Martin Luther King’s dream worth dreaming

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”It’s a question worth asking, for the idea of helping others is so much a part of what life is all about. And there’s no better time to ponder the question than now, while we’re celebrating the beloved civil rights leader. Monday, Jan. 16, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day — a federal holiday to celebrate his birthday that provides the ideal opportunity for us to look at ourselves and our world.Dr. King set examples we should all aspire to: he worked to solve problems through nonviolent participation; he fought against injustice, bigotry and hatred; he gave his life in the pursuit of the civil rights movement.King rejected ideas like prejudice, racism, inequality and violence. Instead, he spoke about fairness, humanity, equality and justice. His actions mirrored his words; they set an example for people across this nation at a time when the world was on the precipice of evolving into a freer society. No, it was not an easy transition and, yes, there was much resistance. But King’s perseverance, his insistence, his unfailing faith that some day his message would prevail was fuel enough to power the civil rights movement, which continues to this day.Slowly, King’s dream is being realized; the sharp division among all the races continues to soften, though there can be and often are setbacks. Thankfully, in this country, segregation is a thing of the past. Today not only Caucasians and African-Americans, but people of all races work hard to coexist. We are the melting pot known as America, and we must continue to strive for all cultures to be recognized for their assets and their contributions to society. But have we come far enough? Are we really so integrated? Here, in the Harlem Valley, there seems to be a slim segment of the population that is not white. Yes, there are some people who are Hispanic, some who are Asian, some who are African-American, and maybe some who represent other cultures, but they are far and few between. It begs the question: How successful is your community, and more specifically your household, in exposing itself to a diversity of cultures? It may not seem important, but it is. It’s important because as citizens of the world we must understand life is about more than just us. We need to think outside of our own lives — we need to think about our neighbors, our towns, our environment, our country, our oceans, our world and our universe. Life is larger than any single individual. Dr. King understood that. So should we. It’s an important philosophy, one which should be taught to our children, regardless of age. People need to be responsible for their actions and how they impact the world around them. They need to be concerned about others. They need to question not, as some do, “What have you done for me lately?” but rather, “What have I done for others?” This paradigm shift will greatly benefit you and those around you, not to mention the universe at large. What a fitting way to pay homage to Dr. King and his enduring dream.

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