Good Trouble Lives On March, July 17th, DC Franklin Park (Week 26)

A 50501 “Good Trouble Lives On” sponsored rally was held at historic Franklin Park in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, July 17th.

This was in part to commemorate the late Congressman John Lewis who was an iconic figure in the Civil Rights movement and who passed away on this date in 2020.

“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” —- John Lewis, requoted recently by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in marathon speech against H.R. 1

He participated in battling Jim Crow laws in the South in the 1950s and 1960s, and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, a watershed moment for U.S. lawmakers. As anyone who suffers discrimination and procedural harassment understands, you don’t appease those folks, you have to organize and fight back by exposing it.

Today, the United States has its civil rights, but rally organizers with “Good Trouble Lives On” from their red canvas tent and soundstage remind the crowd that we must not let those rights erode. Indeed, we must speak “Truth to Power” not “Truth for Power” as is too often the case now even at the reconstructed “Trophy Park.”

The reporter notes with a bit of chagrin because no one was allowed to set in the white chairs of the make-shift press area; anyone trying to was snarkily told to leave even though the press area was not roped off or signed as such. Facing the twin peaks of the Washington Post, one could not help wondering if this is what has become of Franklin Park since its makeover several years ago. They not only cut down all the magnificent tall whirly-knobbed oak trees, but renovated the amphitheater and removed all the red chairs where homeless people could sit for free outside in the shade. In fact in the past, it was the kind of community park where local ministers would offer service every weekend, and followed by a variety of service organizations offering anyone who wanted, a free hot meal, raincoat, socks, and toiletries.

Did “Speak Truth for Power” not like this? Was that why they robbed Franklin School the opportunity to become a true local community self-help center, as described so often by homelessness champions, from Mitch Snyder, to Eric Sheptock, to Reginald Black, and many of the StreetSense Media vendors? 

However there were various GTLO tents set up around the park to sign people up to petition Congress on new measures for impeaching President Trump or to pass a new bill demanding Reparations for African-Americans. People who signed up were given a colorful poster with John Lewis’s face and his lifelong motto: “Good Trouble Lives On.”

There were other organizers who also set up their own teach-in location at the northwest corner of the park under a tall shady red oak, pronouncing “Stop Fascism.” If you signed up, you were handed a sticker or pamphlet from RefuseFascism.org. A group of people had amassed there, and spread around the park, eventually in such numbers that it made the official, probably DNC-sponsored stage appear diminutive.

One friendly older substitute teacher from SE, Myrtle, told me,

“Who wants to sit in the hot sun anyway? It’s not ‘alternative’ news; it’s just ‘news’—there is no need to use the word ‘alternative’ for ‘news’!”

Indeed, if anyone had limited themselves to sitting that close to the stage, they would be deprived of experiencing the sensation of circumambulating the park, and feeling the sense of wonder, revitalization, and stimulation from listening, watching, sharing, and taking photos of the many eager visiting locals holding their beautiful thoughtful signs. We are still more collectively special than the spirit of the oaks that haunted this once sheltered outdoor domain.

The event began at 5:30pm but because it was just starting, there was a limited police presence along K Street and along 14th Street NW. Rush hour traffic flowed unimpeded in both directions for at least the next couple of hours.

What attracted attention to passerbys was when the Stop Fascism held a “Kneel-In” with at least ten people volunteering to kneel for almost ten minutes. The speaker had just finished their teach-in regarding the inhumane mistreatment of migrants captured by ICE and being held in detention centers, most notoriously, the new “Alligator Alcatraz” recently constructed in Florida.

From the Internet, Status Coups News, one of the only news outlets covering this event, has been documenting the events unfolding around the atrocious Florida prison where people are basically sheltered in giant canvas tents, but receive only one meal a day, and inadequate amounts of water. If they try to escape, as the name implies, they would have to cross a moat filled with alligators and boa constructors or other poisonous snakes.

The Trump Administration is heralding this as such great progress in ridding the United States of illegal migrants, and he recently bragged that they will build more “Alligator Alcatrazes” or even a “Bear Alcatraz” somewhere in Alaska.

This trivialization of human lives and suffering is also accompanied by news reports of foreign students, long-time residents, and even pro-Palestine activists being wrongfully detained. The President has proposed that anyone who does not obey the law, is not a law-abiding citizen, whose interests do not align with Make America Great Again, may be subject to arrest and deportation. This threat is being made particularly against anyone affiliated with gangs, pro-Palestine activists, criminals, and may in the future include any nonconforming group.

