|
President Barack Obama’s Statement on the Passing of C.T.
Vivian
Today, we’ve lost a
founder of modern America, a pioneer who shrunk the gap
between reality and our constitutional ideals of equality
and freedom.
C.T. Vivian was one of Dr. King’s closest advisors, a field
general in his movement for civil rights and justice.
“Martin taught us that it’s in the action that we find out
who we really are,” Reverend Vivian once said. And he was
always one of the first in the action – a Freedom Rider, a
marcher in Selma, beaten, jailed, almost killed, absorbing
blows in hopes that fewer of us would have to. He waged
nonviolent campaigns for integration across the south, and
campaigns for economic justice throughout the north, and
never let up, knowing that even after the Voting Rights Act
and Civil Rights Act that he helped win, our long journey to
equality was nowhere near finished. As Rosa Parks once said
of Reverend Vivian, “Even after things had supposedly been
taken care of and we had our rights, he was still out
there.”
I admired him from before I became a senator and got to know
him as a source of wisdom, advice, and strength on my first
presidential campaign. His friendship, encouraging words,
and ever-present smile were a great source of inspiration
and comfort, and personally, I will miss him greatly. I’m
only here thanks to C.T. Vivian and all the heroes in that
Civil Rights Generation. Because of them, the idea of a
just, fair, inclusive, and generous America came closer into
focus. The trail they blazed gave today’s generation of
activists and marchers a roadmap to tag in and finish the
journey. And I have to imagine that seeing the largest
protest movement in history unfold over his final months
gave the Reverend a final dose of hope before his long and
well-deserved rest.
|
.jpg)
 |
