Remembering the Civil Rights Movement 550.1
I grew up in the Sixties and remember the tumultuous times in which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his historic mark on American society. Dr. King was always one of my heroes. So I was delighted a few years ago when I was asked to deliver an address about his legacy.
I wasn’t ready, however, for the range and depth of emotions evoked during my research. Reading old news articles and viewing black-and-white photos of the problem of racial discrimination and the struggle against it made me realize how much I had forgotten or repressed my country’s awful legacy of slavery, bigotry, and government-sanctioned segregation.
Time had dulled my memory of heart-wrenching and conscience-burning images of lynchings, murdered civil-rights workers, church bombings, cross-burnings, screaming mobs, white-hooded Ku Klux Klan members, police dogs attacking demonstrators and, of course, Dr. King’s assassination.
It’s hard to believe that just 45 years ago, Governor George Wallace of Alabama declared, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!" It’s hard to believe that just a short time ago there were neighborhoods where black people couldn’t live, hotels where they couldn’t stay, restaurants where they couldn’t eat, and drinking fountains they couldn’t use.
I hope parents and teachers will take some time on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to paint a vivid picture for children that conveys not just the facts, but the feelings of outrage and injustice that fueled Dr. King’s courageous leadership and motivated tens of thousands of people to follow him on marches, boycotts, and to sit-ins.
Without this context, one can’t truly appreciate the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s contribution to American life and the distance we’ve come because of him.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
*If you’d like to read a speech I gave in 2003 at the 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Brotherhood Breakfast sponsored by the Los Angeles YMCA, click here.
Comments
I was 17. I was finally settling into the integrated school I transferred to when the news of Dr. King's death rocked my world. I felt vulnerable. Dr. King would expose racial injustice and we could have equal rights and opportunitieis for achieving the blessings of liberty. It didn't take long to realize that Dr. King's message had gotten more positive attention from whites than had been known. Many non-blacks knew we were hurting and did not take the opportunity to add injury but rather they felt sincerely remorseful. Now what many thought to be perceived hate knew that blacks were indeed mistreated in this country for no other reason than our darker skin tone and ethnic heritage. We still await true freedom from bondages in the minds of people.
Posted by: Cheryl Lonon | January 18, 2008 8:22 PM
Shortly after Dr. King's birthday was honored as a national holiday, an African-American teacher at my school where I was serving as an assistant principal asked me to speak at her "forum" on the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I accepted and told the middle school students about my experiences growing up in an all-white farming community in Kansas and how shocked I was to travel to the South with my family as a teenager and see the effects of segregation first-hand. When I returned to my high school, my English teacher asked me to write an essay about my experiences. Although I received an "A+" on my paper, to my dismay, she wrote, "Too bad...this will never change." Well, I was determined as a young woman that I would take part in changing society's attitudes and had the opportunity to participate in civil rights activities in Kansas City in the early Sixties, especially the Fair Housing Act. The Civil Rights bill in 1964 struck down segregation and extended human rights to all citizens regardless of color, but there is still work to be done.
For the past 20 years, this courageous teacher in Sherman (TX) Independent School District is still holding "forums" to educate middle school kids about the legacy of Dr. King. She has impacted thousands of lives and has made a difference in this North Texas community to guard against hate and prejudice. Her name is Vivian Ford, Reading Teacher at Piner Middle School, Sherman, Texas. When you go to her school each January, you will see photographs posted all up and down the hall of presenters and children who have benefited from this unique forum. What a great way to help young people learn and continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Posted by: Sandra Froese | January 25, 2008 10:05 AM