"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless surrendered." ~ Michael J. Fox
The month of August ends with reflections on human dignity - the grace that dignity offers those who are blessed to know what it is - and the sadness of realizing not everyone does.
Photo by Susan Larison Danz.
"...we are you, and you are us..." ~ Alex Haley, Roots
I have been progressively watching the 1977 mini-series Roots during the month of February - and finished the series yesterday. I DVR'd it when I happened to stumble across it. I've had more than one person tell me that it is so visceral and heartbreaking, they never felt they could watch it again, even many years later.
I felt called to watch. I'm quite certain this is the third time, though the second was also quite long ago.
As for the first, I was in Junior High, and that week didn't only leave a lasting impression on me, but it was a profound nation-wide phenomenon in early 1977. Every night, an unprecedented audience watched, young and old, night after night, for 8 nights. And I never forgot it.
The quote above in the series (actually from the book) was specifically related to the descendants of Kunta Kinte, but even without remembering it, as something similar appears at the end of the 8-night series, I felt it at the beginning. The unwaivering strength and dignity and spirit of Kunta Kinte, who passed on what it actually felt like to be free, and the dream of freedom, and how to never, ever surrender what that is, is an inspiration to all of us. We are him, and he is us. Inseparable.
Flying Free Photo by Susan Larison Danz.
"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered." ~ Michael J. Fox
I have been reflecting on this fundamental and essential notion of dignity lately. So much of what ails our modern world has to do with assaults on the dignity of other human beings. The worst of human behavior emerges when dignity is no longer respected, and history has very tragically revealed this to us, again and again.
Do we really need to be repeating this cycle yet another time?
We really have no choice this time, except to do better. Otherwise, we may not have that opportunity again.
Reflection photo by Susan Larison Danz.
