Almost 41 years since his death and 26 years observing his birthday as a National Holiday, today's event revitalizes the "dream" in which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about in his most famous 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, in his March on Washington.
Today marks the culmination of events leading to the election of the 44th President of the United States--from the arrival of slave ships to North America [1619] to Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation [1862] to the Voting Rights Act of 1965--President Barack H. Obama. The significance of today's ceremony, is not so much about the man for which we voted into office, but rather the symbol for which this man stands for. He stands for progression, freedom, intelligence (as opposed to ignorance), a "dream" fulfilled (somewhat), a "united people", the United States of America. The fact is, he stands for the martyrs, the Kings, the Xs, the Garveys, the Parks, the Kennedys and many more. He stands for the slaves who built the White House, the Capitol building, the monuments, the institution in which exclusion was a norm for Blacks. He represents me, your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, who have seen the injustices and inequalities of the past and lived to see today. President Barack Obama gives us hope and shows our future the truth that anything and everything is attainable.
However, with any great achievement, you will have the "naysayers" that want to nitpick at the slightest or most non-relevant issues, believing that nothing has really changed. These people are the same ones, Black or White, racist or not, ignorant or intelligent, that will most likely benefit from this new administration; though they will never admit it. But part of being a truly free nation, is not only to be able to express one's interests, but also to express one's disdain. Today marks our growth as a nation, the growth of a "dream" once dreamt, in which all people were equal, in which we all had a voice, in which we all expressed our own ideas or rather dreams; a nation of individuals united for a common purpose.
The quote below, from Dr. King, sums up today's events the best:
Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.
Today marks the culmination of events leading to the election of the 44th President of the United States--from the arrival of slave ships to North America [1619] to Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation [1862] to the Voting Rights Act of 1965--President Barack H. Obama. The significance of today's ceremony, is not so much about the man for which we voted into office, but rather the symbol for which this man stands for. He stands for progression, freedom, intelligence (as opposed to ignorance), a "dream" fulfilled (somewhat), a "united people", the United States of America. The fact is, he stands for the martyrs, the Kings, the Xs, the Garveys, the Parks, the Kennedys and many more. He stands for the slaves who built the White House, the Capitol building, the monuments, the institution in which exclusion was a norm for Blacks. He represents me, your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, who have seen the injustices and inequalities of the past and lived to see today. President Barack Obama gives us hope and shows our future the truth that anything and everything is attainable.
However, with any great achievement, you will have the "naysayers" that want to nitpick at the slightest or most non-relevant issues, believing that nothing has really changed. These people are the same ones, Black or White, racist or not, ignorant or intelligent, that will most likely benefit from this new administration; though they will never admit it. But part of being a truly free nation, is not only to be able to express one's interests, but also to express one's disdain. Today marks our growth as a nation, the growth of a "dream" once dreamt, in which all people were equal, in which we all had a voice, in which we all expressed our own ideas or rather dreams; a nation of individuals united for a common purpose.
The quote below, from Dr. King, sums up today's events the best:
Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.
3 Featurettes:
this breath taking.....words are beautiful
This is a great post bro!!! Deep & uplifting...I love it!!
It is so true, For once I can say I'm proud to be an American I can say I'm honored to have witnessed this. So many of my elders thought that they would never see this day, and for me as a 21 year old to think the same thing is unbeleiveable. President Barack Obama has changed to views of some many ppl. for the first time since 9/11 I've seen blacks, whites, asians and lations come togther, it makes me happy that this time it wasn't a tragedy that brang us together but a victory!
Post a Comment