(photo of some of my fellow travelers from the bus)
I traveled down to Raleigh, NC for the Moral March on Saturday Feb. 8th with a bus load (and two vans) of folks, organized by the Kairos Center, Poverty Initiative, at Union Theological Seminary.
We left at around 6:30 AM on Friday for the 10 plus hour drive south. It was a wonderfully diverse group – black, white, brown, red and yellow, young, old, straight and LBGT. There were union organizers, members of Picture the Homeless, Domestic Workers United, Occupy Faith NYC , seminary students, and more.
On the bus we each introduced ourselves and said a little bit about why we were going and who were the people who we felt had lifted us and inspired us to be there that day.
People shared the names of teachers, mentors, movement activists, and their parents.
We sang together.
I am not a photographer. My seatmate on the bus, Resa Jones is, and you can see her inspiring photos in her stream.
I took snapshots with my cheap Cannon, and wanted to share them with you today.
When we arrived in Raleigh, our first stop was at Community UCC church of Raleigh where a dinner was waiting for us.
Then we headed over to a mass meeting and worship service at Abundant Life Christian Center, to hear some rousing speeches, and song. Then back on the bus to the Martin Street Baptist Church, where we would unroll our bedrolls to sleep that night.
The next morning we gathered at Shaw University for a rally at 9:30 AM.
And then we marched.
The crowd grew and grew, and there was no way to tell how many of us were there, but later USA Today said we were 80 to 100 thousand!
You can see the size of the crowd in this video, which shows the marchers, and you can hear the end of Dr. Rev. William Barber’s speech.
When I remembered I had a camera, I got it out and snapped pics of the signs people were carrying, which reflect the breadth of the coalition that was gathered there.
Follow me below the fold, and I’ll let the pictures continue telling the story.
NAACP marshals were on hand, and kept the flow moving, alert for any problems. The two counter protesters I saw were ignored, though when one man started spewing biblical doom, marchers drowned him out singing “This Little Light of Mine”
We were all into love not hate.
Our values.
The people made it clear what we want.
Many signs indicated clearly who the forces arrayed against us are.
As the speeches were ending, while Reverend Barber spoke, the sun came out and we closed singing “we shall over come” – many singing it as “we will overcome”.
Walking back to where we were to join our bus, I snapped one last photo of the joyous faces around me.
We got on the bus to head back north.
The march is not the end of the story. There is a lot more to be done in the months and years ahead.
We will do it. Moving forward together.
(Cross posted from Black Kos )
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