June 6, 2024, marked the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. Many of the history books do not teach about the role of African American World War II veterans who demanded equality at home after serving overseas.
Those of us engaged in the Civil Rights Movement took our courage from our African American Veterans of WW II. Two of those veterans were Curtis Pap Hooker and Avery A.B. Toney. They were born and raised in Lucas, Mississippi. They dodged many bullets and became war-weary soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge, fighting through the frozen Ardennes Forest in a mountainous region of Belgium, France, and Luxembourg in the dead of winter. The Battle of the Bulge was the costliest action ever fought by the U.S. Army, suffering over 100,000 casualties.
Curtis and Avery survived Normandy in Northern France. Curtis Hooker survived four other major battles and Avery Toney survived six other major battles including the Rhineland battle, and the battle of Central Europe, and still, they came back to Mississippi and could not vote and were ridiculed through the processes.
Our small Black community of Lucas Mississippi knew WHAT Curtis and Avery did for our country and we knew that the treatment they received was not fair, yet they came back to Mississippi. Even though the vote was beyond their reach, they brought the courage that they maintained in the military service back to us and mandated that we use it. When the right opportunity presented itself, we took that courage and used it to march into the Tomorrow of a Better World.
Some Civil Rights pundits suggest that Mississippi Blacks did not help themselves move toward freedom until the Freedom Riders. I, as a Freedom Rider, submit to you that our fight for social justice and freedom began during the foundation of this country and intensified with the return of our Black soldiers, beginning with World Wars I & II.
Each and every one of us should be supporting, networking with each other, sharing aspirations and dreams, sharing potential solutions to our problems, supporting our good leaders and organizations, and specifically lifting up our veterans. Working together, each and every step we take should be steps taken for our soldiers and veterans.
Friends and family, look around and start considering your community as a collective force for good. Know your family history. Pool your resources and start mandating that all of us work together as a unit.
We Must Vote
Hopefully, all of your family members of voting age participated in the recent 2024 election. I beg of you, please never be fooled about your candidate selection options. By all means, take into consideration bills passed and signed into law. Continue to be aware of your political needs and when you vote, know who you are voting for. Don’t wait for election day to become knowledgeable about your candidates.
To all of you who know our country's history, our ancestors died at home and abroad for the right to vote. People were killed in this country for trying to help people register to vote. In Mississippi people were killed just for talking to each other about voting. Perhaps, more than any other time during our lifetime, some prefer to take us back, not just to the 1950s but to the 1700s and 1800s, simply to maintain power. NO MATTER WHAT, WE MUST VOTE.
Thomas Armstrong
January 2025
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