Rochester Civil Rights Movement, circa 1967
“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it”
 (philosopher, George Santayana)
Friday, April 4th, 2008 marks the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:
“Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major. Say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. Say that I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things in life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that’s all I want to say. If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he is traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.”
Excerpted from “The Drum Major Instinct”, a sermon by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968
The movement for equality was not stilled by the death of Dr. King and is alive today all over the country. We saw an example of it recently at the County Legislature Chambers in Rochester, when the Public Defender selection process became an issue of racism and police were brought in to squelch any violence that might erupt as a result of the swarms of citizens (many African Americans) trying to exercise their right to assemble and peacefully protest the closed door selection process. Assembly member, David Gannt, was arrested and led out in handcuffs.
Rochester has long been a bastion for the Civil Rights movement since the days of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. But, how many of you are aware that we had have our own version of MLK in the form of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Florence? If you will remember from this post, Reverend Frank Florence was a mover and a shaker with the Public Defender debate and joined with Bob Bonn to extend an olive branch of piece to the Republican members of the county legislature in hopes of opening dialogue to correct an injustice to the community.
This is not Rev Florence’s first action within the civil rights movement. Let’s look back to Rochester, and specifically Kodak in 1967:
From September 1966 through June 1967, Minister Florence and his grassroots civil rights organization, FIGHT (Freedom-Integration-God-Honor-Today), targeted Kodak, the giant of the photographic industry and Rochester’s largest employer. Organized two years earlier in response to a race riot in Rochester, FIGHT was a federation of inner-city religious and community groups that aimed to speak exclusively for the black poor of the city. Known for its abrasive and confrontational tactics, now FIGHT demanded that Kodak initiate a large-scale training and employment program for Rochester’s inner-city poor. The ten-month-long dispute drew the Rochester community into a debate on economic equality, community cohesiveness, and social responsibility. Churches, editorial pages, radio talk shows, and dinner tables became the forums. Acting as a whirlpool around which residents dealt with problems of race and class in their community, the dispute served to define more clearly the parameters of civil rights in the city.
I am delighted, for the city and county that we have leaders such as the Reverend Florence, but saddened that we haven’t progressed further in our quest for civil rights and equal justice. Mary Anna Towler, of City News wrote this on Feb 9th of this year:
In one respect, it is good to see them back, these heroes of Rochester’s African-American struggles. In another respect: have we really come no farther than this? That these black men of a certain age still have to protest and get arrested as they seek justice?
Are we doomed to repeat the past, over and over, until we get it right?
(Photo courtesy of sconsetmonkey-thanks monkeyman!)
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What a wonderful tribute ladkiddo. I couldn’t agree with you more. A 76-year old republican gasped when he saw Francis Florence being loaded into a police car on television, and with sadness stated “Do they know who this man is? This man has spent his lifetime fighting for equal rights, and was critical to the shaping of equal rights for the poor during the race riots in Rochester. This is a sad day and chapter in Rochester’s history…”
Sometimes you have to hear it from those who lived it. And Maggie Brooks should be ashamed that one of the defining moments of her administration will be remembered as reinstating the barriers of some 40 years prior to put our community back to a standard where hate, and lack of free speech and rights has again reared it’s’ ugly head. OK, some people still think it, say it, believe it. But for a government entity to practice and uphold it is deplorable and shameful.
I have my own feelings on the subject…and the fact that all of the racist remarks prominently displayed on the forums at the D&C reinforce my believe that this is not an accident - it’s intentional - to convince a majority that a black president is not what this country wants. And if reinstating racism and fear accomplishes the political goal, count on Stephen J. Minarik to be the catalyst for that mindset.
Thank you Rev. Florence for being a man who didn’t stay silent. Not now, not 40 years ago and not nearly 60 years ago. Your entire life’s journey displays your mission, and you have made a difference.
Shame on all of Monroe County for allowing this to happen.
