Tracy Taylor’s trip to Selma life-altering

ALBANY — Sometimes a spur-of-the-moment decision can be life-altering. Just ask Dougherty NAACP Second Vice President Tracy Taylor.

After turning down an opportunity to be part of an NAACP-chartered bus trip to Selma, Ala., last week for the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the historic Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march, Taylor changed his mind. He called his friend Chris Wright, who is mayor of Dawson, and asked Wright if he wanted to make the trip to Selma.

The decision turned out to be a memorable one.

“This was one of the turning points of my life,” Taylor, who ran unsuccessfully for the Dougherty County Commission District 4 Democratic nomination last year, said after returning from Selma. “I was able to witness a part of history first-hand. I came away with a clear understanding of how far we’ve come in this country, but also how far we still have to go.”

Taylor said he and Wright left Friday afternoon, arriving in Selma around 9 p.m. Finding lodging for the night was no easy task.

“We went to about five hotels before we found one that had a vacancy,” he said.

The pair got up early Saturday, battled a massive traffic jam but eventually found a spot close to where President Obama offered his remarks.

“To see President Obama hug (Georgia Congressman) John Lewis 50 years after Lewis and others were beaten on that (Edmund Pettus) bridge, man that was an incredible moment,” Taylor said. “Then having the president of the United States point out that we have a long way to go before the struggle (for equality) is over, well, that just made me realize how time has a way of coming back full-circle.

“I came back to Albany ready to share this message.”

Taylor, who is planning a career in law enforcement, said one of his first orders of business is to work with other local NAACP officials to unify the organization.

“We need a strong, fully functioning branch in Albany/Dougherty County,” he said. “It’s time for unity among our membership, and it’s time for us to work with our local law enforcement personnel. We can’t sit around, do nothing, and just wait for a Ferguson (Missouri) to hit Albany. We’ve got to reach out, make our community a better and safer place.”

Taylor, who indicated he will make another political run in the near future, said the local NAACP chapter must work with the faith-based community to strengthen its position in the community.

“The clergy have a powerful voice in our community, a lot of influence,” he said. “They need to be a part of the dialogue with our sheriff and the police chiefs and captains.”

Taylor said the socio-economic divide in Southwest Georgia and the apathy among its younger citizens were among his major concerns.

“The young people did not go through the struggle, and they’re not truly educated about civil rights, voting rights and other historic issues,” he said. “They take things for granted when they should be taking things as seriously as (African-Americans) did 50 years ago. The apathy here is incredible.

“Our young people need to reflect on a few facts, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s unsuccessful attempt to improve civil rights in Albany. That should be a stark reminder that, as President Obama said in Selma, ‘The struggle is not over.’”