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TruthSlant

ADreamDeferred?
Americalovesitsgreatheroicnarratives.Writinghistoryisalotlike
craftingliteratureyouneedcharacters,motives,..andplots.Thereare
threewaysofinterpretingAmericanhistory:thestoryasvictory,asirony,
orastragedy.WeAmericanslikehappyendings.Welikethenarrativeas
victory,asheroic.Takealookatthewinnersoftheboxoffice.
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HeartwarmingFrozen.12YearsaSlaveworks,inlargepart,notonly
becauseitistrue,butbecauseSolomonregainshisfreedom.Someof
ourgreatheroesinAmericanhistory,ourmostbelovedcharacters,are
heroic,buttheycombinetheotherelements,AbrahamLincoln,Martin
LutherKing,Jr.andJohnF.Kennedy,forexample.Theirlivescometo
anabruptendtragically,buttheyareredeemedintovictorybythe
measureoftheirdreams.Theirony,ofcourse,consistsinthedisjuncture
betweentheirdreamsandtherealityofourpastandpresent.

Wehavetalkedaboutdreams,aboutthedreamdeferred.Whatis
thestuffthesedreamsaremadeof?WhatwasLangstonHughes
talkingabout?MartinLutherKing,Jr.?Thoseelusiveelixirs
freedomjusticeequality.Ourliteraturetriestofleshoutthe
ironiesoftheAmericanDream,oursocialandpoliticalleaders
putforthvisions,thenewsstunsuswithitsbrutalsoundbites.
WeliveinaworldwherethePresidentoftheUnitedStatesisthe
sonofanAfricanmanandawhiteAmericanwoman,andhis
wifethedescendantofblackslaves.Thisisthesameworld
wherewalkingdownthestreetinahoodieandbeingblackis
crimeenoughtopayforitwithyourlife.
DuringtheperiodAmericaroseasagreatpostwarpower,The
IronyofAmericanHistorywasauthoredbyReinholdNiebuhr.The
bookillustratestheincongruitybetweenidealandrealityandisan
indictmentofAmericanmoralcomplacencyandawarningagainstthe
arroganceofperceivedvirtue.Itisasrelevanttodayasitwasthen.We
havecontainedMartinLutherKing,Jr.,andsanitizedhimtosootheour
moralcomplacency,todemonstrateourvirtue.Dontlittleblackand
whitechildrenholdhandsnow,atschool?Andsurelymorefolkstoday
judgepeoplenotbythecoloroftheirskinbutbythecontentoftheir
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characterthantheydidin1963.Surely.AnddidnotKingsdreamthat
thesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslaveownerswouldsit
downtogetheratthetableofbrotherhoodcometrue?Atleast,perhaps,
literally.

ButGodknowsthatinthiscountryeveryhillandmountainhas
notbeenmadelow,theroughplaceshavenotbeenmadeplain,
thecrookedplaceshavenotbeenmadestraight.
ThedepravityofchattelslaverythatAbrahamLincolnproclaimed
against,theJimCrowinjusticethatMartinLutherKing,Jr.
protested,aregone.Thatdreamwasfulfilled.Andyet.And
yet.Ourcurrentsystemoperatessubtlyyoucanbarelytellitis
asystembutitmaintainsdiversityasanidealevenasit
continuestoproduceinjusticesystemically.WhatdoImean?
Alittlestory:Businessesmovedoutofurbancentersinsearchof
cheaperlabor,laborunionsweredefeatedanddrewback,black
workingclassprospectsweredevastated,urbantaxbases
declinedleadingtopoorerservices.Intheprocessblack
neighborhoodsindeindustrializedcitiesbecameprimeterritory
forthedrugtrade,whichdoubledasanescapefromdespairanda
wayoutforblackyoungpeoplewithoutmuchhopeofan
alternativemeansofsustenance.IsthisBiggerThomassreality
duringthenadirofAmericanracerelationsasRayfordLogan
callsit,from1890to1940,whenAfricanAmericanswereput
backintosecondclasscitizenship?No,Iamspeakingofthe
1980s.
Andtoday,inthe21stcentury,ineverysignificantmeasure
income,wealth,employment,education,housing,poverty,debt,
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longevity,incarcerationblackAmericansfaremuchworsethan
whites.Raceoftenpredictspropertyvalues,schooldistrict
boundaries,wagedifferentials,portfolios,creditratingsandloan
rates.Ifyouhaveablacksoundingname,yourchancesfora
callbackfromaplaceofemploymentplummet.
