By Marianne Lincoln as a tribute to Martin Luth King Jr. and all those who want to forge ahead together

It has been an evening of mourning for all of us who realize the real cause behind Make America Great Again, the last full day before a new US administration that values the marginalization of groups of people.

You see, for the rich white males, it was great when everyone was beneath them. Women needed them because they could not hold land, bank accounts, or credit. They were subject to forced marriages at young ages and not sufficiently educated to take care of themselves financially.

Women were property. They could be “taken” by a man to have his way with her. She was not supposed to argue or complain. She was supposed to bear children she actually didn’t want, feed and sew clothing for them, wash their clothes and make their beds.

Please God tell me what was great about it?

And then there were all the “others,” others that were Indian, black, Hispanic, gay, lesbian, or trans. Males were cheap labor or even slaves. They also could not own land or were forced into redlined areas to stay away from the white folk. They were not allowed to use the same sinks or toilets in public restrooms. They sat at the back of the bus or faced beatings.

Please God tell me what was great about it?

And the churches asked for their tithes and built palaces of rock with tall steeples and trimmings of gold. And the people were poor and hungry and they needed housing. Their clothes had to be mended because they could not afford new garments. The women sewed garments from cotton flour sacks for themselves and their children. The men worked in coal mines or on ships or tall buildings without safety gear. Widows worked in factories without enough doors or toilets and died in fires.

Please God tell me what was great about it?

And the poor men, frustrated with their lives took out their anger on the women and their families. They spent money the family needed on alcohol to try to forget their misery. They suffered from alcoholism and couldn’t work, making their families struggle even more to make ends meet. Mothers had to make extra money by letting themselves to a doctor or other local rich man to pay for food or medicine.

Please God tell me what was great about it?

So, you want to insult my being a progressive? You want to call me a liberal as if it is something to be ashamed of? Let me tell you, I know a little bit about history. I am grateful for progress. I am grateful for diversity. I am grateful for laws that protect people who are not all the same color, gender, or sexuality so they can have an even chance to survive or even flourish.

Progress, diversity and an equal chance to meet basic human needs is a gift from God. That is the woke you insult. That is the DEI that you spit at. Inclusion, so we can all sit at the table and share a meal. Equity, so we can all afford a place to live and sleep at night in a safe community.

Thank you, God, for the gifts of people who are woke, believe in DEI, and are willing to push back against those who would take it from them by calling them names and saying they are not worthy because of the color of their skin, what they wear, or who they love.

Thank you, God, for answering the prayers of everyone, regardless of who they are, because you made us all in your image.