Jim Hall
By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Los Alamos
Former community member Jim Hall returns to Los Alamos with his wife Janet for a special presentation Feb. 16 at the United Church of Los Alamos. Hall will share his journey as a college student on the March for Justice with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was Selma, Ala.,1965. His free presentation is a first-hand account of historical events that changed the nation.
Hall was a student at Macalester College in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota. He received his BA from Macalester, created in 1874 and today sits on 53 acres. Noteworthy alumni are listed on its website. Hall was a student there in the 1960s and participated in civil rights debates. He jumped at the chance to be part of one of the civil rights marches of the time. Hall will share a snapshot of his experience during his presentation at United Church.
Hall recalls how he and other students rented a bus from Macalester College to Montogomery, but were not allowed to park the bus anywhere near the march for fear of safety.
“I only made it from day two of the March to the day before the actual entry into Montgomery,” Hall said.
I asked him to recall his feelings at the time and how it feels upon reflecting on it today.
“I have come to recognize this as an ongoing process that morphs and develops over generations, ethnicities and geographies,” Hall said. “MLK’s goal that people be evaluated by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin was wisdom then and must still be now.”
Hall said he was never afraid for his life but they were careful and knew what to do if beaten. As the son of a pastor, Hall’s advice from his dad at the time was to keep his head down. He recalls that his mom was not impressed about him going. He said that he still carries his family and school values today.
He encourages people to get engaged in their communities and what they can do to impact social justice today.
“First, evaluate the community you live in,” Hall said. “Is it supportive of racial justice, not discriminating based on race?”
He said he is personally outraged by the recent persecution of Jews in the United States, saying there is never any rational for discrimination on the basis for race.
Hall explained that he has always been engaged in community, including during his time in Los Alamos. He is most well known here as a businessman, former County Councilor and Los Alamos School Board member. He also served as a Division Leader for Administrative Data Processing (ADP) at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
He received his master’s degree at the University of New Mexico with coursework at Boston College and Harvard University.
Hall parted with the following wisdom, something we as Americans need to hear today and carry with us into the future. “Treat people as individuals and be sensitive, but honest. If you disagree, be respectful. Listen: God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Know thyself: right, wrong, and your boundaries.”
