On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I would like to put something out there. Every year, there are posts noting parts of the well-known saying by Dr. King during his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. You may recognize those parts. It focuses on "...the content of their character."
However, around that statement are so many others, fully harmonizing the sentiment that many attending that historical day shared: racism inhibits the American dream and it doesn't have to be this way.
In Dr. King's Words:
"So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today."
I thought it important to share this. Maybe by recognizing the reason for that line and for MLK's presence in Washington, D.C. that day we can have a honest conversation about equality and diversity. Maybe it's just wishful thinking. Doesn't hurt to be curious.
Take Care.
Eutoka
Banner photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C. delivering the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. Photo and speech text retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety