Space Before Equality?

Human are going to the cosmos before equality on earth

In the past week we have been exposed to two worlds that simultaneously coexist. In the first the human race is heading to a new frontier where space travel for all is a step closer to reality. What I am referring to is the manned rocket launch to the international space station by SpaceX a private company. The company has already announced it plans to send tourists into space on the Crew Dragon. With some other companies like Boeing already working on their own rockets, in the near future space travel may become part of the norm like going on an airplane. I felt joy in sharing this history moment with my little boys because one day they may take it for granted.

On the other side exists a world that I would rather not share with my two black children because for me it is scary and we sometimes forget it’s there. Like the steam train from the early 1900 we should not be seeing people marching for the right to live in 2020. The march I am speaking of is that of the black lives matter protesters after the death of George Floyd another black man who died at the hands of police. Even in 2020 some people still think it is ok to judge a man by the colour of his skin rather than the content of his character. Sadly this means the black man is yet to reach the Promised Land here on earth forget space travel.

“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.” — Martin Luther King

It took SpaceX nearly two decades of effort to successfully launch its first astronauts into orbit. In 1776 before any modern technology was invented, it was declared in America that "all men are created equal" but the black man in 2020 is still battling for equality and unfortunately it looks like humans will be first going to the cosmos before equality.

We should not lose hope because the number of people from all races taking part in the protests globally and online beautifully illustrates something else Martin Luther King said “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now”.