"The tyranny of man over man is but the external expression of each man's enslavement to his own desires. For he who is the slave of his own desires necessarily exploits others in order to pay tribute to the tyrant within himself." --Thomas Merton

"A man leaves all kinds of footprints when he walks through life. Some you can see, others are invisible, like the prints he leaves across other people's lives." --Margaret Lee Runbeck

"The champions of every generation have had the courage to express their unpopular but enlightened views and do not excuse or retreat, but constantly fight to be heard for what they believe is right" -- Glenn Doman

Edward Coles was an early governor of Illinois. He moved there from Virginia where he was born in 1786. He inherited slaves from his father. The following quotation about his courageous dcision to free his slaves.

"Unlawful possession of the wealth I enjoyed could not satisfy my own mind; and after a severe conflict between my love of ease, and my sense of right -- between my tastes and my principles, I determined to act honestly and honorably, and to relinquish what I could no longer maintain without committing injustice and feeling remorse. The moment I made this virtuous decision was the happiest I had at the time ever felt -- my mind seemed suddenly relieved from an oppressive weight; my whole frame glowed with new life, and the consciousness of courageous integrity elevated me so much in my own opinion that titles of rank and fortune appear as nothing in my estimation. --Edward Coles, 1827

I just heard about Myles Horton a couple of weeks ago and immediately ordered two books by him. Awesome man, but he has been hidden in history. He died in his 80's about 10 or 15 years ago.

Myles was a white Tennessean who started Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, TN. The school trained many famous civil rights leaders including Rosa Parks (6 months before her bus refusal) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was eventually forced to shut down by racists and moved to East Tennessee.

Isn't amazing that a contemporary man who helped change the racists history of the South is mainly unknown in our land? Ah, but that's the nature of hidden history.