These lines, adapted from a speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the end of the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965, are a reminder of the certain hope that is shared by all who seek LGBT justice.
“And so I plead with you this afternoon as we go ahead: remain committed to nonviolence. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate our adversaries, but to win their friendship and understanding. We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of straight or gay or transgender humankind. That will be a day of all humankind.
“I know you are asking today, ‘How long will it take?’ Somebody’s asking, “How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive wisdom from her sacred throne?’ Somebody’s asking, “When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified and truth bear it?’
“I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long because truth crushed to earth will rise again.
How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because you shall reap what you sow.
How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Now, as then, I believe we shall overcome.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
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