During the speech I realized how organic and off the cuff Dr. West was, he had no preparation he simply spoke from his heart and vast store of knowledge. I realized how organic the march had been as well. We did not plan to march to the Supreme Court, (I for one had simply and only come to see Dr. West speak) we just did it because Dr. West wanted to show solidarity with the movement. He wanted us to remember and honor Dr. King on the day of his memorial dedication with a march, protest, and arrest. Dr. West marched down to the Supreme Court not as our leader, although he was the center of attention, he was a voice among ours.
I being relatively new to demonstrations and protests and having never marched naively thought that when it was said that Cornel West was going to the Supreme Court to get arrested I thought he was driving there or taking the train. It did not dawn on me until I followed the cameras and supporters into the streets that this was a march. I quickly grasped the seriousness and the magnitude of the situation and I sprinted to join the group.
I was beyond words, this is what DC means to me, marching in the streets, the white house behind me congress in front of me and to top it off I'm standing side by side with Dr. Cornel West. I counted myself blessed to be part of this experience my first ever march, and in DC of all places. It was quite an experience for someone coming out of the midwest. As the crowd marched up the streets towards the Supreme Court, traffic blocked behind us I gave a quick thought to the legality of what we were doing and how the drivers and by standers must feel watching 200 plus people waving banners and chanting up the street. All in a day in Washington DC I suppose.
Dr. West who was at times at the front of the march, at the end of the march and everywhere in-between was accessible to all. I spoke with him for what to me seemed an eternity but with modesty I estimate it was three minutes. I first asked his assistant if I could ask Dr. West a question and after his assistant's somewhat apathetic approval I walked next to Dr. West for a few seconds before he turned to me with a smile and said.
"How are you doing young man?"
We shook hands again and I was sure he remembered me from moments ago. We drew close together as we spoke.
"I wanted to ask you a question." I began.
Even though there was chanting, traffic, and the drum beat of the march ever present I was already deep in the conversation mentally with one sentence. Before I had even approached Dr. West as I walked from a distance and observed in wonder I felt I was having a self realization. A piece of my puzzle fell into place before my eyes and I saw the mystery of myself. I saw myself not as who I am, but as who I am to become. As I marched with Dr. West I became Dr. West and I knew that my life would be filled with marches. It was De Ja vu for the future, marching up to the Supreme Court with Cornell West.
"I wanted to ask you about the wisdom of going to a place simply to get arrested." I asked.
He told me that in getting arrested you are making a message, pointing out a wrong, letting people know there is a wrong and attracting attention to a cause. He mentioned the recent mass arrests on the brooklyn bridge. It was all about how, and where you got arrested. Getting arrested in front of the Supreme Court protesting corruption and poverty bring attention to a cause as well as letting others know that something is wrong with the building or place in which you have been arrested. I prodded him as best I could knowing that I was talking to a mind greater than my own, so I asked questions for clarity, ready to accept whatever came from his mouth.
"Yes, but when people see folks got arrested they don't see why they just see 100 people got arrested and that's that." I asked
He told me that's where it matters where you get arrested. People know that when you get arrested at the Supreme Court it was political, they know the message of the movement, they will see dedication they will know why this happened and for what reason. It was all about location, and how you got arrested.
As we walked two cameras were directly in our faces. I had a sudden sense of fame. Why did I feel so self aware walking with Cornell West and talking? It felt to me so casual, I could have only imagined it thousands of times in my sleep. And yet I felt like I have just walked into a classroom via American textbooks. I tried to ignore them and kept the conversation going with Dr. West, not to hoard his time, I was careful of that. But simply to remember all the details I could. After our short conversation a reporter put a recorder in my face and asked my name, to which I gave him David Ford and he begun to ask me about my Conversation with Dr. West.
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