But Did You Hear His Speech Tho?by @ambthegoddess
First of all, Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Every single memory that flashes in my mind when I hear this name isn’t always happy, but today we choose to celebrate. We may never be able to repay him or the other courageous leaders of the Civil Rights Movement for their contribution to this nation. We can, however, fight to keep their legacies alive. It’s the very least we can do for Dr. King, considering he put his life on the line. A life that should have been taken by nature, but instead it was taken in murder.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only light can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only light can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s story was worked in our academia and the media throughout our whole lives. We know the main facts already right? I’m not about to write a biography here, but I feel like other people can relate when I say I never heard any of his speeches. (If I did listen to a speech in school I have absolutely no recollection what so ever.) I would have given myself a pass as a child, but now that I am older, I feel I have a duty to this passion. My passion for fighting for the people, oppressed people specifically. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most famous fighters for the oppressed in history. His I Have A Dream speech is arguably the most famous speech ever, and I never even took the time to listen. So instead of just making a social media post with one of his famous quotes (which I actually love because they are timelessly inspiring), I committed to listening to the whole speech today. I know it’s not a whole lot, but it is more than I have ever done using my own initiative.
So before I even ate breakfast, I googled the speech and let it roar through the kitchen as I prepared my meal. When I say roar, I mean nothing to do with volume. Although demanding, confident, and assertive, Dr. King’s voice was not screaming. I am talking about the roar with the magnitude of the meaning behind the words. The YouTube video was less than twenty minutes! I thought to myself, SERIOUSLY! I couldn’t take less than twenty minutes out of one day for this before? I could have played this in my car for a twenty-minute drive. Let’s be real, so can a lot of other people. So I challenge any moral human being reading this post to play his speech (or even read it) who have not done so already. No shade to those who are not interested. I am in no way saying you don’t have morals if you choose not to. After listening to this speech, I just feel like I filled a void in my heart that I want to be filled for others.
My aspirations in activism are inevitably rooted in history. I never like the subject as a kid, but it is essential to understand the past to make real change for our future. People with major responsibilities risked their children, spouses, and jobs for basic human rights. My gratitude just can’t let me forget these heavy memories that for some people, are like a swift breeze in the wind. Maybe it is just the poet in me, but this speech’s imagery and metaphors painted a euphoric picture for me. I know this may sound a little weird, but I think I felt a little bit of the pain from that time. I am blessed to not have to endure the tragedy of that era, and in no way am I comparing my problems to those of that time. I still felt some of his hurt through his words. We are not even getting to his other major accomplishments! His impact, strictly from his WORDS alone, smacked me heavy on my soul today. When he spoke of his children, I thought of my precious daughter.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of the skin but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King Jr.
As I have said before ignorance is not always bliss. I don’t know about y’all, but I am trying to get “woke”. Minorities are still enslaved. Police are still brutal. Racism is far from over. The fight may never end, but we still have to be brave. We cannot always be submissive! At the very least, whoever is reading this, no matter the color… you matter.
Love and Light,
@ambthegoddess
