By the time you read this column, the 95th birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has passed. His birthday was Monday, January 15, 2024, and it was a day of many celebrations and events in his honor all around the Delaware Valley and the nation.
Dr. King, beloved by so many, is still a figure to be reckoned with in the 21st century. During a recent interview with John White, Jr. on WURD radio, I asked him if he thought Dr. King would be pleased with the way in which African American elected officials have grown, from the 1960s until now, in Philadelphia.
John White Jr. is a former Philadelphia City Councilman representing the 9th Council District. Prior to that, he was a PA State Representative representing the Northwest section of Philadelphia. After a successful time in the City Council, White was tapped by the Bob Casey Administration to become the PA State Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare. Throughout his political career, before his political career, and after, John White Jr. is a living legend in Philadelphia, having touched so many lives in a positive way over the years.
Here’s some of what John White Jr. had to say as he reflected on African American politics in Philadelphia.
“My father was one of the founders of the Black Political Forum here in Philadelphia. That organization was created in the late 1960s to provide voter education and political education to our community. It was organized to inspire more people to participate in our electoral process. The organization was led by my father, John White, Sr., along with former Mayor Reverend Wilson Goode, PA State Senator Hardy Williams, Dr. George French, Bob Everly, and Pearl Sharpless. They were able to go out into the community and do voter registration and voter education. They would go to church groups and community organizations. They had little voting machines that they would bring out with them to help would-be voters practice, so they would be prepared for election day.“
John White Jr. says that as a teenager, he would sit and listen to the conversations that were being held during their meetings. “People like Dave Richardson and I (a former PA State Representative), and what happened from that is that Dave and I became students of government–rather than just participate in politics. I have a heritage to stand firm on.”
“I think Dr. King would give us mixed reviews if he were alive today and looking at where we are in Philadelphia African American political history, to be honest,” White commented. “The Black Political Forum was about Black political power. It was also about people running for office who had a sense of what the role was and a sense of what they could accomplish. But the most important things we would emphasize back then were values and principles. What do you stand for? What is important to you? You have values. You have principles, and you have to have preparation. Through the years, I’ve learned that what it appears to be from the outside has very little resemblance to what it really is from the inside. We find ourselves being more attracted to the rhetoric, to the talk, than we do to actions. There are three things that I find if you have at your disposal, let’s say, as a public official or public servant–you can be effective. You have the power, you have the influence, and you have the authority.”
He continued, “In most cases, power is the last thing you want to use because that literally is forcing someone into a position that they don’t want to do. You’re literally quote-unquote, taking something away. Let me use war as an example. You see the consequences of war. War is about power. It’s imposing your will on someone.
Influence is when you are giving direction. You’re trying to show someone a better way and encouraging them to move in a certain direction.
Then there’s authority. Authority is exercising your responsibility in the best interest of the people that you represent. We’re good with the power. And we have power. We’ve assumed these positions in government (African Americans) are difference-makers if you choose to apply them.
We use our influence. We are included in many of the discussions that take place in government.
And then, there’s authority. Are we using all the tools at our disposal to bring about the change that we need?
It doesn’t require any courage to have power. It doesn’t require any courage to have influence. But when it comes to using your authority, you have to be courageous. Authority is when you’re willing to take risks to bring something about. We don’t take many risks. I find, in really doing something that’s going to have the kind of massive impact that we want. Changing a system requires courage.
When you exercise your authority, you’re going to be criticized. When you exercise your authority, you’re going to be scrutinized. So it’s important that those of us who are in public service remain courageous and remain committed to our principles and our values as we exercise that authority. I think Dr. King would give us a mixed review, but I think it would be a mixed review weighted toward the upside, and that’s hope. That’s where the hope comes from.”
John White Jr. added, “I think that’s what the Cherelle Parker Administration represents today. She represents hope for tomorrow.”
Today, John White Jr. is the president of The Consortium, a mental health agency based in West Philadelphia. Throughout its history, The Consortium has pioneered providing behavioral health services with ‘compassion first’ priorities-coupled with excellence in mental health treatments and collaborative understanding.
For over five decades, they have helped more than 250-thousand people throughout the Tri-State area overcome the challenges of mental illness and substance abuse. From their home base in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they have created a compelling record of helping people reach their full potential while strengthening Philadelphia communities, one person at a time, one family at a time.
The Consortium was the first mental health agency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a board of directors elected by the community itself, guaranteeing the first of its kind community input. They were the first methadone clinic in the State of Pennsylvania, and their six behavioral health centers located in Philadelphia empowered people with state-of-the-art behavioral health counseling. The Consortium has been on the front lines of the current opioid crisis. Additionally, The Consortium never turns anyone away, regardless of their ability to pay. The mission of the Consortium is as follows: The Consortium strives for the empowerment and recovery of all who seek assistance with behavioral health, support coordination, and substance use through the provision of holistic community-based services, always being respectful of choice and inspiring hope. They rely on the support of everyday people and others to help fulfill their mission. The West Philadelphia Community Mental Health Consortium, Inc. (The Consortium, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) organization. There are three locations for the Consortium in Philadelphia. They have offices on Island Avenue, University Avenue, and 58th Street all in West or Southwest Philadelphia. To learn more about the Consortium, call 267-233-5866.
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