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Remembering
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By John Lewis
Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral.
July 30, 2020 , New York Times
While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid down the burdens of division. Around the country and the world you set aside race, class, age, language and nationality to demand respect for human dignity.
That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. I just had to see and feel it for myself that, after many years of silent witness, the truth is still marching on.
Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars.
Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle. Unchecked, unrestrained violence and government-sanctioned terror had the power to turn a simple stroll to the store for some Skittles or an innocent morning jog down a lonesome country road into a nightmare. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain.
Like so many young people today, I was searching for a way out, or some might say a way in, and then I heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on an old radio. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. He said we are all complicit when we tolerate injustice. He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.
Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.
You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. People on every continent have stood in your shoes, through decades and centuries before you. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Continue to build union between movements stretching across the globe because we must put away our willingness to profit from the exploitation of others.
Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.
When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.
John Lewis, the civil rights leader and congressman who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death.
Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral.
July 30, 2020 , New York Times
While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid down the burdens of division. Around the country and the world you set aside race, class, age, language and nationality to demand respect for human dignity.
That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. I just had to see and feel it for myself that, after many years of silent witness, the truth is still marching on.
Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars.
Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle. Unchecked, unrestrained violence and government-sanctioned terror had the power to turn a simple stroll to the store for some Skittles or an innocent morning jog down a lonesome country road into a nightmare. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain.
Like so many young people today, I was searching for a way out, or some might say a way in, and then I heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on an old radio. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. He said we are all complicit when we tolerate injustice. He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.
Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.
You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. People on every continent have stood in your shoes, through decades and centuries before you. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Continue to build union between movements stretching across the globe because we must put away our willingness to profit from the exploitation of others.
Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.
When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.
John Lewis, the civil rights leader and congressman who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death.
Resolution in Support of Black Lives Matter
Harney County Democratic Central Committee
P.O. Box 292
Burns, Oregon. 97720
June 18, 2020
The Harney County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC) has passed a resolution in support of Black Lives Matter. We want to make our public officials aware of our concerns regarding how our society unfairly discriminates against people of color in the United States of America. We encourage and support local, regional, state, and national efforts to guarantee that the rights of people of color are no longer infringed. HCDCC will continue to endorse those legislators who make a concerted effort to change the culture of racism in the United States of America.
Most importantly, it is known by members of the community that the culture in Harney County is not always welcoming, especially if you look different from white skinned people. This includes people who come to work for federal agencies, tourists, and farm workers. The Burns Paiute Tribe are the first Harney County people and still struggle with elements of bigotry and indifference. It is necessary to start this difficult conversation so everyone who makes Harney County their home, is treated with respect, dignity and equality.
A RESOLUTION OF THE HARNEY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
On Black Lives Matter
WHEREAS, people of color are unfairly discriminated against in the United States of America
WHEREAS, people of color are murdered by police
WHEREAS, our society disproportionately incarcerates people of color are in the U.S. prison system
WHEREAS, many peaceful protests have been met with excessive force
NOW, THEREFORE THE HARNEY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE RESOLVES
Section 1: To support the First Amendment right of all citizens to peacefully assemble;
Section 2: To identify and collaborate with others in Harney County who are interested in promoting ethnic diversity and racial justice, in supporting efforts to acknowledge and change the culture of hate, white privilege, and white supremacy;
Section 3: To encourage and support local, regional, state, and national efforts to guarantee the rights of people of color are no longer infringed;
Section 4: To support training our police in de-escalation and other non-violence;
Section 5: To endorse those legislators who make a concerted effort to change the culture of racism in the United States of America;
Section 6: To oppose the use of our military to police civilians in the United States America;
Section 7: To support Black Lives Matter, and all peaceful civil rights organizations working for racial justice and to end systemic racism throughout our justice system;
June 8, 2020
Harney County Democratic Central Committee
Lynn McClintock Chair
P.O. Box 292
Burns, Oregon. 97720
June 18, 2020
The Harney County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC) has passed a resolution in support of Black Lives Matter. We want to make our public officials aware of our concerns regarding how our society unfairly discriminates against people of color in the United States of America. We encourage and support local, regional, state, and national efforts to guarantee that the rights of people of color are no longer infringed. HCDCC will continue to endorse those legislators who make a concerted effort to change the culture of racism in the United States of America.
Most importantly, it is known by members of the community that the culture in Harney County is not always welcoming, especially if you look different from white skinned people. This includes people who come to work for federal agencies, tourists, and farm workers. The Burns Paiute Tribe are the first Harney County people and still struggle with elements of bigotry and indifference. It is necessary to start this difficult conversation so everyone who makes Harney County their home, is treated with respect, dignity and equality.
