Commentary: CommUNITY group reflects on nation’s path
By Jill Smilow
Thu Jan 15, 2009
Lexington – On Sunday, Jan. 18, we will once again gather as a
community for the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. CommUNITY
Commemoration Event. We’ll begin on the Battle Green and march to Cary
Hall for an interactive program designed to reflect upon and celebrate
Dr. King’s work, the legacyhe left behind and the election of Barack
Obama.
With the backdrop of a presidential campaign which included a black
man, two women and one of the oldest men running for the highest
offices in our country, we have a lot to talk about. One of my own
observations this fall was the extraordinary range of perspectives
among different members of our community. An African-American friend,
who is about 20 years my senior, told me that just after Sen. Obama
had secured the nomination, his grown son (a Lexington High School
grad) asked him if he ever thought a black man would be elected
President in his lifetime. My friend answered, `No,’ and confessed he
never believed a black man would be elected President in his son’s
lifetime.
Many of my contemporaries were filled with a hope and fervent belief
that it could happen – that as a nation, we just might be ready to
look beyond race to the substance, intellect and talents of this man
running for president. Knowing how hard and how monumental a shift it
would be to elect a black man to the highest office, we fought what we
knew about our long history of racism in this country and allowed
ourselves to believe it was a very real possibility.
For my children, who study in their classrooms, play sports on the
playing fields of Lexington and sing in choirs on the stage at LHS
alongside their African-American, Jewish, gay, Chinese, Muslim,
Korean, Indian, Christian, lesbian, Latino, Armenian, Hindu, Caucasian
and other beautifully diverse peers, I do not believe seeing a black
man sworn in as president will be the amazing part of Tuesday.
Rather, they know that Obama himself, their bright, exciting,
articulate leader who thrilled our nation and the world, will inspire
them in the years to come.
It is in these seismic generational perspective shifts that we
acknowledge Dr. King’s legacy. Forty-five years ago, Dr. King
poignantly dreamed that one day, his children `would live in a nation
where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the
content of their character.’ His children and grandchildren are about
to witness the fulfillment of that dream when Barack Obama is sworn in
as our 44th president on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, will we still have to fight against hatred in all its
forms including racism, homophobia and anti-semitism? Sadly, yes. Will
we still need to speak out against intolerance, discrimination,
poverty and prejudice? Yes we must. Will we still need to teach and
preach respect for those different from ourselves? Yes we will. But on
Tuesday, something will change in a profound way for all Americans and
the world watching our historic moment.
Join us this Sunday and participate in community-wide conversation
groups about this remarkable time for our country. Come share your
perspective, your thoughts, your ideas, your hopes and your wishes
with your neighbors and friends as we embark, together, on a new path
for our nation. Jill Smilow is chairman of the Martin Luther King
Jr. CommUNITY Commemoration Committee.
Lexington Minuteman, USA
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
