps more brothers would come out and be much healthier doing so if a loving and accepting climate awaited them.
Since the historic town hall meetings on homophobia in Detroit in 2004, our community has seen many changes. We celebrate the unanimous voice of the people who elected openly gay Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, who is in love with the city and its citizens. We celebrated the life and work of former City Council President and tireless warrior Maryann Mahaffey, who made sure LGBTQ concerns were heard. We also elected our country's first black president in the incredibly intelligent and beautiful Barack Obama. Finally, we were reminded by former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick that same-gender-loving people are in fact not destroying black marriage and families and that the more likely candidate is infidelity.
With all of these changes taking place, my hope is that black same-gender-loving people and our allies will use our collective voice to bring about change. This one is on us. Thank you to the NAACP, moderators, panel and attendees for stepping up to the plate.
Can't close this out without giving a shout out for my babies. Please take note: Youth are ready for something more than what we are offering. They see schools closing, the employment situation, homes being lost and the atrocity happening to Latino brothers and sisters in the state of Arizona, just like adults. This causes confusion and anxiety for everyone.
SGL youth especially need mentors. Open your heart and our minds if you are already a volunteer, thank you. Change is coming and if you don't keep moving forward, you'll be left behind.
