With love!
Dad and I were shooting hoops after work like we do every night,
But something was wrong, and I could tell Dad just wasn’t right.
It’s not what he did as we played a game of “HORSE.”
He always plays tough, but I still beat him of course.
Something was different, Dad didn’t have his normal, happy demeanor.
And by that, I mean, he seemed sad, not meaner.
I hate when anyone is upset, especially Mom or Dad.
So, I took a breath, grabbed his hand, and asked him why he felt so bad.
Dad squeezed my hand, held me tight, and cried a single tear.
Baby, I keep reading news about people in this country who live in fear.
“They are treated badly, and not because they have hurt anyone or have done anything wrong.
It is only that their skin is different, so some people make them feel like they don’t belong.
People should be treated the same regardless of how they look or where they are from,
But sometimes those with power in this country feel they should have more than some.”
I looked at Dad confused. “But Dad, how can that happen here? It is so unfair!
In school they always tell us we are equal no matter the color of our skin, eyes, or hair”
Dad rubbed my shoulders and said, “That’s the goal we should all try to achieve,”
But until that day comes, sometimes I can’t help but sit here and grieve.”
“Dad, what do you mean we all should try? Aren’t grownups supposed to make this all true?
I am a kid that just learned to tie her shoes, what on earth can I do?
Dad’s frown flipped and he stood tall with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen,
“Baby, if I say the word ‘activist,’ do you know what I mean?”
I looked at him puzzled, “You mean people who make speeches like Martin Luther King[i]?”
“Yes, exactly, he was a great man! And activists don’t just speak, they can do anything.”
“Some activists work behind the scenes but still leave lasting marks,
Like the brilliant Ella Baker[ii] and the defiant Rosa Parks[iii].”
“Oh, I remember her! She refused to give up her seat on the bus just because she was black.
But that was so long ago, what can people do now to fight back?”
Dad’s smile faded some as he said, “Unfortunately, not so much time has passed.
And there are still those fighting for equality, but movement is not always fast.”
“There are people like Michelle Alexander[iv] who shines a light on injustice,
And Maya Wiley[v] who fights to achieve equal rights and due process.”
“Dad, that sounds great and I am sure those people work hard to help others out;
But aren’t there people I know that you can tell me about?”
“Of course, there are, kiddo; activists come from all walks and take many forms.
They are athletes, entertainers, teachers – there are no norms.
“In sports, Colin Kaepernick[vi] and Renee Montgomery[vii] draw attention by taking a stance.
And in the past Jackie Robinson[viii] and Kenny Washington[ix] blazed a trail to give others a chance.”
“Some activists like John Legend[x] use their voice for change and to put audiences in awe,
Sometimes they teach law students and others to think about justice like Kimberle Crenshaw[xi].”
“Okay, okay, I see Dad, there are lots of famous activists who make a big impact,
But I just don’t see anything that we can do and that’s a simple fact.”
“Baby, you are so smart, but I am sorry to say in this instance you are wrong,
The list of ways in which people like you and me can help is very, very long.”
“For every famous activist, whose name is etched into a book,
There are hundreds more history never knew under whose feet the ground also shook.
There are also those many have forgotten like Claudette Colvin[xii] and Dr. Pauli Murray[xiii],
But equally important are those never known, who fight for change with force and fury.”
“Some become civil rights lawyers or get involved in local politics,
And they don’t just fight for racial justice but any cause that needs a fix.”
Now Dad’s arms were swinging around as he nearly shouted without pauses,
But I was confused and had to ask what he meant by other causes.
“Kiddo, it’s not just people of different colors who are treated unfairly in our land,
We fight for love, women’s rights, and social justice as much as we can.”
My dad was so enthusiastic, I was scared to bring down his emotion,
But I pointed out, “I’m still just a kid and worried about the ocean.”
Dad’s reaction was shocking as he jumped up on a step, his smile growing even more,
“Honey, don’t you remember that report you wrote: Greta Thunberg[xiv] Will Save Your Shore?
And one the bravest activists we have ever known was a little girl about your age.
Ruby Bridges[xv] entered a school where she wasn’t welcome in front of the world’s stage.”
Then Dad swooped me into his arms and whispered to me this:
“Baby, we all can be activists and it is as simple as this kiss”
“You see, when we help those that need it, we make a difference no matter how small.
That means standing up to a bully or passing to a friend who never gets the ball.
Activism is seeking to improve the world around you and taking action to do the same.”
Finally, Dad paused for a moment and he now seemed much more tame.
Down on his knee, Dad put his hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes.
“Today, your activism made a difference for me and took away my sighs.
Checking in and listening when you can see someone is upset,
Can make all the difference and lift their mood like a jet.”
“If we all seek to be activists, and try to do good for the world and people around,
The combined effect can make a change that cannot be bound.
And remember this moment, the next time someone you care about seems sad,
Because your activism for me today turned a good day out of bad.
“And the last lesson to be learned for you and for me,
Is that the world is not always fair, and that is clear to see.”
“But instead of dwelling on the sadness for the things in life that should not be,
We ALL must be activists…and keep working until all the world is free!”
_________________________________________________________________________
Activists not only speak and fight to ensure their messages are heard,
They make unbelievable sacrifices that show that racism and injustice are absurd.
We all must be activists and try hard to do our part.
So, we study and learn from activists past and present, to know where to start.
Here is some information about the activists we discuss in this book.
But there are so many more whose stories deserve a look.
