I’m a black atheist, and don’t like the concept of God. But I like people, and am willing to work with them — so long as it doesn’t include endorsing the concept of God in any way, shape, or form.
Which is why I gotta give a shout-out to Reverend David Kennedy.
I found out about David Kennedy last night, in a Facebook conversation. I posted this story of a mostly white crowd marching in protest at the Charleston Confederate Museum, with the hashtage #notallwhitepeople, applauding their efforts. It can be disheartening, as a black atheist, to fight against racism and argue with white people — it’s good to see some people with some sense, fighting for equality. However, one of my friends was somewhat outraged, and exclaimed in surprise, “There’s a Confederate Museum? Is there a KKK Museum, too?”
Out of curiosity, I looked it up…and no, I didn’t find a KKK Museum. The last one seems to have closed up shop sometime on May 23, 2012.
Guess where that KKK Museum was?
That’s right, South Carolina. In the Columbia area, actually, where Dylann Roof lived, as well.
And the last owner of it was a black Reverend. Reverend David Kennedy.
This guy had picketed the shop several times. He had lobbied to get the Confederate flag off the South Carolina Capitol dome — and been successful (it moved off the dome to the lawn — baby steps, but still progress). And he also fought to make sure a South Carolina county that did not want to recognize MLK Day, recognized it.
Owning the shop was a long road. Reverend Kennedy had his eye on the shop beginning in 1997, when he brought it. Supposedly this would be quite a hill to climb — there was a grandfathered-in clause in the lease that said the shop could operate until its proprietor, John Howard (who is still very much alive), died. Kennedy, undeterred, took steps to close it legally, and after a very long campaign of picketing, speechmaking, and court battles — from 1997-2012, about 15 years — he and his church finally got the ability to do with the lease as they pleased.
And there is now a “closed for good” marking where the website for the shop used to be. Closed for good since May 23, 2012.
Such tenacity. Such perseverance. I’m an atheist, but I still have to tip my hat.
Sometimes these battles can seem very discouraging, especially when the quick fix doesn’t seem to happen. But it’s through that hard, determined effort that, when I do a search for a KKK Museum and don’t see one open, I can tell my friend on Facebook, “No, there is no KKK Museum. Not anymore.”
It’s why I can say, “No, the flag isn’t flying from the dome of the Capitol anymore, although it’s still on the lawn — and we should do something about that.”
It’s why Greenville County, in South Carolina and after years of consistent refusal, celebrated its first MLK Day in 2006.
He didn’t do it alone. He had help. But he did do plenty, and for that…respect.
In 2008, when he started the legal push (after owning the building for 11 years) to control the lease for the KKK Museum, he gave a glimpse into his determination:
“Racism is fresh and alive and on the rise and the KKK’s Redneck Shop revealed this. We can sit back and continue to be no involvement people or we can try to make this the number one county for the world to take note of.”
I’m taking note.
I’m ready to pick the “Black Lives Matter” sign that I dropped hopelessly in the grass back up.
It’s going to be a long fight, but it’s possible.
We still differ widely on religion….but still, from one black man trying to hammer a chink in the marginalization of race to another….thanks for the encouragement, David Kennedy. I needed it.
[Image Is Self-Taken Photo]