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'We have made a lot of progress but we still have a long way to go': Urban League Sacramento President Cassandra Jennings reflects on life during Civil Rights Movement
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Updated: 11:10 AM PST Mar 2, 2021
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Updated: 11:10 AM PST Mar 2, 2021
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ACCOUNTS. USER STARTED TO REPORT THE OUTAGE ABOUT NOON TODAY IN THE SYSTEM IS STILL DOWN. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY BUT MORE WORK STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE, THOSE ARE WORDS FROM A WOMAN WHO GREW UP IN A ONCE SEGREGATED NORTH CAROLINA. LISA: CASSANDRA JENNINGS SAYS SHE GREW UP ALWAYS ASKING WHY PEOPLE TREATED HER DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HER SKIN. NOW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AN ORGANIZATION, SHE DEDICATED HER LIFE TO ADVOCACY FOR UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES. BRIE JOHNSON TAKES US BACK TO WHERE IT ALL STARTED. >> I JUST REMEMBER GROWING UP IN THE SEGREGATED SOUTH, NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT IT MEANT. I REMEMBER WHEN WE WENT TO THE RESTAURANT, WE HAD TO GO TO THE TAKEOUT. WE COULD NOT GO SIT IN. WHEN WE WENT T STORES, WE HAD TO STAY IN THE BACK. I REMEMBER GOING TO THE MOVIE THEATER WHERE WE HAD TO SIT AT THE TOP AND WATCH ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE US SIT IN THE BOTTOM. >> WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT TIME? >> THE ASSASSINATION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING. I JUST REMEMBER WEEPING AS A CHILD. WEEPING WITH THE SENSE THAT THE HPE AND DREAMS THAT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING TALKED ABOUT, THAT I HAD WATCHED THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, THAT I HAD FELT THE PAIN THAT HE DESCRIBED, THAT MY MOM ALWAYS REMINDS ME THAT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN ROSA PARKS ON THAT BUS. THAT I JUST WEPT. AND I THOUGHT THAT I HAD PLEDGED TO MYSELF, AND MY FATHER KNEW THIS, PROBABLY MORE SO THAN MY MOM, THAT I WASN’T GOING TO GIVE UP BECAUSE I WAS IN AN INTEGRATED SCHOOL, BUT WE WANTED MORE I NORTHEAST TO BE INVOLVED. THE SELECTION COMMITTEE DIDN’T LOOK LIKE US, DIDN’T UNDERSTAND OR RELATE TO US. SO WE DID A POLICY AT SCHOOL THAT SAID ANY SELECTION COMMITTEE THAT YOU HAVE, IT WILL REPRESENT YOUR PEOPLE, AND IT WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY BLACK. SO WE PUT THAT POLICY IN PLACE WHEN I WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. I HAD TO GO DOWN IN A GYM FULL OF PEOPLE, 300 GIRLS DRESSED TO TRY OUT IN A GYM FULL OF SPECTATORS, AND WE HAD TO CANCEL THAT TRY OUT BECAUSE THE SCHOOL HAD NOT MADE TRUE ON ITS COMMITMENT. AND AS A RESULT I GOT A LOT OF PUSHBACK. PEOPLE VANDALIZED MY HOUSE, THEY THREW EGGS, THEY THREW A BRICK THE WINDOW. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE CALLED THE POLICE, THEY ASK, WHAT DID YOU DO TO PROVOKE IT? I WAS LIKE, THIS IS NOT REAL. >> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUTH? >> I LOOK AT THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOHN LEWIS AND I SAY WELL, HE STAYED THE COURSE. HE KEPT THE FIGHT. HE RAN THE RACE, AND HE NEVER GAVE UP AT ALL. SO WHAT IT TELLS ME IS TO KEEP GOING. WHAT IT TELLS YOU IS, GET ON YOUR JOB, DON’T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT. DON’T BE AFRAID TO STAND FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE. BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE, AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE. DON’T DO IT WITH VENGEANCE. DON’T DO IT WITH PRIDE FOR SELF, OTHER THAN PRIDE FOR WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO. AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SILENT. BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE VIOLENT. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DESTROY THINGS. AN