Imagine finding out that your relative was assassinated… for using a restroom that was designated for white people only. Or maybe just for being born to a certain ethnicity in Rwanda. These were realities faced by African Americans and Africans alike in a time where racism and hate were the ruling order. In honor of Martin Luther King Day last week, ARS hosted a video conference featuring Zachary Miller, American independent filmmaker and Co-Chair of Democrats Abroad France’s Minority Caucus and audience from U.S. Embassy Kigali, Rwanda. As a child, the assassination of his relative, Sammy Younge, Jr. in Tuskegee, Alabama for using a white restroom was an influence in Zachary Miller’s later work for civil rights and civil liberties. In a live debate with civil society representatives from Kigali, Miller described the depths of the struggles that occurred before Dr. King’s famous sit-ins, marches, and speeches. He highlighted the racial tensions present in the South and the way Dr. King’s example inspired not only the black population but white Americans, as well. Along with Miller and Rwandans, we too remember those who worked to break down barriers of inequality and push for the desegregation of public facilities. Read more about Sammy Youngr, Jr. here: goo.gl/HlwAjW
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 13:21:03 +0000
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