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.¹

 

Dr. Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, ninety years ago. And on January 21, 2019 the US will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The “black redeemer”.

Apparently there are several fundamental reasons why we hate and discriminate other members of our own species.

Among these, a different content of melanins in our melanocytes that determine the color of the skin, hair and eyes.

Maybe a different silhouette and look.

Or maybe a different language or dialect.

Maybe a different set of habits? Everybody has different traditions.

The recurring word is “different”. It comes from a Latin verb, differre: separate one from the other, carrying away, diversify.

Out of ignorance and narrow-mindedness, some people may be scared by ethnic variety, and feel vulnerable before human migrations. And the astute politicians know how to ride this wave of insecurity.

Earth has no borders. When you fly in a plane you do not see colorful flags flapping in the wind. You rather see one land, with rivers, hills, plains and mountains, woods, deserts, oceans, plants and animals. Happily different and diverse. Offering resources and opportunities to everybody.

Entropy pushes toward mixing, and enthalpy can help.

Thank you Martin Luther King for your dream. It is still ours, your voice will resound in our ears at least until diversity will imply exclusion, discrimination and segregation.

                                                                   

1. “I have a dream...” © 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. (https://templatelab.com/dream-speech/. Last accessed on Jan 10, 2022).