Ar An Lá Seo, 28 Lúnasa: Martin Luther King Jr.
28 Lúnasa, 1963
Ar an lá seo, 28 Lúnasa, 1963, thug Martin Luther King Jr. a óráid cáiliúil “Tá an Aisling Seo Agam” in Washington, D.C.
Gníomhaí polaitiúil as Atlanta, Georgia, Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, ab ea Martin Luther King, Jr. Rugadh é ar 15 Eanáir, 1929. Nuair a bhí King ag fás aníos, bhí saol crua ag Meiriceánaigh Afracacha i Meiriceá. Bhí daoine gorma agus daoine geala scartha óna chéile. Ní raibh cead ag Meiriceánaigh Afracacha vótáil i dtoghcháin. Ag an ollscoil, léigh King faoi Mhahatma Gandhi agus bhí sé an-tógtha lena chuid smaointe faoi fheachtasaíocht shíochánta. Bhí King ag iarraidh go mbeadh na cearta céanna ag gach Meiriceánach, is cuma faoi chine s’acu. D’éirigh sé ina ghníomhaíoch chearta sibhialta agus tháinig cáil ar King thar na blianta de bharr a chuid oibre. Ba cheannaire an-tábhachtach é i rith Ghluaiseacht Chearta Sibhialta Mheiriceá sna 1950í agus sna 1960í.
Ar an 28 Lúnasa 1963, thug Martin Luther King a óráid cáiliúil “I Have A Dream” in Washington, D.C. Dhírigh an óráid ar bhrionglóid King faoi thír ina gcónaíonn Meiriceánaigh Afracacha agus daoine geala le chéile go síochánta. Spreag an óráid mhór na mílte daoine gorma seasamh ar son a gceart ag an am.
Seo cúpla sliocht tógtha ón óráid (aistrithe ag Colmcille Ó Monacháin):
“Táthar á aisling dom go dtiocfaidh lá a mbeidh mo cheathrar páistí beaga ina gcónaí i náisiún nach ar dhath a gcraicinn a dhéanfar iad a mheas ach ar mhianach a bpearsan. Táthar á aisling seo dom inniu.”
“Ach diúltaímid a chreidiúint go bhfuil banc an cheartais dulta i bhféimheacht.”
“Nílimid sásta, agus ní bheimid sásta nó go rithe an ceartas anuas amhail uisce agus an fíréantacht amhail sruth láidir.”
Sa bhliain 1964, ritheadh an tAcht Cearta Sibhialta sna Stáit Aontaithe Meiriceá. Sa bhliain chéanna, bronnadh Duais Nobel na Síochána ar King as an obair uile a rinne sé chun deireadh a chur le claonadh ciníoch. Ar an 21 Márta 1965, chuir King tús le mórshiúl agóide, 54m (87km) san iomlán, ó Shelma go Montgomery. Sa deireadh, nuair a shroich an lucht agóide Montgomery ar an 25 Márta, bhí breis is 25,000 duine ann ó gach cearn den tír.
Feallmharaíodh Martin Luther King, Jr. ar an 4 Aibreán, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1969, gearradh téarma príosúin 99 bliain ar James Earl Ray as an bhfeallmharú. In 1983, bunaíodh Lá Martin Luther King, Jr. mar lá saoire feidearálach i Meiriceá – anois, ceiliúrtar Lá Martin Luther King Jr. gach bliain ar an triú Luan de mhí an Eanáir. Tá dealbh mhór de Martin Luther King Jr. le feiceáil in Washington DC.
Nuair a ligfmid réim le gáir na saoirse, nuair a ligfmid di macalla a bhaint as gach sráidbhaile agus gach gráig, as gach cathair agus gach stát — beimid ábalta luathú leis an lá a mbeidh clann Dé uile, idir fir dhubha agus fir gheala, idir Ghiúdaigh agus ghintlithe, idir Phrotastúnaigh agus Chaitlicigh, ábalta dul i ngreim láimhe le chéile agus focail an tseanamhráin spioradálta sin an Chiardhuáin a cheol amach: Saor faoi dheoidh! Saor faoi dheoidh! Altú do Dhia na Glóire, táimid saor faoi dheoidh.
Martin Luther King Jr., Washington DC, August 28, 1963.
August 28th, 1963
On this day, August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a political activist from Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. He was born on January 15th, 1929. When King was growing up, African-Americans in America had a hard life. Black and white people were separated from each other. African-Americans were not allowed to vote in elections. At university, King read about Mahatma Gandhi and was impressed by his ideas about peaceful campaigning. King wanted all Americans to have the same rights, regardless of race. He became a civil rights activist and became famous over the years for his work. He was a very important leader during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. The speech focused on King’s dream of a country where African-American and white people live together peacefully. The great speech encouraged thousands of black people to stand up for their rights at the time.
Here are a few excerpts taken from the speech:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”
“We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.”
“We are not satisfied, and will not be satisfied, until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed in the United States of America. In the same year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for all the work he did to end racial prejudice. On March 21st, 1965, King began a protest march, 54m (87km) in total, from Selma to Montgomery. In the end, when the protesters arrived in Montgomery on March 25th, there were over 25,000 people there from all over the country.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. on April 4th, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1969, James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder. In 1983, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a federal holiday in America – now Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated every year on the third Monday of January. A large statue of Martin Luther King Jr. can be seen in Washington DC.
When we allow freedom to ring — when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Great God almighty, We are free at last.
Martin Luther King Jr., Washington DC, August 28, 1963.
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