Reflections on civil rights: The new generation of human rights advocates is encouraging

I reflect often these days on where are we today and how do we go forward in our work for human rights. 

My participation in the Civil Rights Movement under the leadership of the late Clara Luper prepared me for life. Her leadership in the Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma was practiced nationwide. We prayed at every event, and we continue to pray now for what is happening in our country today. 

I participated in the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963, to hear the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech. At that time, I was only 16 years old, and on Jan. 12, 2022, I celebrated my 75th birthday, only to find myself questioning our progress or the lack of progress 59 years later. The mission in the 1960s was to fight for equality for all people regardless of race, creed or color. Today, we continue to fight for that equality. 

We are still addressing the same issues: voting rights, jobs, education, housing, etc. People of color continue to fight for equality and equity. When we witnessed the election of our first African American president of the United States in Barack Obama, I thought maybe we can experience equality for all mankind. But having an African American president did not make race issues go away. We were confronted with more hatred and bigotry. We realized that we had more work to do to improve race relations in this country.

As I go back to 1963 to that historic moment, I know the dreams of King and Luper are still needing to be fulfilled. It will take each of us to make the dream a reality.  We must erase racism and segregation in any form. 

We see our democracy being threatened, and we must conclude that we are all citizens of these United States; therefore, we have the right to fight for equality and equity for all. 

I trust this generation will use our nonviolent approach as a template to continue to make progress. I have been encouraged by the diversity of race, ethnicity and social background of the current movement to protest racism and bigotry. We, children of the early Civil Rights Movement, say now that although we started with the Civil Rights Movement, we now fight for the Human Rights Movement! 

The theme song, "We Shall Overcome," influences my thinking and action because I have to believe that “Deep In My Heart, I Do Believe, We Shall Overcome Someday." 

Joyce Henderson is a civil rights activist and educator.