To defeat those opposed to taking the Journal of African American History to the University of Chicago, elements of the ASALH leadership took a very low road at the 101st Annual Meeting in Richmond last week. It is now clear that officers of ASALH violated my civil rights and put my life in peril to keep me from making the case for self-publishing. Through the use of hotel security, they planned to prevent me from attending the Executive Board meeting. They did not balk at having the police involved in their scheme.  I had made threats on social media, the authorities were told.  Anything to keep the $55,000 in the GetRightwithWoodson campaign from undermining their plan to sellout our oldest tradition.

Ultimately, at the Business Session the leadership, using an unconstitutional parliamentarian, went on to do worse violence to our constitution by usurping the legal power of the membership to make policy that binds the hands of the people. When I put a motion on the floor that would have ruled out going to the University of Chicago except by action of the membership, the president of ASALH violated the constitution by refusing to allow a vote on the motion. Then in a high-handed manner they articulated their false theory behind their unconstitutional act: The Executive Council, the president and the senior vice-president argued, are like Congress and they govern ASALH between elections. This is a false theory that governed their behavior and justifies their removal from office. According to the By-Laws of ASALH 2f(3)(a), the function of the Executive Session is to “Implement the policies established the Business Session of the Association.” The member of ASALH are the ultimate power when they meet in the Business Session. The president denied the people’s power to govern.

Last night, I held a long meeting with myself, I will defend my reputation and my civil rights. And the Get Right with Woodson Campaign will continue.

#asalh2016