After all, it’s each of us who controls that destiny. Individuals like Rev.’s Florence and Scott are the foot soldiers for peace, but they should never fight alone. Thank goodness as well that men like David Gantt are not ashamed to say they represent the poorest of the poor in our area, and stand tall and fight strong with such powerful and respected leaders as Florence and Scott.
It’s never just one man - but it is just one hatred. Martin Luther King would have been proud of the stand they took - not only as men not afraid to speak, but fighting for an issue that will impact the poorest of the poor in our community.
In the world of Stephen J. Minarik and Maggie, the poor don’t exist. They will never be able to recognize the difference between a hand up and a hand out. When you consider the amount of jobs throughout the county handed out to the faithful of the local GOP in exchange for monthly payments to the Friends of Maggie welfare society, they have no problem “taking care of their own”, yet use their mouthpiece Quattro to put out any rumors that the Public Defender issue isn’t one that impacts the poor in this community, isn’t one that is political in nature, and isn’t one that anyone needs to get their panties in a bind over.
Wrong answer Danny Boy, and the harder you and your group of ELITISTS attempt to suffocate this community to further advance your agenda, the greater the risk that you too will be eliminated. There is this little thing called “Will of the People” - and it’s much stronger in philosophy than you will ever be as a man. And men like Francis Florence are living proof of that. When Quattro’s mother was changing his diaper, Francis Florence was fighting for the rights of his father’s co-workers.
As long as we are blessed to have men like these in our community, to stand up and shine a light on the cause and root of racism and hate, I believe we will extinguish it before it’s allowed to grow. But men like Francis Florence should NEVER stand alone. We should have all been standing in that legislative chamber together.
The generation too young to read your article will grow up someday writing about how we were blessed to have the character and moral fiber instilled in men who were not afraid to stand up. And those men will be known by name…Francis Florence, Raymond Scott, and David Gantt.
Nice capture Sconsetmonkey!
Thanks for the kind words and for your valuable commentary. Always appreciated.
It is a little known fact of Rochester’s history that FIGHT was in part founded by Saul Alinsky, the father of community organizing, a man who trained not only Cesar Chavez, but also Barack Obama. FIGHT and the men and women like Rev. Florence are a part of our history that we should be proud of, but is seldom acknowledged. Is it any wonder then, that we are fighting the same fight over and over again 40 years later? Thank you for this post.
Anna,
Thank you so much for this piece of information. I had no idea and will look into it further.
Didn’t Metro Justice evolve from FIGHT? Or am I crazy?
(Edit) Oops. That was the white group “Friends of FIGHT”
I’m pleading ignorance here. Jon, you reading this? Care to shed some light?
Here’s a NTK interview with Florence:
http://www.wxxi.org/ntk/Transcripts/2000/v000203.htm
There’s also a ton of newsletters at the library, and a book by Hank Botts.
FIGHT led to Metro Act - which was the predecessor to Metro Justice according to the library at the UR:
http://www.library.rochester.edu/index.cfm?page=882
We need to research Ray Scott too. It’s about time the real heros of change get recognized in this community before it’s too late. When I say recognized, it’s by more than just those who they have helped - I’m talking about all of Monroe and surrounding counties. The Rev. Florence is already almost 80…
This paragraph is interesting as well. I just had this discussion regarding the enormous amount of money being spent on police officers and zero tolerance in the city. If that same amount of money were put into creating jobs and programs to educate and train and employ people, would the outcome for the same amount of money be different? I think so - and obviously Rev. Florence had the same vision:
That metal stamping plant is still in business today - as Eltrex.
Here’s a link to another good article about Minister Florence & Kodak http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-20150895.html
Also Mark Hare - from the D&C - wrote a book about these times: Remaking of a City: Rochester, NY 1964-1984
Thanks Itchy, but that’s the same link as in the post.
I’m widely known as an idiot.
I recognize that statement as invalid. Your brilliance burns the eyes. Best to view you with shades.
Good find Itchy. Isn’t it amazing that the rich history of this man was ignored as he was loaded into that police car?
Blows my mind.
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