"PEOPLE ARE NEVER THE ENEMY. SYSTEMS ARE THE ENEMY. PREJUDICES ARE THE ENEMY. BUT PEOPLE ARE NEVER THE ENEMY."
Diane Nash
Almost 60 years after embarking on a mission to end segregation at lunch counters in Tennessee, Diane Nash is still fighting to end systems of discrimination and oppression. I had the distinct honor of hearing her speak at the Lenfest Center for the Arts on the campus of Washington and Lee University. She talked about her personal philosophy and commitment to justice. I recorded several portions of her talk for a news story about the event. She's a remarkable woman and an American treasure. The women of the Civil Rights Movement have been largely overshadowed by their male contemporaries, but they made sacrifices most of us can't imagine. Diane Nash spent 30 days in jail while she was pregnant with her first child. Her crime: contributing to the delinquency of minors; she encouraged black and white kids to sit beside each other on school buses.
This story is just a brief snippet of a life well lived. I encourage anyone taking time out of their day to engage this post to do more research on this phenomenal woman!
