OLD SAYBROOK/LYME/OLD LYME — The Old Saybrook March for Justice is an inclusive and welcoming coalition of friends and neighbors, who care deeply about basic human rights. The group gathers each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in front of the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook — the Kate — where they listen to speakers and then, immediately following the speeches, march peacefully up and down Main St. All are requested to wear masks.
Their mission statement says, ” We are outraged by centuries of structural racism in this country. We stand with Black Lives Matter. We listen, learn and act. We understand that silence is not an option and we will not be bystanders to white supremacy.”
The statement continues, “We aim to be allies and antiracist. We are respectful, nonpartisan and inclusive. We welcome all who share our values. We educate ourselves and join in weekly marches.”
Today, Wednesday, July 8, all are welcome to meet at the Kate at 6 p.m. for a teach-in followed by a march.
The speakers at this evening’s event will be Rev. Jack Madry from New London and Rev. David Good from Old Lyme. The question they will address is: “What role should the faith community be playing in advancing our national movement on racial justice?”
Rev. Jack Madry is the pastor of the Madry Temple, a predominantly Black congregation in New London, named in honor of Pastor Jack’s father. Rev. Jack Madry is also an accomplished jazz pianist and for many years performed at Mashantucket.
Rev. David W. Good is the Minister Emeritus of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, a predominantly White congregation.
Through many years of interracial friendship, the two congregations have shared picnics, jazz concerts, volleyball games and church banquets. Their ministers have preached in each others’ pulpits and shared Christmas and New Year’s Eve worship services.
Out of this friendship, the two congregations have partnered with Habitat for Humanity, building houses in New London County, starting first with a home on Pattagansett Road in East Lyme on land donated by Judy and Phil Simmons, members of the Old Lyme church. In Salem, members and friends of both churches had the honor of working side by side with Rachel Robinson — wife of Jackie Robinson, the great player and pioneer in racial justice — on land she donated to Habitat for Humanity.
Representatives of each church then traveled to South Africa, along with Rachel Robinson and Emmanuel Red Bear (a proud descendant of Sitting Bull) to take part in the Jimmy Carter Work Project for Habitat for Humanity, working side by side with Black choir members from Soweto and Johannesburg.
To celebrate Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and the end of Apartheid, Madry Temple and The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme organized the “World House Tour” for a 50-member choir from South Africa that performed throughout New England and New York, including the Garde Theater in New London.
“World House” came from Martin Luther King Jr.’s book, “Chaos or Community: Where Do We Go From Here?” In the last chapter, Dr. King recommended that all imagine that the human race had inherited a large house — a World House — in which all the races, religions and nationalities had to learn how to live together in peace.
This is very strange. Why are there no black people in the pictures of the march? It looks like Lily white liberals who feel ashamed of of the egregious acts if racism they’ve committed throughout their lives. If they treated people equally throughout their lives, then why would they feel compelled to do this? Exactly. They never treated people equally and now they’re ashamed, and walking through the streets in order to make themselves feel better about their racist past. Sad, but at least they are trying to atone for years of racism from liberals.