In 1961, I enlisted in the Navy. I reaffirmed my oath’s commitment by reenlisting in 1965. But then bloody Sunday happened. In 1967, a page 1 story in most major newspapers was about Muhammad Ali and his refusal to be drafted. His words ‘I Ain’t Got No Quarrel With Them Vietcong’ were astounding. As a black man, mixed emotions abounded me while trying to live up to an oath in a country where I felt third-class citizenship. Then in 1968, came the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From 1955 to 2012, from Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin, the helplessness I felt in their killings produced deep anxiety. Reflection on those years made me feel powerless. In the wake of Dr. King’s death and John Lewis on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, over the years, reflecting on their courage and commitments were the cornerstones of building this website while crystallizing John Lewis’s call to arms. “We must find a way to get in the way.” “Get in Good trouble — necessary trouble”

​ THE VOICE

In my youth, during Jim Crow, I learned the mannerisms of swallowing the bitter pill of racism in order to physically survive. In my leadership as an adult, I’ve recognized my voice and the weaponry of my words.

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