2．
MARTIN Luther King Day fell on Jan
this year, the third Monday in January. It would just have been a one-day holiday for me had I not taken part in the march held near St. Louis Park to support equality (平等) for African Americans.
It was four o’clock in the afternoon when Bridget, my host mother, and I arrived at the local church where the march started. Hundreds of people had already gathered together for the march. Among them there were not only African Americans, but also large numbers of supporters from many different backgrounds. There were black boys playing the saxophone (萨克斯管) and drums, white girls holding up banners (横幅), old couples in “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts and priests (神父) from the church in white robes (长袍). Some of them were Catholic (天主教徒), some were not, yet they all came together to support what they thought was right and just.
This march was full of positive energy and high spirits. It started when a young black lady of about
years old from the local church sang a song and the group joined in. Whistles (口哨) and timbrels (手鼓) could be heard along with the singing and clapping.
For a moment, I felt shocked and confused. I used to think of the fight for equal rights as a hard struggle, but these people showed the world their optimism (乐观) with smiles and music. I couldn’t help joining them, saying from the bottom of my heart that black lives matter. While we were marching, the passers-by waved hands at us, gave us thumbs-up, and some cars even made noise with their horns (号角) to support us. Bridget and I left the march about ten minutes later, but it was said to last over half an hour.
The march is only one of the many examples that show how much Americans care about human equality. High school students are asked to read books like To Kill a Mockingbird to learn about the lives of African Americans. My host parents even chose my host brother’s school because of the children of many different backgrounds that go there. Human equality has indeed become common sense in Americans’ daily lives and education.
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