Opal Walker

It happened again, another mother lost a son. Another good woman who has nothing left. Yet she holds on. She believes and she has courage to fight on. She sees that there is a need arising. She understands that she has a voice. She understands that she must accomplished something in her life. She realized that she is here for a point. That she has a destiny. Losing your son is like losing your heart. It's like losing your husband to a single mother. How could she recover? How could she get back her dignity? I am inspired everyday by women like this. I am inspired to believe. I am inspired to hope. And I hope you too can be inspired to do go where no one's gone before, to seek what never been done and to do the impossible. Thank you and congratulations Class. I spoke at the graduation of Lincoln College which was an all girls college. Women need to be inspired. Women need strong role models. We hold much and we do have a say. We must not be afraid to speak up and be heard. We must not be afraid to live and love and laugh. We must not be afraid to come together and assemble. Our voice is stronger together than apart. We are more important as one than as two or three. We are more stronger in numbers and we are stronger than naysayers. And so I met Mr. Jesse along the way out from my speech. He said Opal Walker you are amazing up there. You got to join politics. You got to share your voice with the world. You got to liberate all of us. I am telling you. And I said stop right there. I am no Dr. King. I am no Medgar Evers. I am not even Malcolm X. It was just a speech. And he said But look at what the world is like Opal. The world is not what it seems to be. We need heroes as well as heroines. You may not think you are great but if you look deeply if you reach a bit hard and if you think on it. You will know what you really are. That is all I am saying. Think about it. And don't think lightly. Just look at the news, the paper and TV even listen to the television. And I thought for some time as he left. How could I change the world? How could I change the future? How could I make a difference? I am just a professor. I only teached but action is another thing. Well Opal Walker what are you gonna do? What are you gonna be? Just a voice or a voice with action. Eventually I called up Mr. Jesse who worked at the local church and he was glad and said he did not hear from me in a long time but he was sure glad. And I asked him a few questions about how to get involved and how to get my students involved. So I researched and I saw the issues of my people locally, statewide and nationally. I was so stirred in the spirit that I registered for a poltiical party and decided to vote. And I was campaigning for Senator Warner because I believed she would provide representation in government. Without representation there is no democracy. And Senator Warner was running for Governor and she wanted me to give an endorsement speech.. And that night I got a called from my doctor that I might have cancer. So I told her I needed time and I was depressed and sad. I was disturbed and hurted. All this appeared for nothing and I was very upset and acting unusual. When Mr. Jesse and church folks came to my door and he said We all know you are in there Opal. And I said Get away leave me alone. And he told the church folks to sing on the steps of my house. And he said What is wrong with you? I thought you cared. I thought you wanted to make a change. And I eventually opened the door in anguish and said Jesse I may have cancer. And he bowed and he tried to comfort me. And he told the church folks that we need to pray and so he prayed for me while they laid hands upon me. And he said I will go with you right now. It's been too long since the doctor told you. I will drive you there right now. We are gonna find out. And so I went to Miriam Central Hospital. And I could not find my doctor and it was hours and finally the head nurse said that doctor left and I can look in your records. Then she came back with a large file and look for sometime. And she said that it was a mixed up. And I was just gonna tell her off but Mr. Jesse said saved it the Lord has been good. And he sought the church folks away and he drove me home. And I felt cheated and angry. And I told him about the speech and he suggested I do the speech that I did at the graduation in support of Senator Warner running for Governor. And I said again I ain't no Dr.King. I ain't no Frederick Douglass. I ain't no Harriet Tubman. I am Opal Walker. I stand on their shoulders and I come to tell you that it is time to change this. And that's what I added to the speech. And I was apart of the campaign officially as I knew we needed to make a stand O my people.