A RESOLUTION OF THE HARNEY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
On Black Lives Matter
WHEREAS, people of color are unfairly discriminated against in the United States of America
WHEREAS, people of color are murdered by police
WHEREAS, our society disproportionately incarcerates people of color are in the U.S. prison system
WHEREAS, many peaceful protests have been met with excessive force
NOW, THEREFORE THE HARNEY COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE RESOLVES
Section 1: To support the First Amendment right of all citizens to peacefully assemble;
Section 2: To identify and collaborate with others in Harney County who are interested in promoting ethnic diversity and racial justice, in supporting efforts to acknowledge and change the culture of hate, white privilege, and white supremacy;
Section 3: To encourage and support local, regional, state, and national efforts to guarantee the rights of people of color are no longer infringed;
Section 4: To support training our police in de-escalation and other non-violence;
Section 5: To endorse those legislators who make a concerted effort to change the culture of racism in the United States of America;
Section 6: To oppose the use of our military to police civilians in the United States America;
Section 7: To support Black Lives Matter, and all peaceful civil rights organizations working for racial justice and to end systemic racism throughout our justice system;
June 8, 2020
Harney County Democratic Central Committee
Lynn McClintock Chair
Another message from Rosa Colquitt, Chair DPO Black Caucus
Hello Black Caucus members and community friends,
Hoping all of you had a safe and fun July 4th week-end, considering that we are living through a pandemic. Please review the very brief, yet very important fact below. On behalf of the DPO Black Caucus, I am asking that you share the info and discuss with your family and networks. We are at a "moment in time" or "movement in history," depending upon one's perspective, in which we must deal with the dire situation currently confronting America -- it impacts ALL of us! Thanks for your continuing commitment to equality and justice for all. ~Rosa
Trump Ignores Communities Of Color Disproportionately Hurt By Coronavirus
As Trump downplays the surge in coronavirus cases, he is also ignoring communities of color who are disproportionately hurt by the pandemic.
Black and Latino residents are three times as likely to be infected with coronavirus, and nearly twice as likely to die from it.New York Times: “Latino and African-American residents of the United States have been three times as likely to become infected as their white neighbors, according to the new data, which provides detailed characteristics of 640,000 infections detected in nearly 1,000 U.S. counties. And Black and Latino people have been nearly twice as likely to die from the virus as white people, the data shows.”
Nearly 40 percent of Black and Hispanic households are struggling to feed their families during the pandemic.Politico: “Nearly four in 10 Black and Hispanic households with children are struggling to feed their families during the coronavirus pandemic — a dramatic spike that is exacerbating racial inequities and potentially threatening the health of millions of young Americans. The percentage of families who are considered food insecure has surged across all groups and is already much higher than during the depths of the Great Recession, according to new research by economists at Northwestern University based on Census Bureau data.”
Black, Hispanic and Asian American workers are disproportionately hurt by job losses during the pandemic. Forbes: “The unemployment rate for Black men is now at its highest point in this recession, rising last month to 16.3 percent in June.”FiveThirtyEight: “The unemployment rate for white Americans continues to be much lower than the unemployment rate for Black, Hispanic or Asian Americans. That’s an important reminder that some workers are continuing to do much better than others as the recovery creaks into gear.”
A Message from Rosa Colquitt, PhD, Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon’s Black Caucus
On May 26, most Americans woke up to the news of a disturbing video showing 46-year-old George Floyd pinned to the concrete with the knee of a Minneapolis police officer on his neck. After more than seven minutes being pinned under the pressure of the officer's knee, Mr. Floyd ultimately died.
My reaction as a Black mother was to hold my adult son to my bosom, to never release him, to protect him with my very life. I am incapable of speaking the fear inside of me for my Black son. I know I voice the sentiments of Black mothers all over the country. Whites express grief: “How horrible, how wrong, yet again — it must stop.” Black Americans say, "Oh yes, again, who's next?"
Weeks earlier, America witnessed the unspeakable trauma and grief over the killing of 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor while sleeping in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, by police officers serving a no-knock arrest warrant on her boyfriend. And more recently, the killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery while jogging in Glynn County, Georgia, by an armed father-son duo, supposedly for a "suspected robbery." No doubt this is a month of national reckoning for Black people and for all conscientious Americans, all in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic that is disproportionately killing Black Americans.
