9.25.20
The year 2020 has been emotionally taxing. We have spent months grieving the passing of iconic national figures. Last Friday marked the transition of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The news of her death saddened me as much as Congressman John R. Lewis’ two months earlier. One might think from the tears I shed that I had known them intimately. I did not. But I am fully aware that the opportunities afforded to me as a black and a woman were made possible by their efforts.
The philosopher Cornell West recently wrote, “In a moment of grimness, we want exemplars of courage and vision.” What exemplars these two individuals were! They both faced blatant discrimination and indignities, yet each sought peaceful means to create change.
Justice Ginsburg and Congressman Lewis embodied Quaker values such as integrity, equality, peace, and simplicity. Somehow they were able to look and find that “there is that of God” in those whose lives they strove to make better and whole and in those who strove to take away their dignity and humanity.
It is easy in this moment of civil unrest, economic uncertainty, and a worldwide pandemic to find ourselves scared, sad, and angry. While we may lament the absence of Justice Ginsburg and Congressman Lewis in our lives, let us embrace their courage and vision of what our society should be. May their lives and legacies guide us forward.
In Peace and Partnership,
Angela
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Justice Ginsburg and Congressman Lewis embodied Quaker values such as integrity, equality, peace, and simplicity. Somehow they were able to look and find that “there is that of God” in those whose lives they strove to make better and whole and in those who strove to take away their dignity and humanity.
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“Never give up. Never give in. Never become hostile... Hate is too big a burden to bear.”
Congressman John R. Lewis
It is easy in this moment of civil unrest, economic uncertainty, and a worldwide pandemic to find ourselves scared, sad, and angry. While we may lament the absence of Justice Ginsburg and Congressman Lewis in our lives, let us embrace their courage and vision of what our society should be. May their lives and legacies guide us forward.
In Peace and Partnership,
Angela
Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
