I’ve decided to comment about the reading “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and while throughout my post I focus on the issues still remaining in the United States I am not in anyway saying there has been no progression, I am also not oblivious to the fact that there is still racism and segregation issues in other countries however due to the fact the Martin Luther King Jr. fought for freedom in the United States I feel it makes sense to talk about a couple of the issues still remaining 🙂
After reading, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. I find it shocking to think that during the 1960’s the African Americans of the United States of America were fighting for freedom and Equality and yet now in the 21st century certain aspects are still the same. At one point of the letter King stated, “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider.” While African Americans are now given their freedom many people are still considered Outsiders while living in the USA. There are those people who have immigrated to the United States to find a better life for their children without legal documentation as getting a green card can be difficult if you do not have family in the states, a job, or if you are not a professional. Those who live in the states without documentation are as Martin Luther King stated “Outsiders.” and if found (no matter how long they have gone undetected) they are treated like “aliens” and are sent back to their home country. People who were desperate to escape their old lives of poverty and pain move for a better life only to live a life of fear but are willing to make the sacrifice in the hope of security. While they are illegal immigrants, they are still human beings and if the conditions of their home are so poor they seek another country for improved lives I feel the governments of these countries should be accepting these people and making it easier for them to live in these countries. Be flattered that these people see their country as a place of opportunity and safety.
Another point Martin Luther King brought up in response to why he and many others were fighting for freedom was “when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society.” When slavery was abolished the “Great Migration” began in which African Americans fled the south to the north in hope of safety. This suddenly over-crowded many cities and so they were forced to build what are called “projects” which were apartment style buildings for those who could not afford expensive housing. Many of these now free slaves were poor and unable to find work and were forced into these housing buildings. People were unable to find jobs and so many turned to drug trafficking and prostitution. This created what is called a Poverty cycle in which each generation have difficulty escaping this life style and so these are still present today. Currently in New York it takes 18 minutes, or 9 subway stops to go from Manhattan, which is the 7th wealthiest district in the USA to Harlem which is the poorest district in the USA. In this day and age where we are people of human rights, equality and charity I find it shocking that people are suffering in dire poverty so close to people who have more than they truly will ever need.
Finally I picked up on the line “when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging sings reading “white” and “coloured”.” Many of us have been ignorant in believing that segregation has been ended for a while and that now all is equal when in fact it still continues. Wilcox County High School in Georgia, USA just held their first integrated prom in June 2013. For years past the parents of Caucasian students have held a “white student only” prom event excluding all students of coloured ethnicity to attend the event. So African American Students were forced to have their own prom or else have none at all. When segregation was made illegal many schools stopped sponsoring school proms to avoid any legal action being taken out on them against the still segregated proms. It wasn’t until this past school year did students decide to take matters into their own hands hosting an integrated prom. What I find the most shocking is that while many people are very supportive of this change to a long tradition the student organizers are still receiving many negative responses to this idea.
This link is about the integrated Prom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=funJ_K_II3Q
It’s such a shame to think in 1963 Martin Luther King fought so hard for equality and when the US government finally brought an end to segregation many people believed that was the end of the inequality. People stopped asking questions because from appearance everything looked fixed but yet it continues now in 2013!