DÉJÀ VU

(ORIGINALLY SHARED WITH SUBSCRIBERS July 20, 2022)

Looks like it's time to think about boarding the buses once again. Pictured above is a march for justice that took place, not in 1961, 1963, or in 1965, but on June 18, 2022, Reverend William J. Barber, figured prominently in the center. A member of my family was there with a coalition and shared that it took hours upon hours just to unload all the charter buses, because there were so many people in attendance to plead for inclusive representation, to decry the lingering inequities that happen to have roots in Jim Crow. Meanwhile, if I couldn't see the mugshot boards hanging round their necks, I'd say these pix above could easily be of six too-cool-for-school members of a modern boy band. Except, I do see the boards, and I know better. These are pics -- yes, I spell it both ways -- of six ordinary men who made the uncomfortably inordinary, but ultimately necessary, choice to step up as activists in 1961.. Below are links for their encounters, and participants in rides 39 and 40. Click to learn their names and get a peek into their experiences. I'm sure you could call what I do here a repetitive exercise. But I post these little love letters because I'm trying to introduce as many people as I can to unsung heroes who wrote the blueprint for what needs to happen next...if we are to truly overcome injustice in this country. I post these messages because we are going to need all the knowledge we can fit between our ears to better navigate what is going on now. And all the encouragement we can absorb for what is coming and what lies ahead. Picture above are participants in Freedom Ride encounters 37 and 38: Walgreen's, Jackson, MS Ride 39: Greyhound, July 15, New Orleans, LA, to Jackson, MS Ride 40: Greyhound, July 16, 1961, Nashville, TN, to Jackson, MS Before we part ways, let's sending belated birthday nods to some of June's Freedom Rider babies: Matthew Walker, Jr., June, 1941 Price Chatham, June 5, 1931 Gloria Bouknight, June 5, 1941 Kredelle Petway, June 9, 1941 Woolcott Smith, June 9, 1941 Russell Jorgensen, June 13, 1917 Reverend Reginald Green, June 17, 1939 Albert Gordon, June 18, 1934 Philip Havey, June 29, 1930