Rev. Dr. Bernice King, youngest daughter of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tweeted a picture of the police officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck alongside a picture of Colin Kaepernick kneeling at a football game to protest the shootings of unarmed Black men by police. She wrote in part, "If you're unbothered or mildly bothered by the first knee but outraged by the second, then in my father's words, you're more devoted to order than to justice.” Bernice King speaks profoundly to a nation so badly in need of healing.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to the nation this afternoon about the killing of George Floyd. After speaking with Mr. Floyd's family, Biden addressed the lack of presidential leadership in his speech, as well as the history connected to Floyd’s death. Part of the Vice President's speech follows:
“Once again we heard the words, ‘I can’t breathe.’ An act of brutality so elemental, it did more than deny one more black man of America his civil rights and his human rights, it denied him of his very humanity, it denied him of his life ... The same thing happened with Arbery, the same thing happened with Breonna Taylor, the same thing with George Floyd ... they’re the latest additions to the endless list of stolen potential, wiped out unnecessarily. It’s a list that dates back more than 400 years, black men, black women, black children. The original sin of this country still stains our nation today, and sometimes we manage to overlook it. We just push forward with a thousand other tasks in our daily life, but it’s always there. On weeks like this, we see it plainly that we are a country with an open wound, and none of us can turn away, none of us can be silent. None of us can any longer — can we hear the words, ‘I can’t breathe,’ and do nothing.”
Biden went on to say it's not a time for tweets and encouraging violence, but a time for leadership in a national crisis.
The leadership of the Democratic Party of Oregon strenuously rejects the unwarranted killings of Black Americans. The very core of both our Platform and our belief system as Democrats is about the equality of all. But in the wake of yet another senseless killing, we face the sad reality that our advocacy and even our most heartfelt, passionate beliefs were not enough to save George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the thousands who came before. The most virtuous beliefs mean nothing if they are not lived; the most comprehensive of policies are feckless if they are not promoted and enforced; and our visions of marching toward a truly more perfect union will go dark without all of us forging a path forward together.
May our passion and commitment, as well as our rage and grief, bring all of us together to fight this horrific and deadly disease that is racism.
My reaction as a Black mother was to hold my adult son to my bosom, to never release him, to protect him with my very life. I am incapable of speaking the fear inside of me for my Black son. I know I voice the sentiments of Black mothers all over the country. Whites express grief: “How horrible, how wrong, yet again — it must stop.” Black Americans say, "Oh yes, again, who's next?"
Weeks earlier, America witnessed the unspeakable trauma and grief over the killing of 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor while sleeping in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, by police officers serving a no-knock arrest warrant on her boyfriend. And more recently, the killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery while jogging in Glynn County, Georgia, by an armed father-son duo, supposedly for a "suspected robbery." No doubt this is a month of national reckoning for Black people and for all conscientious Americans, all in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic that is disproportionately killing Black Americans.
Rev. Dr. Bernice King, youngest daughter of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tweeted a picture of the police officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck alongside a picture of Colin Kaepernick kneeling at a football game to protest the shootings of unarmed Black men by police. She wrote in part, "If you're unbothered or mildly bothered by the first knee but outraged by the second, then in my father's words, you're more devoted to order than to justice.” Bernice King speaks profoundly to a nation so badly in need of healing.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to the nation this afternoon about the killing of George Floyd. After speaking with Mr. Floyd's family, Biden addressed the lack of presidential leadership in his speech, as well as the history connected to Floyd’s death. Part of the Vice President's speech follows:
“Once again we heard the words, ‘I can’t breathe.’ An act of brutality so elemental, it did more than deny one more black man of America his civil rights and his human rights, it denied him of his very humanity, it denied him of his life ... The same thing happened with Arbery, the same thing happened with Breonna Taylor, the same thing with George Floyd ... they’re the latest additions to the endless list of stolen potential, wiped out unnecessarily. It’s a list that dates back more than 400 years, black men, black women, black children. The original sin of this country still stains our nation today, and sometimes we manage to overlook it. We just push forward with a thousand other tasks in our daily life, but it’s always there. On weeks like this, we see it plainly that we are a country with an open wound, and none of us can turn away, none of us can be silent. None of us can any longer — can we hear the words, ‘I can’t breathe,’ and do nothing.”
Biden went on to say it's not a time for tweets and encouraging violence, but a time for leadership in a national crisis.
The leadership of the Democratic Party of Oregon strenuously rejects the unwarranted killings of Black Americans. The very core of both our Platform and our belief system as Democrats is about the equality of all. But in the wake of yet another senseless killing, we face the sad reality that our advocacy and even our most heartfelt, passionate beliefs were not enough to save George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the thousands who came before. The most virtuous beliefs mean nothing if they are not lived; the most comprehensive of policies are feckless if they are not promoted and enforced; and our visions of marching toward a truly more perfect union will go dark without all of us forging a path forward together.
May our passion and commitment, as well as our rage and grief, bring all of us together to fight this horrific and deadly disease that is racism.
