History Ripped from the Headlines! Standing My Ground by Harry Dunn: A Capitol Police Officer's Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th Personal Experiences - Memoir

 They did this so they could get inside to attack our elected officials. They wanted to “Hang Mike Pence,” or “Drag that motherfucker through the streets.” Another said she and her friend “were looking for [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to shoot her in the friggin’ brain.” They said they were there to stop the will of the people and halt our 224-year history of the peaceful transfer of power.

Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America. —JOHN LEWIS

Sometimes we have fun with the public. We just make up shit to have a laugh. “Sir, what is your question? What is the statue at the top?” The real answer is that it’s a nineteen-and-a-half-foot statue of a woman, called the Statue of Freedom, but… 

“That’s the employee of the month,” I sometimes say. “Every month they put up a new one. They’re usually out of date by the time they get there, because it takes so long to make them. By that time, there’s usually another employee of the month, but we leave it there for a month anyway before we put the other one up.”

 “The statue? One of the interesting things about the statue is that it turns. When the sun hits it in its eyes, it gradually swivels. Nobody wants the sun in their eyes. So, to keep it realistic, it turns. Keep looking and you might see it.” 

It’s just fun and games, but those protesters and all those people, day in and day out, helped me grow in my political thinking. 

As we do our jobs at the hundreds of protests, we hear their slogans, we hear their chants, and you ask questions, sometimes to the people demonstrating and sometimes to yourself. 

Why is the minimum wage so important that you are here? Why do you think a woman’s right to have an abortion is wrong? People like the late Congressman John Lewis would demonstrate, knowing they would be arrested and go to jail. We knew they were going to jail. Why would these people, business leaders, congressional men and women, activists and regular citizens, go to jail for an issue? You talk to them. They talk to you. 

Somebody tells you they are taking half of their daily pill because they need to stretch it out because of the cost. Somebody else says they go to work every day, maybe work two jobs, and they still can’t afford what they need. You read about what they are talking about. 

You stand there, demonstration after demonstration. Some people come year after year because they believe something has to change. They don’t come just from DC or Maryland or Virginia. They come from all over the country because they want the people inside the Capitol to listen to them and make changes. In the end, you understand that people need to be able to come to the US Capitol and express their displeasure. You understand that your job is to protect the rights of the people in front of you. And you also realize that we, the Capitol Police, are protecting the people inside, who have the responsibility of serving the interests and concerns of those people gathered outside, right in front of you. 

The Tea Party was a conservative movement within the Republican Party that started right after Obama’s first presidential inauguration. That day, people came from all over the country. I remember looking at the crowd and thinking, “If these people decided to go into the Capitol, there’s no way we could stop them.” The event began as a demonstration against the Affordable Care Act, which, by now, everyone was calling Obamacare. But it morphed into a demonstration against anything Obama. Some people were hollering about gun rights and singing “God Bless America,” but mostly they were protesting and cursing Obama. Some of them were chanting, “Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!” because that was what Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, had called Obama three days earlier during his first State of the Union address. One person had a sign that called Obama the “parasite in chief.” Other people had signs that basically said he was a Black Adolf Hitler. In the crowd, one guy had a sign supporting Obamacare. The other people in the crowd didn’t like that, and they began calling him names. They cursed him and basically called him a bum. “Go get a job, you asshole,” one of them shouted. “You just want the government to take care of you,” another said. “Get a fucking job.” The guy stood his ground and shouted back, “I’ve got a job. I go to work every day, but I can’t get enough hours on my job to have health insurance.” I kept my eyes on that guy to make sure he could protest without being attacked by other people in the group. They were loud and nasty...

And you understand what you do is more than just a job. When you took the job, you took an oath to protect these people, all of them. You have a great responsibility. You made a commitment. Now, you are obligated to make good on that commitment every day—no matter what.

...service by African Americans in every American war, even when our country didn’t want us there. Immigrants felt a special pain that day too, whether they came to America more than one hundred years ago or just got here. America is the place on which they have pinned their hopes and dreams. Some fled tyranny and persecution in their home countries; others left grinding poverty, and many, religious or ethnic bigotry...

