To Be A Part of His Dream

After surviving slavery, African-Americans had a new found sense of hope. They were optimistic for their future, they'd yearned so long to be free in the "land of the free". With that independence, they concocted and passed down pipe dreams of success obtained by hard work and grit. Almost 100 years later they were still being brutally murdered, oppressed by racism, disenfranchisement, Jim Crow laws and many other socioeconomic inequalities, the black community was fed up.

It was officially time to fight the great fight, at the time many had just witnessed their loved ones fight, in the Vietnam war, for a country that only fought against them. They knew the stakes were high and that there would be no mercy for their kind, but they were destined to win after all, they had some of the best leaders in history, one being, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was a church boy from Montgomery, Alabama whose tactic to end racism was to use peace to win the hearts and respect of white Americans. Dr. King led peaceful protests, sit-ins and even boycotts. The bus boycott King and other activists organized lasted 381 days and was the result of ending segregation of public buses.

King was well-known for his attributes during the civil rights movement but he was notorious for his "I Have A Dream" speech of 1963. In this speech Dr. King passionately and humbly touched the hearts of millions. The speech was 16 minutes long full of his aspirations for the future of America. He had quite a few dreams that day, mostly dreams that racist America would learn to sympathize, to see that we are no different from them and in turn are worthy of their respect. He dreamt they'd understand that we weren't animals but human and that they were obligated to give us proper respect. The entire speech was very moving but the part that impacted me most was "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."

This passage spoke to me greatly because of it's selflessness and compassion. King knew that it was unlikely that he'd see the future that he dreamed of: however, he persisted in hopes that one day there would be a generation that would benefit from the fruits of his labor. It made me sympathetic to the generations before me and grateful for the strides that were taken for the betterment of my generation and those to come.

Inspired by the powerful words of Dr. King I vowed to be the part of his dream he'd hope to see. I vowed to carry myself with grace and dignity, forcing intolerant people to value my character, not to appease them but to astonish them. Much like Dr. King, I vow to dedicate my life's work and knowledge to be the change that will head progression for future generations. To me Dr. King is more than just a church boy from Alabama with a famous speech and noble peace prize, he is the blueprint for my future.