Admittedly, with all the crazy brouhaha going on with our country daily…it can be challenging to know what direction to go, respond or find hope…that’s when I thought of one of my heroes, John Lewis, whom I learned more about several years ago since sadly he wasn’t in my history books back in the day. John was responsible for this recognition of the words “Good Trouble”. This social change warrior believed that people coming together to mentor, protest and learn could create a society that they wanted to live in…just like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others called the “beloved community.” Realistically, creating that community required persistence; optimism; and the willingness to make what he called “good trouble”.
“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.” John Lewis made this statement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 1, 2020 (just over 5 years ago) remembering the tragic events of Bloody Sunday. Sadly, Bloody Sunday occurred on March 7, 1965 as peaceful protesters were beaten by law enforcement officers for crossing the bridge. Lewis (who barely survived) and others were beaten so badly they required hospitalization.
According to a Brookings commentary by Rashan Ray titled “Five Things John Lewis Taught Us About Getting into ‘Good Trouble’, the meaning behind the march is significant. The 600-person civil rights march was actually about police brutality due to a 26-year-old church deacon, Jimmie Lee Jackson…who was killed by James Fowler, a state trooper in Alabama.
Bloody Sunday has often been noted as the culminating point of Lewis’ life. This defining moment highlights five things he taught us about getting into “good trouble”:
- Vote, always: Our vote matters. If it didn’t, why would some people keep trying to take it away? What a great way of having our voices heard!
- Never too young to make a difference:. As a founder and leader of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis was the youngest person to speak at the March on Washington.
- Speak Truth to Power: “Speak up, speak out, get in the way,” said Lewis. He taught us the importance of speaking up and speaking out. We have to be willing to speak up about injustice, always, no matter the costs.
- Become a Racial Equity Broker: Lewis was the model of transitioning from a political activist to a politician. A racial equity advocate speaks up and speaks out, stands in the gap, and sits at the table to advocate for people who cannot advocate for themselves. There is a saying… “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu and someone is eating you for lunch.” Shirley Chisholm said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Lewis realized that to make transformative change, he had to be at the table and often bring his own chair.
- Never Give Up: When Lewis was elected to Congress in 1986, one of his first bills was the creation of a national museum to chronicle the history, culture, and successes of Black Americans. Lewis taught us persistence. He taught us that when a person has transformative ideas, they should not taper those ideas. Instead, they should push those ideas until others get on board. Simply because change is slow does not mean change agents have to move slowly towards it. Lewis was a lightning bolt for equity, social change, and social justice. We must continue his legacy, never forget history, pursue equity, and get in good trouble.
Wellness warriors…as we push back and find our unique way of making our voices heard through our “good trouble” efforts, as a reminder, our woke minds are required:
Ten Attributes of a Woke Mind
- We read books and don’t burn them
- We embrace science.
- We are willing to change your mind.
- We understand that most issues are not black and white.
- We believe in true equality for all people.
- We have empathy.
- We embrace cooperation.
- We respect the rights of others.
- We believe culture and arts have value.
- We are for the planet.
Let’s keep hope alive, Warriors…progress, not perfection.
Spiritual Meditation: ”The worst sound of injustice sounds like silence from the masses” – Daily Medicine
Political Humor: Breaking news! In preparation for life after politics, resident Trump has agreed to a formal apprenticeship with Elon Musk to pursue the necessary social and intellectual skills to sell gently used, tariff free Teslas (the market is unsurprisingly flooded). Note: special discount pricing (50% APR) for recently terminated Federal employees and Veterans.