Hey Glenda, Harry Dunn here.
This is a tough email to start – how do you talk about one of the darkest days of your life? Not to mention, an irreparable stain on this country's history.
So I guess I'll start with a question. Is this America?
Is attacking Capitol police officers – honest, good people dedicated to protecting and serving democracy – with baseball bats and spears, spraying them with WD-40, calling them hateful slurs – is that America?
Is a President of the United States emboldening a riot on the Capitol, encouraging people threatening to kill former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Mike Pence, who traveled to Washington ready to act on those threats – is that America?
That's not American to me. I believe in an America that protects its people, regardless of their political beliefs. An America that values democracy and those that are chosen to represent it. That's what I believed in while I served as a Capitol police officer during the January 6 insurrection. I know that is also what you believe in... And I am now running for Congress in Maryland's 3rd district. God Bless you for your support...

~~~

Yes, I supported Harry dunn on his run for Congress. Unfortunately, he didn't win--stacked up against the millions of dollars that were spent on the election, but he continues to speak Truth to America at every chance he gets! I had already posted an important sharing by Harry on a previous blog post. If you haven't already read it, click here to check it out before you leave today...

Harry chose to provide a memoir of his life to begin his wonderful book. Much like what I'm doing with my own memoir, he spends time sharing about his early life, enjoying hip hop music and looking toward a career in sports, although that didn't ultimately work out...

It was when he met a female officer who worked at the Capitol that he began to think about joining this special and elite group of American police officers... He spends time telling us about what training these officers have to go through, which was quite extensive! I was thinking about comparability with the security officers on campus while I was there... NOT! He talks about other protests throughout the years, but then quickly points out that he'd never experienced what was to occur on January 6th--that day! And, the Aftermath!

I was wide awake and watching every second of what happened on January 6th... I was wide awake to watch the entire investigation of January 6th by a bipartisan congressional group. I heard what was said and I know that what the witnesses provided was true... And, that there is NO WAY to forget what happened that day! I've been speaking out against all that has happened since then... And I support all movements today for those who are protesting all that has happened through the lies of the republican party on everything both before in the planning and afterward in continuing to lie through the next election, only to work to destroy America! We cannot let that happen!

Harry, I feel I can call him by his first name because I've taken the time to read his life story... Find books at Book Readers Heaven, by race for either authors or characters. Karen Dabney who I met years ago on Gather.com, which was one of the best sites ever, told me that the best way to pinpoint my reviews (I had just reviewed one of her first books) was to hashtag Black Author, Black Character or other IDs relevant to the thousands of books I've reviewed... I believe it is important to be open to what is written and said by all people, no matter whether I agree with the content or not...

How I wish that Harry had been elected! He could be standing tall along with Jasmin who is determined to speak truth about January 6th and what happened that day. And on any other day when republican party members choose to spread lies and disinformation rather than speak truth...

The one thing I want to spotlight is that Harry Dunn, a big strong man who could easily handle himself in a fair fight, admitted that he was and is still so traumatized by what occurred on January 6th, that he has had to continue ongoing discussions with his therapist to retain his own life experiences in perspective. He was NOT the enemy! The enemies of America, itself, came on that day. They were members of militias with guns, they were members of QAnon, They wore Nazi emblem shirts. There were those who marched in Virginia saying, Jews will not replace us..." They murdered police officers that day, whether by heart attack, by abusive action, including holding an officer with his head in a door...

The thing is, however, you'll be hearing a man who cared about not only his fellow officers, but all of the congressional members who were in danger. He was concerned that the Vice President might actually be caught and hung that day based upon the president's anger that Pence refused to falsify the election records. Harry determined that he could not return to his long-time career at the Capitol. No, he wasn't physically hurt... What he lost was his firm and human desire to serve and protect... He might have failed that day, in his mind and heart... But we who watched all of the officers trying to prevent entrance and damage to OUR Capitol, KNOW what they were suffering, knowing that they were outnumbered, but more, that they were dealing with savages that had no concern whatsoever about who, nor even why, they had joined a cult leader who claimed it had to be done... When actually, we had heard Trump say to the Proud Boys, himself... Stand Back and Stand By...

I applaud Harry for taking an important step to write this memoir, one that will be an important addition to both Black History and American History... If you haven't already, please support this writer who knew that WE needed to have his confirmation in writing about what he and all officers experienced that dreadful day!


GABixlerReviews

I felt that rage bubble up inside me again, a kind of hopeless anger that made me question everything. Did this building, its purpose and its history, mean nothing to these people? How could you call yourself an American and destroy the very symbols of what makes us unique in this world? None of it made sense to me, and that only deepened my anger. I eventually retreated to an empty room, where I didn’t have to see anyone. Burying my head in my hands, I cried. Someone might have seen me; I don’t recall. But I also didn’t care. I was falling into a state of mind that would consume me for months. Fueled by anger but crippled by sadness, I felt helpless. I snapped my Beats by Dre headphones on and lost myself in my music while I finally responded to the dozens of texts and Facebook messages I had received since the previous day. I didn’t spend much time answering each one. Instead, I opted for a quick response. “I’m safe, but not okay.” That’s how I spent most of that day, sitting alone, listening...

May God Continue to Bless You, Harry Dunn!

Final Serialized Overview/Review of Fantasy Five: An Unforgettable History - The Election of Macon's First Black Councilmembers by Harold Michael Harvey!

  “…It’s been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come; yes, it will.” --Sam Cook                                                            

                                                                                

     Please support this Independent Published Author- Buy this important book!

Had to acknowledge that there is one female Black Councilmember (and one female white member) in that long-awaited event! Even though, she was not to lead any committee chairs where she might be in a controlling position... Yeah, but it's happening Now! Shout out to my favorite Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who has moved forward in changing our government's role for all Americans! Is it enough?

Black History is Indeed American History!!!

The Old Macon City Hall building, 700 Popular Street, Macon, Georgia

©2024 Harold Michael Harvey

Scratch Off. On December 9, 1975, Judge J. Taylor Phillips, State Court of Bibb County, swore in the new 15-person council, five of whom were Black Maconites of African descent. This swearing-in ceremony marked the first time in the 152-year history of Macon, Georgia that a Black man or woman had sat down and deliberated city business with White lawmakers in an official capacity, nine of whom were White males and one a White woman.

Never in the annals of Macon, Georgia history, was this ever supposed to occur. However, the winds of change were sweeping throughout the southern United States. As prophesied by Bob Dylan, the “Times” were changing, and three-quarters into Aldous Huxley’s “brave new century,” Macon, Georgia, by God, was coming, albeit kicking and screaming, into the 20th century.

The Macon Black community now boasted of 10 Black elected officials. This newfound political power prompted the Macon Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor Macon’s Black elected officials at the Community Church of God on Sunday afternoon, December 14, 1975.

The local NAACP President, Robert Sampson, told the Black elected officials in attendance, “And we know adequate representation will be given to us by you.”

Bill Randall, who told Black voters in the last election not to vote for the Rev. Julius C. Hope, the Black mayoral candidate, said to the honorees, “It’s needless to remind you that we have come a long way from the closed voting primaries, but we still have a long way to go.”

Indeed, Bill Randall set Black aspirations to serve the city as a Black mayor back 20 years. It was not until 1995 that C. Jack Ellis, a Black man, ran a successful campaign for mayor of Macon.

During the first council meeting, Black council members Willie C. Hill and Rev. Eddie D. Smith, Sr. made fresh history when they were each elected to chair a council committee. Hill received the Public Property Committee. While Hill did not have any prior experience in government, the former high school government teacher had served as a trustee board member at Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

Under the Methodist church structure, the trustee board is responsible for caring for church property. In 1975, Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church had a parsonage, the main church sanctuary, an auxiliary building, and a six-unit apartment complex. Hill had over a decade of experiencing managing the buildings and grounds for his church. In his role as a church trustee, Hill had acquired valuable skills that were beneficial to the city government.

