A Rough Weekend

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This weekend is a heavy, rough weekend. Lots has been on my mind. Maybe you're feeling the weight of this weekend as well, so I will share some of my thoughts for those of you also feeling this weight.

This weekend is a marking and culmination of a lot of things. 

Yesterday, July 25:
  • Emmett Till should have turned 79.
Today, July 26:
  • 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • The funeral procession for John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge 
  • 100 days until Election Day
  • Aftermath of protests and continuing protests against police brutality
  • Ongoing global pandemic
In my head, a lot of these things link together. 

Emmett Till inspired a push in the Civil Rights Movement of the last century. Emmett Till was lynched at the age of 14, despite being innocent. Though many may know of his lynching, many may not realize that this happened within a lifetime. He should be 79 today. The woman that falsely accused him that led to his lynching is still alive. 

Emmett Till's mother left his casket open at his funeral, for people to see what was done to him. When Rosa Parks refused to give her seat up on the bus that now famous day, she later stated that Emmett Till's body was on her mind, and that made her refuse to give up that seat. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. (Of course, Claudette Colvin had also refused to give up her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks, but that's a whole other story.) The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a major step that pushed forward the Civil Rights Movement. While Emmett was only 14 when he was killed and was not able to fight for changes due to a life cut short, in this way, he did contribute to the movement.

Something that stands out to me is that Emmett Till should have turned 79 yesterday. That's just about the same age as John Lewis was, and he (luckily) got to live to 80 years old. 

John Lewis was known as a Civil Rights giant, and he was. Today, his body was taken across the Edmund Pettus Bridge (which will hopefully be renamed to the John Lewis Bridge soon). In 1965, he crossed that bridge during a protest for voting rights. He was met with brutality from Alabama state troopers. He was beaten and tear gassed. He could have died on the bridge that day, the day known as "Bloody Sunday." He was arrested many times throughout his fight for Civil Rights. He continued to encourage others to get into what he called "good trouble" - to get in the way and speak out. 

Today, his body was carried across the same bridge, but this time, the path was lined with roses. He was celebrated by many, both Democrats and Republicans. This week, we will continue to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of this American hero, who improved the lives of so many. 

Today is also the anniversary of the ADA. As you may know, the ADA actually personally impacts my life. The accommodations I get for my hearing loss in classrooms are granted to me through the ADA.  As I continue to go Deaf, the ADA will benefit me with these kinds of accommodations. While there is still a LONG way to go when it comes to disability rights, the progress that was made by the ADA has helped the world become more accessible for those of us with disabilities. (I will add below an article on the limitations of the ADA.) 

Today, I have spent some time looking into what got the ADA passed. There were some key protests that led to it. The 504 Sit In was a huge one. The Gallaudet Student Protest (Deaf President Now) also helped - I knew a bit about this one, since it is pretty Deaf/HOH specific - Gallaudet is the main Deaf college in America, and they protested until they got a Deaf president for the college. 

A major protest that led to the ADA was the Capitol Crawl. I am sad to admit that I actually had never heard about this before, even as a person who benefits from the ADA. In 1990, over a thousand people marched to the U.S. Capitol for the passage of the ADA. About 60 people went away from their wheelchairs and mobility aids and crawled up the steps of the Capitol. This became known as the Capitol Crawl, and it helped get the ADA passed. While the ADA isn't the end-all, be-all of disability rights, it was a landmark legislation that continues to help people like me, and it was passed due to the fight of protestors that came before I was even born. 

Then, I think about the protests happening around the country. What's happening in Portland is so horrible, I can't even put anything into coherent sentences. Federal agents should not be putting protestors into unmarked vans in a democratic country like America. Protesting is a constitutional right. (Even if you were a serial killer, in America, you cannot be taken away in an unmarked vehicle with unidentified police.) This is happening in more than Portland, too. It's hard to keep up with all of the protests, because they are happening in many cities, and are continuously being met with police brutality.

It's even happening right here in Omaha. Many of you are probably aware that I have been attending protests in the local area. I actually was planning on going to the one in Omaha last night except my "protest buddy" (it's always best to go with someone for safety) couldn't go. So, I watched live-streams of protestors being led by police down a street marching, then met with violence on the way back, despite it being pretty unclear what was happening since they were almost back to where many were parked. Peaceful protestors, members of the media, and legal observers were arrested and detained. Many of those arrested have yet to be released, despite bail being donated and covered for them. I encourage you to look into this as it is ongoing. (On Facebook, some good accounts that cover these protests are Zeyela's Live Reports - though he was arrested last night, and Kualdom Creations. If you are truly interested, I can give you other pages to look at as well.) 

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Today, I can't help but think about how many people finally recognize John Lewis as a hero, but some of those same people say horrible things about the current protestors. (To be clear, John Lewis supported the Black Lives Matter movement.) If John Lewis were 23 today, he would be out on the streets, facing arrest if it happened - when he was 23, he was out on the street, being brutalized and arrested. He was speaking at the March on Washington. Why is it that so many can recognize John Lewis as a Civil Rights giant and hero now, but not draw the comparisons to the protestors today, fighting for freedoms and the ability to live without police brutality? 

Today, I can't help but think about the sacrifices protestors made to get the ADA passed, protestors that are now noted as heroes and inspirational, but that protestors today are met with such holier-than-thou attitudes and disapproval.

We are also in the midst of a global pandemic, where white people were allowed to bring large guns into state houses and not be tear gassed or arrested. And they weren't protesting police killings or brutality, they were protesting about their "right not to wear a mask" - despite there being no legal basis for that argument. Masks help prevent the spread of a deadly illness... wear a mask. (And also? Don't try to use the ADA to pretend you have a reason not to wear a mask, because that's incredibly rude to and harmful for those of us with real disabilities. Remember, the ADA was fought for through protests, and all of us who are able are wearing masks. There are few reasons why you shouldn't be wearing one at this point.) While there is much more to say about the pandemic, especially when it comes to reopening schools, I'll leave that conversation for another day.

Today marks 100 days until Election Day. Please make sure you are registered to vote, research the candidates, especially in your local elections, and look into how mail-in voting works in your state. 

With the heaviness of today, please take care of yourselves and your mental health. There is a long road ahead. 


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As always, feel free to have a (civil) conversation with me about what I have written here. My main point of having a blog is to foster conversations with others. 

- Hannah 

For More Information -



Emmett Till Petition: http://chng.it/HpWKFbBWtD

John Lewis Bridge Project: https://johnlewisbridge.com/






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Rest in power, Rep. John Lewis. Thanks for your good trouble.

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