|
There have been short
bursts of hope in the recent past when events created the
perfect storm and a need for strength beyond local
capabilities caused an outcry of justice from the sleeping
giant; but a few phone calls and demonstrations to calm the
pulse of the upsurge re-capped the energy until it fizzled
out and returned underground to accept the inevitable
complacency that “this is the way it is” in Lima, Ohio.
The current movement in
economic development has stirred the ‘pot’ again. New
businesses are scheduled to open in the downtown area;
Rhodes State College has chosen the center of the city as
the perfect spot to launch their expansion; the
long-discussed South Side Corridor is taking shape with new
industry breaking ground and revealing the true existence of
dollars … for whom?
Roused again by the
realization this movement is taking place without the direct
participation of people of color the call goes out again for
leadership in the form of a new staging of the Lima Unit of
the NAACP.
Local stakeholders turned
to the Dayton Chapter for guidance and mentorship… meetings,
plans and discussions took place, and when it seemed all was
in place the announcement was made the time had come to
choose the person who would lead this ‘new’ Lima Unit during
this critical time. Through a horrifying series of
unfortunate events, the only person eligible to serve as
president was Pastor Ronald Fails.
Yes, the same Pastor
Ronald Fails, who several weeks after his election, was
again front page news in Lima for an arrest during an FBI
sting for soliciting a female minor.
The guilt or innocence of
Fails during any of his arrests, court hearings, or
questionable activities is not nearly as important as his
refusal to step down from his position knowing the critical
need so many people in Lima are facing.
This is the time to place
the spotlight on who is getting contracts for construction
and human resources. Literally thousands of jobs are at
stake, and the memories of all those people working on
building new schools in Lima back in the Bush days and
having to search long, hard and deep to find the diversity
in the mix remains a crystal clear image in the minds of
Lima’s minority businesses.
This is the time to come
to the table with high-level presentations and demands for
unilateral inclusion of qualified minority business
enterprises, and demands for a seat at the table during
development phases of tax abatements and outsourcing …
instead, the Lima Unit of the NAACP must forgo those
meetings, because the leadership’s personal issues are
outshining the needs of the people.
It’s happened before.
Whether the destruction began with mismanagement of funds,
indiscretions in direct conflict with the basic philosophy
of the NAACP, or just a myopic lens of focus on the
individual versus the betterment of the people in need of
action, there is something missing in the leadership.
Everyday there are
meetings taking place. Decisions are being made on who will
benefit; who will profit from the economic development
happening in Lima. There will be an impact. Without a doubt,
the impact will shake the community of color from root to
tip.
The only question is:
“will the result be a positive one that could take hundreds
of families out of poverty, or leave them there while
elevating those who enjoy the most resources into the next
tax bracket?”
The leadership is unable
to prepare for such high level critical issues because it
must first deal with the question: “Does $100 cash, an ATM
receipt and condoms in hand at a local hotel equal the
actions of a man soliciting sex for hire according to the
FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task
Force?”
W.E.B. DuBois, James
Weldon Johnson, the Honorable Julian Bond, Kweisi Mfume,
Martin Luther King, Jr. – these names bring honor and pride
because they focused on social justice instead of power for
personal benefit. The expectation of leadership for a NAACP
unit that can bring a credible voice and create a chance for
change long overdue to a community in need can’t be blurred.
The economic state of the 59 percent of Lima’s people of
color is the reflection of “the dream deferred”.
Step Up. Step Back. Move.
Our narcissistic culture
too often finds itself led by coercive leaders that hold
their personal agenda above the sake of others. It is
absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule
himself. —Latin Proverb
|
.jpg)
.jpg)