“I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop, and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.
It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color. In short, every American ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated. But this is not the case.
This is not a sectional issue. Difficulties over segregation and discrimination exist in every city, in every State of the Union, producing in many cities a rising tide of discontent that threatens the public safety. Nor is this a partisan issue. In a time of domestic crisis men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics. This is not even a legal or legislative issue alone. It is better to settle these matters in the courts than on the streets, and new laws are needed at every level, but law alone cannot make men see right.
We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution.
The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated.
The fires of frustration and discord are burning in every city, North and South, where legal remedies are not at hand. Redress is sought in the streets, in demonstrations, parades, and protests which create tensions and threaten violence and threaten lives.
We face, therefore, a moral crisis as a country and as a people. It cannot be met by repressive police action. It cannot be left to increased demonstrations in the streets. It cannot be quieted by token moves or talk. It is time to act in the Congress, in your State and local legislative body and, above all, in all of our daily lives.
It is not enough to pin the blame on others, to say this is a problem of one section of the country or another or deplore the fact that we face. A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all.
This is one country. It has become one country because all of us and all the people who came here had an equal chance to develop their talents.
As I have said before, not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or an equal motivation, but they should have an equal right to develop their talent and their ability and their motivation, to make something of themselves.
We have a right to expect that the Negro community will be responsible, will uphold the law, but they have a right to expect that the law will be fair, that the Constitution will be color blind, as Justice Harlan said at the turn of the century.”
These words above are extremely timely and applicable. Unfortunately, the words above are not about today. They come from an excerpt from the Report to the American People on Civil Rights, on June 11, 1963 during John F. Kennedy’s full radio and television report to the American people on civil rights.
Fifty Seven (57) long years ago this was the over arching issue of the day and President Kennedy along with Martin Luther King Jr. was able to advance the cause of freedom for all and, together, they were able to get many Americans to admit the Nations wrong doing towards Black Americans. This speech was a full 98 years after the end of the American Civil war in which 360,222 Union soldiers made up of White soldiers, Black soldiers, Hispanic soldiers, and American Indian soldiers paid the ultimate price for Black Americans.
Unfortunately, what this demonstrates and more importantly should be concerning to all, is the amount of progress or lack of progress that has been made since the mid-1960’s towards the Black American right, “to expect that the law will be fair, that the Constitution will be color blind.”
While confronting these same issues today, a fair question to ask is, are there certain groups or individuals that benefit by exploiting the stalling out of the great Civil Rights gestures of the 1960’s? Is there power and relevance to be maintained by ensuring that, “A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all” never finds any meaningful level of success?
During this unprecedented time when individuals, federal, state and local government officials, corporate America and celebrities from all corners are apologizing, hashtagging, and, “having the conversation”, there is a sense that maintaining the idea that, “America is an evil place”, is helping some raise enormous amounts of capital and diverts attention from other important social issues.
White guilt is the force that drives all of this and Whites will write checks if they think it will help redeem them in societies eyes. Unfortunately, writing a check is not the action required to make meaningful and everlasting change.
We as a Nation need to move from “not racist” or “anti-racist” to truly “created equal” for ALL. We, as a Nation, do not have time to fight bigotry, prejudice, and intolerance, one skin color or one gender at a time. We need to lean in and address these issues NOW for everyone, once and for ALL. It is great that many feel compelled to be actively anti-racist and use their privilege as non-Black people to amplify the Black voice, the Black experience and the Black struggle. However, for any of this strife to be meaningful we, as a Nation must use this time to move much further than just “anti-racist” and, move America to a place that truly values the concept “created equal.”
An idea without a plan is a wish; it is all about execution this time.