Happy MLK Day. Happy birthday or anniversary to anyone whose special day it is. I understand it is also National Penguin Day and National Cheese Lover's Day. And absolutely, positive, under no circumstances, any other observation whatsoever.
I am reading "King: A Life" right now. Our book club decided that we wanted to spend tomorrow evening talking about it. I'm behind & it's a long book so I had to read a lot today and will need to read almost all day tomorrow to finish. And I'm so glad.
Thank you so much for this very uplifting one, Heather. I needed it this morning as I mourn the loss of Dr. King. May God bless you as you continue to make “good trouble”.
"do the right thing". I wonder if Americans know what that means now. Some or many believe that voting in a politically inept, morally and ethically corrupt human to run their country is the right thing. And right now, many can't find the strength to continue the fight.
Thank you. This is beautiful - and gave me the happy cry I needed this morning. Off to do a bit of community service preparing supplies for folks in WNC then lunch and plan with fellow local Dems...
I was wondering why we had the bad luck for inauguration to be held on MLK Day. Your words clarified the connection. Thank you for being one of those heroes, HCR!
I love the line about not seeing the stars until it’s very dark. Being so disheartened and sad, I’ll look for the stars. Heather, you are the brightest to me.
Back in 1986, I bought OMD’s The Pacific Age cassette. It had a song called Southern that had excerpts from the speech you mentioned. Not only did it inspire me, but it made me be able to quote it to my majority black high school history students 16+ years ago.
This is beautifully written. I’ve already shared it with four people. I’m eager to see if there are any heroes willing willing to do the right thing. It’s going to be a very long four years. Thank you.
I'm becoming more and more confident those goons and loons will self-immolate before Easter. Something about the past forty-eight hours tells me GOP members of Congress are scared as hell. Their careers will be over if they don't reel Trump in. Well, either way, their careers are over.
For awhile now I sometimes forget that I too believe “still believe that people are really good at heart,” like Anne did. You got me a little misty with one. Thank you
Your letter tonight is especially beautiful and moving Heather. It gave me hope. Here’s to all the truth tellers out there! Thank you for your continued heroic works.
Hopefully, we see many such heroes rise in the next 4 years. Hopefully, all of us that love this country can be brave enough to openly be these heroes.
Some inspiration from the final lines of Middlemarch:
“for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."
This one got the tears flowing right away for me. Yesterday I attended the People's March and was photographed and it was shared on various major media outlet's. I felt good about doing my small part. I'm going to keep doing it. Not sure I could do it without you. http://youtube.com/post/UgkxUwLB3smoBZAqzU7gnn6YaclLas1lUdrH?si=e_hXHaRS8ngmEhor
You bring truth to us every day. Please take care, I fear the new administration will dishonor its oath and target journalists and educators in a continued effort to deceive.
As a teacher and a mama of two young boys, I wish I could explain how much I needed this. On Tuesday, I’ll put my hero cape back on and get to business.
I'm glad to see you sharing on this platform, too! I still love to read on FB, as I often learn more in reading comments and your replies. But I worry about the future of that platform. Thank you for all you do!
Access to comments is free on Substack, but only paid subscribers can comment. I don’t mind paying Dr Richardson for her hard work and the knowledge she provides
I loved today’s letter so much that it prompted me for the first time to email back my thanks to HCR for helping to keep me sane since Trump’s first term. The historical perspectives shared in emails and podcasts have been my lifeline. I want to hold onto some optimism in these dark times.Thank you!
You are a hero for these times! You continue to document history and to help us understand that failures in the past don’t necessarily mean there is no hope for the future. We need that!
Maga are freezing their butts off outside today because their leader preferred to keep his diapered ass inside and don’t want them there except for his oligarchs. Felonfk is still banned from doing business in the state of New York.
Thank you for the reminder that the world has good people and is not all evil. More thankful to have a place see the number of people who have not lost their way in a world and speak out. Wearing my RBG "Fragile like a bomb" for a reason
When you say heroism was thin on the ground at Wounded Knee, I assume you mean on the white people side. There was all kinds of heroism among the Lakota.
I’m 68. I watched the news when JFK, RFK and MLK were assassinated. I was a child but I saw the grief and despair. We have fought to change the way things were and won some major battles. Today I understand the despair I saw as a child. Today I grieve and pray we find strength to fight again
We are the ones that we’ve been waiting on. No one is coming. Today is the day.
Today is the day to draw your line in the sand and ask yourself what am I doing to make this world a better place because I am in it. - Hannah Drake, American poet and activist
Comments
I cried.
It was exactly what I needed to hear.
“for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."
Words of truth in a time of lies.
Thank you Heather.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social
You have my respect. Thank You.
Frances Perkins is one of many unsung heroines (seldom sung).
💙🫶💙🫶
Today is the day to draw your line in the sand and ask yourself what am I doing to make this world a better place because I am in it. - Hannah Drake, American poet and activist
Thank you