Namaste,
Most Asian/African immigrants to the US don't quite understand/appreciate the benefits that they derive from the suffering and activism of African Americans in the 1960s. During their protests for equality and voting rights, they were beaten up and trampled by police officers, bitten by the police dogs, pushed down to the ground by high powered water hoses, incarcerated or lynched on trumped up charges, but they kept marching. This led to the liberalization of the society and enabled the later waves of non-Caucasian immigrants to reap the benefits.
Our acceptance into the job markets, our ability to be able to live in any neighborhood, our social acceptance (however limited) and ease to build mandirs were all felicitated by the activism of African Americans. One such hero of the marches and constant battles for equality was Amelia Boynton Robinson. It was sad to learn that she died today at the age of 104, but she had a wonderful life. She was 54 when she co-organized and marched in the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights for African Americans. As the police charged on the protesters, she fell down and got trampled on by the police and other protesters and nearly lost her life. But she went on to live for another 50 years with all the pains and aches. As she leaves us today, I pray for the peace of her soul and a worthy reincarnation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Boynton_Robinson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn6uQBDAr_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZGHZQgD10
Pranam.
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