“The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro
community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our
white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize
that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize
that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr. from his I Have a Dream Speech
Dear Dr. King,
It has been over 50 years since your famous speech. I was not born until 1967, so I missed all of
the Civil Rights movement. I was still in diapers on that fateful day when you
left us too soon.
I would have loved to know you. I can see us sitting down for
coffee and talking about the fate of mankind if hate continued to rule the day;
to hear the stories of how you marched and gave speeches and prayed for
hope. I wonder what you would think
about the progress we have made for racial equality. There are hundreds of streets named after
you; one in at least every major city.
We have a national holiday set aside in your name. A day to remember. A day to serve. We elected a Black president in 2008, a great
sign indeed. But there are many roads to
cross and many miles to go before your dream is realized. I think you would have hoped for so much more.
Unemployment and crime are still too high. A staggering number of Black men populate the
prison systems. Black females are not given equal footing in employment. Education, though better, is still segregated
by income and location. Black children
are denied an equal education in many parts of the country. Racism is still an ever-present reality,
though now it lurks in the shadows and hides in plain sight.
Many have tried to attack your legacy by labelling you as a
troublemaker and by reminding us that you had sins and failures as a man. I choose to ignore those comments, because I
have had my own failures. I am an
imperfect Christian just as you were and have made my share of mistakes, but
that does not discount my legacy any more than it did yours. I overcame those failures in my life and
earned a doctorate in 2013. Now I can
use my knowledge and experiences to do research on Black students pursuing science
careers and also train future science and math teachers who are sensitive to
the needs of many races and cultures.
I cannot speak for the rest of the nation and the world, but
one of the greatest changes has been within my own heart. I confronted my demons and stared my
stereotypes and prejudices in the face.
I cannot say they have all been conquered. They still rear their ugly head at
times. But I have learned how much
privilege I have because of the color of MY skin. I also realized the profound
difference I can make in this world by growing in the strength of my empathy,
listening to the stories of those scarred by racism, and doing research into
the lived experiences of Black college students, scientists, and science and
math teachers. I am also reading every
piece of literature I can find about the Black experience. It will never be enough, but it is a start.
Finally, I am auditing a class at my current university
called Intro to African American Studies.
On the first day of class, I felt the reality of psychologist Claude
Steele’s theory of stereotype threat when I walked into a class of 36 Black
students, one Asian student, and one very White guy (me). I wondered if I belonged there and I wondered
what you would have thought of my being there. I have come to realize that you
would have applauded my presence. Just the fact that the class is allowed and
welcomed on the campus is the first victory. The second is that I can stand
with my Black brothers and sisters and experience their culture firsthand. It
was hard not to cry the first day of class, as I considered what a privilege it
was to be there. I look forward to
learning and growing the rest of the semester.
There are many people that I would love to meet who have
gone on before us, and you are one. As a Christian, we both believe the day
will come when we can share our stories for eternity. I look forward to meeting
you and shaking your hand. Thank you for
your legacy. May we repay you by working
tirelessly so that your dream will not be in vain.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Sparks
January 20, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment