Rober Hicks passes

I posted this on the other list, thought I would put it up here, too.

Robert Hicks is gone. You probably never heard of him, which is how he would have wanted it to be.

He was a leader in the Deacons for Justice and Defense in Bogalusa LA in the early '60s. The Deacons were formed by family men, mostly WWII and Korea vets, in response to the increase of threats and violent action by the Klan. This was after the lunch counter sit-ins, up to the Civil Rights Act and the drive to register African American voters. The Deacons were the older guys in suits you sometime see in the background of pictures from the civil rights struggle. Generally they are not named in the caption to the picture. They were armed. Their approach was to avoid confrontation if possible, but to defend themselves, women, children and elders, and to protect churches and homes by whatever means were necessary. This at a time when the attacking force often included local law enforcement.

His widow said, “I became very proud of black men. They didn’t bow down and scratch their heads. They stood up like men.”

The Deacons were not as flashy as the Panthers - their approach was the best publicity is no publicity. My own thought is they are a pretty good example of what the 2nd is all about.

jn