There are many people who have advanced the Civil Rights cause and deserve respect for the difficult path they walked. Who can forget the integration of Central High and the Little Rock nine. Young people, old souls, and a lot of courage. Who doesnt remember the sight of Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the sprinters winning podium in the Olympics holding up black gloved fists to bring to public consciousness the civil rights movement. The bus boycott which began with a poor, hardworking woman refusing to get up and yield her seat to white riders. Good for you, Rosa Parks! It still breaks my heart to think of the six year old Ruby Bridges in New Orleans going to a white school under guard. The only black child in the school. As a parent, Im not sure I could have done that. It took courage and conviction. Then we have the broken hearted faces of the mourners of Medgar Evers, murdered for no cause other than seeking equality for his people. My favorite poet is Langston Hughes. He wrote of the black experience through time, but especially during the four ties and fifties. Last I would like to discuss two men. They were active at the same time. One, a man of peace; one a man of any means necessary. Although I can empathize with the anger of Malcolm X, I have always found you gain more support with reason. The violence brings a lot of attention, but not much support, and a lot of people turning away. All of this to say, Happy Birthday, Dr. king! You were a man of peace, a gifted orator, a man full of compassion for the oppression of his people. A flawed man, he was human, but one that used peaceful methods to counter a climate of hate and prejudisim. You made a lasting change.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:07:40 +0000