DomostAmericansunderstandwhy?DidntMartinLutherKing,
Jr.sdreamcometrue,didnthewinthecivilrightsbattleandnow
thingsshouldbeequal?WantingtobelievetheDisneyversion,
Americansignorereality.Ortheydontwanttohearaboutit.
Insteadoflookingatthehistoricreasonswhyblackpeoplein
Americastillhaveinferiorhousing,lowerscoresonIQtests,and
ahigherpercentageofyoungmeninjail,andsoforth,thereis
asneakingsuspicionthatblackfolksmaybeinferior...anditrests
intheheartsofsomeblacksandmanywhites.Itiseasytoblame
thevictimandconcludethatblackpeoplearethemselves
responsibleforbeingonthebottom.Withoutcausalhistorical
analysis,theseracialdisparitiesareimpossibletoexplain.If
studyinghistoryissupposedtogiveusperspectiveonourpresent,
thenracismandwhiteprivilegeshouldbeamainthemein
Americanhistoryandmedia.Butoftenourhistorytextbooksand
ourtalkingheadsignoreracismanditsaffects.
Wetendtoconfusefreedomwithequality.Andwetendto
conflatediversitywithjustice.Justbecausethereisdiversity,it
doesnotmeanthereisjustice.Justbecausethereismore
freedom,itdoesnotmeanthereisstructuralequality.AColin
PowelloraCondoleezaRiceoraBarackObamadoesnotnegate
thesystemicinjusticeinthiscountry.Andthecausesforit.
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IfwebelievethatMartinLutherKing,Jr.ssuccessfulfightfor
civilrightsisthewholeheroicnarrative,weareignoringtheother
aspectsofhisdreams.Muchofhislaterspeechesandactions
wereconcernedwithstructuralracismandtheVietnamWara
warlikealmostallofthemoverwhelminglyfoughtbythe
poor,andorchestratedbyelites.
InMay,1967,Kingwrote:ImustconfessthatthedreamI
hadhas,atmanypoints,turnedintoanightmareIstillhave
faithinthefuture,but..Ivegonethroughalotofsoulsearching
andagonizingmomentsandIvecometoseethatwehavemany
moredifficultdaysahead,andsomeoftheoldoptimismwasa
littlesuperficial,andnowitmustbetemperedwithasolid
realism
FiveyearsaftertheMarchonWashington,MartinLutherKing,
Jr.remindedAmericansthathehadcampaignednotjustforcivil
rights,butforjobsandincome,becausewefeltthatthe
economicquestionwasthemostcrucialthatblackpeopleand
poorpeople,generally,wereconfronting.Kingwasbuildingthe
PoorPeoplesCampaigntoconfronttheveryinequalitiesthatstill
plagueourcountrytoday.
HecametoMemphisinthespringof1968tosupportastrikeby
thecitysblackgarbagemen.Thesemenweretreatedwith
contemptastheyperformedafilthyandunrewardingjob,paidso
badlythat40%ofthemwereonwelfare,andwere
contemptuouslycalledboybywhitesupervisors.Theywere
metwithoppositionandviolence.Kingsattempttohelpwas
plaguedbyviolenceaswell.Andviolencewouldmarkhisdeath
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onthebalconyoftheLorrainemotel.
Twelvedaysafterhedied,thestrikewassettled,thegarbage
mensunionwasrecognized,andthecityofMemphisgrudgingly
agreedtoincreasetheirwages:byanickel.Thatpaltrysum,as
BillyMoyershaspointedout,wasprophetic.Alltheseyears
later,littlehaschangedwhenitcomestoeconomicequality.And
inacountrywheretodaythetoppercentileenjoysunprecedented
anddisparateprosperity,whiletherestofsocietyslipsdownthe
graph,isitsurprisingthatpessimismmarksmorethanjust
prospectsofwealthorstability?
