Today, on Martin Luther King Jr.'s day, as members of the larger black race it is good to remember that the privilege we are enjoying today in this country are paid by our African American brothers & sisters who suffered humiliations, beatings, imprisonment & worse racially motivated bombings & killings. It is the struggle and sacrifice of those who stood up against injustice that gave us the chance to live with dignity & relative prosperity in our new home called America. Blessed are those who lived beyond themselves and paved the way for the following generations to live in dignity ".. because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake." in the words of Dr. King. As we celebrate the life & works of this noble man, it would be nice to reflect on his words:
"An individual has not started living until he can RISE above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
"If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others."
- Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength in Love
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."
My fellow Ethiopians in America, are we living 'above the confines of our individualistic' pursuits of pleasure to ourselves & to our immediate family members? How many of us chose to be silent in the face of injustice?