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1)John Lewis & Martin Luther King in Mississippi led a march for James Meredith.
Rev. Francis Xavier Walter (1960s). 2)Reverend Walter, blessing the groundbreaking for the Freedom Quilting Bee's building.3) Modern Protest image
In the Hollywood versions of Hollywood making movies, someone always yells “Action!”. It sets all of the actors in motion for a scene. The moments before are all preparation - a ripe anticipation of something about to happen. Something good…something great…something terrible.
The rising political tension in our country makes it feel like we are waiting to hear “Action!” in ways we haven’t experienced. The meat of the Civil Rights movement was long over before I was born. As an adult, I remember my childhood having the odor of a settling war before everything became still again… or did it? In a recent conversation with friends, I said, “ I never dreamed that we would have to fight the Civil Rights Movement all over again…but buckle up.”
My mother-in-law, Dr. Elizabeth Walter (Betty to me after a year of being married to her daughter, and I finally risked not calling her ‘Dr. Walter’), was, in my estimation, deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement here in Alabama. She and her ex-husband, Reverend Francis Walter, initiated the formation of the Freedom Quilting Bee. They fought for equality & voter registration, knew many figures recognized from within the movement (some who were killed for their involvement), and then moved on to women’s rights. I can still see the picture I once found in a box of Betty standing next to Gloria Steinem.
Once, Betty spoke a bit about those years in the movement and began talking about John. I finally interrupted and asked,” John who?” so many figures from those years were just spoken of by first name: John Lewis, Jonathan Daniel, etc... She smiled at me with what I knew was a recognition of a generation gap as she said “John Lewis.” “You mean... like Congressman John Lewis?!”. I just got a nod as she continued her stories and mentioned how they had met several times and became friends. Lewis is famous for his promotion of ‘Good Trouble,’ and the good Lord knows Betty has fully ascribed that notion to herself.
She was instrumental in founding the Tuscaloosa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union before the state’s chapter was founded. I am constantly dumbfounded by the sheer determination and grit it took Betty, John, Jonathan, Martin, and all of those involved to overcome oppression and force change on a system that wanted to remain in status quo inertia. As her freshly minted son-in-law in 1994, I never dreamed I would face those circumstances and fight the same battles again 60 years later.
In the past few years, we have seen the repeal of Roe v. Wade, voter suppression proudly flaunting itself, and unashamed racism stepping proudly once again into the light of day.
I asked someone recently, “What year is it?” I was not asking about the reality but about what decade it feels like now….. the 1960s…, the 1950s, or the 1960s. Just how far back into the Jim Crow South does Alabama plan on descending?
Our representative figures in Washington look like ill-educated buffoons bumbling through questions or appearing to have some psychotic break live on tv, ultimately becoming entertainment fodder for Saturday Night Live and causing national newscasters to smirk whenever they lead with ‘in Alabama’?
Every time I hear ‘Alabama’ spoken in the national news, I cringe, waiting to hear what nonsense our leaders have dreamed up this time. I don’t blame them. Our state’s representatives in Washington have become addicted to producing abundant low-hanging fruit ripe for commentary. Tuberville and Britt are complete and utter embarrassments – the coach and the sickly sweet Karen. So, why did I launch into this particular diatribe? The answer is frustration, bewilderment, and, ultimately, bubbling rage. Something has to change.
I never thought I would need to be front and center to once more fight the same battles my mother-in-law and so many others managed to walk down 60 years ago. There is a great lyric from the group Sweet Honey in the Rock – ‘I don’t know how my mother walked her troubles down. I don’t know how my father stood his ground.’ Well, children, get ready; if we do not raise our voices, our votes, our demands, and get up front and center squared up with those elected to represent us…then we will lose our rights. I don’t think the right’s conservative Christian nationalist agenda has completed its mission. If the fight is needed once more, I say “ACTION ! ”
Jonathan Cain is a native of Florence, Alabama, and has been the current Curator for the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art in Tuscumbia, AL, since January 2020. He functioned in that role previously for several years before leaving to pursue a career in education. He holds an undergraduate degree in graphic design from the University of North Alabama and graduate degrees from the University of Mississippi (MFA – Sculpture) and the University of North Alabama (MA – Clinical Mental Health). He is an eclectic artist who likes to pursue many different media.