Lessons Learned

Marion Kwan, 2024

1. My Lessons From Past History

Non-violence: The Iroquois Confederacy and The Great Law of Peace [read below]
Outside Agitator: Donaldina Cameron

2. My Lessons Learned In The Civil Rights Movement

My first trip to Mississippi in 1965 was about race. My second trip in 1966 was about class. My final return-home trip was about my moral code.
Racism and fear: Just because something scares you, doesn't mean you have to kill it.
Self-determination, grass roots organizing, and other concepts in the movement inspired me.
My Heroes: the young and the ones who had to stay; to put their own lives on the line to give me shelter; to trust me with their children when we leave the neighborhood to integrate or to play. The ones who went to vote, returned threatened or killed. There was nothing ordinary or simple about "plain poor folks."
I was not the only minority.
I found the "Blues" and I found collard greens.
The Butterfly Effect: From a single movement triggered by an individual or event had lead us to multiple impacts, such as the rise and evolution of Black Power and the creation of Ethnic Studies across the country. We all benefited and we made that happen.
Grappling with today's world threats of "Us versus Them" and territorial rights — the more differences in historical identities, the longer it will take to reach any form of solution. However, once agreement is reached, the results can be richer, more complex, more relevant. We have not reached such a level of tolerance, or trust.
A new learning curve for me.
I can choose to see the world as a tourist, or as a visitor, or as a witness. I choose to see injustices in the eyes of a witness.
When you lose, do not lose the lesson. When you win, do not lose the lesson.
Keep your eyes on the prize.

The Iroquois Confederacy

1142 AD. From Violence to Nonviolence, From War to Peace (local & also world)

Before the U.S. Constitution there was The Constitution of the Great Law of Peace: "We, the people, to form a union, to establish Peace, equity and order..." This earliest, longest-lived, democracy made an impact and influence on our Founding Fathers, and to the eventual development of the Articles of Confederation and our U.S. Constitution.

In 1142 AD, six allied indigenous nations on this continent had formed the Iroquois Confederacy (or Haudenosunee), now known as the Iroquois League.

The Iroquois Confederacy — recognized as a Sovereign Nation which existed before Columbus — was established before European contact, complete with a constitution, the "Great Law of Peace," circa August 31, 1142. The impetus for its creation was the need to end squabbling among themselves and establish unity. Discussions and debates continue until there is nothing left to be said, except the obvious truth (or compromise). Meetings end at darkness and resume the next day (avoiding temper flareups). Once they ceased most infighting, the different nations rapidly became one of the strongest forces in 17th century northeastern North America.

Implicit in its written statements involve:

Decisions are made on the local level
Separation of powers, checks and balances, ratification, public opinion
Equalities of all peoples.
Women hold power to veto treaties or to declare war. Treaties are binding only if ratified by 75% of male voters and by two-thirds of "the mothers."

(Obviously much was also omitted/disregarded by Founding Fathers of the U.S. Constitution!)

October 5, 1988: The 100th U.S. Congress presented H.Con.Res.331 in the Senate, "To acknowledge the contribution of the Iroquois Confederacy of Nations to the development of the United States Constitution."

Sources:

Iroquois and the Founding Fathers
Constitution of the Iroquois Nations

Outside Agitator Could be Anyone

In 1899-1934 Donaldina Cameron, a Scottish American, stayed in San Francisco's Chinatown and fought the slavery of Chinese girls and women trapped in the mire of forced prostitution and indentured servitude. In the past, Miss Cameron became a leader and abolitionist who was defiant in rescuing and harboring girls from brothels or from ships, often bringing exploiters to be arrested.

Today, Cameron House, bearing her name, and under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, still thrives as an active social & community services operative, supporting the needs of Chinese immigrant families. My parents were grateful for their youth leadership programs.

I was a "Cameron House kid." In 1965 at the age of 23, I found myself 2200 miles south from Chinatown to Hattiesburg, MS, as a Freedom Fighter in the Civil Rights Movement. I too, became an outside agitator choosing to stay in the fight for justice wherever that takes me.

Sources: Siler, Julia Flynn; The White Devil's Daughters, A.Knopf, NY, 2019.
And others...

Copyright ©
Copyright to this web page, as a web page, belongs to this web site.
Copyright to the article above belongs to the author.

Webspinner: webmaster@crmvet.org
(Labor donated)