Although this past Friday, the 15th, was Martin Luther King's birthday, we celebrate it today. A brilliant man, a brilliant life taken away too soon. Below are just a few of the lines from his famous speech, "I Have A 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 have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."
"This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."
"Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."
"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
I often wonder, has this country changed? Are people still judged by the color of their skin? As we celebrate the birthday of this amazing individual who stood up for what he believed, my "hope" is that some day we can all live in this world as ONE!
Beautiful post :) I believe in my heart that we have come so far...but yet I believe we still have so far to go...but one day...I hope in my own time to truly see his dream realized for everyone of us. Besos, Rose
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post Sue. I like to think one day we will live as one. We're not there yet but we will be. Makes me think of the womens' movement. "We've come a long way baby!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. I would love to believe that this country has come a long way.. but by no means are at the promised land yet. I pray that we get there.
ReplyDeleteThank you,Sue for the reminders, for the questions and for the hope!
ReplyDeleteYes this is a beautiful post. Your posts always are so heartfelt... you always make me think. Here in the red hills of Georgia, So much has changed, yet the ignorant remain ignorant. I do hold on to hope though. Just a few miles from my home there is an old plantation house, and across the road is the old slave quarters. A sad reminder.
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