I attended the 72nd anniversary celebration of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision on May 17, 1954, where the keynote speaker was Atty. Ben Crump.
At a time when Supreme Court rulings have weakened the Voting Rights Act, state legislatures continue gerrymandering political districts in ways many see as racially unfair, and the second Trump administration is aggressively dismantling DEI programs and protections, I needed something many of us need right now: hope.
I needed someone to remind me that Black people have always persevered.
Not that we should sit quietly and accept what is happening. Not that we should stop fighting. But that we come from generations of people who endured far worse — and still got up every day determined to build a better future for us. Our parents and grandparents faced segregation, voter suppression, discrimination, violence and exclusion, yet they refused to give up. Because of their sacrifices, many of us have lived with opportunities they could only dream about.
Crump’s speech was a reminder that this moment in history is not the end of our story.
Like those who came before us, we have to prepare ourselves for the fight ahead without surrendering to hopelessness. We have survived before. We will survive again.
His words were deeply inspirational — something I personally needed during these difficult times, when the weight of everything happening in this country can sometimes leave me near tears.
I hope you find his messages as inspiring and encouraging as I did.
