To listen to the entire speech and read about the recovery of this speech, go here. It’s important to listen in its entirety because I don’t like the idea of fragmenting someone’s ideas for the sake of a soundbite. Frankly, I find it disrespectful to do so. Otherwise, you run into this mistake (I agree with the Michael Eric Dyson here. When we reduce Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to a single set of lines, we lose the entire message completely.)

I have bittersweet feelings about today. Right now, I am in the state the was one of the last to recognize this holiday. 2016 barely started and I cannot help but reflect on the injustices that continue to haunt and affect people of color. I don’t have the words to express the anger, frustration, and disappointment. For now, I’m listening to this recovered speech.  If MLK could remain optimistic, then I’m hoping some of that will speak to me. Today.

Maraming Salamat,

Joanne L. Rondilla, Ph.D.

Mesa, AZ