With great sadness the Oakwood University faculty, staff, administrators, students, and alumni grieve the recent loss of two civil rights legends—Dr. C. T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis.
Our collective indebtedness to this generation of giants who led us from the choking darkness of racial discrimination toward the light of justice, freedom, and equality is immeasurable. The “good trouble“ that they instigated created the paradigm for constructive social progress through peaceful means. Their relentless commitment insisted that Black Lives Matter because black lives, from 1619 to 2020, presented a unique test of the moral and legal conscience of our nation. Thank God, these giants passed their test. But before passing, they passed the torch of test to us. Let us bear it bravely and triumphantly, so that with heroes Vivian and Lewis, we too may receive the benediction that one day they will surely hear, “Well done, you good and faithful servants.”
The Oakwood community extends our deepest condolences to the families of these great warriors,
Leslie N. Pollard, Ph.D, D.Min., MBA
President, Oakwood University
