Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. He fought for the people and fought with knowledge.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist and a Baptist minister who played a huge role in the American civil rights movement. During the movement Dr. King fought against black segregation and white supremacy. He and many others fought with nonviolence and sought equality and rights for all Americans.
The Montgomery bus boycott played a huge role in starting Dr. King’s path in the civil rights movement. The Montgomery bus boycott began after local woman of color, Rosa Parks, chose not to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. This incredible stand by Rosa Parks inspired a boycott against the town buses. This event was meant to speak against white supremacy and segregation. As the boycott began, people chose young reverend Dr. King as the official protest leader and spokesman. The boycott lasted over a year in 1955 and didn’t end until the case went to the United States supreme court. The supreme court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional.
Later in 1957 Dr. King and several other ministers founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which was a group dedicated to equality through nonviolence protests (The March). It was their mission to do no harm while protesting for human rights. King was the president of the organization which led him to travel and give speeches on American civil rights.
Years later after moving to Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. King and a group of activists worked on organizing a freedom march . This became known as the March on Washington. The march was designed to shed light on the political injustices that Black Americans continued to face across the country. The protest occurred on August 28, 1963 where over 300,000 Americans participated to spread awareness and insight change (The March). This march is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech (The March). Today the March on Washington is still one of the largest civil rights rallies in the history of America (Martin Luther). The March on Washington became a huge turning point for the American civil rights movement.
Today human rights and equality is still an issue that Americans are dealing with. There are still many disparities in certain racial groups and social classes. It is important to recognize that there is still a long way to go before all Americans are treated equally. This is why it is especially essential to spread awareness and continue to speak out against injustices.
The live event “Why We Can’t Wait, premiere of the short film about Dr. King’s book, followed by live panel discussion with your questions”, discusses Dr. King’s vision and America’s need for equality through change. The event is hosted and discussed by members of the Southern Oregon community. During the event, the community of Southern Oregon considers Dr. King’s ideas as well as their importance in today’s society.
Currently we still see issues with equality and human rights in American society that were prevalent over 50 years ago. Dr. Ceneva Craig discusses these concepts on “Why We Can’t Wait” (Why We Can’t Wait). Dr. Craig deliberates on what it was like to live during segregation in the 1950’s. She speaks on white privilege and black segregation by mentioning the differences between white and color water fountains in town where she grew up. Dr. Craig goes on to say, “we have got to continue to encourage one another to become conscientious” in order to spread awareness of necessary change (Why We Can’t Wait).
Dr. Sabre Patton-Fee also discusses similar issues by examining problems seen in black communities today. These problems include inadequate education in low income public schools as well as food deserts in black communities (Why We Can’t Wait). Dr. Patton-Fee stresses the fact that black students aren’t receiving a well-rounded education and many of them don’t graduate high school (Why We Can’t Wait). This is partially due to food deserts in black communities where there is little or no access to healthy food.
Dr. Patton-Fee goes on to discuss her own experience in public school as a woman of color. “As black students we have no place there” says Dr. Sabre Patton-Fee as she discusses being in college (Why We Can’t Wait). She discusses feeling worthless and “deviant” in school with these feelings coming from the attitudes and the behaviors of others around her (Why We Can’t Wait).
The Southern Oregon event “Why We Can’t Wait, premiere of the short film about Dr. King’s book, followed by live panel discussion with your questions”, reminds the community to stay aware of human rights. Social activists and other members of the Southern Oregon community remind us to continue to fight for black rights. Today and in the future it is our responsibility to enforce and support change in American society. Hopefully someday there will be equality in the United States.
Works Cited
“The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/civil-rights-movement/a/the-march-on-washington-for-jobs-and-freedom.
“Martin Luther King, Jr.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr.
“Why We Can’t Wait.” Facebook Watch, fb.watch/38tWlhsbpS/.
