By

Monteque Pope-Le Beau

 

This video shows we are a long way from the dream, Dr. Martin Luther King jr. spoke  of on 28 August 1963.  In the video a man can be seen who boarded a bus in Brooklyn New York, approaching a woman of color  telling her to get  to the back of the bus. So he, a white man could have her seat. A  group of youths were taken outback by the man’s comments,  if it had not been for another woman of color the situation would have been much worse.  Is this the world Dr. Martin Luther King jr. was talk about or is this nightmarish  world one of our making?

 

Dr. Martin Luther King jr. said:

 

“I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

 

 

 

 

Even though there has been some gains in racial equality, still in this day and age the poison of racism breeds just beneath the surface. It shows its face in some of the most unlikely places. This is not something that happens in the south.This happened in Brooklyn, New York and it continues to happen all over the United States.

 

This poison needs to be eradicated because if we continue to let racism fester in the hearts of this country; this country will fall like the Roman Empire. We can not stand by as racism runs rampant in our homes, in our business, in our workplaces, on our playgrounds, in our schools and in our places of worships. If the dream Dr. Martin Luther King jr. spoke of is to be realized then we all must stand against these rancid actions and not turn a blind eye to it.

Now is when we need to put a stop to this abominable face of loathing, hate, fear and intolerance, that is if we want to live the dream.