#JohnLewis wrote an essay to be published the day of his funeral: "The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed."
The funeral of #JohnLewis is being held in Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where MLK was co-pastor.
Three former presidents are in attendance: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who is delivering the eulogy.
Bill Clinton said #JohnLewis left "marching orders" in his @nytimes essay, published today.
Lewis wrote:
"In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring."
.@BerniceKing, daughter of MLK, celebrated #JohnLewis at his funeral, saying he "demonstrated on that bridge that physical force is no match for soul force."
"Anoint us a double portion to get into good trouble until voter suppression is no longer a part of our body politic."
"At the ripe old age of 25, #JohnLewis was asked to lead the march from Selma to Montgomery," Barack Obama said.
"He would make sure the world saw a movement that was... hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed. He said: 'More marchers will come now.' And the people came."
"We may no longer have to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar to cast a ballot, but even as we sit here there are those in power doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting ... We have to continue his cause."
Barack Obama on meeting today's young activists with #JohnLewis: "He could not have been prouder of this new generation of activists standing up for freedom and equality."
"I told him: 'Those are your children. They learned from your example even if they didn't always know it.'"
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
The International Court of Justice has begun the hearing for South Africa’s case against Israel. In it, South Africa accuses Israel of eight different acts of genocide.
Here’s what they are 🧵
1 - Killing Palestinians
Israeli forces have killed at least 23,708 Palestinians since Oct. 7. 8,000 more Palestinians are missing.
2 - Causing serious bodily and mental harm
Over 59,410 Palestinians have been injured. More than 1,000 children have lost limbs.
The U.S. launched a racist eugenics program in Puerto Rico in the 1930s — sterilizing about one third of Puerto Rican women by 1976, many forced or coerced.
It was just one chapter of U.S. colonial eugenics programs and medical experiments targeting women of color. 🧵(1/8)
The U.S. approved forced sterilization in Puerto Rico in 1937 for what it called "overpopulation."
U.S. land theft and exploitation plunged the island into poverty. Health workers coerced people seeking contraception — mostly targeting Black and brown women — into sterilization.
U.S. occupiers transformed Puerto Rico's economy to focus on sugar — for U.S. interests — after invading in 1898.
70% of Puerto Ricans were made landless by 1925. By the 1930s:
▪️ 1 in 3 people unemployed
▪️ 80% of land owned by 2% of population, mostly white
BREAKING: A 6.3 earthquake hit the Turkey-Syria border, two weeks after the devastating earthquake.
No new casualties were immediately reported but witnesses report damage. Turkey has reported over 6,000 aftershocks since the February 6 earthquake killed over 46,000 people.
The Feb. 6 earthquake made over 1 million homeless in Turkey alone:
▪️ over 20,000 buildings collapsed
▪️ over 105,000 buildings need demolition
The government has been criticized for lax regulations. An ex-minister says that as of 2018, half of all buildings broke regulation.
Over 46,000 people in Turkey and Syria were killed by the February 6 earthquake.
Many are missing, but there is no official count.
The UN says:
▪️ Up to 5 million made homeless in Syria, many are already displaced
▪️ 350,000+ pregnant women need access to shelter, medical care
The UK and the U.S. forcibly displaced an entire Indigenous population from the Chagos Islands to build a military base.
Chagossians were never paid reparations or significant compensation. A new @hrw report accuses both countries of crimes against humanity. 🧵
The Chagos Islands are the UK's last African colony.
Most inhabitants were descendants of African and South Asian people enslaved or indentured to work on coconut plantations.
The UK evicted them in the 1960s to build a U.S. base in exchange for discounts on nuclear weapons.
Up to 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly displaced from their homes from 1965-1973.
The UK:
▪️ blocked supplies of food and medical care to starve the population out
▪️ blocked people returning if they traveled
▪️ intimidated residents by shooting or poisoning over 1,000 pet dogs