The Public Property Committee entrusted Hill with managing the city’s airport, cemeteries, public buildings, capital improvement, and the Macon Coliseum. Vernon Colbert, his Vinning Circle neighbor, joined Hill on the Public Property Committee and served as the Vice Chair.

Council member Eddie D. Smith received the Employees Development and Compensation Committee chairmanship. The Employees Development and Compensation Committee handles employee matters. Like Hill, Smith did not have any previous government experience. Smith, also like Hill, came with a wealth of experience gained from his church experience.

Julius Vinson was elected vice chair of the Public Safety Committee, which gave him oversight of the police department, which he pledged to reform.

Right off the bat, four Black council members received leadership roles in the new city government.

Only Delores Brooks did not receive a leading committee assignment. Brooks, not known for mincing words, told Grace Crawford, Staff Writer at The Macon News, that she felt an overwhelming pride in being the first Black woman elected to city council, “…And you may be sure that I intend to represent my people, … but above all I want to represent all of the people. (The Macon News, January 6, 1976, P. 12).

Brooks cut her political teeth working in campaigns for various Democratic candidates over a decade before tossing her hat in the ring for a seat that did not have a majority Black population. In 1972, Brooks worked in the successful Bibb County School Board campaign of Delores Cook.

As Brooks began her term in office, she leaned on the philosophy: “You’re Black, and you’re a woman, so you’ve got to make a good record.” Ibid. “I rode in on Delores C. Brook’s coattails, and you be sure to quote me on that,” the feisty Brooks told Grace Crawford a month into her first term. Ibid. “I’m not erasing the fact that I’m Black,” Brooks told the newspaper following her November 5, 1975 victory. (The Macon Telegraph, Sunday, November 9, 1975, p.25).

Right off the bat, Black council members flexed their collective muscles when they opposed Melton’s appointment of 12-year veteran council member Tom Ivey to the Macon-Bibb County Water Board. The Black council members urged the appointment of a Black person to ensure that Black people had an equal opportunity to receive employment from the joint city and county water board.

On January 13, 1976, the five Black council members led the charge in voting 12 to 3 to reject Melton’s appointment of Ivey. During the debate, Rev. Smith questioned the efficacy of Melton’s decision. The Black council members’ opposition to Ivey’s appointment was so strong that it caused Ivey to agree with those opposing his nomination and vote against his confirmation. (The Macon Telegraph, Wednesday, January 14, 1976, P. 11).

Willie C. Hill, in unambiguous language, stated, “My concern is Black. We grew up with the problem [racism], and we continue to live with the problem.” Ibid.

Julius Vinson tackled the perception that the water board would do right by prospective Black job applicants. He said in a firm voice that the employment of Blacks would not be an issue to consider “If the water board had been so concerned as they say they are now. I am not being racist or radical. It is only fair. I think it should be done.” Ibid.

During the January 15, 1976 council meeting, The Macon Telegraph Staff Writer Linda Wilson reported, “Black alderman Julius Vinson, who termed the water and sewage office ‘the meanest utility’ in town,” told the mayor Wednesday, ‘if you never have a chance to perform you will never have the experience.” (The Macon Telegraph, Thursday, January 16, 1976, P. 11).

Following the meeting, Vinson explained his position. “Our main concern with the authority [water board] is hiring. It is not a Black and White thing. They do not respond to poor communities which have problems with drainage.” Ibid.

“Black alderman Willie Hill told the mayor, ‘segregation is intense,’ at the water board.” Ibid. Black alderwoman Delores Brooks asked the mayor a rhetorical question:

“Are the four Whites down there unable to work with Blacks?”

The discussion over the appointment of Tom Ivey on the Water and Sewage Board prompted White alderwoman Mary Wilder to exclaim:

“I think it is incumbent on our Black council members, who have finally made it to the council, to represent their community.” Ibid.

In the pre-council session before the regular council meeting began, each Black council member said they wanted the record to reflect them as council members, not as a Black council member. When the group of Black council members came out so strong against Tom Ivey’s appointment to the Macon-Bibb County Water and Sewage Board because they believed it was necessary for Black membership on the Water and Sewage Board to combat perceived racism, White council members like Rodney Smith scolded them, “I thought you wanted to be just council members and not Black council members,” Smith said in open council session.

In November 1976, when this reporter was conducting interviews with the Five Black Council members as they approached their first year in office, one question was whether the group planned to form a Black Council Caucus. At that time, Blacks in Congress were forming the Black Congressional Caucus (BCC) to give them leverage in negotiating issues that matter to Black Americans. The BCC was off to a successful start, so I asked each of the five council members this question.

Councilman Julius Vinson said, “We do not call it a Black caucus, but we are informally organized.” (Black Impact Upon Local Government, Harold Michael Harvey, The Macon Courier, Wednesday, December 1, 1976, P. 7). When asked about a Black Council Caucus Councilwoman Delores Brooks said, “We tried to organize one once, but we stopped because we weren’t getting too far with it. Some members felt we did not need it.” Ibid.

Councilman Rev. Eddie D. Smith, responding to the question on a Black Council Caucus, said, “No! Regrettably no! This failure to form a Black Caucus is one of the weaknesses of our group, which causes us to disagree on some issues.” Ibid.

On January 28, 1976, Rev. Smith stood alone again as the only council member not to vote for a Wisconsin man to become the city administrator for $26,500 annually, a city-issued car, and a pension plan. Smith argued, "I thought we were supposed to be in an austerity program.” (The Macon Telegraph, Wednesday, January 28, 1976, P. 13).

Three months into his first term as an elected city council member, Willie C. Hill became frustrated with treatment from Mayor Buckner “Buck” Melton, and he blasted Melton’s proposed $5 million street paving bond issue in a March 23, 1975, city council meeting. Hill campaigned on only paving streets with homes and requiring homeowners to pay for the paving on their roads.

Hill called the Melton administration’s bond proposal “a farce” and claimed the administration did not put forth much effort to collect back taxes under existing city ordinance that could go towards a street paving program.

Melton understood that requiring Black homeowners to pay for the street paving program was equivalent to a political “kiss of death” and contended that authorizing the city to seek a bond to pay for the street paving was the most practical way to resolve the city’s street paving issue. Additionally, Melton, a lawyer, knew the enormous benefit of bond issues to bond attorneys interested in doing business with the City of Macon.

The mayor took issue with Hill blasting him in a public council meeting without talking with him about their differences, telling The Macon News, “I have never at any time failed to meet with any councilman on any issue.” (The Macon News, Wednesday, May 24, 1976, p. 2).

In the mid-1970s, the Unionville Improvement Association, Inc., co-chaired by Frank Johnson and Gerald Harvey, held monthly meetings on the first Saturday of each month. The Unionville Improvement Association consistently drew between 75-100 people from across Macon at each monthly meeting. Hill usually spoke at these meetings.

The minutes reflect Hill speaking in support of paving streets but did not discuss his proposal to pay for the paving. Also, Hill lived at 1968 Vinning Circle, a small middle-class neighborhood in the heart of Unionville bounded between Anthony Road and Dempsey Avenue (Mercer University Boulevard).

Vinning Circle had paved streets, at least as far back as 1960, and predated Hill’s home purchase in the small horseshoe neighborhood built by a White woman named Louise Harrell in 1950, albeit covered in gravel and not asphalt. If Hill’s proposal passed, he would not be taxed to pay for the city’s paving project. At the same time, the bulk of the dirt streets were in proud yet impoverished neighborhoods.

Requiring residents of Unionville, for instance, who lived on May Street, Pansy, Daffodil, or Cedar Avenues to pay would unduly burden them with an extra tax that would take financial resources out of their households.

Neither the January, February, nor March 1976 records of the Unionville Improvement Association reflect that Hill discussed with community activists his proposal to charge homeowners for paving the 90 miles of dirt roads within the city limits. Hill’s proposal to pave the dirt streets on the backs of Black homeowners did not gain support from Black homeowners.

Nevertheless, Councilman Hill expended enormous energy in fighting Mayor Melton over his proposal to tax homeowners to do something the city should have done for the Black community decades before 1976.

When the City of Macon sought to expand its tax base in 1960, it moved to annex Unionville into the city limits, which, in 1960, ended at Dempsey Avenue (Mercer University Boulevard) and Pio Nono Avenue.

After receiving opposition to annexation from the Unionville community, a deal brokered by Rev. James Lorenzo Key, Pastor of the Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and the City of Macon, said that if the Unionville area backed annexation and the measure passed, the city would pave the streets in Unionville.

~~~

I've seen and heard enough during the last 10 years to have not been surprised by what took place there in Macon Georgia... What I didn't expect, though, was that prejudice would still be going on, and getting worse rather than continuing to improve! God Help Us All!

I think I'm an average American... Most of us have spent their early years just trying to establish who we are, where we belong, and then, as I did, moving into a career, hoping to continue to move upward in the bureaucracy of any type of organization. Had I known what I know now, I would have become much more conscious of the political environment here in America. From what I've seen, Black Americans have not had that luxury of just being... Perhaps it was because I lived in the north and had known Black neighbors for the majority of that time--but I don't even know that for sure... What I do know is that the president's DEI activities...is...just...wrong!

In the book Fantasy Five, even the title was extraordinarily telling, don't you think... Hundreds of years had gone by and even in the year I was graduating, Black people in Macon, Georgia, and probably most of the south and even further across the nation, were continuing to fight against the bias of white people! The next chapter, after the election was over and Black Councilmembers were finally elected into office, we, for the first time ever, can see just how underhanded people can be. Even at the same time, they talk the talk that implies that they want to work together with "all" people. Frankly I was proud of the new Black councilmembers, who, when given their first chance, did exactly what they had been fighting for--work for fair representation!

The issue of paved roads, might, for some, seem trivial because while my memory might take me back to when not all backroads may have been paved, it was not seen as a form of bias against Black people. Yet, in the 1970s, that was the case in Macon, Georgia. And that one issue continued to be unresolved... What does that say about the political environment when white men are in the majority? And everybody else understands there is a constant struggle for the freedom that the nation's constitution guarantees all of us! When does this nonsense stop?! 

But not all white men are like that, thankfully.... Within a very short time when President Biden took Office, he succeeded in garnering support for a major Infrastructure Bill to pass and be signed into law!

 

How did we get to the point where those who have made millions based upon the sweat of OUR brows now have control of our government! Money is their only reason to act against others... The soul of America is indeed being fought over! I have faith that God is still in control and Truth will once again reign here in America! God's Truth! No Lies!

My purpose in exploring sections of this one book was mainly to allow readers to realize just how long our Black neighbors have been forced to fight for everything! History must not go backward! I have purposely compared this historical presentation based in just one location--Macon, Georgia. But, now, it is rampant across the nation! ALL OF US must read of America's history, including what has been done to those who were once bought and sold as slaves! And how some have retained that hate through generations... And, I have to stop and remind those who try to claim that America is for the white man... that Jesus was...not...white! Closing with one more excerpt...

“We stand with our ancestors in tribute because they still stand with us in the spiritual realm.”  --African Proverb

Scratch Off.  We have the record of the first year of service by the Fantasy Five, who beat the odds and were elected to serve on the Macon city council for the first time in the city's history. Not even during a very active reconstruction period in Middle Georgia did any Black person hold a city office. Black representation in city government was a no-no from the start, shunned and rejected as an unholy alliance between White and Black people. The fight over the Schofield House poignantly points out the reason why.

