Lolis Edward Elie and Fellow Champions, 1957-1961. Ruby Bridges, Barbara Henry, Robeson, Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Daisy Gabrielle, Charles Foreman, ...

More of Those Who Fought for Freedom and Won

Jan. 15, 2025

A multi-media piece you may enjoy, concerning the Civil Rights attorney and activist LOLIS EDWARD ELIE of Louisiana and other fighters for basic justice in the span 1957 to 1961.

PAUL ROBESON, SONNY ROLLINS, OSCAR PETTIFORD JR., and CHARLES MINGUS are among the musicians and advocates presented—in images, quotes and recordings—in this fourth of the Episodes about Lolis Edward that MARYSE and I rendered in 2018, one year after the attorney’s passing. You’ll see see and hear them in the 1957 to 1961 span and in later decades.

For instance, Sonny Rollins in 2017.

What may resonate most with you, however, from #4 with L. E. L. and his ‘Fellow Champions, is the story of RUBY BRIDGES, six years old when she and her parents in New Orleans forced the integration of a Public School, William Frantz Elementary (still standing after post-Flood renovation in New Orleans’ Upper 9th Ward), and the teacher, BARBARA HENRY, who taught Ruby, one to one, when no one else of the System would.

Soon after Ruby Bridges and Barbara Henry stood together, other parents and students refused to fear the jeers of bigots and Ruby had companions in the Frantz School.

Who knows what further tricks the imbecility of Racism may try in 2025. We can say for sure that the nonsensical ‘Race-Card’ is being played every day in national and supranational Politics, as Governments seek to blame ‘Immigrants’ for failures of greed-sabotaged Economies. Therefore, I’m thinking, it’s good to remember the courage and compassion and ACTION of folks before us.

Again, you can see and hear from the 'Champions’ of ‘Justice and Music’ over on that quite overloaded WeAreRev.com site HERE.