The Southern Awakening

Many movements that have transformed America typically started in a musty molded basement of some old traditional Baptist Church somewhere down south. The Mississippi movement had Fannie Lou Hamer. Alabama had John Lewis plotting movements from its church pews. Cities & Townships from the Carolina’s to Atlanta, Macon, to Savannah all are deeply rooted in the archives of historical change that has really made America great, “again”. In the wake of what Van Jones so accurately labeled a White Lash mob of angry white people stormed our capital building inspired by misinformation, mad at the idea that America might become fairer and more equal for people of color. After witnessing this terrorizing national embarrassment fueled by hate and intolerance for the lives of other people we have to use water to overcome fire. Just as love is the ultimate cure for hate. Therefore, in the wake of this insurrection we must galvanize a resurrection. A resurrection must have a great awakening in the people. To be specific a southern resurrection is required because the South is historically where the fires flames of hatred find safe havens to being. The transformation begins within each of us first. After we as individuals find the vices that activates our spirits, we will be primed and ready to organize and maybe even restructure our local organizations. Through those networks, we can resurrect the South in the empowered way our creator has always intended for you and for me. This is the story of my life growing up in the South being born after the first couple of years of desegregation, in the early 1970’s. In this Southern Awakening I outline the 5 steps process that keeps me centered and striving to create recreate the South that I want to see. The 5 steps are Visualization, Activation, Organization, Elevation & the 5th step the Revelation. It’s a full circle because steps 1Visualization and 5 the Revelation in essence are exactly the same thing. Except Visualization is seeing the dream with our minds and the Revelation only is a manifestation of the dream in the flesh. It is with the ad most reverence, respect, and admiration that I ever mention the martyr Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. However, in speaking for me, myself and I, I am way too nosey to be anywhere near as unselfish as Dr. King was in saying “I might not get there with you”. I am unhesitatingly admitting that I, Barnard Sims am way too self-centered a person to be cool with just getting you to the Promise Land, if I can’t go with you. More than most people reading this are me oriented people like me also. Even though you might be a bit more reluctant to admit it than I am confessing right now. We respect the brave soldiers because of their willingness to sacrifice it all! Those qualities of honor and valor are distinctively rare and almost unique. It takes a supreme human being to get to the mountain top and remain content with just seeing the Promise Land. I don’t know about you, but I got(s) to go over there in that land too. I just need(s) to be there, right slap dab in the middle of that city bathing in all the promising perks that that mythical city gives to you. I’m not certain of which Negro spiritual I’ll be singing as we travel. It will probably be one like the older Deacons at my church sing “Come and Go, to that land” or maybe I could mock the Mother Board’s rendition by singing “I’m going over yonder”! If the choir continues singing as normally do in Black Churches, when we do get to the Promised Land’s First Baptist Church, I’m requesting right now that we start every Easter Sunday Program singing “Lord whatever you are doing in this season, PLEASE don’t do it without me. Don’t do it without me!” I not only want to make it to the land, I really do want to ride in the front seat! Although I digressed in ways that I’m told I tend to way too often, seriously, a community organized can overcome any and all oppressive environments. Communities in towns deep down in rural South must first believe in our own self value coupled with unique capabilities. There are tools currently at our disposal if we utilize them appropriately. Our ancestors had to hope for film crews to cover black people being mistreated or sprayed with water hoses. We have the power to create a global viral moment by going live from our pockets and our palms. Wisdom has been instinctively instilled in us already gifted to us growing up. If it wasn’t not one of us would be here. Therefore, all we ever needed understand in the universe as to how severely important we each are has been graced to us by our ancestors. Our ancestors sacrificed the qualities of their lives so that we might have life. We just need to tap into our own inner truth to create the communities we so desire to see. Can we do it? Barack Obama said “Yes we can!”