As long as there are people in the world who oppress others, I will be the champion of the oppressed. I was born in the middle of the 1960’s in the United States during a time when African Americans fought for equal rights. Yet my generation has been labeled soft because we had not had the oppressive experiences our parents lived through. They lived through segregation, lynchings, boycotts and marches. Their memories were scarred with what could happen if they gave up.

But what I love about this new Civil Rights Movement is that it is geared towards all people. This is not just a movement about African Americans.  It is about all people from all walks of life having access to the same opportunities. Dr. King said ” We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.)

I caution you to be leery of people who tell you not to protest. Ask yourself what is their underlying motivation. Many people have had their sources of revenue messed up by this distress.  It is time for these people to decide who they really represent. If God is there source, He will provide for them. If He is not, well.

Certain politicians are very smug and believe they control the people, but are slowly finding out that that is not true. In order to control the people, they have to control their minds and the information they take in. Again, they are fighting an old battle with old means.

What I love about this new movement is that many of our networks were already together thanks to the greed of some business savy folks who thought it would be cool if people connected through social media. A video can go viral without the help of the press or civic officials. Injustice is being captured and played for the world to see. And America is being held accountable for how she responds.

I mean really, a woman who called the police for help, was arrested by the man who came to help. She was going to face charges until someone released his bodycam video showing him beating the hell out of her and her daughters. And millions of views around the world made them drop the charges on the woman and reevaluate the police officer. (I mean city officials knew all this from the beginning, but having millions of viewers looking at you and questioning your decision making process made them change their minds about charges against the woman.)This is the world we live in and we are not shutting up until we get justice for all.

Another thing about this movement is that we share ideas on how to take on this beast call discrimination and prejudice. I love how people all over the world share ideas and pour into one another. I cherished getting Dr. Bernice King’s list on how to manage this. You share ideas in real time and they become movements.

No, do not be quiet! The person we save will probably be one of those folks in the back trying to pretend like this is not really a big deal.  When they first started registering Jews in Germany, they probably thought it was no big deal. But we need to let them know they will have to fight for every piece of ground they take.

Resist.

Resist the darkness that wants to shove portions of our society down. Resist the talk that says they are Christians because Jesus did not love like that. Resist your own comfort and peace because someone is going to be discriminated against if YOU give up the fight. Don’t tear things up. Don’t physically hurt people. Resist the message that only certain people should have rights.

“With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” (I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.)