2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington; this commemoration was called the “Let Freedom Ring” event. Fifty years later, John Lewis is the only speaker still alive from that day and he delivered another speech. This was a powerful discourse; he confided his views about the evolution of Americans’ behaviors since fifty years and his hopes that they could even go further.
John Lewis’ speech in 1963 was eclipsed by Martin Luther King’s. However, it has always touched me in some ways that are hard to explain. Being the youngest speaker at the March on Washington and approximately my age, I admire his braveness to express his anger against the passivity of the government. He was a chairman for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and he is now a Congressman for Georgia and has not stopped his fight for the African American Civil Rights.
He lists the accomplishments the country has achieved; at the time African Americans could not vote, they were attacked by police dogs and could not walk freely in the South. It is a tribute to the obstacles that were overcome, to the militants who gave their lives such as Medgar Evers. He contradicts people who say that “nothing has change”, equal rights are a big change. However, he answers to those who say that the election of a black president marks the end of the Civil Right Movement; the equal rights are not always enacted.
He talks about “the spark of the divine” which is inside any human being in the world. He acknowledges that a gap still exists between human beings “Too many of us still believe our differences define us instead of the divine spark that runs through all of human creation.” Unity is the next step.
Did we really give up the fight for equal rights? Do we really put our differences forward in our daily lives? He addresses to us, citizen of the world, saying that each one of us can make a difference. The Civil Right Movement is not over and there are still a lot of efforts to be made.
His tone is involved and devoted, he did not stop fighting since fifty years and does not intend to, I quote “I’m not prepared to sit down and give up. I am ready to fight and continue to fight, and you must fight.” His speech is a way of showing people that the master narrative and common belief are wrong, the civil right movement fight is not over and cannot be over as there are still issues to be fought for.
This event is a direct parallel with the March on Washington; it took place on the exact same day, August 28th, at the Lincoln Memorial where thousands of American Americans were gathered fifty years ago. This conveyed a specific message, they were reunited fifty years ago to fight for equal rights, and they are once again reunited because the fight is not over.
What do you think about his speech and his hopes for the country?
Washington Post. "TRANSCRIPT: Rep. John Lewis' speech on 50th anniversary of the March on Washington."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/transcript-rep-john-lewiss-speech-on-50th-anniversary-of-the-march-on-washington/2013/08/28/fc2d538a-100d-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html
I think it will be interesting to see if there is a shift in the current and future civil rights movements in the years to come as there are less and less people involved that experienced legal segregation firsthand. Figures such as John Lewis that were involved in the movement and are still fighting today are so influential and bring such a spark to young people and their fight today. Hopefully this legacy is only strengthened by the memory of these figures as they pass away and we find new heroes in the struggle for current civil rights and racial equality that influence us and push us towards this equality in America.
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ReplyDeleteThe notion of the divine spark is interesting. If this spark may be utilized in order to advance the movement towards equal rights, exactly how does this play out? Lewis confirms that once it is recognized, a fight must ensue for the movement towards unity, because as we exist in 2013 the movement is not over. Since his rhetoric suggests that a fight is necessary for ultimate unity, which is contradictory, I would be interested in uncovering more about Lewis's ideologies.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware of the John Lewis's role in the March on Washington or last year's “Let Freedom Ring” event. His speech last year was realistic, yet positive. He addresses how far the US has come, but does not try to hide the fact that things are still not perfect. I like how he creates a sense of unification amongst Americans with his idea of the common spark. I think that this reminds all Americans how important out differences are for making the world go round. This is exactly why we should continue to fight for each other's rights. John Lewis's speech is inspiring, and it was fascinating hearing these words from such a significant figure in the Civil Rights movement.
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