Letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Part of an assignment in my Ethics class

Dear Dr. King:
I imagine you receive many letters giving you an update of civil rights in our country. Bishop White writes you each year on your birthday. He and other instructors have students write to you as well. I would love to be able to read all of these letters from people of all ages and cultures. An overview of the many different views would be the best measure of the current state of civil rights.
My view is skewed from the white perspective. I am a white female who was born and raised in Birmingham. Although I was born during the civil rights movement, I was too young to have any actual memories of the historical events of the city or the country. I was only a few months old when you wrote your letter from Birmingham City Jail. Most of what I know about the things you write comes from history lessons and not from personal experience. But I am sure you receive letters from people much younger than I who have an even further removed view of the incidents of the South in the 1960’s.
I work in downtown Birmingham, just down the street from the jail from which you wrote your letter. I am sorry to say that I pass the Civil Rights Museum and Sixteenth Street Baptist Church regularly, but I have never visited either. I have walked through Kelly Ingram Park and have seen the monuments to civil rights leaders. My firm’s office overlooks Linn Park between Birmingham City Hall and Jefferson County Courthouse. Looking out the window, you can see how much the city has changed since you wrote your letter.
People of many colors walk through the park daily. A diverse population lives and works in the downtown Birmingham area. For most of my life, since before I was old enough to vote, Birmingham has had an African-American mayor. The city council is a mix of male, female, Caucasian and African American. Although we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go to reaching your dream of a time when it would be recognized that all people should be treated equally.
There is still racial tension between blacks and whites in this city and throughout the country. It is a tension that pulls both ways. Too many whites fear, distrust and/or hate blacks. And too many black people have the same feelings toward white people. My own child was targeted at one point in her school because of her blond hair and blue eyes. Luckily, she attended a diverse school with strong leadership who handled the situation in such a way that she was able to be friends with some (but not all) of the black girls who had been previously taught to hate white people.
Of course, the world involves more than just black and white people. And this presents areas that reveal that we still have a long way to go in acceptance and tolerance. Questions regarding same gender marriage, transgender beauty pageant contestants and similar issues reveal society’s homophobic tendencies. Debate regarding immigration laws clearly shows deep prejudice regarding our Latino/Hispanic neighbors. Post 9/11 fears affect the way we treat our Muslim and Middle-Eastern neighbors.
Some would claim that because our country elected the first African-American president, we have overcome some great hurdle or milestone. However, President Obama’s diverse family tree and upbringing actually presents a multitude of bigotry issues. Whether they focus on the president’s African heritage, his biological father’s Islam connection, his childhood in Indonesia or comments from his former pastor, opponents frequently use hateful and often violent language, revealing the continued hatred from anyone who is not “just like us.”
So, Dr. King, this letter is one of good news and bad news. The good news is that you were very influential and we have made great progress with regard to civil rights. The bad news is that laws attempting to create equality will not cure prejudice and hatred. And as soon as one set of laws helps one group, there is another set of people with a new struggle to gain rights. Engraved on the Civil Rights Monument in Montgomery, Alabama is your paraphrase of Amos 5:24: We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. We still long for that day. If only we could set aside fear and hatred and replace them instead with God’s love, recognizing that we are all created in His image.

Your sister in Christ,