Speaking at a Harlem Renaissance-themed NAACP gala Saturday, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission executive director Chad Lassiter called for unity in the face of adversity.
“The landscape of what I see this evening is a rainbow coalition,” said Lassiter to the community members, politicians, and NAACP members in attendance Saturday. “It’s what America can become; the promise of America is that of a kaleidoscope, made up of multiple colors, made up of multiple ethnicities, made up of multiple identities.”
Lassiter described the Harlem Renaissance as “a celebration of African American culture, history, and identity, promoting self-acceptance and pride in one’s heritage. The movement was interwoven with the cause of civil rights, equality, and social justice, working to combat systemic racism and injustice.
“We also know that there was an intersection of arts that collided with justice at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance; the belief that art could catalyze social change.”
The Harlem Renaissance and its modern successors
The Harlem Renaissance refers to a 1920s and 1930s cultural boom of Black art and activism, including the poetry of Langston Hughes, the music of Louis Armstrong, the visual art of Augusta Savage, and the activism of W.E.B. Du Bois.
“During this moment, we honor achievements of those who came before us, those who wielded their pens, their brushes, and their voices as tools of resistance,” said Lassiter in his speech. “We must also commit ourselves to the ongoing struggle for justice every single day.”
Lebanon NAACP member and organizer of the third annual gala Lori Burrus noted that the movement came about as African Americans migrated north, including into the namesake Harlem neighborhood in New York.
Burrus mentioned the formation of vibrant communities during the Harlem Renaissance, drawing a parallel to Lebanon’s diverse and talented population.
Pointing to a display containing works from the Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts’ Black History Month exhibit, Burrus said, “These gifts are happening right here in this county.”
Read More: First Friday celebrates Black History Month and local students’ art
“We’re celebrating Black history and celebrating the accomplishments of Black Americans right here in Lebanon County,” added Lebanon NAACP secretary Mike Schroeder.
The mood for Lassiter’s speech was set by a stirring acapella performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (a late 19th-century originated hymn by Black artists James Weldon and J. Rosamond Johnson) by Lebanon local Taelor Norwood.
Myra Kitchen, both an NAACP member/organizer and an artist with works on display, said that music and art, both historically and in the modern day, serve as conduits for emotion and vehicles for change.
“Music was always used as a code, a healing force, and that was one way of forming community,” said Kitchen. “Art is about feeling, and that’s a lot of the reason we do this.”
Following Lassiter’s speech, Lebanon NAACP vice president Maurice Williams held up a piece by local artist AJ Hansen, noting that prints of the painting, which depicts a Black man with tape over his mouth reading “All Lives Matter,” are for sale for $20 each, with proceeds benefiting the NAACP.
Of the piece, Williams said, “A picture is worth a thousand words, and this is the definition of that for me.”
Burrus explained that funds raised for the Lebanon County branch of the NAACP go both toward scholarships for local youth and the organization’s planned civil justice work.
She said this work includes education, both for those employed in law enforcement positions such as police officers, and for people caught up in that system.
Burrus explained that the branch is looking to establish a base of local lawyers to rely on for assistance with legal battles.
Lassiter, who was in 2023 was appointed to President Joe Biden’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunities for Black Americans, called attendees to look beyond what he called the “Black and white binary” and come together as a community.
“Community — as espoused by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — is a community in which all are welcome,” said Lassiter. “So, if you’re an atheist, agnostic, scientologist, if you’re a Christian, if you’re a Muslim, if you’re LGBTQ+: whoever you are, the beloved community says come in. If you’re a Libertarian come in; if you’re an Independent, come in; if you’re a Republican, come in; but when you come into that beloved community, there has to be levels of civility.”
Lassiter referred to the current political climate — with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs being targeted at a federal level (though paused due to a temporary injunction), FBI statistics showing a rise in hate crimes, and a crackdown on illegal immigration (leading to the use of Guantanamo Bay to hold deportees) — as part of a “crisis of legitimacy.”
Read More: Churches, schools, hospitals discuss changes to immigration enforcement
“We see efforts to erase the narratives that validate Black experiences and contributions, as well as attempts to silence discussions about systemic racism,” said Lassiter before circling back to his message of unity. “News flash: white racism also disadvantages white individuals.
Lassiter recalled moderating a town hall where a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan sought to speak, and he let him.
“It was really about me seeing his humanity. And he spoke, and he spoke, and he did the white male supremacist manifesto,” said Lassiter. “But I stood there with him, human to human. It was about my humanity; it was about me seeing his humanity, as fraught as it was. I’m not into retribution, I’m into redemption. I’m into just mercy.”
He emphasized the importance of being able to look past race even while finding identity and cultural value in it.
“It’s okay to have a strong racial identity and be white,” said Lassiter. “It can’t be rooted in superiority. It also can’t be rooted in inferiority. And for the African Americans and people of color: Yes, Black history is amazing. But we can’t live in a space where being Black is all that.”
He urged all in attendance to confront their own biases and work to be better to one another, while also seeing the humanity in everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, or other factors that may divide them.
“It starts with your own self-introspection,” Lassiter said in a final call to attendees. “It starts with your own self-liberation. It starts with your own self-actualization. It starts with you, saying, ‘I’m going to make sure that I check my toxic masculinity,’ though not all masculinity is toxic. It means I’m going to check my prejudice, my bias, my bigotry.
“What I’m going to do, ultimately, is raise my level of humanity to the highest form of humanity, which is that of agape love.”
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Join our community of local news champions.
Cancel anytime.
Monthly
🌟 Annual
- Fewer ads
- Member newsletters
- Exclusive events
- All monthly benefits
- Most popular option
- Make a bigger impact
Already a member? Log in here to hide these messages
Our community deserves strong local journalism. LebTown delivers in-depth coverage of Lebanon County that helps you navigate daily life and stay informed about what matters most. Join our community of supporters with a monthly or annual membership to fuel more local reporting. Cancel anytime.
