Community members filled the Bruce Convention Center Saturday morning for the Modernette Civic Club’s 29th annual African American Heritage Breakfast, and attendees heard a message about the waning state of democracy in the country.
Murray State University History Professor Dr. Brian Clardy was the breakfast’s keynote speaker. Clardy is a published author of two books, serves on the governing board of the Kentucky Historical Society and served as chair of the Kentucky Humanities Council and the Kentucky Oral History Commission.
Clardy’s teaching specialties include U.S. foreign relations since 1898, American political history and social and political protest movements of the 1960s.
Democracy is supposed to be at the core of American government, but in history, democracy has been withheld from the Black community. The U.S. would not be the country it is today without the contributions of Black people, and Clardy says Black people helped fight for a democracy that they themselves could not even enjoy.
Clardy says America has never been great for Black Americans and that there are people in positions of power now who would like to see Black people’s access to democracy be limited. However, Clardy says he refuses to see the Black community relive egregious attacks on their livelihoods and existence.
Clardy called on the audience to be proactive, study the past and also look at global politics because authoritarianism is on the rise. Clardy says there has been a trend of democratic erasure and some foreign governments are turning toward authoritarian methods of maintaining power.
Clardy also spotlighted some legislation being proposed by Kentucky lawmakers. House Bill 4 proposes the removal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education. Many elected leaders inaccurately view DEI programs as an avenue for unqualified people to ascend to power or a form of reverse discrimination.
However, Clardy says DEI programs are designed to support people of color in environments that they were not originally welcomed to.
To preserve democracy, Clardy encouraged folks to study the past and to reach out to local, state and federal elected officials regarding their concerns, because at the end of the day, all politics are local.
To conclude the breakfast, Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight presented Clardy with a key to the city.
Modernette President Billie Todd shared that proceeds from the breakfast will go toward academic scholarships for local high school graduates. Later in the year, the club will be celebrating its 60th anniversary.