Once Black people get involved in the political process, another analysis occurs. You have to consider the worldview of Black people who do not view events and are not affected by events in the same manner as Whites. These differences are precisely what made diverse government a good thing. The best of all world views receive an airing on the issues.

Before the City of Macon cashed in their chips and elected Five Black citizens to the city council, they had two different cash options in the first five years of the 1970s. The citizens of Macon declined the cash options each time. But it is essential to note the political climate and to appreciate how Blacks became so successful and such a threat that the power behind the scenes merged the city with the county to dilute the voting strength of the Black vote in Macon, Georgia.

First, in June 1970, Rev. Julius C. Hope visited Macon to give the Baccalaureate Address for Ballard-Hudson High School. Hope’s tall stature and glib tongue made him an instant hit in Macon. On June 19, 1970, Rev. Hope, in his capacity as President of the State Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, returned to Macon to give the keynote address at the Macon Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People annual banquet. By all accounts, Hope hit another home run in Macon.

Then, on August 7, 1970, First Baptist Church on New Street announced that Rev. Hope received a call to lead the church. At the time, Hope had pastored the Zion Baptist Church in Brunswick, Georgia, for over a decade. He was actively involved in Brunswick's civic affairs, served on that city’s Board of Directors for the Council of Human Relations, and was an avid member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Hope delivered his first sermon at First Baptist on Sunday, August 9, 1970. His installation occurred on November 22, 1970, at an evening service featuring former Macon pastor Rev. C. M. Alexander, Antioch Baptist Church, and his brother-in-law Rev. Howard W. Creecy, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of Atlanta. His father, Rev. Robert Hope of Mobile, Alabama, delivered the sermon for church services that day.

Rev. Hope came to First Baptist Church with big plans for developing the church's outreach, including providing a recreational facility. Having a recreational facility for church members was a novel idea for Macon churches. It was new to the older membership of First Baptist Church, who could not see the necessity of providing an outlet for its members' recreation activities.

The main problem confronting any attempt to expand the physical capacity of First Baptist Church lay in the fact that the church, erected around 1845, is landlocked on the corner of First and New Street. Historically, First Baptist Church stood down the street from 511 High Place, where the White First Baptist Church stood. The Black membership of the First Baptist Church on New Street could trace their origins from worshiping in the balcony and vestibule of the White First Baptist Church during the days of enslavement.

Hope proposed selling the church property and building a new modern facility elsewhere. This idea did not set well with the more senior members of the First Baptist Church. The congregation shot Hope’s building plan down, but not without a lengthy court battle.

Then, on June 24, 1971, Jimmy Lee White, a city of Macon employee, was fatally shot by Officer John R. Beck of the Macon Police Department. The Black community strongly believed that Beck unjustly killed Mr. White. White’s fatal encounter with law enforcement began when he learned his brother had drunk too much alcohol and was disturbing the peace. Neighbors called the police, and Officer Beck responded as Jimmy Lee White attempted to calm his brother down.

When a crowd of Black people appeared in the street, Beck became frightened. Drawing his weapon, Beck fired on the unarmed Jimmy Lee White. All Black members of the city’s bi-racial committee convened to discuss the police shooting and unanimously supported suspending Beck pending the outcome of a judicial trial. Mayor Ronnie Thompson instead transferred Beck to the police identification bureau. This move angered Macon’s Black community. (The Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, Friday, July 9, 1971, P. 6).

“As clear as I can recall it,” long-time community activist Herbert Dennard posited, “Ronnie Thompson said, ‘The Black folks called him [officer Beck] to the Black community He was there to put down trouble, and we should give him a medal.”

Rev. Hope called a meeting at First Baptist Church to organize a march on city hall. According to Dennard, approximately 200 people gathered in First Baptist Church for this meeting. Dennard is unsure, but rumor had it that some community activist or activists contacted Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and asked him to come down and help them organize. Dennard believes it was either Harris Randall, Billy Randall, or both. Hope proposed a march to city hall for the following week at the meeting. Hope explained the additional time would allow demonstrators to acquire the necessary march permit and handle other logistics. Initially, those gathered in the church supported the organizational plan proposed by Hope and voted to delay the march until the following week. Then out of nowhere, Hosea William appeared in the pulpit and told those assembled:

“Leaders, lead; the police have killed an unarmed man, and you all want to debate when to march. I’m going down to city hall right now and let them know that I don’t particularly appreciate how they treat Black folk around here. Those who want to debate how and when to march can stay in the church with Hope, but those who want to march, follow me.”

According to Dennard, about 150 people walked out of the church and followed Hosea Williams to city hall, where an impromptu march took place with Williams leading the crowd in freedom songs. The police did not come out and disperse the crowd. Despite not having a permit to march, no one received a citation, and no one went to jail. Hosea Williams had a way of speaking truth to power. Usually, it led to the police beating him like the beating he took in Perry, Georgia, during a March Against Oppression Williams led from Albany State College to the Atlanta capitol steps in April 1970. But this time, Ronnie Thompson did not want to tangle with Williams. He was content to allow Williams to hold his rally and return to Atlanta as soon as possible.

A week later, all hell broke loose. An alleged firebombing at Forest Service Company caused Mayor Thompson to panic. Without any prior warning or discussion with members of the Board of Aldermen, Thompson clamped an 8:30 p. m. to dawn curfew on the city. Additionally, the Byron Rock Festival, a prelude to Woodstock the following week, was closing out. Thompson requested the Georgia State Patrol and the Bibb County Sheriff to close down Interstates 75 and 16. Thompson was quoted by The Macon Telegraph as saying, “Don’t let them come through Macon.” (The Macon Telegraph, Saturday, July 3, 1971, P. 1).

Not since General William T. Sherman had encircled Macon in 1865 with Black United States Of America soldiers dressed in Confederate uniforms, with a Union belt buckle and cap, had Macon, Georgia, been sealed off in this manner. (Sgt. Lonnie Davis, Georgia African American Brigade: Slave to Solider).

Meanwhile, Rev. Hope issued a press advisory chastising the criminal element in the Black community who resorted to lawless acts to make their point. Hope said, “We want it clearly understood that we do not condone acts of burning down buildings, destroying property, or violence in achieving the goals of the N.A.A.C.P.” Ibid.

Hope attempted to assure the White community that they did not have anything to fear, “We just want a piece of the pie,” he told Grant Jackson of The Macon Telegraph on July 12, 1971. (The Macon Telegraph, Tuesday, July 13, 1971, P. 3).

“There has become a great need in the community for a thrust for the rights of Black people. We have discrimination in every walk of life. It is high time we, as citizens, became not only concerned but also moved to do something,” Hope said. Ibid.

“We don’t want any favors, we want justice… We got to have it all. We’ve been taking the crumbs too long. We want some bread,” Hope explained. The Black community felt powerless in the face of this exercise of the police powers of the state...

~~~

It was the horrible death of Eric Garner on video by a standby individual that shocked me to realize just what was happening, still, in America...From that time on, I've been alert to know exactly what is happening to Black people in today's world! Nobody should accept what is being done, at least if they care about all God's children! I decided to include two videos which are not able to be shared because of content. The murder of Garner was earlier able to be viewed but things change, I guess. The other one is also worthy of your consideration with an extra click over to YouTube. Sometimes, we all must actually see what man does to man, so that we can continue to work to change for the good of all mankind.

Folks, I don't know about you, but I'd rather watch any BLM protest, hopefully without violence, than watching white kids do drugs as occurred during that Byron Rock Festival and which continues in many white neighborhoods, including a town very near my home which is completely taken over with drugs... Where is the outcry by white citizens about the proliferation of street drugs?

Yes, I'm upset with what is happening in America. Nobody can convince me that drugs could not be eradicated with proper police action. Yet we know that the rich "use" drugs to pull in young girls and boys with lies of success in some performance venue... We have heard about those older men who use sex as part of their control pleasure... When I heard that a supreme court judge just overrules other judges and gave Trump the right to hold off payments that had been authorized by Congress, we all must face that corruption is in control of our government.

Our Black neighbors have been fighting, it seems forever, to just have the basic human rights that we, as white people, have held since the beginning of our country. We learned also about what white people did to the Indigenous people who had lived in America for generations before being invaded from Europe... What makes white men, mostly, believe they are better than anybody else? What I do know is that knowing the history of what white men have done to others should have prevented where we are today! Apparently, however, it has gotten worse for nearly half of the country... 

Readers of all races, we need to wake up and look to what has been steadfastly done to our younger generations! They are seduced by lies, promises that never come to fruition, given drugs to not worry about anything... Yeah, history and current events constantly point out these failures within America! Remember that it was republican politicians who decided to start allowing people to call "BAN" of books that related to being "Woke," Give me a break! First, white people decided to confiscate the word "dope" that was used by Blacks in a different way... Now, I proclaim I am indeed Woke--only because some white man in Florida decided to try to be elected president by making a mockery of what history is really all about! We were meant to continue to move forward... White men who bought the first slaves have chosen money and power over common decency toward others...

I recognize that this is more an opinion piece than a review... Having seen for yourself over the serialization of the book, I hope you have determined that this book is indeed worth buying and adding to your home library for your use and for generations to come... We must never, never go backward!

God Help Us All

Gabby

Daughters by Stuart Land - Science Fiction OR Prediction - Stunning Story Spotlighting Women's Issues of Today's World! Another Personal Favorite...

 

Artwork by Stuart Land

Title: Cry Out...

Stuart Land, in welcoming his audience, says, "Welcome to My Imagination..."

But, I had only learned of this prolific artiste through this one book... I was stunned by the book, just one of his creations!

And then my own imagination began to imagine the Why? of the book
Was it just imagination?

Or a Prediction?

Obviously, for me, who once would have used the secondary heading of her book, A Single Christian Woman:
Is Sex All That?

Found myself also using my imagination!

So I thought I'd share each of the options I first thought of... (1) Has God finally had it with men's abuse of women and gave us "The Big Flood" effect upon the earth? (Note that the Daughters also explored whether they were just like Mary and had been touched by God) even though I claim thinking it before presented...LOL (2) Were we going to be an Amazonian nation? (3) or, as found in the last part of this book...Lovely to consider and hope for?

INCEPTION

 “Men believe most what they least understand.” Montaigne

I had soon given up the Amazonian concept, even though many women today, under the present governmental administration, have every right, in my opinion, to fight going backwards! In trying to force women and non-whites backward under his kingship, the entire world has turned upside down! But I digress...again...!

By the time I had finished the book, I had forgotten Chapter 1. I didn't want that to happen again... It is an important chapter... because before long there were many children dead from pregnancy--unwanted!

Twelve-year-old Nura bint Zayed stepped off the repainted weathered chair that had been in her family for countless generations and into the arms of Allah. One hour before, she had fainted in the spartan two room neighborhood clinic a kilometer from her home. The bite of the smelling salts had brought her back from the black cloak of protection her numbed mind awarded her. The doctor looking down from above, his eyes holding the sadness of surrendered faith, and the dismayed nurse behind him, were now part of the nightmare she couldn’t shake off. The first time she had vomited and fainted in the hallway outside the kitchen in her home her brothers, Afzal and Mis’id, chided her for eating too fast, although she had yet to eat a thing. Even though she felt weak, she went to school, but within an hour all queasiness had dissipated. She passed the episode from her mind until the following morning. This time the heat rose on her brow and her stomach danced as if filled with feathers reaching up into her throat. She barely made it to the toilet. Again, this condition passed within a few hours, but now she grew alarmed. If something’s wrong with the food, Nura thought, why was she the only one getting sick? Maybe the rest of the family were hiding their distress. But why would they? On the third day of nausea Nura went to