Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Today we celebrate the accomplishments and bravery of Martin Luther King Jr. I’m sure you will see plenty of memes, quotes, and photos on social media sites featuring those four words from the reverend’s most famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” Did you know this speech was the greatest demonstration for freedom that America has ever seen? Dr. King’s bold nonviolent leadership in the African American Civil Rights Movement has inspired oppressed minorities across the globe to stand up for their rights everywhere.

     Democrats in Hong Kong carried out an MLK inspired civil disobedience campaign in 2013 during the Occupy Central protests for universal suffrage. In 2011, the American Islamic Congress printed 2,500 copies of a comic book titled “Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story,"which they used as a guidebook on how to protest peacefully against Egypt’s corrupt president, Hosni Mubarak, during the Egyptian Revolution in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. What MLK stood for was so important that numerous structures, streets, memorials, and plazas have been named after him, including a forest in Israel and an entire town in North Carolina. 

     The man has become an icon of faith and hope for the oppressed and his existence changed the course of history. He was one man who believed so strongly in something that he put his beliefs into action. Despite the fact that so many groups conspired against him—like the FBI, which once sent him a letter telling him to kill himself—Dr. King left a lasting impression on humanity. 

     Take a few moments to think about the rights you have now and be thankful for how far we’ve come. Then stand up for those who are stuck in minority groups still being oppressed to this day. Some people are still denied the right to get married. Women still make less money than men. Race relations are far from perfect and there are still Senators trying to make being transgender a crime. 

     This is an exciting time and we as a people should come together peacefully to fight for what we believe in. Don’t let the doom and gloom of the system prevent you from taking action. Channel your inner Martin Luther King Jr.

     As he said in his speech,

“We have come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of justice.”

     If we are supposed to stand as one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all then why are we still divided? Where is the liberty and justice for every minority group? 

     Do your part in making a difference for our generation. In the video below, Jesse talks about the importance of being proactive. Check it out. 

- By Brigida Santos -