by marvin J. Ramirez
–Marvin Ramirez
Times are difficult as they are. The economy going down, while the biased media tries to pretend otherwise, and the awaking of the hardest core of anti-immigrants voices sounding as if they came out of hell.
Let’s not forget the threatening building of the fence along the Mexican-U.S. border, which is being built to stop everyone of us from getting out when the international bankers foreclose on the U.S. for the trillions-plus dollars owed to them.
Meanwhile, from the street of our cities to the prison system, some Machiavelli mind has been creating ways to divide the Latino and the African-North American communities to conquer us both much easier.
But just as if those communities have realized the necessary for unity, the first Hispanic, in the history of this country, was the note speaker at the prestigious Birmingham’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast. We are all now celebrating the beginning of the Black History Month in the United States, and the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Calling herself ‘a child of Dr. King’s hope,’ the first Hispanic to give the keynote speech at Birmingham’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast drew upon the common history, struggle, and dreams of the African American and Latino communities to attack hate in the American political debate. The 22nd annual breakfast is one of the nation’s leading events celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” read a statement from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).
In her speech, Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the NCLR, urged members of both communities, to “renew their commitment to realizing Dr. King’s dream of civil rights protections for all North Americans, challenging both communities to confront injustice, especially the recent rise in hate speech in the media and in the presidential primaries surrounding the issue of immigration.
Among her criticism, included the 20 year-old backlog to legal entry into the United States for crippling the North American immigration system.
The statement added: “Murguía specifically went after commentators who have spread prejudice through their programming.
Glenn Beck, a CNN commentator, was singled out for offering an offensive joke on his radio program which suggested building a giant refi nery to produce ‘Mexinol,’ a fuel made from the bodies of illegal immigrants coming here from Mexico.”
It’s time that Latinos recognize the necessary to unite our energy and soul along African-North Americans’ to defeat our common enemy: lack of education and opportunities beyond dead-end jobs at Wall-Mart-type companies. Happy Black History Month!
