The World in Time / Lapham’s Quarterly Episode 99: Ben Jealous
Mar 10, 2023
Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club and former NAACP president, shares insights from his book, *Never Forget Our People Were Always Free*. He reflects on his childhood experiences that shaped his activism and the importance of heritage in today's civil rights movements. Interesting stories of unexpected family connections surface at a Renaissance gathering, emphasizing reconciliation and identity. Jealous also discusses the intersection of race, mass incarceration, and the necessity for cross-political coalitions to address systemic injustices.
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Family History Revealed
- At Renaissance Weekend, Ben Jealous realized a white woman's family once owned his wife's family in Virginia.
- The woman warmly embraced the revelation, connecting their intertwined histories.
Grandma's House Summers
- Ben Jealous spent summers at his grandmother Mamie Bland's house, a pivotal civil rights leader.
- She inspired the book's title and his sense of defiance and pride in freedom.
Freedom Beyond Slavery
- The phrase "never forget our people were always free" carried deep ancestral and cultural meaning.
- It connects to heritage beyond slavery, including Afro-Polynesian roots and pirate ancestry symbolizing freedom and defiance.