Rep. John Lewis of Georgia embraced a message of love and unity, but also discomfort and disruption, without which there can be no true social justice.
John Lewis told people, “Never give up, never give in, never give out.” To honor his memory, heed those words, especially when it’s time to vote.
Angus Johnston, a historian of student activism and professor at City University of New York, posted a thread on Twitter detailing the moments leading up to Lewis’ speech in Washington nearly six decades ago. One of the tweets shares a passage that was eventually excised from the speech that Lewis gave.
So for those team presidents who make up the Alliance, I encourage you to take concrete steps to stop the hurt. That means opening the doors to your dormant stadiums and arenas to serve as polling stations capable of meeting social distancing guidelines. It means using your platforms to denounce policies that are harmful to underserved communities. It means making trouble — good, necessary trouble — which will always be the best way to honor Lewis.
“He’s in good spirits, but it’s nothing to play with,” my friend said, referring to the pancreatic cancer that Lewis was fighting.“Gotta cherish them while they’re here,” he replied.
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