I
was age 10. My family had moved from Detroit
to Los Angeles just two years earlier
after my seven-week old brother died.
Although it had only been three months
since President Kennedy was assassinated,
it was still a time pregnant with promise
for a Black boy to be transplanted from
a dismal factory town where most homes
were still spouting dark gray smoke from
their chimneys, to the sunshine state
of California!
All I knew about Sam Cooke when we left
Detroit was a few songs like “Cupid”
(which I loved and sang all the time),
“Twistin’ The Night Away”
and “Chain Gang.” By the time
we moved, his voice had become grittier
with songs like “Bring It On Home
To Me,” “Havin’ A Party,”
“Good Times” and “Somebody
Have Mercy.” I loved his music; it
did something to me, and I imagined myself
one day singing and recording like him.
I even made up a song patterned after
“Another Saturday Night.” I
had no idea the impact he was making in
the music world, and on me as I grew older.
At
that time, I knew nothing about Malcolm
X, and scarcely knew about Dr. King. In
my father’s eyes they were radicals,
and as I looked up to him, he formed my
opinions. My father did not like football,
so I never watched the game; never paid
any attention to Jim Brown – but
this movie brought it all together for
me. All those guys were at the top of
their game, and Malcolm X brought to fore
how Clay (who won the World Heavyweight
Champion title then converted to Islam
and was given the name Muhammad Ali),
Cooke (who had a million dollar contract
with RCA and had his own independent record
label and publishing company) and Brown
(considered the greatest NFL running back
of all time) should use their fame and
fortune to further the Negro cause for
equality. He told them in essence; “No
matter how much money you got, you’re
still a nigger!”
At 10 years old, I was writing speeches
and pounding on the table mimicking JFK;
I was trying to write and sing like Sam
Cooke; I had all these hopes and dreams!
Then, what started with JFK, and continued
on with the murder of Sam Cooke in December
1964, the murder of Malcolm X in February
1965, my hopes and dreams began to diminish.
The word “murder” had dampened
my spirit with despair, and I questioned
“Is this what happens to people who
dare to dream and achieve?”
Today, when young people watch movies
like “Roots” or “Twelve
Years A Slave,” they make comments
like, “If I were back in those days,
I wouldn’t take that!” What
they don’t realize is we’re
still “taking it” even now!
How much celebrity, fortune and fame will
it take for Blacks and other races –
as we’re seeing now in the Asian
community – to be recognized as equals,
and given the respect and dignity we all,
as human beings, deserve?
The message in this movie is about the
sacrifices the characters made, at whatever
the cost, even unto death, to make a difference.
Although I have accomplished a few things
that I’m proud of, this reminder
challenged me to seek the Lord to renew
my strength, and to use everything within
my power to fight for justice, righteousness
and all that is well-pleasing in God’s
sight! How about you?
Please share your thoughts in the user-friendly,
no-obligation comment section below.
Larry Buford is a Los Angeles-based contributing
writer. Author of “Things Are Gettin’
Outta Hand” and “Book To The
Future” (Amazon); two insightful
books that speak to our moral conscience
in times like these. Email: LBuford8101@hotmail.com
