January 30

Today marks the death of “Big Jim” Larkin, Irish labor leader, in 1947. He said, “The great appear great because we are on our knees: let us rise.”

Today is also the day Mohandas Ghandi was assassinated in 1948. He was a British-trained lawyer who learned about organizing in South Africa. His early work in South Africa was not about liberation for all people, but was a colonial and racist focus on elevating Indian people above black people within a white supremacist apartheid. He eventually outgrew his racism and colonialism, and brought his organizing skills and non-violent approach to his own country. He coined the term satyagraha, or “truth force,” for his approach to resisting colonial rule. Dr. King would later talk about “soul force” to describe his own nonviolent approach. Ghandi’s non-violent anti-colonialism helped India achieve independence in 1947. He was a champion of tolerance and religious pluralism in his own country, and would likely reject the Hindu ethno-nationalism that has arisen there in recent years.

Today is also the birthday of Fred Korematsu, who challenged Japanese internment during World War II. Although he lost his case before the Supreme Court, he continued to advocate for civil rights for the rest of his life, and argued against racial profiling for Muslims after 9-11. He consistently warned people that the United States had once put people in concentration camps, and needed to take decisive legal action to avoid ever doing so again. He died on March 30,2005.

Today also marks the death of Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was also an advocate for civil rights for black and LGBTQ people. She was targeted for psychological harassment by the FBI, had her house bombed, and fought for years to have her husband’s birthday recognized as a national holiday, which finally happened in 1986.

Reflection:

Ghandi said many quotable things, but today I feel compelled to lift up this one:

Coretta Scott King said:

January 30th is a big day for remembering those who have been in the struggle before us, those on whose shoulders we stand. Although this devotional highlights the names of famous saints, I do not intend for it to add to the “Great Man” myth. As Jim Larkin said, it’s us, the everyday saints, who must rise.

Prayer: Liberating Spirit, Holy Spirit, Life-giving Spirit, energize us with the same energy you gave to Jim Larkin, Mohandas Ghandi, Coretta Scott King, and Fred Korematsu.