 Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson Charlotte Clark-Frieson has been working for 32 years, to ensure that her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Wilkie Clark, are memorialized in history. Not just in the history of our small local community, but in the history of the nation.
"I truly believe our youth and young adults could better understand and meet the present-day challenges that confront them, with a deeper knowledge and appreciation for what my generation and those who came before me, HAD to endure in order to emerge victorious in spite of the extreme racial barriers -- the institutionalized booby-traps we experience in the judicial system -- the ominous educational barriers, the systematic exclusion we experienced in every area of life, the many racial epithets we were forced to hear and not hear." For the sum total of their lives -- my mama's, daddy's, and mine -- we're talking 175 years total -- merely living and breathing -- WHILE BLACK -- was an exercise in futility. YET, they, were two of the most formidable and successful African Americans in that community, and they made it their mission to bring the entire village along with them. Outspoken-- Audacious -- Vocal! It's not an unusual story. Every community has had it's heroes. But they are so woefully unsung. It is a story that hasn't been told nearly enough -- not as thoroughly -- not in enough detail -- for today's youth to understand the tremendous personal effort and sacrifice that was necessary in order for our people to overcome and get to where we are today. The problem that I see is that -- even when you tell 'em about it -- few blacks even believe it and the whites have ALWAYS been in denial, even when these atrocities were happening in real time. The next problem that I see is that -- as a culture -- we (African Americans by and large) have failed so miserably to keep our youth in the loop in terms of keeping them up with their history, that they don't even have a blueprint for how to navigate this vast ocean called systemic and institutional racism -- THAT IS STILL HERE TODAY! My dad was probably one of the most outstanding citizens to ever grace our community. He probably visited the City Council meetings more frequently than anybody .... not just as a spectator; but as a petitioner -- an aggrieved citizen -- redressing the grievances and vocalizing the dis-ease within an entire community -- looking after the emotional well-being of the hundreds of black youngsters traumatized by the desegregation process -- standing in as a father for those whose father's were too afraid or unwilling to be there -- seeking justice for others in the village who looked just like him. Mistreatment of our people was a given. It was just there -- the big ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. It was pervasive throughout the entire state of Alabama, yet he put his life on the line to combat it head on. I want to make damn sure that he is remembered for that. Not that I'm in any way trying to confer upon him the status of a Martin Luther King, but WHO ELSE do you know willing to put themselves... or their lives on the line for another? BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD WATCHING OVER HIM!!! He could very easily have become ANOTHER martyr -- an Medgar Evans or even an MLK. So, ever since the deaths of my mother and father -- both in the same year (1989) -- I've slowly but deliberately worked at it... putting their history out there for public consumption. Sixteen (16) years after their deaths, In 2005, only after realizing that I was about to turn 50, I was finally able to self-publish my daddy's biography. It was just one of many steps taken. But, for me, the biography was merely a feeble step in the direction I was trying to go in. I dare say, it was hastily put together; yet, it was a start. Before I knew it, I was 50, and I knew that nobody could tell their story but me. Most black folks back then were too dam scared to hold their heads up. They didn't see everything that the Clarks were doing, because they were too scared... didn't want to be in it! From the moment I realized my daddy (and mama) were gone from us -- forever -- I knew that their absence from our community would have a deep impact on people both black and white. From that point forward, black folks wouldn't have anybody to keep them aware of the continuing struggles ahead of us; and white folks wouldn't have anybody in the community to hold them accountable for their collective roles in much of our suffering. I knew I needed to do something, but I was young--a mere 35 years old. My thinking about how to get it done wasn't all that well-organized because there were too many distractions. I probably should have reached out for help, but back then, I just wasn't sure what steps I needed to take to accomplish it. I had a LOT of irons in the fire and tasks on my plate. It was hard trying to juggle all of that efficiently. Daddy had left me -- his only child -- a daughter with a full-time teaching job in the public schools in Georgia -- with a business to run -- not abundantly staffed -- so all those years, I was constantly trying to divide myself into little pieces, trying to be all things to all people -- the way he was -- and many years passed without getting a whole lot done. But, the desire never left my heart and mind. Just being here, and having to navigate our community without him in it -- was a constant reminder of what I needed to do. As my own children matured into adulthood, they began to see my vision and be more helpful. The only issue is they didn't really know the history and therefore could not really assist me in sorting through the key events that were important enough to be highlighted. Finally in April of 2020, we succeeded in having their company listed in the "Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage" by the Alabama Historical Commission. We tried to imagine ways of opening up our business to historical tours wherein we could share and highlight the long history of their many struggles. But, our building needed to be larger to accommodate these kinds of visits. So, we began a long journey of enlarging our presence in the community, as well as our building. Today, the end of the long journey is getting closer, yet so far away. As a final thought, I can't fail to punctuate this blog by saying that Wilkie and Hattie Clark were NOT the ONLY two courageous black citizens in our community. Over time, many other heroic African-Americans came on the scene and worked along with him and remained on the scene. They, too deserve their respective places in our history. But, what I WILL say, is that Wilkie and Hattie P. Clark undeniably, were there on the battlefield BEFORE ANYBODY, and for a time, he was there ALL ALONE!" At this point, I've come to realize that we need a lot of help, and can't do this alone. What we know is that we need a lot of help. No man is an island; no family is an island. I need the help of our entire community to accomplish what we are trying to accomplish. We not only want to tell their story by making declarations. It is important for us to DOCUMENT their story, proving what they did. So, that multiplies and compounds our task. But for us, it totally amplifies and validates their importance. We want to present it truthfully, with evidence to back it up. That's a big part of what we're trying to do with the website, using it as a repository for the documents that prove their worth. I need people to help us with research, and cataloging information. I need benefactors willing to contribute both financially and mentally in terms of assisting us in determining what should be presented, and the method and means of presentation. Other important tasks that still lie ahead of us include: we have to purchase a historic marker; we need to inscribe the historic marker; we must erect the historic marker; we've got to plan an unveiling. We need people to assist with publicity, and all sorts of tasks that may seem trivial, but are essential to what we're wanting to do. If we can get the point of opening the site, we'll need presenters; that means people to be thoroughly familiar with the information who can present it in an entertaining and educational format. All of these matters will need attending to. No matter what the outcome, I believe that if God called me home right now, when I meet my mother and father in eternity, both of them will say: "Come on Charlotte! You did GOOD! Now sit down and rest a little while." |
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