Sam Richardson

Retired from advertising, state government. Born in 1928 Del: What is your definition of the Civil Rights Movement? Sam: A combination of frustration and denied human rights by the system. That would include the government, local, and national political parties across-the-board. And as a result of the anxiety, and frustration, and indeed due to the murders that were happening across the country. Where people were actually killed for trying to vote and participate politically. That frustration erupted, and it could've been worse, the eruption that is, people ended up working on voters registration campaigns and boycotts. That set a civil tone, in most countries things end in violence and thousands of deaths are a result. And that didn't happen here because of planning and some responsible leadership. Del: In your opinion would the public protesting and boycotting of the past be an effective way to make a change today? Sam: I think it could still be effective. The application would probably be different. In other words, back in the 50's 60's and 70's the things that we boycotted or protested against have changed in form. The basic problems are still there. We would probably have to apply some different kinds of strategies. Instead of showing up at Walgreens or some other place and occupying seats. That is no longer necessary because of the federal civil rights legislation. So present kind of boycotts would have to be of a different form. Del: How did you participate in activism during the Civil Rights Movement? Sam: During the sixties I was very active in the Minneapolis branch of the NAACP. I was branch president during the sixties when things were pretty hot and then after that I became the state conference president of NAACP branch in Minnesota and the Dakotas. We did picketing at that time. Walgreens was a national firm with outlets throughout the country we picketed them. We had of to apply pressure everywhere we could, in every effort that we could, to bring attention to stores and their policy of discrimination. Del: How would you define the relationship between the Black Arts Movement and the Civil Rights Movement? Sam: I will look at the art form of movies and television. In acting and that sort of thing where African Americans were discriminated against. Especially in the movies. We were portrayed as buffoons and ignorant kinds of people that didn't use good grammar, as long as it was funny, that's how people in Hollywood and New York portrayed us. This had the affect of adding stereotypical thinking and that is a position that we already held to the majority group. In spite of the discrimination African American artists and performers made some of their greatest strides during those years when discrimination was most acute. So that says something about when pressure is applied to people it often cause them to rise to greater heights. Del: What did you think is the most important issue the African Americans need to address today? Education and economics. If you don't have a good balance of both of those you are in big trouble in this country. Big trouble. That is something that I tried to share with young African Americans when I speak to them. Do you want to spend a lifetime of flipping burgers or doing something illegal? Then deny yourself the opportunity to acquire a good education and that is what you will be doing for the rest of your life. Because we have moved into a time where there isn't much room for people who don't have skills. For example most of the burger places if they wanted to they could totally and completely automate their eating places within a very short period of time. Which would do the following. It would cause a lot of people to lose jobs. And those people who would lose those jobs usually are the people who are the least skilled, and hold the least amount of money. Now I think it's hard to do that completely because it would throw a curve to the economy that it has never witnessed before, but they could completely automate at anytime they want to and all of those people would be out of jobs. Del: What do you think of the Civil Rights Movement today ? Sam: It needs to be redirected in my opinion. The strategies and plans that were employed in the 60's and 70's and indeed the early part of the 80's they are not necessarily applicable now. We have the same problems however, problems need to be addressed in a different matter. The social and economical problems are still there, the discrimination is still there. That's why different strategies need to be developed and that's for all of the civil rights groups. Del: Control Sam: A very key word. In my opinion it was control by the majority group on every level and aspect of life for people of color in this country. It was key. That has been the case since slavery. Since the days of slavery if you control a person's mind then you can control them psychologically. It's pretty easy from there, you have automatic control of them. Also, the absence of control by the oppressed group. If you don't control anything or you are not on your way to controlling something socially and economically speaking you are in big trouble. That is one of the things that we lack, I think there has been some inroads there, but not nearly enough to free millions of people economically. Control is something that we need to work on. Del: Dehumanize Sam: That is one of the things that led to the Civil Rights Movement. The way certain groups of people in this case African Americans were dehumanized at every level in society. It caused a lot of anger, in my opinion it caused a lot of psychological problems. I've heard it said by comedians from time to time, over the years, they couldn't figure out why all African Americans in this country weren't crazy. Based on the real dehumanizing experiences that most have experienced. I kind of think there's something to that theory. On the other hand I could argue that it has made us a fairly superior people in spite of the overwhelming dehumanization the group has survived, prospered, and sent forth a new generation of younger people who are well educated and who are competing in the mainstream. Del: Stigma Sam: I think of an artificial thing that is used by the dominant group such as a label. To continue the process of dehumanizing. We are very good at that in America. We will say certain things about certain groups primarily to ensure that that group remains under control. So you stigmatize them and all of that aids and abets the control part. Del: Traumatize Sam: I refer again to the African American comedians that said they couldn't understand why we were all not crazy. It's hard to be African American in this country and not experience some kind of trauma. Nobody chooses to suffer from traumatization on their own it usually comes about as the results of the will as of a more powerful group exercising that dominance on a given class of people. The effects of that pressure and the stigmatization often traumatizes some people to the point where they snap. They literally snap. And if they don't snap they respond in other ways like feeling inferior, that can be a result of trauma, feeling like you can't make it. I think most of the things we are talking about now are very deliberate. I think people who discriminate against people because of their gender or their race they are smart enough and understand that a certain amount of trauma is gonna be part of the fallout. That will again helps them with their control. Del: Loss Sam: I think African Americans in this country have suffered loss of dignity in this country over the last century. Dignity, the ability to become economically stable, the ability to own property, to educate children fairly easily. And all of those losses add to a grand total loss of not being able to inch into the mainstream. That in itself is very dramatic and devastating and contributes to the control of a group. Del: Identity Sam: I have never had a problem with identity, not withstanding the fact that I'm aware that lots of African Americans have. I had good parents that understood that you never debated or discussed whether you belong or whether you are good enough. Because you're African American and nothing is going to change that, only God, and God has already spoken because he made you like he did. You don't owe any apology, end of discussion. So with that kind of thinking in my house I worked on other things. How to achieve in scholastics and in spite of what was going on and not let the psychological part do me in. Del: Survival Sam: All of these things are kind of tied together. Identity and survival. He or she who can't deal with their own identity may suffer more risk surviving in a society than the person who can deal with their identity. I really do think I survived because I had good parents. They were not college-educated, but were they ever smart. And understood the need to reinforce their offspring's in the areas of self worth, the ability to move ahead, and belief in oneself. If you can indoctrinate a child at an early age the chance of success is pretty good. Del: Inspire Sam: Inspiration can come from a lot of different things. It can come from an incidence or experiences, and certainly from ones parents. On the other hand once a certain amount of of advancement or degree has been made by a certain person. That individual in return should, by example, inspire others. And I think that should happen more frequently and with greater intensity in the African American community. We adults should take every opportunity to inspire younger people. Del: Hope Sam: Without hope you have a problem. That is to say if you don't believe tomorrow will be a better day because you are going to make it better, and going to do everything that you can to assure that it will be better. Then you are without hope. And without hope you have a pretty serious problem. And sometimes there is nothing wrong with hoping against odds. Every human being has to have that quality to believe and hope that things will get better, because of things I can't control and certainly because of things I can control. Del: Closure Sam: I suspect you are asking me should we bring closure to certain experiences that we've had in our lifetime. Yes, if we have accomplished a degree of success. But in the case of the Civil Rights Movement, no. No closure now because too much has not changed.

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