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King Peace March / An Open Letter
It doesn’t look good for Terry Lee and I making this event in Cross City. One would think that the Florida Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and others who claim to support our efforts, would have jumped at the opportunity to bring us there, or at the very least the National organization should have figured out that our presence would be huge for them and the many issues they face in Florida.
It was the efforts of the Dixie Defenders Camp of the Sons and their honorable leader Commander Joe Sparcino who presented a series of Black History programs alongside my brother Terry Lee and I that has led to this historic invitation for the Sons to march alongside the community in the annual Martin Luther King Peace March. In the words of Ms. Carter, the event Chair to Commander Sparcino, “you and your men reached out to the Black community, it is only fair that we reach out to you”.
Several years back when Terry Lee and I visited Dixie Outfitters in Palatka, Florida, a similar invitation was extended by a young Black woman, and Terry Lee and I were the only ones to attend at our own expense. Unfortunately we cannot afford to incumber the expense of making this journey. It is too bad that those who claim to seek the vindication of the Southern people and our honorable symbols and way of life will not step forward and help us to move that vision forward on such an historic occasion, or understand the importance of our presence there.
However, it is important to note that Terry Lee and I have been invited by Ms. Lunell Seigel, a UDC Chapter President in Tampa who, in another capacity, is a History Museum volunteer with presenting a Black History Program on February 5, 2010. Details will be forthcoming.
Your brother,
HK
