So I made my way to the memorial to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., where I paused to say a prayer at the feet of the greatest American. And not just any president, but Lincoln, Kennedy or Roosevelt; the leaders of business, culture, science and athletics.
The promise and the falsehood, the dreams and the nightmares of America were all addressed by King, and his words continue to speak to America’s torn heart to this day.
He made the United States account for its lack of progress toward its own egalitarian ideals, warned that the bombing of Vietnam would have repercussions at home, climbed a mountain and glimpsed the land of promise, and on the day he was assassinated, a sermon was being prepared in which he would ask whether or not the United States should be doomed to eternal punishment.
During his lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. not as admired as now. They put him in jail. They (the FBI) tracked his movements. He let the fangs sink in on him. Not many people liked him. Seventy-five percent of Americans disapproved of King in a poll conducted shortly before his death.
The love for him did not even extend to other black Americans. Many of the younger members of his audience were frustrated with his message of peace and love. The king himself began to wonder if they might be right.
His reputation has since been smoothed and polished. An advocate quietly intercedes for the controversial reverend. But both claims held true.
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We have entered a post-American era
White liberals often use his famous speech arguing that people should be judged by their actions and principles rather than by their skin color in an effort to convince people of color (particularly black people) to change racial politics. to give.
Neither of them noticed that he was addressing them personally. His point was that white people shouldn’t attribute motives to being white. King, the fervent supporter that he was, advocated a beautiful and permanent lack of color vision.
He stuck to the idea of a global Christian community, but never lost sight of the fight for black equality. King believed that “the black freedom struggle required a cross to carry,” not a “flag to wave,” as black philosopher Cornel West points out.
That the election of Barack Obama as the first black president represented the realization of King’s dream was a claim West disputed. King’s Bible was used at Obama’s inauguration.
But West was concerned that the black elite would become “Obama-esque standard-bearers instead of Martin King-esque cross-bearers” during their festivities. The West thought that, once dead, King would mourn Wall Street and American imperialism for imprisoning Obama.
The bar King has set for American democracy has yet to be bridged. Distressed, worn-out, race-torn America. After 9/11, we could no longer claim that this was the American century.
There are several ways in which a post-American era has arrived. China is the world’s largest growth engine and its economy will overtake the United States as the largest in the near future.
The United States has the world’s most powerful military, but it has been mired in foreign conflicts for decades, stationed tens of thousands of troops around the world, is overstretched and has ended its longest war by leaving Afghanistan to the Taliban.
The issue of race plays a major role
But the United States, not China or the wealthy European countries, is likely to determine the fate of the world. Democracy must pass America’s test to survive in its current weakened state.
Post-Cold War liberal triumphalism does not solve the problems facing the United States in the twenty-first century. The entire concept of America is challenged daily. In this country, people of all colors, creeds, religions and political beliefs live side by side and make do with what they can think of.
Subways, supermarkets, sports fields, places of worship, workplaces, classrooms, and any other area where Americans come close together serve as arenas for American negotiations.
It’s not always easy to relax and suspicions are running high. Racial issues are at the center of the United States, a country built on the foundations of genocide and slavery and characterized by growing diversity and, by some counts, a dwindling white majority.
The other day I was riding the subway when a man accidentally bumped into a black man, who then yelled at the other passenger to get his ass out of his face. Another passenger was hit in the face with saliva by another man and I saw it happen.
I saw white people shifting uncomfortably in their chairs as a black woman spoke passionately about 500 years of slavery. Unfortunately, that’s how it is. The feeling of anger is really real. Of course it would be!
However, I also witnessed acts of generosity and courtesy of strangers. People around me seemed completely apathetic towards each other. As an Aboriginal person, I found it powerful to live in a predominantly black area.
Being a doctor in the wake of Martin Luther King
When I leave Australia I feel like I can finally let go of our country’s heavy history. Where I work and live, whiteness is still too pervasive. Australian society may be diverse, but white supremacy persists in all spheres of society, including the arts, politics and the economy.
White supremacy persists. It’s the same in the United States, except the difference in color is much more noticeable there. Living in a community where black people are prominent in all economic and cultural spheres is refreshing.
The white individuals I see seem to have no rights mentality; rather, they act like they belong here and watch what they say and do. That’s excellent to hear, by the way.
Even if the wealth disparity in the United States is huge and the American dream is fading, many people are still motivated to work hard and overcome adversity to provide a better life for their children.
A taxi driver told me that he originally spoke no English and was from the Dominican Republic. He and his wife, who have both performed on stage, have managed to raise their children and buy a house.
He plans to retire soon and move to Florida. It was a lovely winter’s day, he added, perfect for church. Amen. I thanked the driver and got out of the vehicle happy to have met him. Every person I’ve met seems to be constantly trying to escape the shadow of Doctor King.
The memorial dedicated to him in Washington, DC is a somber place. A bowed head and the title “King” are carved into a stone monument. It pales in comparison to the monumentality of the Lincoln Memorial. Without a doubt, Lincoln is a giant of a man.
He was the president of a conflict-torn country. He won a decisive victory and gave the Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves. However, King’s lineage includes slavery. He is a transcontinental transplant.
Native Americans, African Americans and immigrants are all part of that America, and they all reflect the land in their own way.
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