Let America Be America Again

Reflections on a week of tragedy and resistance

Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

This week, I read, over and over, Langston Hughes’ poem, Let America Be America Again. Though it was written in 1939, it could have been written yesterday. America as a place of freedom and justice isn’t a place or a time or even a reality. It is instead a dream which inspires us to sing, to march, to care, to reimagine. I urge you, reader, to click the link and read the whole poem!

This week, the robins came back. When I looked up and saw them, heads raised, darting across the winter-brown lawn, I cried, cried for their safe return, cried for the generosity and kindness of nature.

This week, the stability of the world’s economy was shattered by an evil and delusional man. People all over the world will starve, lose their jobs, be forced to move. The Stock Market fell by 2, 200 points. Millions of people saw their life savings dwindle.

This week, billionaire oligarchs partied with The Evil Man at the Evil Man’ Golf Club soiree where tickets cost 1 million dollars apiece.

This week, my granddaughter’s friend offered their watercolor set to her. They don’t need the paints anymore. They are moving to another country where they will be safe.

This week, Senator Cory Booker gave a full-throated call from a place of love and moral conviction for us to “be bolder in America with a vision that inspires with hope.”

This week, I heard the frogs sing for the first time. Love me, mate with me, make life with me.

This week, while The Evil Man partied, millions of people marched, rallied, called out The Evil Man’s assault on our constitution, on government institutions, on freedom. Hands-Off!

This week our community services organization asked for food donations. Here, even in this mostly well-off town, there has been a dramatic increase in food insecurity and a cut-back in food supplied by organizations funded by the federal government.

This week, I attended a Hands Off rally in Augusta organized not by the white-haired gang like me, but by young people. Their vision of an America that places care, connection and equality above wealth and consumption was clearer and fiercer than I have heard anyone my age articulate.

This week, I saw clearly that the work ahead is to reimagine America, not an America that serves greed and power and white supremacy but an America that serves all of us. An America where all of us are invited to the table.

Portland Hand-Off demonstration.