In the spirit of U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ strategic, organized and non-violent approach to civil rights activism, Roanoke Indivisible hosted a “Good Trouble Lives On” rally Thursday, July 17 to show community support in standing up against the growing attacks on Americans’ civil and human rights. The honk-and-wave event attracted hundreds to the Rivers Edge Playground, at the corner of Franklin Road and Wiley Drive in Southwest in conjunction with the National John Lewis Day of Action.
“We have a duty to get in the way, Congressman John Lewis called it Good Trouble and that’s exactly what this moment calls for,” exclaimed Chris Carter as the main speaker at the late afternoon rally.
“We’re living in a time of deep injustice, budgets are being slashed, communities are being targeted, human rights are being rolled back and powerful people who protect abusers who shield the wealthy from accountability are being handed microphones instead of indictments.”
Rally participants gathered to demand an end to the authoritarian attacks on people’s freedom to vote, protest and organize – and to stand united against efforts to criminalize our communities, roll back our rights and slash vital public programs.
Good Trouble Lives On is part of a nationwide grassroots movement and is organized by the advocacy group responsible for other successful local gatherings in recent months, including Hands Off! in April, May Day and No Kings in June.
“Events like this are part of a long-term effort to help recapture the fundamental rights that have been eroded in our communities,” said Meg Lemmond, an organizer with Roanoke Indivisible. “In the same way that Congressman Lewis’ work was all about laying the foundation for success down the road, we’re excited to incrementally build toward a better future for those in and around Roanoke.”
Lewis spent much of his life helping to advance civil rights. He participated in lunch-counter sit-ins in 1960 at only 20 years old, was a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in 1963, organized voter registration efforts and community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964 and led over 600 peaceful protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., where they were attacked by state troopers in an event that became a watershed moment for U.S. civil rights. His non-violent approach to activism was known as “good trouble,” a legacy he carried with him through a long career in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served until his death on July 17, 2020.
