Those of us who note things down often run the risk of being called various names by those benefit from the people's ignorance. We often apologise for saying the truth. The truth that people know is the truth that liberates them. One dictionary describe the truth as the highest form of reality. There is a difference between the reality that we experience and the reality that we long for. For example knowing that you are the heir to some fortune does not change your life. What changes one's life is experiencing and benefiting from that fortune. To put it simple knowing that you used to have plenty to eat in the past is not a guarantee that one will not starve in future. There is a lot that we treasure from our past. There is a lot that inspires us from the previous generations. The language and the culture of any people is as good as their identity. Anybody who thinks that the victories of the past will propel them into the future must be very careful. Having said that, how then do we draw the line between the success of history and the defeats of our present day.
Imagine being somebody who lived in one of the great cities in the world like Jerusalem. This is a royal city of the past and of the future. When we think about Jerusalem we think of gold and so on. (Read the Bible in Revelation from the first chapter to the last). However in the same city resides some of the poorest people in the whole world. This is not spiritually.This is a natural and real flesh and blood observation. As a matter of fact we are not all spiritual we are also flesh and blood. Spirituality is a greater part of our beings without any doubt. The picture that I have been trying to paint above is exactly the way I feel about the Civil Rights Movement in America today. There is a huge generation gap between the youth and adults. The struggles and the gains of the post civil rights movement cannot be accounted for.
Someone one said, " the reason why history repeats itself is that so many were not listening the first time." United States of America like Africa has not stepped up to the challenges of the present yet being preoccupied with the past. The celebrated civil rights pioneer, the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr dedicated his life to challenging and changing stereo types and status quot in America. He did not only talk the talk he walked the walk. The only thing he is known for today is his speech. "I HAVE A DREAM" Not many people know more than that sentence. America today stands condemned because they have forgotten the foundations and resources that brought about the freedoms we enjoy today. This generation has not only forgotten the sacrifices and the work of the civil rights movement but also neglected the cause.
Crime is rampant among black people. Over two million black man are in prison. That is like putting the whole population of Botswana in jail. Not all of them are guilty of any crime. Racial discrimination is still alive and kicking. The black neighbourhood is drug infested. The black community makes the worst of every negatives statistics. Politicians use Dr Martin Luther King Jr as a tool to further their ambitions. Only on his day do they recite his speech. The gap between rich and the poor is alarming. Only a handful of blacks enjoy the plain field that the slain civil rights leader fought and gave his life for. Even The President George W Bush admits that there is a lot of be done. The question now is "What then is the way forward? For us to find the way forward we must put ourselves in the shoes of the man Dr Martin Luther King Jr himself. What would he say if he was here today?
No doubt that America is still giving us a bad cheque. The progress that was brought about the days of marching and protest is still a pipe dream. The freedoms thereof have become a weapon against us. Young people do not know where they are coming from and therefore do not know where they are going. We have to work hard to fulfil the dreams of the patriarchs. These freedoms did not come on a silver plate. Let freedom reign.
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