By Othor Cain,
Editor,
An hour before a scheduled visit from the 45th president of the United States was set to take place at the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, another historic landmark in the capital city was filled to capacity with civil rights leaders, veterans of the civil rights movement, union workers and everyday Mississippians.
The capacity crowd at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center was home to an organized press conference that denounced the president’s visit. It featured Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Civil Rights Activist and NAACP Board member Amos Brown and many others.
“He does not deserve to be in Jackson for the celebration of the civil rights museum opening,” Brown said at the press conference Saturday, about five blocks away from the civil rights museum. He slammed Trump for “not showing up for our civil rights” both before and during his presidency.
“We respect your office but … we do not respect your attitude and your division of the nation,” he continued. “And just like when we were in school if you don’t show up, you can’t make the grade; Trump hasn’t shown up for any of these lessons,” Brown said to a thunderous round of applause and standing ovation.
Lumumb, who recently appeared on CNN and shared his disdain of a Trump visit to the museum, said Trump wasn’t qualified to give a history or civil rights lesson to anyone in Mississippi. He continued that same sentiment Saturday.
“It is my appreciation for the legacy of the individuals who stand with me today, it is my appreciation for the Mississippi martyrs that are not here, the names both known and unknown, that will not allow me, that will not allow many of us standing today, to share a stage with the president; to share a stage with an individual who has not demonstrated a continuing commitment to civil rights, a continuing commitment to human rights, a continuing commitment to women’s right,”Lumumba said. “It is his pompous disregard for all of those factors that will not enable us to stand with him.”
For many in attendance at the press conference, that was the first stop Saturday morning before formally protesting and rallying against Trump’s visit. “I was so honored to attend this press conference, it gave me the energy I needed and validated my decision to protest his [Trump] visit,” said Cheryl Miller. “This was blatant disrespect.”
Johnson dismissed Trump’s attendance at the event as “a photo opportunity.” “His attendance is a distraction from us having the opportunity to honor true Americans who sacrificed so much to ensure that democracy works,” Johnson said. “It is unfortunate, in fact it is an affront, to those individuals who fought for voting rights to ensure that people had quality education and access to health care. Those are principles this president does not support.”
In a joint statement released late last week, Democratic Reps. John Lewis and Bennie G. Thompson said that after “conversations with church leaders, elected officials, civil right activists and many citizens of our congressional districts,” they decided not to attend the opening.
“President Trump’s attendance and his hurtful policies are an insult to the people portrayed in this civil rights museum,” the two congressmen said in a statement. “The struggles represented in this museum exemplify the truth of what really happened in Mississippi. President Trump’s disparaging comments about women, the disabled, immigrants and National Football League players disrespect the efforts of Fannie Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry, Medgar Evers, Robert Clark, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and countless others who have given their all for Mississippi to be a better place.”
Thompson, who was scheduled to attend the press conference but because of travel issues didn’t, said he would visit the museum in the very near future. Thompson’s and Lewis’ joint statement included this: “After President Trump departs, we encourage all Mississippians and Americans to visit this historic civil rights museum.”
Sources close to the governor told The Mississippi Link that Governor Phil Bryant invited Trump to attend the opening of the museum several months ago. White House officials just confirmed last week that he had accepted the invitation.
Others at the conference said although Saturday was billed as the grand opening of the museum, they looked forward to celebrating a “grander” opening.
The museum, which has been under construction since 2014, according to its website, features eight galleries that focus on the years 1945 to 1976, “when Mississippi was ground zero for the national Civil Rights Movement.
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