美国新冠疫情日记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.

        同悼两位殞落的民权斗士

两位在美国民权运动之领袖英雄人物约翰路易斯及可狄威武亚昨天同时去世，路易士是乔治亚州选出之国会议，二十一岁时就追随金恩博士投入反种族运动，曾经坐过四十五次牢， 他被认為是国会非裔联盟之缔造者，他同时主张以非暴力手段来争取民权，当他二十三岁时，曾经是一九六三年华盛顿大游行集会上之主讲人，这位因癌症而病逝的斗士曾获得奥巴马总统颁授之最高国民勋章。

在同一天去世的另外一位民权斗士威武亚，早年也是金恩博士的左右手，在六十年代他曾经在南方各大城市登上巴士公共交通工具，确定再没有黑人乘客被隔离，他并且在南方组织了黑人教会大联盟， 推动社会教育。

我们回顾美国之近代民权运动史，在六O年代，南方各州仍然实施种族隔离政策，餐厅、巴士、学校是黑白分开，更不要说投票等权利了。

今天我们华亚裔社区，绝大部分是六O年代之后移居美国，我们今天能享受到的公民权利 都是这批拋头颅、洒热血而牺牲奋斗之成果。

由美南集团国际贸易中心在莱斯大学举办的美非经贸高峯会上，我们曾经邀请美国前驻联合国大使安德鲁杨為主讲人，并颁发表扬状，感谢非裔社区对争取民权之重大贡献。

歷史是一面重要的明镜，我们一定要饮水思源，今天我们在这瑰土地上能享受之一切公民投票、居住、 自由之权利，必须抱着感恩之心情。

疫情病毒给我们带来了灾难，非裔社区遭到空前的不幸，我们更应该体谅他们的处境， 只有团结在一起，从教育、经济着手，来基本改变大的环境，才是国家之福。