Stetson Kennedy's 95th birthday

Stetson Kennedy would have been 95 today, October 5, 2011. We miss him.

The St. Augustine Record carried excellent editorials and articles about his heroism, including good coverage of Sunday’s memorial service, and graciously printed my column (above and below).

However, I was annoyed to see that not one local politician – not one – attended the memorial service. Ordinarily, St. Johns County politicians attend all sorts of church, business and philanthropic events. As Brian Wallace once said of a former Mayor, “he’s everywhere – even at the opening of an envelope!”

Not one elected public official was to be seen at Stetson’s memorial service.

I reckon he was too radical for some – his values of human rights and environmental protection might scare them. The KKK is still alive, as Stetson Kennedy told a gathering at the Southeast Branch Public Library last year – he was asked what happened to the men and boys who were throwing rocks at black people at the Slave Market in 1964 during civil rights protests. “Some of them are still around, working for the City and the County,” he said.

We’re getting a National Civil Rights Museum here in St. Augustine, thanks to the persistence of former UN Ambassador (and Atlanta Mayor) Andrew Young and St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles. When I told Stetson Kennedy about this plan earlier this year, he almost cried. His life has helped transform our country, and that's a good thing.

Stetson Kennedy encourages us to do our best.

In fact, I just looked inside his book, Grits and Grunts -- Folklore Key West (republished with WPA photos last year). Stetson Kennedy wrote, "Here's to Ed Slavin -- a full time and over-time freedom fighter! Salud!"

We shall overcome. And we have!