Photo courtesy/Ann Burch
By Ann Burch
PAW PAW – Reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s era, folk music streamed from the Maple Lake Amphitheatre stage last Thursday evening, July 17, during the Good Trouble Lives On Rally in Paw Paw.
Conducted by Fred Sang, the Fred and the Good Trouble Troubadours performed for over 300 participants who joined into the sing-along, listened to speakers, and marched through downtown Paw Paw and back across the Michigan Avenue bridge to the amphitheater. Hosted by Indivisible Paw Paw, the rally was in honor of Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who passed away five years ago on July 17.
“Songs of social significance were a part of the time, and the music raised awareness of and resistance to the Vietnam War,” said Sang, who is the former director of the Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus. “These songs reflect a period of social and political unrest. They remind listeners of the role music can play in challenging injustice, advocating for equality, and promoting peace.”
Indivisible Paw Paw collected more than $1,000 in donations during the rally for the Mi Casa, SuCasa program at the Paw Paw/Decatur First Presbyterian Churches. The program welcomes area migrant workers by furnishing their dwellings with household necessities.
Events coordinator Anne Hawkinson welcomed everyone and then recapped her own family’s immigration story.
“My grandparents were immigrants from Japan in the early 20th century. Like many other Japanese and Chinese immigrants, they settled on the west coast in California. There they were banned from citizenship, but their children became birthright citizens,” said Hawkinson, describing what was called the ‘yellow peril’ that severely limited the lives of Japanese American families.
“Soon after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941and President Franklin Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, which sent my mother, her siblings and her parents, along with 120,000 other west coast Japanese to inland internment camps,” Hawkinson added. “Roosevelt did not act in a vacuum. Populist fear and hatred were at the root of this removal, fueled by sensationalist rhetoric such as that spread by Randolph Hearst’s newspaper empire.”
Keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Regina Nelson, a professor of Early Childhood Education at Western Michigan University. Nelson spoke of the “transformative power of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” within the education system.
“I see first-generation college students like me discovering their voice and embracing their unique potential. I see students of color finally being recognized, validated, and celebrated for who they are through culturally diverse curriculum materials and teachers who reflect their diversity,” Nelson said.
“We’ve observed the current administration issuing executive orders that dismantle DEI by deliberately eliminating funding for critical equity programs, which provide essential support to students living in poverty. We are witnessing a wave of book bans, curriculum restrictions, and efforts to conceal the truth about our country’s past.
“We must stand firm against them and make good trouble, just like John Lewis taught us. And in his words, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part.”
Other speakers included Kerria Randolph, program manager and student trainer with ARCUS Center For Social Justice at Kalamazoo College.
“We gather here at a pivotal moment. John Lewis didn’t just participate in history; he made it. He understood, deeply, that progress isn’t handed to us; it’s fought for, marched for, and sometimes, it’s about getting into ‘good trouble,’ Randolph said. A concept that’s more relevant than ever. “It’s a simple phrase, yet it carries profound meaning and a powerful call to action.”
Randolph explained to those gathered that a call to action means to do something. He said, people can educate themselves and then they can find their voice and use it. Thirdly, they can get involved.
“Perhaps most importantly, be courageous. It takes courage to stand up for what’s right, especially when it’s unpopular or difficult. But remember the legacy of John Lewis: courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”
Other speakers were Mariah Bryant from Michigan’s Voter Not Politicians who spoke on VNP’s campaign to educate voters on ballot petitions that would rewrite parts of the state Constitution; Nadine Rios talked about the Rank Choice Voting initiative; and Daniel Oropeza with the Michigan United Farmers Workers organization.
