Martin Luther King was killed by a racist white national 55 years ago, in part because he had the courage to march with striking sanitation workers a week earlier who wore placards with the message, "I AM A MAN". The indignities they suffered were immeasurable.
Affirmative action in college admissions that began in the 60's during the Civil Rights Movement that was largely led by King has been instrumental in diversifying college campuses all over the country. Since then race has been one of the considerations in deciding who would be admitted to colleges and universities. It was also an attempt to "right some of the wrongs" that black people have been subjected to throughout our history.
Although we've come a long way, the murder of George Floyd was just one example that illustrates to us that full racial equality is yet to be achieved.
Now the Supreme Court is poised to eliminate race as a factor in deciding who gets to go to college, and as a result the underprivileged will become even more disenfranchised.
We pay lip service to Martin Luther King's legacy on this day each year, but on many fronts, it seems like we're marching backwards.
Comments