When I was a little kid, back in the 1960s, I heard MLK Jr speak the words that have influenced my beliefs more than anything else ever. Now as I approach “retirement” age, I am sickened by the knowledge that so many other white people who have heard “I Have A Dream” only seemed to have heard a Black man talking to Black Americans. Many people I know make excuses and cite anecdotes of black-on-white crime to justify their views. They side with the police no matter what.

A few years ago, I got a small taste of what can happen when you are on the wrong side of a law enforcement officer. When someone you love was profiled because he was “acting suspicious”. A cascade of events followed that forever changed the way I see police. I know they are not all “like that”, but still…

Not everyone knows what to say to a co-worker or even a friend who is Black, regarding the awful things that have been happening for far too long. I can only say that I have been waiting, since I was six years old, for the day when we would all hold hands.