50th Anniversary of March on Washington

"Our goal was not to gain power.  It was to heal a torn-up community."

 

~ Diane Judith Nash, a civil rights leader

 

Marching for your human rights and dignity is healing.  It is an act of restoring faith in yourself and your community. 

Marching is also rewarding for the human spirit and good for the human soul.  Standing up for your rights confirms for you that you are not alone in your feelings; that others share your thoughts and emotions.

Peacefully marching, holding protest signs and delivering passionate speeches gives rise to feelings of respect for those who are declaring, "We will not take it any more."

 

When people feel the continued effects of economic and political oppression, eventually they will push back against those efforts, and that is what happened 50 years ago today when over 250,000 people, black and white, from civil rights, labor and religious groups marched to steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital to end racism in America.

 

The highlight of The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the "I Have A Dream" speech, a historic and inspirational speech delivered by American clergyman and civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His stirring and passionate remarks were a defining moment for the civil rights movement and will be remembered for all time.  

 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Photo Courtesy of thesoundsofhistory.com

The March on Washington is credited with helping to pass two groundbreaking pieces of legislation: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

 

Today in the nation's capital, President Barack Obama, will deliver remarks about the state of racial harmony America in the same place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke.  Joining Obama will also be Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter who will also address the expected thousands of marchers who stand  and remain committed to continuing to realize the dream of a Black America that is economically and racially equal.

 

Let us pause and remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:

 

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today."

Congratulations to The Class of 2013!

After (hopefully) fours years of hard, hard work and spending thousands and thousands of dollars on college tuitions, remarks by a notable person -- whether an author, celebrity, scientist, politician or even the First Lady or the President of the United States -- definitely seems in order before degrees are handed out at universities across the nation.

 

For the parents, relatives and friends of the graduate, and even those of us who have already graduated, whether from a university, a community college or the School of Street Smarts, the commencement speech is also a time to pause and listen; to see whether the speaker can offer us new insights about life.  We can gain new perspectives or get our engines reignited by remarks made in the annual rite of commencement speeches.

The reason I find commencement speeches so capitvating is that they usually reveal something about the speaker that we might not have known before.  Many times, the commencement speaker talks about what they were like as a young person, what they wanted to achieve, what life instead handed them and then what they did with life's surprises.

Oprah Winfrey Speaks At Harvard
Photo Courtesy of David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe

Commencement speeches show us the resilience of the human spirit, for everyone needs resilience in order to move forward.  Some people do graduate from college and go forth into the world and do exactly what they planned to do and that's wonderful!  But I think I not only speak for myself, but also for many, many others, who start out thinking they are going to do one thing when they leave college and then end up doing something very different.

 

As the Class of 2013 leaves their respective campuses, poised for change, they may find a world very different from what they expected -- or maybe not.

Here are a few of this year's commencement speeches that stood out for me:

Former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (who is still recovering from being shot in the head in 2011), Bard College:

"The nation's counting on you to create, to lead, to innovate.  Be bold, be courageous, do your best."

President Barack Obama, Morehouse College:

"We've got no time for excuses.  In today's hyper-connected, hyper competitive world, with millions of young people from China and India and Brazil, many of whom started with a whole lot less than all of you did, all of them entering the global workforce alongside you, nobody is going to give you anything you haven't earned.  Nobody cares how tough your upbringing was.  Nobody cares if you suffered some discrimination.

 

"Moreover, you have to remember that whatever you've gone through, it pales in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured -- and if they overcame them, you can overcome them, too."

Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Princeton University:

"I'm not going to tell you that money doesn't matter, because you wouldn't believe me anyway. In fact, for too many people around the world, money is literally a life-or-death proposition. But if you are part of the lucky minority with the ability to choose, remember that money is a means, not an end. A career decision based only on money and not on love of the work or a desire to make a difference is a recipe for unhappiness."

Comedian Stephen Colbert, University of Virginia:

"There is no secret society out there that will tap you on the shoulder and show you the way.  The true secret is, your life will not be defined by the society we have left you. . . Every generation must define itself.  If you must find your own path, and we have left you no easy path, then decide now to choose the hard path that leads to the life and the world that you want."

TV host & Multimedia Entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University:

"It doesn't matter how far you might rise, at some point you are bound to stumble.  Because if you're constantly doing what we do, raising the bar. If you're constantly pushing yourself higher, higher, the law of averages, not to mention The Myth of Icarus, predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to know this, remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us into another direction."

"It's okay to feel bad for a little while.  Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then, here's the key: Learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more of who you are."

