美國新冠疫情日記07/18

America Mourns Two Civil Rights Heroes

Civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis died yesterday after a battle with cancer. He was 80.

Lewis served as the U.S. representative for Georgia for more than three decades.

Rev. Cordy Vivian also passed away at age 95 of natural causes. The two towering figures of the American civil rights movement were followers of the late Dr. Martin Luther King since the early1960’s.

Lewis became involved in the civil rights movement at the age of 15 years old and served 17 terms in Congress since he was first elected in 1986.

Tributes to Lewis are pouring in from politicians, world leaders and former U.S. presidents.

We as the Asian American community also want to express our sincere condolences to this great man.

Ever since the early 1960’s, there is still racial segregation in this country. The sacrifices of Dr. King and these two civil rights giants notwithstanding, we still cannot get equal rights and equal opportunity to come to this land.

Today because our nation is facing so many issues including racial strife and an economic downturn, we need to be united to help each other, especially in the African-American and minority communities. Because without education and a strong economy, there cannot be an equal chance at a time when the nation faces even more problems.

History is a mirror for us. When we look back many years ago, the civil right movement was really turning this country around. We hope that all of us can learn about their past accomplishments. We hope our nation will become more harmonious and peaceful.

        同悼兩位殞落的民權鬥士

兩位在美國民權運動之領袖英雄人物約翰路易斯及可狄威武亚昨天同時去世，路易士是喬治亞州選出之國會議，二十一歲時就追隨金恩博士投入反種族運動，曾經坐過四十五次牢， 他被認為是國會非裔聯盟之締造者，他同時主張以非暴力手段來爭取民權，當他二十三歲時，曾經是一九六三年華盛頓大遊行集會上之主講人，這位因癌症而病逝的鬥士曾獲得奧巴馬總統頒授之最高國民勳章。

在同一天去世的另外一位民權鬥士威武亞，早年也是金恩博士的左右手，在六十年代他曾經在南方各大城市登上巴士公共交通工具，確定再沒有黑人乘客被隔離，他並且在南方組織了黑人教會大聯盟， 推動社會教育。

我們回顧美國之近代民權運動史，在六O年代，南方各州仍然實施種族隔離政策，餐廳、巴士、學校是黑白分開，更不要說投票等權利了。

今天我們華亞裔社區，絕大部分是六O年代之後移居美國，我們今天能享受到的公民權利 都是這批拋頭顱、灑熱血而犧牲奮鬥之成果。

由美南集團國際貿易中心在萊斯大學舉辦的美非经貿高峯會上，我們曾經邀請美國前駐聯合國大使安德魯楊為主講人，並頒發表揚狀，感謝非裔社區對爭取民權之重大貢獻。

歷史是一面重要的明鏡，我們一定要飲水思源，今天我們在這瑰土地上能享受之一切公民投票、居住、 自由之權利，必須抱著感恩之心情。

疫情病毒給我們帶來了災難，非裔社區遭到空前的不幸，我們更應該體諒他們的處境， 只有團结在一起，從教育、经濟着手，來基本改變大的環境，才是國家之福。