I first met Dan Levine 55 years ago at Bowdoin College. He was a history professor and I worked in the Admissions Office. In addition to being revered as a teacher, Dan was known for his deep involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. While Dan retired in 2006 after 42 years at Bowdoin, he has maintained his keen interest in social justice.

Dan’s daughter, Karen Levine Egee, shared with me her blog post in which she described Dan’s deep concern about the future of our democracy, given the dictatorial tendencies of Donald Trump, enabled by a compliant Congress and millions of hard-core MAGA members. Karen encouraged me to write this piece highlighting Dan’s sobering views.

Dan participated in the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, so Karen asked her dad his views on that event compared with today’s divisive times.

“After all the murders and beatings of Civil Rights workers, the sit-ins, freedom rides, demonstrations against Jim Crow, for voting rights, the whole panoply of NonViolent Direct Action (NVDA) seemed to be having some effect, climaxing in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Furthermore, there was support, sometimes grudging, of people in power.

“Where do you go now to protest an end of democracy? Where are the segregated lunch counters? Does carrying a ‘No Tyranny’ sign on the Brunswick Mall have any effect? Yes, there are some people in Congress, even on the Supreme Court, being more and more explicit about what is happening, but they seem to have no effect either.”

When asked if he was optimistic during the days of the Civil Rights protests, Dan said, “I never even thought about it not working. The fight was going on. You just did what you could. And progress was being made. We could see changes happening.”

Dan is less optimist about the situation today, believing that democracy is falling away and fascism is taking over.

“The American Constitution has been destroyed. The MAGA people will manipulate the 2026 election. There may not even be an election. The Supreme Court has given them cover. They have taken too much power, and now people believe them.”

Dan believes that Martin Luther King would have been shocked at what is happening today, and Dan himself is shocked.

“I would not have believe that the American Constitution could be destroyed in three months. I thought the institutions were stronger than that, no matter how rabid the president was, and how much power they had in Congress and the Supreme Court.”

As a historian, Dan referenced Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Lincoln spoke of “a nation so conceived and so dedicated” and wondered whether “it can long endure.” Dan said of today’s perilous situation, “I’m not sure it can.”

Karen reflects upon her father’s pessimistic views.

“It is certainly grim to hear him explain ways in which this fight is so different, and how much less certain he is we will succeed. But as I write and speak out and attend protests, I feel that same moral imperative my father describes feeling in 1964 — the conviction that you find where you can make a difference, and you get to work.”

Three cheers to Dan Levine for setting such a good example for all of whose who truly care about the future of American democracy, the never-ending fight for justice for all. And three cheers for his daughter Karen Levine Egee for carrying on her father’s fight. Let us all follow their example, ever mindful of the words of John Lewis: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.”

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old columns at dtread575@aol.com.