5 Jewels Representative John Lewis Dropped In My Crown
"When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something. Our children and their children will ask us, 'What did you do? What did you say?' For some, this vote may be hard. But we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history." -John Lewis
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Friday night, I received the notification of Representative John Lewis passing away at 80. In reading that article, I paused. It seemed like my heart skipped a beat. I remember telling Ed, "we are losing our heartbeats."
About John Lewis:
John Robert Lewis was born the son of sharecroppers on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama. He had grown up in an era of racial segregation. He joined the emerging civil rights movement, influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis, a Freedom Rider, and led the rally known as "Bloody Sunday. In 1963, he became the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee chairman and was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington 1963. During the civil rights struggle, Lewis was arrested approximately 40 times. In 1986 he was elected to Congress, and in 2011 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was known as "the conscience of the U.S. Congress."
I am going to drop five jewels that my crown gained because of the life and legacy of Representative John Lewis:
Get in good trouble, necessary trouble: Rep. John R. Lewis, in his own words:
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Jewel 1: Find your fight: Representative Lewis discovered his fight early. Dr. Martin Luther King influenced him on the radio. What's worth fighting for? Representative Lewis fought against voting discrimination and suppression, and he wore the scars of being beaten by police. His skull was cracked as a result of being attacked on Bloody Sunday. To him, our freedom was worth fighting - he committed himself to the fight for our freedom. For me, making sure that people are equipped to live a CROWNED life in Christ and that each fight is different is all right, but whatever you do, consider your fights.
Jewel 2: Your parents may disagree, and that's okay: He was born to sharecroppers (sharecropping is when a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on the ground). His parents were concerned about him speaking out against injustices, and those same injustices fueled his fire for the fight of a lifetime.
Jewel 3: Don't let age be the excuse for not fulling your purpose: He didn't allow his age to stop him from living on purpose. He was 23 years old when he spoke at the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington. You are never too young to reach or fulfill your purpose.
Jewel 4: Leave your legacy: His legacy is an unmatched one. His legacy was fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves, defending those who couldn't protect themselves, speaking up for those who couldn't defend themselves, and ensuring our rights were protected. He fought tirelessly until the end.
Jewel 5: Hope: He stated, "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, and it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." He gave us the strength to not lose hope in the fight for our rights. He participated in the March on Washington, Bloody Sunday, and countless sit-ins and saw the Black Lives Matter Movement come to fruition.
"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim, or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant." -John Lewis