A Moment to Reflect

I'd like to take the observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to discuss my mom's experience in Wilmington, North Carolina. In the late 60's as my mom sat in New Hanover High learning history with no account of her African American history, a follower of Rev. Ben Shafer entered the classroom. With great intensity he shouted, "Get out of class, come and march. There is a revolution going on!" My mom recalls jumping out of her seat without hesitation. My mom and several classmates joined Rev. Ben Shafer and his followers (I believe they were known as Wilmington 10) in a march against injustices of Blacks in Wilmington. They went from the streets to the church. The protest was interrupted when shots were fired from a car. The protesters shot back letting the racists know that they were not going to stand down and watch while their brothers and sisters and children were being destroyed.

Over the years I loved to hear my mom tell this story. She said it was always the youth who helped to bring about change because they were fearless. The older populace were set in their ways and they didn't want to 'start trouble' by marching and challenging the status quo. So it was her generation at the time who supported Martin Luther King Jr.

The unified voice of people of color has lost its steam. In today's society, the youth are taking advantage of what our parents had to fight for. They are embodying too much of the individualistic mindset that this society promotes. Please reflect on the purpose of Martin Luther King Jr's dream. His dream was one of uniting a nation for the improvement of humanity, not just for self-improvement through monetary or material gain.