P.G. Smith Author

Jesse Jackson had tears in his eyes

As they wheeled him on the stage for a standing ovation.

The old, embattled warrior for the Rainbow Coalition

The champion of inclusion, a vanguard of our nation.

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For there it was, in that sea of faces

Cheering his mission, his work, his quest

In that very crowd made manifest.

/

Man, woman, gay, trans, black, white, brown

Every culture, color, or creed; Every

race and ethnicity was there to be seen.

Hawaiian shirts, cowboy hats, nose rings, dreads,

Hair of blond or black; of gray, or pink, or green.

Native American, Asian American, Hispanic, Filipine.

Every custom, every style, side by side at ease.

Head scarves and yarmulkas, turbans and tattoos,

Business suits and cowboy boots; minis, maxis, jeans.

/

The football team was also there to frame the simple point

The potent truth: including all leaves no one out.

They are not excluded if others join the game.

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This is who we are; a nation of immigrants

A grand mosaic from near and far

The great American patchwork quilt.

We are a multitude. Not a monolith.

And we are all included, as long as we all

Agree that we are.

/

But not everyone wants harmony

Some thrive on division and fear.

Fanning the flames of resentment and prejudice.

Determined to destroy democracy itself,

If only to preserve their power and wealth.

Twisting truth, sneering at honor, prizing privilege

over justice.

/

But they cannot win unless we succumb to their manipulation

Unless we believe their lies and bow to their intimidation.

Only if we let them pit us against each other

Can they steal our nation to satisfy their greed

And deny the right to our common need.

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They cannot win for we are a multitude. If

we stand together as we did in that hall,

Waving flags of liberty, crying out for justice and opportunity

Everyone represented for the benefit of all.

This is our dream; Jesse’s dream

The great American experiment, never yet achieved

But never lost; it endures; it persists

/

To be displayed in a sea of faces

Gathered in a great hall to represent our nation

To show that progress already has been made.

We can stand together; to rise again; to hope again; to see

the American dream lives still, and we

Can make Jesse’s dream come true.

This we can do

If only we will.