by Anita S. Lane
Prior to the advancements made by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, the black community suffered under severe and oppressive racism that made it very difficult to fully express one’s self and function freely in American society. Some of the external forces that permitted such oppression still exist in the hearts of men today, yet I believe that we in the black community must come to terms with the fact that the most oppressive inhibitor now exists within.
The modern civil rights movement brought the segregation walls down. This was a very necessary action to ensure all Americans the right to vote and access to houses, jobs and universities. Yet when the walls came down our focus as a community should have shifted inward. What do we need to do now to ensure that we are able to take full advantage of the opportunities before us? How do we deal with the lingering inner oppressive forces that are the result of centuries of external oppression that now work against us to keep us from excelling even after the segregation walls have been brought down?
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., following the example of the nonviolent model of Jesus Christ, taught us to love our enemies. Today, our most powerful enemy is the enemy within, and the only conqueror to this enemy is love.
I believe Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. would pain inside to see that after the incredible amount sacrifice the black community endured to persist in the nonviolent movement, today we are the largest perpetrators of violence and the majority of that violence we inflict on one another.
Can we take the words of the nonviolent leaders and use the example of the nonviolent movement and lift the oppression that exists within the black community today? It’s been said that change occurs only when an oppressed people “find their voice.” Can we find our voice within in the words, “we must love ourselves?” As rudimentary as this may sound, until we truly love ourselves, we will not cease to destroy ourselves, and we will keep ourselves from living the glorious lives that God has intended for each of us.
Can we in the black community boycott the hate, march against the blame game and hold a sit-in at the local churches to hear our preachers pour the message of love into our hearts?
God’s word tells us that love will cover the multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8). It is this kind of unconditional, enduring love that will enable us to embrace our strengths, rise above external opposing forces, conquer our fears, overcome our failures, grow beyond our limitations and lead the lives purposed for us. No one and nothing else can do this for us. It must begin from within. We must find our voice and change our destiny. We must truly love ourselves.
Copyright ©2005 by Anita S. Lane
Visit my online magazine for moms
No comments:
Post a Comment