A time of transition

PHILADELPHIA, January 10, 9:18A local time.

So there’s this article I need to finish cranking on the impact of Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans. And there are these ongoing reflections about the past decade I’ve been pondering and looking to record here. The head cold and blistering headache that won’t quit may be a sinus infection, meaning a trip to the doctor’s office for your friendly neighborhood uninsured browngirl. (Sigh)

Still, even with all that going on, I realized I could not move forward until I wrote about Hardy Williams.

The bittersweet aspect of celebrating a new year is that if you live long enough, you realize it will also be filled with transitions, some of which you are prepared, and others that still stop you cold. Since we’ve entered 2010 days ago, both Eunice Johnson and Jean Biden have joined the ancestors. Their place in our collective cultural memory extends beyond being wives of powerful men or mothers to influential ones.

They were innovators and nurturers in their own right and women to be respected and emulated in a number of ways. Johnson forced a country and a people to see black women as every bit as elegant and beautiful as any who graced the runways or the seats surrounding them in Paris or Milan. Biden summoned and symbolized an earthy mother wit that continues to inspire, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political party.

But as a Philadelphian, I would be remiss not to spend some time on Hardy Williams, the former state legislator, political activist, and dean of independent politics that inspired a fresh take on power and possibility in this city and beyond.

His death – ironically enough, due to complications from Alzheimer’s – saddened me both professionally and personally. As a student of and commentator on politics, it was more than evident that his influence can be seen in the current crop of political leadership and in anyone who values equality and justice for all.

Trained as a soldier and an attorney, Hardy plowed his charisma and intellect into a movement that had been brewing among African Americans, Latinos, Asians, women and the disaffected young of every color and community (sound familiar?). He is credited with making it all happen, but as history and reality often note, there is always an organization that helps create and sustain any transformational leader, be it King or Obama. The same is true here, and Hardy was secure enough to say such. In fact, one of his greatest gifts was to not only show a new generation that things could be different, but to take the time to offer him a few tricks he picked up along the way. His challenge was simple: "What are you going to do? Not talk about. Do?"

Those lessons did not come for free. Tuition came from sweat equity, because there was always a project underway, calls to be made, doors to be knocked on, papers to be filed, legwork needing fresh -- and often free -- energy. In short, there were dues to be paid. But what most will tell you - to a person - is that the price of admission was well worth the show, whether it threw light on how best to operate or what to avoid.

There are literally dozens of political figures around town today that owe some measure of their success to his efforts, either directly where he served as a strategist for their campaigns or indirectly in that he took on the major slings and arrows years before, making their road easier. Those numbers include the current mayor to the newly sworn-in district attorney.

It wasn't just about grooming "leaders," but also ripening the climate for those new voices, making the establishment understand that there were consequences for ignoring the will of the people, and emboldening residents so that they understood they deserved their desires to be heard and manifested.

Hardy is among that last crop of Civil Rights Era trailblazers and hell-raisers that are passing on. At 78, it seems like it was far too early for him to leave. Like too many of them, in communities across the nation, what exists in the modern record about him and them is largely  unsatisfying. Their legacies are tied mostly to crumbling newsprint and grainy film footage stowed in archives, far from this electronic, HDTV realm.

We are grateful that Hardy’s ambition didn’t end with integrating Penn State University’s basketball team – funny to consider today a college team of worth without a black player – or graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He didn’t peak with the 1971 mayor’s race that he lost, but won more as the first credible black candidate for the city’s top post, or even with his seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives or the Pennsylvania Senate. If he saw talent, he wanted to find a way to support and advance it. If he saw an opportunity, he was off to capture it. He had a street hustler's quickness with a social worker's compassion and a pol's savvy. The combo was off the charts if your cause was his, politically lethal if not.

His mind stayed popping, even as this illness crippled its key functions. He followed the 2008 presidential campaign with ferocity, and there was little doubt that he would. Breaking barriers and uniting people seeking to speak in their own voice for their own vision of democracy – it was all too Hardy.

I did not have the benefit of knowing him in his fiery era; my relationship with him arose during this lion’s winter. But even age-mellowed, Hardy was always ablaze with ideas, with the simple concept that empowerment means people could exercise their options as they saw fit – not relegated to being puppets in a show directed by shadowy figures behind the curtain. There’s more than I can record here in what I learned from and about him. But I will continue to strive to take the best of it and pay it forward.

Holiday hiatus, extended

Seeking forgiveness, readers, first and foremost.

Realize that for the past few weeks, things have been slack on this blog. There was taking time off to do the obligatory decorating, shopping, cooking and all the rest that accompanies this time of year. Much of that took up quite a bit of my time, and I hadn't realized how long I've been away from posting. Then, dagnabit! A head cold rears itself! Ick! Yet another setback!

