The Civil Rights Movement was the birth of a new America. Like the Exodus from Egypt and independence from Britain, the Civil Rights Movement was a major breakthrough in the conviction of social freedom and human rights. And like the leaders who stood against the odds of social oppression throughout history, Martin Luther King Jr. stood for a cause that could not have gone unchallenged much longer.

Liberation for black Americans during such a time of unconcealed prejudice was of the essence. Though disguised as chaos to many, the movement advanced American society, opened doors of opportunity for African-Americans and whites, and was a great step forward in the march for racial accord.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday should remind us of what great breakthroughs the Civil Rights Movement made. America would not be the peaceful country it is today without it. Racial tensions would be higher than they are now and the social, and possibly the economic, state of the country would be darker and less prosperous. We moved the country from darkness to light in more ways than one. Not only did we deter greater possible social problems but we opened the hearts and minds of individuals. This advancement should never be forgotten.

One day a year the march on Washington should be reenacted in every city in the nation. During the march in the sixties, blacks and whites joined and walked together mending historical wounds and reviving what brotherhood and sisterhood is really all about. We tamed our attitudes and buried many grudges, which opened the door of opportunity to new ideas and ways of doing things. To recreate this mood over and over until more attitudes and grudges are buried and more doors open is a continued step in the march for greater social harmony.

Local and national organizers should recognize this need for racial accord as positive. African-Americans and whites began in this country together and we are still together, and it does not look as though a permanent separation is in the future. Future generations would benefit from this yearly observation because it would instill a permanent sense of commonality and social strength in more Americans. A sense of strong unity between two races sends a message to the world that people can live amongst one another peacefully by continuously working through any problems they have.

The successful attempt at racial liberation and equality the Civil Rights Movement brought means a lot in such a great country as America. It means we acknowledged a problem and was proactive and created a solution. The effort to observe King's birthday should not be optional - as it is at present - but binding so as to continue mending the wounds that were, are, and could be.

© 2003 by C.R. Hamilton