her mother. With tenderness, her mother checked her tongue and throat for signs of infection, peered in her ears and beneath her eyelids. She inspected very inch of skin for possible wounds. Finding nothing to warrant ailment, she went to the kitchen to prepare ingredients for the time-honored family health remedy. Brewing this concoction was an objectionably odorous affair. But when finished, the auburn syrup had a rather sweet, if not spicy, flavor that tempted one to take more than was necessary. Although this prescription helped a great deal, the nausea persisted. After the initial week, Nura hid her morning sickness from her family, her friends, and the world. The thought of going to a clinic and costing her family money for an insignificant ailment filled her with dread. So many around her had real problems to contend with every day and they never complained. Some of her friends came to school hungry, eyelids drooping. Her best friend, Soraya, had lost the tip of her little finger to an infection of the fingernail. After the bandage came off she held out her tiny work-battered hands, and shrugged. It was hard to tell any difference from before. By two weeks, the nausea had subsided, but Nura’s stomach protruded more than she could hide. She brought down from her clothes cabinet the clay elephant she had made as a child to hold the money she was saving for her dowry. This funny-looking rotund beast had a slot on the back to accept her small donations but no opening to retrieve them. Outside, a few streets from her home, beyond the call of her mother, she broke open her animal bank. Picking the coins from the dirt, Nura dropped the uncounted money onto her handkerchief and gathered the corners up into a knot. Without a fleeting look back she stood and walked away, leaving the decimated elephant and her childhood behind. Nura returned home from the clinic in a stupor of overwhelming shame. Her short path through life had been written and it was not her right to know the meaning, only the outcome. Her family honor had to be above reproach, and she was old enough to understand the consequences for not abiding by tradition. She wanted her memories of her father and brothers to be those of joyful faces, not furious expressions and screaming condemnation. When Nura stepped off the chair, her only regret was never actually having known the touch of a man.

!!!

By Chapter 2 we move from a Muslim family to Africa where a young Black girl, very intelligent, realized what was happening to her body. But, she remembered the white man who was visiting the tribe, who had become somewhat of a friend, and she ran to him, seeking his immediate help, explaining that she was pregnant and that she knew his life would be in danger because they would think he was the one who had touched her and created a baby... He knew she was right and allowed her to lead him through the jungle, escaping the warriors that followed and soon was on a plane out of Africa back to his home in America.

What we soon learn that at the age of 12, before the age by which a woman can even become pregnant, girls across the world are indeed becoming pregnant, without ever having sex or any type of contact by outsiders related to pregnancy. In the meantime, we have a couple in America who is a doctor and a genetics expert who work within a local clinic, doing both research and patient care...

And their daughter became pregnant...

Soon a professor from Russia becomes involved with a young Russian girl who is now pregnant... He has the credentials to begin searching around to see if this is a lone case, or...not! Soon, he is escorting his young friend to America, where the American Government is now involved, due to the crisis which has arisen because of the proliferation of...Virgin...Mothers! Soon to be called V-girls...

Getting excited? It becomes even more stunning. As the girls are examined, it is discovered that the pregnancy is moving fast-paced. What a women could expect to see her child at the, say, one month, time frame, actually is much further along in the girls' pregnancies. Yes, all of them! Soon a Special Agent and his partner have been assigned to oversee what is happening at every level of the girls' lives... reporting directly to the White House, often...

Because people all over the world are panicking! How are these girls becoming pregnant? Parents want to know, Social Workers want to know, City and State caregivers want to know... And, they're blaming the government of conducting some type of horrible research activities!

It was verified that no such research, anywhere, had taken place!!!

Ultimately, four girls were the main study group, out of this centralized clinic where two gifted professionals were already involved in the investigation. The daughter, Kim, of these two professionals, Ayira, the young girl from Africa, the girl from Russia, another American girl, Shonda, and as the research and examinations began, 12 more girls showed up at the doctor's clinic... Soon there were sites all over the world where specialists were brought in to consider all things that can be affected by pregnancy would be examined. A neurologist and optometrist were soon added to the prime location which was being monitored by the FBI.

Soon all of the central group's babies were born. All were girls... Well, to be more specific, they had no genitalia... And it remained that way as they continued to grow, at the same rate as had been established during their mothers' pregnancies...

As the story moves on, these children grew older than their mothers...

And, still, the babies showed no sign of any genitalia. Worse, in many ways, those parents who chose to try for an abortion of their pregnant daughter, discovered, too late, that the child would die each time...

The above is essentially an overview of Part I. Part II moves us into the daily lives of those children as they deal with both private and world-wide concerns brought about by a major change in the structure of a woman's body. At the same time, those children in the central group are dealing with going to school, meeting many more "normal" peers in their lives than they've ever known before. And, yet, still not understanding exactly what they really were, biologically... But soon, they will learn...

This is a must-read for all those interested in the science of the human body and the medical care of those bodies. I also consider it a must-read for all women, purely for the speculative value of the story... And, more importantly how the present administration is trying to take us backwards into when women had no rights and we forced to carry a child even thought their death could result--and many did! We all know the present catastrophic situation that has been brought forth by the republican party and billionaires wishing control... This is not why Jesus died!

But, more, I found many personal responses, as mentioned above...

Folks, we are in a world right now, under the direction of a group of rich white men who are doing everything possible to destroy America as it has grown in so many ways... And destroy all improvements in the lives of those, like myself, who have worked steadily in one way or another, to improve women's rights, as well as the rights of all individuals who have been discriminated against by mostly white men... No, I do not mean that women should fight physically like the Amazonians, to take care of themselves through violence, when necessary. 

