We as Americans have an automatic patriotism when it comes to our national holidays. However, when it comes to Martin Luther King Jr. day, some, and most, Americans tend to look past the holiday like any other day.
Growing up we all learned of the events that occurred for MLK day to become a day at all. Americans have a responsibility to help make King’s dream for the nation come true even now. Abilene celebrates the day with a march dedicated to the remembrance of those who marched that day so many years before.
However, I believe wholeheartedly that we haven’t made the necessary progress regarding racism in this country. We see it on our devices and in front of us every day, and refuse to make the changes that we need to make.
We continue to discriminate against black people in our everyday life. Whether it be just walking down the street or when they get pulled over by police. While this continues, white Americans tend to sit out and don’t fight for those being discriminated against.
What would MLK say about the reaction to the killings of both Breonna Taylor or George Floyd? Would he be disappointed in our response and the lack of justice towards the accused? There is no question that our justice system continues to be broken; Like King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
While we have different challenges than what King had and wanted to fix, they all stem from his points in his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. From the disproportionate number of black people in prison to police brutality, discrimination is just as raiment now as it was then.
MLK was a preacher and believed in the word of God, it is not only our responsibility as Americans to help continue and fix his dream for this nation but it is our responsibility as Christians.
As ACU students it is our responsibility to make sure that this campus and this community is safe and welcoming to all. We have the power to change what needs to be changed through voting and advocating for what we believe in. Making sure that our diverse population on campus is seen and heard is an important step in the right direction.
As we celebrate the legacy that MLK left us, it is important that as more controversies unfold regarding modern racism we understand what MLK would have wanted us to move forward with progress, justice, and fight.
