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Vol. 13 No. 28…Dedicated to the Dialogue on
Race…Ju1y 11, 2010
Bit of History
Charles Laverne "Cab" Cabbage (1944 -
2010)
Born on June 8, 1944, the second
child in a brood of 8 to Irvin and Jessie Cabbage, Charles L. Cabbage cherished
his working class roots. Black families in the Riverside community of
However, this was no easy task, because the former garden plot sloped into a
small flat area surrounded by walnut trees, hence its name "Walnut
Grove." Impediments, such as those trees and the uneven terrain were set,
allowing one to adjust his game, not so however for the older guys who
dominated the court on most occasions. Establishing himself in the
"grove" taught Charles early in life that one has to take his lumps,
if he is to succeed because the world did not come with referees to calls fouls.
High school was where Charles
experienced real success academically and athletically. And like cream, he rose
to the top. Charles graduated from
The mid-1960s was a turbulent time in the
Now known as "Cab" by his associates, Charles joined the Student
Non-violent Coordinating Committee's (SNCC) cavalcade and honed his skills as
an organizer.
Cab reunited with Coby Smith, an activist from
Cabbage had a unique skill for recognizing the needs of the community, and he
proposed a broad based organization called the Black Organizing Project (BOP)
to address problems. BOP consisted of a political arm called the Black United
Front, an economic branch called the Downtown Association, a Vietnam Veterans
support group, senior citizens confab, a tenant association called the Mobilizers and a youth division known as the Invaders. This
multi-purpose structure allowed BOP to help all segments of the community in
confronting problems.
The real test came when Memphis
Sanitation workers went on strike in 1967 and the City of
Cab described his strategy,
"I decided to use small groups of Invaders that could move fast, hit and
run to frustrate police and city leaders. They harassed workers that crossed
the picket lines, dumped garbage in the streets at night, ambushed collection
trucks with rocks and bottles, even with gun shots on a few occasions. Invader
squads turned out high schools on 'black Mondays' and led students to city hall
protests."
When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held a march in
Following the sanitation strike Cabbage became a marked man. He was hounded by
the police and the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program (Co-Intel-Pro) agents.
Cab spent some years on the run, even surviving an assassination attempt. While
Cabbage lived incognito, slowly Memphis began to change, electing its first
black Congressman, a black majority on the city council, eventually a black
Mayor, but there was no hero's welcome upon Cab's return.
Keeping a very low profile, Cabbage returned to
After battling health problems
for several years, on June 24, 2010, Charles "Cab" Cabbage passed
leaving his mother, a sister, two brothers, three children, six grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews and friends. His innovative
vision, fierce determination and love for his people and community will be
truly missed by all who knew him.
By John Burl Smith
Funerals have always seemed such
morbid affairs. Accordingly, I only attend under very special circumstances.
The overt mourning -- sobbing and painful cries -- always hang heavy on me long
after the occasion passes. Moreover, I prefer to remember people expressing
their full zeal and passion for life, doing things they loved and chasing their
dreams like a kid playing hide and seek. Consequently, I was seized with
trepidation when the notice arrived in
Such gatherings are never
supposed to be considered pleasant, definitely not festive, so we donned gloomy
masks to avoid inappropriateness. But to the contrary for me, the atmosphere quickly
turned from gloom to smiles as I saw faces and greeted friends, teammates,
classmates and former competitors that I had not seen in years. The occasion
began to feel more like a homecoming for me than a home going for Cab, as we
affectionately called him.
The program included dignitaries, as well as friends and all told their
favorite Charles Cabbage story. As they spoke, it was clear,
his many years of struggle trying to benefit the community were not in vain.
During his life, Charles had touched many people in a profound and lasting way.
His legacy of service to the
My heart overflowed for Cab, a
friend and fellow warrior, who had given so much of himself, because he was
finally receiving the long overdue recognition he deserved. For once, I left a
funeral service feeling better than I did when I arrived. Other than my wife,
Dot, Charles was the only other person who was always able to consistently
bring something out of me, I had no idea was there. Thanks for being my friend,
rest peacefully Cab.
LOST
By Charles L. Cabbage
Many years ago
When my heart was young
I tried to give it away.
I could not.
Then I finally learned how;
So I gave it freely.
I left it unprotected,
I did not know how to love,
And to avoid the pain.
So I gave it freely to many.
In time it was shattered into pieces
And scattered around the world.
Now in the last quarter of my life
I am searching for the pieces.
Sometimes I manage to find a fragment,
Or small piece and try to give it to someone;
It is never enough.
Putting together the pieces of a fracture and scattered
Heart is the task that many of us follow,
trying hard to find the feeling that comes
with the giving of all the fractured pieces.
But still we search....
