Reverend: King is 'just as much alive today'"

by guest blogger CFLORES6

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jan/15/reverend-hes-just-as-much-alive-today/

The above link is an article I found from the Evansville Courier & Press (IN), posted January 15, 2012. Reporter, Jared Council, had interviewed different local religious leaders who spoke on the legacy of Martin Luther King. Each person that was interviewed seemed very passionate about the topic. They described Dr. King as a courageous and powerful man and talked about his endless accomplishments. One Reverend quoted.

"Sometimes you become oppressed for so long that you think that nothing will change, And you think you're so low that you can't move forward. But he (Dr. King) gave them the courage to overcome the obstacles of oppression and to move forward."

However, they also emphasized that his work is not finished, and that his dream is not yet complete. They talked about how oppression is still very much alive today. Dr. Zahid Saqib, the president of the Islamic Center of Evansville, explained that Dr. King was "instrumental in evaluating blacks and other minorities to a level of playing field", and that today the playing field is still NOT equal. Especially in areas such as, "disproportionate black dropout rates, incarceration rates and unemployment rates." The article concludes with a quote from a Reverend by the name of Richard Pollard

"He's just as much alive today as he was if he walked on the earth," Pollard said. "He's still here through the activists, through the people who are fighting for freedom for so many people who are disenfranchised. He's still alive working through individuals who are carrying out his mandate."

Obviously the only way to overcome oppression in the world today is to discuss it. We can find examples of abuse and criticize it, such as the discriminatory practices that took place against African-Americans and Latinos in New York City's police force, but we can also find positive examples. What I mean is, we should recognize and shine a light on those who are also fighting to end oppression, who are promoting peace and equality, and who are trying to make a difference, such as local religious leaders from Evansville, IN. In other words, sometimes we should take time to recognize the good instead of strictly focusing on the bad.