This past January, Lois and I attended the Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers Annual Conference, held at the Claggett Center in Maryland. The Conference included a "wellness day", in which we were driven into Washington DC to spend time in our nation's Capitol. It was a crispy, sunny day in the middle of the Senate Impeachment trial. The National Mall was very quiet that afternoon.
We spent a few hours at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, experiencing a powerful and humbling exposure to the travesties of slavery and systemic racism that have been pervasive in our nation. As it turned out, that evening offered a scheduled march and rally of the Poor Peoples' Campaign, starting at City Hall and finishing at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. It was an honor to participate, witness the testimonials of the poor, engage in great Gospel worship, and hear the inspirational William Barber preach. At the time, the Campaign was preparing for a nationwide Assembly & Moral March on the Capitol for June 20.
Little did we know that at that very time, COVID-19 had invaded our country, the first documented case right here in Washington State, or that all of our lives would so drastically change. This is especially true for those who struggle to survive daily, who have been disproportionately affected by the illness and by the economic effects of the necessary need to expansive lock-down. The Poor People's Campaign goes on, as well as the Assembly, now moved to digital format. You can participate simply by registering at the following link: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june2020/. Rise with us!