Throughout our nation’s history, there have been courageous men and women whose strong moral purpose inspired, educated and motivated millions. Their dedicated efforts have helped move our nation forward, often by overcoming terrible odds. Here are just a few of those American heroes whose achievements and resolve move me.
Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross, could have stayed away from Maryland after she escaped her violent bondage in 1849. She could have found a new life of freedom and never turned back. But this fierce and indomitable woman of no more than five feet did go back, again and again, perhaps 13 times in all, risking her own life to rescue others. “I was free, and they should be free,” she said.
Frederick Douglass lived in chains, was nearly beaten to death, saw his brothers and sisters tortured and enslaved, yet somehow survived to educate and inspire. He spoke with extraordinary clarity and logic about both America’s terrible failings and its great promise—and his writings continue to be powerful statements and indictments for our time. “Power concedes nothing without a demand,” he said. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress,” he said.
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, could have recognized the danger he faced and gone quiet. He was jailed, he faced death threats, he was under constant surveillance by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and was literally pressured to kill himself. But he continued to speak out eloquently on behalf of his people and for equality, justice, freedom and a better America, ultimately giving his own life at just 39 to advance civil rights and influence a nation. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” he said. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” he said.
Rachel Carson was a biologist who could write lyrically and produce massive bestsellers about our oceans and the environment. She is best known for her 1962 book, Silent Spring, which describes the dangers of pesticides that were poisoning our natural ecosystems. Her controversial advocacy—including speaking to Congress while dying of cancer—led to restrictions on DDT and other toxic chemicals, influenced the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency and helped inspire the environmental movement. We “must come to terms with nature, and I think we’re challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves,” she said.
Elie Wiesel was 15 years old when he was deported with his family from Romania to Auschwitz. He was his family’s only survivor from the Nazi death camps and went on to publish in 1960 the memoir Night, a seminal work of Holocaust literature about his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Author of 57 books, he dedicated his life to be an ethical witness and battle against hatred and intolerance. “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,” he said. “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim,” he said.
Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention the nearly half million Americans who sacrificed their lives in World War II to help defeat the Nazis and the fascists who sought to end democracy and take over the world. At a time when our beloved country is facing a White House occupant who demonizes “the radical left” as “the enemy within” and is exploiting the fiction of a single Antifa organization to persecute his perceived enemies, it’s important to remember these American heroes. They were anti-fascist American patriots dedicated to doing what they could to sustain our democracy.
While I’ve largely focused on individuals here—and have not included examples of such heroic American presidents as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln—our current travails have deepened my conviction that history is made by the people, not just by powerful and influential individuals. That becomes more clear as we struggle to identify any one person who can “save” us now, but instead recognize that our ability to overcome an authoritarian regime depends on millions of American heroes who refuse to be indifferent, who refuse to cower or kowtow, to an enemy of our Constitution, our freedoms and our democratic way of life.
Who are your American heroes? Feel free to share one example or many. And don’t hesitate to share stories of family members or friends or others who may not be famous but are heroically contributing to our world. You are also welcome to mention heroes from beyond America’s shores as well.
As always, I look forward to reading your observations and the opportunity for this community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful in your remarks. Trolling will not be tolerated.
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All of the women who have stood up against trump. They are all my heroes. 🦸♀️
My mother was the eldest of 13 children, on the N. Dakota prairie. She had to quit school after the eighth grade to help care for her siblings. But she continued to educate herself throughout her life. She married to Pastor that served in rural parishes. They never had money. But they did amazing work. And she made sure that all of her daughters had a college education or more.