Let Freedom Ring
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| Picture from http://www.silk.net/RelEd/graphics/MLKC.JPG |
Fifty years ago today Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
delivered his now famous speech. In that
speech Dr. King said "Now is the
time to make Justice ring out for all of God's children” and he ended with “when this happens, when we allow Freedom to
ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and
every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children,
black men & white men, Jew & Gentiles, Protestant & Catholics, will
join hands and sing in the words of the Old Negro Spiritual, ‘Free at Last!
Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we’re Free at Last!”
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| Picture from: http://it.123rf.com/photo_6204178_vettore-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-sogno-si-e-avverato.html |
On August 28th, 1963 Dr. King’s speech was a call
for every man and woman in America – NO – North America to educate themselves
on the issues and impact of segregation and oppression.
He knew that real, life long change started in the kitchens
of America and Canada. That lasting change starts in the grassroots of society
and grows from there.
Canadian Stephen Lewis in 2013 is calling on North American
Grandparents to support another grassroots movement for change. To support African Grandmothers who because of
the Aids Pandemic find themselves raising their orphaned Grandchildren.
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| Picture from: http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2008/05_02_2008/story6.htm |
Quoting the Stephen Lewis Foundation website “It is estimated between 40% -60% of orphans
live in Grandmother-headed households.”
I cannot begin to imagine what this is like. These women have lived lives full of poverty,
famine, war, disease, oppression, now they bury their adult children and step
into the role of parent at a time when their own health begins to fail.
These Grandmothers are not silent victims of Aids. In their
own way they are shouting with Dr. King “Now
is the time to make justice ring out for all of God’s children”.
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| Picture taken from http://www.fourvillages.com/news-12.html |
Again quoting from the foundation website, “African Grandmothers have risen to become
the linchpin of survival for their families and communities: they have become activists and advocates pushing for theirs and their Grandchildren’s rights
and protection”.
In March 2006 The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign was
started and today there are over 240 Grandmother Groups in Canada who raise
money to support the activities of their Africa counterparts.
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| Picture: http://www.grandmothersofsteel.com/about/ |
I plan on joining my local group and involving James, Emma
and Rylee in this cause. I think if Dr.
King Jr. was alive today he would approve of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Please take the time to visit this website and see if there
is a group in your area and get involved. If there is not a group start one.
Grandma Snyder
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