Today, we honor Julian Bond
Today, while Julian鈥檚 family scattered his ashes at sea, his Southern Poverty Law Center family and friends gathered at the Civil Rights Memorial to remember him.
It was fitting that we gathered at the Memorial for it chronicles the history of the movement in which Julian, the 人兽性交鈥檚 first president, played such an important聽role.
And it was fitting that we gathered at the Memorial for it was here that Julian spoke so eloquently at its dedication.听
鈥淲e are gathered in the cradle of the Confederacy,鈥� he said then, 鈥渢o dedicate a monument to those who died so all might be free."
"As we do so,鈥� he continued, 鈥渓et us rededicate ourselves to freedom's fight.鈥�
Julian talked that day of the courage of the martyrs remembered on the Memorial, of the movement鈥檚 tragedies and triumphs, of the challenges that lie ahead.听
He admonished those who 鈥渂elieve we are impotent, unable to influence the society in which we live.鈥�
And he closed by reminding us of Robert Kennedy鈥檚 words from his famous speech in South Africa during the era of apartheid.
"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of these acts will be written the history of [each] generation鈥ach time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Few may have the greatness to bend history, but Julian was one who did.听Let us honor him today by rededicating ourselves, as he asked, 鈥渢o freedom鈥檚 fight.鈥�
