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Price Was Right at City Hall

 
I went to the Dallas City Council meeting last week and witnessed civil rights solidarity in action.
It was a positive demonstration of the power African Americans possess when they stand together and speak with one voice.
However, after experiencing the pride and euphoria of the moment, just minutes later, the scene turned ugly as one black man stepped up to Commissioner John Wiley Price and started uttering profanity, calling him names and challenging him to a fight right in council chambers where white council members, community leaders, newspaper reporters and television cameras were present.

At the time, I was seeking comments from Wiley (whom I was interviewing for the first time since moving to the DFW area) on the message sent to the council about how African Americans felt about racism in city hall, the positive support for its black leaders and the solidarity that led to the vote that approved funding for the Texas/Oklahoma and Grambling and Prairie View games at the Cotton Bowl.
This voice out of the crowd (who I did not know at the time) was Darryl Blair, who turned out to be representing Elite News.
Contrary to reports in the mainstream media, Commissioner Price did not threaten or curse Blair or have contact with him initially. As a matter of fact, the only thing Price muttered was that he was not scared and sought to hear Blair’s complaint. Aides with Price forbade him and restrained him from moving in Blair’s direction and said they had to get him out of city hall and to his vehicle.

While that was underway, Blair continued approaching, taunting and uttering profanity at Price and telling he was not afraid, would ‘kick his **!!’ He also invited him upstairs several times to settle the matter.
As Price went up the stairs from the council chambers to the flag room, Blair followed meeting him just outside the council chamber doors.
He continued challenging Price with profanity and walked up on him as to rush him. Price broke free and in an attempted to protect himself and a scuffle ensued.
A nearby television camera was in the right place at wrong time and captured the incident on tape.
Dallas Police rushed in yelling “Hey, Hey, Hey”, separated the two men and Price was taken to his vehicle.
Blair then told police that Price attacked him and would consider filing charges.
I applaud Commissioner Price for taking the high road and not losing his cool, despite the badgering, disrespect and challenging conditions he faced.
He is to be commended for holding his ground realizing the place and the circumstances.

My question is why did Mr. Blair take it upon himself to level this attack, clown and act foolish in front of African Americans, white people and the television camera in the first place?
Does he not understand as a black man and a journalist that whites often look for reasons to find holes in our armor and discontent in our ranks as African Americans?
This same weakness is then taken, turned and used as a weapon against us and hinders our ability to get our voices heard and sustain real forward progress in the struggle.
Another sad part is that this dispute is it happened with the smell of sweet victory still in the air.
Was it not enough to savor and enjoy the victorious moment of the day and allow it to take precedence over everything else!!!
This was not the place to air “dirty laundry” or settle a score.
Fighting for civil rights and equality is a delicate process.
Whether a citizen, journalist or a public elected official, we will have disagreements and emotional personal opinions, but

never must we allow any of them to get in the way of maintaining the kind of harmony, balance and unity we need to fight and win the struggle for equality.
Being an African American in the United States in 2004 is difficult enough without us adding self inflicted wounds upon one

another.
We must support each other, stand together and work together in order to achieve the best positive end in our struggle for equality.
We cannot afford to lose the battle for justice, equality and freedom. Our freedom as African Americans and the future of our children are at stake.
When any of us loses our poise and forgets their responsibility as a proud community leader or positive role model, it is a blow to all of us and waters down the struggle.
Thanks Commissioner for doing the right thing.