Dear MAC,
On the celebration of your 90th birthday we knew that
each day you were here with us it was a gift we treasured.
Over the years we slowly witnessed your body, legs, eyes and heart giving
you troubles. But you would not let
these troubles trouble you. Your
determined will reached out even to befriend the pain so that it would not
control your life. It was not going
to stop you.
The energy you mustered up to put your ailing body at
places your spirit wanted to be amazed us.
We won’t forget the day you shocked us at buddy’s memorial march.
We were not expecting you, for you were so sick and flat on your back the
night before, letting us know your regrets you could not make it.
When you wheeled into the park in your chair, covered with a blanket,
with face pale and thin, your presence was a healing soothing salve, which moved
us deeply.
I remember the night just after Easter in ’93 we
carried you up the dark staircase, to keep watch through the chilly night,
getting a few winks of sleep, to be awakened by the sound of the bulldozer,
already spraying forceful water hoses up to the second floor where we were
holding out to make our last attempt to save the housing owned by Phillipus
Church from being turned into a parking lot.
Mac, you so much understood our fight to save low-income
housing. You believed what happened
in Over-the-Rhine was a thermometer of what could happen in other low-income
communities. You held up our effort
as a lightening rod, wanting it to spark the hearts and minds of people
citywide, preservationists and politicians to do the just and right thing for
the poor and oppressed. In the
midst of sound principled actions we would risk together, there were always
those moments of sweet support. On
that day when we were carried off to jail.
And the sexes were held in separate holding cells.
Four men and one woman. I
won’t forget how I called out to you, buddy, Wilbur and Berta, and you
responded in kind with singing voices. That
sweet support lifted me.
Mac, you gave our effort such consistent support over the
years. Your friendship felt very
special. We knew you held us in a
special place in your heart. You
were with us at City Hall time and time again.
Your voice for the homeless and ill housed was relentless.
You fasted so that we might win negotiations with the City in regards to
replacement housing when we lost the Milner.
You helped us evict the Governor’s furniture from his office in
Columbus so that we might make a point about the mean spirited cut off of
General Assistance.
You always stood with us when Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC
were under political attacks. The
list is long. You were always there
for us. Your presence was powerful.
You possessed a gentle strength. We
listened to your stories and learned from your long life.
We marveled at your memory and how you could pull up so many quotable
quotes. Your was mind so
sharp, taking every opportunity in circles you encountered to put the challenge
out there that we need to work for a kinder, gentler nation where all people
could live free and with dignity.
You humbly accepted the St. Francis Xavier medal on
December 7th at Xavier University and spoke so eloquently and challengingly on
so many of the issues that were dear to your heart and life. We from Over-the-Rhine were so happy to celebrate with you
that day. We felt proud of you, but
somehow you made us feel proud of ourselves, too.
For when you speak you call up the long history of struggle and freedom
which connects us to a spiritual source that deepens our conviction that someday
justice will roll down like the rivers.
When many of us last saw you, on December 21st in
Washington Park for the annual remembering of those persons dying homeless on
the street, we were not thinking that you, MAC, so soon would be joining your
sisters and brothers whose names we called out that day.
Thank you for being with us around the fire barrel.
I shall not forget that hug. And
I know that when you went from this world to the spirit world on December 30th,
our Over-the-Rhine effort embraced you with welcoming arms with a hug from
buddy.
We trust you are resting in peace but be assured your
spirit is in our hearts. And we know our lives and our neighborhood of
Over-the-Rhine benefited a hundredfold from having you sojourn with us.
We shall not forget you. Many
of us are graced with poems that you wrote on occasions of our birthdays or
special anniversaries. We enjoyed
singing and partying with you. And
thanks too for all the phone calls and visits you made to check in about our
health or our family’s lives. Most
of all, Mac, thanks for your years of friendship, personally and communally. You were always there for us.
with love,
Bonnie Neumeier
For the Over-the-Rhine Peoples Movement
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