SHOULDERS

We all in the African American community need spiritual shoulders to stand on as we embark on our quest to gain the full measure of absolute civic equality as well as economic equality. Ida Belle Wells-Barnett stood on the shoulders of Frederick Douglass and Harriett Tubman as she embarked on her journey. Ella Baker, whose insurmountable power to drive grassroots organizational growth was renowned stood on the shoulders of Ida Wells-Barnett as she embarked on her journey. Today, in our communities across the nation we have the ability male or female to stand strong on Ella and Ida’s spiritual shoulders as we continue to battle the forces of oppression and white supremacy. I salute both Ida and Ella today but most especially Ida Belle Wells-Barnett because she did indeed face insurmountable odds yet she battled until her very last days to uplift the lives of our ancestors.