The Tuskegee Experiment, Birmingham bombing, Presidential Tweets & John Lewis
As we spent the week reflecting on The Tuskegee Experiment, the bombing in Birmingham, the life of freedom fighters like John Lewis and C.T. Vivian, and then topped it off with the rotten cherry in the form of another Trump tweet, it would be easy to sink into a sense of despair. When I first learned of the Tuskegee Experiment and the highlights of the Civil Rights events of the 60’s in my youth, it was easy to think of those things as things that happened long ago. But, now in my 40’s with a more mature understanding of the passing of time, it becomes blatantly obvious how very recent and relevant these events really are. The last survivor of the Tuskegee Experiment outlived my grandfather. Sarah Collins Rudolph is younger than my children’s grandparents. And John Lewis just died. This supposed history, is current and relevant. The pain is still fresh and significant.
The sting comes from the realization of the blatant disregard for life that these events display. The wound opens with the comprehension that these events happened not just as a disregard, but a blatant devaluing of the lives of people of color in order to benefit the quality of white lives. It is compounded by the recognition that these events are taught as if they are insignificant remnants, dismissed as anomalies of a time that citizens want to return to as they embrace the campaign to “Make America great again”. And the wound has yet to heal with repeated jabs like the President’s tweets of light-hearted celebrations at rolling back policies, limiting access to safe affordable housing to people.
It would be easy to sink into a sense of despair, but today as we celebrate the legacy of John Lewis we latch on to the hope that fueled his resilience….
"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone — any person or any force — dampen, dim or diminish your light … Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won."
― Lewis on being human in Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of
And recognize that the rallying call still echoes for us all...
"When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something."
— Lewis on seeking truth, justice, and equality, during the impeachment trial for US President Donald Trump
Let’s find some “Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble”