[B]URLINGTON — Civil rights leader Ben Jealous brought a message of unity and perseverance as the keynote speaker at the University of Vermont’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
In front of a large crowd at Ira Allen Chapel Tuesday, the former president and CEO of the NAACP spoke of the need to bridge ideological divides while fighting for social change.
“Winning in politics and civil rights is getting up eight times when you’ve been knocked down seven times,” he said
Jealous was also the Democratic nominee for governor of Maryland in 2018, but lost to incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan by about 12 percent of the vote. He would have become the first African-American chief executive of the state if he had he won.
Much of Jealous’ speech focused on a Mark Twain quote he cited, that the two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. He urged those in attendance to identify something to fight for and to stick with that fight.
Jealous said that while he was in college, he was distraught at how many of his friends and friends of friends who were African-American had either been killed or incarcerated in their youth, and he set out to work on criminal justice reform.
He told two stories illustrating the need for activists to be willing to form diverse coalitions while pushing for social justice. He talked about his experience successfully organizing in Mississippi against the closure of three historically black colleges.
He said he and his fellow activists were able to engage some unexpected allies — older white Mississippians — to help them in their cause.
He also told the story of how activist Jotaka Eaddy was able to bring NAACP chapters and anti-abortion groups together in her successful fight against the juvenile death penalty.
“She just decided if she was losing sleep over this issue, she was going to step out in faith and find a way,” he said.
The event also featured performances from gospel singer Angela “Missy” Billups, who sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” “Glory” and led the crowd in singing “This Little Light of Mine” at the end of the event.
Jealous said that student activists can have an important role, and activism can help students improve their critical thinking skills.
“You learn how to lead out of necessity, you learn how to be a good ally to others because you need people to be a good ally to you,” he said.
At UVM, the student group No Names for Justice occupied buildings on campus last year as part of protests calling attention to racism after the appearance of signs affiliated with white supremacists rattled the campus community.
In an interview before the event, Jealous said that states are where the most progress is being made because of gridlock in Washington, and that he was proud of his gubernatorial campaign. He said he was able to engage voters from all over the state about the important issues in his campaign, including his support for medicare for all.
“The people running at the local and state level can get people to speak to each other and understand how their neighbors see the world,” he said.
As candidates have started announcing for the 2020 presidential election, Jealous said he was looking for a candidate who could pull the party together and gain support from both urban and rural voters, and voters across racial groups.
“After years of watching Donald Trump pull people apart, I want someone to pull us together,” he said.
Jealous supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential campaign, and said that he hopers Sanders runs again.
“Bernie has brought common sense solutions to many of the most urgent issues for working families, whether it’s health care or increasing the minimum wage or getting back to making things in our country again,” he said. “It’s that kitchen-table common sense we need more of in our national discourse.”
