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Sixty seconds out of one day.
Jan. 16th, 2006 02:10 pmI was coming in from doing some shopping when one of my neighbours stopped me to wish me a "Happy MLK Day". It took me several seconds to realise what he said. I was actually flustered, and surprised, and it took me a minute to gather my thoughts, but I gave him a huge smile and said, "The same to you." What's important is that I genuinely meant it. After all, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday isn't like Christmas or Thanksgiving or St. Patrick's Day. It's not something most people pay attention to beyond a day off from work. I know this, because I do it too.
When I was small, on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, they would play his speeches on television, and people would actually talk about the civil rights movements and all the strides that have been made since then.
They don't do that anymore.
People seem to think that equality has been achieved, and nothing else needs to be done, but you don't even have to scratch the surface to know that's not true. We still discriminate against each other all the time. We're condescending and rude. We call each other hurtful names. Black and white, male and female, gay or straight, we're still not equal. I don't even know if we will be in my lifetime. I can hope, because believe it or not, I always have hope -- but I'm realistic enough to know that it's not likely.
I've been around the block enough to know that strides have been made in civil rights and gender rights and the like, but they're strides, and the race is a very long one. Every day people set it back through racism and sexism and stereotyping and a million little cruelties that eat away at the progress that people have been working towards since before Brown vs. the Board of Education said segregation had to go.
What gives me hope though, is the fact that 50 years ago I wouldn't be typing this. I wouldn't have been out shopping either, because I wouldn't have had the job I have which enables me to buy things. I wouldn't have this flat, or the same mixture of friends. I wouldn't know half the people I know now. I wouldn't have had the same opportunities. Someone would've looked at me and said, "NO!", just because of where my ancestors are from, and I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing about that. Now, because of men like Martin Luther King, Jr., I have a shot. And I thank him for that. And to every person who ever second-guessed someone because they looked different, fuck you. One day you'll see how it feels, and then maybe, you'll see how wrong it is. Maybe you'll make a change.
And maybe, if everyone makes a little change, we can move forward. I think Dr. King would like that.
When I was small, on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, they would play his speeches on television, and people would actually talk about the civil rights movements and all the strides that have been made since then.
They don't do that anymore.
People seem to think that equality has been achieved, and nothing else needs to be done, but you don't even have to scratch the surface to know that's not true. We still discriminate against each other all the time. We're condescending and rude. We call each other hurtful names. Black and white, male and female, gay or straight, we're still not equal. I don't even know if we will be in my lifetime. I can hope, because believe it or not, I always have hope -- but I'm realistic enough to know that it's not likely.
I've been around the block enough to know that strides have been made in civil rights and gender rights and the like, but they're strides, and the race is a very long one. Every day people set it back through racism and sexism and stereotyping and a million little cruelties that eat away at the progress that people have been working towards since before Brown vs. the Board of Education said segregation had to go.
What gives me hope though, is the fact that 50 years ago I wouldn't be typing this. I wouldn't have been out shopping either, because I wouldn't have had the job I have which enables me to buy things. I wouldn't have this flat, or the same mixture of friends. I wouldn't know half the people I know now. I wouldn't have had the same opportunities. Someone would've looked at me and said, "NO!", just because of where my ancestors are from, and I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing about that. Now, because of men like Martin Luther King, Jr., I have a shot. And I thank him for that. And to every person who ever second-guessed someone because they looked different, fuck you. One day you'll see how it feels, and then maybe, you'll see how wrong it is. Maybe you'll make a change.
And maybe, if everyone makes a little change, we can move forward. I think Dr. King would like that.