But, I have come to the conclusion during the last 10 years or so, that we, those people on earth, have failed miserably in moving forward from the B.C. time and into A.D. time, which was based upon the birth of Christ and now accepted in America.  Over 2000 years have passed and we still have major issues that were identified in The Bible, which was written by men after Christ's death on the cross and again lived!

Instead of following what He said, the historical records in the Old Testament were retained... Stories of lust, stories of rape, stories of murder which may have been accurate, but, surely were not to be allowed to continue... When Jesus offered LOVE instead!

Continue on with Additional Videos

I'm not going to say too much about the above videos on Greatness, other than to say, the video announcing the set had popped up on every single search I've been doing on YouTube... It seems to me that many in the world have lost direction... Instead of following the words of Jesus to Love--Love God and Love our Neighbors, we have continued to study about the kings and wars and sexual activities that were described in the Old Testament. And from a personal belief standpoint, we have moved on from there based upon our own personal experiences--good or bad.

Is Sex All That? We now have a convicted felon of Sexual Abuse as our president. We know that his history with women has been so egregious that millions of women marched in Washington to protest the selection of Donald Trump. I could go on and on with examples of his misogyny.

Just as King David's daughter, I learned about sex well before the time that I should have...Yet, the story of that young princess never had an ending, except that it led to murder--and another murder! I find it only natural to assume that sex has become the cause of many many problems between men and women, and in families... So, Is Sex All that? Divorces are most often caused by sexual infidelity. Infidelity is often caused by jealousy, immaturity, fear, or even anger...

Did we never learn from Jesus how to Love our God and Love our Neighbors?

So where am I going with this major diversion from the book? Well, I can only explain by giving away the end of the book... Shall I? No, I don't think so. This is a book you must experience from the very first page when a young girl is driven to commit suicide due to fear of retribution from her family--from her neighbors...

But, I will refer you back to my first assumption above... To me, my entire involvement with this book with the videos has been another God Incident for me...and maybe some of you?

We have reached in my lifetime (and yours) what appears to be the worst ever events ever to occur in America... All caused by one individual who wants to be King, or even God... He wants the riches of all coming directly to him for his use. No matter how many lives of the "small people" will be so hurt that many could die--from lack of medical care... Most of us see it, recognize it... Some, though, either have the same mindset of greed, selfishness and prejudice. Or, they are too afraid to fight back, even while their lives are being destroyed. I'm old enough not to change my basic beliefs as directed by Jesus. And I have no reason to fear, even if I'm eyeballed for elimination as Trump and Musk are doing daily to millions! 

Girls, women and others have for the last 2000 years been downtrodden, depressed, denigrated and often, abused, even sold by human traffickers, and sold to rich men as slaves or concubines or mistresses... 

Perhaps God himself did decide Enough is Enough. After all, he could still remember that a group of men surrounding a young girl who had used sex to gain food for her table, perhaps her family as well, and planned on stoning that girl to death based upon their catching her in "sin" against their religious laws... 

If Jesus would do a "Stop the Crap!" act, what do you thing He would do NOW?

Perhaps exactly what was imagined by Author Stuart Land in Daughters

And I and millions of women and men and girls and boys would be singing at His Great Gift! Forgiving Us Once Again and Sharing His Love...and Truth...once again across the Earth~

Take the imagination of Stuart Land, add the imagination of a Single Christian Woman who asks, "Is Sex All That?" and you're seeing the results... Now all you have to do is check out this Fantastic, Scary, Stunning, and A Stupendous Possible Prediction for All of Our God's children! Will we in turn lose our Free Will, I wonder... I doubt it... But God has been known to wipe out earth and start over... Maybe the Daughters was inspired?

Enjoy! and let me know what you think!

GABixlerReviews

Watch Night by Harold Michael Harvey Wins Bronze Medal at 2025 Illumination Book Awards

 

Congratulation my Friend Michael!

You Deserve One More Award...and Many More!

Glenda

For Immediate Release

Atlanta, GA — February 21, 2025 — Cascade Publishing House is proud to announce that the critically acclaimed book Watch Night: A Narrative History of Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Macon, Georgia, From 1863 to 2023 by Harold Michael Harvey, has been honored with a Bronze Medal at the prestigious 2025 Illumination Book Awards. The book triumphed in the highly competitive category of Ministry/Mission.

Watch Night is a meticulously researched and compellingly written narrative that chronicles the history of Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Macon, Georgia, from the Civil War era to the present day. The book highlights the church’s enduring legacy and pivotal role in shaping the community’s spiritual and cultural landscape.

Author Harold Michael Harvey, a distinguished historian and award-winning journalist, brings to life the rich tapestry of the church’s history through vivid storytelling and rigorous scholarship. Watch Night is a testament to the resilience and faith of the Bethel CME Church congregation and an invaluable resource for understanding the broader African American experience.

Harvey’s memoir, Freaknik Lawyer: A Memoir on the Craft of Resistance, won a Bronze Medal in 2020 from the Living Now Book Awards.

“We are thrilled and deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Illumination Book Awards,” said Harold Michael Harvey. “This award is a tribute to the remarkable history of Bethel CME Church and the unwavering spirit of its members. I am grateful to Cascade Publishing House for supporting this story to a wider audience.”

The Illumination Book Awards celebrate and promote excellence in Christian publishing, honoring books that inspire and illuminate a deeper understanding of God’s Word. The Ministry/Mission category recognizes works significantly enriching church life and mission.

“Watch Night” is available through Cascade Publishing House at Watch Night | Cascade Publishing House, The Tubman Museum in Macon, Georgia, and The Golden Bough Bookstore in Macon, Georgia.

For media inquiries, please contact: Cynthia M. Harvey: cmharvey@bellsouth.net


Michael

Harold Michael Harvey is a Past President of The Gate City Bar Association and is the recipient of the Association’s R. E. Thomas Civil Rights Award. He is the author of Paper Puzzle and Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System, and a two-time winner of Allvoices’ Political Pundit Prize. His work has appeared in Facing South, The Atlanta Business Journal, The Southern Christian Leadership Conference Magazine, Southern Changes Magazine, Black Colleges Nines, and Medium.

Looks Like I've Got Anothr Book To Read...

God Bless,

Gabby