We visited the Memorial for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and his wife, Coretta Scott King, in Atlanta, GA.
We live in a time when our President is blatantly disrespected, black children go missing everyday and are not afforded the same attention as those of another race, the "yes massa" mentality remains in a society sometimes I think determined to perpetuate it, and every once in a while someone will feel comfortable enough to use the word "Nigga/ Nigger". (And I'll state here, for all those of you who think this is cool or okay to say: black to black, white to black, any other race, ANYBODY using the word... IT IS NOT OKAY TO SAY IT. When you know the history of that word and the pain behind it, you'll realize that NOTHING about that is cool).
I'll admit we've come a looooooooooooooong way. When I read/ hear about the tragedies that occurred "back in the day"; the lynchings, the way Black people were demoralized, the abuse, the unfairness, the injustice; I am saddened. Yet I am grateful that someone had the courage to stand in the face of ADVERSITY and move a nation of people.
Ann Ruckert always says - and this is not verbatim but - be mindful of the shoulders on which you stand.
I am thankful for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his vision, his determination, all the work he did and his insurmountable faith. I am thankful for his wife, Coretta Scott King, for being the strong woman, wife and mother that she was. I am thankful for all those who have paved the way for us.
There are countless books on Dr. King but my fave is "My Life with Martin Luther King Jr" by Coretta Scott King. I read it a few years ago and kept the book for my son to read himself. It is profound ! I hope you read it, I think it will alter your perspective and enhance your gratitude.
At Martin Luther National Historical Site in Atlanta, GA
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