Liz Samuels

Community activist. Del: What is your definition of the Civil Rights Movement? Liz: It was a movement by black folks to get our rights under the Constitution activated and for the opportunity to use those rights. The movement was to call attention to the government, and to the world. We still have not been able to exercise our rights under the Constitution and we would like to be able to do that freely. So the movement was to bring that to the attention to the world. And I think the Civil Rights Movement did that, it brought a lot of issues to the forefront. Del: How did you participate in activism during the Movement? Liz: We started the War On Poverty and the MORE board and I was a member of that. We had marches and demonstrations. I remember when George Wallace came to town when he was running for an office we marched against him because he was an starch segregationist. We founded a group called the Black Coalition. We used to meet and talk about issues of black folks and how we were going to resolve some of those issues. We met with the police chief at that time and had sit-ins when necessary. Del: What do you think of the Civil Rights Movement today? Liz: I think that the Civil Rights Movement is at another level and I think that there's a Movement, but it's not as dramatic and it has taken a different form compared to back in the 60's and early 70's. I do think that the Movement is still alive in many of us. So until this form of racism disappears, until that disease is eradicated from this nation, it's always going to be an issue. I think that we have to keep trying to get a cure to get people to stop the practice of racism. So, those of us who are very much aware of the issues of this disease are still going to strongly fight it. To try and get racism to where it is no longer important. Because it's a disease and it's very ugly. Del: Would the public protesting of the past be an effective way to make a change today? Liz: I don't think so. The reason I don't think so is because look at what happened to the people protesting the war on Iraq. They were protesting all over the world, but it didn't stop anything. I don't see the people of this country being as open to change, because many don't feel that there's anything wrong. Their conscious doesn't bother them anymore. They have taken a totally different look at what is going on in this country as far as people of color. I don't see people really looking at the issues the way they did say 40 years ago. I don't think they care. Since the sixties racism has been brought to the forefront. It should have died but it's been very prevalent and has taken on different forms and in fact they practice it more now than they did before, in different ways of course, but the results are still the same. Del: What do you think is the most important issue African Americans have to address today? Liz: Issues of racism. That is the center of everything that happens to us. Even the budget cuts, I'll give you an example. They have budget cuts in the state, and the institution of education is affected by that. So take a look at this. When they start cutting positions and who is going to get fired first? Last hired is first fired. And the reason why we are the last hired is because white folks did not want a hire black folks in those institutions. They've finally did because there was protest and activity around the issue and so they reluctantly hired black people into positions. So we didn't get the opportunity to get the tenure. The union is gonna go with the people who have been there longer. So they get the preference. So who ever had the chance to be there is not gonna get terminated first and that is the affect of what I call institutional racism. Del: Control Liz: Control to me is movement. Take care of business. To make sure things are being operated correctly. Del: Dehumanize Liz: To take away the human aspect of any person. To treat them like animals. To not recognize a persons humanity. The one aspect of the movement was to get the government to recognize the fact that African American people are human beings and are not animals. We were only considered by the Constitution as three-fifths of a person. White folks treated their animals better than they did black folks which is what led to the Civil Rights Movement. People were punished for things they hadn't done, they were beaten and tortured. Del: Stigma Liz: Stigma is like a pattern that is associated with racism. It is used to judge people and determine what you should think about them. It becomes an identifying mark for racism and other people of color. Del: Traumatize Liz: Like you are hypnotized or frozen in space. You can't move, work, or think, you are frightened. Del: Loss Liz: To have something of value and meaning taken away from you. In order to lose something you had to have it in the first place. The Civil Rights Movement has not given us all of our rights. So we have not been able to really participate in society to know what we've lost. You can't lose something that you never had. Del: Identity Liz: Who you are, your trademark, your dislikes, your values, what you look like, there are many variations. Del: Survival Liz: To continue living under the very worst conditions and still have a sense of who you are. Maybe not living with the quality of life that you would like, but you are surviving. We have survived in this country. But we have not been able to fully enjoy the quality of life here. Del: Inspire Liz: Inspire is to be influenced by something that makes you feel good. Makes you feel like you can achieve something and gives you strength.You can be inspired by music, by dance, by people speaking about the issues. How some people have lived their lives can be inspiring and give you hope. Del: Hope Liz: Is a dream to have something that you desire. It is an idea or a feeling that you have. Del: Closure Liz: Getting things taken care of when it comes to the issues of black folks. Closure is when we finally get our rights under the law. I don't think the Civil Rights Movement has had closure.

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