Ronnie Rhodes

November 2015

On a school afternoon when I was twelve, I went, as usual, to my great-grandmothers

house. Granny, as usual, was baking cookies this time in preparation for Christmas. Again, as

usual, she began to amuse me with stories of her childhood. Soon after she began, however, I

realized this was not to be another usual day, for Granny talked to me about segregation a topic

that, to that moment, I had never connected to myself, my African-American father, my White

Hispanic mother, or my family in general. In my life, I did not know of racism or segregation

firsthand and was simply blind to it. Listening to Granny speak of the subject and how it

connected to her life, however, opened my eyes to the contrast in which I live my life compared

to those in the United States past. All of it came down to centuries worth of struggle from

African-Americans and relied on the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the tense Civil

Rights Movement of the mid-twentieth century. Because of Dr. Kings message and actions, not

only am I able to live a life different from the segregated life millions experienced, but I am able

to recognize the worth of peaceful demonstration and public service.

Martin Luther King Jr. rightfully deserves to be recognized for the countless

achievements he made in his lifetime, but one of the most significant aspects of Dr. King that

must be admired is the stance he took on peaceful demonstration. Dr. Kings strong desire to

remain peaceful was seen continuously during his time as a Civil Rights leader, from the

Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 to the Poor Peoples Campaign in 1968. An example of Dr.

Kings role in peaceful demonstration could be seen most clearly during the 1965 marches from

Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery, in an attempt to secure voting rights for all

citizens. Instead of fighting fire with fire after Alabama State troopers shot teargas and beat the
nonviolent protestors during the first march, Dr. King and the other hundreds of marchers

organized another peaceful march, which successfully contributed to the passing of the Voting

Rights Act nearly five months later. While numerous people believed that the only way to obtain

change was to respond to the violence with more violence, Dr. King recognized that in order to

truly seek change, one must remain practical in the face of ferocity. Dr. Kings message and

actions regarding peaceful demonstration are still alive today, as seen in August 2014 after the

death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. While there were those who chose violence in

the wake of the tragic event, just like some people during the Civil Rights Movement, others

remembered Dr. Kings message and remained peaceful, acknowledging that violence only leads

to further destruction. On that cold December day at my great-grandmothers house five years

ago, she spoke to me about the state of segregation in Lawton, Oklahoma during her childhood.

Born in 1934, Granny attended Dunbar Elementary School and Douglass High School two of

the segregated schools that served African-American students in Lawton until the desegregation

of public schools in 1954. Without peaceful demonstration, the desegregation of schools would

have been delayed for many more years, but because citizens remained practical, my great-

grandmothers children were afforded an opportunity she did not have to attend school with

children of all races. Now, decades later, I have also been afforded this opportunity and am able

to recognize that if I truly want to seek change, I must remain pragmatic and a voice of reason

for a cause I believe in.

Although peaceful demonstration has become a momentous legacy of Martin Luther

King, Jr., another aspect of Dr. King that must be admired is the service he provided to the

public. When my great-grandmother spoke to me about segregation when I was twelve, she

reflected on the time period as not only a struggle for African-Americans, but a struggle for
countless others in the nation and abroad. To her, the struggles of these groups racial, financial,

and societal were looking for liberty and justice, which was achieved through the actions of

numerous people, especially Dr. King. Dr. King had the choice of whether he would become a

renowned figure in the Civil Rights Movement, and he chose to become this figure not for glory

or for fame, but because he knew that believers in the movement needed a voice a voice they

found in Dr. King. Gifted with this voice, Dr. King recognized that the movement was not only

about African-Americans, but that it was about justice and equality in every aspect for all

citizens. This desire to serve citizens was seen when Dr. King began to organize the Poor

Peoples Campaign in 1968, which would address issues of economic justice and housing for

the poor. During his lifetime, Dr. King acted relentlessly to fight peacefully for justice and

equality. This fight was not seen intermittently during his life, but was seen endlessly. Because

of Dr. Kings public service, I have realized that service must not be provided at only certain

times, but it must be continuously given. If there is a cause that I am devoted to or a change I

desire to see in my lifetime, I must be a voice like Dr. King and spread my message through

examples.

Because of Martin Luther King Jr.s message and actions, especially his stance on

peaceful demonstration and his role in public service, I have been fortunate enough to live a life

different from the one my great-grandmother experienced as a child, when my town and

countless others were segregated. Dr. Kings message has and continues to impact my life today,

for I now realize that to see change, I must first contribute to the cause to make the change occur.

In todays world, there are countless issues in which I firmly support. If I am to be like Dr. King

and continue to spread his message to the world, I must continuously contribute to crucial causes
and decide whether I will sit back and wait for the change to happen, or if I will use my voice

and abilities to be a part of the change.