The Good Reverend

Fortunately for me the industry in which I work honors the good reverend, Dr. King, by giving us the day off of work. It is for that reason that I would like to take a few minutes and reflect on how far we have come since MLK's day.

In his last really famous speech before his death, I Have Been to the Mountaintop, Dr. King asked the (paraphrased) question, "if I could ask God to take me anywhere in history, where would I go?". He listed a variety of times and places, but he ended with this:

Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, 'If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will be happy.' Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding — something is happening in our world.

Indeed, something happened and is happening in our world.

At a party over the holidays a man whom I respect very much--a man whom I admire and would like to be like--began discussing the issue of race in our society. He said a great number of things, but one thing stuck out. He said, "racism in our society is as bad as it has ever been". One of my college history professors, while we were studying America in the 19th Century and seeing how horrifically blacks were treated during that period pointedly said this: "Anyone who says 'racism now is worse than ever' has absolutely no understanding of history". With that in the back of my mind it disappointed me to hear a man I respect so much say such things.

Our society has come a long way. Are we there yet? No. Is there still racism? Yes. Is there still discrimination? Yes. It is much more subtle, but I think we all know it is there. However, we have come a long way. As we continue to have those high quality discussions about race, let us remember all that people like Dr. King did to heal the racial problems in America.

Let's remember today how dark things were back then. Let us remember how much African Americans have had to struggle to get to where they are today. Let us continue to fight to move America forward in this area. Let us not dishonor the memories of those who struggled by pretending they had little effect. Let's remember that now, as in 1968, "something is happening in our world"--and it is good.