January 15, 2006

Martin Luther King Jr. 2006

I reread last year's blog about Martin Luther King. It still stands true. But I have come to realize that Martin Luther King was only at the head of a great movement. He put a face to ideals that a lot of people put their lives on the line for and, in some cases, died for.

Up until I heard a National Public Radio (NPR) presentation last week, I had only minimal knowledge of the 1961 Freedom Riders. For those who haven't heard of that group, they were a mixed racial group that rode busses into the Deep South to protest segregation (segregation had just been declared unconstitutional for interstate travel by the U.S. Supreme Court). The trips started in Washington D.C. and were to end in New Orleans LA.

The whites would ride in the back and the blacks would ride in the front (reverse of the law of some southern states). Some of these courageous people ended up being murdered by radical elements of all levels of some state governments (Alabama was known to be the worst). The group never made it through Alabama. Busses were firebombed, people were gravely beaten and many more people arrested.

When I read the history of that group, along with MLK Jr., Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy, and many, many others (too numerous to mention), I realize that how much a lot of people have given in the fight against racism, yet how prevalent racism STILL is in all societies today. I am astounded at how deeply rooted it can be. But the problem is that it is coming from all directions. Some people feel that it is just white on black. Others feel that the African-Americans have been given so much and then ask what it is that those people really want. Still others don't see a problem at all. All three sides miss the point. This is a fight that will never end. I'm not sure that there is a solution, since this problem is programmed into our beings at a very fundamental level. I have my idea of what utopia would be (everyone living together and getting along). But no society has achieved that. People tend to look down on people who are different (Sunnis and Shiites, White and Black, etc.). But I will still fight for that belief as long as I draw breath.

Take a small amount of time on Martin Luther King day (and every day after that) and do two things:
1. Pray a heartfelt prayer that you never fall into the ignorant trap of clumping people into stereotypical groups based on race, religion, creed, sexual preference, political affiliation or any other group that really doesn't matter.
2. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and smile at people and offer them a good morning. If you try this, you will receive a blessing beyond belief. In Philly, I have seen so many facades shatter when I do this. People have smiled and talked with me after I have done that. They lose the Philly attitude almost immediately.