12 years ago my poetry group was asked to perform at Bethel AME Church in New Bedford, MA. The Church is a predominately black church in the area, and was involved in several civil rights actions at the time. New Bedford is the city of Frederick Douglass, and traces its fight against slavery and racism back to 1716. As an outspoken advocate of civil liberties, I was honored by the chance to perform for this great Congregation. What I didnt know was I had been missing the point of MLK Day all along. Instead of being asked to come perform for MLK Day or to speak about Dr. King, we were asked to perform in celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Dream. Not the life and death of one man; not the fight for freedom so long ago. It was The Dream. It was the knowledge that we are all born equal; it was the hope that we will all be treated equally under law one day. It was The Dream. It was the belief that united as brothers and sisters we can Overcome fear of difference and cast off the chains of oppression. It was the understanding that we cannot walk alone, because Justice is bigger than Just Us. It was The Dream. When we dare to dream The Dream, we celebrate a hope that still alive - alive in all of us. When we dream The Dream, we are vigilant to protect the freedoms we fought so hard for, and we recognize that we still have a long way to go down this road, together. We must dream The Dream until we All are truly free, and we must pass The Dream on to our children so they can live without fear of others or shame of who they are. Today I invite you to carry The Dream with you and to look at those around you as brothers and sisters; even those who have lost their way. 12 years ago I made this commitment; it has made all the difference. https://youtube/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 19:39:53 +0000
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