So as yours truly battles with her sinuses, I'll be thinking strong thoughts that hopefully will translate into compelling words to be read right here. Foremost is trying to wrap my head around the fact that we're closing out the first decade of the 21st century. Still mind-blowing when you stop to consider where we we were, as a city, region, nation, world, just 10 short years ago. Reflecting on 1999-turning-to-2000, and then bringing it forward does give one reason to pause for some heavy-duty pondering.

But if you still have an eggnog buzz and you're not quite ready for that kind of deep dive, fear not! You can still entertain yourself with another Law & Order (can you believe it's been on the air 20 years?) or NCIS marathon on cable, college bowl games, DVD/Blu-Ray or whatever gets you through the lull times between poking through posts here. Promise to be back with as soon as I get finished chugging the meds and can think straight once again.

TV alert

Been trying to get back in the saddle, amid a lot of other things going on. Here's the latest snippet from my panel appearance on Inside Story, the top-rated public affairs program in Philadelphia that runs on 6ABC locally.

Weather outside is frightful, but closing debate delightful!

Snow is piling up on the streets throughout the East Coast, especially in Washington, D.C. Maybe the sudden snowstorm has inspired legislators there to shake a tail feather when it comes to moving health care reform.

Really. It could almost be here. The U.S. Senate could be inching toward closing its debate and voting on health reform. The latest reports project a Christmas Eve vote, but it may come even sooner than that.

Really.

Far from perfect, far from heaven, but far from standing still, either. The Congressional Budget Office provided another assessment for the bill in the senate, and it's looking good for deficit reduction -- a biggie for anyone with children or thoughts of future bills. The Washington Post offers a great graphic analysis of the bills from the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that need to be reconciled, should both pass.

Of course, many of these provisions are not set to take effect for a few years yet, but progress is forward-looking and movement. Tweaking along the way is the American mandate, the nation whose enduring aspiration is to "form a more perfect union."

Peace in our streets, in our time: the question remains

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 16, 8:41A, local time

Here I sit after my morning meditation, some 72 hours after returning from Oslo and a host of activities celebrating and promoting peace efforts around the world, returning to the city I love and finding it still embroiled in shameless behavior following incidents of seemingly ethnically-motivated violence among young people.

Now, racial intolerance and violence are no strangers in this "city of brotherly love and sisterly affection." But what happened among classmates of South Philadelphia High School has been particularly appalling, particularly the response of the adults involved, those on whom children learn to rely for their protection.

Quick review: South Philly High serves a diverse array of young people, and assaults are up nearly a third over last year's tallies. There has been a number of reported incidents, but what has spurred so much outrage is when African-American students apparently beat some two dozen Asian students, primarily Chinese immigrants, earlier this month. Some say it was reported retaliation from a black kid being attacked by Chinese-American kids a day or two before. What followed was a boycott among Chinese-American students who cited fears for their safety and they refused to return to school, missing at least a week's worth of classes.

Community advocates and parents have alleged for some time that Asian students there, several of whom are new to the country, have been easier marks for bullies in that limited language and cultural fears have stifled reporting.

Forget the utter and sad irony that but a generation ago, or even less, it would have been African-American students falling to the violence of white colleagues. The acts of the aggressive students are beyond shameful. Here sits for the first time a president of the United States who not only looks like them,  but often encourages them to strive for excellence, who has been recognized on a world stage for such vision, and this is the best they can demonstrate?  But stupidity among young people is expected, which is why there is supposed to be adult guidance to lead them. Not in this case, judging by the glacially-slow public response from officials.

Yes, it is important sometimes to try and handle things behind closed doors, to diffuse anger. But parents and activists have been complaining and warning of counterproductive, even dangerous, environments for these students, and when these concerns, at least by published reports, had gone largely unheeded. And we're not talking about some attention-seeking blowhards. We're talking about people like Helen Gym, who long has been involved in fighting for quality education for all children. This issue has been out there. It certainly didn't look like anyone in power was listening.

PR 101 says get in front of the story, showing both the immediate and wider community that this incident has the full attention of stakeholders and policymakers. Instead, both district and city officials lagged behind, not responding publicly until nearly a week after the vicious attacks. What's still left unsaid is how peace can and will be encouraged and mediated among these young people, how resentments and tensions will be diffused. For those who believe in equality and justice for all, it should not matter the language these students speak or the color of their skin -- of either the attackers or victims. Clearly, deeper problems exist and need addressing.

It can be assumed that as long as people within the immediate school community are satisfied, all is well. After all, the boycotting students did return to school this week. That would miss the point. It's not unfathomable that others could leap upon these incidents and use them to fuel their own misplaced sense of entitlement and hate, that incidents such as this could be repeated elsewhere, buoyed by the implicit feel that it's acceptable to pick on those of perceived lesser status. That could be at this school or elsewhere. And ignoring that fact, attempting to go back to life-before-the-media-glare on this one would be a mistake that's disappointing at best, potentially dangerous at worse.