Tan, Su-Ann: Diversity

The work of the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. set the standard of racial integration we live by today. Known for his support of nonviolent protests, he transformed the demeaning social status of African Americans of the past to one of equality among all ethnicities today. Because of his unrelenting passion for freedom and  equality of the ill-treated minorities, he is one of the people in history I consider a great hero of all time.


One incident exemplifies how he strived for the Black community was in Birmingham, Alabama. During one of the many demonstrations by African Americans, eight white clergymen got together and published A Call for Unity in the local newspaper urging the demonstrators to instead turn to local negotiations. They expressed how they disapproved of the timing of the demonstration and insinuated how it was against the law. King, who was arrested for his part in the nonviolent protest, responded to this article by writing A Letter from Birmingham Jail. He wrote about how he regretted the protests in Birmingham but also said that the white community left them with no other choice; the tension that those protests were creating was critical to the growth change that was needed.


Reading these two documents taught me a lesson - that though I may experience difficult times throughout my life, there will always be a window of opportunity to still reach my goal. I have been caught in countless situations in which I feel as if there is no way to resolve an issue. But as I read those works and reflected, I realized that there were other choices I could have taken instead of grudgingly accepting my fate.


Another lesson that I learned from these two documents is the ability to 'disagree without being disagreeable.'.I say this because as I was growing up, my parents have countlessly told me I needed to learn how to do so. When I argued with my parents I either thought that it was futile trying to express my own opinions, or tried aggressively to prove I was right. In retrospect and had I been more intuitive, my 'rebellious' teen years would have been filled much less drama.


I am still in the process of obtaining the patience to hold my thoughts until it is the right time, but I believe I am on the right track now. Reading about how Martin Luther King Jr. strived for his thoughts persuasively and effectively has reflected upon many aspects of my life I have not noticed before. I am still fearful, though, that when I come across a difficult situation, that I would not be able to see all the choices I have. But as I continue about in my life reading more inspiring works and reflecting upon myself each time, I hope to learn to open my inner eye and realize my potential.