John Lewis
Photo by Derek Smith for Magnolia Pictures
Of all the places to get my news, I found out about John Lewis’ passing on Twitter. My morning routine starts with some kind of scrolling and accelerated synthesis of news and information. I grew up with information at my fingertips, and I’ve spent the better part of my life consuming information as quickly as possible, so I can move on to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing after that. When I read about John Lewis’ death, I couldn’t move on to the next thing.
I carried this information with me for the rest of the day, unaware as to the emotions that came with this package deal. Everyone in my personal life can tell you that I’m no good at processing my emotions. I tend to push them aside and ignore them until it get’s to be too much. It got to be too much. I can tell you this, I was sad. I was sad that we lost such an important figure of the civil rights movement. I was sad that he died in a year when we had already lost so much. I was sad, because I didn’t know enough about him or the legacy he left behind. I was sad, because I didn’t think I had the right to be sad about this loss. I spent the rest of my weekend trying to justify the sadness away. Spoiler - it didn’t work.
I think my sadness was underlined with a little bit of guilt. My resolve for fighting for social justice was wearing thin, and here was a man who (literally) devoted his life to racial justice, and only one of us now lives to tell the tale. I could never compare myself to him or anyone like him - and that’s based on the little bits of information I do know.
Every story about John Lewis describes him as a legend, a giant, a model that was out of reach. But, the more I learned, the more I realized that his legacy wasn’t in grand demonstrations of action, but in the small and individual acts of justice. He was exactly like us, like me. He didn’t have extraordinary powers that made him such a powerful civil rights activist, he was one person that dared to dream of a better world and acted to achieve it. His actions were not outrageous or complicated, but ordinary acts of civil service.
The legend of John Lewis, is that he left a tangible legacy for us to follow. He was a testament to an unwavering commitment to justice, a commitment that lasted a lifetime. President Obama’s statement on the passing of John Lewis moved me to tears and reignited my commitment when I was beginning to waver. During a period of time when the civil rights movement continues to grow, and injustice is still rampant, John Lewis is a reminder that one person can make an impact. I hope he finds peace and rest, knowing that this country is changing each day due to his efforts.
Thank you, John Lewis, for imagining a better world, and for your relentless pursuit of justice - from Selma through the steps of Congress.
Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.
After all, this is the struggle of a lifetime, and I have the privilege and opportunity to get into good trouble too (especially on November 3).
