The Everyday Heroes We Know

from Brian Archie's speech at the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Feb2024

I’m not Martin. I’m not Malcolm. I’m me.

I was never one for history, particularly black history. I was not going to subscribe to the notion that all I am or will ever be is a slave. Or someone less than, that would never be seen as a whole person. This, even though it had always been preached to me and the rest of my family (thank you Dr. Williams) that education was essentially our key to freedom. Yet, the way I saw the 🌎, we were only allowed to run and jump, or pass and shoot. Clean your house or work your field. Black life didn’t matter to them or me. My vision was limited. The systems of oppression, still very evident today only reenforced those thoughts.

Had I looked, history was being made before my very eyes.

Like my grandparents, James and Ada Williams migrated from the Jim Crow South for a better life for themselves and their family - and were succeeding in raising changemakers for this community. They, and others went on to found Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church which is still in existence today.

Mrs Ada Williams, co-founder of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Niagara

Mr. Brown and Miss King who were running successful grocery stores in the Highland Neighborhood.

And women like Pauline Walker and Doris Jones, never afraid to pour into the youth, fought for housing and safer communities.

Renae Kimble was fighting for the equity of not only African Americans but also the greater Niagara County Area. And Stephanie Cowart, then Executive Director of the Niagara Falls Housing Authority was creating safe, sanitary, and affordable housing for everyone including our most vulnerable populations. (And)the late Shirley Hamilton who fought tirelessly with organized labor to bring job equity to the NYS Power Authority and in her work with NAACP.

Men like Ken Hamilton were out and about making good trouble like the late John Lewis. Pete Ivey, Tabb, Dorothy and Miss Tucker were working to build a sense of community at the Niagara Community Center and Girls Club. Brother Saladin Allah, Dedrick and Carlos Muhammed were out teaching knowledge of self to the youth and lost generations of men in our city.

Most important to this history (for me), a man named Archie, my father stood on a corner with a sign in Albany actively fighting against racism until his passing on August 14th of last year.

Lastly salute to Andy and Charles Walker, Bob Anderson, Ezra Scott Jr., Donta Myles, Vincent Cauley and myself the only African American Council people in the 132 years of our City’s incorporation.

From Harriet Tubman to the Black Panther to BLM, many have and are working to correct injustices in the African American Community.

Young Black Panther serving school breakfast

When we seek knowledge, it changes our understanding.

Understanding then becomes action.

I see NOW that history is not just the dark past, but it is what we do in the moment!

MLK once had a dream, that spoke to the urgency of NOW.

You know what work needs doing NOW.

So what will you do?

I’m not Martin.

I’m not Malcolm.

I’m me.

Thank you!