Reflections on MLK, Jr. Today
I spend a lot of time discussing current events on a forum--I've been interacting there for over a decade. There are people on all sides of the political aisle. A conservative posted a question--where is today's Martin Luther King, Jr.? He lamented that there were now only people out for themselves, as opposed to King, who "believed strongly in racial equality and complete integration, and believed in getting it through education, discussion, and non-violent means."
This, in essence, is my response:
Both King and President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize, so there's some similarity here. And they both "believed strongly in racial equality and complete integration, and believed in getting it through education, discussion, and non-violent means." The lives of Black families improved during the Obama presidency in some ways--particularly that of the working class, who got more access to health care than they had before. And of course he started the My Brothers Keeper program for young Black males.
The role of an activist and a President are quite different (despite the fact that the President began as a community organizer, something mocked by Sarah Palin and many others). Their missions are quite different and the President's job is to advocate for all the people (something you won't see Trump doing, but never mind, this is about MLK, Jr. and his "successor").
This is a very different time and we have come very far since Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot by a White man (and reviled by many and had his house bombed, etc.). I bring this up because he is now held in high respect, but he wasn't beloved by all during his lifetime. And while Barack Obama is very popular--and justly so, White people have been highly critical and even threatened his life. So there's another parallel, but also makes the point that as we have made so many strides in racial parity and race relations, we have not yet reached the Promised Land of which Dr. King spoke so eloquently.
We can not ignore the issues of institutionalized racism in our police departments, Black Lives Matter, and Black violence, which stems largely from the cycle of Black poverty and hopelessness; inferior educational systems and few positive career opportunities are a breeding ground for violence everywhere. It's not a Black thing--check out Appalachia and other poor White enclaves. The difference is there isn't more crossover because they live in isolation, whereas the majority of the rioting and high murder rates take place in cities, which make them prominent in the national eye. There were and are White gangs (Irish, Italian, and other denominations) wherever poverty exists--and in every prison. And of course, there are gangs of White Supremacists. (Just trying to avoid any stereotyping accusations before they come up.)
Some think the answer is in steroidizing our Police Departments, treating citizens like enemy combatants. There will be a cost to that, and not just a moral one. but the moral one is that which concerns me. The moral costs were very important to MLK, Jr., and he did not limit his vision to the Black community. He died putting together Poor People Marches (with no race line), and fighting against Viet Nam as an immoral war. He wasn't revered for either position. He died supporting the Garbage Workers Strike. "That's how he got to Memphis."
I think if we are looking for today's MLK, Jr.'s, that's a tall order. Incredibly outsized shoes to fill. It's more important, I believe, to find the MLK, Jr. in ourselves. We need all the moral vision we can get.
This, in essence, is my response:
Both King and President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize, so there's some similarity here. And they both "believed strongly in racial equality and complete integration, and believed in getting it through education, discussion, and non-violent means." The lives of Black families improved during the Obama presidency in some ways--particularly that of the working class, who got more access to health care than they had before. And of course he started the My Brothers Keeper program for young Black males.
The role of an activist and a President are quite different (despite the fact that the President began as a community organizer, something mocked by Sarah Palin and many others). Their missions are quite different and the President's job is to advocate for all the people (something you won't see Trump doing, but never mind, this is about MLK, Jr. and his "successor").
This is a very different time and we have come very far since Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot by a White man (and reviled by many and had his house bombed, etc.). I bring this up because he is now held in high respect, but he wasn't beloved by all during his lifetime. And while Barack Obama is very popular--and justly so, White people have been highly critical and even threatened his life. So there's another parallel, but also makes the point that as we have made so many strides in racial parity and race relations, we have not yet reached the Promised Land of which Dr. King spoke so eloquently.
We can not ignore the issues of institutionalized racism in our police departments, Black Lives Matter, and Black violence, which stems largely from the cycle of Black poverty and hopelessness; inferior educational systems and few positive career opportunities are a breeding ground for violence everywhere. It's not a Black thing--check out Appalachia and other poor White enclaves. The difference is there isn't more crossover because they live in isolation, whereas the majority of the rioting and high murder rates take place in cities, which make them prominent in the national eye. There were and are White gangs (Irish, Italian, and other denominations) wherever poverty exists--and in every prison. And of course, there are gangs of White Supremacists. (Just trying to avoid any stereotyping accusations before they come up.)
Some think the answer is in steroidizing our Police Departments, treating citizens like enemy combatants. There will be a cost to that, and not just a moral one. but the moral one is that which concerns me. The moral costs were very important to MLK, Jr., and he did not limit his vision to the Black community. He died putting together Poor People Marches (with no race line), and fighting against Viet Nam as an immoral war. He wasn't revered for either position. He died supporting the Garbage Workers Strike. "That's how he got to Memphis."
I think if we are looking for today's MLK, Jr.'s, that's a tall order. Incredibly outsized shoes to fill. It's more important, I believe, to find the MLK, Jr. in ourselves. We need all the moral vision we can get.