Old guard marginalizes Ferguson youth leaders

(NNPA)—Remember these names:  Ashley Yates, Johnetta Elzie, and Deray McKesson. They could get an invite to meet President Obama in the Whites House, but for some odd reason, there was confusion about whether the young Ferguson activists could speak at the #JusticeForAll march called primarily by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network on Dec. 13.
There should not have been confusion. If history is a guide, it likely had to do with the well-known fact that Sharpton is finicky—to put it mildly—about who speaks at events he’s connected with. .
In the case of the Ferguson activists, they kicked off a round of unprecedented global attention on the issue of police brutality. So, an invite from Sharpton should have been automatic. Why wouldn’t it be? The reason is obvious: Certain leaders will never ever exit the stage on their own volition. The idea that the next generation should “wait their turn” is perfectly laughable since everyone knows they will never be granted one.
Young activists did what someone should have done a long time ago: They took the mic away from old leaders and started talking. Seems like I remember a story of Jesse Jackson asserting himself in SCLC. I read about John Lewis, the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee being told to tone down his speech in order to speak at the 1963 March on Washington. We’ve been watching old heads giving press conferences, organizing marches, and summits for years. It’s long past time for something new.