I often ask myself what Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and others known and unknown who fought to end injustice in this country, would think about the progress we’ve made. Would they look at Barack Obama and marvel at how far we’ve come, or would they look at the death of Eric Garner and other black men and be saddened by how far we have yet to go? Will they look at me, a product of a woman who was able to integrate Winthrop because of the desegregation laws they fought for and be proud, or would they say those same laws led to the destruction of a strong sense of black community?
These are the questions I ask myself daily, but what I am sure about is that I AM a part of the American Dream King spoke about and although it hasn’t been fully realized, I’m thankful for him and others who fought the fight and I pledge that I will continue to honor their contribution by working to end injustice.
I AM THE AMERICAN DREAM.