Anderson@Large

Countdown to Election Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2012

This is the first Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend since the dedication of the National Memorial.

On Monday, I will be in DC but I will stay clear of the crowds on the National Mall. Instead, I will attend the National Action Network MLK Day Prayer Breakfast and check out the “Black List” at the National Portrait Gallery.

The Struggle Continues

Last night, Attorney General Eric Holder delivered his highly anticipated speech on voting rights at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. The venue is of particular significance given that President Johnson signed into law the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The new photo ID requirements in South Carolina and Texas are under review by the Justice Department so Holder was judicious in his remarks.

I was heartened by Holder's call for citizens to get in the arena:

Only we, the people, can bring about meaningful change.

So speak out. Raise awareness about what's at stake. Call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and, instead, encourage and work with the parties to achieve this success by appealing to more voters. And urge policymakers at every level to reevaluate our election systems – and to reform them in ways that encourage, not limit, participation.

Today, we cannot – and must not – take the right to vote for granted. Nor can we shirk the sacred responsibility that falls upon our shoulders.

Holder concluded:

And, in the spirit of Lyndon Baines Johnson, let us continue.

Indeed, this image from the website of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security unwittingly shows the barrier between voters and the ballot box. Sadly, the struggle continues.

The citizen-powered Cost of Freedom Project is answering Holder's call to action. Join us at Facebook.com/CostofFreedom.

Goodnight, Irene

Hurricane Irene has put the kibosh on my trip to DC. So I’ll monitor events on Twitter and Facebook.

The official Dedication Ceremony for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial has been postponed to September or October.

As of this writing, Al Sharpton’s march and rally, “From the Emancipator to the Liberator,” is scheduled to go on “rain or shine” on Saturday.

Perhaps it’s time to batten down the hatches.

What About Black Women Leaders

It is hot as hell in DC. It is even hotter under the collars of some African American women who are asking: Are we not civil rights leaders?

The women were set off by the news that President Obama was scheduled to meet with the leaders of two civil rights organizations – National Urban League President Marc Morial and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. A readout of the meeting said "the President discussed the continued efforts his administration is making to spur job creation and economic growth."

The readout noted:

The President also reiterated that reducing unemployment, which disproportionately burdens the African-American community at 16.2%, remains a top priority for him and his Administration. The President also spoke with the two civil rights leaders about dramatic efforts his Administration has already made to address urban economic development through initiatives such as Strong Cities, Strong Communities, a program that acts to spur economic growth in urban centers while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely and efficiently; the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions fund; and the Minority Business Development Agency at the Department of Commerce.

This is the second time in two years that Obama has held a meeting with civil rights leaders and no black woman had a seat at the table.

In February 2010, the late Dr. Dorothy I. Height was the only black woman invited to the Urban Economy Summit. The then-97-year-old could not attend because of the extreme snow conditions.

There was extreme heat yesterday, but black women leaders felt a cold chill when they realized history was repeating itself. While they're not ready to go on the record, they told me they won't be silent much longer. They have earned a seat at the table. More important, they want to ensure issues of importance to black women and black families are addressed.

And lest the knee-jerk “hater” is bandied about, these are women who year-after-year -- election-after-election -- make things happen. All they're asking for is a little respect.

Soundtrack for a Revolution

It is no secret that I love music. Indeed, music fuels my lifelong commitment to activism.

So for me, tonight’s American Experience program, “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” is appointment TV.

“Soundtrack for a Revolution” will air at 9 p.m. ET. To check your local listing, go here.

Memphis

I took a break from Philly’s geek fest and saw a live performance of the Broadway musical, “Memphis,” captured for the big screen.

The 2010 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical is loosely based on the life of pioneering disc jockey Dewey Phillips. It tells the story of a fictional white DJ, Huey Calhoun, who introduces white kids to “race music.” The back story is one of “fame and forbidden love.”

“Memphis” will be shown in movie theaters nationwide on selected dates.

The unvarnished Memphis was the backdrop for a seminal event in the civil rights movement.

This morning, President Obama will meet with several of the workers who took part in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike. Following the meeting, they will go to the Department of Labor for an induction ceremony.

Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis announced that the 1,300 workers who took part in the sanitation strike will be inducted into the Labor Hall of Fame.

For more info about the Memphis Sanitation Strike, visit “I Am a Man.”

UPDATE: Eight members of AFSCME Local 1733 met President Obama at the White House. One, Joe Warren, celebrated his 90th birthday the day before arriving in DC.

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They later attended the induction ceremony before a SRO crowd in the Grand Hall of the Department of Labor.