Monday, January 19, 2009

Happy Birthday MLK.

Without him and the work/sacrifice of so many people, Barack would not be sworn in tomorrow.

That said, we still have work to do in this so-called "post racial" America.

Here is an interesting article in today's New York Times about two Methodist churches on the same block on Capitol Hill that are segregated. In the nation's Capitol in 2009? Sad. The bishop wants them to reconcile.

6 comments:

Korie said...

It's really sad how segregated the country still is. Hopefully the inauguration will help shift that mindset, although sadly,I doubt it will ever change 100%.

Jen said...

I was shocked this morning, when watching Good Morning America, that George Stephanopoulos had this self-congratulatory smile and said that in the past 10 years racism had all but disappeared in this country according to polls.

Not around Detroit, it hasn't.

As hopeful I am about Obama being sworn in, I'm truly hoping that this is just the beginning of addressing our problems in this area.

And you're right - there wouldn't be a swearing in tomorrow without Rev. King's work.

Lenoxave said...

I'm pleased about Obama, but anyone believing that we live in some post racial America is totally delusional.You can't legislate attitudes and it takes more work for those things to change.

Happy Birthday to Dr. King. What a pleasure it would've been if he'd lived to see this day.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

lilascpecs - things have gotten better so I have to believe we will continue to move forward not backwards right?

jen - ha. If that is true why the spike in hate crimes after the election?

sdg - I don't know who came up with that term. Obama is only one person but I do think the younger generation overall has a different POV on race than my generation or older and that is a good thing.

It's a shame MLK and so many others aren't here.

glamah16 said...

Rascism is still alive and well and I get sick when people deny it. The church is one of the last bastions of segreation. We have a priest here in Chicago who goes his own way ,is white, and is a leader in the African American community,Father Pfleger(Remember the mess he got into with Obama?). The higher ups are always slapping his wrists. As controversial as he is he really draws light,in his dramatic flair of what's really going on there regardless if people want to hear it or not.Subtle he is not.
My mother grew up in a A.M.E church( Africain Methodsist Episicopal. I was baptised in a Methodist church that was predominatly white. I see the divisions in the Catholic churches as well. Some relate it to style, culture diffrences, etc.but yes we have a long way to go.
I love that the Inaguration is happening right after MLK day. What a full circle( well not quite) dream come true.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

glanah16 - Yes I remember hearing about Father Pfleger. When we lived in NYC we went to a Methodist church that had a large West Indian congregation. Then we moved to the 'burbs and went to our local church where my family was one of three or two black members. It wasn't until I went to college did the fact that I didn't go a "black church" become a issue.

Our local church had several black ministers and nobody cared. When I made a comment to my parents about going to church in Newark or something they really couldn't understand what I was talking about. Why shouldn't they go to their local church, it's part of our community.