Atlanta rally calls for resistance and remembrance of John Lewis

On July 17, tens of thousands of people nationwide participated in “Good Trouble Lives On” rallies to protest President Trump and his administration and honor the late civil rights leader and Atlanta congressman John Lewis. In Atlanta, leaders and protesters gathered under the “Hero” mural at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr., ready to carry forward his legacy of “Good Trouble” on the fifth anniversary of his death. They marched together toward the King Center, where the national day of nonviolent action was met with bold signage, calls to action, and a block party with the goal of turning remembrance into resistance. 

Surrounded by passionate protestors, local civil rights leaders held a press conference to discuss pressing national issues such as immigration, the recently passed tax and spending cut bill, and the firing of thousands of federal workers. 

Speakers included Helen Butler,  executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda; Andrea Young, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia; Fredrick Ingram, a member of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Mawuli Davis, an attorney at Davis Bozeman Johnson Law; and Kimberly King, a member of the League of Women Voters Atlanta/Fulton and AFT

Young spoke to the crowd of over a hundred people, calling for dissent against injustice. 

“In one of the last public statements, John Lewis urged us, ‘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. In my life, I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and non-violence, is the more excellent way. Now it is your time to help freedom ring,” Young quoted. 

“Non-violent social action is powerful. You can transform this country. Marches and demonstrations like this call attention to the attack on our democracy, and by our presence, we speak truth to power. By our presence, we say we dissent. When the Trump government kidnaps our neighbors, we dissent. When the Trump government demands voter lists kept by the states, we dissent. When the Trump-led congress takes food and health care away from our children, our seniors, and our disabled citizens, we dissent. When the Trump government tries to revoke birthright citizenship, we dissent.”

The crowd followed Young in a chant calling for dissent, adding to one of the many galvanizing statements that moved the crowd to start some “necessary trouble.” The speakers also discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling to allow the gutting of the Department of Education.

Fredrick Ingram, a member of the American Federation of Teachers, traveled from Washington, D.C., to join the Atlanta rally. He urged people to keep the energy and momentum of fighting injustice alive. 

“They’re trying to dumb down a generation of citizens. They’re trying to dumb down this country so that they can implement all kinds of foolishness around us. And we’ve got to be smarter than that. There was a time in this country where it was illegal to teach a person who looked like me, to teach a person who looked like you. Women could not be educated in this country. We are not going back,” Ingram said. 

“John Lewis urges us to find some good trouble. I believe brother Lewis was on to something when he talked about trouble, because in my church, they say trouble don’t last always.”

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