Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a monumental figure in the civil rights movement. He believed the most acceptable way to achieve equality was peacefully. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, he speaks about this dream — a vision of freedom, justice, and equality for all people. His idea is living together as “brothers and sisters,” judging people not based on the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Although MLK achieved countless things, his dream has yet to become a reality.
Dr. King’s dream was never achieved. Racism is still a massive problem all across the world. When George Floyd was murdered in May 2020 by a police officer in Minneapolis, people all across the world were furious with the police and the BLM movement began. People had peaceful protests and many donated to the cause; celebrities used their platform to bring awareness. Others had more radical methods such as looting, rioting and protesting that funding for the police be minimized or cut off completely. This was not King’s dream.
We can realize Dr King’s dream today by committing ourselves to educating people on how beautiful other cultures are. This can possibly decrease the amount of hate and racism people experience. This is easier said than done, however, as most people who believe some races are inferior to others are very ignorant. To overcome this, we should share personal experiences and try to relate to others as much as possible. My father is an immigrant from India. He came to America in 1997. After the tragedy of 9/11, many were outraged. They saw a person with his complexion and assumed he was a terrorist. Even in Alabama, hundreds of miles away from where the attacks happened, they assumed he was a terrorist because of his dark hair and brown skin. My father is no terrorist; he is a businessman who was trying to make money so he could pay off his student loan. Nobody wanted to listen. They came into the store and threatened to shoot my dad and his employees, often the employees considered quitting. My dad believed they were bluffing, until one fateful day.
The man came into the store wearing a bandanna, grabbed a glass bottle and went to the counter where my dad was. He cracked the bottle over my dad’s head and shot him in the chest. He yelled “Stay out of our country” and ran out of the store. Luckily, my dad survived and the bullet entered and exited his body quickly. This is the cost of ignorance. There have been far too many times where ignorant people harm others, sometimes even kill.
If we can sacrifice pride and ignorance, put our differences aside, educate others and commit to understanding one another, we can make a difference. Together, we can build a strong and united society. Through this commitment to educate, understand, and embrace one another, sacrificing pride and ignorance, we can truly realize Dr. King’s dream.
