In 1963, the clergymen wrote a letter to Martin Luther King in Birmingham jail in response to the protests by negros in Alabama for not having their voices heard. Although sympathetic towards racial injustice, they did not want to pursue ending segregation through courts. 8 clergymen insisted “We appeal to both our white and Negro citizenry to observe the principles of law and order and common sense” (Letter to Martin Luther King). Later, King wrote in the “Letter of Birmingham” about how he wishes to keep fighting for injustice because he believes that “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere” (MLK).
I believe this plays hand in hand with the current events of the BLM movement. In the letter written by the clergymen, they specifically thank the police officers that stayed calm and handled the situation well (Letter to Martin Luther King). Similarly, many still believe that even after the events regarding Breanna Taylor and George Floyd, ALL police maintain the same integrity and un-bias towards African Americans. They have continued to believe that all law enforcement is truly on the side of looking at law without bias, but this isn’t the case as I still believe law and bias are intertwined. Some differences we can see between the 60s and now are, opinions being heard, inclusion, and employment (histroy.com editors). Like the letter emphasizes negros consistently got their rights denied and voices left unheard; whereas, Blacks now are able to vote to have their voices heard. On the other hand, White Supremacists have believed their race is superior and everyone should trust their actions. A single-story has emerged from these ideas against African Americans.
The battle against equal rights towards African Americans is an ongoing battle that continues to be a talked-about issue. As former President Barack Obama stated, “I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle” (Obama). Obama being the first black president made history however he explained however after King’s speech, the single story of African Americans still seems the same. So while our fight for rights has come a long way since The Letter to Martin Luther, the single-story has continued through Obama’s presidency and George Floyd’s death. Unlike the mindset of the clergymen, this is a battle that won’t end with time but rather the actions people take towards the issue.
Center, National Constitution.Obama Speech on Race at the National Constitution Center, 2009. https://constitutioncenter.org/amoreperfectunion/
History.com Editors. “Civil Rights Movement.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement.
King, Martin L. Letter from the Birmingham Jail. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1994. Print.
It’s rather mind boggling and unsettling how we can see similar issues today that were existent many years ago, regarding things like police treatment and unfair justice due to skin color. I do like how you noted how far we have come, as although there are striking similar issues, there are also a lot of positive things that have happened on the way. There is still a million more things that can be done and it’s probably never ending, but one by one if we all work together we can solve the issues around race.