A large crowd of Benicians & Vallejoans joined the nationwide protest honoring the late John R. Lewis and protesting the Trump administration. On July 17, about 350 gathered around the Gazebo in City Park with creative signs, chants and cheers, good music, fabulous speakers, voter registration, a food drive – and even a bubble machine!
“Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.” – John Lewis
SLIDESHOW – scenes from the event… [Many thanks to Benician Mary DeShaw of ProBonoPhoto.org for the photos.]
00BenGoodTrouble GTLO intro slide
01BenGoodTrouble GTLO sign MMD_250717_0013_MST-X2
02BenGoodTrouble Judith Lerner & Roger Straw MMD_250717_0017_MST-X2
Judith Lerner, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible,
and Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent.
The local action in Benicia was part of Good Trouble Lives On — a nationwide day of peaceful, nonviolent action rooted in the legacy of the civil rights movement and inspired by John Lewis’ call to make “good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Participants from Vallejo and Benicia gathered to demand an end to the authoritarian attacks on our freedom to vote, protest, and organize — and to stand united against efforts to criminalize our communities, roll back our rights, and slash vital public programs.
Speakers included Rami Muth of League of Women Voters Solano; Dr. Tonia Lediju, Vallejo City Council; Kari Birdseye, Benicia City Council; Rev. Dr. Mary Susan Gast, Benicia Poet Laureate Emerita; and Helen-Marie ‘Cookie’ Gordon, Vallejo City Council.
Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent
It was a joyful but demanding crowd. 350 of us stood united in calling for an end to the Trump administration’s many moves to end our beautiful multicultural democracy.
City Councilmember Birdseye delivers a rousing and personal speech at “Good Trouble Lives On” rally in Benicia – honoring the late John R. Lewis and protesting the Trump administration
By Kari Birdseye, July 17, 2025
Kari Birdseye, Benicia City Councilmember, Good Trouble Lives On, July 17, 2025 | Photo: Mary DeShaw, ProBonoPhoto.org
Friends and neighbors from Benica, Vallejo and beyond…
We gather today to honor a giant of the American conscience, a moral compass who guided us through turbulent waters: Congressman John Lewis. He famously said, “If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.” These are not merely words; they are a call to action, a blueprint for a life lived with purpose and courage.
John Lewis understood that the fight for civil rights was not a single battle, but an ongoing struggle, a relay race where each generation must carry the torch forward. He bore witness to unspeakable brutality, yet he never succumbed to bitterness or despair. His life was a testament to the power of persistent advocacy, to the belief that “We are one people, one family. And we cannot turn against each other. We have to turn to each other.”
Today, as we reflect on his legacy, we must also confront the echoes of past injustices in our present reality. The civil rights we hold dear, the very foundations of equality, are once again under assault. We have seen a systematic dismantling of protections, particularly impacting reproductive rights and the broader spectrum of equality for all.
Under the current administration, we have witnessed a relentless chipping away at reproductive freedom. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was a devastating blow, stripping away a fundamental right that had been enshrined for decades. We see efforts to restrict access to essential healthcare, to dictate personal medical decisions, and to deny individuals autonomy over their own bodies.
John Lewis was my Congressman when I was compelled to take my first volunteer job in Atlanta Georgia for NARAL, the National Abortion Rights Action League, now called Reproduction Freedom for All.
Now this was in the early to mid-1990’s when anti-abortion zealots were bombing clinics and pro-choice activists were combating increased restrictions on abortion access and defending the Roe v. Wade decision. In 1992 March for Women’s Lives drew hundreds of thousands to Washington D.C. to protest a Supreme Court case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, that was perceived as potentially overturning Roe v. Wade.
Well here we are, set back even farther today. This is not merely a legal debate; it is a profound civil rights issue, deeply connected to a woman’s right to control her destiny, her health, and her future.
As John Lewis said, “Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”
Beyond reproductive rights, the principles of equality for all have also faced significant challenges. We’ve seen attempts to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, to undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and to create an environment where certain communities feel marginalized and threatened.
The very concept of “equal application” has been weaponized to justify discrimination, rather than to eradicate it. This is a betrayal of the ideals John Lewis fought so valiantly for. He believed in a beloved community, where “We must respect the dignity and worth of every human being.”
I had the honor and pleasure of shaking Congressman Lewis’ hand at an anti-gun violence rally in Vallejo in 2018, two years before we lost him. He was just as committed to good trouble then as he was when he was a key organizer and speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
So, what would John Lewis say to us today? I believe he would urge us to get into “good trouble, necessary trouble.” He would remind us that our “vote is precious, almost sacred,” – every single one of us. He would tell us not to be silent in the face of injustice, but to speak up, speak out, and make some noise.
