60 Years of MLK’s Dream Marked by Book Bannings and the End of Affirmative Action
August 28th, 2023 marks a significant milestone, as it commemorates sixty years since Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the historic grounds of the National Mall in the heart of Washington, D.C. This anniversary not only celebrates the strides made in the journey toward equality but also underscores the paradoxical challenges that persist. It offers us a unique opportunity to ponder our relentless pursuit of justice and ask probing questions about our society's progress.
So, let’s take a moment to reflect on the 60 years of progress and paradox after MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Back in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood resolute at the Lincoln Memorial during the pivotal March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, delivering a speech that has been indelibly etched in the texts of history. With eloquence and fervor, he painted a vivid portrait of a future in which individuals would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. He articulated a dream where all citizens, irrespective of their lineage, would gather as equals at the table of brotherhood.
The immediate and profound impact of this speech cannot be overstated. It served as a rallying cry for the Civil Rights Movement, galvanizing countless individuals to join the battle against racial injustice. It paved the way for the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This legislation represented a monumental stride toward the fulfillment of the equality envisioned by King.
Nevertheless, as we stand six decades beyond that momentous day, we are compelled to take an unvarnished look at the progress achieved. In a world where racial disparities still loom large in domains such as education, employment, and the criminal justice system, it is clear that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream remains a work in progress. The struggle for racial equality persists, with formidable challenges yet to be surmounted.
2023: The End of Race-Based Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Ironically, in the year 2023, we are confronted with the termination of race-based affirmative action in the realm of higher education. The Supreme Court's decision to dismantle these policies has raised profound questions about access to opportunities and the ongoing pursuit of equality. This sets the stage for a paradoxical situation where, as we reflect on the dream articulated by MLK, we also witness a significant mechanism designed to address historical injustices being dismantled.
In light of these complex circumstances, as we observe this poignant anniversary, we must engage in introspection and pose challenging questions. Would Martin Luther King, Jr. consider his dream fully realized, or would he discern the persistent disparities and injustices, prompting him to call for continued change?
2023: Book Banning and Text-Book Changes Erasing African American History
In 2023, we confront an even more disconcerting paradox. As we honor Dr. King's dream, we also witness efforts to erase African American history from textbooks and prohibit books authored by Black writers that all cast a shadow over the progress.
In a nation founded on principles of liberty and justice, these actions are unsettling. They challenge the core of Dr. King's dream and raise questions about our society's trajectory. What progress would Dr. King perceive today? What regressions would he deplore? Would he view his dream as realized, or would he insist on its ongoing relevance?
At this pivotal juncture, we must unite to uphold justice and equality. We must recommit to Dr. King's ideals, striving to ensure that every individual enjoys equal opportunities and equitable treatment.
In the face of adversity, let us draw inspiration from the resilience of those who marched alongside Dr. King. They were undeterred by challenges, fueled by the belief that change was attainable. Their legacy teaches us that progress is not always linear, and the path to justice is strewn with obstacles.
As we commemorate the 60 years since Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, let us reinvigorate our dedication to his vision. Let us follow in the footsteps of those who came before us, advocating for civil rights, education, and equality. Together, we can ensure that Dr. King's dream remains not merely a historical event but a vibrant reality in our society.
Ten Books Banned by Black Authors by ESSENCE
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
This Is My America by Kim Johnson
Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
Black Looks: Race and Representation by bell hooks
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Twelve Books Banned by Black Authors by Insider
"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
"Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany D. Jackson
"All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson
"Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"The Stars and the Blackness Between Them" by Junauda Petrus
"All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker
"Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You" by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
"Hood Feminism" by Mikki Kendall
"Class Act" by Jerry Craft
"The 1619 Project" by Nikole Hannah-Jones
Banned Books by Black Authors by ACLU
The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas (2017)
”Challenged and banned for supposedly promoting an anti-police message.” - ACLUI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou (1969)
”Challenged frequently and banned, ostensibly for vulgarity and sexually explicit material.” - ACLUThe Color Purple, Alice Walker (1982)
”Challenged frequently and banned, ostensibly for its sexual and racial content." - ACLUStamped: Racism, Antiracism and You, Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds (2020)
”Challenged, ostensibly for vulgar language and discussions of race.” - ACLUThe Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison (1970)
”Morrison's books have been frequently challenged or banned, ostensibly for their graphic content.” - ACLUSong of Solomon, Toni Morrison (1977)
Beloved, Toni Morrison (1982)
The New Kid, Jerry Craft (2019)
”Craft's books have been banned as part of efforts to stamp out "critical race theory” in schools.” - ACLUClass Act, Jerry Craft (2020)
Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall (2020)
”Banned as part of broad efforts to censor discussions of race and sexuality.” - ACLUThe 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones (2019)
”Banned as part of broad efforts to stamp out "critical race theory” in schools.” - ACLUNative Son, Richard Wright (1940)
”Wright's works have been frequently challenged or banned, ostensibly for graphic or violent content.” - ACLUBlack Boy, Richard Wright (1945)
Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin (1953)
”Challenged and banned, ostensibly for graphic content.” - ACLUTheir Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neal Hurston (1937)
”Challenged or banned, ostensibly for explicit content.” - ACLUInvisible Man, Ralph Ellison (1952)
“Challenged or banned, ostensibly for vulgarity.” - ACLU
It is important to take the time for reflection and engage with literature, especially the books authored by Black writers, as we commemorate the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. These books, despite facing bans and challenges, offer profound insights into the African American experience, racial justice, and the struggle for equality.
