Harvard University’s 2008 Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics was not about the press, and it was only about politics generally. It was about race. Still in rapture over the November 4th victory, Harvard turned its attention to the Honorable John Lewis, a congressman for Georgia and civil rights legend, to hear of his days combating racism—a battle that continues, even as an African-American sits in the White House.
Pointedly absent from Congressman Lewis’ speech and the subsequent question-and-answer session were comments referring to the Congressman’s most recent public foray. during which he compared the atmosphere of McCain/Palin rallies to those of George Wallace, who “created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans.” Senator McCain responded that the comments “were so disturbing that they stopped me in my tracks.”
Senator Obama was slow to respond, but did say that he “does not believe that John McCain or any policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies, “although Congressman Lewis was “right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric.
With the campaign over, Congressman Lewis instead returned to a less controversial retelling of his role in the civil rights movement. He described his days with Martin Luther King, Jr., of the non-violent protests that he organized and of the sit-ins that he performed. He told in detail of his organization and participation in the protest walk in March 1965 on what would be known as Bloody Sunday. He was severely beaten that day, but nonetheless knew he had accomplished something.
“There was a sense of righteous indignation during the next few days when the American people witnessed, by way of television, by way of newspapers and magazines, what had happened, and there were demonstrations in more than 80 American cities and American embassies around the world when people saw what happened in Selma.”
Congressman Lewis recognizes that major changes have been wrought in the last several decades, and that now, more than ever, change is in the air. He said, “I used to tell young people, students, elementary school, high school, college students, ‘if you don’t believe that we have changed, come and walk in my shoes.’ But now they can see it, I don’t have to tell anybody. Since the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States of America, something has happened to our very psyche.”
“I was on the streets of Atlanta a few days ago and a young white gentleman who grew up in rural Alabama, like I did, came up and hugged me and said, ‘Congressman, we are free at last, the Civil War is over, it is over, it is gone.’” Does this mean that Congressman Lewis’ work is over? No, he argues, his work is now more political, and revolves around ensuring that the Obama administration does not fail.
Congressman Lewis hoped that some of the good feeling that elected President Obama would unite people for the long haul in order to carry us through the series of crises that face the nation at this time. President Obama’s campaign taught us, Lewis said, “that it doesn’t matter whether we are black or white or Latino or Asian-American or Native American, it doesn’t matter whether we are gay or straight, Republican or Democrats or Independents, we are one people, we are one family, we all live in the same house…maybe our foremothers and forefathers all came to this great land in different ships, but we are all in the same boat now.”
Harvard is known for its academic prowess and its left-of-center politics, and the institution strongly backed Barack Obama for president. He was a law student at Harvard. So perhaps Congressman Lewis was preaching to the choir when he pleaded, “we all must help the president.”
He continued, “I am convinced that this young man is going to be a good and a great president. He has a vision and I think he will lead the American people and will lead the community of nations on a great journey and we should be prepared to go with him on this journey.” Congressman Lewis, a strong supporter of the stimulus bill, is prepared to lead the charge.
Daniel Allen is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.
