“Freedom Morning” (1944), an oil painting by Claude Clark (1915-2001), depicts African Americans from various walks of life and, in the background, a rising sun shattering the chains of two clenched fists.

Joining artist Claude Clark’s “Freedom Morning” and timeless words of wisdom from writer Carson McCuller’s Doctor Copeland, what better motivation does a soul need to rise up?

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“Listen!  One out of five of us labors to build roads, or to take care of the sanitation of this city, or works in a sawmill or on a farm.  Another one out of five is unable to get any work at all.  But the other three out of this five—the greatest number of our people?  Many of us cook for those who are incompetent to prepare the food that they themselves eat.  Many work a lifetime tending flower gardens for the pleasure of one or two people.  Many of us polish slick waxed floors of fine houses.  Or we drive automobiles for rich people who are too lazy to drive themselves.  We spend our lives doing thousands of jobs that are of no real use to anybody.  We labor and all of our labor is wasted.  Is that service?  No, that is slavery.

“We labor, but our labor is wasted.  We are not allowed to serve.  You students here this morning represent the fortunate few of our race.  Most of our people are not allowed to go to school at all.  For each one of you there are dozens of young people who can hardly write their names.  We are denied the dignity of study and wisdom.

“‘From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.’  All of us here know what it is to suffer for real need.  That is a great injustice.  But there is one injustice bitterer even than that—to be denied the right to work according to one’s ability.  To labor a lifetime uselessly.  To be denied the chance to serve.  It is far better for the profits of our purse to be taken from us than to be robbed of the riches of our minds and souls.

“Some of you young people here this morning may feel the need to be teachers or nurses or leaders of your race.  But most of you will be denied.  You will have to sell yourselves for a useless purpose in order to keep alive.  You will be thrust back and defeated.  The young chemist picks cotton.  The young writer is unable to learn to read.  The teacher is held in useless slavery at some ironing board.  We have no representatives in government.  We have no vote.  In all of this great country we are the most oppressed of all people.  We cannot lift up our voices.  Our tongues rot in our mouths from lack of use.  Our hearts grow empty and lose strength for our purpose.

“People of the Negro race!  We bring with us all the riches of the human mind and soul.  We offer the most precious of all gifts.  And our offerings are held in scorn and contempt.  Our gifts are trampled in the mud and made useless.  We are put to labor more useless than the work of beasts.  Negroes!  We must arise and be whole again!  We must be free!”

In the room there was a murmur.  Hysteria Mounted.  Doctor Copeland choked and clenched his fists.  He felt as though he had swelled up to the size of a giant.  The love in him made his chest a dynamo, and he wanted to shout so that his voice could be heard throughout the town.

“Hallelujah!  Save us, Lord!”

He struggled for the control in him, until the discipline returned.  “Attention!” he called.  “We will save ourselves.  But not by prayers of mourning.  Not by indolence or strong drink.  Not by the pleasures of the body or by ignorance.  Not by submission and humbleness.  But by pride.  By dignity.  By becoming hard and strong.  We must build strength for our real true purpose. . . .  Many of you have denied yourselves comfort that the needs of others may be lessened. . . .  It is natural for us to share with each other.  We have long realized that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  The words of Karl Marx have always been known in our hearts:  ‘From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.’”

Doctor Copeland was silent a long time as though his words were complete.  Then he spoke again:

“Our mission is to walk with strength and dignity through the days of our humiliation.  Our pride must be strong, for we know the value of the human mind and soul.  We must teach our children.  We must sacrifice so that they may earn the dignity  of study and wisdom.  For the time will come.  The time will come when the riches in us will not be held in scorn and contempt.  The time will come when we will be allowed to serve.  Then we will labor and our labor will not be wasted.  And our mission is to await this time with strength and faith.”

It was finished.  Hands were clapped, feet were stamped upon the floor and on the hard winter ground outside. . . .   Doctor Copeland moved about the guests, a little crowd always surrounding him.  The joy made him feel like a drunken man.  To teach and exhort and explain to his people—and to have them understand.  That was the best of all.  To speak the truth and be attended.

–Excerpt from The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940) by Carson McCullers (1917-1967), author, very white chick, and honorary sistah

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This Black History Month vow to live according to your one true purpose.

Happy 99th Birthday, Carson McCullers, born February 19th, in the Black History month of 1917!