OUR VOICES: Out of mayhem comes martyrdom

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

I wrote this piece many years ago, and today the thought of getting involved with life threatening incidents to save lives seems to be a common constant thought do to the climate of racism, fascism, intolerance and fear. These thoughts are  so prevalent. We all may become confronted with this devastating choice. If it comes before you, make sure you are prepared for the outcome either way it goes because it will affect you for the rest of your life. Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

Yesterday I witnessed a most disturbing spectacle of Black human behavior.

As I was traveling along the Historical Sistrunk Corridor, I saw a mob of people standing in the parking lot of what used to be Champ Burger, a restaurant once owned by World Heavy Weight Boxing Champion, Muhammad Ali.

The mob watched as two to three different groups of females taunted, cursed and threatened each other with glass beer bottles, bats and sticks.

I and others were trapped in our cars on a busy-under construction street, in the midst of this scary volatile display of humanity gone wild.

I thought that perhaps if I got out and said something that maybe it might help calm the situation. You know, a nicely dressed Black man in a black suit, white shirt and red and black tie, might impress the angry crowd to listen to a preacher look-a-like.

Then, before that thought could settle in, I saw two bottles fly in the opposite direction of where I was blocked in.

Needless to say that thought vanished faster than a Black man running from a Klu Klux Klan hanging.

All I could envision was bottles being hurled back in my direction, crashing through my windows and causing me extensive injuries.

As I weaved my truck through the other vehicles, my thoughts hinged on getting to safety or going back to at least offer myself for sacrifice.

As I looked through my rearview mirror I saw one of the violent participants run and fall in the path of an on coming car. As she struggled to get up, another woman was approaching her with what appeared to be a bat.

Any thoughts of heroism were fading quickly.

I did not look anymore!

I was ashamed at what I was seeing and how I had turned into a coward.

Someone could have used my help or maybe, as it was with Esther; this might have been my time, my lot in life.

The image of the person getting up from the street and the other person raising a bat to stick her plays vividly in my mind. I try to erase it as I did when I stopped looking in my rear view mirror.

It’s not that easy. No, I did not see her get hit with the bat. I pray that she didn’t, but maybe I could have made sure if I had gotten out to help.

I felt like Jonah, running from what I was supposed to do.

“But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (New American Standard Bible)

Or maybe I am being prepared for something greater I certainly hope so.

“And the Lord called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I; you did call me. Eli answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 1 Samuel 3:6 (Amplified Bible)

“At times we do not know for which way Thou wants us to go. Moments of fear and selfish aspirations lead to doubt and hesitations. Teach us dear Lord to hear Your voice and to obey, to take time in confusion to pray. It’s not the hero status that we seek but remember to always help the meek.” —Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

Bobby R. Henry Sr. is the publisher of the Westside Gazette in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He was the recipient of the National Newspaper Publishers Association's 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019 he received the National Association of Black Journalists Angelo Henderson Community Service Award.