Delawareans turned out by the hundreds in Newark and Wilmington to participate in "Good Trouble Lives On" anti-Trump protests, commemorating the passing of civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis.
“Get in good trouble,” is a phrase Lewis — who passed away on July 17, 2020 — coined to encourage challenging injustice through nonviolent action, and at Thursday’s protests, the phrase was used to try and unite the Democratic Party against the Trump administration.
Delaware Democratic leaders spoke at both events, condemning attacks against civil and human rights by the Trump administration. State Rep. Kendra Johnson (D-Bear) spoke at the Newark rally on the University of Delaware’s campus.
“Today, as we gather here to celebrate his life, to get into some ‘Good Trouble,’ we should not dare step into tomorrow without promising to continue his legacy," Rep Johnson said.
State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton (D-Newark) encouraged participants to stay open-minded when interacting with those who voted for Trump, cultivating a message of inclusion and hope for those in attendance.
“What I've been seeing a lot of lately, is a lot of finger pointing at people who are starting to come around. My ask of each and every one of you is when you see someone who's realizing that they made a mistake in November, let them realize it, and welcome them with grace," she said.
Rep. Wilson-Anton told protestors while attending rallies counts as “Good Trouble,” arguing on Facebook does not, encouraging participants to have patience and to take to the polls to foster change.
Using voting as a mechanism for change was also a theme at Wilmington's "Good Trouble Lives On" rally.
Former Democratic Georgia State Rep. Stacey Abrams made a surprise appearance at Rodney Square, encouraging voter participation, criticizing ICE deportation efforts and uplifting diversity, equity and inclusion.
"We are going to fight for the country that we have created. A country built by mistakes that we've made that we tried to correct, by people we despise that we learn to love, by choices that we made that we had to apologize for. Because when we are at our best, it is because we believe that diversity means all people, that equity means access to opportunity, that inclusion means respect for everyone," Abrams said. "And we will not die, we will DEI, and we will fight back, and we will get to victory because this is our country, this is our time, this is our nation and we will win. Let's get it done."
Following Abrams's remarks, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings spoke to the crowd, referencing at least 24 lawsuits she and other attorneys general have filed against the Trump administration during his second term.
"I know we're going to save our country. We're going to save America because we are the greatest land in the world because of our constitution, our democracy. We keep winning these lawsuits, and I'm going to keep fighting these lawsuits for as long as I can," Jennings said.
Other speakers at the event included Delaware State Education Association President Stephanie Ingram, Voting Rights Organizer for the ACLU of Delaware Branden Fletcher-Dominguez and various local faith leaders and musicians.
