"There is a great social revolution going on in America today. And the wonderful thing about this revolution is that it is not black against white. It is simply right against wrong."The Shadow That Scares Me, p. 42; These words by Dick Gregory, noted civil rights leader, offer insight into the social condition of America today and perhaps many other areas of the world as well.
Mr. Gregory's comment cuts through the racial issue that masks the civil rights struggle. His words reveal the fact that the contest is not basically over political equality, educational benefits, adequate housing, or job opportunities. These concerns all point to the central need for a deeper recognition of man as man essentially is. When men understand and value one another for what each really is, this understanding will dissolve prejudice and right social wrongs. Hence the need to explore the nature of man in order to discover a basis for justice in society.
Are all men truly equal? In what way and on what grounds? On what can we base our intuitive conviction that uniqueness and dignity characterize man and that justice should therefore be inherent in his relationships? There is little in history on which to base such a conviction. The history of mankind shows tyranny, rather than an appreciation of human dignity, predominating in men's treatment of each other.