And that is what erosion of civil rights looks like: when due process is retracted, when voter-ID laws are stringently enforced in order to deter voters, when agencies are suddenly shut down, and when there is no longer freedom of speech. The live-action civil rights learning was non-stop at this event whether from the stage or the people, if only there were more young people there. One group of interns were there to hoorah for Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, even though he did not appear while this reporter was present. Another group of young women were there to help represent LGBTQ+Pride, although their signs mostly were for “Good Trouble Lives On.”

The bulk of the crowd appeared to be seasoned protesters. They brought their own carefully-lettered, hand-painted, home-made signs with messages such as “Resist the Cruelty”, “What Happened to the Epstein Files,” “Rule of Law, not Lawless Rulers,” “Honor Lewis,” “Save PBS,” and “Free DC.” There were similarly crafted messages on tee-shirts, hats, and umbrellas. Hawkers hawked their colorful “Good Trouble Lives On” tee-shirts, all-sizes, and authorized by the signature of the late-Congressman John Lewis.

For seasoned protesters there were even familiar faces, such as the ladies group from Tenleytown, or Dave from Capitol South sporting his eye-catching “Reduce Military Spending” poster. Even if it was at least 92 degrees Fahrenheit, and with the heat index and humidity, it felt more muggy than a hot summer afternoon in Hong Kong, everyone was glad that it was not raining, as it often has been nearly every day in the past several weeks. It was as if God from on high had commanded the thunderstorms to give themselves a rest.

It was so inviting with the fragrance of the flowers and shrubs that there was at least one transient person who was trying to sleep in the shade. This reporter was both happy and sad for her. Happy that she was not someone she recognized, sad because everybody seemed intent on ignoring her, as if they were not there to help defend the rights for poor people to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, SSDI, or SNAP.

If there were one defect to Congressman Al Green (Texas)’s wonderful speech, it was that he did not talk long or hard enough about the erosion of the social safety net, which is the ultimate goal of President Trump’s Project 2025. But he did talk about everything else under the sun. He recounted his days in the civil rights march with John Lewis, and even having stayed with him in jail. Waving his trademark cane, he waxed about the erosion of rights for minorities, voters, the dismantling of DEI, the reining back of women’s rights to abortion, and even mentioned the dangers of Project 2025. Facing the handful of protesters bold enough to appear at the rally with their Palestinian flags and signs, he asserted that the war on Gaza is an atrocity, an unfolding genocide, and that American-Muslim rights are under serious abrogation. He emphasized the importance of preserving and advancing voting rights.

All of this is in line with what the great late-John Lewis advocated; he even advocated for the Peace Tax, a proposal that peace activists could send in their taxes under the Peace Tax Fund Act guaranteeing that none of that money would be spent in weapons of war or destruction.

Congressman Green’s speech was followed by musical performances by the Freedom Futures Collective Incubator; young men and women singing soul-inspiring songs that the crowd waved their arms to, while the children continued to splash in the outdoor fountain, and the old couple in wheelchairs shyly observed all the activity.

This reporter was reminded of that other older couple whose husband is also wheelchair-bound who attends church at St. Matthews. How are they doing? Are they still able to get out and about? Why is everyone afraid to approach disabled older people nowadays?

There were endless unanswered questions raised, and regrets that more questions and dialogue were not made with so many eager visitors around the park, but it was because it was so hot that it was challenging to stay focused, or keep a sharp eye out against those who wanted to create “good trouble” for an AAPI reporter.

Worse, there was news that the Holy Family Church in Gaza had been bombed again by the IDF. How does an IDF tank “accidentally” happen to bomb a housing facility for older people adjacent to Holy Family Church? How does this church happen to be attacked twice in two years, this time with its Holy Cross nearly knocked off? How is it that the IDF tanks make a “technical error” in striking children in Gaza standing in line to receive potable water? Why is Lavender still used when clearly AI technology is not all that it’s cranked up to be? Why are all manners of censorship being imposed, with even some news outlets just publishing AI-generated news summaries, basically paid advertisements?

Finally, there are the observers who assert that the Holy Family Church strike may be either to remind us that Christians such as St. Teresa of St. Augustine of Compiegne (July 17th) continue to martyred, or that once again Prime Minister Netanyahu is retaliating against someone who dares to speak truth to his power. Afterall, Pope Leo the XIV (of Creole origin) approved of a Peace Novena for the week of July 17th to July 24th. Since it is no secret that churches throughout the Holy Land are being attacked, whether in Syria, Lebanon, West Bank, or Gaza, it is good to pray for Pope Leo also.

 

Photo of Activists from RefuseFascism.org “Kneel In” showing compassion for abused detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, Report by Christine H. Kroll, M.A. (a version of this report was published for https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/good-trouble-lives-rally-held-dc-franklin-park-nodx <<==note the non-searchable index tag)