Professor E. Sonny Harris
Junious Ricardo Stanton
"If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
The world suffered a
great loss early Monday morning September 14, 2015 when Edgar "Sonny"
Harris made transition to the spirit realm quietly in his sleep. Sonny as he
was affectionately known was a born educator and motivator, a math teacher, a
school administrator, a college mathematics professor, a mathematics teacher
training instructor at Cheyney University and later an adjunct professor at
Temple University.
Sonny Harris was a
fighter for social justice and Black people's rights. He was born in Atlantic City New
Jersey Atlantic City publics schools then matriculated to Cheyney State Teachers College
Sonny returned to Atlantic City Atlantic
City Atlantic City
Sonny later earned
additional degrees in mathematics, teacher instruction and administration then
returned to Cheyney
State Commonwealth of Pennsylvania seeking redress and remedy from their
egregious long standing racial discrimination against Cheyney State College,
now Cheyney University
They were successful in
their legal suit and the Commonwealth was forced to give Cheyney $15 million
dollars, new facilities and new academic programs. Over the years the
Commonwealth either dragged their feet or reneged on the court mandate thinking
hey could get away with it because there was no judicial oversight or follow up
included in the settlement.
As the Commonwealth
continued to underfund Cheyney and set it up for failure, Professor Sonny
Harris was determined not to allow Cheyney to die on the vine. In March of 2013
Sonny contacted activist attorney
Michael Coard who he had worked with when Coard was a student at Cheyney and he
and Jeffrey Hart were student plaintiffs in the 1980 lawsuit for help. Sonny called
me because at the time I was the president of the Cheyney University National
Alumni Association and he wanted the backing and support of the alumni association.
Several other former students, current faculty and education activists joined
what was to become known as Heeding Cheyney's
Call and we have been working to save and enhance Cheyney University
While Michael Coard is
our spokesperson and legal advisor, Sonny Harris was the driving force behind Heeding Cheyney'S Call. Sonny was the
straw that stirred the drink. Sonny' energy level and intellect were boundless.
His experience as the president of the campus faculty, the faculty union
president for over thirty years and president of the retired faculty union were
invaluable. His wisdom and insight in higher education, administration and his
leadership provided us with the weapons we needed to confront the state and the
federal government and hold them accountable for their willful neglect and deliberate discrimination.
Heeding Cheyney's Call issued an ultimatum to the Commonwealth
taking advantage of the 2013 gubernatorial election to draw attention to
Cheyney's plight. The Corbett administration responded in the press to our
allegations but when we fired back, they offered to meet with us to discuss the
issues we raised. Their motives proved to be disingenuous, after ten months of
meetings with few if any results, Heeding Cheyney's Call filed a federal
lawsuit on October 29, 2014 against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
When we first started in March of 2013 we knew
we would have to seek court intervention and the recalcitrance of the Corbett
administration proved us right. Heeding Cheyney's Call just like higher education
advocates in Mississippi , Alabama ,
and Maryland had to seek legal redress to
overcome the ravages and vestiges of the US
We enlisted the assistance of two of the prime
movers behind the Coalition for Educational
Equity and Excellence the group that sued the state of Maryland
on behalf of the four HBCUs there, Dr. Earl Richardson the former president of Morgan State
University
Sonny was constantly urging us on, pushing us
to right the wrongs and improve conditions at Cheyney. Sonny had a sense of
urgency and impatience that forced us to step up the pace. He kept pressing on and was actively involved
up to the end. When we went to Baltimore
On Sunday September 13th he and I texted back
and forth beginning around 10:44 PM. I didn't call him because I thought he
might be asleep. But he immediately got back to me. He answered the first question
I asked. I followed it up with something else and he responded to that as well.
When the phone rang the
next morning I thought it was Sonny because his name came up on the my caller
ID. It was his daughter Debra informing Sonny had made transition during the
night. I was stunned and speechless; although looking back on it now I knew
Sonny wasn't well he kept on keepin' on! His passing has been hard for me. He
called me every morning and I miss that. His tenacity, relentlessness and
intellect will be missed. We cannot replace Sonny Harris. Michael, myself and
the Heeding Cheyney's Call Steering COmmittee are committed to carry on the
fight. We will complete the task. Sonny Harris is now a venerated ancestor and
as such his spirit and intercession will carry us through.
Heeding Cheyney's Call is in this struggle to save
Cheyney for the long haul. We are in it to win it. We will keep the legacy and
vision of Professor E. Sonny Harris alive. For updates and more information about Heeding Cheyney's Call visit our Website at
www.Heedingcheyneyscall.org, Instagram, Twitter and FaceBook.
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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 9:51 AM
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