There has to be a way for the NAACP and other African American leaders to draw victory from the Glenn Beck rally today that he is billing as a peaceful commemoration of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Beck titled the rally, “Restoring Honor.”
Instead of what will probably be an angry protest (quite possibly justified) led by Al Sharpton, isn’t there a way of using this rally to build a bridge between two groups that appear to be sharply divided? Isn’t that what the NAACP’s mission really is; building bridges that allow Americans to move beyond our racist past?
I am not criticizing African American leaders for their protests and anger over the rally. Far from it. I don’t have the time to listen to or watch Glenn Beck so I have to admit that I know little about his intentions today. It does seem to be a provocation that he is holding his rally on a day meant to honor Dr. King and at the location of Dr. King’s most known and greatest speech. For his part, Beck claims he intends to honor King.
However, I do know a great deal about PR, positioning, and branding. I know that angry protests are what are expected from African American groups and many whites that oppose this rally. The expected is often boring, old news, yada, yada, yada. I also know that an angry protest will accomplish little other than rally the troops already opposed. The protests won’t change minds and they won’t educate.
But what if marchers walked directly to the podium with signs expressing some common ground with Beck? What if they took Beck at his word and cheered his honoring King, adding a message of their own to the day; Freedom, equal rights for all, American greatness? What if African Americans found a way to reach out to Beck and declare some sort of victory with him? If they organized this effort well they could co-opt Beck’s message and deliver a message of their own;
We are all, “We the People.”
That would be “a Dream.”
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Shame on the NAACP for promoting hatred of an Event that is RESTORING HONOR to AMERICA!
You should cast shame on Beck for provocation of anger at civil rights advocates. He could have chosen another location and date for this rally but no it had to be on this date to make a mockery of the civil rights struggle.
yeah beck and rauf…two peas…….lol
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