Mourning the loss of a civil rights icon

By Jon Ralston

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

The world is mourning the death of 92-year-old Lena Horne, the incomparable showwoman who passed away this weekend. But here in Nevada, we should recognize the passing of another nonagenarian who endured much stormy weather in his lifelong battle for social justice. The Rev. Jesse Scott, who for many years led the NAACP here, knew how to deliver a stemwinder for racial equality when he was in his prime. Even during the past decade or so, when he walked with a cane, his appearance could be deceiving. He came on “Face to Face” a time or two and seemed not hobbled by age, still willing to give a fiery disquisition on a current topic. With so many poseurs who have claimed to represent the causes of African-Americans in this community through the years, Scott, who died at 90, was the genuine article. He had been through the civil rights battles and knew the war was never over. He will be missed.