Martin Luther King déclamant « I have a dream ». Auteur: Digital Collections, UIC (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

This year we are experiencing an exciting contradiction, the 50^th anniversary of what could be the most popular and important speech of the current era. I mean the speech of the civil rights leader, the Reverend American of African descent, Martin Luther King. This speech was given on August 28 1963 in a major square of the capital of the USA, Washington DC, packed with hundreds of thousands of attendees, and is known as «I have a dream». A speech which inspired the people and the leaders of the United States to continue the march to grant rights and freedoms to minorities.

The contradiction is that this 50^th anniversary happened in an America whose ruler is Barack Obama, the first U.S. president of African descent. This enormous achievement follows a series of remarkable political achievements for this category of the population in America. Today, Afro-Americans have reached leading positions in the Senate, the Army Staff, and even the Secretary of State as well as in major companies, associations and sport clubs. They play a main role in litterature, and in the various kinds of arts. Afro-American presence is bright in media, film and TV.

In contrast, there are remarkable statistics, which cannot be ignored, that emphasize strongly that poverty, low level of education, and a large ratio of crimes are still significantly black. And sociologists refer to the existence of significant deficiencies in the State’s social inclusion programs that are supposed to involve the whole population in the development process!

How to comprehend these contradictions?

If America, with its strength and greatness, which itself inspired the whole world during the sixties through Martin Luther Kings’ famous speech, and which has achieved a great reduction of structural racial inequality by enacting bold civil rights legislations forcing all companies, institutions and enterprises, even homeowners who are willing to sell or rent their properties, to adhere to non-discrimination: to offer all citizens (majority and minorities) the same opportunities and to respect rights such as justice and freedom. Severe legal sanctions are applied against anyone who violates those laws.

If after all of that, the world still believes that America has a tremendous deficiency, which must be addressed! So, what would the other communities worldwide (nations & countries) say about the hidden racism inside them, and we have here to analyze deeply America, and the inspiration of (I have a dream) as a reference while we are trying to find any possible explanation to the coming assumption:  when it comes to the fact that these communities ( by using the priorities of the national security or to maintain the synchronized harmony of the society) are experiencing unintentionally a kind of Schizophrenia in dealing with their inhabitants based on race, color or religion. Usually, for being always scared of the OTHER, and by the name of defending great fundamentals. They do not recognize the existence of the problem, and also how dangerous it is, if it would be left without a recognition or planning to solve. Such kind of ignorance or, let’s say,  inattention, will be a possible tool of disfiguration to the society with a deniable attitude!

Racism is a malignant and incurable disease, and without addressing it seriously and realistically, it will lead to subversive social disasters. This issue had been well addressed by American decision makers, who try to pursue the problem as quickly as possible. Today they are facing the same challenges and dangers with the Hispanic population, which has become today’s fastest growing community in the United States, and has a huge presence in the most important states like Florida, Texas, California and New York. The Spanish language has become the second language in USA these days (almost 40 million speakers).
50 years have passed since that meaningful and breathtaking speech. It remains an inspiration to the world, but which has not been realized yet! It is not only limited to stopping racial abuse in football stadiums, but also in the criminalization of all the various forms of  racism which will be the safest way to heal any significant crack in any healthy system structure, based on the respect of  human rights and justice. At that moment, we can say that our societies are free and just.

Orwa Al-Hussein

Membre de la rédaction valaisanne de Voix d’Exils