Africa Needs Martin Luther King’s Dream

By Leah H. Mwainyekule

Fifty years ago, on August 28, 1963, at least 250,000 people marched towards the Lincoln Memorial stadium in Washington, United States, and heard the famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr., widely known as “I Have a Dream.”

This prominent speech was among a number of speeches by Dr. King, and it dwelt on the importance of having equal rights for all citizens.  During that time, African-Americans were segregated due to racism that was wide spread in the country.  An African-American was still living in deep poverty in the middle of a sea full of riches.  An African-American was still living a terrible life in the middle of other wealthy people.  Dr. King wanted to make sure that this segregation comes to an end, and that is why he had a dream.

Dr. King’s dream was not directed to African-Americans alone, but was a reflection of things that were going on in the whole world.  America was only an example of a country that practiced racism to the extent of Africans not being able to have better jobs, not being able to sleep in nice hotels, and not being able to vote or do anything meaningful.

Dr. King’s dream was talking about the suffering that Africans endured all over the world.  Being colonialized, marginalized, grabbed of land in their own country, denied the opportunity to vote and choose the leader they want, and denied the chance of using the natural resources that are in their own land.

Dr. King’s dream was that of seeing Africans, in their country, living in peace and harmony.  It was to see the available resources being used to develop the African.  It was one of seeing people vote, and do so in a free and fair manner; and for the results to be truthful, depending on the votes being cast.  His dream was to see justice being served to all people, black or white, Africans or Europeans, Christians or Muslims, old or young, rich or poor.  In short, his dream focused on talking about people’s rights throughout the world.

In his speech, “I Have a Dream”, here are some of the words that Dr. King said in front of the hundreds of people who gathered to listen to him:

“But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. 

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friends -- so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.  I have 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."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. 

I have a dream that my four little children will 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.

With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.  Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.  Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.  Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi -- from every mountainside.  Let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring -- when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children -- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics -- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Now it is 50 years since this prominent speech was heard throughout the world.  Dr. King is already dead, dead by a bullet because of his fighting for freedom for the world.  The question that I am asking myself, is, has this dream come true?  As we commemorate 50 years since he shared his dream, has it happened?

I am talking here about the whole world’s dream, and not just America’s.  I am talking here about the Africans’ dream to free themselves from the claws of the colonialists and finally being able to govern themselves.  I am talking here about the dream of every one who has the right to vote not only be able to vote, but be able to do so through a free and fair process, without any fears.

I am talking here about the dream of having the casted votes being announced, and the voters agreeing with it.  I am talking about the dream that will see Africans, in their continent full of honey and milk, being able to use their resources for the benefit of all Africans, for their people, for their children.  It is a dream meant to see all children be able to go to school, everybody being able to afford three meals a day, everyone have access to clean and safe water, and everyone enjoying the benefits of the resources available.

The dream that I’m talking about is that of seeing Africans live peacefully, instead of killing each other because of minerals that are in their land.  It is the one that does not want to see Africans stabbing each other only because of religious differences.  It is the one that does not want to see Africans throwing tear gas at each other simply because they have different political ideologies.

The dream I am talking about does not want to see a certain group thinking that it is the one with the right to rule, as if the leadership was a monarchy that could only be left by death.  It is not a dream that will see a politician deciding to use money to win an election, without even knowing where the money came from and how it would be repaid.  It is not a dream of leaders refusing to let go of power when their time is up, as if the constitution told them that the leadership belongs only to them, and no one else.  It is not a dream of seeing politicians insulting each other instead of arguing with valid points. Oh no, that is definitely not the dream!

It is a dream that wants to see Africa change, and freedom ring.  Just as it was with Dr. King’s dream, let freedom ring from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to the minerals of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Let freedom ring from the shores of Lake Nyasa to the gold mines of South Africa.  Let freedom ring from the Mosques of Egypt to the camps of Sudan.  Let freedom ring from the villages of Zimbabwe to the forests of Rwanda.  From every corner of the African continent, let freedom ring.

And if we let that happen, of we let freedom ring, if we let it ring from every village and every place, from every state and every town, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, Nigerians and Tanzanians, Kenyans and Somalis, Moroccans and Mozambicans, Christians and Muslims, Arabs and Africans, black and white, politicians and citizens, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

  

###