% 2013
January 16, 2013
L
M artin L uther K ing J r .
Page 31
sp ecia l edition
omits Major
Creates a false
impression in
the fight to end
slavery
by
M arc M orial
No doubt many
of you have seen
the new m ovie
“Lincoln,” Steven
Spielberg’s much
acclaim ed d ram atizatio n o f
Abraham Lincoln’s determined
and ultimately successful 1865
fight for the passage of the 13th
Amendment which abolished sla
very.
I came away from the movie
impressed with its gripping de
piction of the legislative maneu
vering and horse-trading that Lin-
coln employed to win passage of
the Amendment. But, I am con
cerned that the movie leaves the
false impression that the fight to
end slavery was waged solely by
white men in Washington and
white (as well as a few black)
soldiers on the battlefield.
What about the brave abo
litionists of that time? Where
are Susan B. Anthony, Eliza
beth Cady Stanton and Will
iam Lloyd Garrison? And most
puzzling of all, where is the
great African American anti-sla
very cham pion, F rederick
Douglass?
In a recent New York Times
letter, Pulitzer Prize winning his
torian, Eric Foner, noted this
omission in the film by making
the point that “Emancipation —
like all far-reaching political change
- resulted from events at all levels
o f society, including the
efforts...of slaves themselves to
acquire freedom.”
But aside from the presence of
some black Civil War soldiers,
the few African Americans in
Spielberg’s film were cast as ad
miring and grateful maids and
butlers.
In criticizing the fact that the
movie overlooked the important
role that free and enslaved blacks
played in the abolitionist move
ment, Civil War historian, Kate
Masur wrote, “Mr. Spielberg’s
‘Lincoln’ gives us only faithful
servants, patiently waiting for the
day of Jubilee.” That is not only
factually incorrect; it does a dis
service to the historic efforts of
numerous black and white aboli
tionists of that time, none more
courageous and effective than
Frederick Douglas.
Bom in Talbot County, Mary
land in 1818, Frederick Douglass
spent the first 21 years of his life
as a slave, working variously as a
household servant and unskilled
laborer. In 1838, he escaped bond
age and quickly became one of
the most eloquent and forceful
abolitionist voices of his day.
Self-taught, in 1845 he pub
lished his autobiography, “Narra
tive of the Life of Frederick
Douglass, an American Slave,”
and in 1847 he launched his anti
slavery newspaper, “The North
Star,” in Rochester, New York.
At great risk to him self,
Douglass recruited black soldiers
for the Union Army during the
Civil War, influenced Lincoln’s
thinking, and even challenged the
President’s slow, legalistic walk
towards emancipation.
Douglass saw the end of slavery
as only the beginning of the fight
for full economic and political equal
ity, beginning with extending the
right to vote to freed slaves. He
argued, “What I ask for the Negro
is not benevolence, not pity, not
sympathy, but simply justice.”
Frederick D ouglass’ efforts
subsequently led to the passage
of the 15th Amendment in 1869,
guaranteeing African Americans
the right to vote.
Stephen Spielberg’s “Lincoln”
affirms the fact that President
Abraham Lincoln played a pivotal
role in ending slavery in America,
but it egregiously omits the fact
that Frederick Douglass and a
courageous group of grassroots
abolitionists led Lincoln and the
nation to this victory.
Marc Morial is president and
chief executive officer o f the Na
tional Urban League.
Peace of Mind for Millions of Americans
The promise of
Medicare and
Medicaid
by
D avid E lliot
Peace of mind.
T h at’s
what
Medicare and Med-
one in every three Americans.
Almost 50 million Americans
have paid into, and are beneficia
ries of Medicare, our national
health insurance program for se
niors and people with disabilities.
And almost 50 million Americans
— the elderly, low-income adults
and their children, and people with
certain disabilities — have access
to Medicaid.
Six million Americans depend
on both.
But now these programs are
under siege. Some want to re
place guaranteed Medicare ben
efits with a voucher. The prob
lem with this approach is two people with disabilities — and for
Many people told us they are Medicare and Medicaid mean
fold.
all the families that rely on Medic alive only because of Medicare or neighbor helping neighbor —
First, it would require seniors aid for their health care.
Medicaid. Many others discussed we’re all in this together.
to pay significantly more for ba-
The debate over Medicare’s how these services have enhanced
Finally, a large number of re
E sic health care — and this and Medicaid’s future is likely to the quality of their lives. Others
spondents expressed extreme
1 would drive large numbers of continue throughout this year and still talked about how it brings
outrage — outrage so extreme
our most vulnerable citizens for years to come.
them retirement security and peace that some comments had to be
into bankruptcy. Second, these
Sometimes even the most im of mind.
edited — that a system they paid
are earned benefits that hard portant government functions can
We heard from young people into all of their adult lives could be
working people paid for most come off as abstractions — deci who do not directly receive ben
cut. These people clearly felt
or all of their adult lives. They mal points on a budget ledger efits, but say they are able to save
robbed and violated. “I paid into
are not giveaways.
deciding who is eligible and who money they would otherwise Medicare for 40 years,” writes
Others would “block grant” isn’t, who gets cut, and who spend on aging parents. Debra
Jim Brady in Rochester, Mich.
Medicaid to the states, as Rep. doesn’t.
Pekin in Wheeling, 111., wrote that “This is my money I am getting
Paul Ryan has famously proposed.
So at USAction, we asked our without Medicare, she would back. It is not charity. No one has
Under Ryan’s plan, the federal members what Medicare and have to quit her job to care for her
the right to steal my money.”
government would give states a Medicaid mean to them and their 92-year-old mom — Social Se
These are the Medicare and
fixed amount of money — in families.
curity pays for her assisted com M edicaid stories of ordinary
lump sums known as block grants.
Their responses revealed how munity living, but Medicare cov Americans. They are on the front
This amount of money would not deeply and keenly Americans ers her health care costs.
lines of the Medicare and Medic
go up as more people get Medic cherish and rely on the promise
Many wrote that without Medi aid debates. Whatever policies are
aid services.
our nation made when we estab care, they would face financial adopted, they are the canaries in
The results would be either big lished these lifelines in 1965. ruin. A woman noted that the
the coal mine — they will feel the
cuts in health care services or big We’ve kept this promise so far entirety of her monthly Social
impact first.
tax increases for states or both. and Americans demand we keep Security check would have to go
We made them a promise. Will
Instead, we should keep Medi it in the future.
to her health care costs — noth we keep it?
care as a system that provides
After sorting through hundreds ing left for anything else.
David Elliot is communica
federal funding for seniors and of stories, certain themes emerged.
A number of people wrote that tions director o f USAction.
USPS 959-680
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