Little Rock, Arkansas. Jena, Louisiana. Very different, and yet exactly the same. One happened in the 1960s, while the other occurred a mere 4 years ago. And yet, we have the nerve to say that the era of Civil Rights issues is behind us. It hurts me to think that we still live in a country in which students my own age are persecuted because of the color of their skin. We have seen the fight for equality. We have heard the screams of terror from our peers. Yet, when will this all finally end. Under our own noses this is happening. In a town of upper class behavior, and peace, we can still today see a bus driver not let a student on a bus because he feels the student cannot possible live in such a town. Why? Because he is black.
To stand up in front of a class full of students, and preach that we have equality. To say that the Civil Rights era say an end to the hatred, and the discrimination that was once seen in our country. To do all this: is a crime. And until we can honestly preach equality, perhaps we should start trying to make it so.
