Peace Bubbles in The Air (Honoring Melvin Giles)

For the Love of Melvin Giles (1959-2025)

Bubbles, not bullets, I believe
To be the change you want to see
Time is now for hate to cease
Create spaces of peace, today

Melvin Giles was the Johnny Appleseed of Peace in Minnesota. We had known each other through several decades of community organizing and singing, but really didn’t get to know Melvin Giles well until 2014. He was selected to be one of three honorees through my ‘Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song’ program at Open World Learning Community in St. Paul. For one hour Melvin shared his life story with the students at the schoool, followed by a question and answer period. Afterwhich we collectively wrote him a song entitled “Peace Bubbles In The Air”.

Melvin was a living example of these words of Mahatma Ghandhi, “”Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Melvin conquered fear through prayer and blowing Peace Bubbles. “Bubbles, not bullets.” He would say. Whenever there was tension in the room Melvin would stand up and blow bubbles. Immediately the stress would subside. Folks would start to laugh and begin to listen to each other, instead of fighting.

“I try to live the four agreements of being truthful with my word; not taking things personal; not making no assumptions and just doing the best I can.” Melvin spoke.

He had a tough childhood. Melvin’s family moved from Mississippi as part of the African American Great Migration north. They barely had a pot to pee in, because the bathrooms along the roadside were for ‘Whites Only’. As a teenager, “We would get stopped a lot by cops. We get guns put in our face. I have a brother who wears dreadlocks. I felt my brother’s gonna be killed for just being black.“

As Melvin shared, “Sometimes we need be energized by anger but yet be kind and motivated by love. Only love can transform things for the better.”

Melvin was a founding member of the ‘Peaceful Love Warriors’. In response to the Ku Klux Klan being allowed to rally at the St. Paul State Capitol he helped organize a festival against racism and hatred on that very same day with a large community coalition of volunteers, which involved gang members and the St. Paul Police working side by side for the common good.

Melvin Giles was a bridge builder and bridge builders get stepped by both sides.

For twenty-nine years Melvin Giles organized the annual Community Peace Celebration in St. Paul.

“I think the biggest difference we all can make is just being who we are and kind of like letting our inner light shine.” Giles spoke. “Surround yourself with people who can help you and you can help them. You don’t have to try to take care of a whole big thing. All you got to do is just one little, small thing and it is kind of like one of those snowballs. Once it gets going it just grows and grows and grows. You know, I like to say keep it simple sisters and brothers. See where it goes.”

Where did it go? It went a long way because of Melvin Giles. He was the real deal. Melvin walked his talk and now it’s up to each of us to keep his dream for a more peaceful and just world alive.

As the chorus to his song sings:

I’m forever blowing bubbles
Peace bubbles in the air

By Larry Long | July 7, 2025

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