“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday marked the celebration of Dr. King’s birthday. It is important to commemorate this day for all it represents: An inspirational leader who worked aggressively to end the dereliction of an oppressed people; the catalyst who helped end our obstruction of the American justice system; and a man of morality who helped to reconcile the overt paradox of equality in America. As cliché as it may sound, Dr. King is the all-American hero everyone should aspire to be for his intellect, passion for social justice, and undeniably high moral sense of ethics.
Sure, many of us honored him through active community service projects, attended religious services, or simply updated our Facebook statuses to one of his many quotations of wisdom. However, too few of us used this day to reflect on the past and see how it affects us currently. This day was not intended to be about relaxation. On the contrary, it was intended to excite us about all the work we still need to do as a nation and unite together toward that end. We come together on MLK Day to acknowledge Dr. King and his contributions toward advancing equality in America, then head back to classes on Tuesday. But what about Wednesday, or the week after, or even next year? Will we simply go back to the status quo?
It’s been said about the Millennial Generation that we are aggressive, have no appreciation of delayed gratification and success, and truly believe we can sustain the American dream without addressing the nation’s biggest concerns: the economy, the deficit, health care, immigration reform and a growing economic disparity.
Ding ding. That’s true – which means we still have our work cut out for us. We may not have Dr. King today or the civil rights issues of the 1960s to combat. But let Dr. King’s legacy be both a reminder and an alarm that we face our own struggle, albeit a different one — one that poses a risks to our sustainability as a nation. I have confidence that we will open our eyes so that we can finally stand up to all the challenges our nation faces in the 21st century. Let the initial rings for freedom ring once again — to unite our generation to continually work to fulfill both Dr. King’s ideological dream and sustain the American dream.
– Juan Thomas Kimble is a
junior finance major.
