Unity not yet achieved

Monday, I attended the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Breakfast in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union. I was excited about the chance to honor King's legacy and meet new people. (I was also excited about eating breakfast, as I live off campus and don't know how to cook. Apparently, many people eat a meal before noon that is not from the IMU Burger King. Who knew?)\nI arrived at the breakfast not-so-bright-eyed and bushy tailed, as it was 8 a.m. (Apparently, many people also wake up and shower before noon. I am only willingly get up before noon to watch "Days of Our Lives," which airs bright and early at 11 a.m.) But despite my zombie-like physical state, I was eager for the celebration to begin.\nThe ceremony included a meal, prayer, the unveiling of the Project Respect 2001 poster, a song and a taped message from Gov. Frank O'Bannon. A special honor was paid to Bloomington Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis for his years of work toward campus unity.\nThere was, of course, a diverse group of people in Alumni Hall that morning: different races, different ages, different genders and backgrounds. Fortunately, this beautifully mixed group of people is not a rare sight at IU: "diversity" is the campus catchphrase. I inwardly congratulated my University and my generation as I listened to the speakers and table conversation.\nBut my perhaps naively optimistic outlook changed after graduate student Tyrone Simpson spoke. Simpson is the first-place winner in the graduate category of the King Day 2001 Essay Competition. His powerful speech began with a song and ended with a weighted silence. In his essay, he reminded the audience that, while humanity has come a long way in the fight against injustice of all kinds, we have a long, long way to go before realizing the vision of unity shared by King, Ghandi, Sojourner Truth, Jesus Christ and countless other leaders.\nAs I listened, I took a step back and looked at my life. Even though I strive for unity, equality and peace in society, I don't really do that much about it. Many times, my generation feels the war against hatred has already been won. \nWe fight no wars, we stage no protests, we have not been on a bus that required African Americans to sit in the back. Bigotry, in our mind, is a thing of the past. Racism has already been fought by people such as Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks and other historical figures. Too often, we think the work has been done for us.\nIf the fights for civil rights, equal rights and human rights are over, why is Matthew Shepard dead? Why was graduate student Won-Joon Yoon killed in front of his church right here in Bloomington? Why do we tell and tolerate racist jokes and comments? Why do we allow misconceptions about different religions and denominations to be passed on to new generations? Why are homosexuals alienated from my Christian religion, which preaches love and respect for all humankind?\nIt is time for our generation to get out of its comfort zone. Yes, we have come a long way. And I appreciate and celebrate that fact every day. But we also have a long way to go.\nUntil women are given equal pay for equal work, the fight is not over. Until police brutality is ended, the fight is not over. Until racist comments are not tolerated in casual conversation, King's dream will not be realized.\nThe state of apathy many of us live in is not acceptable if we want to improve the world in which we live. Talking and thinking about issues of injustice is a good thing, but useless unless coupled with direct and decisive action.\nWe are blessed to live on a campus committed to diversity and unity. We have so many opportunities for personal and social growth: cultural events, religious services, cultural centers, classes -- even the IDS opinion page. I encourage all of us to remember that, while we are living in a time of prosperity and peace, our generation needs to start taking action.