To the Editor:

Selma Lord Selma is the cry today as it was in the 1960s. When will the day come when blacks get the picture as to who really let them down. After the death of Dr. Martin L. King, the downfall began.

The freedom fighters who marched along with him forgot the dream after his death. They became speakers rather than thinkers and fighters, the media caught their attention, fame became the new game, and profit came along with it.

Blacks got in a comfort zone just because they could drink from the same fountain as whites, use the same restrooms, eat and live in some of their eateries and neighborhoods, and they called it freedom.

Black leaders didn’t continue the marching and the mass meetings in black neighborhoods with continuing education on where do we go from here, to let them know that this isn’t freedom – this is a pacifier tossed to us, not a bottle of milk to ease the hunger of human rights.

Our communities have been let down by the middle class who sought an anti-black way of life, forgetting relatives left in the circle of poverty. Look at the cities and towns that are lead by black majority, then take a look at progress that has been made in their black community, little to nothing.

Take a look right here in Selma. We are led by predominantly black officials. Open your eyes for once and see the black community. We are still living in dilapidated housing and our black city inspector says, “my hands are tied.”

By who?

You ain’t got Joe to blame.

Look at the conditions our kids have to try to get an education in. Schools too old and outdated to hold the attention span of today’s youth. Old Parrish High became Selma High, R.B. Hudson became Westside, then Chat Academy, but nothing has changed about the old urine smell in the old bathrooms and no state-of-the-art science. I could go on and on about these issues.

What color is our Senator?

You ain’t got Joe to blame.

Our Congressman? Why are we afraid to speak out for what is right, for what we deserve, for what our ancestors died for. Yet, we are still going along with the 3 and 4 so-called black law leaders who have dominated the black community too long, not giving anything back to our poor community. You can’t name a single thing of value in our neighborhood they gave back, yet when voting time comes they fill our ears with who is wrong for us to vote for and they are doing nothing.

God forbid I speak about that ghetto council who refuses to let the truth be known about outrageous spending at city hall. Yes, we are losing our children, our future. So sad to see them diminish before our open eyes, but until we come off these fake levels in life, come out of these comfortable sanctuaries and get in visible view of the demons that have come to steal, kill and destroy our people. No matter what your accomplishments are, you won’t be able to enjoy it in peace for fear of robbery, murder and other acts we sat by and let invade our community.

I leave you with this my sisters and brothers, the prisons are overcrowded, filled with our black men and women and they will find the money and land to continue to build them. Yes, outright lynching is no longer legal, but judges sentencing too long prison terms are not. This, too, is a form of slavery. The many, many charges police officers put against our people with single incidents are real. Please open your eyes. It’s almost too late.

John W. Green