社評0116 怀念民權運動偉人金恩博士

怀念民權運動偉人金恩博士

美國政府將每年元月份第三個星期一定為金恩紀念日， 來緬懷這位為民權運動終身奮鬥的黑人領䄂， 曾經以一篇《我有一個夢》之演說改變了美國的歷史。

1963 年8月28 日， 超過二十五萬民眾聚集在首都華盛頓舉行了一次為工作和自由向華府進軍之民權運動，得到全國極大迴響， 於是隔年通過了1964 年《民權法案》 ，規定對黑人 少數民族和婦女之岐視是違法，並結束了黑白種族隔離之政策。

今天我們在回顧這段歷史時， 我們不竟要感激金恩博士因民權運動而英年早逝 ，當年僅三十九歲。

休斯敦資深律師沈彥偉是六十年代初來到美國求學， 他當時正逢黑白種族歧視之時代， 因而目睹了時代之巨大變化 ，他的経歷是我們華裔移民之寫照。

由于種族歧視及排華案之廢除， 七十年代初才有大批華人能夠移民或前來美國求學 ，直到八十年代大陸之開放 ，促始數以百萬計之華人能來到美國定居。

今天我們紀念金恩博士之冥誕 ，追憶歷史之往事， 也真是 前人種樹，後人乘涼。

                                    Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The U.S. government designated the third Monday of January as Dr. King’s birthday to be a national holiday.

On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people got together at the Lincoln Memorial Park in Washington, D.C. and listened to Dr King’s speech, “I have a Dream." With the great national response, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed to end the black and white apartheid policy and discrimination against colored people and women minority groups. This is the milestone for our civil rights movement.

When we look back at history, we all should be so grateful for what Dr. King did for all of us.

Our good friend attorney William Sim came to America in 1960 at the time of black and white racial discrimination.

Since 1964, after the abolishment of racial discrimination and the Chinese Exclusion Act, a large number of Chinese immigrants and students were able to come to the United States. Especially after 1980, many Chinese students and newcomers were then able to come here to be a part of this great country.

Today when we commemorate Dr. King’s birthday, we really appreciate what he did for us. Like the predecessors who planted the trees, we gratefully took advantage of the coolness.