Accordingtonationwidepollsatthebeginningofthe20th
century,highschoolstudentshaveagloomyviewofrace
relationsinAmericatoday.Anotherpolltakeninthelate20th
centuryrevealedthatyoungwhiteadultshadlesstolerant
attitudestowardsblackAmericansthanthoseoverthirty.Iam
prettysurethattrendcontinues.Isitbecausetheyaretooyoung
tohaveexperiencedorwatchedthecivilrightsmovementasit
happened,andthattheyhavenounderstandingofthepastand
presentworkingsofracisminAmericansociety?AreDetroits
bankruptcyandtheeviscerationofkeyVotingRightsAct
provisionsbytheSupremeCourtaheraldforadarkerfuture?
ThesesortsofperversionsofKingsdreamare,toparaphrase
FrederickBuechner,likeagreatcatwithitspawsonourchests
suckingourbreath.
WhyiswhiteAmericasoafraidofitsownpast?AsWilliam
Faulknerputit,Thepastisneverdead.Itsnotevenpast.A
southerner.Heshouldknow.AsLeonardPittshaspointedout,
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Americaisahauntedhouse.Wehavetriedtokillwhathappened
toblackpeopleinthiscountry.Toignoreit,hideit,sanitizeit,
pushitindeeplyorgrowimpatientwithitandfinallycryout,
enough!Butthisisapainthathasbeengatheringitselffor
generations,adeepandpowerfulachethatstretchesfromaman
inslaveshacklestoaboyinhandcuffstoday.AsPittswrites,
Thepastshapesthepresent.Andthefuture,ifithasanysense,
trembles.Andstill,thedreamisdeferred.
Thisishistoryastragedy.Andasirony.AsKingsaid,we
proudlyprofesscertainsublimeandnobleprinciples,butonthe
otherhand,wesadlypracticetheveryantithesisofthose
principles.Howoftenareourlivescharacterizedbyahighblood
pressureofcreedsandananemiaofdeeds!Someofyouout
theremightthink,well,thisisnotmyfightthisisnotthe
injusticeIlivewithEnoughalready.Cantpeoplejustgetover
it?Butitisyourdreamdeferredaswell.Toparaphrase
Buechneragain,Wehaveacommondestiny.Weareallinit
together.Therecannotbepeaceandjusticeforanyoneuntilthere
ispeaceandjusticefinallyforusall.Ourlivesarelinked
together.Nomanisanisland.
Thissenseofanaccountablecommunity,ofasharedfutureand
anactivedream,shapedLangstonHughes,MartinLutherKing,
Jr.,andotheractivists,artists,andintellectuals.Hughesdescribed
hisownearlyrealizationofthis,Thefirsttwoorthreedays,on
thewayhomefromschool,littlewhitekids,kidsmyownage,six
andsevenyearsold,whowouldthrowstonesatmesomeof
them.Therewereotherlittlewhitekids,sixandsevenyearsold,
whopickedupstonesandthrewthembackattheirfellow
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classmates,anddefendedme,andsawthatIgothomesafely.So,
Ilearnedveryearlyinlifethatourraceproblemisnotreallyof
blackagainstwhite,andwhiteagainstblack.Itsaproblemof
peoplewhoarenotveryknowledgeable,orwhohavesmall
minds,orsmallspirits.
Thisispartofthevictorynarrative.Ibelievetheremaybe
victorystilltobehadinthehopeandlovethatwereatthecoreof
MartinLutherKingsmessages,andinhisworks,inthereal
progressthathasbeenmade.Butthereismuchworktodo
becauselargepiecesofthedreamhavebeendeferredfortoo
manyAmericans.
Letusrecognizethetragedy,andtheirony,buthopeforvictory.
Choosehope,chooselove,becausehateistooheavyaburdento
bear,asaredespondencyandapathy.AsKingsaid,thehopesof
ourchildhoodandthepromisesofourmatureyearsare
unfinishedsymphonies.Kingknewthepricesomewouldpayfor
dreamsdeferred:bitternessandresentment,orcripplingcynicism,
orfatalism.Kingsantidote:clingtoradianthope.Confrontyour
shattereddream.Transformliabilityintoasset.Becreativeinyour
optimism.Havethecouragetobe.
InhisfamouslastMountaintopspeech,Kingtoldhisaudience,
IjustwanttodoGodswill.AndHesallowedmetogoupto
themountain.AndIvelookedover.AndIveseenthePromised
Land.Imaynotgettherewithyou.ButIwantyoutoknow
tonight,thatwe,asapeople,willgettothePromisedLand!I
believewestillmight.Thatmaybethatdreamwillnotbedeferred
forever.
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