Church bells will ring across the nation. Thousands of people will gather in parks and in churches and others will jam sidewalks to watch parades. It will be a day to rejoice, to remember, to look to the future and to hope. It will be a day to look at the past and the present and see how far we have come and how far we still must go. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. His magnificent speaking ability enabled him to effectively express the demands of black Americans for social justice. On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. King led the “March on Washington.” This march has been considered the greatest demonstration for freedom in this nation…a march which expressed a strong plea for racial equality and justice for all men. .:read more:.

Dr. King knew that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were promissory notes to which every American, regardless of descent, fell an heir. These great documents promised that all men, black men as well as white men, were guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, Dr. King had a dream, a dream that will allow freedom for everyone … truly.

Dr. King had a strong desire for black children and white children to play together as well as receive quality education together. Dr. King wanted equality among the races. Is his dream a reality? I ponder this question as I walk daily. Yes, I attend school with white children. Yes, we sit in the same classrooms, eat at the same tables for lunch, we attend the same ballgames and so on, but freedom is more than that. We are not treated equally in the classroom. I work hard and make good grades, but I find myself on a daily basis having to stand up and fight for my rights, the rights guaranteed to me by the Constitution. I even find myself fighting and standing up for my existence.

If I, an African American female, and a white American female apply for a job, and both have the same qualifications and educational degrees, who would get the job? Seventy-five percent of the time, it would not be me. We are still judged by the color of our skin and not by the content of our character.

In the “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King states, “We must always march ahead, we can’t turn back.” Are we turning back today? Are we still fighting for equality? Dr. King fought nonviolently, for all of God’s children. I believe that all people, black, white, Native American, Hispanic must continue to fight for equality and freedom. Will the generations 43 years from now still be struggling to fulfill Dr. King’s dream? From a Birmingham jail, Dr. King wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” We all have a responsibility to keep Dr. King’s dream alive. Don’t let another 43 years pass without taking a solid stand for equality for all.

Dr. King said “I feel the need for being free now.” I feel like Dr. King was tired of black people being last. Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we can’t expect others to help us we must help ourselves. True freedom is not free, it must be worked for. It is not easy, but nothing worth having ever is. Dr. King knew the importance of school, church, and voting. And he stood for what he believed – school, because he had a dream. He said, “I have a dream 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.” Dr. Martin Luther King saw a need for church because he knew it was the strong foundation of the black community and Dr. King realized that with God all things are possible. Even in America. Dr. King also saw the need to vote. If we are to change the way we are treated we must vote. If we vote, we would be respected politically and we would have a voice in America.

So as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. let us remember where his march really started from. It didn’t start from Selma to Montgomery. It started with Jesus and Jesus said, “This commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Dr. King’s dream was that one day black boys and white boys, black girls and while girls would simply love one another. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. True freedom does not come from marching but from love for one another. So until we learn to love one another we will never truly be free.

Although I never had a chance to listen and experience his words first hand, I can still read them through abundant amounts of modern literature. Dr. King is part of the foundation of segregation. He was the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was a leader to not only his people, but to all oppressed people.

Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. King’s dream is remembered. As we celebrate his 77th birthday let us strive to make it a reality.


Jya

center stage magazine

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