The Blueprint of the future of Idlewild will signify the unique and personal dedication of everyone. It will express the rehabilitation and redemption of what our forefathers envisioned 100 years ago.
It will be an intriguing challenge, bring our community to bond together, and help us realize that everybody is important for a successful centennial.
As we draft our blueprint, remember we are grateful for the first 100 years. But this is a new generation. It’s almost like starting over. Our priorities are different, our projections are different.
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1912, 49 years later, Idlewild was founded. Idlewild has weathered many storms. On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war. On Nov. 11, 1919, World War I, The Great War, ended.
Leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey preached Black Pride and Self Confidence. The cultural revitalization called the Harlem Renaissance was in the 20s. Next was the Fundamentalist Crusade. This was also during the 1920s. Many Americans, both black and white, adopted Fundamentalism, conservative religious views.
Idlewild grew with the automobile boom which helped to reshape American life in the 1920s. Automobiles also had a great impact on society.
The stock market crashed on October 29, which became known as Black Tuesday. The prosperity of the 1920s was over. It was the first major event of what we call the Great Depression which lasted longer than the prosperity of the 20s. President Hoover could not check the economic slide.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president on March 4, 1933. His theme was called Action Now. It had three aims: relief, recovery and reform.
Yes, I am still writing about the blueprint of Idlewild.
We talked about World War I. Now Idlewild has to weather another war , resulting from the actions of three nations, Germany, Italy and Japan, attempting to control new territories. World War II ended on August 14, 1945 after we had dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Then came the Korean conflict. After World War II Korea, a nation on the east coast of Asia became divided in 1948. North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union decided to invade South Korea in 1950. South Korea was supported by the United States. In June of 1953 a truce was signed between the two nations.
And then, another war, Vietnam. That treaty was signed in 1973. Then came Desert Storm. Henry Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy brought about an Israel/Egypt cease fire in 1974.
I gave a little history about America and how hard it was to keep our dreams alive. Idlewild was a dream for African Americans who fled the oppressive laws of the South, migrating north in search of justice, equality and their piece of the American dream. And here we are, through all the wars, Depression and the recession we are in now, still trying to keep Idlewild alive.
Collaboration, co-operation, and teamwork are all elements of a community of individuals, each with different talents and backgrounds, combining their unique perspectives. We are able to recognize that every one has a personal pathway to success, and we are committed as a community to supporting and inspiring this individuality through challenging and meaningful work. After all, that’s what being a successful community is all about; different people working together for a great performance while following our blueprint.
In the future, our past will be the present. It’s happening fast. A new age, and with it, new successes and challenges, all changing at the speed of the next new idea. Grab hold of tomorrow propelled by all who have gone before you. Their stories, your heritage, is your passport. Keep your traditions strong, moving forward into the 21st century.
