Xernona Clayton is a ball of fire.
Moving a mile a minute, the civil rights veteran and former Martin Luther King Jr. confidante is in her office in Atlanta fielding calls, doing interviews, and putting the final touches on the Trumpet Awards, an affair that highlights the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans.
Clayton is the founder and chief executive officer of the Trumpet Awards Foundation Inc., and creator and executive producer of the Trumpet Awards, which is in its 17th year and will air on April 12 from Atlanta on TV One.
Her achievements are vast, but Clayton isn't one to toot her horn. The first black woman in the South to host a prime-time television talk show, Clayton was a vice president of urban affairs at Turner Broadcasting System Inc. She is also the originator of the one-minute "Moments in History" broadcasts televised annually during Black History Month.
Although her schedule is full, Clayton recently found time to talk about King, a man she respected, knew for several years, and worked with during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. With a venerable wealth of knowledge, Clayton, admittedly "never at a loss for words," has a million stories to tell.
The L.A. Watts Times spoke with Clayton to get her take on the nation's upcoming tribute to King.
LAWT: What is the best way to acknowledge King's birthday?
XC: He definitely wouldn't want the hoopla. He didn't like all the activities that pinpointed him as the great savior of our time. I go into a more reflective period. I remember how good and courageous he was; how selflessly he helped us; how committed he was to his cause. He wanted so much for us.
LAWT: Once again, the nation is going to pay tribute to King. What do you do each year to acknowledge him?
XC: I say to myself privately that he's so much bigger in death than he was in life. I saw him suffer when friends turned their backs on him. He said violence does not win. There is no victory in war. He couldn't support the (Vietnam) War. That was a hot issue at the time. He was alienated and isolated. That grieved him. He died of a broken heart. At the period of his death, he was very unhappy. He said, 'You always expect your enemies to go against your views and philosophies, but you don't expect your friends to turn against you.'
LAWT: What do you think is an appropriate honor for King?
XC: Mirror his need to share what you have. Dr. King gave away his whole check from the Noble Peace Prize to others. He shared it with the NAACP and CORE. They were among the group. He said, 'The money is not for me; it's for those fighting to rid our society of racism, bigotry and poverty.'
LAWT: Describe King.
XC: A man who was filled with greatness. He had a high intellectual level of absorption. He was (humble). To me he was very, very tall. He was full of warmth and excitement; the will to free the people; the verve to make things happen; the will to make justice a reality; the way he wanted to love and spread the message of love around the world.
LAWT: Why does the country need a King memorial?
XC: I don't think the country needs one. But here's the point: In our country we put up statues and remembrances of people who have made a difference in our society, so it's OK, but we don't need one.
LAWT: King often spoke about character trumping color. Do you think he thought blacks would ever be judged by their character and not their color?
XC: He was so optimistic that one of these days it was going to be better. That's why he sang, 'We Shall Overcome.' He really believed white America would join hands with us. He believed white men of goodwill would join hands with us to fight the ills of racism and poverty. With the victory of Obama, that's exactly what happened. We had blacks and whites together uniting. It was Dr. King's prediction that we would be better in our lifetimes.
LAWT: Can you share any stories about King related to the struggle?
XC: What I can tell you is that our relationship was a combination of personal and professional. I was a part of their personal lives. I was a personal friend. Every child's birthday was celebrated in the house. They were a happy family. Always celebrating. I loved the games -- they played games with the children. The children would get on top of the refrigerator and jump into his (King's) arms. Then, when they came down, he'd kiss them. He had a kiss spot on each child's face. On purpose he would kiss the wrong spot. The kids would go: 'Oh daddy, that's the wrong spot. That's her spot.' Jumping off of the refrigerator, that was a leap of faith. That's what I called it.
LAWT: Any other stories?
XC: When their father was killed I was with Mrs. King from the time we got the news until he was buried. I remember she wanted to be the one to tell the children about their dad.
She asked me to come into the room with her to tell them. She went to Dexter and told him his father had been hurt. He asked 'how bad?' She said 'pretty badly.' She couldn't bring herself to say what had really happened. He jumped up and said, 'If he's hurt so bad, then why are you here? You guys are always together. Why aren't you with him?' So she said, 'He's hurt so badly. He's not going to come back right now.' Then she went to Martin, who was about 10 or 11. She said: 'Bad things happen. Someone did something severe to your dad.' He said, 'What should I tell my friends when I go to school tomorrow?' Coretta said: 'Don't worry about it. You won't go to school tomorrow. I think your teacher will understand.' He said: 'No, you don't know Miss Davis. She'll never understand why I missed school.' In later years Martin thought that was funny. He didn't remember that story.
LAWT: Are you still close to the children?
XC: Yes, very close. I still get to see them. Bernice was telling me just (recently) that she's going to come sit with me so I can record the stories no one knows. They still like hearing them.
LAWT: You had an up-close-and-personal view of the Civil Rights Movement. How did it shape your life?
XC: I learned one thing. In any conflict, this is what Dr. King patterned his approach by: He said, 'If you come to the table of reasoning, you can usually make some progress in areas of conflict.' Conflict resolution was very important to him. He felt if we can just get the white people and talk to them and get them to learn about us, it would solve some problems. A lot of fights take place over misunderstandings and misconceptions. If you sit down and talk, you'll come to the core of the problem and come to a resolution. White people have learned that we are a strong people. Dr. King put a lot of faith in coming to the table of reasoning. That has shaped me a lot. I do that now. As I work with the Trumpet Awards, I remember what he said.
LAWT: What has happened to the Civil Rights Movement?
XC: Well, I think that I have some kind of odd assessment of the Civil Rights Movement. I was born in America. I have rights here in this country. I'm a law-abiding citizen. I respect the rights of others... Why shouldn't I enjoy the same privilege everyone else does -- meaning white people? We had to have someone champion the cause of freedom. I kind of resented the fact that we had to. Today we've lost some of that vivacity because we have so many black people who are doing well. We have a jaundiced view on where we are. Even with Mr. Obama's election, everybody says 'Now, our problems are solved and everybody can be what they want to be.' I don't share that. I'm excited for him and with him. But as long as there is hatred in the hearts of men, we have work to do. Like Dr. King said, until we all overcome, not just one, but all, we have not reached the Promised Land.
LAWT: In what direction would you like to see the Civil Rights Movement go?
XC: I think every black person ought to take a white person and help change their attitude. Well, not change, but make sure we reach a color-blind society -- until we all see human spirit as an embodiment rather than a color of a man's skin. That's when we'll have this great society.
LAWT: Why did you write your book, 'I've Been Marching All the Time: An Autobiography,' (with Hal Gulliver)?
XC: I never thought of myself recording what I had experienced. I felt blessed to have lived this life and to mix and mingle with people doing different things. I always thought my life could have more meaning if I involved myself. I'm glad I did write the book. As I wrote it, I relived those years. I continue to count the blessings. You must prepare yourself for life's goals and commitments. My most memorable moments were things that were unplanned. You can plan to meet Dr. King, but you can't plan to be his confidante.
Link:
Trumpet Awards Foundation Inc.
Darlene Donloe is a writer for the L.A. Watts Times.
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