By DeAndre Davis
Are we giving Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. credit for a work still in progress? I say yes. You say we have overcome, we have a black president ; Dr. King said judge a man by the content of his character not the color of his skin. This works two ways. President Barack Obama didn’t have the most votes because he was the best candidate ever, a lot of black people just voted solely on skin color. Dr. King said nonviolence, yet we are where we are as a people based on many of Huey Newton’s, co founder of the Black Panther’s, views as Dr. Kings . Newton believed in “self defense” against racism and police brutality . I’m not saying this is a good thing but the average white american has a certain fear or respect for the black man, nonviolence didn’t get us there. We fought for everything. Not to mention we have traded senseless violence between the races for even more senseless violence within the race .
If you ask me Dr. King is turning in his grave at the thought of ignorant black america using his great speech as the backbone of what we have become. This is not what he wanted: teens dying, strung out, not to mention racism is still just as alive now as it was then , its just hidden or suppressed now.
Of course Dr. King made a huge difference in race relations, civil rights and the overall development of the United States as a people, but I feel like all he spoke, fought and eventually died for is overshadowed my the stupidity and ignorance of our young people .
The world is in more of a disarray than it was during Dr. King’s life, the only difference is we either don’t care of act like we don’t see it. Dr. King saw it and he acted on what he saw, we need to follow his pattern and stop ACTING like that’s what we are doing.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the opinions of The New Citizens Press.
This column was printed in the February 13, 2011 – February 26, 2011 edition.
