STILL, I HAVE A DREAM

INTRODUCTION:   

“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”

In the 1950’s and 60’s, the equality of man envisioned by America was far from a reality. People of color: Blacks, Hispanics, and Orientals were discriminated against in many ways, both overtly and covertly. The 1950’s were turbulent times in America; they were times when racial barriers began to tumble down because of Supreme Court decisions, such as  Brown v. Board of Education, and also due to an increase in the activism of blacks fighting for equal rights.

Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, and author of the famous “I HAVE A DREAM" speech, was the driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. 

As we approach the celebration of King’s birthday, myself and several other teenage members of my church were asked to recite several verses of the famous “I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH.”  As I began to commit the words above to memory, I wondered about the “Dream “ and what it meant for me then and what it means to me now.

Of course, history books reveal the ugliness of a fight for freedom. I’ve read about the local officials of the South who sicced water cannon  police dogs on marchers, whose ranks included teenagers like myself, women and children.  I’ve also read about the now famous "FREEDOM FIGHTERS” who gave their lives just so I could attend the school of my choice, or to eat at counters once privileged for whites only, or swim in the local swimming pool on a hot summer’s day. They fought so that I may drink from any public water fountain and have the right to use any public restroom. Yes, I have heard and I have read the many stories, stories of non-violent protest by those "FREEDOM FIGHTERS," stories of Ms. Jane Pittman, Mr. Medgar Evers, Mr. Malcolm X and Dr. King, along with his wife Corretta Scott King. 

It’s been nearly 40 years since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and although we all live together in relative harmony with minimum conflict and without the racial barriers of 50’s and 60’s. I am deeply saddened to say that so much of my generation is in a crisis, and there seem to be no way out.  It seems especially true for young black males whose HIP-HOP culture has single handily vilified our masculinity and, as a result, an entire generation of boys is growing up without a clear idea of what it means to be a man.  

Yet, I STILL HAVE A DREAM.

Yes, I have a Dream, a dream that one day Rappers would use their words of poetry to not tear down the character of our young black women, but instead use their poetic justice to build, and encourage my young sisters to be all that they can dare to be. I would use my words to inspire confidence, to instill trust, and create more leaders like Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Oprah Winfrey and Barak Obama.

Yes, I have a DREAM, a dream that young black males would one day not be the fastest growing group filling the beds of  our state’s correctional facilities, but instead my dream is that we would one day realized the need to further educate ourselves beyond high school and race to fill the dorm rooms instead of prison cells.  A dream that the public would not perceive us as perpetrators of crimes.

Yes, I have a dream that more of our young ladies would eagerly await acceptance letters from Princeton Medical, Harvard Law, etc. instead of a monthly welfare check.

Yes, I have a dream that one day not only will young black males be praised for their athletic skills (their ability to perform a 360 dunk, rush 1000 yards in a single season, or run a 9.7 meter dash) instead I dream of a day when we will be noted for finding cures, changing laws of inequality, and winning Nobel Peace Prizes for literature. 

Yes, I have a dream, a dream that the most popular profession of youth today will not be drug dealing or hustling, but that of doctors, lawyers, congressman and congresswoman. 

Yes, I have a dream, a dream that one day an overwhelming majority of households will not be headed by single moms, but by fathers.  Our culture is screaming for real men-men who value women, men who believe in leadership men who love their wives and raise kids the way God intended. I dream of these men that know their children and most importantly children who know their fathers.

While there is no doubt the impact of the civil right  movements has propelled generations then and now into a world of overwhelming freedom and equality, today’s young black youth are saturated with a whole new set of troubles: drugs, drinking, dropping out, pregnancy, gangs, violence in the schools, and sexually transmitted diseases, just to name a few. Still while crossing the dangerous teenage years into adulthood, I pray that I don’t lose my balance; but if for some reason I lose my footing, have no doubt I will survive because of a dream.  A dream that started over 40 years ago with one man, but will affect millions and never end. 

Yes, I have a dream, I dream because someone dreamed before me. A brother who dreamed of becoming a lawyer and this year will be entering Marquette Law University.  A sister who dreams of becoming a medical doctor and who will be entering Baylor  University in the fall as a Junior with a Biology major and a concentration in Pre-Med. Or my parents who simply want me to be more than just another statistic. So although I continue to be judged by the color of my skin and not by the contents of my character, still I dream.  I dream of one day becoming an Ambassador to the United Nations.

Finally, I dream because I can still hear my ancestors sing that Old Negro Spiritual,

“We shall overcome,
“We shall overcome,
“We shall overcome someday,
“Deep in my heart, I do believe,
“We shall overcome someday,

I say to you my fellow brothers and sister, someday is today, and it begins with me.

“STILL, I HAVE A DREAM”