So I still try to make a whole heart
From the scattered pieces.
Forever alone I will not accept.
I will find the rest of the fragments
Of the love that I have to offer....
AND I SHALL GIVE IT
AWAY!!!!
By John Burl Smith
There are few people or times
that truly touch the lives of others in such a way that afterwards things are
never the same. During the summer of 1967, it was that way for me when Charles
L. Cabbage returned to South Memphis from
Today, we take such concepts for
granted and express such ideas as givens. However, with the passing of Charles,
I found myself rummaging through my life as I thought about his. Never a
perfect individual by any stretch of the imagination but he was a man for his
time. I will not judge him with today's eyes looking upon his mortal coil; that
would be a glance into the rearview mirror of hindsight. What I see when I gaze
upon his still remains is a fallen hero of mine. No knight in shining armor,
but he picked up the flag and held it aloft to rally a bedraggled people, when
others better suited ran the other way.
I do not sound taps or treble the
horn for a man that the tragedies of life revealed his flaws, I eulogize a drum
major, one who blew the charge during those desperate hours when all seemed
lost. He was the example I sought to emulate in a feeble attempt to measure up
to his stalwart challenge. More than an inspiration, Charles dilated my world,
allowing me to realize possibilities I never thought existed. The most
important came through my involvement with the Invaders and black power, where
I found the gift of words and became a writer.
This is a gift I could never have
imagined that day I sat at the Log Cabin as Charles walked up and began talking
what I felt at the time was that "black power crap." However, Charles
had a very penetrating intellect and his logic could not be denied. He was a natural
leader who found a way to articulate our needs, frustrations, ambitions, dreams
and hopes. Whether you were an Invader, part of the Black Organizing Project,
neighbor, classmate or teammate, the sentiments expressed here about Charles
you identify with and hold close to your heart and are comforted by the fact
that he was a special person.
"The Lord moves in
mysterious ways" and He chooses some most unlikely messengers to carry His
words. The best example is Saul who became Paul. My point is not to make Charles
seem a saint but to remind everyone that Paul was human and that God works
through anyone to accomplish His purposes. For me, Charles was God's way of
lifting me up from the lowest hell and
Live Your Life
Shawnee Chief
Tecumseh (1768-1813)
Live your life that the fear of
death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect
others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life,
perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble
death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even
a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to
none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life,
for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you
see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for
abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When your
time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of
death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time
to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and
die like a hero going home."
Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls
Email www.cnn.com
...NAACP: Minorities assigned tougher oil spill jobs ...The NAACP has sent a
letter to BP expressing concerns that minorities helping to clean up after the
massive oil spill tend to be assigned tougher, lower paying jobs than whites.
NAACP president, Ben Jealous, says in the letter dated Friday that he wants to
meet with BP's chief executive officer. E-mail messages left with several BP
spokespeople were not immediately returned. The NAACP says minority contractors
are not receiving equal consideration for opportunities to participate in
mitigation efforts. It claims that contractors are busing in workers from out
of state instead of hiring locals who have lost their livelihoods because of
the spill. It also says that cleanup workers are not being provided with
protective clothing and masks.
Email www.ap.com ...Angry protesters eye sentencing in
transit killing...By Paul Elias and Greg Risling...
The involuntary manslaughter conviction of a white former transit officer in
the death of an unarmed black man set the stage for a sentencing that could be
just as explosive as the trial depending on how the judge interprets the
verdict. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry has a tremendous amount
of discretion in handing down punishment Aug. 6 against Johannes Mehserle - anywhere from probation to 14 years. A sentence
on the low end could further inflame tensions among the hundreds of angry
people who took to the streets of Oakland Thursday over what they believe
should have been a murder conviction. Those protesters could find some
satisfaction in the way Perry decides to apply a finding by the jury that Mehserle used a gun to commit the crime. Involuntary
manslaughter convictions call for two to four years in prison, but Perry could
tack on an additional three to 10 years due to the gun enhancement. Mehserle, 28, testified during his trial that he struggled
with Grant and saw him digging in his pocket as officers responded to reports
of a fight at a train station. Fearing Grant may have a weapon, Mehserle said he decided to shock Grant with his Taser but mistakenly pulled his .40-caliber handgun. Grant
was shot as he lay face-down. Prosecutors wanted
Johannes Mehserle convicted of murdering Grant.
Instead, jurors decided Mehserle didn't mean to kill
Grant, but his behavior was still so negligent that it was criminal.
Email
madscans@gmail.com ...According to a Raw report, US Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas is reportedly
"outraged" after security guards at a New Orleans-area hospital were
accused of punching and tasing his epileptic nephew.
ABC affiliate WGNO reports Derek Thomas was admitted to