As the lack of a paper attested to, Monday marked the 30th celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. Although we cannot speak with authority for the rest of the country, here in Gainesville, the dream of Dr. King remains apparent and palpable. On Tuesday, UF will be visited by Virginia Tech professor and civil rights activist Nikki Giovanni, whose speech will serve as the cornerstone event to the university’s celebrations of Dr. King’s life.
Elsewhere in the city, acknowledgements of Dr. King’s labors began stewing long before Monday’s holiday. As reported by the Gainesville Sun, just last week, the 31st annual King Commission Hall of Fame Banquet was held at the Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel. The banquet, hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida Inc., serves as a testament to the power, and indeed the life, that continues to permeate Dr. King’s ideals nearly 50 years after his untimely death.
Living in Florida, specifically Gainesville, means that we have been allotted privileges and insight into the lives of those different from us that Americans living in other states may lack. Here in the Alligator office, we feel comfortable in asserting that our K-12 education — at least for those of us who grew up in the Sunshine State — provided us with a tremendous amount of knowledge about the civil rights movement and all of the struggles, sacrifices and tragedies that characterized the era. We don’t know if students in Texas, whose high school textbooks refer to imported slaves as workers, could confidently stake the same claim.
We as Floridians are also lucky to be part of such a vibrant, multicultural state. Although many of a more narrow-minded persuasion would disagree, it is a blessing — a word we do not use lightly — that we interact with so many different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds on a daily basis. This gives us knowledge, and above all, empathy, both essential traits to being a decent human being. It isn’t a stretch to say that our day-to-day lives as we understand them would not have been possible were it not for the efforts of Dr. King and his contemporaries.
Despite our enthusiasm for the progress made, we are not blind to the harsher realities permeating modern America: One does not have to have read “The New Jim Crow” to understand that racism, classism and contempt for the “lesser” still haunt the American political, economic and educational conscience. As the most recent publicized outbreaks of racial discord attest to, one black president does not and cannot wash away centuries of institutionalized hatred, discrimination and disenfranchisement.
The words, hopes and aspirations of Dr. King stretch far beyond the noble and righteous goal of achieving racial equality in the U.S.: They speak to the dream for every individual, regardless of race, creed, color or economic background, to be able to lead dignified and fulfilled lives. Though we may loathe to admit it, this is profoundly difficult, if not outright impossible, for far too many in modern America.
But here’s the good news: As Floridians and Gainesville residents, we find ourselves in the unique and enviable position of actually being able to do something about it. Educate yourself in one of our myriad libraries, or attend one of the countless speaking engagements hosted by UF, Santa Fe or the Civic Media Center. Hit the streets, and raise your voice as loud as possible. Don’t just read the dream, BE it; embodying Dr. King’s principles should be a daily ambition, not an annual one.
