a good trouble revolution
Late Friday night, breaking new confirmed that civil rights icon John Lewis had passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80 years old. For those who are unfamiliar with Congressman Lewis, his civil rights activism in the United States began when he was a university student. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr., gave an amazing speech at the 1963 March on Washington (the same huge event that included Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech — and Lewis was only 23 years old!), and served for thirty-three years as a congressional public servant. He was amazing.
Saturday morning, I woke up, and retweeted some words that he’d shared on Twitter a couple of years ago, along with my own thoughts.
I added a few emojis at the end of my tweet — ones that I thought exemplified Lewis’ life and work. And then I went outside to work out.
I suppose it could be because I just celebrated my birthday, but I’ve been in a particularly introspective mood over the past few days. I mentioned last week that the word “REVOLUTION” has been calling to me to be my word for this next turn around the sun, and as I jump roped, it occurred to me that it made sense to think about the life of Congressman Lewis, a man who was dedicated to activism and human rights, and consider what lessons his life held for me as I figure out how to make revolution a part of my life in the coming year. And then, it hit me: the emojis that I used in my tweet actually were clues:
❤️ — Leading with heart, and leaving with love. I need to make love the centre of the work that I do, and remind myself that we are all interconnected, even as others don’t remember the same. I need to ensure that while politicians and leaders infuriate me, I don’t to succumb to that fury. As my friend Asha says, many of these leaders want us to succumb to hatred and to fury — love is, in fact, an act of resistance.
✨ — Looking for and making light. I need to continue to join forces with people who shine bright, and create light where there is darkness. I need to tend toward grounded, yet unfettered optimism: understand what constraints exist, yet fearlessly dream about what a better world looks like, and make determined strides to get there. I need to be unafraid to make some noise and get into “good trouble,” as Congressman Lewis used to say, knowing that as long as that trouble is born out of love and light, I’m on the side of right.
✊🏾— Grounded confidence in both power and privilege. I want to grow in the knowledge that, despite what those in power might try to cause me to believe, all that I am — my womanness, my blackness, my multiracialness, my Trini-ness — grant me nobility and strength beyond even anything I comprehend, and allow me to claim any space that I so desire. I need to fully understand that the privileges I have, both inherent (defined by race, gender, sexual identity, ability, and so on) and acquired (defined by education, experience, wealth, and so on), are called “privileges” specifically because they afford me the privilege and duty to use them for the benefit of those who may not share them, and who are penalized by society for not having them. And I’m called to remember the words Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who shared me the concept of "trusteeship": according to his grandfather, we should view our talents and gifts and skills not as traits we own, but rather, as traits we hold, specifically to use for the benefit of others.
✌🏾— Remembering that peace isn’t simply the absence of war, but actually striving for living harmoniously. Another teaching from Arun Gandhi: peace isn’t simply celebrating the good works of those who are like me (which is easy to do), but also celebrating and elevating the good works of people who are unlike me, who nevertheless share the same missions of beauty and kindness and compassion and empathy for all that I hold. I need to constantly remind myself that not only is love an act of resistance, but as Congressman Lewis and his brothers and sisters who joined him fighting for human rights taught us, so is peace.
As I type these words, it has been more than four months since our lives have been changed by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. And while we continue to self-isolate (because this virus ain’t no joke, and as more friends and family members are affected and our hospitals continue to fill up, I’d suggest that staying home as much as possible, washing our hands frequently and wearing our masks if we absolutely have to go out are all ways to exercise every single one of those points above), I’d also gently urge you to think about what your own “good trouble revolution” might look like when we begin to emerge from our homes, once freer movement becomes safe again.
How will you start your own good trouble revolution?
How can you begin now?
Soundtrack: Glory, by John Legend and Common
It’s all about rhythm.