when do “revolutionaries”—across the board—get to be “human” enough to be engaged as more than just their history? when do we engage them as their present selves, even if that means scathing critique?

i am trying to hold room for lots of truths here. honoring who john lewis once was, but i also recognize who he became.

because it was john lewis who physically tried to remove us when we protested hillary clinton. and it was john lewis who went and stood behind her to show his support of her over us. and it was john lewis who did a scathing interview about our protest.

it was on that day that john lewis and andrew young berated, scolded, and showed physical opposition to what we were doing because of their support for hillary. and they both continued on in opposition for days (years, for andrew young)

i am sad for his loss as i am for the loss of any Black person. i honor his contributions to the world in his early years. but i also honor my feelings around what he proved to me in those moments he was committed to—and it was not us.

“good trouble” didn’t translate over into a bunch of Black (mostly queer/trans) students protesting the war criminal who was cutting him a check. and today, that’s what i’m sitting with. as i have for years.

that day, and for MONTHS following that day, we got death threats, we were berated, we were threatened (by police, by secret service, by the FBI). we faced consequences that NONE of us have ever spoken publicly. and john added to that—speaking out against us. it hurt.