My brother, Anthony Clark, one of the best, most committed community leaders, social justice leaders, and all-around coalition builders, is running for Congressman of our 7th District. As someone who cares very much about social justice and racial equity, I think everyone in this community should be supporting Anthony’s bid enthusiastically. In fact, I’m shocked and disappointed that he hasn’t been getting more support from our community.
Anthony has proven he is committed to serving this community. He is committed to helping all, regardless of their race, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference or ideologies. He is even willing to support folks, especially people of color, who don’t support him and call him names like “racial agitator” and “troublemaker.” On more than one occasion, I’ve seen Anthony show up for his critics, when they encounter their own personal community “racial-equity incident,” even when they were previously unsupportive and treated him negatively.
Why? Because to Anthony, the movement for social justice isn’t about individuals; it is about all of us uniting. He has spent his professional career showing up for all people and for the movement.
With the moral crisis in our nation, Anthony Clark is exactly the person we need representing our community in the United States Congress.
Americans have a solid history of loving, appreciating, quoting, and revering social justice leaders — after they die. But while they were alive, many social justice warriors, especially the black ones like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, Fred Hampton, James Baldwin and Shirley Chisholm, were seen as “troublemakers” and the “respectable liberals,” both black and white, kept their distance from those “radicals.” Instead, moderates chose to link movements and folks who were more socially acceptable than “radicals” like the Black Panther Party or people who actively protested the war in Vietnam.
But once these “troublemakers” died — sorry, they didn’t “die.” They were murdered — once they were dead and gone, then liberals and progressives love and support them. Now they are our heroes and we wear T-shirts with their faces and movements to show how “down” we are. It would be nice if we could support our current “troublemakers” with our time, energy, and votes. Let’s support the Charlene Carruthers, Jahmal Coles, Greta Thunburgs, and progressive Rockstar Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is proudly supporting Anthony Clark. Let’s start wearing T-shirts with their faces and organizations. While they are alive.
Anthony fights for community unity by supporting, collaborating with real actions, for all people, regardless of their racial, ethnic, class, gender, or even if they dislike him personally. He supports the community because it is never about him personally; it is about the movement for racial social equity.
Anthony Clark has always been there to support us; and now it is our time to support him.
