Mentorship is Priceless – African American News and Issues

Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Religion is taking step one even if you don’t see the entire staircase.” This quote jogs my memory of the significance of mentoring our youth. Mentorship provides our students a robust basis and the arrogance to take the subsequent step. By mentorship, it permits our youth to know somebody cares in regards to the selections they make in life. Even after they don’t make the best selection, a caring mentor shall be there to assist them work out the subsequent steps in direction of enchancment.

The Metropolis of Houston Councilman Edward Pollard of District J was blessed with the most effective mentors on this planet, Rev. Dr. Theodore Judson Jemison. He was not solely Councilman Edward’s beloved grandfather, however a mentor to the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rev. Dr. Jemison was not solely Godfearing, however a compassionate and loving chief who believed in standing up for change. Dr. Jemison believed within the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” This mindset allowed Dr. Jemison to belief that God would defend him, which allowed him to pursue equality and justice for all.

It’s a little-known indisputable fact that Dr. Jemison created the blueprint for the Civil Rights Motion’s bus boycotts. In 1953, Baton Rouge’s African Americans have been bored with paying the identical worth as Whites to be compelled to take a seat in the back of the bus or stand if a White particular person wished their seat. So, they organized the primary large-scale bus boycott of a southern metropolis’s segregated bus system. Dr. Jemison satisfied the Baton Rouge Metropolis Council to abolish the legislation that prevented Black residents from sitting within the first ten rows of public buses, which resulted within the White bus drivers happening strike to stop implementation of the legislation. When town rescinded the legislation, Dr. Jemison and different Baton Rouge leaders initiated a bus boycott by native Black residents who comprised 80% of the bus riders. He additionally organized a free-ride system to assist Blacks get round with out entry to public transportation. After 5 consecutive days of a week-long boycott, a compromise was reached wherein solely the primary two rows of public buses have been reserved for Whites. The African People then organized carpools and refused to trip the buses in Baton Rouge.

When the chief of the boycott, Dr. Jemison, struck a cope with town’s management, many believed that he didn’t acquire substantial enhancements for Black riders. Many individuals felt Dr. Jemison capitulated too shortly, however God had an even bigger plan to root out racism at its core and Dr. Jemison deserves credit score for his tenacity and braveness to dare to take step one to equality. The Baton Rouge Bus Boycott made nationwide headlines and impressed civil rights leaders throughout the South. Councilman Pollard highlighted the continued mentorship of Dr. Jemison and Dr. King and stated, “After my grandfather efficiently led the bus boycott in Baton Rouge, Rev. King got here all the way down to Baton Rouge to go to him to study the technique. King additionally often known as my grandfather to get recommendation on easy methods to set up and what to anticipate. King notes many instances in his autobiography “Stride In the direction of Freedom” that Jemison’s “painstaking description of the Baton Rouge expertise was invaluable.”

With that small victory, the African American Spiritual Leaders within the south set forth to actually change the world with the founding of the Southern Christian Management Convention (SCLC). In 1957, SCLC had the aim of redeeming “the soul of America” via nonviolent resistance, so that they coordinated the motion of native protest teams all through the South. Underneath the management of Dr. King. and the blueprint of Dr. Jemison’s Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, the group collaborated with Black church buildings to create a stronghold that will cripple racism all through the south. In response to Councilman Pollard, “Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. conferred with my grandfather in regards to the techniques utilized in Baton Rouge, and King utilized these classes when planning the bus boycott that finally defeated segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, and drew main media consideration to the injustices of Jim Crow.” He additional continued discussing his household’s historical past and stated, “My grandfather and Dr. King additionally served collectively on the primary board of administrators of the Southern Christian Management Convention (SCLC) through the civil rights period. My grandfather was the Secretary and King served as President.” This mentorship between Jemison and Dr. King modified our world eternally. Dr. King wrote, with fellow ministers C. Ok. Steele and Fred Shuttlesworth in January 1957, “as a result of we have now no ethical selection, earlier than God, however to delve deeper into the battle—and to take action with larger reliance on non-violence and with larger unity, coordination, sharing and Christian understanding”.

Councilman Pollard was introduced up across the expectation of service, management, and serving to folks. It was simply how his household operated. He was taught to look out for others and repair was immersed in his household’s on a regular basis lives. Rising up, he was inspired to find out about present occasions and to learn the newspaper to know what was happening in our world.

As Pastor of the Mt. Zion First Baptist Church for 50 years, Dr. Jemison met the wants of his congregation. The church is situated on T.J. Jemison Blvd in Baton Rouge, LA. Underneath his management, Mount Zion was the biggest Black church in Louisiana. Rev. Jemison organized voter registration efforts that strengthened the political energy of Black Baton Rouge residents. Their improved political standing led to the creation of over a dozen new public faculties for African People in Baton Rouge. Councilman Pollard proudly shared, “My grandfather went on to be the President of the Nationwide Baptist Conference, USA Inc., which was the biggest Black non secular group on this planet.”

In 1945, Rev. Jemison married Celestine Catlett Jemison, and collectively they’d three youngsters, T.J. Jemison, Jr., Dianne Jemison Pollard, and Betty Jane Wagner. Councilman Pollard’s mom Dianne Jemison Pollard,  has at all times been robust proponent of schooling as she obtained her doctoral diploma in counseling from Texas Southern College. She just lately retired as Dean of the Thomas F. Freeman Honors Faculty and Professor of Theatre within the Division of Visible and Performing Arts the place she served tirelessly for 4 a long time.

Councilman Pollard is a proud product of Southwest Houston. He attended all HISD faculties (Lovett, Johnston, Lamar), earlier than accepting a basketball scholarship to Morehouse Faculty. He’s additionally an honors graduate of the Thurgood Marshall Faculty of Legislation at Texas Southern College and obtained a certificates in Negotiation Mastery from Harvard Enterprise Faculty. Professionally, Edward is the principal proprietor of Pollard Authorized Group, LLC, a boutique civil litigation legislation agency situated in District J. “My grandfather didn’t go to Morehouse, however served on the Morehouse Faculty Board of Regents and in addition funded the statue of Dr. King in entrance of King Chapel on Morehouse’s campus when he was President of the Nationwide Baptist Conference, USA Inc.”

Persevering with his household custom of Mentorship, Pollard can also be the founding father of Fits for Success, a non-profit group that mentors teen boys on life abilities at District J excessive faculties. The semester-long program focuses on public talking, etiquette coaching, private finance, resume constructing, interview strategies, and easy methods to tie a tie. After this system, every scholar receives a free swimsuit, shirt, and tie for highschool commencement and life past.

The Jemison and Pollard household have a rare legacy of service, mentorship, and scholarship that has stood the check of time. While you give again to your group unselfishly, your group helps you naturally, which explains Councilman Pollard’s success as the one Black Male Councilman on our current Houston Metropolis Council in a district with no predominantly black neighborhoods. He has taken his grandfather’s mentorship and life examples to serve all folks and never simply individuals who seem like him. He has develop into the personification of what his grandfather and Dr. King fought so laborious to create a world the place we decide folks by the content material of their character.