IS THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY STILL WORTH IT TO BLACK AMERICA?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY - IS THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY STILL WORTH IT TO BLACK AMERICA?


RECENTLY THE NAACP TURNED 100 YRS OLD AND SOME QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF THE ORGANIZATION IN 2009, AS IF THE STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND EQUALITY HAD SOMEHOW MAGICALLY ENDED WITH THE HISTORIC ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA.

THEN WITHOUT PROVOCATION A MIND BOGGLING ARREST OF A WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST, HENRY LOUIS "SKIP" GATES JR., BY THE CAMBRIDGE POLICE IN HIS HOME, WE ARE REMINDED OF WHY WE NEED AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE EQUAL TREATMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF ALL MEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR.

THAT REASON BEING: THE RACE FOR EQUALITY IS NOT OVER IN AMERICA, IT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.


"WE SHALL OVERCOME...WE SHALL OVERCOME!!"

ECHOS OF THE OLD NEGRO SPIRITUAL BEING SUNG AS AMERICANS OF ALL RACES JOINED TOGETHER IN 1963 TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON WITH THE GREAT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., REMINDS THE WORLD OF A TIME NOT TOO LONG AGO, WHEN THE COLOR OF A MAN'S SKIN SPOKE LOUDER THAN ANY WORD HE COULD EVER UTTER FROM HIS MOUTH IN AMERICA.

BUT LOOKING BACK AT THE BRIEF 46 YEAR HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY SINCE THE DAYS OF JIM CROW SEGREGATION AND RACIAL OPPRESSION, NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD ARGUE THAT THINGS ARE NOT BETTER THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN FOR MINORITIES IN THIS COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY BLACK PEOPLE. HOWEVER, THE REALITY OF THE FACT REMAINS, THAT AS A SOCIETY "WE" ARE FURTHER AWAY FROM EQUALITY THAN EVER BEFORE!!

IN THE WAKE OF OUR NATION'S MOST HISTORIC MOMENT SINCE LANDING ON THE MOON 40 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE FINALLY BEGUN WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTERS FOR THE NEW AMERICA IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM.


THE HISTORIC 2008 ELECTION OF THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO THE WHITE HOUSE WAS A MIGHTY FIRST STROKE BUT, THE NATION STILL TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF CHANGE AND APPEARS AFRAID TO LEAP INTO "CHANGING" WITH BOTH FEET. WITH A DEMOCRAT IN OFFICE A SHIFT TOWARDS ADDRESSING DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES HAVE BEEN THRUST TO THE MEDIA FOREFRONT.


AS WE TURN UP THE HEAT ON THE NATIONS' DEBATE OVER THE POOR STATE OF THE ECONOMY, HEALTHCARE AND THE TWO FRUITLESS WARS BEING WAGED AGAINST TERROR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE RACIAL HEAT IN THIS COUNTRY IS ABOUT TO REACH AN INFERNO AS WELL.

IN THE LATE-60'S THE RACIAL TENSION OF THIS COUNTRY WAS SO THICK THAT YOU COULD CUT IT WITH A KNIFE. THE SAME CAN BE SAID ABOUT THE POCKETS OF RACIAL TENSION IN 2009 THAT MANY SEE ARE BURSTING, READY TO EXPLODE. THIS YEAR WE HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT SOME WHITE PEOPLE AND BLACK PEOPLE JUST WILL NOT GET ALONG AND MOVE FORWARD.

ABOUT A MONTH AGO I TOOK MY FAMILY ON A JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST AND ON OUR ROAD TRIP THERE WE MADE STOPS IN ATLANTA, GA AND BIRMINGHAM, AL TO SOAK UP SOME OF THE RICH BLACK CULTURE OF AMERICAN HISTORY.

NATIVE TEXANS, WE HADN'T TRAVELED THAT GREAT A DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE LONE STAR STATE BEFORE BUT SOMETHING INSIDE WOULD NOT LET ME MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH MY CHILDREN A LESSON ABOUT LIFE AND COLOR IN A NOT TOO DISTANT AMERICA.

DURING OUR BRIEF STAY IN BIRMINGHAM WE HAD A UNIQUE PLEASURE TO VISIT THE CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE AND STAND ON THE STEPS OF THE 16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BEFORE WALKING THE STREETS WHERE WHEELS OF EQUALITY WERE SET INTO MOTION. IN ATLANTA WE TOURED THE MLK MEMORIAL AND VISITED THE HOME OF THE GREATEST CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER IN AMERICAN HISTORY, BEFORE FINALLY REACHING OUR DESTINATION ON THE EAST COAST.

THE EXPERIENCE WAS BOTH EYE-OPENING AND AWE-INSPIRING AND MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN FOREVER CHANGED BY THE EXPERIENCE.

I NOW REALIZE THAT THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW AND WE ARE THE CHANGERS!!

WE ARE A NATION OF DREAMERS AND WITHOUT THE HOPE OF A BRIGHTER DAY TO COME OUR MORALS AND BELIEFS WOULD CRUMB UNDER THE INTENSE SCRUTINY OF THE HOPELESS. SO WE MUST NEVER GIVE UP THE HOPE THAT ONE DAY OUR STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY IN THIS GREAT LAND OF THE FREE, WILL BE OVER AND WE WILL HAVE OVERCOME.

UNTIL THEN WE MUST BE PIONEERS AND GET OUT AND TALK ABOUT THE ILLS OF OUR SOCIETY TO BRING ABOUT THE CHANGE WE NEED TO FULFILL OUR TRUEST DESTINY.


WORD OF THE DAY - PIONEER n. ~ One who opens up new areas of thought, research, or development