Introduction
[Courtesy: Laura Frisch, Art Educator at Congregation Makom Solel Lakeside]
SAY: People protest to draw attention to injustice -- when something isn’t fair or right. All over the world, people are coming together in large groups to march against systemic racism and hate. Systemic racism is when almost every path of life is made
harder for people of color -- especially Black people.
Marching is one way that people have used to protest effectively and peacefully to bring about change. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. studied how Mahatma Gandhi used nonviolent protest in India to challenge British control and saw how people in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States could actively confront injustice, without using their fists or weapons. He organized many marches where racism and hate were doing the most damage. One of those places was Selma, Alabama. 25,000 people marched to
Montgomery, walking together in love, peace, and solidarity. Rabbi Abraham Heschel marched with Dr. King that day. He said, “When I marched in Selma, I felt my legs were praying.†Right now, as many communities and families march together, fighting for the fair and just world they wish to live in, they are praying with their legs, wheelchairs, hearts, and souls. This activity is designed to foster meaningful conversation between families and communities about why it’s important to march and what everyone is marching for. There is intention behind each foot and wheel that hits the pavement -- let’s talk about what that intention is.
