On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I want to remind you that although we are about 50 years beyond some of the momentous activities of the Civil Rights Movement, we are still a country full of dreams. We are still a country where dreams about equality for all exist. We are still a country that works toward justice for all. We are still a country that I hope strives for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are still a country of dreamers.
Separation may no longer be divided along the color lines of our skin, but separation does exist. I therefore encourage you to break the lines you see yourself up against. I encourage you to dream of a fully just and equal country. I encourage you all to keep dreaming. In 2014, years after Martin Luther King Jr. made his evoking “I Have A Dream” speech on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, we must remind ourselves of some of MLK’s famous words. Some of his most powerful phrases that still resonate today include the following:
- “…We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”
- “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”
I therefore call upon my fellow HCBC readers to believe in their dreams and to listen to some of mine. Together, as a generation of young adults, WE are the ones who can make a change. WE are the ones full of hope, knowledge, openness and determination that can bring the change this country needs to see. I ask you to think of some dreams that you currently have and ask you to march with me toward a better America because as Dr. King once said, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
- I have a dream that one day men and women will be able to freely marry those they love no matter their sexual orientation.
- I have a dream that one day every child, no matter their economic standing, will have the opportunity to engage in equal education.
- I have a dream that one day we will love and treat our Earth and its resources with the respect they deserve.
- I have a dream that one day we will be able to be truly authentic with all those around us.
- I have a dream that one day we will be able to sleep well knowing that every citizen has had at least one meal today.
- I have a dream that one day we will consider the cultures of the world with full awareness and reject ignorance.
- I have a dream that one day resilience will overpower fear and violence.
- I have a dream that I am amongst a country of dreamers.
Photo Sources:
http://indiefixx.com/2012/01/16/occupy-the-dream/
http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/martin-luther-king-i-have-a-dream-censo…