Photo for Headline Surfer® / DELAND, Fla. -- Ruth Pierre Charles, a 19-year-old freshman majoring in political science at Stetson University, is active on social media, especially issues affecting African Americans. With that in mind, the Bradenton resident was asked to reflect on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and what it mean to her.
QUESTION: What does the MLK legacy and the civil rights movement of the 1960s mean to you?
ANSWER: I can't fathom how many leaders lay down their lives for freedom. The freedom to drink from the same water fountain, eat in the same restaurant and use the same bathroom as Caucasians. Leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for the future generations insisting on changing lives for the better.
QUESTION: Do you see MLK's holiday resonating in today's world?
ANSWER: Right now activists all over the world are rising up, fighting for their rights once again. The perception was that colored individuals have gained our freedom, but the reality lies in the treatment of colored individuals. Once again, they march globally attacking the corrupted justice system, demanding revolutionary reform. For they reached too far to let the works of many diminish in the blink of an eye.
QUESTION: Do you see the MLK holiday as a means for African American to speak out in today's world?
ANSWER: Yes, because they are tired of their brothers and sisters getting slain, for what they know isn't just burns in their consciousness.
QUESTION: How so?
ANSWER: The mere thought of ignorance ceases to exist for a greater purpose lies ahead in the achievement of transformation. They march singing spiritual song and referencing to quotes by Martin Luther King and other inspirational civil rights leaders to fuel their fire.
The mere thought of ignorance ceases to exist for a greater purpose lies ahead in the achievement of transformation. They march singing spirituals and referencing to quotes by Martin Luther King and other inspirational civil rights leaders to fuel their fire.
QUESTION: Marches these days seem so organized. Do you think the influence of MLK has truly transcended time?
ANSWER: Mentally prepared, these activists understand who they are and what they plan to achieve.
ANSWER: Martin Luther King, Jr. states: "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."
QUESTION: What's the overall message of MLK and do you see it becoming a reality in your lifetime?
ANSWER: They rise with power of will, determination, and compassion, knowing one day the lives lost in the battle for justice will reform the system permanently.