1993 March on Washington for LGBTQ Equality
Thirty years ago this April I marched with the South Carolina delegation in the 1993 March on Washington. It was a life-changing experience not only for me but for hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ folks and their straight allies.
I loved that the commemorative poster for the event featured a quote from one of the Civil Rights movement leaders I most admired: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The framed poster has been hanging in every office of mine since then.
“Our freedom was not won a century ago, it is not won today,
but some small part of it is in our hands,
and we are no longer marching by ones and twos
but in legions of thousands,
convinced now it cannot be denied by human force.”
On this special holiday dedicated to you I say thank you for your example of nonviolent social justice change, your ultimate commitment to the possibilities of freedom for all, your powerful voice that spoke for those who could not speak for themselves. Rest in peace, Dr. King, but keep the living stirred up for equal justice for all people everywhere for as long we walk the earth.
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Slava Ukraini. For the children.
I'll Call It Like I See It 
Comments
7 responses to “it’s a simple matter of justice – remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
The more one reads and knows about Dr.King the greater he becomes. The man had a social vision that encompassed class and race and poverty and violence and the history of the US combined with unmatchable moral and physical courage. An American original. A giant.
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Amen. Well said.
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I remember the anguished grief of 3rd grade teacher. She was an African American woman instructing mixed race students from a mixed neighborhood in Philadelphia. She was everything to us – part teacher, mother, nurse, nanny, and friend. Her heart was shattered as MLK, living his message by example, was everything to her. All that pride, all that hope shattered by a bigot who acted in the interests of the worst Americans.
“… but in some small part it is in all our hands…” And we must keep his dream alive.
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Yes – such a tragedy for someone committed to his dream…we must not let it languish…thanks for the story, Ann.
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Thank you, Luanne. I really appreciate the comments. I have tried.
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He created a model for everyone to follow, both specifically in terms of race and in terms of other injustices as well. And you had your hand in making things better, too, Sheila!!!!
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Yes – such a wonderful model for all of us to follow! I’ve tried to follow. Onward.
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