The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
John Lewis lived for all of us
Eight years ago, when Congressman John Lewis came to my home in Connecticut, he met the elders in my family, Connecticut residents who were born and raised in Georgia. There was an instant Southern connection and kinship between us. Although my family traveled north to get away from the “Jim Crow” South and in search of better economic opportunities, there was a common bond of struggle, strength, perseverance and humor (yes, Congressman Lewis had a good sense of humor). Learning about him when I was a student at Trinity College inspired me, and spending that afternoon together with him made it all the more clear to me that his fight — our fight — was about creating a rising tide in our nation that lifts all boats, and each and every single one of us have the power to make this our reality.
Fifty-five years ago, then 25year-old John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, fighting for voting rights. He was brutally beaten by Alabama state troopers, yet he managed to survive. He spent the rest of his life fighting for civil rights and social justice, and served as the conscience of Congress. His strength, courage, and determination were contagious and he inspired generations to demand more of this country, and to fight with resilience and passion. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Beloved Community” encouraged us to exercise non-violent resistance, to gain understanding, to educate and transform, and to end racism and poverty through transformation. Congressman Lewis not only spoke of the Beloved Community, but he embodied it fully in the way in which he lived and was a walking example of our greatest aspirations. I had never met someone so prominent, important, and influential who embodied such humility and compassion.
Seldom do we see the trajectory of a person’s life committed to a principled cause, and as a man of faith, I believe all happens in God’s time. On July 17, during a time at which our nation is at another crossroads with racial justice, grappling with a pandemic within a pandemic, we lost a beloved civil rights hero who was committed to public service. He was still here leading and fighting with us as we lost Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Elijah McCain, and countless others.
Our Black and brown communities are reeling from higher COVID rates than others, and unprecedented levels of unemployment and uncertainty. Congressman Lewis was our bridge, our connection from the beginnings of the civil rights movement era, to our modern day struggles for social justice. What we are seeing right now is our modern-day “Emmett Till” moment in America. In 1955, Emmett Till’s mother helped to change the course of American history by making sure the world could see the ugliness of lynching on display with her son’s open casket funeral. In 2020, we’ve all witnessed the excruciating eight minutes and 46 seconds of George Floyd’s death on television. More Americans are outraged; more Americans can see the horrors of a racially unjust system.
In one of his last public appearances, not long ago, Lewis stood on a Black Lives Matter mural in Washington, D.C. He believed all lives matter and he fought for that, but he also believed all lives couldn’t matter until Black lives mattered. Congressman Lewis once said, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” He believed, no matter who you were, what you did, or what position you were in, you could use your power to advance social justice. As a bridge builder, he inspired a new generation of social change agents. So, we will pick up the torch to address these injustices, whether it’s police reform, health care disparities, educational disparities, or economic disparities, and we’ll carry on in his footsteps. This is how we’re going to move America forward, and fully realize the ideals for which Congressman Lewis fought. Because of giants such as Congressman Lewis, I remain hopeful that America will continue on its journey toward a more perfect union with liberty and justice for all.
The impact of his words and actions on people like me and so many others is immeasurable. Is it any wonder why? On every issue imaginable, Congressman Lewis voted with his heart and love for all people. He supported reproductive rights, the reauthorization of voting rights, police reform, the Affordable Care Act, livable wages, same sex marriage, paid family leave, controlling the skyrocketing costs of housing, and he defended the rights of the incarcerated and immigrant youth, and so much more.
In 2016, after the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, at which 49 people were killed, Congressman Lewis led a sit-in on the House floor to protest federal inaction on gun safety legislation. He devoted his life to making this nation better, and lived with a level of conviction that can only be born out of painstaking sacrifice. He was as patriotic as any American who has ever lived and as inspirational and impactful as any who ever will. In his name, with his sacrifice and dedication in mind, let us march on until victory is won.
Congressman Lewis was our bridge, our connection from the beginnings of the civil rights movement era, to our modern day struggles for social justice.
Connecticut State Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden is the only African-American elected state treasurer in the United States and the only African-American elected official serving statewide in New England. Prior to being sworn in as the 83rd state treasurer, he spent 21 years as an investment lawyer in a large law firm where he was the only African-American partner. He is secretary-treasurer of the National Association of State Treasurers.