Today we celebrate not mourn Martin Luther King, Jr. I said celebrate! For because of him, we all can dream. I've included a couple of excerpts from his famous speech:
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 was a young child when this speech was given and lived in a small rural town. It wasn't that my parents were prejudice. It was just the fact that certain races only lived in certain parts of the city so we didn't ever have contact. But then my father moved us to Jamaica while he was working on a construction job. Moving to an unknown country with a different culture, different lifestyle, government, people.... We lived in the middle of a small city called Mandeville. My sister and I attended the catholic jamaican school...we weren't catholic. There was a local church of which many of the Americans attended but NO....my parents were faithful to their religion and found a church of our faith...where we were the only white family. I remember walking into that church for the first time....dirt floors and stares at us. But we were welcomed with open arms...I loved that church! I made so many friends at school and even ran track...placed 3rd in a race once!!
Imagine my surprise when letters began arriving to me from friends in the states about my hometown schools integrating....I laughed. They spoke of problems and fights. I had none here. As much as I hated my dad for taking me away from my friends at that time if my life, I am so thankful for it today. I experienced what is was like to be new to a school and country so when I returned, I jumped right in making friends. There were a couple of the african american girls who didn't like me...I guess cos I was talking to the guys. But a couple of the other girls stepped up and took up for me and that was that.
When I was in my last semester of college and having to take a speech class, I used King's speech to talk about reaching dreams and goals. My dream and goal was to graduate college and to be the first in my entire family to do so....I did it. So many take for granted things handed to us. I think you appreciate it more when you have to work for it. I think King wanted the african american people to DREAM so they could work for it.
A dream is a dream until you put it into motion....
What dream do you have that you are waiting on?
6 comments:
Tex, another great post. I'm glad my pep talk last night got you on here! Tex, I'm living my dream: Wonderful wife, 3 great children, and a job that allows me to spend time with them. I'm pretty much set. Oh yeah, I've gotten to be friends here lately with some pretty great people.:)
I guess if anything, I wish for my children to grow up to be good, caring people, and that they will marry people who are the same way.
Tex, congratulations on being the first in your family to graduate from college. What a wonderful achievement! Your family must have been so proud.
although I am proud of graduating actually with my B.S and my M.S....I think my childhood gave me so much more to help me in life.
Tex, what was Jamaica like? I would imagine it was kind of like being in storybook. Bet you have some great stories about your time there.
I have a years worth of stories Ted...I turned 13 over there, got my first kiss from a Rhode Island boy, first time ever to go to a all girls school, had 15 subjects for school,....but the stories are great!
I'd like to hear some of them sometime, Tex. Really.
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