The A&T Four: Pretty cool people if I say so myself

Today, while we were in Greensboro NC, we encountered the historic site of the A&T four and where they performed their sit in. It inspired me to know that history was made in that very room. These men did an honorable in which they dined in a room that they weren’t allowed to be in because of the color of their skin. By choosing to civilly disobey the law, they were able to feel like men that they truly are.

Knowing that they would encounter pain, agony, danger, or the uncertainty, these four young men, however, didn’t let that stop them from following through with their actions; with that that said, I would say that these men displayed courage. Courage doesn’t mean to lack fear, rather, it means to have the willingness and strength to keep on going, even if you are full of fear. These men were willing to fight for a seat at the Woolworth’s diner if it meant that they can receive a treatment equal to that of the white customers. There were willing to face their fear in the face of agony or danger.

Another power that I definitely think that these four men had in them is the ability to have extreme mental discipline. These men were trained to be passive, being able to not react violently to whatever is thrown at them. The mental fortitude that these people had to have is admirable, they knew they couldn’t be broken because they needed to show the world that they were determined to get what they were fighting for, to have equal rights among ALL people.

Lastly, I think that one of the biggest powers was their unity. They knew that they had  people who were on their side, that supported what they were doing, even if it doesn’t seem that way. They themselves admitted that their unity was so strong that they could communicate with each other in a way that transcends words. I believe that having unity within a group is what can make any force unstoppable, and capable of achieving great results.

When I compare the strengths that the A&T four had with mine, I know that I have a whole lot of work to do. Sure, I may have some unity with people I’m close with, but I know that I need to work on my courage and mental fortitude. I would say that I lack in these because whenever I encounter a situation that scares me, instead of staying there and facing it, I flee. I try my best to face what’s thrown at me but before I can do anything, I need to know that I have to change my way of thinking, and accept that I can do it, much like the A&T four.

By using my strengths and power, I want to be able to face the prevailing issue of the new Jim Crow era. In this age of mass incarceration, people of color are being jailed at inordinate rates, especially when put in comparison with other countries and it’s scary that this is a reality with so many people. Although this is a major problem in our society and there isn’t a simple answer, I know that I can use the little unity that I’ve gained over the years to teach my community. Despite the fact that mass incarceration is a major issue in this country, there are so many people that still don’t know that this is an issue. Hell; it wasn’t until last year that I knew that this was even a thing. This goes to show that people need to know this insidious racism that is eating away at our communities and behind bars.

Tomas Quintero