As we honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his
birthday, let’s examine the progress that’s been made since the Civil Rights
Movement he led during the 1960s.
Gains made by African-Americans can clearly be seen in the
commercial success and notoriety of black entertainers and athletes. They are immensely popular, earn millions of
dollars and are global icons. And, of
course the historic re-election of Barack Obama as president of the United
States could be considered the culmination of all that Dr. King stood for. These are things that African-Americans and
really all Americans can look to with pride at the strides we’ve made as a
nation.
When we look beneath the surface however, its another matter
entirely. Segregated schools; the cause
of much heated debate and bloodshed during the 1960s are now back in
vogue. Education budgets are being
slashed nationwide to fund unprecedented prison construction and
mass-incarceration.
The result being, uneducated kids who will become targets to
fill these new prisons as inmates.
Cornell West, the noted scholar and author said, “if young white people
were incarcerated at the same rate as young black people, the issue would be a
national emergency.”
African-Americans, while comprising only 19% of the U.S.
populace, make up nearly 58% of the prison population. The percentage of black men imprisoned in
America is higher than in South Africa during Apartheid. The black family has been disintegrated in
the process and a strong family is essential to solid communities; the backbone
of every nation.
The full picture is as that of an apple that is lovely on
the outside, but rotten to the core on the inside. I think is would break Dr. King’s heart. He once said, “The Negro was willing to risk
martyrdom in order to move and stir the social conscience of his community and
the nation…”
That social consciousness is absent now, at a time when it
is so desperately needed. We honor Dr.
King by channeling his spirit, his energy, his passion; his courage; his
outrage – or we do his memory a disservice.
Let us celebrate the monumental achievements, but we must rediscover our
outrage where it is needed.
Mr. Blue
Copyright © 2013 by Paul Brown
No comments:
Post a Comment