I never had much of an interest in politics growing up. In fact, I was good to be able to tell you who the president was at any given time! That’s pretty sad—I know, but I always just figured that Blacks in America would pretty much be stuck with the second-class citizenship we had always endured. It wasn’t until Barack Obama was elected that things started getting interesting enough to pay attention to.
I’m not too sure how much change President Obama has effected since his election in 2008, but it sure has been interesting watching the circus going on in Congress. It’s nice to see a bunch of white people being forced to reckon with a black man for a change—which brings me to my taste of activism.
Never did I think that, not only would I be contemplating American politics, but also marching on Washington in the same year! In 2010, someone introduced me to the case of Dr. Malachi Z. York, a Black man who caused quite a stir with the racist government in Middle Georgia some years back. He bought a huge plot of land in a town called Eatonton and started building Egyptian pyramids and temples on it! Can you believe it—pyramids in the middle of Georgia? I was impressed with his bravery, but more impressed when I started researching his history and all of the good things that he has done for Black culture as a whole. In addition to writing hundreds of informative books and making great contributions to the entertainment industry, he encouraged Blacks to be proud of our African heritage and to stop trying to be someone we are not. I couldn’t argue with that one bit.
Needless to say, I wasn’t really surprised when I was informed that Dr. York was falsely accused of child molestation or trafficking or something or other and incarcerated for 135 years. (I still can’t figure out why they gave him a sentence that long. He was over 50 when they locked him up. Who lives to be 185? What’s the point?) Anyway, knowing that so many innocent people get railroaded by racist government officials, I immediately wanted to help out. Furthermore, it turns out that the racist judge who sentenced Dr. York actually held court during his trial on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Federal Holiday. Who does that? Isn’t that illegal? That was the last straw.
This landed me on Capitol Hill, of all places, on the 27th of August, 2010, protesting in the heat. I also got to join Al Sharpton’s march on Washington the next day. It was all a very uplifting experience, and I would like to think that I made a difference. Since then, I have been signing petitions and taking a stand against all sorts of injustice and foolishness that occurs in our legal system, and I have Dr. Malachi York to thank for that.
Anuket Em Zdahuti
I’m not too sure how much change President Obama has effected since his election in 2008, but it sure has been interesting watching the circus going on in Congress. It’s nice to see a bunch of white people being forced to reckon with a black man for a change—which brings me to my taste of activism.
Never did I think that, not only would I be contemplating American politics, but also marching on Washington in the same year! In 2010, someone introduced me to the case of Dr. Malachi Z. York, a Black man who caused quite a stir with the racist government in Middle Georgia some years back. He bought a huge plot of land in a town called Eatonton and started building Egyptian pyramids and temples on it! Can you believe it—pyramids in the middle of Georgia? I was impressed with his bravery, but more impressed when I started researching his history and all of the good things that he has done for Black culture as a whole. In addition to writing hundreds of informative books and making great contributions to the entertainment industry, he encouraged Blacks to be proud of our African heritage and to stop trying to be someone we are not. I couldn’t argue with that one bit.
Needless to say, I wasn’t really surprised when I was informed that Dr. York was falsely accused of child molestation or trafficking or something or other and incarcerated for 135 years. (I still can’t figure out why they gave him a sentence that long. He was over 50 when they locked him up. Who lives to be 185? What’s the point?) Anyway, knowing that so many innocent people get railroaded by racist government officials, I immediately wanted to help out. Furthermore, it turns out that the racist judge who sentenced Dr. York actually held court during his trial on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Federal Holiday. Who does that? Isn’t that illegal? That was the last straw.
This landed me on Capitol Hill, of all places, on the 27th of August, 2010, protesting in the heat. I also got to join Al Sharpton’s march on Washington the next day. It was all a very uplifting experience, and I would like to think that I made a difference. Since then, I have been signing petitions and taking a stand against all sorts of injustice and foolishness that occurs in our legal system, and I have Dr. Malachi York to thank for that.
Anuket Em Zdahuti