I think it is important to, if nothing else, reflect today and lift up some respect - not only for the work Dr. King did but also the many others who've also joined the fight for progression. The theory of fighting with nonviolence - which I agree with - is so much easier said than done. I watched a movie for my Social Justice class last fall called Freedom Song . There was one scene I found particularly interesting. Members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) came to the small town to train the young students in nonviolent protesting. I never really though about it before - I just figured people decided to get together and organize a sit-in at a drug store. There was so much more training that went into it to keep the participants from resorting to violence.
The special also had a segment about the Little Rock Nine, nine young black students sent to integrate the high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were met with EXTREME opposition and protests, taunts and violence. These weren't adults. They were teenagers. I think back to when I was that age - would I have had the courage to walk into that school? I'd like to think so, but I don't know. When I think about the strength those students must have had to go to that school every day I'm in awe. There was a point in the special today where it showed the Little Rock Nine coming face to face with some of the tormentors as adults (in the '90s). Each of those students expressed regret at what they'd done and how they acted and all apologized. One man said he did what he did out of ignorance and he was so sorry. A woman said she had been raised in a racist family and did what they told her was right and for 30some years now she's felt so awful about what she did. A member of the Little Rock Nine asked her if she broke the cycle of racism and the woman replied yes, and teaching her children that it was wrong was the one thing she felt she's done right.
Everyone says we've come so far and it is true. Many others say we still have so far to go, which is also true. In my Social Justice class we had a unit on racism and did a lot of readings and had lots of discussion. One that struck a particular chord with my class is called White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. In our class discussion, those of us who are white found so much of what was spoken about in the article we'd never really thought about before. We found we do fall into the category of thinking there is no privilege - which, believe me, changed after that article and our discussion.
I am of the school believing there is still so much more that needs to happen. As mentioned in a previous post, my school had us do a session on racism during our orientation and the person running it said racism is the only problem our country tries to solve by NOT talking about it. Interesting, right? So true. Let's keep talking... AND doing.
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