Over fifty years ago, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.. Since that day, there have been periods in our nation’s history when we have believed that we are close to making MLK’s dream of justice and equality a reality. There are also current reminders that show we have quite a long way to go. A question I’ve found myself asking as I ponder the debates about race and immigration is “Can anything good come from all this hate?”
I believe the answer is “Yes!”
The pressing can lead to a greater understanding of identity if we are open to it.
Consider the story of Maya Angelou as told in her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The suffering she experienced as a young woman defined her, not as a victim but as an overcomer.
What about Richard Wright’s autobiography of his early life, Black Boy? Like Angelou, Wright proved his resilience. He lived to tell his story of the Jim Crow South, giving us all a better understanding of what was, what is, and what can be.
Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Mary McLeod Bethune, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells and countless others give testimony to the value of living with Purpose – determination; setting goals; finding a reason for being.