Here's to the Class of 2013!  Congratulations and Good Luck!!

 

 

I Think I Can

Happy Friday Everyone!!

It feels good to reach the end of a work week, especially when we have a three day week-end in front of us.  Most of us will not have to go to work on Monday since it is Inauguration Day, the day when President Obama is sworn into his second term in the White House.

 

Whether you agree with President Obama's politics or not, I think everyone would agree that it takes courage and perseverence to have a dream and then set goals necessary to try and make that dream happen.

 

Big dreams or small dreams, I wish you all the luck in the world in making them become real.  I think you can do it and that's always an important first step.  After all, you will never know what will happen unless you try.

Here are two classic children's poems to give you a boost and get you going:

TRY, TRY AGAIN
'Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again;
Then your courage should appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear;
Try, try again.

Once or twice though you should fail,
Try, try again;
If you would at last prevail,
Try, try again;
If we strive, 'tis no disgrace
Though we do not win the race;
What should you do in the case?
Try, try again.

Time will bring you your reward,
Try, try again.
All that other folks can do,
Why, with patience, should not you?
Only keep this rule in view;
Try, try again.

--Anonymous

 

 

 

 

IT CAN BE DONE

 

The man who misses all the fun

Is he who says, "It can't be done."

In solemn pride he stands aloof

And greets each venture with reproof.

Had he the power he'd efface

The history of the human race;

We'd have no radio or motor cars,

No street lit by electric stars;

No telegraph nor telephone,

We'd linger in the age of stone.

The world would sleep if things were run

By men/women who say, "It can't be done."

 

 

Pizza With The President

President Barack Obama delivers pizzas to my son (on the phone)
and other hardworking field organizers

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, getting a chance to meet the President of the United States is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Yesterday my son and I were part of  an amazing event and it still feels surreal.

We were in Gloucester, VA going door-to-door to get out the vote for the Obama campaign when my son, who is a field organizer, received a call to quickly come to Williamsburg.  We knew President Obama was in Williamsburg preparing for Tuesday's debate with Republican nominee Mitt Romney so we figured that there was a very good possibility that President Obama had decided to stop by the Williamsburg office and do a meet-and greet with campaign staff.

We arrived in Williamsburg ahead of the President's motocade but Secret Service and the advance team were already on the scene.  It's was just as you would image: Black Escalades, sunglasses, earpieces, walkie talkies and security wands.  There were about 50 people standing outside, a mixture of Obama volunteers and supporters and the advance team waived my son into the building as I was told to wait outside.  One lady I talked to was there because she just stopped by to pick up an Obama sign for her yard.  Talk about perfect timing!

For security purposes, the rest of us were told we couldn't be in front of the building when the President arrived so we had to wait behind the building.  The Secret Service then told us when President Obama was in the building that we could come back to the entrance and form a line so that we could shake hands with the President before he departed.  While we waited, the Secret Service made sure everyone understood the ground rules: don't put anything in the President's face, keep your hands out of your pockets, and don't ask the President to sign anything.

 

There was a definite buzz of excitement and anticipation in the air and we all kept rearranging our hair and our clothes when suddenly that very familiar voice shouted, "Hello everybody!" and there he was, the President of the United States up close and personal.  Everbody started clapping and whooping and taking pictures.  My first impression was that he is taller and thinner than you would think.

 

Obama was relaxed in talking to each person, asking them their names, where they were from and took particular interest in the few children that were in line.  I just couldn't believe I was going to meet Barack Obama in a few minutes.  It was truly surreal.  I wanted time to slow down because he was getting ready to talk to me and I didn't know what to say.  Talk about the debate? No.  Say something about the election?  No.  Tell him he should gain a little weight and have a few more greasy burgers from Ray's Hell Burger, one of his favorites? Definitely No.

 

"What's your name?" the President asked me with a big smile.

 

I smiled back, told him my name and somehow managed to say, "Mr. President it is truly an honor to meet you and thank you for all of your hard work."  I put my hand out because I thought he would shake it, but then he put his arms out and hugged me!  OMG!! And then he was on to the next person.  It was over so fast!

 

The woman next to me was a riot because she didn't even wait for the President to talk to her.  She put her arms out and hugged him immediately and giggled as she said, "I love you!"  Obama laughed too and then he said, "I love you back!"

 

We weren't allowed to move until the President was back in his car so I watched as he continued to make his way down the line and talk to each person.  You would have no idea that this was a person under a tremendous amount of pressure.  On the surface, it could have been a regular Sunday afternoon social event, just hanging out and chatting about life.

 

But we all knew it was more than that.