Never let it be said that our young people do not understand America’s problems, do not feel the consequences of division in America’s adult population, and are not concerned about their futures and those of every other creature on this planet. Today, I followed a speech made by a young lady of the third generation of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s family, Ms. Yolanda Renee King, on January 17, 2022. Though her words were her own, the power of those words showed how “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Requesting the attention of her own generation, Ms. King returned to the words of her great grandfather in his last speech, “Remaining Awake During a Great Revolution,” at the Washington National Cathedral shortly before he was assassinated in 1968.
She placed the clarion call for her generation’s hearts and minds to wake up and get to work, to end poverty, and to stop the violence of wars and that of street battles. She insisted that although these times are dark and challenging, they can be empowering as well. She encouraged her generation to use their actions and passions to fight against today’s divisions and to earn the freedoms that so many before have died for. She called for action to dismantle racism, to halt police brutality and gun violence, to end poverty, and to save the planet for those living today and those of future generations.
Like her great grandfather, she demanded the defense of and the extension of voting rights. She extolled her generation to defend the practices and promises of democracy. She extended to all politicians this question: “Why are you in power, just to be a politician or to help every American find their American dream?” I felt like Martin Luther King, Jr. was smiling down on his grand daughter, saying, “Well done, my child. The world will be a better place because of the love, passion, and devotion of your generation, but you must be strong and be willing to sacrifice for your decisions.”
Words have power when we stop to really listen to who is saying them. In the actions of our young people, we see strength, courage, perseverance, and integrity. I see a brighter, unified future for our children because they really love the world we gave them. It’s up to us to seriously cherish our voting rights and demand that our elected officials vote for America, not against it. We may think that young people can’t understand America’s problems, but they are watching to see how we handle them. They will make their own mistakes, but they will not make our mistakes. We owe them a democracy, an America, that’s worth fighting for. Wake up, America, for our children are worth fighting for!
Anna Hartt
