Published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, February 4, 2020
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/2020/02/04/opinion-if-you-want-honor-judge-jones-stand-right-side-history/4645815002/
When I was a little girl, I was certain my daddy was a giant, especially when he scooped me into his arms and lifted me up so that I could touch the ceiling. As I grew older, I was surprised to discover that he wasn’t as gigantic as I thought, standing at just five feet nine.
But after he died last week at 93, surrounded by his family, age and illness having whittled an inch or two from his height and dozens of pounds from his frame, I was reminded that Nathaniel Raphael Jones was indeed a giant, after all.
God blessed my father in many ways and gave him one last, beautiful gift: a sweet, peaceful end to this life.
From his beloved 91-year-old baby sister who came to kiss her big brother one last time, to the grandchildren who gathered to comfort their “Gramps,” to the law clerks who’d become federal judges and cabinet secretaries and major figures in the legal and business fields but dropped everything to rush back to Cincinnati to say thank you to, as one described him, the “best first boss any lawyer could have,” to the young woman who’d lived next door to him as a toddler, and now sat quietly by his bedside in his final days, to the Cincinnatians who took time off of work to pay their last respects to the man who’d saved them from death row, helped them write a resume, opened their eyes to the need to remedy racism and discrimination, exposed them to new people and fresh ideas, taught them to knot a necktie, or simply lent an empathetic ear when they needed it most – it was clear that Nathaniel Jones touched the soul of the human community.
My father spoke softly, smiled and laughed often, and moved gracefully in the world, but he was a fierce and fearless man. He was a fervently pro-choice, feminist, LGBTQ ally, who always stood with labor, fought voter suppression, spoke up for the homeless and disadvantaged and marginalized, who believed that black lives matter, and wanted America not to build walls but to set a bigger table.
The Good Judge was slow to anger and hated no one. But bullies infuriated him, and he loathed seeing anyone picked on. He was gratified by the progress we’ve made as a nation in the 70 years since he first “answered the call” to become a civil rights lawyer. But the ugly turn our country has taken in recent years broke his heart. And, as his strength ebbed in recent months, he was profoundly sad that he would not live long enough to see the America he so loved bend the arc of the moral universe back toward justice. But he had faith that we eventually will … because he showed us how.
Since his death, our family has been overwhelmed and comforted by beautiful tributes and expressions of sympathy. But while words bring us solace, they are fleeting and will soon disappear into the wind unless they are anchored with action. And we can do that by answering his call.
If you really want to honor my father, please don’t wax eloquent about how wonderful and inspirational he was, and then empower people and advance policies that undermine his life’s work.
If you admire Nathaniel Jones for being a civil rights icon, follow his lead by actually protecting civil rights and voting rights, not make yourself complicit in tearing them down.
If you want to emulate The Good Judge, fight for social justice and speak up for those whose voices we can’t hear. Don’t remain silent while the powerful abuse the powerless. Don’t go along with what you know (or should know) is wrong because you think there’s some political or financial advantage in it for you.
If you respected this man, please reach out and lend a hand to people who need help. Encourage a young person to see beyond their horizons. Volunteer for organizations that strengthen lives and build communities. Soften your tongue. Brighten the corner where you are.
If you want to pay tribute to Judge Jones, please register and vote in every election.
If you truly want to claim my father’s legacy, please stand with him on the right side of history.
Because, in the end, while professional accomplishments are all well and good, what really matters is how we treat others, what we stand for, how we move through the world.
My brilliant, kind, funny father, with his keen, gentle eyes, calm voice, and unshakable commitment to justice and decency, has slipped the bonds of earth. But the life he led and the lessons he taught will forever be etched into the history and heart of this city, country and the world.
Nathaniel Jones was great because he was good. He was successful because he was kind. And he was a giant because he never looked down on anyone, but instead lifted us all so we could touch the sky.