| Thursday, July 1, 2021 |
| In the Beloved Community, We Take Care of Our Own |
| The phrase “beloved community,” which so many of us learned from the beautiful, powerful rhetoric of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the late John Lewis, has a special resonance for Southern organizers and activists.So many of us know each other, have worked, celebrated, and grieved together. We think of ourselves as part of The Movement, as a community, as almost a family.So when one of our own falls on hard times, it’s a hard time for all of us, and we do what we can.Kamau Marcharia is one of the unsung heroes of the Southern Movement. Framed as a young man, he spent 10 years in a maximum-security prison. There was a trial, you took the fall So you spent ten years behind a prison wall Solitary, you had no one else When you walked out, you had become yourself Kamau and I worked together at Grassroots Leadership for 17 years. He is one of the most quietly courageous, passionately committed, deeply decent, fun to be with people I’ve worked with in my 56 years as a civil rights, union, and community organizer and musician.Now he has multiple myeloma. That’s a kind of cancer. Needless to say, it’s hard on him in many ways, not least of all financially.Now Cathy Howell, Kamau’s organizing partner in South Carolina for many years, has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help Kamua with his many expenses. Many of his Sisters and Brothers in the Southern Movement have already contributed, as well as Kamau’s friends and admirers from other places. There are still warriors trying to do what’s right They are beside us in the darkening night They give us courage, they give us care There are still warriors, we’re so glad you’re there The lyrics above come from a song I wrote about my friend and beloved comrade Kamau Marcharia. It’s called “Warriors.” You can listen at https://soundcloud.com/artmenius/warriors-by-si-kahn.And you can make your contribution at https://gofund.me/bd51c08fIn solidarity and hope, Si Kahn |
| “Warrior” Words and music by Si Kahn There was a trial, you took the fall So you spent ten years behind a prison wall Solitary, you had no one else When you walked out you had become yourself Liberated, you came back home But you only knew how to be alone So you learned about the you and me And you built your own communityThere are still warriors Trying to do what’s right They are beside us In the darkening night They give us courage They give us care There are still warriors We’re so glad you’re thereIs it too easy, is it much too hard To be a prophet in your own backyard In the corners of this weary land To be a rebel with an outstretched hand How are you able to play this part Why did hatred never break your heart In that prison where you lost your youth Did you learn freedom, did you find the truthAt midnight when the moon turns red And churches burn to wake the dead Where is the water to smother out The fire of hate, the flame of doubt There is a silence that chills the bone There is a choir that calls us home If we are worthy of the load we bear Then we can find out freedom anywhere © Joe Hill Music, LLC (ASCAP). Administrated by Reel Muzik Werks, LLC. All rights reserved. |
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