The Year is 2022 and African Americans are Still in War Fighting for Their Civil Rights

Growing up having a father and grandparents who were born in Alabama, I would hear stories about life in the South. It was always surprising to me, that none of them ever wanted to return to Alabama to live. Yet, here I am Detroit born, raised and I absolutely love the South, mainly for the weather and my family. However, for those individuals who grew up in the 1930s, like my grandparents, it was a lived experienced and a memory in time that kept them from ever wanting to return.

It's been nearly 70 years since the Civil Rights Movement first started, yet, it seems as though our Black Leaders of that era, died in vain. We all know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was a key figure in the American Civil Rights movement and he was instrumental in various strikes, boycotts and the March on Washington. On Monday, January 17, 2022, the entire United States will take the day to observe Dr. King's birthday. It is a time to reflect and review, where we have been and where we stand today!

As a 34-year-old, educated, black man and father, it's disheartening that even still, we are in a war fighting for our Civil Rights. Grateful, I am for what the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement accomplished during their time. If it were not for them fighting and sacrificing their time, money and even their lives, who knows what kind of life, we as African Americans would have! Yet, I can imagine because, in the year 2022, we are still in a war fighting for our Civil Rights here in America.

Since the 1950s and 1960s, some things have changed for the better but the fight must continue. We are still dealing with a racist America, that doesn't acknowledge it's wrongdoing. It's time that America and Americans face the truth of our past history starting with slavery and take accountability of the devastation that it caused in the lives of African Americans across this country.

Even today, we still have senseless killings of unarmed black men, women and children that has grown at an alarming rate in recent years. Being Black in America, it's like no other. It's a life that can consist of worry, wondering if you'll live to see another day or make it home from work or school. It can be a life of constantly proving to the world that you matter. At the end of the day, no one deserves to be shot and killed for absolutely no reason. Believe it or not, Blacks/African Americans are human just like any other race. We want the basic necessities of life just like anyone else. We desire to be loved, to enjoy our family, to be successful and to be valued for all of our efforts and contributions to society.

Yes, we are impactful and, in our efforts, we must seek to have change. As we celebrate this holiday and recognize Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we must continue the fight and it starts with changing the policies, procedures and laws that are in place to hinder our communities. We must encourage the next generations to become lawyers, judges, policymakers and politicians.