The silent protest

[asakiyume]

If it wasn't for today's Google doodle, I wouldn't have learned about the Silent Protest of 1917 or the massacre of East St. Louis. It's a deeply evil streak in humanity that gets people to delight in the slaughter of the defenseless. I'm full of deep gratitude and admiration for the people, like Ida B. Wells and James Weldon Johnson, who have the courage to fight against that evil. (After seeing the Google doodle, I read this article on the Silent Protest.)

Comments

[sovay]

the Silent Protest of 1917 or the massacre of East St. Louis.

I think I knew about the East St. Louis massacres, but I'm not sure I'd heard of the Silent Protest Parade. (Of course: which of these stories has more agency.) I really like when the Google doodles are both beautiful and valuable. This is a good thing to know about right now.

[asakiyume]

I think that's the best way to understand this: as proof that people have always been, and will always, struggle against evil. The bleaker notes are still present (the breathtaking evil, the fact that the protest can have fallen out of the national narrative), but we *know* about those bleak notes. But we can listen for the bright ones.

[sovay]

But we can listen for the bright ones.

I like the idea of listening for brightness.

[amaebi]

Thank you- I didn't know about that, either, despite growing up near East St. Louis.

[asakiyume]

The nation wouldn't have wanted to remember about a homegrown pogrom or the peaceful, valiant protest of others in African American community. But fortunately, we *can* remember. Credit to Google for this; I'm impressed.

[zyzyly]

Until I saw the Google Doodle,I knew nothing of this. I'm glad to have learned about it, but saddened at the same time.

[asakiyume]

Me too.

[minoanmiss]

All very true. Thank you to Google, and to you.

[asakiyume]

It's heavy stuff, but I want to know and remember it.