a candle that lights along

I felt that reading the autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., a black American, is truly inspiring and motivating as he is a key personality in the civil rights movement in America, who fought for freedom and equality for all people. His strive to bring the message of peace and love , being like a candle that lights along, bringing new hope and joy in the lives of those in need. . He led campaign after campaign in the streets of America to uphold the sense of humanity and legal protection among the poor and also the black Americans. At the age of 39, he was shot in the neck by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4^th April 1968 when he was leading a protest against low wages and the terrible working conditions faced by sanitation workers. Although his struggles lasted for only a few years until his death, the inspiration of bringing peace and love continues to live on…….

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their tired bodies, education and culture for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and non-violent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land 'and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.' I still believe that we shall overcome."

determined dreams.........

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

This is another poem written by Langston Hughes, which conveys the message of the need to have the determination to accomplish whatever we aim or strive for in life . In the first stanza, “Hold fast to dreams” implies that a person needs to continue to believe in his ability and aim for what he visualizes for his future success. Then Langston Hughes personifies life, by stating that life is a broken-winged bird if one let the dreams die. It means a person will meet failure if he let go his dreams before accomplishing his desired aims in life. He will also lose his strength to move on physically, emotionally or spiritually to make his dream become a reality. In the second stanza, “Hold fast to dreams” is repeated again to emphasis on the importance of being a person who has mission and vision in life. Langston Hughes personifies life once again by stating “ Life is a barren field, frozen with snow" if dreams go. It shows that there is no harvest to reap as when he let go his dream, life will become unproductive, making it fruitless and meaningless.

pessimist or optimist?

James Mercer Langston Hughes, an African American was a poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright and columnist. His writings are categorized as marginalized literature in the marginalized ethnic group and he voice out issues and concerns from his life experience. I feel that his poem “Cross” is showing his vision of future generations, who practice multi-ethnic marriage, which has actually become a reality these days. The same situation occurs in Malaysia where we have multi ethnic marriage, so this poem can also be suitable to be taught in Malaysian secondary school where students have background knowledge on this matter. Multi ethnic marriage occurs in their family circle or in the society around them. The poem reflects the persona’s frustration from racialism and arouses us to contemplate what will happen in the future if discrimination prevails. The persona is as though wanting the readers to ponder on the consequences of practicing racialism in the society which will not only cause internal conflict in a person but also external conflict and to decide whether to be pessimist or optimist when facing the reality in life before turning into dust.

Cross by Langston Hughes

My old man's a white old man
And my old mother's black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.
If ever I cursed my black old mother
And wished she were in hell,
I'm sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well
My old man died in a fine big house.
My ma died in a shack.
I wonder where I'm going to die,
Being neither white nor black?