August 12

Today marks the assassination, in 1676, of Metacomet, leader of the Wampanoag people and known to the English settlers as “King Phillip.” Although initially peaceful with the settlers, continued incursions and injustices toward indigenous people flared up into what the English called “King Phillip’s war.” 

Today marks the birth, in 1880, of Radclyffe Hall, out queer Christian author whose book The Well of Loneliness stirred controversy for its lesbian protagonist. They were tried for obscenity and the book was destroyed in Great Britain, but it was published in the United States.

Today marks the death, in 2006, of Victoria Adams, civil rights activist and organizer of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. 

This date in 1952 marks the Night of the Murdered Poets, the mass execution of 13 Jewish activists in the Soviet Union who had rallied against Nazi invasion. Like the Soviet disappearance and murder of Raoul Wallenberg, the simply fact that they were leaders working for liberation seemed to be enough to make them a threat to the totalitarian government. 

Reflection: 

There is a good article on the faith of Radclyffe Hall here. It includes this prayer from the protagonist in The Well of Loneliness, spoken on behalf of queer people throughout history: 

Victoria Adams said that when it came to organizing, there are two kinds of people:

Prayer: Holy Spirit, move in us in such a way that we will work toward the right to existence and abundant life for all people. Amen.