Martin Luther King's dream still a far-off U.S. pursuit

The struggle against racial discrimination in America is far from over. (Picture designed by Yao Lan)

By Xin Haiguan

(ECNS) -- Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer who knelt on African-American George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes till Floyd died last year was found guilty Tuesday. Chauvin could face up to a maximum of 75 years in prison. In an address, U.S. President Joe Biden accused systemic racism of being a stain on the American nation’s soul.

The verdict against Chauvin marked an essential victory in African-Americans' anti-racial discrimination fight. Over half a century ago, Martin Luther King Jr. said “I Have a Dream.” Over half a century later, Floyd died of the violence of a white policeman, leaving the world his last words "I can't breathe." The dream that Martin Luther King Jr. pursued all his life has not been realized even though half a century has passed.

Tens of millions of African Americans like Floyd still suffer from racism and discrimination. Even Kamala Harris, Vice President of the U.S., has publicly said that there are "two systems of justice" in America and generations of unarmed black men have been killed. However, the determination of African Americans to contend with racism should not be underestimated. Floyd's death awakened more American ethnic minorities who were lost in the American Dream. And African Americans who have been discriminated against in the long term are uniting to get their voices heard.

Meanwhile, Asians' living conditions in the U.S. are not optimistic. Racial discrimination and hate crimes targeting them are increasing day by day. Six women of Asian descent were shot dead in Atlanta in March, a 76-year-old Asian woman was attacked in downtown San Francisco in March, an Asian-American producer from CNN was wrongly zip-tied and arrested by Minnesota police while she was covering the Daunte Wright protests in April. The struggle against racial discrimination in America is far from over. All people living in this land, not only whites, should be given rights to share the American Dream.

As the Declaration of Independence of the United States declares, all men are created equal. Skin color should in no way be used to judge whether a race is superior or inferior. Otherwise, the tragedy of Floyd will eventually hit other races, including Asian Americans.