Separation Anxiety
On January 16, the nation took time to reflect on the private meditations and public triumphs of a man who has become the everlasting symbol of humble progress in the face of historical intolerance. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; exceptional orator, underrated scholar, national treasure. We reap the benefits of the labors and struggles of him and countless others whose work was not for their own advancement or notoriety, but for the hope that future generations would adopt the ideals of cultural unity, academic and professional achievement, and equality and justice for all.
Every so often, the nation will galvanize for a particular cause or topic of discussion. We can stand shoulder to shoulder in times of terror and fear, or when the forces of nature cause us to examine our own existence, not just in terms of being alive, but the contribution we have made to ease the burden of our fellow man. In times of trouble for us all, we each ask ourselves as individuals, "Does the Dream Still Start With Me?"
We certainly would hope so. The nation (in the public's mind) would shudder to think that those tiny little prejudices we have that only seem to come out in private moments or amongst friends and family, even with Dr. King's vision ingrained in the minds of all, would continue to pervade and dominate our culture. It seems that we have made significant enough progress to create forums to discuss and dissect these prejudices (See the Chappelle Show, The Boondocks, MTV'S True Life, etc.,) but the chasm that separates us from any viable or distinguishable solutions is as wide as the day is long.
It's easy enough to acknowledge that we have misconceptions of race and culture, and it's great when people are actually bold enough to admit that some of these misconceptions have a certain amount of truth to them. The hard part remains in swallowing our pride regarding these truths and saying, "Yeah, so, now what?" To remove the fact from the fiction is difficult for us; to take pride in our various cultures without compromise or apology, without embarrassment or empathy is a step into a wide, engulfing abyss which would keep us plummeting into a lost sense of self.
Personal and professional successes should not be abridged because of cultural nuances, and vice versa. The music that we listen to, the clothing that we wear, the foods that we eat and the words that we speak are not hallmarks of our ultimate moral and personal ideals. Dr. Cornell West recorded a rap CD, and was criticized without end for buying into an artform that some perceived as below a man of his education and cultural stature. Who would have thought that the most important and honest analysis of African-American culture in the last 50 years would come on every Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. on Cartoon Network? Will somebody ever give a damn about what I have to say? I don't know, but something has got to give.
The Dream will continued to be deferred until we as a nation realize the greatest potential that we have is in introspection. When each one of us can look into ourselves and see that our pitfalls in life often are located in the exact same spot where we tried to step on or over someone else because of their differences. The Dream will be deferred until half of us realize that swearing and being demonstrative in public is not good, and the other half of us realize shifting nervously in our seats when we hear it is just as bad. The Dream will be deferred until we all decide to wake up.
Every so often, the nation will galvanize for a particular cause or topic of discussion. We can stand shoulder to shoulder in times of terror and fear, or when the forces of nature cause us to examine our own existence, not just in terms of being alive, but the contribution we have made to ease the burden of our fellow man. In times of trouble for us all, we each ask ourselves as individuals, "Does the Dream Still Start With Me?"
We certainly would hope so. The nation (in the public's mind) would shudder to think that those tiny little prejudices we have that only seem to come out in private moments or amongst friends and family, even with Dr. King's vision ingrained in the minds of all, would continue to pervade and dominate our culture. It seems that we have made significant enough progress to create forums to discuss and dissect these prejudices (See the Chappelle Show, The Boondocks, MTV'S True Life, etc.,) but the chasm that separates us from any viable or distinguishable solutions is as wide as the day is long.
It's easy enough to acknowledge that we have misconceptions of race and culture, and it's great when people are actually bold enough to admit that some of these misconceptions have a certain amount of truth to them. The hard part remains in swallowing our pride regarding these truths and saying, "Yeah, so, now what?" To remove the fact from the fiction is difficult for us; to take pride in our various cultures without compromise or apology, without embarrassment or empathy is a step into a wide, engulfing abyss which would keep us plummeting into a lost sense of self.
Personal and professional successes should not be abridged because of cultural nuances, and vice versa. The music that we listen to, the clothing that we wear, the foods that we eat and the words that we speak are not hallmarks of our ultimate moral and personal ideals. Dr. Cornell West recorded a rap CD, and was criticized without end for buying into an artform that some perceived as below a man of his education and cultural stature. Who would have thought that the most important and honest analysis of African-American culture in the last 50 years would come on every Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. on Cartoon Network? Will somebody ever give a damn about what I have to say? I don't know, but something has got to give.
The Dream will continued to be deferred until we as a nation realize the greatest potential that we have is in introspection. When each one of us can look into ourselves and see that our pitfalls in life often are located in the exact same spot where we tried to step on or over someone else because of their differences. The Dream will be deferred until half of us realize that swearing and being demonstrative in public is not good, and the other half of us realize shifting nervously in our seats when we hear it is just as bad. The Dream will be deferred until we all decide to wake up.
posted by Mr. Carter at 1/17/2006 12:48:00 PM
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