Tiger Times
Giving a month of MemoryWednesday, March 12, 2008 By Trishia Fletcher
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never be treated as an equal,” said Martin Luther King, Jr. King had a dream that everyone would be treated as an equal. He foresaw a better future for the world, bigger than it is today. One cannot help but wonder if his dream is being reached, or if it is less of a possibility now then when he was alive. “We have come a long way, but we are still far from where I believe he wanted to be,” said Senior Emily Mehr. Discrimination has been around since the beginning of time. In 1518, King Charles I of Spain approved the slave trade. Until abolition in 1870, approximately 10 million Africans were forced from their homes and brought to America. England set up the Royal African Company in 1663, which traded slaves with the colonies. At one point in time, racial discrimination was so common that laws that were made to increase economic and political conditions were not extended to people of African-American descent, freed slave included. Hundreds of years later, discrimination is still in existence. Those being treated unfairly decided to stand up for themselves. Because of the events that took place on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was named the mother of the Civil Rights Movement. More than refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, she showed that she was human, too, and had every right to be seated there. Her courage caused a bus boycott which lasted for 381 days, which was ended when the local ordinance of segregation was lifted. Each sit-in protest and boycott encouraged blacks to keep fighting until July 2, 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed The Civil Rights Act of 1964. It declared certain acts of racial discrimination illegal. That evening, Johnson publicly declared: “We believe that all men are created equal…” Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968 for having the same beliefs that the Act had written. His death was not welcomed by many in the country and violence became widespread over more than 100 cities due to the loss. His death was the beginning of a new era of discrimination. “Since the 60’s, discrimination is targeting a wider variety of races rather than just one,” said Freshman Esteban Miranda. Looking around the world today, it is not just blacks who are being treated unfairly. King wanted for all of discrimination to cease, whether it be racial or sexist. “Now it’s sexuality or religion leading to feels of discontent or even hate,” said Junior Victoria Spencer. “While it doesn’t seem like a problem on the surface, it still undermines peoples’ thoughts and beliefs.” One does not hear of riots and violence acts caused by racial discrimination as often as was in the time of King, but it is still in existence. Sophomore Mike Prather said, “While I do think racism has improved over the years, that doesn’t mean there is not prejudice issues still around. People will always find something to discriminate against.” In the past fifty years, blacks have been given a lot more freedom. For instance, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American major league baseball player in 1947. Edward Brooke was the first African-American to be elected into the U.S. senate by popular vote in 1966. Something as insignificant as The Falcon, the first African-American comic book superhero in the Captain America books are the steps taken to reach King’s dream. “Things have has changed dramatically. Violence is not all that common anymore due to racial slurs and we actually have a black man running for President and doing well. Not long ago, that could not happen,” said Senior Toshia Gunn. The Civil Rights Act may have not made a great impact immediately, but after several decades, it has enabled things King could only dream of. America still stands by equality and has branched out to others who are discriminated against. King wanted most in life for there to be unity. There is always the possibility that King’s dream will be lived in the future |