[i] Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most well-known civil rights activists of all time. MLK preached for change through nonviolence and civil disobedience to focus America’s attention on racial injustice Sadly, and despite his peaceful efforts, MLK was assassinated for his beliefs and successful movement, but his legacy lives on.
[ii] Ella Baker – Ella Baker was a behind-the-scenes organizer who worked with other prominent civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. She was also a mentor for future civil rights activists through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She was not only a leader in the fight against racism but also questioned the unequal roles of men and women throughout the movement and other areas of life.
[iii] Rosa Parks – Rosa Parks is most famous for getting arrested after refusing to give up her seat on a bus so that white passengers could all sit together and not mix with black riders. This event helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott and is a pivotal moment of the civil rights movement. However, long before her arrest in 1955, Parks was fighting for racial justice through a number of organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”).
[iv] Michelle Alexander – Michelle Alexander is an activist and writer best known for her book The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. In her book, Alexander pushes against a common belief that systemic racial discrimination (or discrimination by large groups in control) ended with the new laws and reforms brought about by the civil rights movement. She emphasizes the unjust way black men are put into jail at a rate much higher than other groups as a way to control their progress.
[v] Maya Wiley – Maya Wiley is a former United States Attorney, and lawyer for the NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”). She has used her education and training as an attorney to fight for social justice. She has also acted as a check on power by running the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board which provides oversight on police.
[vi] Colin Kaepernick – Colin Kaepernick is a former quarterback in the National Football League (“NFL”) that many believe sacrificed his career by taking a visible stand against police violence and unfair treatment of black people. Kaepernick actually took a knee during the National Anthem as a silent and peaceful protest. Although his career ended with this gesture, the discussion against police violence continues to this day, and professional athletes in all American leagues continue to kneel during the Anthem in protest to the continuing unjust treatment of black people by police.
[vii] Renee Montgomery – Renee Montgomery sacrificed a season of play in the Women’s National Basketball Association to work on social justice reform in response to ongoing police violence against black people, and in particular response to the killing of George Floyd. She noted that social justice reform does not happen overnight and that it takes a lot of work. Montgomery received support from her teammates and coaches in recognition of her choosing to lose a year as a professional athlete to fight for a cause bigger than any one individual.
[viii] Jackie Robinson – Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play Major League Baseball (“MLB”) in the modern era when he debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1947. Robinson strongly maintained his composure to prove that he and other black men belonged in the MLB, despite numerous taunts and threats. Robinson won the first ever Rookie of the Year Award, is in the MLB Hall of Fame, and his number, 42, is retired throughout the entire League.
[ix] Kenny Washington – Kenny Washington, along with Woody Strode, (both of whom were teammates with Jackie Robinson at UCLA) became the first two black players to reintegrate the NFL in 1946. Unlike the MLB which did not allow black players to play in the 1900s before Robinson, the NFL had allowed black players until an informal agreement to ban them was made by the owners in 1933. In March 1946, Washington officially ended the ban by signing with the newly relocated Los Angeles Rams, two months before Strode also signed with the Rams.
[x] John Legend – John Legend is best known as a singer and TV show host. But chances are, if you ask Legend what he cares most about, he would say fighting for criminal justice reform and political activism. In fact, Legend has even said that he is willing to lose fans to voice his support for political candidates because of the importance of having strong leadership in place.
[xi] Kimberle Crenshaw – Kimberle Crenshaw is a brilliant scholar and professor of law at Columbia University and UCLA. She is a leader in explaining the need to understand that experiences of racism and sexism are not independent of each other, and must be examined together, in a theory she developed called intersectionality. Her activism against discrimination of not just women, and people of color, but specifically women of color, is influential worldwide.
[xii] Claudette Colvin – Claudette Colvin became a civil rights activist very early in life, and in fact, was arrested when she was only 15 for not giving up her seat for a white woman on a crowded bus, nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested for a similar reason. Colvin became a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging bus segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama. The case was eventually heard by the United States Supreme Court which affirmed (agreed with) the trial court’s ruling that the bus segregation laws were against the United States Constitution and could not be enforced.
[xiii] Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray – Dr. Pauli Murray was another woman arrested for unfair rules about where black people could sit on buses, but a trailblazer in her own right. Partly due to this experience, Dr. Murray pursued a career as a civil rights lawyer and wrote the most comprehensive book which examined and critiqued discrimination laws in American states and cities – this was a useful tool for lawyers fighting for equality across the country. Dr. Murray was also a strong advocate for women’s rights, was an advisor on the subject for President Kennedy, and emphasized the critical role of black women in the civil rights movement.
[xiv] Greta Thunberg – Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who began protesting for stronger action to fight climate change at the age of 15. Thunberg has inspired young people all over the world to fight for the preservation of earth and showed them that their voices can be powerful. Thunberg was also the youngest person ever selected as the Time Magazine Person of the Year, among many other awards she has won.
[xv] Ruby Bridges Hall – Ruby Bridges was only six when she was the first black student to enter and attend an all-white public elementary school in Louisiana. Although the case of Brown v. Board of Education, which declared that segregation at American public schools was unconstitutional, was decided before Bridges was even born, southern states like Louisiana resisted integration. Some people were so against black children going to school with white children, that Bridges had to be escorted by U.S. Marshalls – but she persevered and grew up to be a respected civil rights activist in her own right.
You – We all must be activists and that includes you. Small acts of activism can include encouraging your family to recycle, or use less energy, or to vote for candidates and laws which will promote equality and fairness. Over time your small actions may lead to bigger movements and create great change. Activists come from all walks of life and do many things, big and small.
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