Today, on the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., we remember what he stood for and the effects he has had on America. With the negativity being broadcast across the nation, it is important to find the light and to call on the parts of history that can outshine the present.
The celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. is one that commemorates his leadership of a peaceful civil rights movement. He preached messages of love, acceptance and, arguably the the most important, equality.
King’s efforts brought some light into his world. He worked for equal opportunities for employment, housing and education, the right to vote, desegregation and a society less tainted by racism.
MLK’s movement gave African Americans the courage and support they needed in order to speak out against the acts of injustice and racism occurring so casually on the streets of America.
Today, that similar courage and support need to be called upon. Even today, the people of America battle severe cases of racism and discrimination.
Single-handedly, the leader of our country is undoing much progress that has been made towards an equal world. Our president, according to some, referred to the homes of immigrants as “shithole countries.”
How can someone stand before an entire nation and call other countries “shitholes”? How can someone stand before a country or U.S. territory like Puerto Rico that is in dire need and toss out paper towels like it is a game? How can someone be so intolerant to those different than him?
That is the opposite of equality, love, acceptance. And for that, we need to unite.
No race nor ethnicity should feel lesser or inferior. The color of a person’s skin or the twang of their language should not deem them an outcast.
As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
