And my point is that although Dr. King used emotional appeal and strident rhetoric, it was well past time for a change. He became the catalyst we needed to push us forward into the next historic phase in our effort to undo the mistakes of the past.
Change often comes with discomfort. And while Malcolm X and later Jesse Jackson were to take the emotionalism and hatreds brought about by slavery and racial oppression and use them as political tools for personal gain and self-aggrandizement, King at least stayed on message: America should be what it has always promised -- for everyone living here.
Slavery and government-enforced stratification of the races are and hopefully will remain our darkest, vilest mistake. It'll only be with continued sacrifice and reflection among all the races living here in this great land that we can escape our ugly heritage as a nation.
We will, I'm sure of it.
Most people don't realize that segregation was forced on you by law and not a matter of choice.
Rosa Parks and many people like her had the courage to stand up to those laws. It's a good thing, too.