Keeping Louisville Compassionate

Peaceful protests, supporting the immigrant and refugee community, are highlighting and promoting Louisville as a city that values compassion.

The first time I ever protested was in the arms of my mother on a drizzly Sunday afternoon in Greenville, South Carolina. You see, at that time Greenville didn’t recognize Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday. So my mother took me, 2 years old at the time, to march along side 2,000 protesters charging towards City Hall. I am proud to say that that was not my last opportunity to share my voice and beliefs.. On January 30th of this year, I participated in Mayor Fischer’s Rally for American Values, that gathered a whopping 7,500 people in support of the immigrant community, after President Trump initiated the Travel Ban. I was in awe at the amount of love these protestors had for people they had never met. The need to protect and safeguard the immigrant community was so powerful that people were willing to stand for hours in the winter cold. Seeing such strong people standing up and fighting for those who didn’t have a voice almost brought me to tears. During the rally, all I could think to do was to take pictures, so that someone who wasn’t there could experience the magic that I was feeling. That day I was able to be part of history and contribute something good to the world. Although it may sound dramatic- I am sincere in saying that the sensation of being part of a movement bigger than yourself is indescribable.

Mayor Greg Fischer, who organized this rally, has been working hard to highlight and promote the idea of a compassionate city. I was lucky enough to ask him a few questions about the rally and the Keeping Louisville Compassionate movement he sparked. I asked him if there was an experience or lesson that he learned when he was a teen/young adult that made him want to emphasize compassion in his time as Mayor. He wrote back that, “My mom has always been a champion of compassion.” He told me that when he was a child his mom drove a Meals on Wheels van. He said that a lesson he learned from his parents was, “if you can help somebody, you help them”. I asked Mr. Fischer why he thought SO many people showed up to peacefully protest the refugee ban and his reply perfectly summed up the support and encouragement I saw when I was at the rally. He wrote, “Louisville is a compassionate city and a welcoming city. That’s part of our city's DNA. The people of Louisville recognize that immigrants and refugees are our neighbors, our colleagues and our friends and they wanted to show their support. I was incredibly proud of what our city showed the world that night”.

As a community we have taken the first steps in standing up for the immigrant community. We have shown vocally our support for refugees and immigrants alike, but now it is time to take it a step further. We have to take action in our communities to show our respect for the immigrants and to protect the refugees coming into our city. In Louisville, there are many organizations that aid the refugee and immigrant community. Organizations like Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Americana World Community Center, the International Center, Catholic Charities, and more are great examples of places that are creating a wave of good in the community. Volunteering or donating to these organizations can change someone’s life for the better. You can learn more information on how you can help on their official websites.

#AnnieWhaley