After watching Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s "I Have a Dream" speech, it dawns on me that the fulfillment of that "dream" remains elusive.
It’s a proud moment for America when the first African-American – actually non-white male – is a major party’s candidate for President. Clearly, as a people we have climbed quite a ways up the proverbial mountain. But we must remember: Dr. King wasn’t speaking solely of racial equality. His message was about equal rights, liberty and justice for all human beings. On that score, as a country and a world, we are still sorely lacking.
Even with the backdrop of a mostly friendly Olympic Games in Beijing where athletes from all areas of the globe united in the camaraderie of athletic competition, sports, a fairly progressive pursuit, is still missing many of Dr. King’s ideals. And nothing pains me more than to admit that this extends to my beloved golf.
Sadly, golf, even in the Tiger era, remains a frequent offender of poor judgment when it comes to equal rights for all. This summer alone two controversies hit the front page ofThe New York Times. Be itkeeping women outof certain areas of clubs or a club entirely, or, more recently, theLPGA mandating that serviceable Englishwill be a requirement for foreign players on their tour, the greater golfing community often bogeys.
And here I want to be clear – often these faux pasand embarrassments arenotracially motivated. They simply seem to be a by-product of a sometimes insular cultural socialization that seems to overshadow good taste and sensitivity.
So far as I’m concerned, private clubs and organizations should be allowed to do whatever they want. That too, in essence, is part of Martin Luther King’s dream. It’s how you handle these situations, whether through consideration, compromise or conformity, that is paramount in creating harmonious societies and frankly, insuring our future.
Obama for President only goes so far. True liberty and Constitutional adherence require us to keep on dreaming of, and working toward, improving our treatment of one another. – Rico Williams
