At this time every year the world is reminded of the great works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His magnum opus, “I Have A Dream” will play this weekend, annual parades will commence on Monday morning down various King Boulevards across the nation, and Black folks will be rocking an array of Martin, Malcolm, Marcus shirts this weekend.
Remembering Dr. King has become an American tradition, and to keep it fresh, I’ve decided not to replay the classic speeches but rather, replay one created by my favorite cartoonist, Aaron McGruder. This speech is a prediction of what Dr. King would say if he saw Black people in 2006:
In light of this video I ask, how far have we come since then? Have we moved past such outrageous behavior in our post-Obama society? Has media programming for our community improved in these last 5 years?
Though we have a long way to go, I think we have. Although this video caused me to laugh at first, it also caused me to reflect and I believe it’s had a similar effect on many of us. In order to truly improve our condition we have to take responsbility for upholding the strides our ancestors made for us. Nobody else can or will take the reigns on the issues that affect our community. We also cannot wait for another leader like Dr. King to come along and save us – we have to be proactive in saving ourselves to ensure the best possible future for the next generation.
So, my people, as you go about you day doing the things you want to do, remember once upon a time you weren’t allowed to . Although we can’t dwell in that past, we can give thanks that the past happened to provide us with a brighter future. Take a moment and stand in gratitude for the sacrifices of Dr. King and all of our ancestors that paved the way to the freedoms we have today.