Martin Had a Dream…

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I HAVE A DREAM TODAY!”

Those were the words of the legendary civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., during his iconic “ I Have A Dream” speech. If MLK was alive today, do you think he would be happy with the state of race relations in America? My guess would be ehh..not quite.

We’ve come a long way since Dr. King’s speech at the March on Washington, but there’s no question that we still have a long way to go. It’s hard to believe that the same country that elected its first black president in 2008, elected an unintelligent bigot into office just 8 years later! A presidential campaign rooted in racist propaganda created an even greater racial divide in our country. Despite the hatred spewing from the White House, I believe there’s a greater power that keeps King’s vision for our country alive—MUSIC.

Even though I rarely go to concerts, I decided to get tickets to the Drake & Migos show and J. Cole’s KOD tour in Philly. Both artists had released albums that I thoroughly enjoyed months prior, so I had to attend! Was Drake’s show on a Sunday night?—yes. Did I have work early the next morning?—of course! Did I have nose bleed seats?—DUH! But did I care?—absolutely not! I was just happy to be in the building, screaming every lyric to all of the songs on the Scorpion album at the top of my lungs. Even though I wasn’t ready for the show to end, Drake’s parting words definitely resonated with me. Check out this clip from the concert below.

As I looked down and around the stadium from my seats way up high, I saw people from all different races and places..just like Drake said.

I know that Drake tends to attract a diverse crowd with his mainstream sound, but I was more surprised to see a similar audience at J. Cole’s show, especially since Cole does not shy away from addressing racial and social issues in his music.

Cole’s show was absolutely amazing I might add. The visuals were super dope, he has great stage presence, and the short stories he shared between each set were riveting.

Both concert experiences were considerable reminders that music does indeed unite us all. It’s truly remarkable to witness men and women of different cultures, races, and backgrounds connecting through one sound. I believe music makes Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream a reality. Happy MLK Day!