I grew up in the 1960s and one of my social justice heroes is Robert Francis Kennedy. One of things I admire about him is that he became more liberal over time. Remember that he got his start working for Senator Joe McCarthy, that he fought organized crime in the labor movement, and ordered the wiretap on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But what I admire about him is concern about poverty and human rights and there are several significant moments between his election as senator from New York and his ill-fated presidential campaign. One of these was his role in founding of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in Brooklyn. He brought together public and private groups to promote economic development to a neighborhood in decline.
Another moment was his visit to rural Mississippi at the invitation of Marian Wright Edelman. This visit, along with his tour of an impoverished rural area in Kentucky, gave him a first-hand experience with poverty in America.
Another key moment was his meeting with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. Kennedy joined Chavez in receiving Holy Communion at the end of his hunger strike.
Because of his compassion, RFK was deeply admired by black and brown Americans. One of the iconic images of the era was the throngs of people reaching out to touch him in the motorcade during his presidential campaign.
But most of all, I admire his eloquence. In a brief extemporaneous speech in Indianapolis, he delivered the news that Dr. King was murdered and was able to prevent the crowd from rioting. He followed up the next day his famous Mindless Menace of Violence speech.
One final image that brings tears to my eyes is the slow funeral train from New York to Washington and all the mourners lining the tracks. A heartbreaking tribute to a great American.
Equity - Environment - Economic Justice 