riveraschatz2008 : Mensaje: Martin Luther King and his Legacy for Puerto Rico

Martin Luther King and his Legacy for Puerto Rico jueves, 18 de enero 2007
Por: Ricardo Rossello

[Special for SJStar; published 01.18.07]

Since 1986, when President Ronald Reagan signed the law that made Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a national holiday, we have been celebrating the life and legacy of this indefatigable American civil rights crusader every January 15. In Puerto Rico this particular holiday is usually looked upon as just another long weekend, without much attention given to the meaning of the observance, perhaps because King’s plight is not as ingrained into our social fabric as other federal holidays, such as Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day. After all, for us here on the island it seems that King’s accomplishments have more to do with the eradication of racial segregation and the discrimination so prevalent in the U.S. even as late as the 1960’s. And fortunately, we never had to experience that level of racial disparity in Puerto Rico, except perhaps during the Spanish colonial era.

Yet, as American citizens that we are, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s struggle for civil rights should serve as an example for all of us who believe in political equality for all our citizens, all without exception. King’s accomplishments went far beyond breaking the barriers between blacks and whites. With his peaceful marches and episodes of civil disobedience, King managed to dismantle the civic and governmental structures that justified the injustice of racial segregation; an injustice born out of the senselessness of discrimination.

Today, it would seem utterly appalling for a store to place a sign at the entrance warning Negroes not to enter. Equally unthinkable would be to have bathrooms only for whites, or build schools where only black students could attend. Or worse yet, it would be atrocious not to allow citizens of a certain race to fully participate in the electoral process of our democracy simply because of the color of their skin.

Yet all of this was very real and happened daily during King’s time. And amazingly, these blatant discriminatory practices were sanctioned by the government and society at large up until as recently as 40 years ago. Herein lies the greatness of King’s life and the peaceful struggle he fought alongside his followers and the civic organizations that collaborated with him. With words and silent marches he let the entire nation know that people in the United States were being hurt by a scheme of legalized injustice that could not go on forever. He made the nation understand that, although segregation was the norm and custom of the time, the fact remained that that norm was a clear violation of the civil and citizen rights of an entire group of people, which was not being treated equally under the law. And as long as that norm existed, civil inequity would continue soiling the reputation of the entire American nation.

Today, we can say that discrimination only exists amongst extreme groups or individuals that still hang on to that archaic mentality. Sadly though, we can still see vestiges of institutionalized civil inequality on U.S. soil. This inequality can be found in the political participation that 4 million American citizens from Puerto Rico lack in the democratic processes of the nation.

As American citizens, Puerto Ricans should have an inalienable right to be fully represented in Congress, as well as have the right, like any other citizen, to vote for the president and vice president. But that right – that most basic of rights in any true democracy - has been denied to these 4 million American citizens ever since the American citizenship was bestowed upon them. This entire group of Americans are simply cast aside and disenfranchised from the democratic process of the nation to which they belong, and this is being done legally, sanctioned by the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial branches of the federal government. This is an extremely repulsive stain on America’s democracy that has yet to be removed.

During his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. King said that one of his dreams was that his four children would “one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Today we can safely say that, for the most part, that dream has become a reality. He also had another dream, "…a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" In this regard, King’s dream is being cut short.

Yet one of the main lessons that can be taken from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s own legacy is that hope shines eternal. So, in celebrating the dreams of a man who was such a firm believer in the greatness of democracy, and who fought for equality and justice for his nation, let us remember his work and apply some of his teachings. Let us forge ahead to achieve the civil equality we deserve under democratic law. Let us forge forward and steadily until we realize the dream of having Puerto Rico fully participate in all of the civil processes of the great American nation to which we belong.

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