Global Day of Service – Start Your Heroics Now

For the third time, I watched a flick that grounds me. Soundtrack for a Revolution – stories of the young people who showed up during the Civil Rights Movement and the music that moved them — brings me to tears, every time. There is a lot that I dig about the 1960s but I really love the activism of young people and students — high school and college — during that time.  I like the way they worked it; the way they served; the way they honored the country; the respect they had for community and democracy.

Big ups! These were people who showed up to remind us that we could liberate ourselves. They showed me the power of sitting. Marching. Holding hands. Standing up.  They spoke: “We won’t run and we will not swing back. We are not afraid we are here. You cannot hurt us and you cannot move us all — someone is waiting to take our place.”  People who are American heroes.

They gave witness to the importance of America. This was civic engagement and activism at its best. People caring and making the true difference.

T.Paine passed along the Common Sense notion that we have it within our power to begin the world over again.

Our turn.  Tutor someone.  Write a letter. Remain aware of how you drop your coin.  Comfort the sick.  Give.  Pay it forward.  Solve a problem.  Do justice. On Saturday, the BU community – wherever you are — gets together to remake the world.  We’re waking up alumni and students all over the planet to think about how the world could be.

What will make you sign up and show up?  What will pull you onto a different path? What are the issues that demand our attention?  Where is the work that is begging for our knowledge and our courage?  This Saturday, let’s start being heroes.

Peace.