In 1963, one man delivered a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. This man’s name was Martin Luther King Jr. and he was a human rights activist, fighting for freedom and equality for all humans, which in this case, were black people. Even though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was announced in 1948, black people were still denied their rights and were segregated often. However, with the perseverance of activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and the segregated people, they were able to gain their freedom and rights.

However, today, black people are still facing segregation and falling victim to police violence. One of the biggest tragedies of police violence happened in 2012 when a 17 year old African American male student named Trayvon Martin was shot to death by a neighborhood watch captain named George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was released with no charges, causing huge debates about segregation and equality between black and white people. Also, with police violence incidents like this increasing, a new movement known as #BlackLivesMatter has started to help recognize equality for all black people, and has become a statement and a movement to help fight against White supremacy and anti-Black racism.

Even in the Korean peninsula, many people are denied their human rights and forced to live in a restrained and harsh environment. In North Korea, many rights are restricted like freedom of speech. Women are also restricted from many things which include riding bicycles or something as simple as wearing jeans or pants. Also, there are no laws that protect women from sexual abuse or domestic violence. In South Korea, people have achieved democracy and are able to enjoy all their human rights. Just like the people in the South, we hope that the North can also one day be able to enjoy these rights.

We must work towards democracy and human equality for everyone. Not just for African Americans and Koreans, but for everyone around the world who are being discriminated against and are unable to exert their human rights. For this to be achieved, tolerance is key. Together, we can bring peace to Korea, Northeast Asia, and the world!