What I primarily want to focus on his letter from Birmingham, which he wrote from jail after being arrested for participating in a nonviolent protest against segregation.
The letter itself is a response to the church leaders who claimed his actions were "unwise and untimely", despite his presence in Birmingham being requested by another church member.
King also states in this letter that he came to Birmingham because "justice is here" and just as the men of the bible left their homes to spread the word of peace and justice, he could not stand by without taking action and spreading the gospel of freedom.
I think about all the hopes MLK had for this country, the dreams of equality and freedom for all and I think ... we are nowhere near achieving those goals today.
Yes the United States has come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement. We as a country have taken many steps forward, but at the time time, we've take plenty back as well.
Case in point, the treatment of young black men in America is absolutely horrendous.
The two instances I have in mind are the brutal murder of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmermen in 2012 and Michael Brown by Darren Wilson this past August.
What do these two shootings have in common?
- Two innocent young men were killed in cold blood because of the color of their skin.
- Both shooters were deemed innocent, despite contrary evidence.
- The media aimed to shame the victim and aimed to sympathize with the shooter.
- Both families lost their son, and did not (and probably will never) get the justice they deserve.
Knowing that Martin Luther King Jr was also shot and killed based on the color of his skin, what do you think he'd say about the loss of these boys and every boy like them?
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