The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
I went to elementary school in South Ozone Park, New York. That neighborhood was predominantly black in the 80s/90s. So, Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and a multitude of other civil rights leaders were always at the forefront of my education, especially leading up to today’s holiday and Black History Month.
I’m Puerto Rican, and though I am light skinned, I have dark skinned family. I am also disabled and a genderqueer woman. So, the civil rights/equality movement is an important one in my life.
I would never have the opportunities I have now without the others who fought for them before me.
I love the quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. I have at the beginning of this post. The next four years on every level of government and every aspect of life will not be comfortable for a lot of people. Since I am a part of more than one vulnerable population, I am anticipating the worst. Am I ready to take up the mantle of the ones who have gone before me? I don’t think I have a choice. We are never going back. We are all worth the fight for our freedoms.
Indomitable Bellatrix 