Today is a day that many individuals have off from work and school. Today is a day that has been declared a national holiday by our government. Today is a day when many individuals especially African-American and Latino students still have no real context to what had occurred just 40 years ago. The results of Dr. King's work is very evident in the lives of all minorities today. As a Latino I know that I have benefited from his work.
Dr. King had a vision and belief that our world would be much better as soon as we started to treat everyone equal and see individuals for their character and not for their color of skin. How correct he was indeed!
Sadly, although a lot has changed a lot has remained the same. We still have huge racial inequities that exist in our culture. Inequities, that those who are not of color would never experience and may even argue do not exist because they have no true experience with them in their lives.
In my eyes, the greatest of these inequities exist in the public school system, where schools are still divided by racial lines. Where schools that are located in inner-cities do not have the same resources as their suburban counterparts. Where the student population is reflective to that of the era of segregation.
My point is that while Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream the work is still not finished. We must all step forward and pay it forward to the next generation. We must educate our youth today and tell them of the great leaders in the past who have paved the way for their future. A future filled with opportunity and choices that may have not been here if it wasn't for the great work of Dr. King.
Today's students must have a grasp of their cultural roots in order to aspire for great things. Urban schools must focus their energy on reaching the hundreds and thousands of African-American and Latino students that we lose every year. We all must do our part in the struggle and help show cultural relevance in curriculum and its connection to life.
Gone but not forgotten!
1/15/1929-4/4/1968
¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
1 comment:
Anibal,
You told me about six months ago in an email that you always remember that whatever happens, students are giving you their best that day.
Ever so slowly, that has crept into my consciousness and changed my life. You know that saying, change your attitude and you change your world? Well, I didn't know it was happening, but whenever someone does something that upsets me, I think, "Could it be that they were giving me the best they had at that moment? What if I give them the benefit of the doubt?"
What happened was the world became a nicer place to live in. Thank you.
Alana
Post a Comment