I have learned about the Civil Rights movement since I was in
elementary school. However, it was not until high school, that I began to
(academically) be told the truth. Thankfully, I was raised by parents who made
the knowledge of the history of my ancestors, essential. Too often, throughout
high school, I encountered ignorance and ignorant comments, made by my fellow
white classmates. It was aggravating and beyond frustrating. However, this
ignorance was nothing compared to the strife which Black people endured times
of legal segregation. When I hear and learn about people such as Medgar Evers,
I become enraged when I can see direct parallels of society and racism then,
and society and racism today. Perhaps the scariest part of it all, is the fact
that no longer, is racism legal. Instead, racism has evolved into hidden
systemic macroaggression. With ideas such as police brutality, section 8.0
housing, etc… it is infuriating to understand and come to the realization that
White America is not for the betterment and progression of Black people. To
clarify, this is no surprise to me. Rather, it is disappointing when Black
people have to be reminded of this fact, each time a Black body gets gunned
down. Upon my own studies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I cannot help but
marvel at his ability to preach and practice nonviolence. Not once during his
campaign, did he fail his mission statement. The amounts of times he was sent
to prison, and the assassination attempts on him and his family, is enough to
make me wonder if I would be able to resist the urge to violently retaliate,
had I been a student during this time period. King stated, “...in spite of the
darkness...we must not despair...We must not become bitter...nor must we harbor
the desire to retaliate with violence…”[1]
I find these words, though filled with harmony and patience, difficult to
sympathize with. I feel as though, it would have been more difficult to try and
create peace with a people who were so against me. He also said, “Men are not
easily moved from their mental ruts or purged of their prejudiced and
irrational feelings.”[2]
This is where my genuine respect for King comes into play. It takes quite a
man, quite a Black man, to admit to the flaws of humanity. It takes quite a man
to admit that the urge to bite back is a flaw, rather than acceptable.
Influenced by Gandhi, King’s
willpower to remain nonviolent is truly inspirational. In a collection of his
speeches and writings, he writes, “I came to see for the first time that the
Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian ethos of nonviolence
was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their
struggle for freedom.”[3]
To King, love was the only weapon that Black people needed, in order to gain
civil freedom. What better way to express love, than to be nonviolent in the
face of violence? For this mentality, a multitude of King’s followers were
church goers (beyond the obvious fact that he was a preacher). However, a
majority of Black youth during this time, was consumed in the idea of fighting
back, and claiming what they deserved. King agreed that freedom was a much
deserved thing for Black people, but he believed that taking violent measures
to gain it was counterproductive.
It is simple for me to make the
statement with confidence today, that at the time, I would have marched right
next to King, in hopes to pursue nonviolent liberty. However, I believe that I
would be kidding myself. Placing myself in the shoes of those who lost loved
ones to White racists for the simple crime of being Black, I realize that it is
more likely that I would have taken violent steps towards freedom, should they
be required.
[1] (DrMartinLutherKingJr.com,
Eulogy For The Young Victims Of The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing,
2018)
[2] (Martin Luther King, James M. Washington, A Testament of Hope: the Essential Writings of Martin Luther
King, Jr., 1991, pg. 60)
[3] (Martin Luther King, James M. washington, A Testament of Hope: the Essential Writings of Martin Luther
King, Jr., 1991, pg. 59)
I agree. Kings patience with things of violence amazed me. If i were to put myself in that environment i surely would have retaliated. I angers me that many people cannot or will not face the face racism is real and is happening everyday. Also, people will not understand that being a black person, let alone a black male, that you have to work 10x as hard to achieve the same goals as a white person. The opression black people faced during the 1950's and 60's would be unbarable in today's time. So when you learn that Martin Luther King took a hard stand as a nonviolent leader in the black community at that time. you have nothing but praise for him because i know it must have been awfully hard.
ReplyDeleteAs amazing of a historical figure as he was, one that us as black people can claim for ourselves and associate with and look up to, we can't ignore some key shortcomings. Just like we cannot overlook George Washington's slave ownership, or Trump's racism, we cannot overlook King's sexism and infidelity. He preached a good sermon but especially when considering King as a pious man and a preacher, it is wrong to overlook his impiety and his unequal treatment of women.
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