In 1963, the late Martin Luther King Jr. penned in a letter from a Birmingham jail, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In that same letter, he wrote, whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." King's arrest and detainment in the Birmingham jail had come as a result of him participating in protests after growing tired of waiting on the city to end segregation in public places, restaurants and schools.
In his attempt to provide a rationale explanation to the clergymen who had criticized his participation in the Birmingham protests he wrote, "but when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters...then perhaps you will find it difficult to wait ( on justice)."
Here we are, more than 50 years after King's letter from a Birmingham jail, still fighting for racial equality. Injustices against the African American race are just as prevalent now as they were 50 years ago. Sure, we have made some gains as a nation, but when will the senseless killing of our African American men by the hands (and knees) of law enforcement end? Will we ever see the day where we, my melanated brothers and sisters, are truly judged by the content of our character, rather than the color of our skin?
Will we ever see the day when the words that I was taught to pledge as a child, "one nation under God indivisible, with liberty and JUSTICE FOR ALL," ever be a reality?
We want Justice! We seek justice! We deserve Justice!
