Joe Madison, civil rights leader and radio host, explained to a Saginaw teleconference why he is known as “The Black Eagle.”
An eagle flies above the storm clouds in order to see clearly ahead, he said, and all of us should aim to do the same.
He was the keynoter on Jan. 7 at a “Rising of the Phoenix” event organized and sponsored by The Michigan Banner and by Delta College, speaking as he reached the two-month mark of a solid foods hunger strike he launched on Nov. 8 to place a spotlight on voting rights legislation that remains stalled in Congress.
Madison had intended a personal appearance, but a combination of his fasting and the latest pandemic outbreak required a switch to an online event. He announced that more than a dozen nationwide clergy joined the hunger strike on Jan. 6, the anniversary of the D.C. insurrection among Trump supporters who oppose civil rights and voting rights among their various issues.
In spite of his health sacrifices and a loss of 23 pounds so far, he was vibrant until confessing some fatigue at the close of the three-hour online proceedings, concluding with a quotation from Martin Luther King III as the MLK national holiday approaches: “No celebration without legislation.”
The specific legislation, in this case, is named for John Lewis. It would block states, including Michigan as explained by Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) and Saginaw N.A.A.C.P. President Terry Pruitt, from taking oppressive steps to limit voter participation. Democrats face obstacles of near-unanimous opposition among Republicans and also hesitancy from Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W. VA. and Krysten Sinema, D-AZ.
Action would require removal of filibuster rules, which Madison explained are not part of the U.S. Constitution and which actually were adopted to block civil rights action during the 20th Century.
For those not familiar with Joe Madison, he noted, “I channel Dick Gregory,” also known for several visits to Saginaw. Madison has undertaken other hunger strikes in the past and once hosted a 52-hour radiothon on behalf of criminal justice.
In addition to voting rights, Madison spoke in his eloquent Sirius radio style on an array of concerns:
- He compared today’s times to the end of post-slavery reconstruction in 1877, saying progress not only is frozen but that the threat of rollbacks is in full force. N.A.A.C.P. Vice-President Carl Williams echoed this challenge, stating simply, “If they get (totally) in power, they can do whatever they want to do.”
- He noted that as recently as two decades ago, George W. Bush as president and other moderate conservatives supported civil rights progress, and that the push for rollbacks has taken root during the five years via Trump supporters since President Obama departed office.
- The hypocrisy of the naysayers, he asserted, shows when right-wing elected officials take credit for the overall funding of infrastructure projects that they opposed in Congress. Focus ideally should return to Build Back Better as soon as voting rights is settled, he said.
- President Biden on Jan. 6 “finally spoke truth to power,” Madison said, by publicly holding Trump responsible for the current peak of civil rights opposition.
- He said, “All movements require sacrifice. That’s the difference between a movement and a moment.”
- From experience, he said, “that not only should all groups be included at the table, but that all must be regarded equally.”
- Speaking of the Jan. 6 telecast of an Emmett Till documentary on ABC, he pointed out that Congress through the years also has stalled anti-lynching legislation, the latest version bearing Emmett’s name and blocked by Sen. Rand Paul.
- Regarding battles over teaching black history, or Critical Race Theory, he said: “(White critics) say they don’t want to feel guilty. Is your child’s sensitivity more important than my child’s sensitivity?” Madison added a comparison to postwar Germany, where Hitler’s atrocities are discussed openly in order to avoid a repeat of tragic history.
- Furthermore on education, Madison lamented some negatives in today’s technology: “Most of the exposure they get is on that thing you hold in your hand. That’s their exposure to the real world.”
- He suggested out-of-town field trips for young people, for example to college campuses, noting, “When a young person drops out, this is where we should double down. You might have to take some of the bad kids with you (on a field trip).” Saginaw participants responded with some knowing mild laughter.
Mayor Brenda Moore asked Madison how we can apply his principles on a local basis.
Madison answered that in spite of the event’s “Phoenix” title, “Saginaw has not burned down, (and) there are a lot of Saginaw’s all over the country. Don’t undervalue your community.” He advocated “work, wisdom and love.”
A video of the tele-convention remains available at www.michiganbanner.org.
