ancient history (long)

Carol in Maryland · 01-21-2008, 09:45 AM

Very few of the members of this board were even born in 1963, so I am sure that today feels about as relevant as President's Day, but I was a senior in high school. Never in a million years would I have expected MLK to have a national holiday. He was an incredibly controversial and inflammatory man, much admired, but also much hated by many. "I have a dream" was just a small part of who he was and what he had to say. College was a fascinating time for me - the first time since kindergarten that I had close black friends, and they were willing to educate me on a lot of things which had never been part of my world. Interracial dating was radical, and interracial marriage was still illegal in Virginia and elsewhere until Loving v. Virginia was decided in 1967. I worked with SNCC to register black voters, and marched for a variety of civil rights initiatives. It was, unfortunately, no surprise when MLK was murdered, following JFK and shortly before RFK. My mother died the same week, while I was watching my husband and his military comrades fighting fires in Washington, DC. It is hard, now, to even imagine watching our capitol in flames.
At the same time, especially at my all female college (all of the Ivy League was still restricted to men), another civil rights issue was brewing - for women. It didn't have a name yet, but for the first time we really believed that we could do/be anything we wanted. When my med student fiance announced that I was to be decorative, and that he would have serious discussions with his colleagues, he was not my fiance for very long.
So today is really a day to remember another world, an exciting one, but with far fewer opportunities. If you had told me in 1963 that I would one day have the luxury of choosing between a woman and an African American for President of the United States, I could not have believed it. My only regret is that MLK's holiday is not shared with a lot of other heroes of the day who sat in the front of the bus, or at segregated lunch counters, or also died trying to change the world.

dbn13 · 01-21-2008, 10:00 AM

Please... not irrelevant to me at all. Because of what happened back then, I'm able to do what I can today. It still haunts me and bothers me to see affirmative action programs eroding away on a continuous basis. The strides that were made back in the day seem to be less and less important to some people because we're all equal right? Whatever. We've got a long way to go.

I'm a product of an interracial marriage. Mom is African American and dad is of German descent. They married in 1972. It's crazy to think that just 5 years earlier, there were states that wouldn't have recognized their marriage. Unreal.

No, this day means a lot to me. It's definitely not just another day off.

Carol in Maryland · 01-21-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbn13

Please... not irrelevant to me at all.

You bet, Dawn, a female African American attorney was incredibly rare in the day, but not anymore.

KeriKadi · 01-21-2008, 10:04 AM

You are right Carol. We don't know what it was like to live in 'that' world. It is so surreal that the world as we know it has changed so much in the last 30-40 years.
Several months ago Cory and I were watching Remember the Titans together and he was shocked at the race relations portrayed in the movie. I think it's great that Cory hasn't seen much racism but it is important to teach our children where we were and how we got here if we are to learn from our history.
Thanks so much for posting.

dbn13 · 01-21-2008, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carol in Maryland

You bet, Dawn, a female African American attorney was incredibly rare in the day, but not anymore.

I'm telling you - I recently saw the Great Debaters and I couldn't stop crying through the movie. I hope my Caucasian husband understand why it was so emotional for me to watch.

jandj-2002 · 01-21-2008, 10:36 AM

Carol, thanks for the post. That was my birth year. And I'm sure that was a very interesting and scary time. Although we've come a long way, there is still a ways to go.

My former boss (about a decade older than you) went to Rutgers and was the only woman in the class. On top of that she was an engineering major. I can't even imagine how that was. To hear her tell it, it was no big deal but I loved asking her questions. She was honored at her 50 year reunion. I wish the other "girls" - they were so young - on our team would have paid her the respect he deserved. Thanks to her and others like you, Carol, for paving that way.

Carol in Maryland · 01-21-2008, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandj-2002

My former boss (about a decade older than you) went to Rutgers and was the only woman in the class.

She must have gone to University College. That & Douglass were the only ones open to women. How brave to be an engineering major at that time! I always think that, if had ever occurred to my mother in her wildest dreams, she would have known from day one that I would be a lawyer, since I argued about everything, but it simply wasn't an option at the time. I was the first in my family even to go to college. My parents fully expected me to be a secretary.

mclisa · 01-21-2008, 11:08 AM

That is one of the best summations of that time period that I have ever read. Thanks Carol!

Eleni · 01-21-2008, 11:29 AM

Very well said Carol!

KATin NJ · 01-21-2008, 11:33 AM

Thank you, Carol. Not just another day for our family either. I was so pleased to hear from my 6 yo that they had several readings and project about MLK in the past few weeks. The teacher did a great job bringing MLK's views to the kids in a kid-friendly way. Will was so fascinated and equally saddened that people had such a hard time getting along and just not working toward peace....(if only he knew that sad truth that it still exists....).

Fabulous post. So glad you posted this.