When I was a little girl, I had no idea what pains so many people had gone through to make my life fair, just, and equal in this country. All I knew is that I was being raised by parents who never taught me hate or bitterness. Race was never a factor in how I treated people but I can’t say that in some (very few) of my encounters in life, race was not a factor in how I was treated. However, I was taught NEVER to be a victim, roll with the punches and allow my experiences to make me 10 times better and treat others 10 times fairer. I am an Enigma to some people. I have friends of all races, backgrounds, religions creeds, and so on, and I always have. I never remember a time in my life that my friends all looked like me, or the truth is it took some time before as a child, with a child’s mind, I never really noticed that the color of our skin made us different. I speak of this today because of the day that we are celebrating, and I awoke with this on my mind because of the times that we live in.
Today, many of us will acknowledge and recognize that countless heroes that have come before us marched on the protests lines well before many of us were born so that we may enjoy the freedoms that we have today. One of those great individuals was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Because of Dr. King and many others that Marched beside him, and even fought for equal justice during his time, I was afforded opportunities that my parents, their parents, and even my great grand-parents, who were one step out of slavery were not afforded. Because of Dr. Martin Luther King, many of us who are different races or support different political parties are friends, neighbors, in-laws, and even family to one another. Our children are friends. They hang out together, the listen to the same music. They do the same dances. They use the same slang, and they fight the same “Isms” that make us all so uncomfortable when we experience them.
I am writing this today to remind each of us what being an American or even a citizen of the world is all about. We cannot deny that we are living in a time of divisiveness and for most generations to include Xers through Millennials this is a strange place for us to be. However, the truth is we know history and we can all make the conscious decision to learn from the mistakes that were made, and the good that has taken place as well. We can all decide to treat each other fairly and just, and not blame an entire group, religion, sex, race or culture of people for what a few idiots do. It is on days like this that we must remember the harm that can be caused by hate, the terrible world tragedies that have taken place, the injustices and the harms that have happened to people of all races and vow that we will never return there and fix the issues that still linger… the issues that allowed this virus of divisiveness to seep back into the hearts of so many in our country.
It is my hope that this world will continue to acknowledge the injustices of slavery, the Holocaust, the internment camps, Apartheid, the slaughter of the Native Americans, the denial of the right to vote, and never return to that. However we must not ignore the new demons that have popped their heads up such as the separation of children from their families and being placed in cages, sex trafficking, excessive gun violence, the crack cocaine crisis, and the opiod crisis- to name a few. We as a Nation still have things to fix, but if we look to leaders of our past such as Dr. King, and many of our leaders from various political parties, one lesson we can learn is that violence and hate solves nothing. We solve issues by utilizing our rights that living in a Democracy has afforded us.
We can’t be complicit if an issue does not affect us, our lives, or our children, but we must be our brother’s (Sister’s) keeper. I live my life very aware that while I may have been afforded better opportunities, and while I may have made better choices than some… I am not better or less than anyone. We are all equal in God’s eyes and it is our job to continue the work of those that have come before us and strive for our equality to be something that we all live every day. No matter what race, religion, sex, culture, or gender you are, or what you look like, injustice will find you, but if your brothers and sisters are behind you, then your rights… you human rights will be preserved.
So I end this by saying, if you find yourself faced with any of the “ISMs” insults or acts of violence that have seeped into our daily lives over the past few years in our country, then ask yourself… “What would be the “RIGHT” thing to do. I ask myself “What would Jesus do?” or “How would Jesus feel about this?” and then I have peace… and then I know what to do and how to feel.
Happy MLK Day everyone, because believe it or not, his work made this country better for all of us. As Americans, we live in an Amazing Country and contrary to popular belief, we DON’T need to make it GREAT AGAIN… We need to continue to make it GREATER! So do your part appreciate the lives we have, and continue to protect the “RIGHTS” we have been afforded!
P.S.: I truly believe that in life we need to discover who we are, accept others for who they are, and use the gifts that God gave us to make the world a better place!
Be Blessed,