As we honor Dr. King's dream, these books serve as a testament to the resilience of Black authors and their unwavering commitment to sharing their stories and perspectives. They challenge us to confront uncomfortable truths and broaden our understanding of race, representation, and social justice.
By reading and reflecting on these banned books, we pay homage to Dr. King's vision of a more just and equitable society. We recognize that the fight for civil rights and racial equality continues, and it is through knowledge, empathy, and dialogue that we can move closer to realizing the dream of a truly inclusive and fair world for all.
It is insufficient to merely pay homage to MLK's dream; we must actively labor to bring it to fruition. We must reaffirm our unwavering dedication to justice, equality, and opportunity for all. We must strive to forge a society where every individual, regardless of their background, is granted an equitable shot at success.
In the midst of our reflection of these six decades, let us keep Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words and the essence of his dream firmly in our hearts. Let us acknowledge the progress achieved and the challenges we must overcome. Above all, let us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of a world in which every person is assessed not by the hue of their skin but by the essence of their character. While the path is long and beset with obstacles, with steadfast determination and collective unity, we can inch closer to the realization of MLK's dream, one step at a time.
“I Have a Dream” Speech
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Washtington, D.C.
August 28th, 1963
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later the life of the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. So we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. . . .
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence. . . . The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.
. . . We cannot walk alone. And as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.
We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their adulthood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only.”
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. . . .
I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today . . .
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning. “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountain side. Let freedom ring . . .
When we allow freedom to ring—when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, We are free at last.”
Historical Context of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, occurred during a turbulent period in American history characterized by profound racial tensions, a burgeoning civil rights movement, and widespread civil unrest. The historical backdrop surrounding this iconic address is pivotal for grasping its importance both at the time and today:
Jim Crow Era:
King delivered his speech amidst the Jim Crow era, marked by systemic racial segregation in the American South. African Americans endured institutionalized discrimination, encompassing segregated facilities, restricted voting rights, and unequal access to education and job opportunities.Civil Rights Movement:
The 1960s witnessed the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., tirelessly worked to dismantle racial segregation and secure civil liberties for African Americans. This movement gained traction through acts of nonviolent resistance, peaceful protests, and legal challenges to segregation.Birmingham Campaign:
In the preceding year of 1963, King led the Birmingham Campaign, a platform to confront racial segregation in one of the most racially polarized cities in the South. This campaign's utilization of nonviolent protest tactics and peaceful demonstrations seized significant media attention and exerted pressure on political leaders to address civil rights grievances.March on Washington:
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom constituted a monumental civil rights demonstration held in the nation's capital. It drew an astounding crowd of over 250,000 participants, rendering it one of the most massive political rallies in U.S. history. The march articulated demands for civil rights legislation, an end to segregation, and economic parity.John F. Kennedy's Support:
President John F. Kennedy, who initially exhibited cautiousness regarding civil rights, progressively voiced his backing for the movement. His administration began to acknowledge the necessity for legislative measures to redress racial disparities.Integration and Desegregation:
In the aftermath of pivotal court rulings such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which deemed racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, efforts were initiated to integrate educational institutions, public facilities, and societal establishments. Resistance to these transformations frequently culminated in violent confrontations.Growing Racial Tensions:
The early 1960s bore witness to a surge in racial tensions, marked by numerous violent episodes, including the bombing of African American churches and residences. The assassination of civil rights advocate Medgar Evers in June 1963 underscored the perils confronting those who championed change.
Sixty years ago Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his resounding "I Have a Dream" oration at the Lincoln Memorial. His words reverberated as a call for justice, parity, and the cessation of racial bias. The speech galvanized the civil rights movement, captured the nation's attention, and played a pivotal role in shaping public sentiment and legislative initiatives. It remains an indelible symbol of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and racial equity in the United States.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life came to a tragically premature end on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was assassinated at the age of 39, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering commitment to civil rights and social justice. On that fateful evening, as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, a single gunshot rang out, mortally wounding him. Dr. King was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The assassin, James Earl Ray, was captured and convicted of the murder. Ray's motives remain a subject of debate, but it is widely believed that he acted out of hatred and racism. Dr. King's death sent shockwaves throughout the nation and the world, triggering an outpouring of grief and anger.
While Martin Luther King, Jr. may have been taken from the world prematurely, his legacy endures. His dream of a more just and equitable society lives on, inspiring generations to continue the fight for civil rights and equality. His life serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity and danger, one person's dedication to a noble cause can ignite a movement that transcends time and leaves an indelible mark on history. Dr. King's dream is not forgotten, and his vision of a better world continues to drive progress toward a more inclusive and harmonious society.
