Black History Month: Xernona Clayton speaks of her work
Liston Pennington
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: Student Life
On Wednesday, February 4th, Concord University hosted a talented and inspirational guest speaker, Xernona Clayton, as a part of the universities Black History Month Festivities. Ms. Clayton spoke from years of close work with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
She was also one of the highest-ranking females to work for the Turner Broadcasting System. She came to Concord to share her experiences and the wisdom that came with them. Ms. Clayton's message, "don't retaliate; change the attitude," mirrored her time with the civil rights movement.
When speaking of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ms. Clayton told the audience that Dr. King "practiced what he preached." She also told her audience of the many times that Martin Luther King, Jr. had to overcome personal insults in public places to continue his work towards equality.
In one such instance, a man had walked up to King on a plane and spat on him for simply being there. King took the insult and then told Ms. Clayton that such an action was a sign that there was more work to do to overcome such bigotry. She told the audience that his belief was that physical violence would have ended the confrontation momentarily, but changing the attitude would be a permanent solution.
Ms. Clayton expressed overcoming such bigotry in her personal life. She told the audience of a time when she had befriended the Grand Dragon, the head, of the Ku Klux Klan. She confronted him after seeing a Klan march in Washington, D.C. She asked, since they were both Baptist, if there were any differences in their bibles. He was not able to think of any and realized the error of his ways.
The conversation that she held with him caused him to denounce the Ku Klux Klan and revoked his own membership. Ms. Clayton demonstrated through the telling of her own life that perseverance had its rewards. She took a personal approach in the fight against discrimination and changed his attitude.
Ms. Clayton also addressed President Obama's victory and its relevance to the civil rights movement in her speech. She expressed that it happened the way that Martin Luther King, Jr. said it would happen; when whites and blacks, young and old, would come together to overcome. Ms. Clayton said that it was through a cooperative attitude that this monumental occasion occurred.
Ms. Clayton's message was simple, "don't retaliate; change the attitude." Retaliation breeds more bigotry, but changing an individual's outlook can change the world.
She was also one of the highest-ranking females to work for the Turner Broadcasting System. She came to Concord to share her experiences and the wisdom that came with them. Ms. Clayton's message, "don't retaliate; change the attitude," mirrored her time with the civil rights movement.
When speaking of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ms. Clayton told the audience that Dr. King "practiced what he preached." She also told her audience of the many times that Martin Luther King, Jr. had to overcome personal insults in public places to continue his work towards equality.
In one such instance, a man had walked up to King on a plane and spat on him for simply being there. King took the insult and then told Ms. Clayton that such an action was a sign that there was more work to do to overcome such bigotry. She told the audience that his belief was that physical violence would have ended the confrontation momentarily, but changing the attitude would be a permanent solution.
Ms. Clayton expressed overcoming such bigotry in her personal life. She told the audience of a time when she had befriended the Grand Dragon, the head, of the Ku Klux Klan. She confronted him after seeing a Klan march in Washington, D.C. She asked, since they were both Baptist, if there were any differences in their bibles. He was not able to think of any and realized the error of his ways.
The conversation that she held with him caused him to denounce the Ku Klux Klan and revoked his own membership. Ms. Clayton demonstrated through the telling of her own life that perseverance had its rewards. She took a personal approach in the fight against discrimination and changed his attitude.
Ms. Clayton also addressed President Obama's victory and its relevance to the civil rights movement in her speech. She expressed that it happened the way that Martin Luther King, Jr. said it would happen; when whites and blacks, young and old, would come together to overcome. Ms. Clayton said that it was through a cooperative attitude that this monumental occasion occurred.
Ms. Clayton's message was simple, "don't retaliate; change the attitude." Retaliation breeds more bigotry, but changing an individual's outlook can change the world.
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