"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." Dr. King
My favorite portion of the panel discussion was when Albert Jones of the Diversity Times recalled some of Dr. King's speech and how it has been relevant, especially in the fight for Civil Rights, since the first African American produced paper in 1827.
One of my pet peeves is the double-standard that always tends to arise when dealing with race, sexuality, gender, or religion. Example- I've always been bothered by how it seems to be okay for African American comedians and actors to joke about Caucasion Americans, but do it in the same format the other way around and you're labeled racist. In my opinion, which seemed to have been shared by Mr. Jones and Dr. King, if people would just let go of the race issue it wouldn't be an issue any longer!
I don't want to say more on the matter because I fear it would be miscontrued, but I would like to say that there is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage and celebrating it, and that it is important to remember our ancestors- all their struggles included. But when remembering the struggles begins to hold us back, or prevents us from moving forward I think it is time to let go. Afterall, things that happen in the past so we can learn from them, grow, and move on.
Dr. King dreamt that race wouldn't be an issue in 1963. 46 years later don't you think it is time to realize that dream?
Horse Country
7 years ago
5 comments:
I also thought Albert Jones information about the history of African-American press and its founding. To be at Dr. King's "Dream" speech for an African-American would have been inspiring to say the least. Your opinions on modern comedians ring true as well. Why do these double-standards exist? I saw it in a much different realm myself, you will have to ask me about it sometime.
To me the whole discussion of 'letting go' is a lot like driving. When I first started to learn to drive I was a little mirror crazy. When my parents were in the car it was even worse. Every few seconds my dad would ask me if I had checked the mirrors. It made me a little paranoid and sometimes distracted me from paying attention to the cars that were in front of me.
I'm not advocating the removal of mirrors in our cars. They definitely are needed- but only in that they help guide us in our decisions as we continue to drive forward.
The point is that whether or not we like it we are constantly going in to the future. So we have to maintain a good balance of self reflection and being aware of the world around us as we all get ready for tomorrow.
As for the panel's discussion, I thought it was very well done. In the past I never really thought about how Dr. King's "dream" applied to me. But, now I'm starting to understand what you pointed out- it's not about race (entirely). It's more about ending the mistreatment of others and the need for mutual respect.
So, I agree we need to just let go of the baggage. And maybe rather than focusing too much on the car wrecks behind us we should start talking about how we can avoid similar tragedies in the future.
Dr. King is a great example of someone who did just that. His contribution significantly changed the world and moved us forward toward a better way. What a great life to celebrate.
I completely agree! I am all about not letting others determine your life, and I think some people have a problem when it comes to others labeling them and then having it become a self fulfilling prophecy. We have complete control of the things we want to do and the people we want to be. No one should let a stereotype be an excuse for anything.
I thought the panel was so fascinating! I thought what David Smith said was interesting, how the first amendment applies to the "I have a dream" speech. We as Americans have the right to say, and do whatever we want to do, as long as we declare our actions as being "a freedom of speech" MLK took a stand, and spoke his thoughts and feelings. It has taught me in my life that I do not need to be afraid of what people think of me, and of what I do. I just need to know that I stood up for myself, and that I have the right to stand up for myself according to the first amendment.
A cultural double standard certainly doesn't make it right. You claim that "it's okay for an African-American to make a joke about a caucasian..." I would argue that while it might be more culturally accepted, it's not necessarily morally or ethically right. I think that comedy plays an interesting role in our society. We readily laugh at taboos and things that we're not always comfortable talking about, but maybe that's just a way to bridge into more meaningful conversation...
Post a Comment