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 Big shoes to fill
Folk sayings are easily remembered, but not always understood. People talk about "walking the walk" and "following in the footsteps" of others, about "taking a stand," "standing firm," and "standing tall." These sayings, along with many traditional proverbs, are all commonly expressed folk wisdom about social change, and they condense and preserve the experiences of many who have gone before.
Such folklore passes on basic values. When we talk about having "big shoes to fill," we are remembering larger-than-life heroes and holding ourselves accountable to them. When we praise people for "walking the walk," we are acknowledging the difficulty of backing up words with deeds. These ways of speaking encourage us to think twice about our own steps; they are reminders that any of us can choose to "walk" in a particular way.
The shoes displayed in our exhibition (and perhaps others around your community) represent the real steps and invisible labor that many different mentors and role models have contributed to movements for freedom, justice, and equity. These shoes belong to a wide range of individuals. Some have national reputations, and others are best known on their neighborhood block. Social change is built one pair of shoes at a time - and every step counts.
Tell us: in whose footsteps are you following (and why?) When did you "take a stand"? "walk the walk"? If these shoes could talk, what stories of social change could they tell? pfp@folkloreproject.org
Or try to re-create this portion of the exhibition yourself, in your community or classroom. (We'll tell you how we did it.)
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