Transcript: Morgan Freeman Reads the Last Words of John Lewis Watch: Morgan Freeman Reads John Lewis' Final Essay on 'The Last Word' Then remember: There is no end. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. July 30, 2020 John Robert Lewis New York Times. He called Emmett Till his George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. If working in a face to face learning environment such as a classroom, your teacher may provide you with a paper copy, or if working remotely, you may make a copy, then rename it and complete the diagram digitally. How did he describe ways we can continue to fulfill this vision by engaging in , What was his hope for a Beloved Community?. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me.. The first sentence is 34 words. You can lose it. Use the connections on Bunk and the Black Lives Matter website to compare and contrast the deaths of Emmet Till to the most recent deaths of several African Americans mentioned in the essay or on the Black Lives Matter website. How might your help promote their work or shared beliefs? As a leader of a movement, Lewiss life has been about abstractions: Freedom, Justice, Equality, Tolerance, Nonviolence. In modern English, the second person singular and plural are represented by the same word (you). Congress and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. National Archives and Records Administration. Explore this Bunk connection and note any new information you learn about Rep. John Lewis life of service and activism. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. It conveys pathos and tells us that by being peaceful but resilient, you can accomplish anything. For example, Breonna Taylor was shot eight times and was killed by police while she was sleeping. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Emmett Till was my George Floyd. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. Read these paragraphs, then take a few minutes to explorethis tag on Bunk. So, yes, we embrace, for now, words like race, class, language, nationality, respect and human dignity. Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of race, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk, Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation Rep. John Lewis final message published, Boston 25 News facebook feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News twitter feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News youtube feed(Opens a new window), School administrators: Create a closings account, Its gunna spread: Encampment crackdown to resume in Boston Monday, 4 men from Mass., NH arrested in Lawrence-based drug trafficking ring, federal authorities say, Homeless dogs in Massachusetts at an all-time high, shelter officials say, 2-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Shaquil Barrett drowns in pool, 25 Investigates: Manner of Boston Police Officer John OKeefes death never determined. Look for examples of progress in our countrys quest toward racial equality, and issues that continue to be barriers to reaching the Beloved Community. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. John Lewis then starts to explain how hes essentially passing the torch on to us. Instructions: Rhetorical Analysis Paper Identify a | Chegg.com If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Till was a 14-year-old Black teen in 1955 when he was killed after he was accused of flirting with a white woman. Other resources shared include Americans Who Tell the Truth and the Made by U.S./My Wish for U.S. campaigns. More grounding comes in the litany of names all martyrs in the struggle for racial justice. The Made By US campaign is collecting and sharing wishes for our nations future from historians, museums, partner organizations, community activists, and through historic quotes like this one from Rep. John Lewis. At the top, the words are about ideas. He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. IE 11 is not supported. Morgan Freeman reads Rep. John Lewis' last words - Yahoo News (Photo: At the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. AP photo). D2.His.3.9-12. Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation WASHINGTON POST Key Vocabulary Activist - a person who strongly supports an issue and engages in work to improve or resolve it Complicit - choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others Anyone can read what you share. Digital Scholarship Lab. The essay, which Lewis asked The New York Times to publish on the day of his funeral, was titled: "Together, You Can Redeem The Soul Of Our Nation." Discussion Texts | Learning for Justice We are working to address intermittent outages. He got the chance to participate with MLK Jr. in real time in the real world and not just getting to hear stories of the past. We all need to commit ourselves to emulate his example to continue the struggle and not get weary, and we need to share this clarion call far and wide until his and our goals for truth, justice and the American way for all, regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation, are not just a dream, but a reality. Not here. Congressman and civil rights movement hero John Lewis wrote this final article to be published on the day of his funeral. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars. Together, You Can Redeem the Soul Of Our Nation Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. Topic. Lewis would be the last living speaker at that great event. Civil Rights Movement Race & Ethnicity. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Oratory has a way of magnifying rhetorical effects. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. View this short video, then read these pages from the comic to see how the teachings of nonviolent protests as practiced by Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhi of India became a lifelong source of inspiration for Lewis and his fellow activists. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. He passed away ten days later. The New York Times published his last essay piece speaking directly to the American people. In the next century, how would you like historians to describe your contributions. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain. I just had to see and feel it for myself that, after many years of silent witness, the truth is still marching on. This directly connects to present day. John Lewis memorial to replace Confederate monument in the city of You must use it because it is not guaranteed. He was referring to the Black Lives Matter movement that grew in the days and weeks until his passing. Social Studies. Adastracomix. George Floyd was my Emmett Till. Click this link to access the text on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain. Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington, DC, USA, Rep. John Lewis visits Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. on June 7, 2020, Rep. John Lewis, in his final letter to America, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, COMIC BOOK COURTESY OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARCHIVES, Rep. John Lewis cosplays his younger self, leading a children's march at San Diego ComicCon 2015, Image courtesy of @RobertStein100, via Encyclopedia Alabama, listen and view it as presented in this video, organize protest marches, sit-ins and demonstrations, comics were not seen as reputable educational resources, Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, https://adastracomix.com/2013/08/22/review-of-march-book-one, https://twitter.com/MayorBowser/status/1269614695146762240, https://www.bunkhistory.org/resources/6438/connections?type=person, https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/voting-rights-1965, http://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/6308, http://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/6787, https://www.crmvet.org/docs/ms_for_comic.pdf, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/politics/john-lewis-comic-con.html, https://www.mywishforus.com/explore/?wish=john-lewis-80, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXa7Vn8Ar6M, http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-8472, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) International License. Lewis, John. Suddenly, at the end of a paragraph we hear echoes of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, the sacred song of the anti-slavery forces in the Civil War. If you prefer, read it in sections below, followed by my commentary. Repeated slogans can be used viciously we dont have to search far for examples. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.. But used with righteous intent, they can memorialize a hero and inspire a movement. Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral. Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation: Rep. John Lewis The audio of the full text is embedded in the essay as it appeared in the New York Times online edition, and was later recorded by MSNBC news as narrated by actor Morgan Freeman. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain.Like so many young people today, I was searching for a way out, or some might say a way in, and then I heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on an old radio. MLK Jr. is known worldwide for doing amazing things for civil rights. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide. The EIN for the organization is 59-1630423. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself. Photograph of John Lewis by David Deal/Redux, John Lewis: Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.html. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. The use of the metaphor that says democracy is not a state but an act, is using ethos because he told us about how he acted instead of just sitting by. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time (Lewis). Create another panel for your comic about someone who inspires you, someone from your generation who, like Rep. John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. or Mahatma Gandhi, is making a difference in your community or the world. What prompted D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to rename this section of the street? When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. Encyclopedia of Alabama, June 11, 2015. http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-8472. Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation | Portside Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral. Fellowship of Reconciliation. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. Your teacher may ask you to record your answers to the questions on an exit ticket. The funeral is not open to the public. Democracy is not a state. Teachers and students may use a Reflective Journal to respond to questions while reading and analyzing the essay. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars. You must discuss the text's author, audience, and purpose, as well as This question hasn't been solved yet Ask an expert You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. Label the ideas you are comparing on the blank line above each circle. As the media shared images of the confrontation, over 80 protests were held in cities across the country within the next 48 hours. Civil Rights Movement Veterans, 1957. https://www.crmvet.org/docs/ms_for_comic.pdf. Readers and writers seem to connect with such close readings, whether the speakers are Lincoln, King, the Obamas, the late pro wrestler Dusty Rhodes, or the young Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. Use you to engage the other. Opinion | John Lewis: Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation Take a few minutes to explore the Black Lives Matter website. That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. When I read his piece in The Times, my face streamed with tears. At the top conclusions; at the bottom evidence. I just had to see and feel it for myself that, after many years of silent witness, the truth is still marching on. What outcomes or lasting changes would you hope to see your generation accomplish? Rep. John Lewis, who died July 17 at the age of 80, had a final message for America "Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation." The New York Times published his last essay piece speaking directly to the American people.. He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. Its time for everyone to be treated equally and to feel safe in the place they call home. He then goes into even more detail about how our movement now is connected to when he was fighting. If we keep going and pushing, we will eventually see a peaceful society. Keep writing until the end. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself. What inspired Rep. John Lewis to write this essay in the remaining few days of his life? Hes dead, but very much alive. Emmett Till was my George Floyd. Lewis would return to the convention for the next three years, leading similar marches with young people each time. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide (Lewis). Please visit our FAQs. (MUSIC) I'm Trymaine Lee, and this is Into America. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. You must do something. That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. Those words inspire. The last is 29. To spread light on the Black Lives Matter movement and social injustices. This teaches us that if we dont know the history, we dont know the true meaning of what were fighting against and how it started. In the essay, he said, "Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe." The funeral is not open to the public. Lewis was visiting his cousins at a fragile house being buffeted by a violent windstorm. 'Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation' Rep. John Lewis' final message published 'Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation' Rep. John Lewis' final message published . Social Justice Domain. In a special Last Word, Morgan Freeman reads the words of John Lewis' final essay, which he requested be published in the New York Times on the day of his funeral: "Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation.". Rabbi and author Harold Kushner once wrote that if you did not believe in a supernatural afterlife, there were human ways you could achieve an expression of immortality. Like so many young people today, I was searching for a way out, or some might say a way in, and then I heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on an old radio. I heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on an old radio. Unchecked, unrestrained violence and government-sanctioned terror had the power to turn a simple stroll to the store for some Skittles or an innocent morning jog down a lonesome country road into a nightmare. Match your language skills to a noble cause. John Lewis, the iconic civil-rights leader and congressman who died on July 17, wrote an extraordinary essay shortly before he died and requested that it was published todaythe day when hell be put to rest at a funeral service in Atlanta. Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. He expressed this by talking about the Black Lives Matter movement that is going on right now. It was as if I could reach into the past and stretch into the future to gain the strength I needed to say enough is enough. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. Even though he knew he didnt have much time left he still visited the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington and had talked about how we are starting to fight again and make our voices heard. Cobb, Jelani. For Students: Good Trouble New American History Use the Venn diagram provided by your teacher to note your observations. That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. In this series of Learning Resources you will be creating a comic inspired by the life and teachings of Rep. John Lewis and others examples of Civil Rights activism. What impresses me is how direct these two sentences are. Take note of any new information or ideas you might wish to add to your comic. Digital Scholarship Lab. Each period is a stop sign. Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He does this by saying, In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. Dr. King appears again with the phrase let freedom ring itself an echo of My Country Tis of Thee repeated in harmonic counterpoints at the end of the I Have a Dream Speech in 1963. What message do you think she was trying to send, and to what audience? Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring. Read the final paragraph of the essay quietly to yourself. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. Add similarities in the inner circle and differences in the outer circle. Now is the time to embrace his words and to use them as a catalyst for change. Your teacher may continue to have you add another panel to your comic later as part of these Learning Resources, but like Rep. Lewis memoirs, this panel should present just one snapshot of your experiences or thinking about recent events. Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation By John Lewis While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired. Lewis, John. By using imagery, metaphors, and similes, that convey pathos and ethos,. The final message of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) was broadcast Thursday night in a poignant reading by his friend, actor Morgan Freeman. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. This should introduce more background information on the person or cause you previously illustrated with the cover to your comic. Artist Robert Shetterlys Americans Who Tell The Truth online portrait gallery may give you some inspiration. You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. In this passage, Lewis descends the ladder of abstraction into the world of places and names. While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. In the video, you saw how young pro-democracy activists in Egypt and other mostly Muslim countries in the Middle East used the comic in 2011 to inspire yet another generation to organize through peaceful, nonviolent protests known as the Arab Spring. John Lewis called on young people to answer the highest calling of your heart. I wish I knew how that appeal could reach those who need his message of healing and inspiration the most many of whom remain maskless and clueless. UNC-Chapel Hill English professor, author Randall Kenan dies at 57 Oppression - using authority, power or privilege in an unjust or cruel manner, Redeem - to make amends or reparations for past injustices, to gain or regain ownership. In the essay, he said, Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.. In those 8 minutes and 46 seconds, I heard the cries of my ancestors that came before me and the cries of my descendants to come. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring. Civics. In paragraphs three and four of his essay, Rep. John Lewis describes the impact the death of Emmet Till had on him as a young man. What is the scope of their work in terms of lasting impact so far? Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/j. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Direct to your inbox. You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. He was referring to the Black Lives Matter movement that grew in the days and weeks until his passing. When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. The article is Congressman John Lewis' last message to the nation shortly before his death. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland, and Breonna Taylor. Around the country and the world you set aside race, class, age, language and nationality to demand respect for human dignity.. In this letter "Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation, he calls out to the Americans to continue fighting for what they believe in for a world full of freedom. 'Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation': Rep. John Lewis So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. Hayakawa: that words exist on a ladder. Read Lewis entire essay below, provided by his spokesperson with permission to be published here. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Describe your initial thoughts about the essay and how it impacted you in a Reflective Journal entry. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. Perhaps that rhetorical move comes from church. She wasnt doing anything suspicious, she was quite literally asleep in her bed but was shot eight times and killed. Subject. What did Rep. John Lewis mean when he said, Emmet Till was my George Floyd?. Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. With that said, throughout the essay "Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation", we can understand his message for why the society of today needs "to answer the highest calling of our hearts and stand up for what they truly believe." For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. There is a sense of the collective in the word together. But that plural sense in You and Our transforms into the singular when he speaks in the first person: Though I am gone I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart.. Take a few minutes to read the first two paragraphs, or listen again to the audio of this opening statement. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring. We must not, as Mr. Lewis said, let fear constrain us like an imaginary prison. When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. Obama will deliver the eulogy, WSB reported. This truly shows that what happened in the past doesnt only happen in the past. But we hunger for the specific, the particular. He carried the same backpack, filled with the same items: two booksin this case, March: Book One and March: Book Two, an apple, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. Lewiss entire life was a kind of theater, at least as he describes it in various versions of his life story, especially his graphic-novel-style trilogy March.. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. Lewis was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. and the Beloved Community. Read these paragraphs in the essay, then spend a few minutes reading an excerpt from March: Book One. Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.
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