The fight for civil rights is far from over. Let us carry his torch forward, ensuring that the promise of liberty and justice for all is not just a dream, but a lived reality for every single person in this nation.
Let us continue to strive for that more perfect union, where true equality reigns supreme. Let’s make some good trouble and some great noise. Thank you.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to protest the Trump administration again on Thursday, the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights leader and former congressman John Lewis. [Details for the Benicia rally below.]
Why it mat#belowters: Lewis was one of the most vocal critics of President Trump during his first administration. Trump’s 2017 inauguration was the first that Lewis missed during his three-decade tenure in Congress.
By the numbers: 56,000 people RSVP’d for more than 1,500 events across the country as of Friday, organizers said.
What they’re saying: “Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration,” the protest website said.
“Together, we’ll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.”
The other side: “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to Make America Great Again and he is delivering on that promise in record time,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement.
Context: Lewis, the son of sharecroppers, grew up in rural Alabama. The civil rights leader was arrested more than 40 times and injured repeatedly but remained an advocate for nonviolent protest, per the Library of Congress.
“Rosa Parks inspired us to get in trouble,” he said in 2019. “And I’ve been getting in trouble ever since. She inspired us to find a way, to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Indivisible, a leading protest organization group, launched a project ahead of the protest to train a million people in non-cooperation, community organizing and campaign design.
Zoom out: In March 1965, Lewis led more than 600 peaceful protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. What was meant to be a push for voting rights became known as “Bloody Sunday” after state troopers attacked the marchers.
He was elected to the U.S. House in 1986, representing most of Atlanta, and served until he died in 2020.
“Lewis was a formidable legislator who exerted moral and political leadership within the Democratic Party and never forgot his roots as an activist,” a biography said.
You are cordially, personally, and expansively invited…
…to a Vallejo and Benicia Day of Action – Good Trouble Lives On, commemorating the July 17, 2020 death of Rep. John Lewis. Together, we will advocate for freedom and democracy in the Trump era. RALLY in CITY PARK,Thursday, July 17th, from 5-6 pm at the Gazebo, corner of First & Military in Benicia.
Rep. John Lewis – “When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.” (July 30, 2020)
Crowd at the Gazebo, Roger Straw – Benicia Independent
Benicia California — On Thursday, July 17, community members in Benicia and Vallejo will join Americans at hundreds of events nationwide to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis and fight back against the growing attacks on our civil and human rights.
The local action in Benicia is part of Good Trouble Lives On — a nationwide day of peaceful, nonviolent action rooted in the legacy of the civil rights movement and inspired by John Lewis’ call to make “good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Participants from Vallejo and Benicia will gather to demand an end to the authoritarian attacks on our freedom to vote, protest, and organize — and to stand united against efforts to criminalize our communities, roll back our rights, and slash vital public programs.
Speakers include Dr. Tonia Lediju, Vallejo City Council and Kari Birdseye, Benicia City Council
The rally will also provide opportunity for voter registration, information about Unite and Rise 8.5, and 5Calls, and other ways to participate in the democratic process, plus a canned food drive for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties.
>> For the food drive please bring one or more of the following items: Peanut butter, Canned Tuna or chicken in water, Boxed mac and Cheese, Shelf stable milk, Applesauce, Beans/lentils (dry or canned), Rice, Whole grain cereal/crackers, Whole wheat/grain pasta, Canned soups/vegetables/tomato products, Canned fruits, cartons of 100% juice, non-perishable ready-to-eat meals (chili, ravioli, etc.)
Bring your homemade signs, gather around the Gazebo with banners, hear the speakers, visit a popup canopy with tables for people registering to vote and signing up to get involved, leave your food items in the drive barrels.
Benicia Gazebo, corner of First & Military Streets
>> IN BENICIA / VALLEJO: July 17th GOOD TROUBLE LIVES ON! 5-6pm at the Gazebo in Benicia City Park (map: First and Military Streets) – see more above.
>> IN FAIRIELD: Thu, Jul 17
5:00 PM — 6:00 PM, Garamendi’s Office Building, Fairfield, CA . Here’s a map.
>> IN NAPA: Thu, Jul 17, 5:30 PM — 7:00 PM PDT, Veterans Memorial Park, Napa, CA.
> ALL OVER THE BAY AREA: Go to goodtroubleliveson.org and enter your zip code. Then click a city on the big map to get details.
U.S. Representative and beloved activist John Lewis…
“From a small farm in Alabama, to life-risking service in the civil rights movement, to three decades in Congress, he was always ‘walking with the wind,’ steered by a moral compass that told him when to make good trouble and when to heal troubled waters. Always true to his word, his faith, and his principles, John Lewis became the conscience of the nation.” – Former President Bill Clinton and Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton, Associated Press, July 18, 2020
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