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Dear BDEC Community:
I was not able to meet greats like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, or Bayard Rustin. But I got to know the great John Lewis, and I feel like I have met all of our late civil rights leaders from spending time with him.
As we recognize the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, I wanted to take a moment to write a short note to remember Congressman Lewis. At 23-years old, he was the youngest speaker at the March, proving that young people have an integral role in societal change.
Before his passing in 2020, he called access to the Internet “the civil rights issue of the 21st Century.” I can imagine that many of you feel the same way. John Lewis set an example on how to build Intersectional Coalitions (like ours) to address issues of importance — one that we can all follow.
I will never forget what he once told me: “We sat in for you, now stand up for us.” I will continue to find a way to get in the way, especially as it relates to our quest to close the digital divide, a divide that has kept so many of our people from economic opportunity. Hopefully you will, too. We can’t wait. #GoodTrouble
Cody L. Dorsey
Executive Director
Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition